1956 VFL season

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Results and statistics for the VFL/AFL season of 1956.

Contents

[edit] 1956 Summer Olympics

From 22 November to 8 December, the 1956 Summer Olympics were to be held in Melbourne, with a re-configured Melbourne Cricket Ground as its Main Stadium.

The need to accommodate this fact brought certain unusual changes to the 1956 VFL home-and-away season:

  • Given VFL requirement that its Grand Final must be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 1956 Grand Final had to be brought forward to 15 September in order to allow sufficient time for the MCG pre-Olympic reconfiguration.
  • Given the VFL additional requirement of an 18 match home-and-away season, an earlier Grand Final also demanded an earlier start to the season.
  • Due to the time constraints of the demolition of the old Grandstand and the construction of the new Northern (Olympic) Stand, the reconstructed and refurbished Melbourne Cricket Ground would not be available to Melbourne for its home matches until 12 May 1956.

It was a well-established VFL practice to treat the Melbourne-Richmond and South Melbourne-St Kilda team pairs in a particular way: at no time would a pair of teams play a home game on the same day. This was done for:

  • Casual staffing reasons: the ground managements of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Richmond Cricket Ground (Punt Road Oval), and those of the South Melbourne Cricket Ground (Lake Oval) and St Kilda Cricket Ground (Junction Oval) drew on the same local casual labour pool.
  • Transport reasons: the grounds of each pair were served by the same tram, bus, and train routes.

The fact that Melbourne could not use the Melbourne Cricket Ground before 12 May (round 5), and that Melbourne would therefore have 4 "away" matches in rounds 1-4 was demonstrably unfair to the other 11 teams, because Melbourne would then have 4 "home" matches in rounds 12-15 (closer to the "business end" of the season). It would be even more unjust to its "paired" team Richmond, who would be forced to play 4 "home" matches in rounds 1-4 and 4 "away" matches in rounds 12-15. To overcome this perceived anomaly in the best possible way, the VFL designated Melbourne's round 4 match against Fitzroy as a Melbourne "home" match and scheduled it to be played at the Punt Road Oval.

In order, to accommodate all these extraordinary issues, the VFL eventually determined that Melbourne would play their nine home and nine away matches as follows: (1) Away, (2) Away, (3) Away, (4) Home (Punt Road), (5) Home (MCG), (6) Away, (7) Home (MCG), (8) Away, (9) Home (MCG), (10) Home (MCG), (11) Away, (12) Home (MCG), (13) Home (MCG), (14) Home (MCG), (15) Away, (16) Away, (17) Home (MCG), (18) Away.

All of the other 11 teams' 1956 seasons were scheduled to accommodate Melbourne's extraordinary situation.

[edit] Premiership season

In 1956, 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 1956 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "Page-McIntyre system".

[edit] Round 1

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 15.8 (98) St Kilda 5.11 (41) Arden Street Oval 11,000 14 April 1956
Richmond 8.7 (55) Melbourne 12.16 (88) Punt Road Oval 25,000 14 April 1956
South Melbourne 7.8 (50) Geelong 11.11 (77) Lake Oval 25,000 14 April 1956
Footscray 14.14 (98) Fitzroy 10.9 (69) Western Oval 26,617 14 April 1956
Hawthorn 8.17 (65) Collingwood 14.13 (97) Glenferrie Oval 24,000 14 April 1956
Essendon 9.13 (67) Carlton 5.9 (39) Windy Hill 30,000 14 April 1956

[edit] Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 16.14 (110) North Melbourne 2.10 (22) Kardinia Park (Stadium) 17,294 21 April 1956
Collingwood 12.18 (90) South Melbourne 7.11 (53) Victoria Park 24,800 21 April 1956
Carlton 6.11 (47) Melbourne 12.18 (90) Princes Park 18,656 21 April 1956
Richmond 12.13 (85) Hawthorn 16.10 (106) Punt Road Oval 16,000 21 April 1956
St Kilda 7.4 (46) Footscray 10.14 (74) Junction Oval 21,382 21 April 1956
Fitzroy 10.19 (79) Essendon 7.15 (57) Brunswick Street Oval 18,000 21 April 1956

