The 1936 VFL season was the 40th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 2 May until 3 October, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
In 1936, 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 1936 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.
Prior to the season, the Richmond Football Club formally announced its intentions to move its home base from the Punt Road Oval to the nearby Olympic Park, owing mostly to an ongoing dispute with the Richmond Cricket Club. Such a move required the approval of the League's Board of Management; the vote was tied 6–6, then voted down by the casting vote of League president William McClelland (a casting vote for the status quo was customary in the event of a tie). As such, Richmond was forced to remain at the Punt Road Oval.[1]
In Round 1, the first goal kicked by South Melbourne's Bob Pratt against Melbourne was his 500th career goal.
All Round 10 matches were postponed because all VFL grounds were under water following an extended period of torrential rain. All subsequent rounds were also pushed back by one week.
In Round 17, field-umpire Jack McMurray umpired his 300th senior VFL match.
In Round 18, needing seven goals to reach 100, St Kilda's full-forward Bill Mohr kicked eight goals, finishing his season with 101 goals. In a 13-season (1929–1941), 735 goal career, this was his highest ever total.
North Melbourne and Hawthorn both recorded their first wins against Richmond since entering the VFL in 1925. North Melbourne's win in Round 14 ended an 18-game losing streak against Richmond, and Hawthorn's win in Round 16 ended a 21-game losing streak.
The seconds premiership was won by Footscray. Footscray 15.11 (101) defeated Melbourne 6.14 (50) in the Grand Final, played as a curtain-raiser to the firsts Grand Final on 3 October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[2]
References
^"Richmond to remain – Football League decides". The Argus. Melbourne. 24 February 1936. p. 7.
^"Seconds final – Footscray brilliant". The Argus. Melbourne. 5 October 1936. p. 14.
Hogan, P., The Tigers of Old, The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. ISBN0-646-18748-1
Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN0-9591740-2-8
Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. ISBN0-670-90809-6
Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN0-670-86814-0
