The 1950 VFL season was the 54th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 22 April until 23 September, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.

1950 VFL premiership season
Essendon Football Club team, premiers
Teams12
PremiersEssendon
10th premiership
Minor premiersEssendon
10th minor premiership
Brownlow MedallistAllan Ruthven (Fitzroy)
Leading goalkicker medallistJohn Coleman (Essendon)
Matches played112
Highest85,869
← 1949
1951 →

The premiership was won by the Essendon Football Club for the tenth time and second time consecutively, after it defeated North Melbourne by 38 points in the 1950 VFL Grand Final.

Background

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In 1950, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man. A player could be substituted for any reason; however, once substituted, a player could not return to the field of play under any circumstances.

Teams played each other in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds; matches 12 to 18 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 7.

Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1950 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.

Home-and-away season

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Round 1

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 11.8 (74) Richmond 9.10 (64) Arden Street Oval 20,000 22 April 1950
Footscray 9.20 (74) St Kilda 12.11 (83) Western Oval 13,500 22 April 1950
Hawthorn 4.15 (39) Geelong 18.11 (119) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 22 April 1950
Fitzroy 9.10 (64) Essendon 9.16 (70) Brunswick Street Oval 20,000 22 April 1950
South Melbourne 14.12 (96) Collingwood 11.10 (76) Lake Oval 20,000 22 April 1950
Melbourne 13.13 (91) Carlton 10.11 (71) MCG 33,000 22 April 1950

Round 2

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 29.7 (181) South Melbourne 10.16 (76) Windy Hill 22,000 29 April 1950
Collingwood 16.11 (107) Fitzroy 9.11 (65) Victoria Park 22,300 29 April 1950
Carlton 18.18 (126) North Melbourne 16.14 (110) Princes Park 30,500 29 April 1950
Richmond 10.12 (72) Melbourne 10.13 (73) Punt Road Oval 25,000 29 April 1950
St Kilda 20.24 (144) Hawthorn 5.5 (35) Junction Oval 10,000 29 April 1950
Geelong 18.17 (125) Footscray 13.14 (92) Kardinia Park 20,200 29 April 1950

Round 3

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 13.24 (102) Hawthorn 4.9 (33) Western Oval 10,000 6 May 1950
South Melbourne 11.15 (81) St Kilda 15.13 (103) Lake Oval 20,000 6 May 1950
North Melbourne 12.11 (83) Melbourne 7.17 (59) Arden Street Oval 18,000 6 May 1950
Richmond 9.15 (69) Fitzroy 8.11 (59) Punt Road Oval 17,000 6 May 1950
Geelong 8.16 (64) Essendon 18.11 (119) Kardinia Park 23,000 6 May 1950
Collingwood 8.22 (70) Carlton 12.9 (81) Victoria Park 30,000 6 May 1950

Round 4

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 16.27 (123) South Melbourne 8.9 (57) Brunswick Street Oval 12,500 13 May 1950
Essendon 21.9 (135) Footscray 9.10 (64) Windy Hill 18,000 13 May 1950
Carlton 17.15 (117) Richmond 16.10 (106) Princes Park 29,000 13 May 1950
St Kilda 12.8 (80) North Melbourne 10.18 (78) Junction Oval 30,000 13 May 1950
Melbourne 10.7 (67) Geelong 9.16 (70) MCG 23,000 13 May 1950
Hawthorn 6.12 (48) Collingwood 7.25 (67) Glenferrie Oval 9,000 13 May 1950

Round 5

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 14.12 (96) South Melbourne 14.9 (93) Arden Street Oval 14,000 20 May 1950
Footscray 13.11 (89) Melbourne 16.9 (105) Western Oval 12,500 20 May 1950
Fitzroy 19.15 (129) Hawthorn 4.24 (48) Brunswick Street Oval 8,500 20 May 1950
Richmond 10.18 (78) Essendon 17.8 (110) Punt Road Oval 33,000 20 May 1950
Geelong 10.19 (79) Collingwood 12.8 (80) Kardinia Park 23,000 20 May 1950
St Kilda 10.14 (74) Carlton 8.7 (55) Junction Oval 47,000 20 May 1950

