# 1897 VFL season

The 1897 VFL season was the inaugural season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season ran from 8 May to 4 September, comprising a 14-round home-and-away season followed by a three-week finals series featuring the top four clubs. Eight Victorian Football Association (VFA) clubs – Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne and St Kilda – featured in the inaugural season after seceding from the VFA in 1896.
Essendon won the inaugural premiership after winning all three of its finals matches, with Geelong finishing as runners-up with two wins. Geelong won the minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with an 11–3 win–loss record. Geelong's Eddy James and Melbourne's Jack Leith tied for the leading goalkicker medal as the league's leading goalkickers.

## Background

In 1897, the VFL competition consisted of eight teams of 20 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves" (although any of the 20 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 1897 VFL Premiers were determined according to the conditions dictated by the specific format and conventions of the 1897 Finals System, which was used in this season only.

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

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | | |
| Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 6.13 (49) | def. | Carlton 2.4 (16) | Brunswick Street Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 5.11 (41) | def. | St Kilda 2.4 (16) | Victoria Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm) | Geelong 3.6 (24) | def. by | Essendon 7.5 (47) | Corio Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 3.9 (27) | def. by | Melbourne 6.8 (44) | Lake Oval | Statistics |

### Round 2

| | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | | |
| Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 6.4 (40) | def. | Carlton 5.6 (36) | Lake Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm) | Essendon 4.6 (30) | def. by | Collingwood 8.2 (50) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 3.8 (26) | def. by | Fitzroy 10.6 (66) | Junction Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 9.10 (64) | def. | Geelong 3.1 (19) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |

### Round 3

| | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 3 | | |
| Saturday, 22 May (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 6.5 (41) | def. | Geelong 5.7 (37) | Victoria Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 22 May (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 5.9 (39) | def. by | Melbourne 7.8 (50) | Brunswick Street Oval | Statistics |
| Monday, 24 May (3:00 pm) | Essendon 12.6 (78) | def. | Carlton 6.5 (41) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Monday, 24 May (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 8.11 (59) | def. | St Kilda 0.2 (2) | Lake Oval | Statistics |

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | | |
| Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm) | Geelong 5.14 (44) | def. | Carlton 3.4 (22) | Corio Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 5.11 (41) | def. | Collingwood 5.3 (33) | Lake Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 2.8 (20) | def. by | Essendon 6.6 (42) | Brunswick Street Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 11.10 (76) | def. | St Kilda 7.4 (46) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |

### Round 5

| | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 5 | | |
| Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 15.17 (107) | def. | Carlton 3.8 (26) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 5.7 (37) | def. | Fitzroy 2.9 (21) | Victoria Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 3.8 (26) | def. by | Essendon 9.9 (63) | Junction Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm) | Geelong 10.12 (72) | def. | South Melbourne 3.6 (24) | Corio Oval | Statistics |

### Round 6

| | Round 6 | Round 6 | Round 6 | | |
| Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 3.6 (24) | def. by | Carlton 5.5 (35) | Junction Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 5.3 (33) | def. | Collingwood 3.8 (26) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 2.4 (16) | def. by | Essendon 1.13 (19) | Lake Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm) | Geelong 3.13 (31) | def. | Fitzroy 2.3 (15) | Corio Oval | Statistics |

### Round 7

| | Round 7 | Round 7 | Round 7 | | |
| Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm) | Carlton 5.5 (35) | def. by | Collingwood 6.5 (41) | Princes Park | Statistics |
| Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm) | Essendon 8.15 (63) | def. | Melbourne 3.9 (27) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 5.13 (43) | drew with | South Melbourne 5.13 (43) | Brunswick Street Oval | Statistics |
| Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 4.7 (31) | def. by | Geelong 16.18 (114) | Junction Oval | Statistics |

### Round 8

| | Round 8 | Round 8 | Round 8 | | |
| Saturday, 26 June (3:00 pm) | Carlton 1.3 (9) | def. by | Fitzroy 5.17 (47) | Princes Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 26 June (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 4.5 (29) | def. by | Collingwood 7.11 (53) | Junction Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 26 June (3;00 pm) | Essendon 5.2 (32) | def. by | Geelong 8.9 (57) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 26 June (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 3.2 (20) | def. by | South Melbourne 11.7 (73) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |

