# 1900 VFL season

The 1900 VFL season was the fourth season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured eight clubs and ran from 5 May to 22 September, comprising a 14-round home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring all eight clubs.
Melbourne won the premiership, defeating Fitzroy by four points in the 1900 VFL grand final; it was Melbourne's first VFL premiership. Fitzroy won its second consecutive minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with an 11–3 win–loss record. Geelong's Teddy Lockwood and Essendon's Albert Thurgood tied for the leading goalkicker medal as the league's leading goalkickers.

## Background

In 1900, the VFL competition consisted of eight 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 14 rounds.
Once the 14 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1900 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the 1898 VFL finals system.

## Home-and-away season
### Round 1

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | |
| Saturday, 05 May (3:00 pm) | Carlton 2.6 (18) | def. by | Geelong 4.11 (35) | Princes Park |
| Saturday, 05 May (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 10.7 (67) | def. | Fitzroy 6.10 (46) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 05 May (3:00 pm) | Essendon 12.10 (82) | def. | South Melbourne 4.2 (26) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 05 May (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 10.8 (68) | def. | Melbourne 9.13 (67) | Junction Oval |
| The Saints won their first ever VFL/AFL match after losing 48 consecutive matches; however, this was their only win of the season, and it was only realised a week later due to protest. The St Kilda game marked the debut of Claude Clough, who, at 15 years and 209 days, is the youngest-ever VFL/AFL debutant; however, due to a historical clerical error, it wasn't until 2012 that this record was discovered. ||||||

### Round 2

| | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | |
| Saturday, 12 May (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 4.10 (34) | def. | Carlton 1.4 (10) | Brunswick Street Oval |
| Saturday, 12 May (3:00 pm) | Geelong 7.15 (57) | def. | Collingwood 5.5 (35) | Corio Oval |
| Saturday, 12 May (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 5.4 (34) | def. | Essendon 2.6 (18) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 12 May (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 6.21 (57) | def. | St Kilda 3.7 (25) | Lake Oval |

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | |
| Wednesday, 23 May (3:00 pm) | Essendon 13.7 (85) | def. | Collingwood 2.4 (16) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Thursday, 24 May (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 2.6 (18) | def. by | Carlton 3.9 (27) | Junction Oval |
| Thursday, 24 May (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 6.19 (55) | def. | South Melbourne 3.4 (22) | Brunswick Street Oval |
| Thursday, 24 May (3:00 pm) | Geelong 11.15 (81) | def. | Melbourne 2.3 (15) | Corio Oval |

### Round 5

| | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 5 | |
| Saturday, 26 May (3:00 pm) | Carlton 2.6 (18) | def. by | Essendon 3.5 (23) | Princes Park |
| Saturday, 26 May (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 9.11 (65) | def. | St Kilda 2.7 (19) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 26 May (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 3.9 (27) | def. by | Fitzroy 10.6 (66) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 26 May (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 5.7 (37) | def. | Geelong 3.5 (23) | Lake Oval |

### Round 6

| | Round 6 | Round 6 | Round 6 | |
| Saturday, 2 June (3:00 pm) | Carlton 4.1 (25) | def. | Collingwood 0.9 (9) | Princes Park |
| Saturday, 2 June (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 2.6 (18) | def. by | Essendon 3.11 (29) | Junction Oval |
| Saturday, 2 June (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 6.10 (46) | def. | Geelong 1.6 (12) | Brunswick Street Oval |
| Saturday, 2 June (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 6.8 (44) | def. | Melbourne 6.5 (41) | Lake Oval |

### Round 7

| | Round 7 | Round 7 | Round 7 | |
| Saturday, 9 June (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 4.6 (30) | def. | Carlton 2.6 (18) | Lake Oval |
| Saturday, 9 June (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 8.18 (66) | def. | Collingwood 5.7 (37) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 9 June (3:00 pm) | Geelong 8.5 (53) | def. | Essendon 4.7 (31) | Corio Oval |
| Saturday, 9 June (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 16.20 (116) | def. | St Kilda 2.5 (17) | Brunswick Street Oval |

### Round 8

| | Round 8 | Round 8 | Round 8 | |
| Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm) | Geelong 5.9 (39) | def. | Carlton 3.13 (31) | Corio Oval |
| Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 6.6 (42) | def. | Collingwood 2.8 (20) | Brunswick Street Oval |
| Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 4.14 (38) | def. | Essendon 1.4 (10) | Lake Oval |
| Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 15.18 (108) | def. | St Kilda 4.5 (29) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |

