1960 VFL season
Encyclopedia
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League
season of 1960.
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 1960 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "Page-McIntyre system".
Round 2 of the competition was also a split round, with four matches scheduled for the Saturday (23 April) and two for the Monday (ANZAC Day, 25 April). The four Saturday matches were postponed because of the extremely wet conditions.
Despite pressure from the Victorian Premier, Henry Bolte
, the VFL refused to play the four postponed matches on ANZAC Day (which, by custom, would have contributed to "patriotic funds"), and scheduled the postponed matches for the following Saturday (30 April). As a consequence of this delay all of the season's matches from round 3 to the Grand Final were actually played a week later than had been originally scheduled.
, for the teams (5th to 12th on ladder) out of the finals at the end of the season.
Final: South Melbourne
10.12 (70) defeated Hawthorn
8.11 (59)
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 1960.
Premiership season
In 1960, 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 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 1960 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "Page-McIntyre system".
Alterations to 1960 match fixtures
Round 1 of the 1960 competition was a split round, with 3 matches on Easter Saturday (16 April) and three matches on Easter Monday (18 April).Round 2 of the competition was also a split round, with four matches scheduled for the Saturday (23 April) and two for the Monday (ANZAC Day, 25 April). The four Saturday matches were postponed because of the extremely wet conditions.
Despite pressure from the Victorian Premier, Henry Bolte
Henry Bolte
Sir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG was an Australian politician. He was the 38th and longest serving Premier of Victoria.- Early years :...
, the VFL refused to play the four postponed matches on ANZAC Day (which, by custom, would have contributed to "patriotic funds"), and scheduled the postponed matches for the following Saturday (30 April). As a consequence of this delay all of the season's matches from round 3 to the Grand Final were actually played a week later than had been originally scheduled.
Consolation Night Series Competition
The night series were held under the floodlights at Lake Oval, South MelbourneSouth Melbourne, Victoria
South Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne...
, for the teams (5th to 12th on ladder) out of the finals at the end of the season.
Final: South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
10.12 (70) defeated Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The 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...
8.11 (59)
First Semi-Final
| Team | 1 Qtr | 2 Qtr | 3 Qtr | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essendon Essendon Football Club The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
2.6 | 6.9 | 7.13 | 7.15 (57) |
| Collingwood Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
2.7 | 5.9 | 6.12 | 9.12 (66) |
| Attendance: 81,209 | ||||
Second Semi-Final
| Team | 1 Qtr | 2 Qtr | 3 Qtr | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria.... |
3.6 | 6.12 | 11.15 | 14.18 (102) |
| Fitzroy Fitzroy Football Club The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897... |
1.2 | 2.6 | 2.12 | 4.16 (40) |
| Attendance: 79,796 | ||||
Preliminary Final
| Team | 1 Qtr | 2 Qtr | 3 Qtr | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitzroy Fitzroy Football Club The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897... |
2.2 | 7.3 | 8.7 | 8.12 (60) |
| Collingwood Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
2.1 | 6.4 | 7.5 | 9.11 (65) |
| Attendance: 65,301 | ||||
Grand final
| Team | 1 Qtr | 2 Qtr | 3 Qtr | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria.... |
4.3 | 5.5 | 7.12 | 8.14 (62) |
| Collingwood Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.2 (14) |
| Attendance: 97,457 | ||||
Awards
- The 1960 VFL Premiership team was 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....
. - 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 Ron Evans of EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
who kicked 67 goals. - The winner of the 1960 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 John SchultzJohn SchultzJohn Schultz is a former Australian rules football player, who played for the Footscray Football Club in the Victorian Football League and is one of the club's greatest players....
of Footscray with 20 votes. - 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,...
took the "wooden spoon" in 1960.
Notable events
- The entire season is plagued by bad weather; this is reflected in the overall low scores of the full-forwards: Ron Evans (EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
) 67 goals in 18 games, Leo BreretonLeo BreretonLeo Brereton is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.Brereton made his debut for the Carlton Football Club in the Round 1 of the 1957 season. He left the club at the end of the 1962 season....
(CarltonCarlton Football ClubThe 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...
) 44 goals in 18 games, Max OatenMax OatenMax Oaten is a former Australian rules footballer who played for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League ....