[edit] Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 5.11 (41) Melbourne 9.13 (67) Western Oval 33,265 28 April 1956
Fitzroy 13.16 (94) South Melbourne 10.13 (73) Brunswick Street Oval 18,000 28 April 1956
Hawthorn 15.10 (100) Geelong 16.16 (112) Glenferrie Oval 20,000 28 April 1956
North Melbourne 9.11 (65) Essendon 15.17 (107) Arden Street Oval 15,000 28 April 1956
Richmond 17.12 (114) Collingwood 11.12 (78) Punt Road Oval 30,000 28 April 1956
St Kilda 9.11 (65) Carlton 13.9 (87) Junction Oval 26,400 28 April 1956

[edit] Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 15.13 (103) Richmond 10.11 (71) Kardinia Park (Stadium) 21,840 5 May 1956
Essendon 18.9 (117) St Kilda 9.23 (77) Windy Hill 16,000 5 May 1956
Collingwood 12.15 (87) Footscray 11.7 (73) Victoria Park 29,818 5 May 1956
Carlton 15.12 (102) North Melbourne 13.16 (94) Princes Park 17,447 5 May 1956
South Melbourne 6.17 (53) Hawthorn 8.11 (59) Lake Oval 18,500 5 May 1956
Melbourne 10.19 (79) Fitzroy 9.6 (60) Punt Road Oval 23,000 5 May 1956

[edit] Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 9.13 (67) South Melbourne 8.9 (57) Western Oval 18,134 12 May 1956
Fitzroy 8.15 (63) North Melbourne 7.6 (48) Brunswick Street Oval 9,000 12 May 1956
Essendon 6.22 (58) Richmond 7.10 (52) Windy Hill 17,000 12 May 1956
Carlton 8.16 (64) Collingwood 3.4 (22) Princes Park 24,000 12 May 1956
St Kilda 3.9 (27) Hawthorn 6.12 (48) Junction Oval 12,250 12 May 1956
Melbourne 6.20 (56) Geelong 6.12 (48) MCG 47,130 12 May 1956

[edit] Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 11.11 (77) St Kilda 7.11 (53) Brunswick Street Oval 11,500 19 May 1956
Collingwood 10.7 (67) Geelong 2.14 (26) Victoria Park 28,000 19 May 1956
North Melbourne 6.6 (42) Melbourne 11.18 (84) Arden Street Oval 11,000 19 May 1956
Hawthorn 10.14 (74) Footscray 10.11 (71) Glenferrie Oval 22,000 19 May 1956
South Melbourne 15.8 (98) Essendon 11.20 (86) Lake Oval 26,000 19 May 1956
Richmond 9.14 (68) Carlton 15.17 (107) Punt Road Oval 28,000 19 May 1956

[edit] Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 15.7 (97) South Melbourne 7.16 (58) Arden Street Oval 13,000 26 May 1956
St Kilda 9.10 (64) Richmond 6.8 (44) Junction Oval 15,800 26 May 1956
Hawthorn 8.10 (58) Fitzroy 9.13 (67) Glenferrie Oval 18,000 26 May 1956
Geelong 15.17 (107) Essendon 8.9 (57) Kardinia Park (Stadium) 21,758 26 May 1956
Melbourne 11.13 (79) Collingwood 9.7 (61) MCG 46,868 26 May 1956
Footscray 7.13 (55) Carlton 8.8 (56) Western Oval 33,089 26 May 1956

[edit] Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 9.10 (64) North Melbourne 3.4 (22) Victoria Park 22,650 2 June 1956
Carlton 10.13 (73) Hawthorn 5.9 (39) Princes Park 33,557 2 June 1956
St Kilda 6.11 (47) Melbourne 9.7 (61) Junction Oval 26,300 2 June 1956
Richmond 10.15 (75) South Melbourne 12.6 (78) Punt Road Oval 23,000 4 June 1956
Essendon 12.11 (83) Footscray 14.23 (107) Windy Hill 31,500 4 June 1956
Geelong 11.12 (78) Fitzroy 8.8 (56) Kardinia Park (Stadium) 21,985 4 June 1956

