1951 VFL Grand Final
Encyclopedia
The 1951 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football
game contested between the Geelong Football Club
and Essendon Football Club
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
on 29 September 1951. It was the 55th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1951 VFL season
. The match, attended by 84,109 spectators, was won by Geelong by 11 points, marking that club's fourth premiership victory.
This was the sixth successive Grand Final appearance for the Bombers, who were the reigning premiers. They were attempting to win three successive flags, after having defeated Carlton
in the 1949 VFL Grand Final
and North Melbourne
in the 1950 VFL Grand Final
.
The Bombers' went into the match without star full-forward John Coleman who had been suspended for four matches.
The win by Geelong capped off a brilliant season for the Cats. They won the Minor Premiership for finishing on top of the home and away ladder, Bernie Smith
won the Brownlow Medal and George Goninon
was the league's leading goalkicker. It was Geelong's first flag since winning the 1937 VFL Grand Final
.
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...
game contested between the Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
and Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The 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 29 September 1951. It was the 55th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1951 VFL season
1951 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1951.-Premiership season:In 1951, 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...
. The match, attended by 84,109 spectators, was won by Geelong by 11 points, marking that club's fourth premiership victory.
This was the sixth successive Grand Final appearance for the Bombers, who were the reigning premiers. They were attempting to win three successive flags, after having defeated Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in the 1949 VFL Grand Final
1949 VFL Grand Final
The 1949 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Essendon Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 24 September 1949. It was the 53rd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for...
and 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...
in the 1950 VFL Grand Final
1950 VFL Grand Final
The 1950 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 23 September 1950. It was the 54th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the...
.
The Bombers' went into the match without star full-forward John Coleman who had been suspended for four matches.
The win by Geelong capped off a brilliant season for the Cats. They won the Minor Premiership for finishing on top of the home and away ladder, Bernie Smith
Bernie Smith
Bernard Keith "Bernie" Smith was an Australian rules footballer in the South Australian National Football League and VFL, who is perhaps best remembered as one of the greatest back pockets in the history of the game.-SANFL career:Smith commenced his career with West Adelaide in the SANFL as a 16...
won the Brownlow Medal and George Goninon
George Goninon
George Goninon is a former Australian rules footballer in the Tasmanian North West Football Union and Victorian Football League ....
was the league's leading goalkicker. It was Geelong's first flag since winning the 1937 VFL Grand Final
1937 VFL Grand Final
The 1937 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 25 September 1937. It was the 41st annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
.
Teams
Score
| Team | 1 Qtr | 2 Qtr | 3 Qtr | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong Geelong Football Club The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also... |
3.8 | 4.10 | 9.13 | 11.15 (81) |
| Essendon Essendon Football Club The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
1.0 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 10.10 (70) |
| Attendance: 85,795 | ||||
Goalkickers
Geelong:
|
Essendon:
|