1974 VFL season
Encyclopedia
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League
season of 1974.
Teams played each other in a home-and-away season of 22 rounds; matches 12 to 22 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 11.
Once the 22 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1974 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "McIntyre Final Five system".
defeated North Melbourne
18.20 (128) to 13.9 (87), in front of a crowd of 113839 people. (For an explanation of scoring see Australian rules football
).
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
season of 1974.
Premiership season
In 1974, 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 22 rounds; matches 12 to 22 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 11.
Once the 22 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1974 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "McIntyre Final Five system".
Grand final
RichmondRichmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
defeated North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
18.20 (128) to 13.9 (87), in front of a crowd of 113839 people. (For an explanation of scoring see Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
).
Awards
- The 1974 VFL Premiership team was RichmondRichmond Football ClubThe Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
. - The VFL's leading goalkickerColeman MedalThe Coleman Medal is awarded yearly to the Australian Football League player who kicks the most goals in regular-season matches in that year...
was Doug WadeDoug WadeDouglas Graeme Wade is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club....
of North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
who kicked 103 goals (including 12 goals in the finals). - The winner of the 1974 Brownlow MedalBrownlow MedalThe Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
was Keith GreigKeith GreigKeith Greig played on the wing for the Australian rules football North Melbourne Football Club from 1971 to 1985. He is considered as one of the most exciting players of the era, earning the nickname "Racehorse" because of his blistering speed on the field.Greig was recruited from Brunswick in 1971...
of North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
with 27 votes.- Many were even more surprised at Greig winning his second Brownlow than they had been at him winning his first (in 1973). In 1973 Barry DavisBarry DavisBarry Davis is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League with Essendon and North Melbourne, before coaching his original team between 1978–1980.- Essendon career :...
had won North Melbourne's best and fairest award, and in 1974 John RantallJohn RantallJohn "Mopsy" Rantall was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.Originally from Cobden, Rantall moved to the South Melbourne Football Club where he debuted in 1963. He moved to North Melbourne Football Club with the intention of playing in a premiership side in 1973 and...
won North Melbourne's best and fairest award. Greig had not even been the "runner-up" in North Melbourne's best and fairest in either 1973 or 1974.
- Many were even more surprised at Greig winning his second Brownlow than they had been at him winning his first (in 1973). In 1973 Barry Davis
- MelbourneMelbourne Football ClubThe Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
took the "wooden spoon" in 1974.
Notable events
- Hawthorn play their home games at Princes ParkMC Labour ParkPrinces Park is an Australian rules football ground located at Princes Park in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton North, Victoria....
. - A dissatisfied Sam KekovichSam KekovichSam Kekovich is an Australian media personality, sports commentator and former Australian rules football player.He is well known for his controversial behaviour, both on and off the field, and most recently for his series of satirical advertisements as the spokesman for Meat and Livestock...
commences negotiations with West Adelaide Football ClubWest Adelaide Football ClubWest Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League . Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the clubs home base is City Mazda Stadium located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.-Early Years :West Adelaide was formed in...
, only to be told that North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
will not clear him. Kekovich returns to North Melbourne. - In the round 7 match between EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
and RichmondRichmond Football ClubThe Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
at Windy HillWindy Hill, EssendonWindy Hill is an Australian rules football ground located in Essendon, a northwestern suburb of the Melbourne metropolitan area....
, Richmond's Mal Brown clashed with Essendon's badly out of form Graeme Jenkin as the teams moved towards the locker rooms at the half-time siren; after Essendon runner Laurie Ashley went out of his way to confront and abuse Brown, Brown struck Ashley, starting a 15 minute bench-clearing brawl that involved players, team officials, trainers, fans, and police. Richmond's Brian RobertsBrian Roberts (Australian rules footballer)Brian Stanley Roberts is a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL between 1971 and 1975 for the Richmond Football Club ....
was left with a broken nose, while Essendon trainer Jim Bradley and a fan were both knocked unconscious and had to be carried from the arena on stretchers. Four players and three officials were charged as a result of the investigation:- Laurie Ashley (Essendon runner): suspended for 6 matches after being held to be responsible for starting the brawl.
- Mal Brown (Richmond player): suspended for one match for striking Laurie Ashley.
- Jim Bradley (Essendon fitness adviser): suspended for 6 matches for charging and striking Mal Brown.
- Steve Parsons (Richmond player): suspended for 4 matches for striking Jim Bradley.
- Ron AndrewsRon AndrewsRon Andrews is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon and Collingwood in the VFL.Andrews was a centre half back and had a reputation throughout his career as being a tough and uncompromising player...
(Essendon player): suspended for 6 matches for striking Brian Roberts. - Graeme RichmondGraeme RichmondGraeme Richmond was a long time administrator of the Richmond Football Club.Recruited from Geelong College, he played mainly as a defender in Richmond's Thirds from 1951 to 1953. He captained this side and won its Best & Fairest in 1952. He also played 13 games for the Richmond Seconds side in...
(Richmond team manager): suspended until 31 December 1974 (17 matches) and fined $2,000 by the VFL Board of Directors for conduct unbecoming or prejudicial to the interests of the League. On 18 September, the VFL demanded that Richmond pay the fine or face indefinite suspension, but the VFL dropped the fine on appeal. - John CassinJohn Cassin (footballer)John Cassin is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon, North Melbourne and Fitzroy in the VFL.He made his league debut in 1971 for Essendon after being recruited by the club under the father-son rule, his father Jack was a dual premiership player with Essendon.Cassin was...
(Essendon player): cleared after the tribunal found that he was only trying to assist in breaking up the brawl. - As a result of a police investigation, assault charges were laid against Steve Parsons and Graeme Richmond; both Parsons and Richmond were cleared of these charges on 11 September.
- In the Round 21 match between Richmond and South Melbourne, there is a record 51 aggregate behinds and 91 aggregate scoring shots.
- North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
full-forward Doug WadeDoug WadeDouglas Graeme Wade is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club....
kicked his 1,000th career goal in the Qualifying Final against HawthornHawthorn Football ClubThe Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
at the Melbourne Cricket GroundMelbourne Cricket GroundThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
on 7 September. He also kicked his 100th goal of the season in the Grand Final. - RichmondRichmond Football ClubThe Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
play North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in round 8, round 19, the Second Semi-Final, and the Grand Final, and defeat them four times by margins of 25, 25, 21, and 41 points respectively.