### Round 9

| | Round 9 | Round 9 | Round 9 | | |
| Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm) | Carlton 4.4 (28) | def. by | South Melbourne 11.8 (74) | Princes Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 5.7 (37) | def. by | Essendon 6.10 (46) | Victoria Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 9.21 (75) | def. | St Kilda 2.6 (18) | Brunswick Street Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm) | Geelong 1.9 (15) | def. | Melbourne 0.10 (10) | Corio Oval | Statistics |

### Round 10

| | Round 10 | Round 10 | Round 10 | | |
| Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm) | Carlton 2.1 (13) | def. by | Essendon 5.12 (42) | Princes Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm) | Geelong 7.10 (52) | def. | Collingwood 1.4 (10) | Corio Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 8.5 (53) | def. | Fitzroy 3.8 (26) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 0.3 (3) | def. by | South Melbourne 8.16 (64) | Junction Oval | Statistics |

### Round 11

| | Round 11 | Round 11 | Round 11 | | |
| Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm) | Carlton 2.4 (16) | def. by | Geelong 9.12 (66) | Princes Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 0.8 (8) | def. by | South Melbourne 2.15 (27) | Victoria Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm) | Essendon 9.8 (62) | def. | Fitzroy 4.6 (30) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm) | St Kilda 1.7 (13) | def. by | Melbourne 10.11 (71) | Junction Oval | Statistics |

### Round 12

| | Round 12 | Round 12 | Round 12 | | |
| Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm) | Carlton 2.6 (18) | def. by | Melbourne 5.16 (46) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 4.4 (28) | def. by | Collingwood 3.17 (35) | Brunswick Street Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm) | Essendon 13.16 (94) | def. | St Kilda 0.3 (3) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 5.2 (32) | def. by | Geelong 6.8 (44) | Lake Oval | Statistics |

### Round 13

| | Round 13 | Round 13 | Round 13 | | |
| Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm) | Carlton 8.11 (59) | def. | St Kilda 3.7 (25) | Princes Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 5.13 (43) | def. | Melbourne 3.10 (28) | Victoria Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm) | Essendon 8.1 (49) | def. | South Melbourne 6.9 (45) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm) | Fitzroy 2.9 (21) | def. by | Geelong 5.3 (33) | Brunswick Street Oval | Statistics |

### Round 14

| | Round 14 | Round 14 | Round 14 | | |
| Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm) | Collingwood 7.12 (54) | def. | Carlton 3.4 (22) | Victoria Park | Statistics |
| Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm) | Melbourne 8.8 (56) | def. | Essendon 6.3 (39) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Statistics |
| Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm) | South Melbourne 3.12 (30) | def. | Fitzroy 4.5 (29) | Lake Oval | Statistics |
| Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm) | Geelong 14.12 (96) | def. | St Kilda 3.0 (18) | Corio Oval | Statistics |

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Geelong | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 704 | 383 | 183.8 | 44 |
| 2 | Essendon (P) | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 706 | 445 | 158.7 | 44 |
| 3 | Melbourne | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 685 | 473 | 144.8 | 40 |
| 4 | Collingwood | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 509 | 445 | 114.4 | 36 |
| 5 | South Melbourne | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 595 | 430 | 138.4 | 34 |
| 6 | Fitzroy | 14 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 509 | 485 | 104.9 | 18 |
| 7 | Carlton | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 376 | 737 | 51.0 | 8 |
| 8 | St Kilda | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 280 | 966 | 29.0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 39.0 Source: AFL Tables