Round 6

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 20.15 (135) St Kilda 5.11 (41) Kardinia Park 24,000 27 May 1950
Collingwood 14.14 (98) Richmond 16.11 (107) Victoria Park 24,000 27 May 1950
Carlton 16.13 (109) Footscray 16.10 (106) Princes Park 16,500 27 May 1950
South Melbourne 20.14 (134) Hawthorn 10.14 (74) Lake Oval 9,500 27 May 1950
Melbourne 13.17 (95) Fitzroy 6.8 (44) MCG 21,000 27 May 1950
North Melbourne 13.8 (86) Essendon 11.5 (71) Arden Street Oval 25,000 27 May 1950

Round 7

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 6.12 (48) Melbourne 14.12 (96) Glenferrie Oval 8,000 3 June 1950
Fitzroy 7.7 (49) North Melbourne 13.15 (93) Brunswick Street Oval 14,000 3 June 1950
Essendon 19.13 (127) St Kilda 9.9 (63) Windy Hill 27,000 3 June 1950
Richmond 12.7 (79) Geelong 9.20 (74) Punt Road Oval 26,000 3 June 1950
Footscray 10.7 (67) Collingwood 19.25 (139) Western Oval 19,000 3 June 1950
South Melbourne 9.14 (68) Carlton 11.8 (74) Lake Oval 22,000 3 June 1950

Round 8

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 9.7 (61) Richmond 14.9 (93) Glenferrie Oval 14,000 10 June 1950
Footscray 19.11 (125) South Melbourne 9.8 (62) Western Oval 13,000 10 June 1950
Carlton 11.5 (71) Essendon 10.16 (76) Princes Park 46,500 10 June 1950
North Melbourne 10.17 (77) Geelong 8.12 (60) Arden Street Oval 30,000 12 June 1950
St Kilda 14.17 (101) Fitzroy 14.12 (96) Junction Oval 22,000 12 June 1950
Melbourne 16.9 (105) Collingwood 8.11 (59) MCG 55,000 12 June 1950

Round 9

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 14.13 (97) St Kilda 10.11 (71) Punt Road Oval 28,000 17 June 1950
Fitzroy 11.18 (84) Footscray 6.15 (51) Brunswick Street Oval 13,000 17 June 1950
Essendon 22.15 (147) Hawthorn 9.7 (61) Windy Hill 14,000 17 June 1950
Collingwood 9.12 (66) North Melbourne 14.14 (98) Victoria Park 24,500 17 June 1950
South Melbourne 8.12 (60) Melbourne 13.16 (94) Lake Oval 16,000 17 June 1950
Geelong 13.20 (98) Carlton 15.9 (99) Kardinia Park 23,500 17 June 1950

Round 10

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 13.12 (90) North Melbourne 12.22 (94) Western Oval 17,300 24 June 1950
Fitzroy 7.11 (53) Geelong 9.19 (73) Brunswick Street Oval 12,000 24 June 1950
Collingwood 15.12 (102) St Kilda 9.14 (68) Victoria Park 17,500 24 June 1950
South Melbourne 14.17 (101) Richmond 13.8 (86) Lake Oval 15,500 24 June 1950
Melbourne 8.15 (63) Essendon 10.12 (72) MCG 55,700 24 June 1950
Hawthorn 16.15 (111) Carlton 16.20 (116) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 24 June 1950

Round 11

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 19.21 (135) South Melbourne 8.7 (55) Kardinia Park 16,500 1 July 1950
Carlton 10.13 (73) Fitzroy 15.8 (98) Princes Park 19,000 1 July 1950
St Kilda 6.17 (53) Melbourne 9.13 (67) Junction Oval 23,000 1 July 1950
North Melbourne 14.16 (100) Hawthorn 2.13 (25) Arden Street Oval 10,000 1 July 1950
Richmond 15.18 (108) Footscray 8.14 (62) Punt Road Oval 17,000 1 July 1950
Essendon 12.18 (90) Collingwood 6.12 (48) Windy Hill 22,000 1 July 1950

