# 1979 VFL season

The 1979 VFL season was the 83rd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 31 March until 29 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.
The premiership was won by the Carlton Football Club for the twelfth time, after it defeated Collingwood by five points in the 1979 VFL Grand Final.
The season saw the beginning of the league's expansion into the interstate and Sunday television markets, with two Sunday matches played in Sydney, New South Wales.

## Night series

Collingwood defeated Hawthorn 12.8 (80) to 7.10 (52) in the final.

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

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Collingwood | 9.15 (69) | Fitzroy | 21.23 (149) | Victoria Park | 29,345 | 7 April 1979 |
| Carlton | 23.13 (151) | Geelong | 15.11 (101) | Princes Park | 24,771 | 7 April 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 15.21 (111) | Richmond | 19.11 (125) | SMCG | 18,603 | 7 April 1979 |
| St Kilda | 19.14 (128) | Hawthorn | 14.19 (103) | Moorabbin Oval | 22,060 | 7 April 1979 |
| Melbourne | 18.17 (125) | Footscray | 16.17 (113) | MCG | 24,133 | 7 April 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 17.27 (129) | Essendon | 16.13 (109) | NMCG | 22,633 | 7 April 1979 |

### Round 2

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 13.16 (94) | North Melbourne | 20.13 (133) | Western Oval | 23,457 | 14 April 1979 |
| Fitzroy | 12.14 (86) | South Melbourne | 21.13 (139) | Junction Oval | 19,437 | 14 April 1979 |
| Hawthorn | 13.24 (102) | Collingwood | 19.18 (132) | Princes Park | 29,355 | 14 April 1979 |
| Geelong | 15.16 (106) | Melbourne | 9.13 (67) | Kardinia Park | 23,858 | 16 April 1979 |
| Essendon | 21.22 (148) | St Kilda | 9.10 (64) | Windy Hill | 26,499 | 16 April 1979 |
| Richmond | 13.18 (96) | Carlton | 23.9 (147) | MCG | 59,942 | 16 April 1979 |

### Round 3

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 11.14 (80) | Carlton | 14.17 (101) | VFL Park | 41,717 | 31 March 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 18.10 (118) | Melbourne | 16.15 (111) | SMCG | 14,431 | 21 April 1979 |
| Hawthorn | 18.15 (123) | Geelong | 11.17 (83) | Princes Park | 14,703 | 21 April 1979 |
| St Kilda | 15.14 (104) | Footscray | 16.13 (109) | Moorabbin Oval | 18,275 | 21 April 1979 |
| Richmond | 20.12 (132) | Fitzroy | 16.16 (112) | MCG | 24,635 | 21 April 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 18.19 (127) | Collingwood | 14.15 (99) | NMCG | 29,747 | 21 April 1979 |
Despite being formally a part of Round 3, the Essendon vs Carlton match was played as a stand-alone match on the Saturday before Round 1, and was therefore the opening match of the season.

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | | |
| Wednesday, 25 April (2:10 pm) | Hawthorn 29.15 (189) | def. | South Melbourne 15.5 (95) | VFL Park (crowd: 37,276) | Report |
| Wednesday, 25 April (2:10 pm) | Melbourne 16.23 (119) | def. | Richmond 15.19 (109) | MCG (crowd: 44,708) | Report |
| Saturday, 28 April (2:10 pm) | Fitzroy 11.16 (82) | def. by | Carlton 20.19 (139) | Junction Oval (crowd: 21,577) | Report |
| Saturday, 28 April (2:10 pm) | Collingwood 31.21 (207) | def. | St Kilda 3.11 (29) | Victoria Park (crowd: 29,380) | Report |
| Saturday, 28 April (2:10 pm) | Footscray 20.8 (128) | drew with | Essendon 19.14 (128) | Western Oval (crowd: 26,981) | Report |
| Saturday, 28 April (2:10 pm) | Geelong 10.13 (73) | def. by | North Melbourne 19.9 (123) | Kardinia Park (crowd: 21,353) | Report |
| In the ANZAC Day clash at VFL Park, Hawthorn kicked their highest score against South Melbourne. It was also at the time the highest score in a match that South Melbourne had conceded, the previous highest being 28.17 (185) by North Melbourne in Round 12, 1974. At Victoria Park, Collingwood broke several records in their win against St Kilda, kicking their highest-ever score in a match – 31.21 (207), which they would top the following year against the same team – and also broke a 60-year-old League record in terms of greatest winning margin (178 points), previously held by South Melbourne, who beat St Kilda by 171 points back in Round 12, 1919. ||||||