[edit] Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 7.13 (55) North Melbourne 3.12 (30) Glenferrie Oval 11,000 9 June 1956
Footscray 12.14 (86) Richmond 6.8 (44) Western Oval 24,443 9 June 1956
Carlton 11.13 (79) Geelong 12.8 (80) Princes Park 33,254 9 June 1956
South Melbourne 14.5 (89) St Kilda 11.8 (74) Lake Oval 21,000 9 June 1956
Melbourne 15.17 (107) Essendon 4.15 (39) MCG 32,543 9 June 1956
Fitzroy 5.7 (37) Collingwood 12.10 (82) Brunswick Street Oval 24,000 9 June 1956

[edit] Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 10.13 (73) Richmond 12.11 (83) Arden Street Oval 11,000 16 June 1956
Footscray 13.12 (90) Geelong 10.8 (68) Western Oval 35,909 16 June 1956
St Kilda 9.9 (63) Collingwood 8.21 (69) Junction Oval 26,800 16 June 1956
Melbourne 12.10 (82) South Melbourne 8.11 (59) MCG 36,361 23 June 1956
Essendon 12.20 (92) Hawthorn 10.11 (71) Windy Hill 17,000 23 June 1956
Fitzroy 7.11 (53) Carlton 13.11 (89) Brunswick Street Oval 27,000 23 June 1956

[edit] Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 5.12 (42) Melbourne 11.14 (80) Glenferrie Oval 15,500 30 June 1956
Geelong 9.8 (62) St Kilda 8.9 (57) Kardinia Park (Stadium) 11,052 30 June 1956
Collingwood 15.18 (108) Essendon 7.12 (54) Victoria Park 23,814 30 June 1956
North Melbourne 5.9 (39) Footscray 6.13 (49) Arden Street Oval 14,000 30 June 1956
Richmond 15.12 (102) Fitzroy 12.14 (86) Punt Road Oval 12,000 30 June 1956
South Melbourne 9.19 (73) Carlton 7.12 (54) Lake Oval 27,000 30 June 1956

[edit] Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 11.13 (79) Richmond 7.3 (45) MCG 26,772 7 July 1956
Geelong 10.7 (67) South Melbourne 3.8 (26) Kardinia Park (Stadium) 16,439 7 July 1956
Fitzroy 7.9 (51) Footscray 9.7 (61) Brunswick Street Oval 17,500 7 July 1956
Collingwood 11.18 (84) Hawthorn 8.10 (58) Victoria Park 17,150 7 July 1956
Carlton 12.13 (85) Essendon 5.15 (45) Princes Park 23,154 7 July 1956
St Kilda 20.9 (129) North Melbourne 7.9 (51) Junction Oval 14,600 7 July 1956

[edit] Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 3.13 (31) Richmond 8.6 (54) Glenferrie Oval 13,000 14 July 1956
Footscray 11.13 (79) St Kilda 13.2 (80) Western Oval 25,414 14 July 1956
Essendon 9.13 (67) Fitzroy 8.10 (58) Windy Hill 14,000 14 July 1956
North Melbourne 7.5 (47) Geelong 19.15 (129) Arden Street Oval 9,000 14 July 1956
South Melbourne 10.9 (69) Collingwood 11.9 (75) Lake Oval 25,000 14 July 1956
Melbourne 14.10 (94) Carlton 12.7 (79) MCG 46,022 14 July 1956

[edit] Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 12.13 (85) Hawthorn 10.14 (74) Kardinia Park (Stadium) 13,373 21 July 1956
Essendon 10.18 (78) North Melbourne 6.11 (47) Windy Hill 12,800 21 July 1956
Collingwood 14.16 (100) Richmond 8.5 (53) Victoria Park 21,422 21 July 1956
Carlton 8.18 (66) St Kilda 9.12 (66) Princes Park 30,100 21 July 1956
Melbourne 7.17 (59) Footscray 10.12 (72) MCG 47,956 21 July 1956
South Melbourne 11.15 (81) Fitzroy 15.15 (105) Lake Oval 15,000 21 July 1956

