1941 VFL season

1941 VFL premiership season
Teams12
PremiersMelbourne
5th premiership
Minor premiersCarlton
10th minor premiership
Brownlow MedallistNorman Ware (Footscray)
Leading Goalkicker MedallistSel Murray (North Melbourne)
Matches played112
Highest79,687
← 1940
1942 →

The 1941 VFL season was the 45th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 26 April until 27 September, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.

The premiership was won by the Melbourne Football Club for the fifth time and third time consecutively, after it defeated Essendon by 29 points in the 1941 VFL Grand Final.

Background

In 1941, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus one substitute player, known as the 19th 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 1941 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.

Home-and-away season

Round 1

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 12.20 (92) South Melbourne 12.15 (87) Junction Oval 15,000 26 April 1941
Footscray 13.15 (93) Hawthorn 7.10 (52) Western Oval 10,500 26 April 1941
Collingwood 11.11 (77) Richmond 13.17 (95) Victoria Park 17,500 26 April 1941
Carlton 15.12 (102) Essendon 15.9 (99) Princes Park 21,000 26 April 1941
North Melbourne 15.18 (108) Geelong 15.17 (107) Arden Street Oval 8,000 26 April 1941
Melbourne 13.12 (90) Fitzroy 17.12 (114) MCG 14,750 26 April 1941

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 13.9 (87) St Kilda 11.19 (85) Kardinia Park 8,500 3 May 1941
Fitzroy 10.15 (75) Footscray 16.17 (113) Brunswick Street Oval 17,000 3 May 1941
Essendon 22.13 (145) North Melbourne 16.12 (108) Windy Hill 13,000 3 May 1941
South Melbourne 13.15 (93) Melbourne 14.17 (101) Lake Oval 12,000 3 May 1941
Hawthorn 13.17 (95) Collingwood 17.16 (118) Glenferrie Oval 9,000 3 May 1941
Richmond 13.12 (90) Carlton 12.8 (80) Punt Road Oval 28,000 3 May 1941

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 13.19 (97) Melbourne 16.12 (108) Kardinia Park 7,800 10 May 1941
Footscray 16.4 (100) South Melbourne 7.16 (58) Western Oval 15,000 10 May 1941
Carlton 18.12 (120) Hawthorn 10.13 (73) Princes Park 9,000 10 May 1941
Richmond 18.15 (123) North Melbourne 14.11 (95) Punt Road Oval 13,000 10 May 1941
St Kilda 7.16 (58) Essendon 16.7 (103) Junction Oval 19,000 10 May 1941
Fitzroy 15.7 (97) Collingwood 18.15 (123) Brunswick Street Oval 14,000 10 May 1941

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.15 (93) St Kilda 13.11 (89) MCG 13,000 17 May 1941
Essendon 15.14 (104) Richmond 14.8 (92) Windy Hill 20,000 17 May 1941
Collingwood 14.11 (95) Footscray 14.10 (94) Victoria Park 16,000 17 May 1941
Hawthorn 13.16 (94) Geelong 11.13 (79) Glenferrie Oval 6,000 17 May 1941
South Melbourne 15.19 (109) Fitzroy 12.10 (82) Lake Oval 10,500 17 May 1941
North Melbourne 15.15 (105) Carlton 16.23 (119) Arden Street Oval 14,000 17 May 1941

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 14.12 (96) South Melbourne 13.25 (103) Kardinia Park 6,000 31 May 1941
Footscray 14.21 (105) North Melbourne 8.8 (56) Western Oval 12,000 31 May 1941
Collingwood 19.13 (127) Melbourne 26.11 (167) Victoria Park 15,000 31 May 1941
Richmond 17.18 (120) Fitzroy 15.8 (98) Punt Road Oval 13,000 31 May 1941
Hawthorn 8.12 (60) Essendon 23.18 (156) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 31 May 1941
St Kilda 13.12 (90) Carlton 15.18 (108) Junction Oval 15,000 31 May 1941

