# 1915 MAFA season

The 1915 MAFA season was the 24th season of the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA), an Australian rules football competition played in the state of Victoria. The season began on 24 April and concluded earlier than scheduled on 7 August, comprising a 14-match home-and-away season, followed by a two-week finals series.
Collingwood District won the MAFA premiership for the first time, defeating Leopold by 15 points in the 1915 MAFA Grand Final.
This was the final MAFA season until 1920, with the 1916, 1917, 1918 and 1919 seasons cancelled due to the impacts of World War I.

## Association membership

Like the previous season in 1914, a total of ten teams competed in the MAFA.
On 16 October 1914, three weeks after the end of the 1914 season, the University Football Club dropped out of the Victorian Football League (VFL). The club had competed in the MJFA/MAFA with a senior team in 1906 and 1907, and had been fielding a "2nd" (reserves) team in the competition since 1908. After leaving the VFL, University's senior team returned to the MAFA in 1915, with several of its VFL players staying with the club.
Additionally, the Caulfield Football Club combined with Malvern prior to the start of the 1915 season and became known as "Caulfield-Malvern".

## World War I

The 1915 home-and-away season was originally scheduled to end on 26 August. However, due to the impacts of World War I – including a significant number of players enlisting in the Australian Army – the MJFA decided at a meeting on 26 July to curtail the home-and-away season four weeks early.
Prior to the final games held in round 14, some clubs had already struggled to find players as a result of enlistments. This included Collegians, which on 17 July was unable to field a team for the first time – and as of 2024, only time – in its history.
Following the conclusion of the season, officials from the VFL sought to have the MAFA become a reserves competition to the VFL for the 1916 season. At least two clubs – Beverley and South Yarra – reported the MAFA that they had been "approached" about becoming reserves teams to Richmond and St Kilda respectively. The MAFA announced in late 1915 that they would not resume competition until the war had ended, while also stating that they were not prepared to be absorbed by the VFL. Ultimately, no MAFA seasons would be held until 1920.
As of 30 July 1915, 164 MJFA players had been enlisted in the Australian Army:
* Beverley – 11
* Carlton District – 26
* Caulfield – 8
* Collegians – 15
* Collingwood District – 13
* Elsternwick – 32
* Fitzroy Juniors – 13
* Leopold – 12
* South Yarra – 27
* University – 7

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

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | |
| Saturday, 24 April | Beverley 12.11 (83) | def. | University 4.9 (33) | Richmond Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 24 April | Fitzroy Juniors 6.9 (45) | def. | Carlton District 4.6 (30) | Fitzroy |
| Saturday, 24 April | Collegians 13.11 (89) | def. | Elsternwick 9.13 (67) | Albert Park |
| Saturday, 24 April | Caulfield-Malvern 5.9 (39) | def. by | Collingwood District 8.13 (69) | Caulfield Park |
| Saturday, 24 April | Leopold 7.7 (49) | drew with | South Yarra 7.7 (49) | South Melbourne Cricket Ground |

### Round 2

| | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | |
| Saturday, 1 May | Collingwood District 6.23 (59) | def. | Beverley 4.8 (32) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 1 May | Carlton District 5.7 (37) | def. by | Leopold 7.9 (52) | Carlton Oval |
| Saturday, 1 May | South Yarra 8.13 (61) | drew with | Collegians 8.13 (61) | St Kilda Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 1 May | University 6.8 (44) | def. by | Fitzroy Juniors 12.11 (83) | University Oval |
| Saturday, 1 May | Elsternwick 6.11 (47) | def. by | Caulfield-Malvern 7.15 (57) | Elsternwick |

### Round 3

| | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 3 | |
| Saturday, 8 May | Leopold 8.10 (58) | def. | Beverley 4.7 (31) | South Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 8 May | Carlton District 9.12 (66) | def. | Elsternwick 3.4 (22) | Carlton Oval |
| Saturday, 8 May | Collingwood District 11.12 (78) | def. | South Yarra 6.15 (51) | Victoria Park |
| Saturday, 8 May | Fitzroy Juniors 11.14 (80) | def. | Caulfield-Malvern 5.7 (37) | Fitzroy |
| | Bye Collegians, University | Bye Collegians, University | Bye Collegians, University | |

