VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIPS
- SUMMARY OF RESULTS (1895-1979)
- WINNERS/RUNNERS-UP
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
1895 VFA CHARITY DAY
VFA premiership matches were suspended so the Charity Day could be held on the Saturday between Rounds 6 and 7 of the season. The two football matches were played at 3pm and 4pm as the culmination of an event which also included a Champion Footballers sprint race (won by A. Drew of Port Melbourne) and a baseball match.
The event is also noteworthy for being the first trial of boundary umpires. The Argus (10-6-1896) notes: "From the first it was clear that the boundary umpires effected two desirable things, viz., giving the field umpire a better chance to watch the game, and preventing the followers crowding on to the ball at the boundary when it was thrown in". However, The Argus also notes that these gains were offset by the wingmen migrating to the centre of the field creating problems within that section of the field.
Note that prior to 1897 behinds were recorded but did not count towards a team's score, so the Fitzroy-Collingwood match was drawn at 3 goals apiece.
DATE / VENUE |
MATCH |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
CROWD |
8-6-1895 |
1 |
Fitzroy |
3.10 |
Collingwood |
3.5 |
7,000 |
2 |
Melbourne |
5.9 |
Essendon |
1.0 |
1896 VFA CHARITY CUP
VFA premiership matches were suspended so the Charity Day could be held on the Saturday between Rounds 5 and 6 of the season. The football matches consisted of two halves of 20 minutes each and were preceded by a baseball match described by The Argus (8-6-1896) as "the finest game of baseball yet seen in Melbourne". As winners of the football tournament, Essendon received the inaugural VFA Charity Cup.
As with the previous year, the 1896 event was used to trial new rules:
- the use of boundary umpires to throw the ball back into play (relieving the field umpire of this duty, allowing him to focus on the play);
- the abolition of the "little mark", meaning the ball had to be kicked at least ten yards for a mark to be paid by the umpire.
Both of these rule trials were considered successful and were later adopted across all levels of the game.
DATE / VENUE |
ROUND |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
CROWD |
6-6-1896 |
SF |
Essendon (1) |
3.3 |
Collingwood (2) |
2.5 |
8,000 |
Port Melbourne (4) |
2.1 |
South Melbourne (3) |
1.4 |
|||
FINAL |
Essendon (1) |
2.4 |
Port Melbourne (4) |
1.1 |
1946 VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP
DATE / VENUE |
ROUND |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
CROWD |
29-6-1946 |
RD.1 |
Brighton (4) |
4.2 (26) |
Brunswick (7) |
2.1 (13) |
7,000 |
Port Melbourne (6) |
3.0 (18) |
Yarraville (8) |
1.1 (7) |
|||
Prahran (9) |
2.4 (16) |
Preston (12) |
1.2 (8) |
|||
Oakleigh (10) |
2.2 (14) |
Northcote (11) |
1.2 (8) |
|||
RD.2 |
Brighton (4) |
7.4 (46) |
Camberwell (1) |
1.1 (7) |
||
Oakleigh (10) |
2.3 (15) |
Sandringham (2) |
1.2 (8) |
|||
Williamstown (3) |
2.4 (16) |
Port Melbourne (6) |
2.2 (14) |
|||
Prahran (9) |
3.1 (19) |
Coburg (5) |
1.1 (7) |
|||
SF |
Williamstown (3) |
3.8 (26) |
Oakleigh (10) |
1.1 (7) |
||
Prahran (9) |
4.2 (26) |
Brighton (4) |
3.1 (19) |
|||
GF |
Williamstown (3) |
4.3 (27) |
Prahran (9) |
1.3 (9) |
VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP (1972-79 FORMAT)
Second Division played their competition first and the winner advanced to the semi-final stage of the First Division Lightning Premiership. Just three Second Division teams reached the Grand Final of the First Division competition - Northcote (1975), Werribee (1978), and Yarraville (1979) with Werribee the only one of these teams to win the title.
In 1972-73 the competition was known simply as the VFA Lightning Premiership, but from the 1974 season Carlton & United Breweries and ATV-0 (forerunner of today's Channel Ten) became joint naming rights sponsors and the competition was officially known as the CUB-ATV-0 Lightning Premiership.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT - 1972
SECOND DIVISION
RD.1 - 7 v 8 and 9 v 10 SF1 - 5 v 7/8 SF2 - 6 v 9/10 GF - SF1 winner v SF2 winner |
FIRST DIVISION
RD.1 - 5 v 6 RD.2 - 7 v 8 and 9 v 10 SF1 - Rd.1 winner (5/6) v 2nd Division winner SF2 - Rd.2 winners: 7/8 v 9/10 GF - SF1 winner v SF2 winner |
In Second Division this format guaranteed one of the bottom two teams a place in the semi finals at the expense of a higher-ranked team.