## Progression by round

| 4 | Finished the round in first place | 0 | Finished the round in last place |
| 4 | Won the minor premiership | 0 | Won the wooden spoon |
| 4 | Finished the round inside the top four | Finished the round inside the top four | Finished the round inside the top four |
| 4$_1$ | Subscript indicates the ladder position at the end of the round | Subscript indicates the ladder position at the end of the round | Subscript indicates the ladder position at the end of the round |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Geelong | 0$_6$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_7$ | 4$_6$ | 8$_6$ | 12$_4$ | 16$_4$ | 20$_4$ | 24$_2$ | 28$_2$ | 32$_2$ | 36$_2$ | 40$_2$ | 44$_1$ |
| Essendon | 4$_3$ | 4$_4$ | 8$_5$ | 12$_2$ | 16$_2$ | 20$_2$ | 24$_1$ | 24$_1$ | 28$_1$ | 32$_1$ | 36$_1$ | 40$_1$ | 44$_1$ | 44$_2$ |
| Melbourne | 4$_4$ | 8$_2$ | 12$_1$ | 16$_1$ | 20$_1$ | 24$_1$ | 24$_2$ | 24$_3$ | 24$_3$ | 28$_3$ | 32$_3$ | 36$_3$ | 36$_3$ | 40$_3$ |
| Collingwood | 4$_2$ | 8$_3$ | 12$_2$ | 12$_4$ | 16$_3$ | 16$_3$ | 20$_3$ | 24$_2$ | 24$_4$ | 24$_5$ | 24$_5$ | 28$_5$ | 32$_4$ | 36$_4$ |
| South Melbourne | 0$_5$ | 4$_5$ | 8$_4$ | 12$_3$ | 12$_4$ | 12$_5$ | 14$_5$ | 18$_5$ | 22$_5$ | 26$_4$ | 30$_4$ | 30$_4$ | 30$_5$ | 34$_5$ |
| Fitzroy | 4$_1$ | 8$_1$ | 8$_3$ | 8$_5$ | 8$_5$ | 8$_6$ | 10$_6$ | 14$_6$ | 18$_6$ | 18$_6$ | 18$_6$ | 18$_6$ | 18$_6$ | 18$_6$ |
| Carlton | 0$_8$ | 0$_6$ | 0$_6$ | 0$_7$ | 0$_7$ | 4$_7$ | 4$_7$ | 4$_7$ | 4$_7$ | 4$_7$ | 4$_7$ | 4$_7$ | 8$_7$ | 8$_7$ |
| St Kilda | 0$_7$ | 0$_7$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 0$_8$ |
Source: AFL Tables

## Finals series
### Finals week 1

| | Finals week 1 | Finals week 1 | Finals week 1 | | |
| Saturday, 21 August (2:30 pm) | Geelong 3.11 (29) | def. by | Essendon 5.5 (35) | Corio Oval (crowd: 5,000) | ReportStats |
| Saturday, 21 August (2:30 pm) | Melbourne 7.5 (47) | def. by | Collingwood 7.9 (51) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 7,000) | ReportStats |

### Finals week 2

| | Finals week 2 | Finals week 2 | Finals week 2 | | |
| Saturday, 28 August (2:30 pm) | Essendon 9.16 (70) | def. | Collingwood 4.6 (30) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 8,000) | ReportStats |
| Saturday, 28 August (2:30 pm) | Geelong 5.16 (46) | def. | Melbourne 5.7 (37) | Brunswick Street Oval (crowd: 4,000) | ReportStats |

### Finals week 3

| | Finals week 3 | Finals week 3 | Finals week 3 | | |
| Saturday, 4 September (2:30 pm) | Essendon 1.8 (14) | def. | Melbourne 0.8 (8) | Lake Oval (crowd: 3,800) | ReportStats |
| Saturday, 4 September (2:30 pm) | Geelong 8.4 (52) | def. | Collingwood 6.12 (48) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 3,000) | ReportStats |

## Finals ladder

* Won the premiership
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Essendon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 67 | 177.6 | 12 |
| 2 | Geelong | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 127 | 120 | 105.8 | 8 |
| 3 | Collingwood | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 129 | 169 | 76.3 | 4 |
| 4 | Melbourne | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 92 | 111 | 82.9 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Source: AFL Tables