### Round 9

| | Round 9 | Round 9 | Round 9 | |
| Saturday, 30 June (3:00 pm) | Carlton 2.3 (15) | def. by | Fitzroy 7.11 (53) | Princes Park |
| Saturday, 30 June (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 6.6 (42) | def. | Geelong 3.5 (23) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 30 June (3:00 pm) | Essendon 2.6 (18) | def. by | Melbourne 6.8 (44) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 30 June (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 1.5 (11) | def. by | South Melbourne 5.22 (52) | Junction Oval |

### Round 10

| | Round 10 | Round 10 | Round 10 | |
| Saturday, 7 July (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 9.14 (68) | def. | Carlton 5.3 (33) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 7 July (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 3.8 (26) | def. | Collingwood 2.12 (24) | Lake Oval |
| Saturday, 7 July (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 7.12 (54) | def. | Essendon 5.10 (40) | Brunswick Street Oval |
| Saturday, 7 July (3:00 pm) | Geelong 13.8 (86) | def. | St Kilda 4.4 (28) | Corio Oval |

### Round 11

| | Round 11 | Round 11 | Round 11 | |
| Saturday, 14 July (3:00 pm) | Carlton 7.7 (49) | def. | St Kilda 4.4 (28) | Princes Park |
| Saturday, 14 July (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 6.14 (50) | def. | Essendon 4.5 (29) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 14 July (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 4.9 (33) | def. by | Fitzroy 5.9 (39) | Lake Oval |
| Saturday, 14 July (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 4.16 (40) | def. | Geelong 4.5 (29) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |

### Round 12

| | Round 12 | Round 12 | Round 12 | |
| Saturday, 28 July (3:00 pm) | Essendon 12.12 (84) | def. | Carlton 5.5 (35) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 28 July (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 3.5 (23) | def. by | Collingwood 6.12 (48) | Junction Oval |
| Saturday, 28 July (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 8.9 (57) | def. | Melbourne 4.8 (32) | Brunswick Street Oval |
| Saturday, 28 July (3:00 pm) | Geelong 10.10 (70) | def. | South Melbourne 3.6 (24) | Corio Oval |

### Round 13

| | Round 13 | Round 13 | Round 13 | |
| Saturday, 4 August (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 14.12 (96) | def. | Carlton 4.4 (28) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 4 August (3:00 pm) | Essendon 17.15 (117) | def. | St Kilda 3.7 (25) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 4 August (3:00 pm) | Geelong 8.9 (57) | def. | Fitzroy 1.6 (12) | Corio Oval |
| Saturday, 4 August (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 6.8 (44) | def. by | South Melbourne 7.6 (48) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |

### Round 14

| | Round 14 | Round 14 | Round 14 | |
| Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm) | Carlton 5.15 (45) | def. | South Melbourne 2.7 (19) | Princes Park |
| Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 10.13 (73) | def. | Melbourne 7.4 (46) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm) | Essendon 10.7 (67) | def. | Geelong 6.11 (47) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 7.7 (49) | def. by | Fitzroy 10.22 (82) | Junction Oval |

### Round 3 (postponed)

| | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 3 | |
| Saturday, 18 August (3:00 pm) | Carlton 6.6 (42) | def. | Melbourne 3.4 (22) | Princes Park |
| Saturday, 18 August (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 5.15 (45) | def. | South Melbourne 3.7 (25) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 18 August (3:00 pm) | Essendon 4.9 (33) | def. | Fitzroy 3.9 (27) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 18 August (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 2.6 (18) | def. by | Geelong 7.16 (58) | Junction Oval |
| Round 3 was scheduled to be played on Saturday, 19 May, but all matches cancelled due to heavy rain; the matches were rescheduled for the weekend after round 14. ||||||

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| | Section A |
| | Section B |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Fitzroy | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 729 | 434 | 168.0 | 44 |
| 2 | Geelong | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 670 | 444 | 150.9 | 36 |
| 3 | Essendon | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 666 | 485 | 137.3 | 32 |
| 4 | Collingwood | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 627 | 540 | 116.1 | 32 |
| 5 | South Melbourne | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 481 | 532 | 90.4 | 32 |
| 6 | Melbourne (P) | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 654 | 643 | 101.7 | 24 |
| 7 | Carlton | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 394 | 558 | 70.6 | 20 |
| 8 | St Kilda | 14 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 376 | 961 | 39.1 | 4 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 41.0 Source: AFL Tables

