# 1953 VFL season

The 1953 VFL season was the 57th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 18 April until 26 September, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The premiership was won by the Collingwood Football Club for the twelfth time, after it defeated Geelong by twelve points in the 1953 VFL Grand Final.

## Background

In 1953, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man. A player could be substituted for any reason; however, once substituted, a player could not return to the field of play under any circumstances.
Teams played each other in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds; matches 12 to 18 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 7.
Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1953 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.

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

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 12.15 (87) | Hawthorn | 5.8 (38) | Kardinia Park | 19,877 | 18 April 1953 |
| Essendon | 17.9 (111) | Fitzroy | 12.16 (88) | Windy Hill | 23,100 | 18 April 1953 |
| Collingwood | 17.16 (118) | South Melbourne | 11.11 (77) | Victoria Park | 29,678 | 18 April 1953 |
| Carlton | 7.18 (60) | Footscray | 9.11 (65) | Princes Park | 27,198 | 18 April 1953 |
| St Kilda | 8.9 (57) | North Melbourne | 14.21 (105) | Junction Oval | 14,000 | 18 April 1953 |
| Richmond | 11.7 (73) | Melbourne | 9.13 (67) | Punt Road Oval | 18,000 | 18 April 1953 |

### Round 2

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 8.9 (57) | St Kilda | 13.14 (92) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 2 May 1953 |
| Footscray | 8.13 (61) | Geelong | 15.12 (102) | Western Oval | 28,500 | 2 May 1953 |
| Fitzroy | 12.9 (81) | Richmond | 11.14 (80) | Brunswick Street Oval | 21,000 | 2 May 1953 |
| South Melbourne | 13.21 (99) | Essendon | 13.11 (89) | Lake Oval | 29,231 | 2 May 1953 |
| North Melbourne | 18.10 (118) | Collingwood | 11.9 (75) | Arden Street Oval | 21,377 | 2 May 1953 |
| Melbourne | 8.11 (59) | Carlton | 13.12 (90) | MCG | 29,204 | 2 May 1953 |

### Round 3

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 16.15 (111) | Hawthorn | 6.6 (42) | Western Oval | 15,000 | 9 May 1953 |
| Essendon | 17.20 (122) | St Kilda | 7.16 (58) | Windy Hill | 18,000 | 9 May 1953 |
| Collingwood | 9.19 (73) | Geelong | 14.14 (98) | Victoria Park | 33,000 | 9 May 1953 |
| North Melbourne | 12.12 (84) | Melbourne | 11.17 (83) | Arden Street Oval | 12,000 | 9 May 1953 |
| South Melbourne | 10.15 (75) | Fitzroy | 12.14 (86) | Lake Oval | 24,000 | 9 May 1953 |
| Richmond | 15.8 (98) | Carlton | 16.8 (104) | Punt Road Oval | 31,000 | 9 May 1953 |

### Round 4

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 7.11 (53) | South Melbourne | 9.9 (63) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 16 May 1953 |
| Fitzroy | 12.14 (86) | North Melbourne | 10.15 (75) | Brunswick Street Oval | 20,500 | 16 May 1953 |
| Carlton | 14.11 (95) | Collingwood | 14.19 (103) | Princes Park | 37,500 | 16 May 1953 |
| St Kilda | 11.17 (83) | Richmond | 8.17 (65) | Junction Oval | 16,500 | 16 May 1953 |
| Melbourne | 4.6 (30) | Footscray | 9.21 (75) | MCG | 23,727 | 16 May 1953 |
| Geelong | 12.7 (79) | Essendon | 9.11 (65) | Kardinia Park | 35,000 | 16 May 1953 |

### Round 5

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 6.10 (46) | Melbourne | 9.3 (57) | Windy Hill | 9,500 | 23 May 1953 |
| Collingwood | 13.18 (96) | Hawthorn | 3.8 (26) | Victoria Park | 9,627 | 23 May 1953 |
| Carlton | 7.10 (52) | St Kilda | 6.7 (43) | Princes Park | 9,150 | 23 May 1953 |
| South Melbourne | 8.10 (58) | North Melbourne | 9.8 (62) | Lake Oval | 11,000 | 23 May 1953 |
| Richmond | 6.16 (52) | Geelong | 15.16 (106) | Punt Road Oval | 10,000 | 23 May 1953 |
| Footscray | 10.6 (66) | Fitzroy | 1.0 (6) | Western Oval | 14,087 | 23 May 1953 |

