The 1922 VFL season was the 26th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured nine clubs and ran from 6 May to 14 October, comprising a 16-match home-and-away season followed by a four-week finals series featuring the top four clubs.

1922 VFL premiership season
Fitzroy 1922 VFL premiership team
Overview
Date6 May—14 October 1921
Teams9
PremiersFitzroy
7th premiership
Runners-upCollingwood
7th runners-up result
Minor premiersCollingwood
7th minor premiership
Leading goalkicker medallistHorrie Clover (Carlton)
54 goals
Attendance
Matches played76
Total attendance1,532,070 (20,159 per match)
Highest (H&A)40,000 (round 5, Richmond v Essendon)
Highest (finals)64,148 (semi-final, Essendon v Carlton)
← 1921
1923 →

Fitzroy won the premiership, defeating Collingwood by eleven points in the 1922 VFL grand final; it was Fitzroy's seventh VFL premiership. Collingwood won the minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with a 12–4 win–loss record. Carlton's Horrie Clover won the leading goalkicker medal as the league's leading goalkicker.

Background

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In 1922, the VFL competition consisted of nine teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume their place on the field at any time during the match.

Each team played each other twice in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds (i.e., 16 matches and 2 byes).

Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1922 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the amended "Argus system".

Home-and-away season

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Round 1

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
South Melbourne 7.13 (55) Melbourne 8.12 (60) Lake Oval 15,000 6 May 1922
St Kilda 8.8 (56) Fitzroy 10.9 (69) Junction Oval 12,000 6 May 1922
Richmond 10.13 (73) Collingwood 8.8 (56) Punt Road Oval 27,000 6 May 1922
Essendon 11.14 (80) Carlton 9.8 (62) Windy Hill 22,000 6 May 1922

Round 2

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.10 (88) Richmond 12.13 (85) MCG 23,902 13 May 1922
Collingwood 9.12 (66) South Melbourne 10.12 (72) Victoria Park 20,000 13 May 1922
Carlton 10.13 (73) Fitzroy 9.9 (63) Princes Park 25,000 13 May 1922
Geelong 6.6 (42) Essendon 8.16 (64) Corio Oval 12,000 13 May 1922

Round 3

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 14.13 (97) Geelong 10.12 (72) Brunswick Street Oval 12,000 20 May 1922
Essendon 12.12 (84) South Melbourne 8.13 (61) Windy Hill 20,000 20 May 1922
St Kilda 12.12 (84) Melbourne 11.8 (74) Junction Oval 10,000 20 May 1922
Collingwood 10.18 (78) Carlton 10.11 (71) Victoria Park 25,000 20 May 1922

Round 4

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 11.9 (75) Richmond 11.7 (73) Corio Oval 12,000 27 May 1922
Carlton 14.12 (96) Melbourne 8.16 (64) Princes Park 15,000 27 May 1922
South Melbourne 8.13 (61) St Kilda 12.5 (77) Lake Oval 20,000 27 May 1922
Fitzroy 6.15 (51) Essendon 7.9 (51) Brunswick Street Oval 26,000 27 May 1922

Round 5

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 15.14 (104) St Kilda 4.11 (35) Victoria Park 30,000 3 June 1922
South Melbourne 8.15 (63) Carlton 4.11 (35) Lake Oval 25,000 3 June 1922
Melbourne 9.12 (66) Geelong 9.6 (60) MCG 16,189 5 June 1922
Richmond 7.12 (54) Essendon 9.10 (64) Punt Road Oval 40,000 5 June 1922

Round 6

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 9.18 (72) Richmond 7.9 (51) Brunswick Street Oval 30,000 10 June 1922
Essendon 12.21 (93) Melbourne 5.12 (42) Windy Hill 15,000 10 June 1922
Carlton 13.19 (97) St Kilda 12.14 (86) Princes Park 15,000 10 June 1922
Geelong 8.9 (57) Collingwood 19.6 (120) Corio Oval 12,000 10 June 1922