## Progression by round

Points by round :
| Team ╲ Round | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 3 |
| Fitzroy | 0 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 40 | 44 | 44 |
| Geelong | 4 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 36 |
| Essendon | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 |
| Collingwood | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 |
| South Melbourne | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Melbourne | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Carlton | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| St Kilda | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |

## Finals series
### Sectional rounds
#### Sectional round 1

| | Sectional round 1 | Sectional round 1 | Sectional round 1 | |
| Saturday, 25 August (2:30 pm) | Fitzroy 9.13 (67) | def. | Carlton 5.8 (38) | Brunswick Street Oval |
| Saturday, 25 August (2:30 pm) | Collingwood 8.20 (68) | def. | St Kilda 0.9 (9) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 25 August (2:30 pm) | South Melbourne 3.1 (19) | def. by | Essendon 9.5 (59) | Lake Oval |
| Saturday, 25 August (2:30 pm) | Melbourne 5.15 (45) | def. | Geelong 3.10 (28) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |

#### Sectional round 2

| | Sectional round 2 | Sectional round 2 | Sectional round 2 | |
| Saturday, 1 September (2:30 pm) | Carlton 4.7 (31) | def. | South Melbourne 4.6 (30) | Princes Park |
| Saturday, 1 September (2:30 pm) | Geelong 6.8 (44) | def. | Collingwood 4.7 (31) | Corio Oval |
| Saturday, 1 September (2:30 pm) | Essendon 6.3 (39) | def. | Fitzroy 5.6 (36) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 1 September (2:30 pm) | St Kilda 2.3 (15) | def. by | Melbourne 12.14 (86) | Junction Oval |

#### Sectional round 3

| | Sectional round 3 | Sectional round 3 | Sectional round 3 | |
| Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm) | Essendon 12.23 (95) | def. | Carlton 1.4 (10) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm) | Melbourne 3.6 (24) | def. by | Collingwood 4.6 (30) | Lake Oval |
| Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm) | Fitzroy 7.9 (51) | def. | South Melbourne 2.8 (20) | Brunswick Street Oval |
| Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm) | St Kilda 5.9 (39) | def. by | Geelong 7.15 (57) | Junction Oval |

#### Section A ladder

* Qualified for finals
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Essendon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 65 | 296.9 | 12 |
| 2 | Fitzroy | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 154 | 97 | 158.8 | 8 |
| 3 | Carlton | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 79 | 192 | 41.1 | 4 |
| 4 | South Melbourne | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 69 | 141 | 48.9 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Source: AFL Tables

#### Section B ladder

* Qualified for finals
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Melbourne | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 155 | 73 | 212.3 | 8 |
| 2 | Collingwood | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 129 | 77 | 167.5 | 8 |
| 3 | Geelong | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 129 | 115 | 112.2 | 8 |
| 4 | St Kilda | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 63 | 211 | 29.9 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Source: AFL Tables

### Finals

| Semi-final | Semi-final | Semi-final | Grand final | Grand final | Grand final |
| | | | 22 September, East Melbourne Cricket Ground | 22 September, East Melbourne Cricket Ground | 22 September, East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| 15 September, Lake Oval | 15 September, Lake Oval | 15 September, Lake Oval | MP | Fitzroy | 3.12 (30) |
| A1 | Essendon | 5.13 (43) | | Melbourne | 4.10 (34) |
| B1 | Melbourne | 7.3 (45) | | | |
All starting times are local time. Source: AFL Tables

#### Semi-final

| | Semi-final | Semi-final | Semi-final | |
| Saturday, 15 September (2:30 pm) | Essendon 5.13 (43) | def. by | Melbourne 7.3 (45) | Lake Oval |

#### Grand final

| | Grand final | Grand final | Grand final | |
| Saturday, 22 September (2:50 pm) | Fitzroy 3.12 (30) | def. by | Melbourne 4.10 (34) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 20,181) |