### Round 6

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 14.16 (100) | South Melbourne | 7.5 (47) | Kardinia Park | 24,832 | 30 May 1953 |
| Collingwood | 9.8 (62) | Richmond | 5.9 (39) | Victoria Park | 23,036 | 30 May 1953 |
| St Kilda | 10.9 (69) | Footscray | 14.9 (93) | Junction Oval | 19,000 | 30 May 1953 |
| Melbourne | 10.11 (71) | Fitzroy | 12.9 (81) | MCG | 21,205 | 30 May 1953 |
| North Melbourne | 7.9 (51) | Essendon | 9.14 (68) | Arden Street Oval | 25,000 | 30 May 1953 |
| Hawthorn | 10.7 (67) | Carlton | 6.11 (47) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 30 May 1953 |

### Round 7

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| St Kilda | 7.11 (53) | South Melbourne | 18.16 (124) | Junction Oval | 21,000 | 6 June 1953 |
| Fitzroy | 8.12 (60) | Hawthorn | 5.14 (44) | Brunswick Street Oval | 9,500 | 6 June 1953 |
| Essendon | 11.18 (84) | Richmond | 7.6 (48) | Windy Hill | 21,000 | 6 June 1953 |
| Carlton | 14.16 (100) | North Melbourne | 7.6 (48) | Princes Park | 22,219 | 6 June 1953 |
| Melbourne | 8.10 (58) | Geelong | 11.16 (82) | MCG | 26,254 | 6 June 1953 |
| Footscray | 7.9 (51) | Collingwood | 7.10 (52) | Western Oval | 32,114 | 6 June 1953 |

### Round 8

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 8.14 (62) | North Melbourne | 12.8 (80) | Glenferrie Oval | 7,000 | 13 June 1953 |
| Collingwood | 19.17 (131) | St Kilda | 8.8 (56) | Victoria Park | 16,200 | 13 June 1953 |
| South Melbourne | 11.11 (77) | Melbourne | 9.17 (71) | Lake Oval | 22,565 | 13 June 1953 |
| Richmond | 8.11 (59) | Footscray | 9.14 (68) | Punt Road Oval | 16,000 | 13 June 1953 |
| Geelong | 21.10 (136) | Fitzroy | 7.8 (50) | Kardinia Park | 21,489 | 13 June 1953 |
| Essendon | 14.14 (98) | Carlton | 7.11 (53) | Windy Hill | 30,300 | 13 June 1953 |

### Round 9

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 6.9 (45) | Richmond | 5.12 (42) | Arden Street Oval | 9,000 | 20 June 1953 |
| Footscray | 5.13 (43) | South Melbourne | 11.6 (72) | Western Oval | 21,105 | 20 June 1953 |
| St Kilda | 6.8 (44) | Geelong | 9.6 (60) | Junction Oval | 9,500 | 20 June 1953 |
| Hawthorn | 9.10 (64) | Essendon | 12.15 (87) | Glenferrie Oval | 8,000 | 20 June 1953 |
| Melbourne | 7.6 (48) | Collingwood | 9.9 (63) | MCG | 27,175 | 20 June 1953 |
| Fitzroy | 7.12 (54) | Carlton | 7.18 (60) | Brunswick Street Oval | 15,000 | 20 June 1953 |

### Round 10

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Fitzroy | 11.9 (75) | St Kilda | 7.10 (52) | Brunswick Street Oval | 9,500 | 27 June 1953 |
| Carlton | 8.15 (63) | Geelong | 10.14 (74) | Princes Park | 32,526 | 27 June 1953 |
| South Melbourne | 12.7 (79) | Richmond | 6.14 (50) | Lake Oval | 17,000 | 27 June 1953 |
| Melbourne | 10.14 (74) | Hawthorn | 16.6 (102) | MCG | 11,993 | 27 June 1953 |
| North Melbourne | 3.7 (25) | Footscray | 5.12 (42) | Arden Street Oval | 15,000 | 27 June 1953 |
| Essendon | 11.14 (80) | Collingwood | 6.16 (52) | Windy Hill | 31,900 | 27 June 1953 |

### Round 11

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 12.14 (86) | North Melbourne | 13.7 (85) | Kardinia Park | 21,130 | 4 July 1953 |
| Collingwood | 7.19 (61) | Fitzroy | 9.8 (62) | Victoria Park | 25,078 | 4 July 1953 |
| Carlton | 14.13 (97) | South Melbourne | 10.13 (73) | Princes Park | 29,688 | 4 July 1953 |
| St Kilda | 11.7 (73) | Melbourne | 8.21 (69) | Junction Oval | 12,000 | 4 July 1953 |
| Richmond | 12.10 (82) | Hawthorn | 7.6 (48) | Punt Road Oval | 11,000 | 4 July 1953 |
| Footscray | 9.15 (69) | Essendon | 7.11 (53) | Western Oval | 34,884 | 4 July 1953 |