Round 7

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 15.10 (100) Fitzroy 10.8 (68) Victoria Park 30,000 17 June 1922
Carlton 8.15 (63) Geelong 9.19 (73) Princes Park 12,000 17 June 1922
South Melbourne 10.14 (74) Richmond 12.7 (79) Lake Oval 20,000 17 June 1922
St Kilda 13.11 (89) Essendon 15.7 (97) Junction Oval 20,000 17 June 1922

Round 8

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 7.12 (54) St Kilda 10.5 (65) Corio Oval 12,000 24 June 1922
Fitzroy 9.13 (67) South Melbourne 8.8 (56) Brunswick Street Oval 20,000 24 June 1922
Melbourne 9.13 (67) Collingwood 7.17 (59) MCG 17,496 24 June 1922
Richmond 10.6 (66) Carlton 12.11 (83) Punt Road Oval 30,000 24 June 1922

Round 9

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 11.13 (79) St Kilda 7.12 (54) Punt Road Oval 25,000 1 July 1922
Geelong 16.18 (114) South Melbourne 4.6 (30) Corio Oval 8,000 1 July 1922
Fitzroy 5.19 (49) Melbourne 4.9 (33) Brunswick Street Oval 12,000 1 July 1922
Essendon 7.14 (56) Collingwood 10.5 (65) Windy Hill 30,000 1 July 1922

Round 10

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 15.10 (100) South Melbourne 9.18 (72) MCG 9,850 15 July 1922
Fitzroy 13.11 (89) St Kilda 8.14 (62) Brunswick Street Oval 17,000 15 July 1922
Collingwood 6.14 (50) Richmond 3.13 (31) Victoria Park 25,000 15 July 1922
Carlton 11.19 (85) Essendon 7.10 (52) Princes Park 30,000 15 July 1922

Round 11

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 12.10 (82) Geelong 13.16 (94) Windy Hill 15,000 22 July 1922
Richmond 11.14 (80) Melbourne 10.17 (77) Punt Road Oval 18,000 22 July 1922
South Melbourne 7.14 (56) Collingwood 8.16 (64) Lake Oval 20,000 22 July 1922
Fitzroy 11.13 (79) Carlton 9.7 (61) Brunswick Street Oval 30,000 22 July 1922

Round 12

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.10 (88) St Kilda 11.10 (76) MCG 14,929 29 July 1922
Carlton 12.16 (88) Collingwood 11.17 (83) Princes Park 34,000 29 July 1922
Geelong 5.9 (39) Fitzroy 5.19 (49) Corio Oval 15,000 29 July 1922
South Melbourne 14.15 (99) Essendon 11.8 (74) Lake Oval 20,000 29 July 1922

Round 13

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 10.15 (75) South Melbourne 11.9 (75) Junction Oval 15,000 5 August 1922
Essendon 15.7 (97) Fitzroy 12.16 (88) Windy Hill 20,000 5 August 1922
Richmond 12.17 (89) Geelong 11.13 (79) Punt Road Oval 15,000 5 August 1922
Melbourne 10.4 (64) Carlton 8.13 (61) MCG 25,220 5 August 1922

Round 14

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 11.6 (72) Melbourne 5.16 (46) Corio Oval 8,000 19 August 1922
Essendon 15.13 (103) Richmond 10.6 (66) Windy Hill 25,000 19 August 1922
Carlton 14.19 (103) South Melbourne 10.15 (75) Princes Park 17,000 19 August 1922
St Kilda 6.10 (46) Collingwood 8.9 (57) Junction Oval 18,000 19 August 1922

Round 15

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 8.20 (68) Geelong 6.8 (44) Victoria Park 8,000 26 August 1922
Richmond 5.10 (40) Fitzroy 3.14 (32) Punt Road Oval 5,000 26 August 1922
Melbourne 3.10 (28) Essendon 6.8 (44) MCG 19,206 26 August 1922
St Kilda 4.16 (40) Carlton 5.19 (49) Junction Oval 10,000 26 August 1922