### Round 5

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 19.24 (138) | South Melbourne | 12.16 (88) | NMCG | 16,015 | 5 May 1979 |
| Essendon | 10.16 (76) | Fitzroy | 25.22 (172) | Windy Hill | 19,741 | 5 May 1979 |
| Carlton | 15.20 (110) | Melbourne | 13.18 (96) | Princes Park | 24,248 | 5 May 1979 |
| Richmond | 11.16 (82) | Hawthorn | 24.17 (161) | MCG | 31,448 | 5 May 1979 |
| St Kilda | 17.10 (112) | Geelong | 22.10 (142) | Moorabbin Oval | 15,481 | 5 May 1979 |
| Footscray | 12.17 (89) | Collingwood | 20.17 (137) | VFL Park | 34,163 | 5 May 1979 |

### Round 6

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Collingwood | 14.15 (99) | Essendon | 19.19 (133) | Victoria Park | 27,824 | 12 May 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 26.19 (175) | St Kilda | 11.20 (86) | SMCG | 12,394 | 12 May 1979 |
| Geelong | 9.18 (72) | Footscray | 7.5 (47) | Kardinia Park | 27,824 | 12 May 1979 |
| Melbourne | 21.14 (140) | Fitzroy | 24.19 (163) | MCG | 21,783 | 12 May 1979 |
| Hawthorn | 16.12 (108) | Carlton | 25.18 (168) | Princes Park | 29,935 | 12 May 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 14.15 (99) | Richmond | 13.16 (94) | VFL Park | 22,626 | 12 May 1979 |

### Round 7

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 22.17 (149) | South Melbourne | 14.17 (101) | Western Oval | 15,045 | 19 May 1979 |
| Fitzroy | 14.18 (102) | Hawthorn | 11.24 (90) | Junction Oval | 15,870 | 19 May 1979 |
| Essendon | 23.18 (156) | Melbourne | 9.20 (74) | Windy Hill | 21,592 | 19 May 1979 |
| Carlton | 15.14 (104) | North Melbourne | 16.12 (108) | Princes Park | 39,411 | 19 May 1979 |
| St Kilda | 16.15 (111) | Richmond | 14.15 (99) | Moorabbin Oval | 18,087 | 19 May 1979 |
| Collingwood | 13.14 (92) | Geelong | 6.15 (51) | VFL Park | 37,260 | 19 May 1979 |

### Round 8

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 17.18 (120) | Melbourne | 10.17 (77) | Princes Park | 10,997 | 26 May 1979 |
| Richmond | 22.26 (158) | Footscray | 12.13 (85) | MCG | 21,672 | 26 May 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 13.16 (94) | Fitzroy | 21.22 (148) | NMCG | 17,469 | 26 May 1979 |
| Geelong | 12.11 (83) | Essendon | 12.12 (84) | Kardinia Park | 25,402 | 26 May 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 6.8 (44) | Collingwood | 20.11 (131) | SMCG | 21,282 | 26 May 1979 |
| St Kilda | 9.10 (64) | Carlton | 15.13 (103) | VFL Park | 28,817 | 26 May 1979 |

### Round 9

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 17.9 (111) | North Melbourne | 23.18 (156) | MCG | 23,261 | 2 June 1979 |
| Fitzroy | 18.15 (123) | St Kilda | 11.12 (78) | Junction Oval | 14,963 | 2 June 1979 |
| Collingwood | 19.18 (132) | Richmond | 10.20 (80) | Victoria Park | 31,474 | 2 June 1979 |
| Hawthorn | 16.12 (108) | Essendon | 17.14 (116) | Princes Park | 24,875 | 2 June 1979 |
| Footscray | 11.12 (78) | Carlton | 18.19 (127) | Western Oval | 21,362 | 2 June 1979 |
| Geelong | 18.15 (123) | South Melbourne | 17.8 (110) | VFL Park | 15,750 | 2 June 1979 |