### Round 12

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 11.9 (75) | Richmond | 11.9 (75) | MCG | 19,402 | 11 July 1953 |
| Hawthorn | 9.8 (62) | Geelong | 12.14 (86) | Glenferrie Oval | 14,000 | 11 July 1953 |
| Footscray | 13.12 (90) | Carlton | 8.18 (66) | Western Oval | 31,668 | 11 July 1953 |
| North Melbourne | 20.11 (131) | St Kilda | 5.16 (46) | Arden Street Oval | 10,500 | 18 July 1953 |
| Fitzroy | 7.20 (62) | Essendon | 14.13 (97) | Brunswick Street Oval | 25,500 | 18 July 1953 |
| South Melbourne | 12.9 (81) | Collingwood | 17.17 (119) | Lake Oval | 30,000 | 18 July 1953 |

### Round 13

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 12.11 (83) | South Melbourne | 8.14 (62) | Windy Hill | 23,000 | 25 July 1953 |
| Collingwood | 13.16 (94) | North Melbourne | 8.17 (65) | Victoria Park | 23,868 | 25 July 1953 |
| Carlton | 12.24 (96) | Melbourne | 10.10 (70) | Princes Park | 16,367 | 25 July 1953 |
| St Kilda | 9.13 (67) | Hawthorn | 4.14 (38) | Junction Oval | 7,500 | 25 July 1953 |
| Geelong | 11.12 (78) | Footscray | 8.10 (58) | Kardinia Park | 32,093 | 25 July 1953 |
| Richmond | 13.7 (85) | Fitzroy | 13.12 (90) | Punt Road Oval | 15,000 | 25 July 1953 |

### Round 14

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 9.13 (67) | North Melbourne | 8.16 (64) | MCG | 13,768 | 1 August 1953 |
| Fitzroy | 12.18 (90) | South Melbourne | 7.19 (61) | Brunswick Street Oval | 16,000 | 1 August 1953 |
| Carlton | 15.16 (106) | Richmond | 10.19 (79) | Princes Park | 21,508 | 1 August 1953 |
| Hawthorn | 3.10 (28) | Footscray | 11.10 (76) | Glenferrie Oval | 10,000 | 1 August 1953 |
| St Kilda | 9.10 (64) | Essendon | 14.15 (99) | Junction Oval | 19,500 | 1 August 1953 |
| Geelong | 7.13 (55) | Collingwood | 10.15 (75) | Kardinia Park | 31,635 | 1 August 1953 |

### Round 15

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 13.16 (94) | St Kilda | 11.14 (80) | Punt Road Oval | 9,500 | 8 August 1953 |
| Footscray | 14.14 (98) | Melbourne | 9.7 (61) | Western Oval | 18,075 | 8 August 1953 |
| Essendon | 8.13 (61) | Geelong | 7.8 (50) | Windy Hill | 41,000 | 8 August 1953 |
| South Melbourne | 7.12 (54) | Hawthorn | 9.8 (62) | Lake Oval | 8,500 | 8 August 1953 |
| North Melbourne | 17.19 (121) | Fitzroy | 7.9 (51) | Arden Street Oval | 12,000 | 8 August 1953 |
| Collingwood | 12.15 (87) | Carlton | 9.16 (70) | Victoria Park | 31,277 | 8 August 1953 |

### Round 16

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 8.8 (56) | South Melbourne | 11.21 (87) | Arden Street Oval | 8,000 | 15 August 1953 |
| Geelong | 14.18 (102) | Richmond | 4.9 (33) | Kardinia Park | 10,000 | 15 August 1953 |
| Fitzroy | 7.11 (53) | Footscray | 14.14 (98) | Brunswick Street Oval | 17,500 | 15 August 1953 |
| Melbourne | 8.9 (57) | Essendon | 12.10 (82) | MCG | 25,543 | 15 August 1953 |
| Hawthorn | 11.6 (72) | Collingwood | 12.16 (88) | Glenferrie Oval | 7,000 | 15 August 1953 |
| St Kilda | 8.15 (63) | Carlton | 7.16 (58) | Junction Oval | 9,700 | 15 August 1953 |

### Round 17

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 12.18 (90) | St Kilda | 4.5 (29) | Western Oval | 15,158 | 22 August 1953 |
| Fitzroy | 6.13 (49) | Melbourne | 9.10 (64) | Brunswick Street Oval | 7,500 | 22 August 1953 |
| Essendon | 12.6 (78) | North Melbourne | 12.7 (79) | Windy Hill | 18,000 | 22 August 1953 |
| Carlton | 12.15 (87) | Hawthorn | 6.9 (45) | Princes Park | 8,500 | 22 August 1953 |
| South Melbourne | 14.14 (98) | Geelong | 8.7 (55) | Lake Oval | 21,000 | 22 August 1953 |
| Richmond | 12.9 (81) | Collingwood | 13.17 (95) | Punt Road Oval | 18,000 | 22 August 1953 |

