1957 VFL Grand Final

Team 1 2 3 Final
Melbourne 6.2 9.9 12.11 17.14 (116)
Essendon 2.3 4.4 7.8 7.13 (55)

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 61st 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.

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

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
Reserve(s): 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)
Reserve(s): Leo Maloney Jim Heenan
Coach: Dick Reynolds

Statistics

Goalkickers

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

References

See also