### Round 10

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 16.19 (115) | South Melbourne | 14.15 (99) | Windy Hill | 18,916 | 9 June 1979 |
| Carlton | 18.15 (123) | Collingwood | 16.11 (107) | Princes Park | 46,106 | 9 June 1979 |
| St Kilda | 9.11 (65) | Melbourne | 12.13 (85) | Moorabbin Oval | 17,390 | 9 June 1979 |
| Richmond | 14.17 (101) | Geelong | 18.19 (127) | MCG | 24,824 | 9 June 1979 |
| Footscray | 11.8 (74) | Fitzroy | 17.17 (119) | VFL Park | 14,357 | 9 June 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 16.9 (105) | Hawthorn | 23.18 (156) | SCG | 31,391 | 10 June 1979 |

### Round 11

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Fitzroy | 19.18 (132) | Geelong | 9.11 (65) | Junction Oval | 17,520 | 16 June 1979 |
| Hawthorn | 15.10 (100) | Footscray | 15.11 (101) | Princes Park | 12,513 | 16 June 1979 |
| Melbourne | 11.16 (82) | Collingwood | 13.18 (96) | MCG | 53,562 | 16 June 1979 |
| St Kilda | 15.17 (107) | North Melbourne | 16.14 (110) | Moorabbin Oval | 19,705 | 18 June 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 18.18 (126) | Carlton | 20.12 (132) | SMCG | 26,740 | 18 June 1979 |
| Richmond | 16.12 (108) | Essendon | 20.12 (132) | VFL Park | 53,116 | 18 June 1979 |

### Round 12

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 25.16 (166) | South Melbourne | 16.14 (110) | MCG | 21,216 | 23 June 1979 |
| Hawthorn | 19.18 (132) | St Kilda | 13.15 (93) | Princes Park | 13,176 | 23 June 1979 |
| Footscray | 18.12 (120) | Melbourne | 11.15 (81) | Western Oval | 14,308 | 23 June 1979 |
| Essendon | 15.11 (101) | North Melbourne | 6.18 (54) | Windy Hill | 30,795 | 23 June 1979 |
| Geelong | 15.17 (107) | Carlton | 14.17 (101) | Kardinia Park | 29,941 | 23 June 1979 |
| Fitzroy | 17.20 (122) | Collingwood | 11.14 (80) | VFL Park | 56,975 | 23 June 1979 |

### Round 13

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Collingwood | 25.19 (169) | Hawthorn | 8.16 (64) | Victoria Park | 22,903 | 30 June 1979 |
| Carlton | 21.12 (138) | Richmond | 12.10 (82) | Princes Park | 21,792 | 30 June 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 8.21 (69) | Footscray | 12.9 (81) | NMCG | 13,925 | 30 June 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 15.20 (110) | Fitzroy | 20.16 (136) | SMCG | 13,850 | 30 June 1979 |
| St Kilda | 9.12 (66) | Essendon | 15.15 (105) | Moorabbin Oval | 18,802 | 30 June 1979 |
| Melbourne | 9.3 (57) | Geelong | 16.12 (108) | VFL Park | 13,272 | 30 June 1979 |

### Round 14

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 10.11 (71) | Footscray | 6.14 (50) | Windy Hill | 25,240 | 7 July 1979 |
| Richmond | 17.18 (120) | Melbourne | 10.16 (76) | MCG | 19,879 | 7 July 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 13.11 (89) | Hawthorn | 10.14 (74) | SMCG | 10,626 | 7 July 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 17.16 (118) | Geelong | 14.16 (100) | NMCG | 14,971 | 7 July 1979 |
| St Kilda | 6.16 (52) | Collingwood | 15.11 (101) | Moorabbin Oval | 21,588 | 7 July 1979 |
| Carlton | 17.14 (116) | Fitzroy | 9.11 (65) | VFL Park | 58,736 | 7 July 1979 |

### Round 15

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 24.23 (167) | South Melbourne | 24.10 (154) | MCG | 15,039 | 14 July 1979 |
| Footscray | 24.16 (160) | St Kilda | 11.15 (81) | Western Oval | 13,386 | 14 July 1979 |
| Collingwood | 10.16 (76) | North Melbourne | 20.13 (133) | Victoria Park | 30,415 | 14 July 1979 |
| Carlton | 18.18 (126) | Essendon | 12.11 (83) | Princes Park | 44,661 | 14 July 1979 |
| Geelong | 11.12 (78) | Hawthorn | 11.13 (79) | VFL Park | 20,777 | 14 July 1979 |
| Fitzroy | 20.15 (135) | Richmond | 22.20 (152) | SCG | 17,140 | 15 July 1979 |

