1961 VFL season
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Results and statistics for the VFL/AFL season of 1961.

Premiership season

In 1961, 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 1961 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "Page-McIntyre system".

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Ladder

Consolation Night Series Competition

The night series were held under the floodlights at Lake Oval, South Melbourne, for the teams (5th to 12th on ladder) out of the finals at the end of the season.

Final: Geelong 9.20 (74) defeated North Melbourne 9.8 (62)

Premiership Finals

First Semi-Final

Second Semi-Final

Preliminary Final

Grand Final

Main article: 1961 VFL Grand Final

Grand Final Teams

Umpire - Frank Schwab

Leading Goalkicker

Awards

• The 1961 VFL Premiership team was Hawthorn.
• The VFL's leading goalkicker was Tom Carroll of Carlton who kicked 54 goals.
• The winner of the 1961 Brownlow Medal was John James of Carlton with 21 votes.
• North Melbourne took the "wooden spoon" in 1961.

Notable Events

• Following a VFL investigation of a complaint that game officials had not reported the incident, rugged South Melbourne ruckman Ken Boyd was suspended for 12 matches for striking Carlton ruckman John Nicholls.
• In round 16, Richmond are held goal-less by St Kilda for the first time since St Kilda was held goal-less by Fitzroy in round 11 of 1921.
• Hawthorn defeated Footscray in their first Grand Final at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Brendan Edwards was, by far, the best player in the match.
• Having decided to abandon its (1957-1960) experiment of allowing live telecasts of the last quarter of three VFL matches each Saturday afternoon on ABV-2, HSV-7, and GTV-9, the VFL rejects offers from the three television stations to broadcast replays on Saturday evenings. A separate arrangement was made to allow a replay of the entire Grand Final match.
• In November, Collingwood announces that it has de-listed sixteen players from its 1961 playing list, including Ian Brewer and Barry "Hooker" Harrison.

References

• Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872-1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-959-17402-8
• 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

External links

• 1961 Season - AFL Tables