## 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.
| + | 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 | Ladder | Finals series | Finals series | Finals series | Finals ladder |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Ladder | F1 | F2 | F3 | Finals ladder |
| Carlton | FIT -33 | SM -4 | ESS -37 | GEE -22 | MEL -81 | STK +11 | COL -6 | FIT -38 | SM -46 | ESS -29 | GEE -50 | MEL -28 | STK +34 | COL -32 | 7 (2–12–0) | | | | |
| Collingwood | STK +25 | ESS +20 | GEE +4 | SM -8 | FIT +16 | MEL -7 | CAR +6 | STK +24 | ESS -9 | GEE -42 | SM -19 | FIT +7 | MEL +15 | CAR +32 | 4 (9–5–0) | MEL +4 | ESS -40 | GEE -4 | 3 (1–2–0) |
| Essendon | GEE +23 | COL -20 | CAR +37 | FIT +22 | STK +37 | SM +3 | MEL +36 | GEE -25 | COL +9 | CAR +29 | FIT +32 | STK +91 | SM +4 | MEL -17 | 2 (11–3–0) | GEE +6 | COL +40 | MEL +6 | 1 (3–0–0) |
| Fitzroy | CAR +33 | STK +40 | MEL -11 | ESS -22 | COL -16 | GEE -16 | SM 0 | CAR +38 | STK +57 | MEL -27 | ESS -32 | COL -7 | GEE -12 | SM -1 | 6 (4–9–1) | | | | |
| Geelong | ESS -23 | MEL -45 | COL -4 | CAR +22 | SM +48 | FIT +16 | STK +83 | ESS +25 | MEL +5 | COL +42 | CAR +50 | SM +12 | FIT +12 | STK +78 | 1 (11–3–0) | ESS -6 | MEL +9 | COL +4 | 2 (2–1–0) |
| Melbourne | SM +17 | GEE +45 | FIT +11 | STK +30 | CAR +81 | COL +7 | ESS -36 | SM -53 | GEE -5 | FIT +27 | STK +58 | CAR +28 | COL -15 | ESS +17 | 3 (10–4–0) | COL -4 | GEE -9 | ESS -6 | 4 (0–3–0) |
| South Melbourne | MEL -17 | CAR +4 | STK +57 | COL +8 | GEE -48 | ESS -3 | FIT 0 | MEL +53 | CAR +46 | STK +61 | COL +19 | GEE -12 | ESS -4 | FIT +1 | 5 (8–5–1) | | | | |
| St Kilda | COL -25 | FIT -40 | SM -57 | MEL -30 | ESS -37 | CAR -11 | GEE -83 | COL -24 | FIT -57 | SM -61 | MEL -58 | ESS -91 | CAR -34 | GEE -78 | 8 (0–8–0) | | | | |
Source: AFL Tables

## Season notes

* The game between Essendon and Melbourne in the third round of the finals holds the record for the lowest combined score in a match in VFL/AFL history: 1.16 (22).
* George Stuckey, the captain of the Essendon Football Club team that won the VFL's inaugural premiership, also won the 130-yard Stawell Gift in 1897 in 12.2 seconds off a handicap of 12 yards.
* In the first round of 1897, the VFL revoked the VFA's (then prevailing) push-in-the-back rule. The rule was reinstated before the second round's matches on the following Saturday due to complaints from fans, players and officials.
* On 12 June, a League representative team played against a Ballarat Football League representative team at the Brunswick Street Oval. Ballarat 13.11 (89) defeated the League 8.6 (54).
* On 3 July 1897, Fitzroy rover Bill McSpeerin weaved his way and bounced the ball the length of the Brunswick Street Oval to score a goal against St Kilda.
* Fred Waugh was unable to play in South Melbourne's team for the Round 11 game with St Kilda after attempting suicide. He had been spurned by his lover, and had become disconsolate. His mother found him in his room covered in blood, having cut his throat with a blunt knife. Luckily, he missed severing his windpipe and blood vessels, and a doctor was able to repair the wounds.
* Carlton's first six matches were all away games due to renovations at Princes Park, with the first game at Princes Park being a 5.6 (36) loss to Collingwood 6.4 (40) on 22 June, the Diamond Jubilee Holiday.
* The first-round finals match between Geelong and Essendon at the Corio Oval was the only finals match to be played in Geelong until 2013.

