# 1902 MJFA season

The 1902 MJFA season, also known as the 1902 MFA season, was the 11th season of the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA).
Collegians won the MJFA premiership for the fifth time, defeating Brighton in the 1902 MJFA Grand Final. This was the second time a grand final had been held in the MJFA.

## Association membership

All eight teams that participated in the 1901 MJFA season continued in 1902. One new club, the Hawthorn Football Club, was formed in March 1902 and admitted into the Association several weeks later, bringing the total number of teams to nine.

### Celtic withdrawal

In round 7, the Celtic Football Club was scheduled to play a match against Beverley. However, Beverley won after Celtic forfeited.
Celtic had a bye the following week in round 8, but was scheduled to play Brighton in round 9. However, "owing to a misunderstanding", Celtic did not state where the game was supposed to be played. The match was eventually called off, and Brighton claimed a walkover victory. Celtic disbanded the following week, prior to a scheduled match against Caulfield at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground, having lost all of its eight games.

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

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | |
| Saturday, 3 May | Caulfield 9.15 (69) | def. | Celtic 2.7 (19) | Caulfield Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 3 May | Collegians 17.19 (121) | def. | South Yarra 4.3 (27) | St Kilda Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 3 May | Leopold 2.18 (30) | def. by | Brighton 6.4 (40) | Warehousemen's Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 3 May (2:30pm) | St Ignatius 3.9 (27) | def. | Hawthorn 3.5 (23) | Richmond City Reserve |
| | Bye Beverley | Bye Beverley | Bye Beverley | |

### Round 2

| | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | |
| Saturday, 10 May | Brighton 9.14 (68) | def. | St Ignatius 2.8 (20) | Brighton |
| Saturday, 10 May | Hawthorn 5.12 (42) | def. by | Caulfield 10.11 (71) | St James Park, Hawthorn |
| Saturday, 10 May | Celtic 1.1 (7) | def. by | Collegians 11.27 (93) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 10 May | Beverley 2.8 (29) | def. by | Leopold 6.13 (49) | Richmond City Reserve |
| | Bye South Yarra | Bye South Yarra | Bye South Yarra | |

### Round 3

| | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 3 | |
| Saturday, 17 May | Caulfield 6.9 (45) | def. by | Collegians 14.16 (100) | Caulfield Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 17 May | Leopold 8.15 (63) | def. | Hawthorn 1.8 (14) | Warehousemen's Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 17 May | South Yarra 4.1 (25) | drew with | Beverley 2.13 (25) | Toorak Park |
| Saturday, 17 May | St Ignatius 4.14 (38) | def. | Celtic 4.6 (30) | Richmond City Reserve |
| | Bye Brighton | Bye Brighton | Bye Brighton | |

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | |
| Saturday, 24 May | Beverley 4.12 (36) | def. | St Ignatius 1.7 (13) | Richmond City Reserve |
| Saturday, 24 May | Hawthorn 5.14 (44) | def. | Celtic 3.8 (26) | Hawthorn Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 24 May | Brighton 13.13 (91) | def. | Caulfield 7.8 (50) | Caulfield Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 24 May | Leopold 9.12 (66) | def. | South Yarra 2.5 (17) | Warehousemen's Cricket Ground |
| | Bye Collegians | Bye Collegians | Bye Collegians | |
| This was the first-ever match won by the Hawthorn Football Club. ||||||

### Round 5

| | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 5 | |
| Saturday, 31 May | Brighton 7.12 (55) | def. | Hawthorn 7.2 (44) | Brighton |
| Saturday, 31 May | South Yarra 6.10 (46) | def. | Celtic 3.7 (25) | Toorak Park |
| Saturday, 31 May | St Ignatius 2.3 (15) | def. by | Collegians 5.13 (43) | Richmond City Reserve |
| Saturday, 31 May | Caulfield 3.12 (30) | def. | Beverley 3.7 (25) | Caulfield Park |
| | Bye Leopold | Bye Leopold | Bye Leopold | |

### Round 6

| | Round 6 | Round 6 | Round 6 | |
| Saturday, 7 June | Collegians 9.18 (72) | def. | Hawthorn 1.1 (7) | St Kilda Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 7 June | Caulfield 8.9 (57) | def. | South Yarra 3.5 (23) | Caulfield Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 7 June | Beverley 3.8 (26) | def. by | Brighton 6.13 (49) | Richmond City Reserve |
| Saturday, 7 June | Celtic 0.1 (1) | def. by | Leopold 8.8 (62) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| | Bye St Ignatius | Bye St Ignatius | Bye St Ignatius | |

