# 1923 MAFA season

The 1923 MAFA season was the 28th season of the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA), an Australian rules football competition played in the state of Victoria. The season began on 5 May and concluded on 25 August, with 16 teams participating across two divisions under a promotion and relegation system.
After splitting the competition into A Section and B Section for the first time in 1922, the MAFA introduced promotion and relegation in 1923, with the A Section wooden spooners relegated and the B Section premiers promoted. This system has remained in place in the MAFA (now VAFA) with minimal changes since 1923.

## Association membership

Black Rock lef the MAFA after one season, while Melbourne Shipping Company had disbanded during the 1922 season. Hampton and Murrumbeena both entered the competition, keeping the total number of clubs at 16.

## Notable events

* The MAFA began to trial a substitute player replacing injured players, which was not yet a rule in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

## A Section

Old Scotch won its first MAFA premiership, defeating University B by 34 points in the grand final.

### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | University B | 14 | 1171 | 758 | 151.5 | 40 | Finals series |
| 2 | Old Scotch (P) | 14 | 1046 | 791 | 132.2 | 40 | Finals series |
| 3 | Hampton | 14 | 1006 | 700 | 143.7 | 36 | Finals series |
| 4 | University A | 14 | 969 | 685 | 141.5 | 36 | Finals series |
| 5 | Collegians | 14 | 1148 | 788 | 145.1 | 32 |
| 6 | Elsternwick | 14 | 851 | 885 | 96.2 | 24 |
| 7 | Old Melburnians | 14 | 713 | 1414 | 50.4 | 8 |
| 8 | Old Xaverians | 14 | 615 | 1493 | 41.2 | 8 | Relegation |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers

### Finals

| | 1923 MAFA A Section Grand Final | 1923 MAFA A Section Grand Final | 1923 MAFA A Section Grand Final | |
| Saturday, 18 August | University B | def. by | Old Scotch | Elsternwick Park |
| | 5.4 (34) 6.4 (40) 5 point lead 12.7 (79) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 3.0 (18) 6.5 (41) 17.11 (113) | |
| Although 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, the ability to challenge was not given to University B because it was even with Old Scotch on premiership points. ||||||

## B Section

Sandringham won its first MAFA premiership, defeating Murrumbeena by four points in the first-ever B Section grand final.

### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Murrumbeena | 14 | 1101 | 720 | 152.9 | 52 | Finals series |
| 2 | Old Caulfield Grammarians | 14 | 921 | 784 | 117.5 | 34 | Finals series |
| 3 | Elsternwick B | 14 | 762 | 752 | 101.3 | 32 | Finals series |
| 4 | Sandringham (P) | 14 | 831 | 830 | 100.1 | 28 | Finals series |
| 5 | Melbourne Swimming Club | 14 | 829 | 871 | 95.2 | 28 |
| 6 | Teachers' College | 14 | 698 | 900 | 75.6 | 20 |
| 7 | Elwood | 14 | 791 | 1006 | 78.6 | 18 |
| 8 | Old Trinity | 14 | 956 | 1026 | 93.2 | 12 |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers

### Finals

| | 1923 MAFA B Section Grand Final | 1923 MAFA B Section Grand Final | 1923 MAFA B Section Grand Final | |
| Saturday, 25 August | Murrumbeena | def. by | Sandringham | University Oval |
| | 4.6 (30) 7.7 (49) 8.7 (55) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.5 (17) 6.8 (44) 8.11 (59) | |
| Lundy 3 | Lundy 3 | Goals | Harris 4, Kenna 2, Morrison, Woods | Harris 4, Kenna 2, Morrison, Woods |
| Cleal, Scott, Horwood, Lundy, Reeves, Callaghan | Cleal, Scott, Horwood, Lundy, Reeves, Callaghan | Best | Graham, Lee, Smith, Kenna, Harris, Wilson | Graham, Lee, Smith, Kenna, Harris, Wilson |