1900 VFL season

1900 VFL Premiership season
Teams	8
Premiers	Melbourne (1st premiership)
Minor premiers	Fitzroy (2nd minor premiership)
Matches played	70
Highest attendance	20,181
Leading Goalkicker Medallist	Albert Thurgood (Essendon) Teddy Lockwood (Geelong)
← 1899 1901 →

The 1900 Victorian Football League season was the fourth season of the Australian rules football competition.

Premiership season

In 1900, the VFL competition consisted of eight teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume their place on the field at any time during the match.

Each team played each other twice in a home-and-away season of 14 rounds.

Once the 14 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1900 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the 1898 VFL Premiership System.

Round 1


	Round 1
Saturday, 05 May (3:00 pm)	Carlton 2.6 (18)	def. by	Geelong 4.11 (35)	Princes Park
Saturday, 05 May (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 10.7 (67)	def.	Fitzroy 6.10 (46)	Victoria Park
Saturday, 05 May (3:00 pm)	Essendon 12.10 (82)	def.	South Melbourne 4.2 (26)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 05 May (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 10.8 (68)	def.	Melbourne 9.13 (67)	Junction Oval

Round 2


	Round 2
Saturday, 12 May (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 4.10 (34)	def.	Carlton 1.4 (10)	Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 12 May (3:00 pm)	Geelong 7.15 (57)	def.	Collingwood 5.5 (35)	Corio Oval
Saturday, 12 May (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 5.4 (34)	def.	Essendon 2.6 (18)	Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 12 May (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 6.21 (57)	def.	St Kilda 3.7 (25)	Lake Oval

Round 3


	Round 3
Saturday, 18 August (3:00 pm)	Carlton 6.6 (42)	def.	Melbourne 3.4 (22)	Princes Park
Saturday, 18 August (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 5.15 (45)	def.	South Melbourne 3.7 (25)	Victoria Park
Saturday, 18 August (3:00 pm)	Essendon 4.9 (33)	def.	Fitzroy 3.9 (27)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 18 August (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 2.6 (18)	def. by	Geelong 7.16 (58)	Junction Oval
Round 3 was to have been played on Saturday 19 May, but all matches cancelled due to heavy rain. The matches were rescheduled to the weekend after Round 14.^[1] For the purposes of numbering, the original round designations are retained in this article. Some sources re-designate the round numbering into the final order in which they were played.

Round 4


	Round 4
Wednesday, 23 May (3:00 pm)	Essendon 13.7 (85)	def.	Collingwood 2.4 (16)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Thursday, 24 May (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 2.6 (18)	def. by	Carlton 3.9 (27)	Junction Oval
Thursday, 24 May (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 6.19 (55)	def.	South Melbourne 3.4 (22)	Brunswick Street Oval
Thursday, 24 May (3:00 pm)	Geelong 11.15 (81)	def.	Melbourne 2.3 (15)	Corio Oval

Round 5


	Round 5
Saturday, 26 May (3:00 pm)	Carlton 2.6 (18)	def. by	Essendon 3.5 (23)	Princes Park
Saturday, 26 May (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 9.11 (65)	def.	St Kilda 2.7 (19)	Victoria Park
Saturday, 26 May (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 3.9 (27)	def. by	Fitzroy 10.6 (66)	Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 26 May (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 5.7 (37)	def.	Geelong 3.5 (23)	Lake Oval

Round 6


	Round 6
Saturday, 2 June (3:00 pm)	Carlton 4.1 (25)	def.	Collingwood 0.9 (9)	Princes Park
Saturday, 2 June (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 2.6 (18)	def. by	Essendon 3.11 (29)	Junction Oval
Saturday, 2 June (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 6.10 (46)	def.	Geelong 1.6 (12)	Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 2 June (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 6.8 (44)	def.	Melbourne 6.5 (41)	Lake Oval

Round 7


	Round 7
Saturday, 9 June (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 4.6 (30)	def.	Carlton 2.6 (18)	Lake Oval
Saturday, 9 June (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 8.18 (66)	def.	Collingwood 5.7 (37)	Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 9 June (3:00 pm)	Geelong 8.5 (53)	def.	Essendon 4.7 (31)	Corio Oval
Saturday, 9 June (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 16.20 (116)	def.	St Kilda 2.5 (17)	Brunswick Street Oval