The First Division format had the same flaw... plus the added bonus of eliminating one of the top two teams in the opening week!
TOURNAMENT FORMAT - 1973 to 1979
SECOND DIVISION
RD.1 - 7 v 10 and 8 v 9 SF1 - 5 v 7/10 SF2 - 6 v 8/9 GF - SF1 winner v SF2 winner |
FIRST DIVISION
RD.1 - 7 v 10 and 8 v 9 RD.2 - Rd.1 winners: 7/10 v 8/9 SF1 - 5 v 2nd Division winner SF2 - 6 v Rd.2 winner: (7/8/9/10) GF - SF1 winner v SF2 winner |
1972 VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP
SECOND DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.27 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Box Hill (7) |
6.11 (47) |
Mordialloc (8) |
3.6 (24) |
D2 2SF |
Frankston (9) |
11.3 (69) |
Werribee (10) |
3.6 (24) |
||||
SF |
Sept.3 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Box Hill (7) |
5.6 (36) |
Northcote (5) |
4.6 (30) |
D2 PF |
Frankston (9) |
8.8 (56) |
Camberwell (6) |
6.2 (38) |
||||
GF |
Sept.10 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Box Hill (7) |
3.6 (24) |
Frankston (9) |
2.3 (15) |
D1 2SF |
FIRST DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Sept.3 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Port Melbourne (5) |
8.6 (54) |
Sunshine (6) |
6.4 (40) |
D2 PF |
RD.2 |
Sept.10 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Coburg (8) |
7.3 (45) |
Sandringham (7) |
3.8 (26)* |
D1 2SF |
Waverley (10) |
5.5 (35) |
Prahran (9) |
4.5 (29) |
||||
SF |
Sept.17 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Port Melbourne (5) |
6.10 (46) |
Box Hill (D2 7th) |
2.4 (16) |
D1 PF |
Coburg (8) |
7.5 (47) |
Waverley (10) |
5.1 (31) |
||||
GF |
Sept.24 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Coburg (8) |
6.2 (38) |
Port Melbourne (5) |
3.8 (26) |
D1 GF |
1973 VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP
SECOND DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.20 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Box Hill (10) |
5.8 (38) |
Werribee (7) |
5.1 (31) |
D2 1SF |
Yarraville (8) |
3.4 (22) |
Mordialloc (9) |
1.3 (9) |
||||
SF |
Aug.27 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Box Hill (10) |
6.5 (41) |
Frankston (5) |
5.4 (34) |
D2 2SF |
Northcote (6) |
5.7 (37) |
Yarraville (8) |
5.0 (30) |
||||
GF |
Sept.9 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Northcote (6) |
9.5 (59) |
Box Hill (10) |
3.5 (23) |
D1 2SF |
FIRST DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Sept.2 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Sandringham (7) |
3.9 (27) |
Coburg (10) |
3.1 (19) |
D1 1SF |
Preston (9) |
3.10 (28) |
Sunshine (8) |
3.2 (20) |
||||
RD.2 |
Sept.9 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Preston (9) |
8.3 (51) |
Sandringham (7) |
3.2 (20) |
D1 2SF |
SF |
Sept.16 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Geelong West (5) |
6.4 (40) |
Northcote (D2 6th) |
4.9 (33) |
D1 PF |
Preston (9) |
8.4 (52) |
Williamstown (6) |
4.7 (31) |
||||
GF |
Sept.23 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Geelong West (5) |
8.3 (51) |
Preston (9) |
2.9 (21) |
D1 GF |
1974 VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP
SECOND DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.18 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Yarraville (10) |
3.3 (21) |
Mordialloc (7) |
2.7 (19) |
D2 1SF |
Werribee (8) |
3.7 (25) |
Box Hill (9) |
1.5 (11) |
||||
SF |
Aug.25 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Northcote (5) |
5.8 (38) |
Yarraville (10) |
3.2 (20) |
D2 2SF |
Frankston (6) |
6.2 (38) |
Werribee (8) |
3.5 (23) |
||||
GF |
Sept.8 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Northcote (5) |
7.3 (45) |
Frankston (6) |
4.3 (27) |
D1 2SF |
FIRST DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Sept.1 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Williamstown (7) |
1.7 (13) |
Sunshine (10) |
1.2 (8) |
D1 1SF |
Caulfield (9) |
7.2 (44) |
Sandringham (8) |
2.2 (14) |
||||
RD.2 |
Sept.8 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Williamstown (7) |