Round 12

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 16.15 (111) Hawthorn 4.12 (36) Kardinia Park 13,000 8 July 1950
Essendon 12.17 (89) Fitzroy 9.7 (61) Windy Hill 19,000 8 July 1950
Collingwood 16.21 (117) South Melbourne 9.20 (74) Victoria Park 14,500 8 July 1950
Carlton 8.15 (63) Melbourne 10.14 (74) Princes Park 21,500 8 July 1950
Richmond 10.10 (70) North Melbourne 8.9 (57) Punt Road Oval 23,000 8 July 1950
St Kilda 8.11 (59) Footscray 11.10 (76) Junction Oval 14,000 8 July 1950

Round 13

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.16 (94) Richmond 9.10 (64) MCG 38,000 15 July 1950
Hawthorn 10.11 (71) St Kilda 12.12 (84) Glenferrie Oval 9,000 15 July 1950
Footscray 11.10 (76) Geelong 10.19 (79) Western Oval 16,000 15 July 1950
South Melbourne 8.9 (57) Essendon 22.17 (149) Lake Oval 16,000 15 July 1950
Fitzroy 16.12 (108) Collingwood 12.13 (85) Brunswick Street Oval 17,000 15 July 1950
North Melbourne 12.18 (90) Carlton 11.14 (80) Arden Street Oval 25,000 15 July 1950

Round 14

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 10.18 (78) South Melbourne 13.10 (88) Junction Oval 18,000 22 July 1950
Melbourne 4.8 (32) North Melbourne 7.13 (55) MCG 34,000 22 July 1950
Fitzroy 6.10 (46) Richmond 5.6 (36) Brunswick Street Oval 14,000 22 July 1950
Essendon 8.14 (62) Geelong 6.9 (45) Windy Hill 18,000 22 July 1950
Carlton 12.7 (79) Collingwood 17.14 (116) Princes Park 30,500 29 July 1950
Hawthorn 11.12 (78) Footscray 11.14 (80) Glenferrie Oval 9,000 29 July 1950

Round 15

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 15.14 (104) St Kilda 7.5 (47) Arden Street Oval 9,000 5 August 1950
Geelong 13.14 (92) Melbourne 9.12 (66) Kardinia Park 15,500 5 August 1950
Collingwood 16.21 (117) Hawthorn 2.8 (20) Victoria Park 9,000 5 August 1950
South Melbourne 11.8 (74) Fitzroy 11.11 (77) Lake Oval 9,000 5 August 1950
Footscray 10.9 (69) Essendon 10.11 (71) Western Oval 13,000 5 August 1950
Richmond 14.20 (104) Carlton 9.16 (70) Punt Road Oval 18,000 5 August 1950

Round 16

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 20.15 (135) Richmond 11.12 (78) Windy Hill 24,000 12 August 1950
Collingwood 10.15 (75) Geelong 11.15 (81) Victoria Park 26,000 12 August 1950
Carlton 12.11 (83) St Kilda 11.17 (83) Princes Park 10,500 12 August 1950
South Melbourne 13.11 (89) North Melbourne 21.14 (140) Lake Oval 11,000 12 August 1950
Melbourne 15.11 (101) Footscray 14.14 (98) MCG 17,500 12 August 1950
Hawthorn 11.14 (80) Fitzroy 23.16 (154) Glenferrie Oval 7,000 12 August 1950

Round 17

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 14.10 (94) South Melbourne 16.7 (103) Glenferrie Oval 6,500 19 August 1950
Fitzroy 7.10 (52) Melbourne 6.11 (47) Brunswick Street Oval 12,500 19 August 1950
Essendon 15.12 (102) North Melbourne 13.16 (94) Windy Hill 33,500 19 August 1950
St Kilda 8.6 (54) Geelong 6.12 (48) Junction Oval 12,000 19 August 1950
Richmond 15.19 (109) Collingwood 15.10 (100) Punt Road Oval 16,000 19 August 1950
Footscray 13.14 (92) Carlton 12.7 (79) Western Oval 10,000 19 August 1950

Round 18

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 10.14 (74) Richmond 12.14 (86) Kardinia Park 22,500 26 August 1950
Collingwood 9.10 (64) Footscray 8.14 (62) Victoria Park 12,000 26 August 1950
Carlton 13.4 (82) South Melbourne 10.10 (70) Princes Park 10,000 26 August 1950
Melbourne 23.18 (156) Hawthorn 9.6 (60) MCG 10,500 26 August 1950
North Melbourne 9.12 (66) Fitzroy 13.12 (90) Arden Street Oval 16,000 26 August 1950
St Kilda 8.7 (55) Essendon 21.10 (136) Junction Oval 27,000 26 August 1950

