# 1928 MAFA season

The 1928 MAFA season was the 33rd season of the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA), an Australian rules football competition played in the state of Victoria. The season began on 28 April and concluded on 8 September, with 30 teams participating across three divisions under a promotion and relegation system.

## Association membership

Burwood and Surrey Hills were admitted into the MAFA, while Hampton left the MAFA to join the VFL Sub-Districts. Old Haileybury and Old Trinity merged to form the Old Haileybury-Trinity Football Club, avoiding relegation from B Section after the clubs finished ninth and tenth respectively in 1927. Oakleigh was readmitted after being suspended from the MAFA at the end of the 1927 season.
On 17 February 1928, Sandringham (which had been formed in August 1927), Sandringham District and the Sandringham United Football Club amalgamated to form a new Sandringham Football Club. The club entered two teams in the MAFA and one team in the Federal Football Association (FFA) junior competition.
Geelong had been automatically suspended prior to the start of the 1928 season after its delegate failed to attend three consecutive MAFA meetings, but the club was readmitted prior to round 1 after giving assurances that the offence would not occur again.

### Pascoe Vale expulsion

Pascoe Vale was expelled from the MAFA on 23 July over its conduct during a match against South Caulfield. The allegations included that Pascoe Vale players used "disgraceful" language in the changing room, that two players tripped and elbowed their opponents repeatedly, that players were continually arguing and making threats, that the Pascoe Vale supporters refused to leave the field when obstructing the play, and that Pascoe Vale supporters made "dire threats" against umpire Hacking following the match.

### Oakleigh expulsion

Oakleigh was expelled from the MAFA on 20 August because of its "disgraceful" conduct during a match against Teachers' College on 11 August.

### Sandringham B withdrawal

Sandringham B withdrew from C Section in August after having a record score kicked against them.

## Notable events

* C. Warden, a Pascoe Vale player, was expelled from the MAFA after punching an umpire in the back of the head during a match against Kingsville.
* A proposal to rename the MAFA to the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) was unanimously defeated at a meeting. The competition would ultimately change its name to the VAFA five years later for the 1933 season.

## A Section
### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | University B (P) | 18 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2104 | 1203 | 174.9 | 66 | Finals series |
| 2 | Old Scotch | 18 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2055 | 1330 | 154.5 | 66 | Finals series |
| 3 | Elsternwick | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1569 | 1395 | 112.5 | 55 | Finals series |
| 4 | Old Melburnians | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1702 | 1516 | 112.3 | 44 | Finals series |
| 5 | Collegians | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1706 | 1694 | 100.7 | 36 |
| 6 | St Paul's Ascot Vale | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1253 | 1404 | 89.2 | 32 |
| 7 | University A | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1586 | 1553 | 102.1 | 28 |
| 8 | Glen Huntly | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1278 | 1612 | 79.3 | 24 |
| 9 | Murrumbeena | 18 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 1625 | 1917 | 84.8 | 20 | Relegation |
| 10 | Old Caulfield Grammarians | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1295 | 2419 | 53.3 | 0 | Relegation |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers; (E) Expelled; (W) Withdrawn

### Finals

| | 1928 MAFA A Section Grand Final | 1928 MAFA A Section Grand Final | 1928 MAFA A Section Grand Final | |
| Saturday, 8 September | University B | def. | Old Melburnians | Yarra Park |
| | 4.6 (30) 6.10 (46) 12.15 (87) 15.19 (109) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 4.2 (26) 5.1 (31) 6.5 (41) 7.5 (47) | |
| Green 6, Cussen 3, Moran 2, Peverill, Whitehead, McMahon, Treadwell | Green 6, Cussen 3, Moran 2, Peverill, Whitehead, McMahon, Treadwell | Goals | Ewing 4, McKnight, Hallo, D. Guthrie | Ewing 4, McKnight, Hallo, D. Guthrie |
| Lee, Green, Mitchell, Harvie, McMahon, King, McAuliffe | Lee, Green, Mitchell, Harvie, McMahon, King, McAuliffe | Best | Hailo, D. Ward, Atkins, Rutherford, McKnight, Turner | Hailo, D. Ward, Atkins, Rutherford, McKnight, Turner |

## B Section
### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | Qualification |
| 1 | Brightonvale (P) | 18 | Finals series |
| | Sandringham | 18 | Finals series |
| | State Savings Bank | 18 | Finals series |
| | Old Xaverians | 18 | Finals series |
| | Old Haileybury-Trinity | 18 |
| | Geelong | 18 |
| | Brunswick | 18 |
| | Flinders Naval Base | 18 |
| | Teachers' College | 18 |
| − | Oakleigh (E) | 16 | |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers; (E) Expelled; (W) Withdrawn

### Finals

| | 1928 MAFA B Section Grand Final | 1928 MAFA B Section Grand Final | 1928 MAFA B Section Grand Final | |
| Saturday, 8 September | Brightonvale | def. | State Savings Bank | Elsternwick Park |
| | 4.5 (29) 6.8 (44) 9.16 (70) 10.17 (77) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 3.1 (19) 5.4 (34) 7.5 (47) 9.8 (62) | |
| Hartley 3, J. Graydon 2 | Hartley 3, J. Graydon 2 | Goals | Arthur 2, Delbridge 2, Peart 2 | Arthur 2, Delbridge 2, Peart 2 |
| Hull, Hall, Lilburne, Murphy, Simpson, Masson | Hull, Hall, Lilburne, Murphy, Simpson, Masson | Best | Coutts, Drinin, Arthur, Lawn, Daniels, Elder | Coutts, Drinin, Arthur, Lawn, Daniels, Elder |

## C Section
### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | Qualification |
| 1 | Black Rock (P) | 18 | Finals series |
| 2 | Surrey Hills | 18 | Finals series |
| | Kingsville | 18 | Finals series |
| | South Caulfield | 18 | Finals series |
| | Teachers' College B | 18 |
| | Glen Huntly B | 18 |
| | Burwood | 18 |
| | West Hawthorn | 18 |
| − | Pascoe Vale (E) | | |
| − | Sandringham B (W) | | |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers; (E) Expelled; (W) Withdrawn

### Finals

| | 1928 MAFA C Section Grand Final | 1928 MAFA C Section Grand Final | 1928 MAFA C Section Grand Final | |
| Saturday, 8 September | Black Rock | def. | Surrey Hills | Brighton Cricket Ground |
| | 1.3 (9) 5.11 (41) 6.13 (49) 14.21 (105) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 4.5 (29) 6.8 (44) 11.12 (78) 12.14 (86) | |
| Hardstaff 4, McGain 2 | Hardstaff 4, McGain 2 | Goals | | |
| Hardstaff, McGain, Vaux, Ross, Hirst, Challis | Hardstaff, McGain, Vaux, Ross, Hirst, Challis | Best | | |

### Club leadership

| Club | Coach | Leadership group | Leadership group | Leadership group | Ref |
| Club | Coach | Captain(s) | Vice-captain(s) | Other leader(s) | Ref |
| Black Rock | | McGain | | | |
| Burwood | | | | | |
| Glen Huntly B | | | | | |
| Kingsville | | | | | |
| Pascoe Vale | | | | | |
| Sandringham B | | | | | |
| South Caulfield | | | | | |
| Surrey Hills | | | | | |
| Teachers' College B | | | | | |
| West Hawthorn | | | | | |