Round 8


	Round 8
Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm)	Geelong 5.9 (39)	def.	Carlton 3.13 (31)	Corio Oval
Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 6.6 (42)	def.	Collingwood 2.8 (20)	Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 4.14 (38)	def.	Essendon 1.4 (10)	Lake Oval
Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 15.18 (108)	def.	St Kilda 4.5 (29)	Melbourne Cricket Ground

Round 9


	Round 9
Saturday, 30 June (3:00 pm)	Carlton 2.3 (15)	def. by	Fitzroy 7.11 (53)	Princes Park
Saturday, 30 June (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 6.6 (42)	def.	Geelong 3.5 (23)	Victoria Park
Saturday, 30 June (3:00 pm)	Essendon 2.6 (18)	def. by	Melbourne 6.8 (44)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 30 June (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 1.5 (11)	def. by	South Melbourne 5.22 (52)	Junction Oval

Round 10


	Round 10
Saturday, 7 July (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 9.14 (68)	def.	Carlton 5.3 (33)	Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 7 July (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 3.8 (26)	def.	Collingwood 2.12 (24)	Lake Oval
Saturday, 7 July (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 7.12 (54)	def.	Essendon 5.10 (40)	Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 7 July (3:00 pm)	Geelong 13.8 (86)	def.	St Kilda 4.4 (28)	Corio Oval

Round 11


	Round 11
Saturday, 14 July (3:00 pm)	Carlton 7.7 (49)	def.	St Kilda 4.4 (28)	Princes Park
Saturday, 14 July (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 6.14 (50)	def.	Essendon 4.5 (29)	Victoria Park
Saturday, 14 July (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 4.9 (33)	def. by	Fitzroy 5.9 (39)	Lake Oval
Saturday, 14 July (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 4.16 (40)	def.	Geelong 4.5 (29)	Melbourne Cricket Ground

Round 12


	Round 12
Saturday, 28 July (3:00 pm)	Essendon 12.12 (84)	def.	Carlton 5.5 (35)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 28 July (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 3.5 (23)	def. by	Collingwood 6.12 (48)	Junction Oval
Saturday, 28 July (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 8.9 (57)	def.	Melbourne 4.8 (32)	Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 28 July (3:00 pm)	Geelong 10.10 (70)	def.	South Melbourne 3.6 (24)	Corio Oval

Round 13


	Round 13
Saturday, 4 August (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 14.12 (96)	def.	Carlton 4.4 (28)	Victoria Park
Saturday, 4 August (3:00 pm)	Essendon 17.15 (117)	def.	St Kilda 3.7 (25)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 4 August (3:00 pm)	Geelong 8.9 (57)	def.	Fitzroy 1.6 (12)	Corio Oval
Saturday, 4 August (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 6.8 (44)	def. by	South Melbourne 7.6 (48)	Melbourne Cricket Ground

Round 14


	Round 14
Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm)	Carlton 5.15 (45)	def.	South Melbourne 2.7 (19)	Princes Park
Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 10.13 (73)	def.	Melbourne 7.4 (46)	Victoria Park
Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm)	Essendon 10.7 (67)	def.	Geelong 6.11 (47)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 7.7 (49)	def. by	Fitzroy 10.22 (82)	Junction Oval

Round 3 (rescheduled)

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Date
Essendon	4.9 (33)	Fitzroy	3.9 (27)	EMCG	18 August 1900
Collingwood	5.15 (45)	South Melbourne	3.7 (25)	Victoria Park	18 August 1900
Carlton	6.6 (42)	Melbourne	3.4 (22)	Princes Park	18 August 1900
St Kilda	2.6 (18)	Geelong	7.16 (58)	Junction Oval	18 August 1900

Ladder

1900 VFL Ladder

TEAM

PTS

Fitzroy

729

434

167.97

Geelong

670

444

150.90

Essendon

666

485

137.32

Collingwood

627

540

116.11

South Melbourne

481

532

90.41

Melbourne (P)

654

643

101.71

Carlton

394

558

70.61

St Kilda

376

961

39.13

Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points for, PA = Points against

Finals

Sectional Round 1


	Sectional Round 1
Saturday, 25 August (2:30 pm)	Fitzroy 9.13 (67)	def.	Carlton 5.8 (38)	Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 25 August (2:30 pm)	Collingwood 8.20 (68)	def.	St Kilda 0.9 (9)	Victoria Park
Saturday, 25 August (2:30 pm)	South Melbourne 3.1 (19)	def. by	Essendon 9.5 (18)	Lake Oval
Saturday, 25 August (2:30 pm)	Melbourne 5.15 (45)	def.	Geelong 3.10 (28)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground

Sectional Round 2


	Sectional Round 2
Saturday, 1 September (2:30 pm)	Carlton 4.7 (31)	def.	South Melbourne 4.6 (30)	Princes Park
Saturday, 1 September (2:30 pm)	Geelong 6.8 (44)	def.	Collingwood 4.7 (31)	Corio Oval
Saturday, 1 September (2:30 pm)	Essendon 6.3 (39)	def.	Fitzroy 5.6 (36)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 1 September (2:30 pm)	St Kilda 2.3 (15)	def. by	Melbourne 12.14 (86)	Junction Oval

Sectional Round 3


	Sectional Round 3
Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm)	Essendon 12.23 (95)	def.	Carlton 1.4 (10)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm)	Melbourne 3.6 (24)	def. by	Collingwood 4.6 (30)	Lake Oval
Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm)	Fitzroy 7.9 (51)	def.	South Melbourne 2.8 (20)	Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm)	St Kilda 5.9 (39)	def. by	Geelong 7.15 (57)	Junction Oval

Section A ladder

Section A Ladder

TEAM

PTS

Essendon

193

296.92

Fitzroy

154

158.76

Carlton

192

41.15

South Melbourne

141

48.94

Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against

Section B ladder

Section B Ladder

TEAM

PTS<noinclude>

Melbourne

155

212.33

Collingwood

129

167.53

Geelong

129

115

112.17

St Kilda

211

29.86

Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against

Semi Final


	Semi Final
Saturday, 15 September (2:30 pm)	Melbourne 7.3 (45)	def.	Essendon 5.13 (43)	Lake Oval

Grand final

Main article: 1900 VFL Grand Final

Melbourne defeated Fitzroy 4.10 (34) to 3.12 (30). (For an explanation of scoring see Australian rules football).


	Grand Final
22 September (2:50 pm)	Melbourne	def.	Fitzroy	East Melbourne Cricket Ground (Crowd: 20,181)
	2.3 (15) 2.5 (17) 4.8 (32) 4.10 (34)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	1.4 (10) 2.7 (19) 2.7 (19) 3.12 (30)

Geddes 1, Leith 1, Ryan 1, Wardill 1		Goals	Grace 2, Barker 1


Nil		Reports	Nil

Awards

The 1900 VFL Premiership team was Melbourne.
The VFL's leading goalkicker was Albert Thurgood of Essendon with 25 goals.

Notable events

The Round 1 match between St Kilda and Melbourne ended in a draw, but the result was changed to a St Kilda victory on protest, after it was noted that the umpire did not signal the end of the third quarter in the correct fashion after hearing the bell. This was St Kilda's first ever VFL win (after 48 losses), and was the first of only two occasions that the score of a game was changed on protest (the second, the 2006 AFL siren controversy, also involved St Kilda).
St Kilda footballer Dave Strickland (the father of Shirley Strickland) won the 1900 Stawell Gift in 12 seconds, off a handicap of 10 yards.
Collingwood's highly talented "loose cannon" Dick Condon was given a lifetime suspension for sustained abuse of field umpire Henry "Ivo" Crapp.^[2]
By the end of the finals round-robin matches, more than 1,000 points had been scored against St Kilda in a single season.^[3]
Melbourne won the 1900 premiership despite having a 6-8 record after the home-and-away matches and finishing sixth of the eight teams on the ladder; as of 2013, this remains the lowest home-and-away ladder position from which a team has won the premiership. This unsatisfactory situation was led to the formation of the Argus Final Four system for 1901, which was modified in 1902 and 1907 and used until 1930 (except for 1924).

Footnotes

↑ Rodgers, Stephen, Every Game Ever Played, VFL/AFL Results 1897–1991, Ringwood, VIC: Viking O'Neal, pp. 17–18
↑ After three appeals, Condon's suspension was lifted in 1902, and Condon resumed playing for Collingwood.
↑ At the end of the 1900 season, St Kilda had scored 439 points against their opponents' collective score of 1,172 points.

References

Hogan, P., The Tigers Of Old, The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. ISBN 0-646-18748-1
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

1900 Season - AFL Tables

Victorian/Australian Football League seasons

VFL seasons	1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

AFL seasons	1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015