Ladder

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(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Essendon (P) 18 17 1 0 1942 1197 162.2 68
2 North Melbourne 18 13 5 0 1595 1293 123.4 52
3 Melbourne 18 12 6 0 1485 1205 123.2 48
4 Geelong 18 10 8 0 1562 1256 124.4 40
5 Fitzroy 18 10 8 0 1452 1314 110.5 40
6 Richmond 18 10 8 0 1506 1476 102.0 40
7 Collingwood 18 9 9 0 1586 1437 110.4 36
8 Carlton 18 8 9 1 1528 1637 93.3 34
9 St Kilda 18 8 9 1 1341 1553 86.3 34
10 Footscray 18 5 13 0 1475 1608 91.7 20
11 South Melbourne 18 5 13 0 1438 1904 75.5 20
12 Hawthorn 18 0 18 0 1022 2052 49.8 0

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 83.0
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

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Semi-finals

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Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Melbourne 2.2 3.2 5.4 6.8 (44)
Geelong 1.1 4.5 8.6 13.10 (88)
Attendance: 54,817
Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Essendon 5.5 6.8 9.11 11.14 (80)
North Melbourne 0.3 5.7 8.9 11.11 (77)
Attendance: 75,433

Preliminary final

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Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
North Melbourne 1.0 4.8 10.11 14.16 (100)
Geelong 7.3 8.4 11.7 12.11 (83)
Attendance: 73,530

Grand final

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Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Essendon 7.3 7.6 10.11 13.14 (92)
North Melbourne 4.0 5.5 7.9 7.12 (54)
Attendance: 85,869

Season notes

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  • In the early 1950 pre-season, veteran Collingwood coach Jock McHale announced his retirement after a then-record 714 senior games. Collingwood called for applications for a non-playing coach, and champion ruckman Phonse Kyne immediately announced his retirement and applied for the job. On 13 April, the Thursday before the last pre-season practice match, the Collingwood committee announced that it had appointed the (then) coach of the Collingwood Second Eighteen team, Bervyn Woods as coach,[1] by the casting vote of the President Harry Curtis. The announcement was greeted with anger, because it meant that Kyne would have to go elsewhere to realise his coaching ambitions. At Collingwood's final practice match, the crowd continuously booed and jeered Woods, the members of the Collingwood committee that had voted for him were threatened and abused, and Kyne was carried around the ground on the shoulders of the crowd at the end of the match. The following day, Woods withdrew his application[2] and reverted to coaching the Second Eighteen, and Kyne was appointed coach.[3] All committee members then resigned their positions, and Curtis did not seek re-election.[4] Former player Syd Coventry was elected the new president, unopposed.[5]
  • In Round 2, St Kilda recorded its first win by 100 points or more, defeating Hawthorn 20.24 (144) to 5.5 (35).
  • North Melbourne reached the Grand Final for the first time since joining the VFL in 1925.
  • In Round 9, North Melbourne won for the first time at Victoria Park, after having suffered 23 straight defeats at the ground.
  • Essendon won the First Eighteen, Second Eighteen, and Third Eighteen premierships in 1950.

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Bervyn Woods is new coach at Collingwood". The Argus. Melbourne. 14 April 1950. p. 17 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Another Collingwood sensation BERVYN WOODS RESIGNS AS NON-PLAYING COACH". The Argus. Melbourne. 17 April 1950. p. 20 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Secretary hears news at 10 p.m. Phonse Kyne Says "Yes" To Coaching Offer". The Argus. Melbourne. 20 April 1950. p. 24 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "MAGPIE ELECTION Retiring will seek office". The Argus. Melbourne. 15 June 1950. p. 24 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Player now leader". The Argus. Melbourne. 29 June 1950. p. 13 – via National Library of Australia.
  • Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-9591740-2-8
  • Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. ISBN 0-670-90809-6
  • Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0
  • Strevens, S., Bob Rose: A Dignified Life, Allen & Unwin, (Crows Nest), 2004. ISBN 1-74114-465-5

Sources

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