(South MelbourneSydney SwansThe Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
) 39 goals in 18 games, Ian RidleyIan RidleyIan Ridley was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL.Ridley was a rover who was handy around goals and a 5 time premiership player with Melbourne. He topped Melbourne's goalkicking in 1960 with 38 goals and went on to coach the club during the 1970s...
(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....
) 38 goals in 20 games, John DugdaleJohn Dugdale (footballer)John Dugdale is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Kangaroos in a 15 year career which began in 1955. He shares with Jock Spencer the club record of 6 times topping their season ending goalkicking charts...
(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...
) 38 goals in 13 games, Bill Young (St Kilda) 37 goals in 16 games, Ray BaxterRay BaxterRay Baxter is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League Ray Baxter (born 24 February 1940) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League Ray Baxter (born 24 February 1940) is a former...
(FootscrayWestern BulldogsThe Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
) 37 goals in 15 games, and John Peck (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...
) 29 goals in 18 games. - John Kennedy takes over as coach of 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...
. The flamboyant Hawthorn centreman, Brendan EdwardsBrendan EdwardsBrendan Edwards Brendan Edwards Brendan Edwards (Born 18 March 1936 is a former Australian rules football footballer who played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League VFL from 1956 to 1961 and again in the 1963 season. He won their best and fairest award in 1960 and represented Victoria at...
, at the time a physical education teacher at the junior school of the nearby Swinburne Technical CollegeSwinburne University of TechnologySwinburne University of Technology is an Australian public dual sector university based in Melbourne, Victoria. The institution was founded by the Honourable George Swinburne in 1908 and achieved university status in June 1992...
, introduces circuit training. - In the round 3 match between 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...
and FootscrayWestern BulldogsThe Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
at Glenferrie OvalGlenferrie OvalGlenferrie Oval is an Australian rules football stadium located in Hawthorn, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is the historic home of and is synonymous with the Hawthorn Football Club, who played there from 1903 and as a VFL/AFL club from 1925–1973, and retained the ground as an...
, Footscray defeats Hawthorn 6.17 (53) to 6.9 (45). The match was so affected by the strong wind conditions and, especially, the negative play of the Hawthorn back-line — at a time when one could kick the ball out of bounds on the full without penalty (the career-long defensive tactic of 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....
back-man John BeckwithJohn Beckwith (footballer)John Beckwith is a former Australian rules football player and coach, for the Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League .Beckwith's father, Wally Beckwith, was a VFL player for Fitzroy and was also a VFL umpire....
) — that the prescribed playing time of 100 minutes was extended by an astonishing 32 minutes and 33 seconds of "time on" (including 10 minutes 46 seconds in the first quarter alone), meaning that the match's playing time was extended by a total of one and one third quarters. - In round 13 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...
beats CollingwoodCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
at Victoria ParkVictoria Park, MelbourneVictoria Park is a sports venue in Abbotsford a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Built for the purpose of both Australian rules football and cricket, the stadium is oval shaped....
for the first time (Hawks had lost the previous 28 meetings at Victoria Park). Full forward John Peck marked on the siren and kicked a goal. Hawthorn won by a point. - The 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 won by Footscray Football Club'sWestern BulldogsThe Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
ruckman John SchultzJohn SchultzJohn Schultz is a former Australian rules football player, who played for the Footscray Football Club in the Victorian Football League and is one of the club's greatest players....
. Schultz was the second of the only two amateur players to win the Brownlow Medal, the first had been Melbourne'sMelbourne Football ClubThe Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
Don CordnerDon CordnerDr Donald Cordner was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League during the 1940s...
, also a ruckman, in 1946. - Former classmates at Caulfield Grammar SchoolCaulfield Grammar SchoolCaulfield Grammar School is an independent, co-educational, Anglican, day and boarding school, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1881 as a boys' school, Caulfield began admitting girls exactly one hundred years later...
, John SchultzJohn SchultzJohn Schultz is a former Australian rules football player, who played for the Footscray Football Club in the Victorian Football League and is one of the club's greatest players....
and Ron Evans win the 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...
and top the VFL Goalkicking List respectively in the same VFL season. - 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....
plays in its seventh successive Grand Final, thrashing CollingwoodCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
8.14 (62) to 2.2 (14). Collingwood's low score is a Grand Final record and its lowest since Round 5, 1900. - At the end of the 1960 season, the VFL estimated that the live telecast of the last quarter of three VFL matches each Saturday afternoon had cost at least 245,000 spectators. The VFL decided to discontinue this practice (which had been introduced in 1957).