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 17.12 (114) St Kilda 8.14 (62) Arden Street Oval 6,500 7 June 1941
Footscray 20.12 (132) Melbourne 14.20 (104) Western Oval 16,000 7 June 1941
Fitzroy 17.14 (116) Geelong 10.15 (75) Brunswick Street Oval 7,000 7 June 1941
Carlton 13.21 (99) Collingwood 11.16 (82) Princes Park 18,500 7 June 1941
Richmond 17.15 (117) Hawthorn 8.14 (62) Punt Road Oval 8,500 7 June 1941
South Melbourne 8.13 (61) Essendon 13.18 (96) Lake Oval 15,000 7 June 1941

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 6.20 (56) South Melbourne 13.12 (90) Glenferrie Oval 7,000 14 June 1941
Geelong 10.14 (74) Richmond 10.15 (75) Kardinia Park 7,000 14 June 1941
Essendon 9.24 (78) Fitzroy 4.12 (36) Windy Hill 14,000 14 June 1941
Collingwood 17.19 (121) North Melbourne 16.15 (111) Victoria Park 10,000 14 June 1941
St Kilda 15.14 (104) Footscray 9.8 (62) Junction Oval 20,000 14 June 1941
Melbourne 14.13 (97) Carlton 19.10 (124) MCG 29,000 16 June 1941

Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 10.13 (73) St Kilda 6.11 (47) Punt Road Oval 6,000 21 June 1941
Hawthorn 6.8 (44) Melbourne 12.12 (84) Glenferrie Oval 2,000 21 June 1941
Collingwood 8.12 (60) Essendon 7.10 (52) Victoria Park 6,000 21 June 1941
Carlton 10.17 (77) Fitzroy 12.13 (85) Princes Park 4,000 21 June 1941
South Melbourne 8.16 (64) North Melbourne 6.6 (42) Lake Oval 5,000 21 June 1941
Geelong 10.18 (78) Footscray 13.15 (93) Kardinia Park 5,000 21 June 1941

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 15.13 (103) South Melbourne 9.16 (70) Punt Road Oval 15,000 28 June 1941
Fitzroy 21.19 (145) Hawthorn 10.20 (80) Brunswick Street Oval 7,000 28 June 1941
Essendon 18.12 (120) Geelong 11.13 (79) Windy Hill 10,000 28 June 1941
North Melbourne 17.14 (116) Melbourne 20.9 (129) Arden Street Oval 5,000 28 June 1941
St Kilda 12.11 (83) Collingwood 16.10 (106) Junction Oval 16,000 28 June 1941
Footscray 12.14 (86) Carlton 15.11 (101) Western Oval 21,000 28 June 1941

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 12.13 (85) Richmond 14.11 (95) Western Oval 14,000 5 July 1941
Collingwood 10.12 (72) South Melbourne 11.13 (79) Victoria Park 7,500 5 July 1941
Carlton 12.25 (97) Geelong 13.11 (89) Princes Park 7,000 5 July 1941
North Melbourne 13.20 (98) Hawthorn 6.14 (50) Arden Street Oval 3,000 5 July 1941
St Kilda 12.4 (76) Fitzroy 12.6 (78) Junction Oval 7,000 5 July 1941
Melbourne 16.17 (113) Essendon 9.11 (65) MCG 17,000 5 July 1941

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 14.24 (108) Richmond 8.13 (61) MCG 21,000 12 July 1941
Hawthorn 13.12 (90) St Kilda 9.15 (69) Glenferrie Oval 4,000 12 July 1941
Fitzroy 18.15 (123) North Melbourne 18.16 (124) Brunswick Street Oval 8,000 12 July 1941
Essendon 15.14 (104) Footscray 9.11 (65) Windy Hill 15,000 12 July 1941
Geelong 7.16 (58) Collingwood 14.12 (96) Kardinia Park 7,500 12 July 1941
South Melbourne 16.13 (109) Carlton 14.9 (93) Lake Oval 14,000 12 July 1941

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 13.21 (99) North Melbourne 14.11 (95) Kardinia Park 4,500 19 July 1941
Fitzroy 16.8 (104) Melbourne 18.18 (126) Brunswick Street Oval 8,000 19 July 1941
South Melbourne 14.12 (96) St Kilda 8.6 (54) Lake Oval 10,000 19 July 1941
Hawthorn 11.14 (80) Footscray 15.12 (102) Glenferrie Oval 5,000 19 July 1941
Richmond 10.14 (74) Collingwood 13.14 (92) Punt Road Oval 15,000 19 July 1941
Essendon 12.11 (83) Carlton 18.14 (122) Windy Hill 14,000 19 July 1941