[edit] Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 10.18 (78) South Melbourne 12.6 (78) Glenferrie Oval 12,500 28 July 1956
Fitzroy 7.11 (53) Melbourne 11.15 (81) Brunswick Street Oval 13,000 28 July 1956
Richmond 9.11 (65) Geelong 11.13 (79) Punt Road Oval 15,000 28 July 1956
St Kilda 6.11 (47) Essendon 7.7 (49) Junction Oval 28,100 28 July 1956
Footscray 11.6 (72) Collingwood 14.20 (104) Western Oval 41,639 28 July 1956
North Melbourne 4.8 (32) Carlton 11.16 (82) Arden Street Oval 13,000 28 July 1956

[edit] Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 15.8 (98) St Kilda 12.9 (81) Glenferrie Oval 15,000 4 August 1956
Geelong 8.10 (58) Melbourne 8.8 (56) Kardinia Park (Stadium) 29,687 4 August 1956
South Melbourne 10.10 (70) Footscray 8.15 (63) Lake Oval 26,000 4 August 1956
North Melbourne 14.21 (105) Fitzroy 8.8 (56) Arden Street Oval 8,500 4 August 1956
Richmond 13.13 (91) Essendon 11.13 (79) Punt Road Oval 18,500 4 August 1956
Collingwood 9.17 (71) Carlton 12.12 (84) Victoria Park 38,679 4 August 1956

[edit] Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 16.18 (114) North Melbourne 11.5 (71) MCG 16,186 11 August 1956
Footscray 15.13 (103) Hawthorn 9.6 (60) Western Oval 16,492 11 August 1956
Essendon 11.10 (76) South Melbourne 7.16 (58) Windy Hill 13,000 11 August 1956
Carlton 7.24 (66) Richmond 10.11 (71) Princes Park 22,500 11 August 1956
St Kilda 6.7 (43) Fitzroy 8.8 (56) Junction Oval 14,200 11 August 1956
Geelong 10.9 (69) Collingwood 15.11 (101) Kardinia Park (Stadium) 32,155 11 August 1956

[edit] Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 16.9 (105) St Kilda 16.14 (110) Punt Road Oval 15,000 18 August 1956
Fitzroy 9.16 (70) Hawthorn 10.17 (77) Brunswick Street Oval 7,500 18 August 1956
Essendon 14.13 (97) Geelong 9.15 (69) Windy Hill 16,500 18 August 1956
Collingwood 9.6 (60) Melbourne 10.13 (73) Victoria Park 31,089 18 August 1956
Carlton 6.9 (45) Footscray 8.14 (62) Princes Park 44,878 18 August 1956
South Melbourne 13.9 (87) North Melbourne 7.13 (55) Lake Oval 10,000 18 August 1956

[edit] Ladder

Team Won Lost Draw For Agst % Points
1 Melbourne 16 2 0 1429 979 146.0 64
2 Collingwood 13 5 0 1420 1128 125.9 52
3 Geelong 13 5 0 1427 1171 121.9 52
4 Footscray 11 7 0 1323 1159 114.2 44
5 Carlton 10 7 1 1304 1147 113.7 42
6 Essendon 10 8 0 1308 1365 95.8 40
7 Hawthorn 7 10 1 1193 1342 88.9 30
8 Fitzroy 7 11 0 1190 1332 89.3 28
9 South Melbourne 6 11 1 1210 1374 88.1 26
10 Richmond 6 12 0 1277 1471 86.8 24
11 St Kilda 4 13 1 1170 1330 88.0 18
12 North Melbourne 3 15 0 1038 1491 69.5 12

[edit] Night Series Competition

The first VFL night series was held under floodlights at Lake Oval, South Melbourne amongst those teams who had missed the regular final series.

The eight teams that had finished in places 5 to 12 on the end-of-season ladder played in a set of seven elimination matches at the end of the home-and-away season.

The Final was played on the evening of Monday September 17, 1956 (two days after the VFL Grand Final) in front of 33,120 spectators.