6.4 (40) |
Caulfield (9) |
3.4 (22) |
D1 2SF |
SF |
Sept.15 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Prahran (5) |
7.5 (47) |
Northcote (D2 5th) |
3.2 (20) |
D1 PF |
Preston (6) |
7.3 (45) |
Williamstown (7) |
1.3 (9) |
||||
GF |
Sept.22 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Preston (6) |
6.2 (38) |
Prahran (5) |
5.3 (33) |
D1 GF |
1975 VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP
SECOND DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.17 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Box Hill (10) |
7.1 (43) |
Yarraville (7) |
4.7 (31) |
D2 1SF |
Waverley (8) |
7.3 (45) |
Werribee (9) |
5.6 (36) |
||||
SF |
Aug.24 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Northcote (5) |
5.6 (36) |
Box Hill (10) |
3.5 (23) |
D2 2SF |
Mordialloc (6) |
5.5 (35) |
Waverley (8) |
2.1 (13) |
||||
GF |
Sept.7 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Northcote (5) |
6.8 (44) |
Mordialloc (6) |
2.4 (16) |
D1 2SF |
FIRST DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.31 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Oakleigh (7) |
5.4 (34) |
Williamstown (10) |
3.2 (20) |
D1 1SF |
Caulfield (8) |
8.7 (55) |
Sandringham (9) |
2.4 (16) |
||||
RD.2 |
Sept.7 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Oakleigh (7) |
8.6 (54) |
Caulfield (8) |
2.8 (20) |
D1 2SF |
SF |
Sept.14 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Northcote (D2 5th) |
5.4 (34) |
Preston (5) |
4.7 (31) |
D1 PF |
Prahran (6) |
7.6 (48) |
Oakleigh (7) |
3.7 (25) |
||||
GF |
Sept.21 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Prahran (6) |
7.2 (44) |
Northcote (D2 5th) |
3.5 (23) |
D1 GF |
1976 VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP
SECOND DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.15 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Sunshine (7) |
6.5 (41) |
Yarraville (10) |
2.5 (17) |
D2 1SF |
Waverley (8) |
6.6 (42) |
Box Hill (9) |
4.7 (31) |
||||
SF |
Aug.22 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Camberwell (5) |
6.6 (42) |
Sunshine (7) |
4.4 (28) |
D2 2SF |
Werribee (6) |
5.7 (37) |
Waverley (8) |
5.6 (36) |
||||
GF |
Sept.5 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Camberwell (5) |
4.3 (27) |
Werribee (6) |
1.3 (9) |
D1 2SF |
FIRST DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.29 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Prahran (7) |
5.10 (40) |
Oakleigh (10) |
1.4 (10) |
D1 1SF |
Brunswick (8) |
5.3 (33) |
Sandringham (9) |
4.3 (27) |
||||
RD.2 |
Sept.5 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Brunswick (8) |
7.4 (46) |
Prahran (7) |
5.1 (31) |
D1 2SF |
SF |
Sept.12 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Coburg (5) |
6.4 (40) |
Camberwell (D2 5th) |
5.5 (35) |
D1 PF |
Brunswick (8) |
7.7 (49) |
Geelong West (6) |
4.1 (25) |
||||
GF |
Sept.19 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Coburg (5) |
5.7 (37) |
Brunswick (8) |
1.7 (13) |
D1 GF |
1977 VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP
SECOND DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.21 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Werribee (7) |
6.8 (44) |
Box Hill (10) |
4.4 (28) |
D2 1SF |
Waverley (9) |
5.1 (31) |
Sunshine (8) |
3.3 (21) |
||||
SF |
Aug.28 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Frankston (5) |
8.4 (52)* |
Werribee (7) |
6.2 (38) |
D2 2SF |
Northcote (6) |
7.8 (50) |
Waverley (9) |
5.4 (34) |
||||
GF |
Sept.11 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Frankston (5) |
6.4 (40) |
Northcote (6) |
5.4 (34) |
D1 2SF |
FIRST DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Sept.4 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Prahran (7) |
7.4 (46) |
Williamstown (10) |
4.3 (27) |
D1 1SF |
Caulfield (8) |
6.7 (43) |
Preston (9) |
5.5 (35) |
||||
RD.2 |
Sept.11 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Caulfield (8) |
9.5 (59) |
Prahran (7) |
3.4 (22) |
D1 2SF |
SF |
Sept.18 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Dandenong (5) |