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 18.16 (124) South Melbourne 10.13 (73) MCG 23,000 26 July 1941
Collingwood 22.20 (152) Hawthorn 12.13 (85) Victoria Park 4,000 26 July 1941
Carlton 12.11 (83) Richmond 11.18 (84) Princes Park 27,000 26 July 1941
St Kilda 18.14 (122) Geelong 11.15 (81) Junction Oval 4,000 26 July 1941
Footscray 15.20 (110) Fitzroy 9.4 (58) Western Oval 10,000 26 July 1941
North Melbourne 12.14 (86) Essendon 17.8 (110) Arden Street Oval 10,000 26 July 1941

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 9.10 (64) Richmond 10.7 (67) Arden Street Oval 10,000 2 August 1941
Essendon 16.17 (113) St Kilda 6.13 (49) Windy Hill 10,000 2 August 1941
Collingwood 11.9 (75) Fitzroy 8.9 (57) Victoria Park 9,000 2 August 1941
Melbourne 19.14 (128) Geelong 9.18 (72) MCG 7,000 2 August 1941
South Melbourne 7.13 (55) Footscray 10.21 (81) Lake Oval 20,000 2 August 1941
Hawthorn 11.15 (81) Carlton 16.25 (121) Glenferrie Oval 7,500 2 August 1941

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 22.12 (144) Hawthorn 19.15 (129) Kardinia Park 4,500 9 August 1941
Fitzroy 16.17 (113) South Melbourne 11.14 (80) Brunswick Street Oval 8,000 9 August 1941
Carlton 25.19 (169) North Melbourne 17.15 (117) Princes Park 10,000 9 August 1941
St Kilda 12.13 (85) Melbourne 14.17 (101) Junction Oval 7,000 9 August 1941
Richmond 14.11 (95) Essendon 12.16 (88) Punt Road Oval 26,000 9 August 1941
Footscray 7.10 (52) Collingwood 10.21 (81) Western Oval 16,000 9 August 1941

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 14.15 (99) Richmond 12.16 (88) Brunswick Street Oval 11,000 16 August 1941
Essendon 19.17 (131) Hawthorn 14.9 (93) Windy Hill 7,000 16 August 1941
Carlton 20.17 (137) St Kilda 11.14 (80) Princes Park 8,000 16 August 1941
South Melbourne 10.10 (70) Geelong 10.9 (69) Lake Oval 4,000 16 August 1941
North Melbourne 15.14 (104) Footscray 11.22 (88) Arden Street Oval 8,000 16 August 1941
Melbourne 17.8 (110) Collingwood 11.21 (87) MCG 31,000 16 August 1941

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 8.12 (60) Richmond 18.22 (130) Glenferrie Oval 8,000 23 August 1941
Essendon 12.23 (95) South Melbourne 7.4 (46) Windy Hill 9,000 23 August 1941
St Kilda 16.18 (114) North Melbourne 21.10 (136) Junction Oval 6,000 23 August 1941
Melbourne 17.20 (122) Footscray 16.9 (105) MCG 12,000 23 August 1941
Geelong 13.16 (94) Fitzroy 16.13 (109) Kardinia Park 4,500 23 August 1941
Collingwood 10.21 (81) Carlton 11.17 (83) Victoria Park 30,000 23 August 1941

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 16.14 (110) St Kilda 13.17 (95) Western Oval 7,000 30 August 1941
Carlton 16.17 (113) Melbourne 11.22 (88) Princes Park 29,000 30 August 1941
South Melbourne 7.12 (54) Hawthorn 11.17 (83) Lake Oval 3,000 30 August 1941
Richmond 20.12 (132) Geelong 12.11 (83) Punt Road Oval 9,000 30 August 1941
Fitzroy 15.16 (106) Essendon 18.14 (122) Brunswick Street Oval 11,000 30 August 1941
North Melbourne 12.8 (80) Collingwood 13.20 (98) Arden Street Oval 5,000 30 August 1941