## Leading goalkickers

| 1 | Led the goalkicking at the end of the round |
| 1 | Led the goalkicking at the end of the home-and-away season |
| 1$_1$ | Subscript indicates the player's goal tally to that point of the season |
| – | Did not play during that round |
| # | Player | Club | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) | Finals series | Finals series | Finals series | Total | Games | Average |
| # | Player | Club | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | F1 | F2 | F3 | Total | Games | Average |
| 1 | Eddy James | Geelong | 2$_2$ | 1$_3$ | 0$_3$ | 3$_6$ | 3$_9$ | 1$_{10}$ | 3$_{13}$ | 0$_{13}$ | 1$_{14}$ | –$_{14}$ | –$_{14}$ | 1$_{15}$ | 4$_{19}$ | 3$_{22}$ | 1$_{23}$ | 2$_{25}$ | 2$_{27}$ | 27 | 15 | 1.80 |
| 2 | Jack Leith | Melbourne | 2$_2$ | 4$_6$ | 1$_7$ | 0$_7$ | 4$_{11}$ | 3$_{14}$ | 2$_{16}$ | 0$_{16}$ | 0$_{16}$ | 1$_{17}$ | 2$_{19}$ | 2$_{21}$ | 1$_{22}$ | 0$_{22}$ | 4$_{26}$ | 0$_{26}$ | 0$_{26}$ | 26 | 17 | 1.53 |
| 3 | Norman Waugh | Essendon | 2$_2$ | 0$_2$ | 1$_3$ | 2$_5$ | –$_5$ | –$_5$ | 1$_6$ | 2$_8$ | 1$_9$ | 1$_{10}$ | 2$_{12}$ | 2$_{14}$ | 4$_{18}$ | 1$_{19}$ | 0$_{19}$ | 4$_{23}$ | 0$_{23}$ | 23 | 15 | 1.53 |
| 4 | Charlie Coles | Geelong | –$_0$ | –$_0$ | 1$_1$ | 1$_2$ | 3$_5$ | 1$_6$ | 2$_8$ | 3$_{11}$ | 0$_{11}$ | 2$_{13}$ | 1$_{14}$ | 1$_{15}$ | 1$_{16}$ | 1$_{17}$ | 0$_{17}$ | –$_{17}$ | –$_{17}$ | 17 | 13 | 1.31 |
| 5 | Wally O'Cock | Carlton | 1$_1$ | 1$_2$ | 1$_3$ | 1$_4$ | 2$_6$ | 0$_6$ | 3$_9$ | –$_9$ | –$_9$ | –$_9$ | –$_9$ | 2$_{11}$ | 2$_{13}$ | 2$_{15}$ | | | | 15 | 10 | 1.50 |
| 5 | Archie Smith | Collingwood | 0$_0$ | 2$_2$ | 2$_4$ | 1$_5$ | 2$_7$ | 1$_8$ | 0$_8$ | 2$_{10}$ | 1$_{11}$ | 1$_{12}$ | 0$_{12}$ | 0$_{12}$ | 2$_{14}$ | 0$_{14}$ | 0$_{14}$ | 0$_{14}$ | 1$_{15}$ | 15 | 17 | 0.88 |
| 7 | Hugh Gavin | Essendon | –$_0$ | 0$_0$ | 0$_0$ | 1$_1$ | 2$_3$ | 0$_3$ | 2$_5$ | 0$_5$ | 2$_7$ | 0$_7$ | 3$_{10}$ | –$_{10}$ | 0$_{10}$ | 2$_{12}$ | 0$_{12}$ | 2$_{14}$ | 0$_{14}$ | 14 | 15 | 0.93 |
| 7 | Dinny McKay | South Melbourne | 1$_1$ | 3$_4$ | 2$_6$ | 0$_6$ | 0$_6$ | 0$_6$ | 2$_8$ | 1$_9$ | 3$_{12}$ | 0$_{12}$ | 0$_{12}$ | 1$_{13}$ | 1$_{14}$ | 0$_{14}$ | | | | 14 | 14 | 1.00 |
| 7 | Jack Quinn | Geelong | 0$_0$ | 0$_0$ | 1$_1$ | 0$_1$ | 1$_2$ | 1$_3$ | 3$_6$ | –$_6$ | 0$_6$ | 2$_8$ | 1$_9$ | 1$_{10}$ | 0$_{10}$ | 1$_{11}$ | 1$_{12}$ | 0$_{12}$ | 2$_{14}$ | 14 | 16 | 0.88 |
| 7 | Fred White | Geelong | –$_0$ | –$_0$ | –$_0$ | –$_0$ | –$_0$ | 0$_0$ | 0$_0$ | 2$_2$ | –$_2$ | 0$_2$ | 3$_5$ | 2$_7$ | 0$_7$ | 3$_{10}$ | 1$_{11}$ | 1$_{12}$ | 2$_{14}$ | 14 | 11 | 1.27 |
| 7 | Charlie Young | Melbourne | 2$_2$ | 0$_2$ | 3$_5$ | 1$_6$ | –$_6$ | 1$_7$ | 0$_7$ | 0$_7$ | 0$_7$ | 2$_9$ | 2$_{11}$ | 0$_{11}$ | 0$_{11}$ | 1$_{12}$ | 1$_{13}$ | 1$_{14}$ | 0$_{14}$ | 14 | 16 | 0.88 |
Source: AFL Tables