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | |
| Saturday, 15 May | Beverley 2.13 (25) | def. | Collegians 3.4 (22) | Richmond Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 15 May | Caulfield-Malvern 5.6 (36) | def. by | Carlton District 14.10 (94) | Caulfield |
| Saturday, 15 May | University 1.2 (8) | def. by | Collingwood District 8.22 (70) | University |
| Saturday, 15 May | South Yarra 5.5 (35) | def. by | Fitzroy Juniors 12.13 (85) | St Kilda Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 15 May | Elsternwick 2.7 (19) | def. by | Leopold 10.14 (74) | Elsternwick |

### Round 5

| | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 5 | |
| Saturday, 22 May | Beverley 7.13 (55) | def. | Elsternwick 2.4 (16) | Richmond Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 22 May | Carlton District 6.10 (46) | def. | University 1.2 (8) | Carlton |
| Saturday, 22 May | Collegians 3.6 (24) | def. by | Collingwood District 11.6 (72) | Albert Park |
| Saturday, 22 May | South Yarra 4.11 (35) | def. | Caulfield-Malvern 4.6 (30) | St Kilda Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 22 May | Fitzroy Juniors 6.4 (40) | def. | Leopold 3.6 (24) | Fitzroy |

## Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Collingwood District (P) | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 52 | Finals series |
| 2 | Leopold | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 50 | Finals series |
| 3 | Fitzroy Juniors | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 48 | Finals series |
| 4 | Carlton District | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 32 | Finals series |
| 5 | South Yarra | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 28 |
| 6 | Beverley | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
| 7 | Collegians | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 16 |
| 8 | University | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
| 9 | Caulfield-Malvern | 14 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 10 |
| 10 | Elsternwick | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 9 |
Source: (P) Premiers

## Finals

At the time, the MAFA used the Argus finals system, which gave the club that finished first on the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season (the minor premiers) the right to challenge the winner of the finals series for the premiership.

### Semi-finals

| | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | |
| Saturday, 31 July | Collingwood District 9.24 (78) | def. | Carlton District 5.4 (34) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 31 July (3:00pm) | Leopold 10.11 (71) | drew with | Fitzroy Juniors 10.11 (71) | Richmond Cricket Ground |
| Leopold and Fitzroy Juniors drew in their match, with the final score being 10.11 (71) each. At the time, a rule existed in the MAFA which stated "that should a tie take place in either of the matches played in the second round [finals series] the club with the best performances during the season shall adjourned the winner". With Leopold finishing the home-and-away season with two points more than Fitzroy Juniors, the MAFA decided at a meeting on 2 August that they would advance to the grand final. The semi-finals were originally scheduled to be held on 28 August prior to the curtailing of the home-and-away season. ||||||

### Grand Final

| | 1915 MAFA Grand Final | 1915 MAFA Grand Final | 1915 MAFA Grand Final | | |
| Saturday, 7 August | Collingwood District | def. | Leopold | Richmond Cricket Ground | |
| | 9.10 (64) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 6.13 (49) | Umpires: Hood | Umpires: Hood |
| Oram 2, Carkeek 2, T. Bayliss 2, Brown, Lumsden, G. Bayliss | Oram 2, Carkeek 2, T. Bayliss 2, Brown, Lumsden, G. Bayliss | Goals | Schilling 2, Skehan, Harley, Gunn, Murra | Schilling 2, Skehan, Harley, Gunn, Murra |
| Lumsden (striking), Nash (elbowing), T. Bayliss (striking) | Lumsden (striking), Nash (elbowing), T. Bayliss (striking) | Reports | Harley (striking), Hughes (elbowing), Skehan (bad languague) | Harley (striking), Hughes (elbowing), Skehan (bad languague) |
| The grand final was originally scheduled to be held on 4 September prior to the curtailing of the home-and-away season. ||||||