### Round 16

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 14.20 (104) | Richmond | 18.11 (119) | Princes Park | 13,557 | 21 July 1979 |
| Geelong | 20.9 (129) | St Kilda | 14.20 (104) | Kardinia Park | 14,613 | 21 July 1979 |
| Collingwood | 23.17 (155) | Footscray | 3.15 (33) | Victoria Park | 21,041 | 21 July 1979 |
| Fitzroy | 16.16 (112) | Essendon | 15.9 (99) | Junction Oval | 19,684 | 21 July 1979 |
| Melbourne | 9.7 (61) | Carlton | 19.26 (140) | MCG | 26,388 | 21 July 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 8.18 (66) | North Melbourne | 12.16 (88) | VFL Park | 14,725 | 21 July 1979 |

### Round 17

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| St Kilda | 19.14 (128) | South Melbourne | 16.12 (108) | Moorabbin Oval | 12,969 | 28 July 1979 |
| Footscray | 12.10 (82) | Geelong | 18.14 (122) | Western Oval | 14,284 | 28 July 1979 |
| Carlton | 15.21 (111) | Hawthorn | 12.11 (83) | Princes Park | 22,159 | 28 July 1979 |
| Richmond | 16.15 (111) | North Melbourne | 19.10 (124) | MCG | 38,111 | 28 July 1979 |
| Essendon | 9.17 (71) | Collingwood | 14.8 (92) | Windy Hill | 31,968 | 28 July 1979 |
| Fitzroy | 36.22 (238) | Melbourne | 6.12 (48) | VFL Park | 12,149 | 28 July 1979 |
Fitzroy's 190 point winning margin is the biggest in AFL/VFL history

### Round 18

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| South Melbourne | 31.9 (195) | Footscray | 15.16 (106) | SMCG | 9,815 | 4 August 1979 |
| Hawthorn | 15.14 (104) | Fitzroy | 15.25 (115) | Princes Park | 15,104 | 4 August 1979 |
| Melbourne | 21.8 (134) | Essendon | 16.9 (105) | MCG | 25,367 | 4 August 1979 |
| Geelong | 18.16 (124) | Collingwood | 9.9 (63) | Kardinia Park | 30,495 | 4 August 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 18.11 (119) | Carlton | 21.15 (141) | NMCG | 28,902 | 4 August 1979 |
| Richmond | 28.22 (190) | St Kilda | 18.11 (119) | VFL Park | 24,651 | 4 August 1979 |

### Round 19

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 13.19 (97) | Richmond | 6.5 (41) | Western Oval | 12,537 | 11 August 1979 |
| Fitzroy | 7.12 (54) | North Melbourne | 17.19 (121) | Junction Oval | 16,659 | 11 August 1979 |
| Essendon | 14.12 (96) | Geelong | 8.8 (56) | Windy Hill | 23,336 | 11 August 1979 |
| Collingwood | 14.11 (95) | South Melbourne | 13.9 (87) | Victoria Park | 18,041 | 11 August 1979 |
| Carlton | 22.17 (149) | St Kilda | 6.9 (45) | Princes Park | 17,127 | 11 August 1979 |
| Melbourne | 8.25 (73) | Hawthorn | 14.11 (95) | VFL Park | 12,897 | 11 August 1979 |

### Round 20

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 9.16 (70) | Hawthorn | 10.14 (74) | Windy Hill | 19,034 | 18 August 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 15.27 (117) | Melbourne | 6.9 (45) | NMCG | 10,680 | 18 August 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 16.6 (102) | Geelong | 10.12 (72) | SMCG | 11,298 | 18 August 1979 |
| St Kilda | 9.6 (60) | Fitzroy | 10.16 (76) | Moorabbin Oval | 12,330 | 18 August 1979 |
| Richmond | 10.15 (75) | Collingwood | 13.17 (95) | MCG | 61,624 | 18 August 1979 |
| Carlton | 12.18 (90) | Footscray | 8.6 (54) | VFL Park | 25,075 | 18 August 1979 |