Ladder

(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Carlton 18 14 4 0 1948 1619 120.3 56
2 Melbourne (P) 18 14 4 0 1993 1701 117.2 56
3 Richmond 18 14 4 0 1714 1469 116.7 56
4 Essendon 18 13 5 0 1864 1431 130.3 52
5 Collingwood 18 12 6 0 1743 1571 110.9 48
6 Footscray 18 10 8 0 1676 1517 110.5 40
7 Fitzroy 18 8 10 0 1695 1760 96.3 32
8 South Melbourne 18 8 10 0 1397 1552 90.0 32
9 North Melbourne 18 6 12 0 1759 1893 92.9 24
10 Geelong 18 3 15 0 1561 1880 83.0 12
11 St Kilda 18 3 15 0 1454 1775 81.9 12
12 Hawthorn 18 3 15 0 1367 2003 68.2 12

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 93.4
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

Semi-finals

Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 11.15 (81) Essendon 21.9 (135) MCG 57,741 6 September
Carlton 11.16 (82) Melbourne 16.13 (109) MCG 59,435 13 September

Preliminary final

Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 9.14 (68) Essendon 13.15 (93) MCG 65,105 20 September

Grand final

Season notes

  • Owing to the military takeover of Corio Oval, Geelong moved its home games to Kardinia Park.
  • During March, the players of the Geelong Football Club went on strike and refused to train over a pay dispute. The players were seeking £3 per week, but the club was offering £1/10/– per week, which upset the players as they had received pay cuts in 1940 (from £3 to £1) when the club had made the finals and finished the year in a strong financial position. In response, the club claimed the lower offer was due to the extra expense of moving from Corio Oval to Kardinia Park, and increased payments to war funds drove the decision. The majority of players acquiesced and accepted the £1/10/– offer, but five senior players did not. Three of those crossed to the Victorian Football Association without a clearance – Allan Everett going to Preston, Bernie Hore going to Coburg, and Alan "Nipper" Marsham to Williamstown – while the other two, George Dougherty and Tom Arklay, having trained in the pre-season with the VFA clubs Coburg and Preston (respectively), eventually returned to play with Geelong in the 1941 season.
  • In the Round 2 match between Carlton and Richmond, 11 players were injured, while highly talented Carlton rover Jack Hale, who broke his leg in an accidental collision with Richmond centreman Bernie Waldron, never played again.
  • The VFL postponed its Round 5 matches and conducted its second patriotic lightning carnival at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday 24 May 1941. Collingwood won the carnival, defeating Melbourne 3.2 (20) to 3.1 (19). The carnival raised £1,526 for the war effort.
  • On 31 July 1941, Melbourne rover Ron Barassi Sr. was killed in action at the Siege of Tobruk. He was the first VFL player to be killed in the Second World War. On 16 August 1941, a brief, moving memorial tribute to Barassi was conducted (including a bugler playing "The Last Post") at the Melbourne Cricket Club by spectators, players, trainers, and officials of Melbourne and Collingwood.
  • In the last minutes of the last quarter of the Second Eighteens Grand Final, played at the MCG on 27 September 1941, which Essendon, captain-coached ex-Collingwood player Harry Collier, won (beating Fitzroy 12.16 (88) to 9.17 (71)), a Fitzroy player felled an Essendon player and fights broke out all over the ground. As the final bell was sounding, a vicious bench-clearing brawl broke out involving almost every player, with many of the players felled by punches and kicks. Both teams were reported for "unseemly conduct", and following the VFL investigation committee's hearing conducted on 14 October 1941, each club was fined £10.
  • In a lop-sided senior Grand Final, Melbourne, missing at least twelve of its 1941 senior players through either injury or military service, was 47 points ahead at three quarter time, and went on to beat Essendon by 29 points: 19.13 (127) to 13.20 (98).
  • After defeating Collingwood in Round 5, Carlton had a winning record over every other team in the competition in combined regular season and finals matches. They would hold this distinction until Round 8 of the 1954 VFL season.

Awards


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