Final: South Melbourne 13.16 (94) defeated Carlton 13.10 (78)

[edit] Premiership Finals

[edit] First Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Geelong 4.2 6.2 6.4 6.5 (41)
Footscray 1.3 4.6 5.8 5.13 (43)
Attendance: 79,402

[edit] Second Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Melbourne 1.4 3.6 8.9 11.14 (80)
Collingwood 1.4 3.7 8.10 8.16 (64)
Attendance: 91,480

[edit] Preliminary Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Collingwood 6.1 6.1 11.5 15.6 (96)
Footscray 3.0 5.8 6.9 7.15 (57)
Attendance: 94,104

[edit] Grand Final

See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Melbourne 2.4 6.11 10.16 17.19 (121)
Collingwood 3.3 4.3 5.6 6.12 (48)
Attendance: 115,802

[edit] Grand Final Teams

Melbourne
Backs John Beckwith Peter Marquis Trevor Johnson
H/Backs Don Williams Noel McMahen (c) Keith Carroll
Centre Line Brian Dixon Ken Melville Frank 'Bluey' Adams
H/Forwards Jim Sandral Clyde Laidlaw Laurie Mithen
Forwards Bob Johnson Athol Webb Ian Ridley
Rucks/Rover Denis Cordner Ron Barassi Stuart Spencer
Reserves Terry Gleeson Ralph Lane
Coach Norm Smith
Collingwood
Backs Lerrel Sharp Harry Sullivan Neville Waller
H/Backs Peter Lucas Frank Tuck Ron Kingston
Centre Line Ken Hedt Bill Twomey Thorold Merrett
H/Forwards Ken Turner Murray Weideman Bill Serong
Forwards Neil Mann (c) Ken Smale Robert Greve
Rucks/Rover Ray Gabelich Laurie Rymer William Jones
Reserves Jack Hamilton Robert Kupsch
Coach Phonse Kyne

Umpire -

[edit] Awards

[edit] Notable Events

  • The VFL introduced a "Night Premiership", played between teams that finished outside the final four. The seven elimination matches were played under lights at the Lake Oval. The matches were renowned for their violence both on and off the field. In 1956 Melbourne, with its "Six o'clock closing" the opportunity of having somewhere to have a drink after six o'clock, made these matches very attractive, and the seven matches were attended by an average of 20,000+ patrons, who were far from bothered that the somewhat dim lighting meant that most of the spectators standing on the terraces along the Albert Road side could not always clearly see what was happening on the other side of the ground over at the Lake outer wing (all the way from the back flank at the bowling club to the forward pocket in front of the scoreboard). On occasion the fights amongst the spectators were so fierce that the players stopped to watch. There was also much violence on the field, with players soon learning that keeping to the well-lit parts of the ground offered considerable protection.
  • In winning the Grand Final, Melbourne creates a record by having defeated the same opponent (Collingwood) four times in a single senior VFL season.
  • The official Grand Final attendance of 115,802, based on ticket sales (it had been anticipated that it would be a very close and hard-fought match), breaks VFL records. The Melbourne Cricket Ground was so packed that spectators sat between the fence and the boundary line. The gates were closed for safety. During the third quarter the crowd milling outside the MCG broke a perimeter fence and an estimated additional 15,000 people poured into the MCG; this crowd, estimated at 130,000, for an Australian sporting event, stands as a record still in 2008.
  • The 1956 season was somewhat disrupted by the 1956 Summer Olympics (see above).
  • Inspired by the imminent Olympic Games, the VFl decides to inaugurate a public Brownlow Medal presentation ceremony to be held at the First Semi-Final.
  • Essendon Third Eighteen footballer and junior champion athlete Ron Clarke, son of 1931 Essendon Best and Fairest Tom Clarke , and brother of Essendon champion Jack Clarke, lit the Olympic Flame in the 1956 Olympics' opening ceremony.
  • Australian Rules Football was a demonstration sport at the 1956 Olympics: on Friday 7 December 1956, as a curtain raiser to the soccer match to decide third and fourth places between Bulgaria and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a combined team of amateur players from the VFA and VFL played a demonstration match of Australian Rules Football against a team of Victorian Amateur Football Association players in front of an audience of 21,236.

[edit] See also

[edit] 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

[edit] External links