## Win–loss table

The following table can be sorted from biggest winning margin to biggest losing margin for each round. If two or more matches in a round are decided by the same margin, these margins are sorted by percentage (i.e. the lowest-scoring winning team is ranked highest and the lowest-scoring losing team is ranked lowest). Opponents are listed above the margins and home matches are in bold. The rescheduling of round 3 until after round 14, which occurred following the cancellation of the originally scheduled matches due to heavy rain, is also reflected in this table.
By winning the minor premiership and accruing at least eight premiership points from its three sectional matches, Fitzroy won the right to challenge the semi-final winner for the premiership.
| + | Win | | Qualified for finals |
| - | Loss | X | Bye |
| | Draw | | Eliminated |
| Team | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home- and-away ladder | Finals series | Finals series | Finals series | Finals series | Finals series | Finals series |
| Team | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home-and-away season | Home- and-away ladder | Sectional rounds | Sectional rounds | Sectional rounds | Sectional ladders | Finals | Finals |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 3 | Home- and-away ladder | S1 | S2 | S3 | Sectional ladders | SF | GF |
| Carlton | GEE -17 | FIT -24 | STK +9 | ESS -5 | COL +16 | SM -12 | GEE -8 | FIT -38 | MEL -35 | STK +21 | ESS -49 | COL -68 | SM +26 | MEL +20 | 7 (5–9–0) | FIT -29 | SM +1 | ESS -85 | A3 (1–2–0) | | |
| Collingwood | FIT +21 | GEE -22 | ESS -69 | STK +46 | CAR -16 | MEL -29 | FIT -22 | GEE +19 | SM -2 | ESS +21 | STK +25 | CAR +68 | MEL +27 | SM +20 | 4 (8–6–0) | STK +59 | GEE -13 | MEL +6 | B2 (2–1–0) | | |
| Essendon | SM +56 | MEL -16 | COL +69 | CAR +5 | STK +11 | GEE -22 | SM -28 | MEL -26 | FIT -14 | COL -21 | CAR +49 | STK +92 | GEE +20 | FIT +6 | 3 (8–6–0) | SM +40 | FIT +3 | CAR +85 | A1 (3–0–0) | MEL -2 | |
| Fitzroy | COL -21 | CAR +24 | SM +33 | MEL +39 | GEE +34 | STK +99 | COL +22 | CAR +38 | ESS +14 | SM +6 | MEL +25 | GEE -45 | STK +33 | ESS -6 | 1 (11–3–0) | CAR +29 | ESS -3 | SM +31 | A2 (2–1–0) | X | MEL -4 |
| Geelong | CAR +17 | COL +22 | MEL +66 | SM -14 | FIT -34 | ESS +22 | CAR +8 | COL -19 | STK +58 | MEL -11 | SM +46 | FIT +45 | ESS -20 | STK +40 | 2 (9–5–0) | MEL -17 | COL +13 | STK +18 | B3 (2–1–0) | | |
| Melbourne | STK -1 | ESS +16 | GEE -66 | FIT -39 | SM -3 | COL +29 | STK +79 | ESS +26 | CAR +35 | GEE +11 | FIT -25 | SM -4 | COL -27 | CAR -20 | 6 (6–8–0) | GEE +17 | STK +71 | COL -6 | B1 (2–1–0) | ESS +2 | FIT +4 |
| South Melbourne | ESS -56 | STK +32 | FIT -33 | GEE +14 | MEL +3 | CAR +12 | ESS +28 | STK +41 | COL +2 | FIT -6 | GEE -46 | MEL +4 | CAR -26 | COL -20 | 5 (8–6–0) | ESS -40 | CAR -1 | FIT -31 | A4 (0–3–0) | | |
| St Kilda | MEL +1 | SM -32 | CAR -9 | COL -46 | ESS -11 | FIT -99 | MEL -79 | SM -41 | GEE -58 | CAR -21 | COL -25 | ESS -92 | FIT -33 | GEE -40 | 8 (1–13–0) | COL -59 | MEL -71 | GEE -18 | B4 (0–3–0) | | |
Source: AFL Tables

## Season notes

* The Round 1 match between St Kilda and Melbourne ended in a draw, but the result was changed to a St Kilda victory on protest after it was noted that the umpire did not signal the end of the third quarter in the correct fashion after hearing the bell. This was St Kilda's first-ever VFL win (after 48 losses), their first win since 1896 in the VFA (after 51 losses), and was the first of only two occasions that the score of a game has been changed on protest (the second was the 2006 AFL siren controversy between St Kilda and Fremantle).
* St Kilda footballer Dave Strickland, the father of Shirley Strickland, won the 1900 Stawell Gift in 12 seconds off a handicap of 10 yards.
* Collingwood's highly talented "loose cannon" Dick Condon was given a lifetime suspension for sustained abuse of field umpire Henry "Ivo" Crapp.
* By the end of the finals round-robin matches, more than 1,000 points had been scored against St Kilda in a single season.
* Melbourne won the 1900 premiership despite having a 6–8 record after the home-and-away matches and finishing sixth of the eight teams on the ladder. This unsatisfactory situation led to the formation of the Argus Final Four system for 1901, which was modified in 1902 and 1907 and used until 1930 (except for 1924).