5.3 (33) |
Frankston (D2 5th) |
1.6 (12) |
D1 PF |
Caulfield (8) |
5.6 (36) |
Geelong West (6) |
2.12 (24) |
||||
GF |
Sept.25 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Caulfield (8) |
4.7 (31) |
Dandenong (5) |
4.3 (27) |
D1 GF |
1978 VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP
SECOND DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.20 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Box Hill (10) |
7.3 (45) |
Sunshine (7) |
5.7 (37) |
D2 1SF |
Werribee (8) |
7.6 (48) |
Williamstown (9) |
4.5 (29) |
||||
SF |
Aug.27 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Box Hill (10) |
5.5 (35) |
Northcote (5) |
2.6 (18) |
D2 2SF |
Werribee (8) |
7.2 (44) |
Waverley (6) |
4.5 (29) |
||||
GF |
Sept.10 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Werribee (8) |
5.4 (34) |
Box Hill (10) |
4.3 (27) |
D1 2SF |
FIRST DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Sept.3 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Mordialloc (10) |
6.7 (43) |
Brunswick (7) |
4.6 (30) |
D1 1SF |
Caulfield (9) |
6.7 (43) |
Geelong West (8) |
5.5 (35) |
||||
RD.2 |
Sept.10 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Caulfield (9) |
6.3 (39) |
Mordialloc (10) |
2.5 (17) |
D1 2SF |
SF |
Sept.17 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Werribee (D2 8th) |
7.1 (43) |
Coburg (5) |
6.2 (38) |
D1 PF |
Sandringham (6) |
8.1 (49) |
Caulfield (9) |
4.6 (30) |
||||
GF |
Sept.24 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Werribee (D2 8th) |
5.2 (32) |
Sandringham (6) |
3.10 (28) |
D1 GF |
1979 VFA LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP
SECOND DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Aug.19 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Waverley (7) |
3.9 (27) |
Werribee (10) |
2.4 (16) |
D2 1SF |
Box Hill (9) |
6.5 (41) |
Sunshine (8) |
3.1 (19) |
||||
SF |
Aug.26 |
Toorak Park, Prahran |
Northcote (5) |
9.2 (56) |
Waverley (7) |
2.2 (14) |
D2 2SF |
Yarraville (6) |
7.6 (48) |
Box Hill (9) |
4.2 (26) |
||||
GF |
Sept.9 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Yarraville (6) |
6.8 (44) |
Northcote (5) |
1.5 (11) |
D1 2SF |
FIRST DIVISION |
|||||||
ROUND |
DATE |
VENUE |
WINNING TEAM |
SCORE |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
C/R FOR: |
RD.1 |
Sept.2 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Preston (7) |
5.7 (37) |
Brunswick (10) |
5.4 (34) |
D1 1SF |
Sandringham (8) |
5.4 (34) |
Frankston (9) |
3.7 (25) |
||||
RD.2 |
Sept.9 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Sandringham (8) |
5.6 (36) |
Preston (7) |
4.3 (27) |
D1 2SF |
SF |
Sept.16 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Yarraville (D2 6th) |
6.6 (42) |
Caulfield (5) |
4.4 (28) |
D1 PF |
Sandringham (8) |
7.4 (46) |
Dandenong (6) |
4.5 (29) |
||||
GF |
Sept.23 |
Junction Oval, St Kilda |
Sandringham (8) |
3.5 (23) |
Yarraville (D2 6th) |
2.5 (17) |
D1 GF |
WINNERS / RUNNERS-UP
LIGHTNING PREMIERS
1896 - Essendon 1946 - Williamstown 1972 - Coburg (8th) 1973 - Geelong West (5th) 1974 - Preston (6th) 1975 - Prahran (6th) 1976 - Coburg (5th) 1977 - Caulfield (8th) 1978 - Werribee (D2 8th) 1979 - Sandringham (8th) 2ND DIVISION PREMIERS
1896 - n/a 1946 - n/a 1972 - Box Hill (7th) 1973 - Northcote (6th) 1974 - Northcote (5th) 1975 - Northcote (5th) 1976 - Camberwell (5th) 1977 - Frankston (5th) 1978 - Werribee (8th) 1979 - Yarraville (6th) |
RUNNER-UP
1896 - Port Melbourne 1946 - Prahran 1972 - Port Melbourne (5th) 1973 - Preston (9th) 1974 - Prahran (5th) 1975 - Northcote (D2 5th) 1976 - Brunswick (8th) 1977 - Dandenong (5th) 1978 - Sandringham (6th) 1979 - Yarraville (D2 6th) 2ND DIVISION RUNNER-UP
1896 - n/a 1946 - n/a 1972 - Frankston (9th) 1973 - Box Hill (10th) 1974 - Frankston (6th) 1975 - Mordialloc (6th) 1976 - Werribee (6th) 1977 - Northcote (6th) 1978 - Box Hill (10th) 1979 - Northcote (5th) |
Written and researched by David Eastman
|
First published 19/9/2014
Last updated 30/6/2019 |