### Round 7

| | Round 7 | Round 7 | Round 7 | |
| Saturday, 14 June | Brighton 11.12 (78) | def. | South Yarra 1.1 (7) | Brighton |
| Saturday, 14 June | Leopold 7.6 (48) | def. by | Collegians 9.8 (62) | Warehouseman's Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 14 June | St Ignatius 3.4 (22) | def. by | Caulfield 3.19 (37) | Richmond City Reserve |
| Saturday, 14 June | Beverley | def. | Celtic | |
| | Bye Hawthorn | Bye Hawthorn | Bye Hawthorn | |
| Beverley defeated Celtic via walkover. ||||||

### Round 8

| | Round 8 | Round 8 | Round 8 | |
| Saturday, 21 June | Collegians 4.4 (25) | def. | Brighton 0.6 (6) | St Kilda Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 21 June | St Ignatius 2.9 (21) | def. by | South Yarra 4.10 (34) | Richmond City Reserve |
| Saturday, 21 June | Leopold 4.8 (32) | def. | Beverley 2.1 (13) | Warehouseman's Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 21 June | Caulfield 10.15 (75) | def. | Hawthorn 7.8 (50) | Caulfield Park |
| | Bye Celtic | Bye Celtic | Bye Celtic | |

### Round 9

| | Round 9 | Round 9 | Round 9 | |
| Saturday, 28 June | South Yarra 7.3 (45) | def. by | Collegians 8.12 (60) | Toorak Park |
| Saturday, 28 June | Beverley 2.1 (13) | def. by | Hawthorn 5.11 (41) | Richmond City Reserve |
| Saturday, 28 June | Leopold 8.10 (58) | def. | Caulfield 8.3 (51) | Warehouseman's Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 28 June | Celtic | def. by | Brighton | |
| | Bye St Ignatius | Bye St Ignatius | Bye St Ignatius | |
| Brighton defeated Celtic via walkover. ||||||

### Round 10

| | Round 10 | Round 10 | Round 10 | |
| Saturday, 5 July | Hawthorn 5.6 (36) | def. by | South Yarra 8.7 (55) | Hawthorn Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 5 July | Collegians 10.19 (79) | def. | Beverley 3.3 (21) | St Kilda Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 5 July | St Ignatius 1.2 (8) | def. by | Brighton 13.17 (85) | Richmond City Reserve |
| | Bye Caulfield, Leopold | Bye Caulfield, Leopold | Bye Caulfield, Leopold | |

### Round 11

| | Round 11 | Round 11 | Round 11 | |
| Saturday, 12 July | Brighton 8.6 (54) | def. | Leopold 6.6 (42) | Brighton Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 12 July | South Yarra 8.11 (59) | def. | Caulfield 7.11 (53) | Toorak Park |
| Saturday, 12 July | Beverley 14.7 (85) | def. | St Ignatius 2.2 (14) | Richmond City Reserve |
| | Bye Collegians, Hawthorn | Bye Collegians, Hawthorn | Bye Collegians, Hawthorn | |

### Round 12

| | Round 12 | Round 12 | Round 12 | |
| Saturday, 19 July | Collegians 14.19 (103) | def. | Caulfield 4.4 (28) | St Kilda Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 19 July | Brighton 15.13 (103) | def. | Beverley 1.3 (9) | Brighton Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 19 July | St Ignatius 1.3 (9) | def. by | Leopold 11.19 (85) | Richmond City Reserve |
| | Bye Hawthorn, South Yarra | Bye Hawthorn, South Yarra | Bye Hawthorn, South Yarra | |

### Round 13

| | Round 13 | Round 13 | Round 13 | |
| Saturday, 26 July | Hawthorn 2.2 (14) | def. by | Brighton 11.9 (75) | Hawthorn Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 26 July | South Yarra 13.17 (95) | def. | St Ignatius 1.6 (12) | Toorak Park |
| Saturday, 26 July | Beverley 4.3 (27) | def. by | Caulfield 3.18 (36) | Richmond City Reserve |
| | Bye Collegians, Leopold | Bye Collegians, Leopold | Bye Collegians, Leopold | |

### Round 14

| | Round 14 | Round 14 | Round 14 | |
| Saturday, 2 August | Collegians 9.8 (62) | def. | Leopold 4.2 (26) | St Kilda Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 2 August | Hawthorn 8.15 (63) | def. | Beverley 2.2 (14) | Hawthorn Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 2 August | South Yarra 4.4 (28) | def. by | Brighton 3.9 (27) | Wesley College Ground |
| | Bye Caulfield, St Ignatius | Bye Caulfield, St Ignatius | Bye Caulfield, St Ignatius | |
| On 23 August, Brighton was awarded victory over South Yarra on protest after it was found that South Yarra had fielded ineligible players. ||||||

### Round 15

| | Round 15 | Round 15 | Round 15 | |
| Saturday, 16 August | Hawthorn 5.10 (40) | def. | Leopold 5.4 (34) | Hawthorn Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 16 August | Beverley 2.3 (15) | def. by | South Yarra 9.5 (59) | Richmond City Reserve |
| Saturday, 16 August | Caulfield 9.12 (66) | def. | St Ignatius 0.4 (4) | Caulfield Cricket Ground |
| | Bye Brighton, Collegians | Bye Brighton, Collegians | Bye Brighton, Collegians | |