Round 16

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 13.8 (86) South Melbourne 9.10 (64) Punt Road Oval 15,000 2 September 1922
Essendon 8.15 (63) St Kilda 8.7 (55) Windy Hill 15,000 2 September 1922
Fitzroy 8.14 (62) Collingwood 11.13 (79) Brunswick Street Oval 25,000 2 September 1922
Geelong 11.10 (76) Carlton 16.15 (111) Corio Oval 15,000 2 September 1922

Round 17

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 11.16 (82) Melbourne 7.11 (53) Victoria Park 15,000 9 September 1922
Carlton 14.10 (94) Richmond 7.8 (50) Princes Park 25,000 9 September 1922
St Kilda 18.18 (126) Geelong 10.11 (71) Junction Oval 10,000 9 September 1922
South Melbourne 11.12 (78) Fitzroy 14.9 (93) Lake Oval 10,000 9 September 1922

Round 18

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 6.11 (47) Essendon 6.7 (43) Victoria Park 32,000 16 September 1922
St Kilda 7.22 (64) Richmond 5.7 (37) Junction Oval 4,000 16 September 1922
South Melbourne 21.10 (136) Geelong 8.10 (58) Lake Oval 3,000 16 September 1922
Melbourne 7.13 (55) Fitzroy 8.15 (63) Princes Park 5,000 16 September 1922

Ladder

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(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Collingwood 16 12 4 0 1178 922 127.8 48
2 Essendon 16 10 5 1 1147 1028 111.6 42
3 Fitzroy (P) 16 10 5 1 1091 1003 108.8 42
4 Carlton 16 10 6 0 1232 1092 112.8 40
5 Richmond 16 7 9 0 1039 1129 92.0 28
6 Melbourne 16 7 9 0 1005 1131 88.9 28
7 St Kilda 16 5 10 1 1090 1164 93.6 22
8 Geelong 16 5 11 0 1080 1285 84.0 20
9 South Melbourne 16 4 11 1 1127 1235 91.3 18

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 69.4
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

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All of the 1922 finals were played at the MCG, so the home team in the semi-finals and preliminary final is purely the higher-ranked team from the ladder; however, in the Grand Final, the home team was the team that won the preliminary final.

Semi-finals

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Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 5.9 (39) Carlton 4.10 (34) MCG 64,148 23 September
Collingwood 5.12 (42) Fitzroy 6.10 (46) MCG 43,045 30 September

Preliminary final

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Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 9.14 (68) Essendon 6.9 (45) MCG 50,021 7 October

Grand final

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Season notes

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  • Essendon began playing its home games at the Essendon Recreation Reserve (known today as Windy Hill) from this season, after the closure of the East Melbourne Cricket Ground at the end of 1921.
  • Boundary umpires became responsible for bringing the ball back to the centre after a goal has been scored.
  • Angry Richmond fans invaded the field after Richmond's 10-point loss against Essendon in Round 5. Field umpire Arthur Norden, later received a letter threatening his life, and he retired.
  • The first issue of the "pink paper", the Saturday evening newspaper The Sporting Globe, was published on 22 July 1922.
  • In the Round 17 match against Geelong, St Kilda's centre half-forward Dave McNamara had 12 kicks for the match. From the twelve kicks he scored ten goals, nine of them with place kicks (one 70 yards, another 65 yards), and the tenth was scored with a punt kick. By contrast with that accurate kicking, on the following Saturday, in the Round 18 match against Richmond, McNamara kicked 1.13 (19).
  • South Melbourne's percentage of 91.3% is the highest ever by the team finishing last.

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Fitzroy Premiers". The Sun News-Pictorial. No. 31. Victoria, Australia. 16 October 1922. p. 16. Retrieved 20 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  • Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-9591740-2-8
  • Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. ISBN 0-670-90809-6
  • 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. ISBN 0-670-86814-0

Sources

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