### Round 21

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 24.17 (161) | St Kilda | 12.24 (96) | MCG | 18,435 | 25 August 1979 |
| Hawthorn | 7.18 (60) | North Melbourne | 24.21 (165) | Princes Park | 18,501 | 25 August 1979 |
| Geelong | 17.13 (115) | Richmond | 12.17 (89) | Kardinia Park | 18,039 | 25 August 1979 |
| Fitzroy | 22.19 (151) | Footscray | 14.16 (100) | Junction Oval | 12,076 | 25 August 1979 |
| Collingwood | 18.12 (120) | Carlton | 14.17 (101) | Victoria Park | 36,509 | 25 August 1979 |
| South Melbourne | 10.16 (76) | Essendon | 13.17 (95) | VFL Park | 32,127 | 25 August 1979 |

### Round 22

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 9.11 (65) | Hawthorn | 14.19 (103) | Western Oval | 12,839 | 1 September 1979 |
| Essendon | 8.15 (63) | Richmond | 18.14 (122) | Windy Hill | 22,589 | 1 September 1979 |
| Collingwood | 23.16 (154) | Melbourne | 15.13 (103) | Victoria Park | 27,206 | 1 September 1979 |
| Carlton | 23.16 (154) | South Melbourne | 17.19 (121) | Princes Park | 24,479 | 1 September 1979 |
| Geelong | 16.16 (112) | Fitzroy | 15.17 (107) | Kardinia Park | 21,801 | 1 September 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 21.18 (144) | St Kilda | 9.11 (65) | VFL Park | 20,571 | 1 September 1979 |

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Carlton (P) | 22 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 2772 | 1986 | 139.6 | 76 |
| 2 | North Melbourne | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2574 | 2083 | 123.6 | 68 |
| 3 | Collingwood | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2501 | 1974 | 126.7 | 60 |
| 4 | Fitzroy | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2699 | 2198 | 122.8 | 60 |
| 5 | Essendon | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2236 | 2127 | 105.1 | 50 |
| 6 | Geelong | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2149 | 2140 | 100.4 | 48 |
| 7 | Hawthorn | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2332 | 2336 | 99.8 | 40 |
| 8 | Richmond | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2451 | 2512 | 97.6 | 36 |
| 9 | Footscray | 22 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 2015 | 2463 | 81.8 | 30 |
| 10 | South Melbourne | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 2424 | 2666 | 90.9 | 24 |
| 11 | Melbourne | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 2093 | 2759 | 75.9 | 24 |
| 12 | St Kilda | 22 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1857 | 2859 | 65.0 | 12 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 106.5 Source: AFL Tables

## Finals series
### Finals week 1

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Fitzroy | 17.22 (124) | Essendon | 5.13 (43) | VFL Park | 49,470 | 8 September |
| Collingwood | 9.28 (82) | North Melbourne | 18.13 (121) | MCG | 84,660 | 8 September |

### Finals week 2

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Collingwood | 16.20 (116) | Fitzroy | 12.22 (94) | MCG | 87,139 | 15 September |
| Carlton | 15.21 (111) | North Melbourne | 11.7 (73) | VFL Park | 69,142 | 15 September |

### Preliminary final

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 13.17 (95) | Collingwood | 18.14 (122) | VFL Park | 73,380 | 22 September |

### Grand final

| Game | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Grand final | Carlton | 11.16 (82) | Collingwood | 11.11 (77) | MCG | 113,545 | 29 September 1979 |

## Season notes

* The record for greatest winning margin was set twice during 1979.
** In Round 4, Collingwood defeated St Kilda by 178 points, breaking the record set sixty years earlier, in the 1919 VFL season by South Melbourne.
** Collingwood's new record was broken only three months later in Round 17, when Fitzroy defeated Melbourne by 190 points, a record which has yet to be broken.
* Fitzroy's score of 36.22 (238) in the same game also set the record for highest score in a VFL/AFL game. This beat the record set by Footscray in the 1978 VFL season by twenty-five points, and remained the record until 1992.
* Fitzroy made the finals for the first time since 1960, ending a nineteen-year finals drought.

## Awards

* The leading goalkicker was Kelvin Templeton of Footscray with 91 goals
* The Brownlow Medal was won by Peter Moore
* The reserves premiership, known as the Commodore Cup, was won by North Melbourne. North Melbourne 13.14 (92) defeated Collingwood 9.13 (67) in the grand final, held as a stand-alone night match at VFL Park on Friday, 28 September, before a crowd of 6,047.