The 1957 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Melbourne Football Club and Essendon Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 21 September 1957. It was the 60th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1957 VFL season. The match, attended by 100,324 spectators, was won by Melbourne by 61 points, marking that club's ninth premiership victory.

1957 VFL Grand Final

Melbourne

Essendon
17.14 (116) 7.13 (55)
1 2 3 4
MEL 6.2 (38) 9.9 (63) 12.11 (83) 17.14 (116)
ESS 2.3 (15) 4.4 (28) 7.8 (50) 7.13 (55)
Date21 September 1957
StadiumMelbourne Cricket Ground
Attendance100,324
← 1956 VFL Grand Final 1958 →

This was Melbourne's fourth successive Grand Final appearance and third successive premiership. Ron Barassi starred for the Demons with five goals, four of them in the first half to put the game out of Essendon's reach. Melbourne's coach Norm Smith had previously participated in successive premierships as a player, from 1939 to 1941.

Teams

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Melbourne
 
 
 
 
 
Essendon
Melbourne
B: John Beckwith (c) Peter Marquis Dick Fenton-Smith
HB: Don Williams John Lord Keith Carroll
C: Ian McLean Laurie Mithen Brian Dixon
HF: Geoff Tunbridge Trevor Johnson Geoff Case
F: Ron Barassi Athol Webb Ian Ridley
Foll: Bob Johnson Colin Wilson Frank Adams
Res: Ian Thorogood Peter Brenchley
Coach: Norm Smith
Essendon
B: Bob Suter Jack Knowles Mal Pascoe
HB: Bob Shearman Jeff Gamble John Towner
C: Reg Burgess Jack Clarke Greg Sewell
HF: Col Hebbard Robert Fox Stan Booth
F: Geoff Leek Fred Gallagher John Birt
Foll: John Gill Hugh Mitchell Bill Hutchison (c)
Res: Leo Maloney Jim Heenan
Coach: Dick Reynolds
  • Umpire – Allan Nash

Statistics

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Goalkickers

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Melbourne:

  • Barassi 5
  • Ridley 4
  • Webb 3
  • B.Johnson 2
  • Tunbridge 2
  • Case 1

Essendon:

  • Gallagher 3
  • Birt 1
  • Clarke 1
  • Gill 1
  • Hebbard 1

Attendance

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  • MCG crowd – 100,324

References

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  • 1957 VFL Grand Final statistics
  • The Official statistical history of the AFL 2004
  • 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

See also

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