### Round 16

| | Round 16 | Round 16 | Round 16 | |
| Saturday, 23 August | Brighton 5.8 (38) | def. | Collegians 4.8 (32) | Brighton Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 23 August | Hawthorn 13.17 (95) | def. | St Ignatius 1.5 (11) | Hawthorn Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 23 August | South Yarra 9.11 (65) | def. | Leopold 6.11 (47) | Toorak Park |
| | Bye Beverley, Caulfield | Bye Beverley, Caulfield | Bye Beverley, Caulfield | |

### Round 17

| | Round 17 | Round 17 | Round 17 | |
| Saturday, 30 August | Caulfield 5.8 (38) | def. by | Brighton 16.5 (101) | Caulfield Park |
| Saturday, 30 August | Leopold 17.12 (114) | def. | St Ignatius 2.3 (15) | Richmond City Reserve |
| Saturday, 30 August | Hawthorn 3.4 (22) | def. by | Collegians 6.18 (54) | Hawthorn Cricket Ground |
| | Bye Beverley, South Yarra | Bye Beverley, South Yarra | Bye Beverley, South Yarra | |

### Round 18

| | Round 18 | Round 18 | Round 18 | |
| Saturday, 6 September | South Yarra 9.11 (65) | def. | Hawthorn 2.2 (14) | Fawkner Park |
| Saturday, 6 September | Caulfield 10.7 (67) | def. | Leopold 8.5 (53) | Caulfield Park |
| Saturday, 6 September | Beverley 3.5 (23) | def. by | Collegians 14.14 (98) | Richmond City Reserve |
| | Bye Brighton, St Ignatius | Bye Brighton, St Ignatius | Bye Brighton, St Ignatius | |

### Round 19

| | Round 19 | Round 19 | Round 19 | |
| Saturday, 13 September | Collegians 14.18 (102) | def. | St Ignatius 1.3 (9) | Richmond City Reserve |
| | Bye Beverley, Brighton, Caulfield, Hawthorn, Leopold, South Yarra | Bye Beverley, Brighton, Caulfield, Hawthorn, Leopold, South Yarra | Bye Beverley, Brighton, Caulfield, Hawthorn, Leopold, South Yarra | |

## Ladder

Total games "played" and "won" includes all walkover victories over Celtic.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | Collegians (P) | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 143 | 51 | 60 |
| 2 | Brighton | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 123 | 50 | 60 |
| 3 | Caulfield | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 103 | 107 | 40 |
| 4 | South Yarra | 16 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 93 | 83 | 38 |
| 5 | Leopold | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 110 | 73 | 36 |
| 6 | Hawthorn | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 72 | 94 | 24 |
| 7 | Beverley | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 48 | 92 | 18 |
| 8 | St Ignatius | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 25 | 35 | 12 |
| − | Celtic (W) | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 40 | 0 |
Source: (P) Premiers; (W) Club withdrew

## Grand Final

At the time, the MJFA premiership was decided by the best overall record for the season. In the event of a tie, a playoff match would have been held.
1902 was the second time in MJFA history that such a match was required (the first being in 1900), with Collegians and Brighton finishing with 60 premiership points each.
| | 1902 MJFA Grand Final | 1902 MJFA Grand Final | 1902 MJFA Grand Final | | |
| Saturday, 20 September | Collegians | def. | Brighton | Victoria Park | |
| | 1.2 (8) 5.5 (35) 6.6 (42) 9.12 (66) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.1 (13) 3.2 (20) 5.4 (34) 7.5 (47) | Umpires: Dick Gibson | Umpires: Dick Gibson |
| Greeve 4, Brown 3, Dinsmore, Howell | Greeve 4, Brown 3, Dinsmore, Howell | Goals | Stewart 3, Monkhouse 2 | Stewart 3, Monkhouse 2 |
| Howell, McKellar, Stewart, Woodhouse, Outen, Laver, Morrow, Greeve, Dinsmore, Brown, Allard | Howell, McKellar, Stewart, Woodhouse, Outen, Laver, Morrow, Greeve, Dinsmore, Brown, Allard | Best | Best, Callan, Todd, Treeby, Clough, Reneuf, Stewart, Cromie, Quinton, Tarrant, Holligan, Monkhouse | Best, Callan, Todd, Treeby, Clough, Reneuf, Stewart, Cromie, Quinton, Tarrant, Holligan, Monkhouse |

## Notable events

* A representative match was held on 9 August (after round 14 and before round 15) between the MJFA and Ballarat Junior Football Association (BJFA) at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground. The MJFA defeated the BJFA, with the final score being 11.12 (78) to 6.9 (45). Collegians captain H.J. Stewart captained the MJFA team, with Leopold captain T. Williams serving as vice-captain.