### Round 18

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 16.14 (110) | Melbourne | 8.8 (56) | Kardinia Park | 18,124 | 29 August 1953 |
| Collingwood | 10.14 (74) | Footscray | 8.7 (55) | Victoria Park | 33,867 | 29 August 1953 |
| South Melbourne | 13.20 (98) | St Kilda | 4.12 (36) | Lake Oval | 13,000 | 29 August 1953 |
| Hawthorn | 9.10 (64) | Fitzroy | 13.6 (84) | Glenferrie Oval | 5,000 | 29 August 1953 |
| Richmond | 13.7 (85) | Essendon | 19.12 (126) | Punt Road Oval | 19,000 | 29 August 1953 |
| North Melbourne | 14.10 (94) | Carlton | 15.15 (105) | Arden Street Oval | 14,000 | 29 August 1953 |

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Geelong | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1546 | 1079 | 143.3 | 60 |
| 2 | Collingwood (P) | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1518 | 1229 | 123.5 | 56 |
| 3 | Footscray | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1309 | 959 | 136.5 | 52 |
| 4 | Essendon | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1529 | 1177 | 129.9 | 52 |
| 5 | Carlton | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1409 | 1310 | 107.6 | 40 |
| 6 | Fitzroy | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1208 | 1421 | 85.0 | 40 |
| 7 | North Melbourne | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1388 | 1287 | 107.8 | 36 |
| 8 | South Melbourne | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1385 | 1323 | 104.7 | 36 |
| 9 | St Kilda | 18 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 1065 | 1561 | 68.2 | 20 |
| 10 | Richmond | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 1220 | 1501 | 81.3 | 14 |
| 11 | Melbourne | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 1137 | 1420 | 80.1 | 14 |
| 12 | Hawthorn | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 974 | 1421 | 68.5 | 12 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 72.6 Source: AFL Tables

## Finals series
### Semi-finals

| Team | 1 Qtr | 2 Qtr | 3 Qtr | Final |
| Footscray | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.11 | 6.13 (49) |
| Essendon | 1.0 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.11(41) |
| Attendance: 68,533 |
| Team | 1 Qtr | 2 Qtr | 3 Qtr | Final |
| Geelong | 3.1 | 6.4 | 7.12 | 8.12 (60) |
| Collingwood | 2.3 | 5.7 | 7.8 | 13.12 (90) |
| Attendance: 70,292 |

### Preliminary final

| Team | 1 Qtr | 2 Qtr | 3 Qtr | Final |
| Geelong | 0.6 | 2.7 | 6.10 | 8.15 (63) |
| Footscray | 2.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 5.7 (37) |
| Attendance: 58,615 |

### Grand final

| Team | 1 Qtr | 2 Qtr | 3 Qtr | Final |
| Collingwood | 2.4 | 5.6 | 10.10 | 11.11 (77) |
| Geelong | 2.2 | 3.9 | 5.11 | 8.17 (65) |
| Attendance: 89,149 |

## Season notes

* Because Anzac Day fell on a Saturday, there was a fortnight between Rounds 1 and 2. On the evening of Friday 24 April a night-time exhibition match was held between Collingwood and Fitzroy, under lights, at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds for the benefit of St Vincent's Hospital. Collingwood 9.13 (67) defeated Fitzroy 4.19 (43) before a crowd of 22,000.
* Footscray won its first final since joining the league in 1925, their twenty-ninth season. This came after making the finals six times previously and being eliminated each time (1938, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1948 and 1951).
* In Round 2, John Coleman kicked 11 of Essendon's 13 goals.
* In Round 5, Fitzroy came close to becoming the first (and only) VFL/AFL team to be held scoreless in their match against Footscray at the Western Oval, which was played amidst heavy rain and a burst water main. Allan Ruthven managed their only scoring shot, a goal, with about six minutes remaining in the match. To date, it remains the longest amount of time a team has been kept scoreless in a match.
* In a streak spanning from 1952 until 1953, Geelong won 23 consecutive matches and played 26 consecutive matches without defeat; both of these remain VFL/AFL records as of 2023. The winning streak ended in Round 14, when Collingwood defeated Geelong by 20 points. At the time, Geelong had a 13–0 record and a four game lead over second-place, but won only three of its eight remaining games for the season.
* Overall it was a low-scoring season: Footscray's 959 points against remains the lowest average points conceded per game since 1919; the season's highest score of 21.10 (136) was the lowest since 1924; and, for the first time since 1927, there was no match in which both teams scored more than 100 points.
* The Collingwood Grand Final team contained three sets of brothers: Lou Richards and Ron Richards; Bob Rose and Bill Rose; Bill Twomey Jr., Pat Twomey, and Mick Twomey.
* Collingwood supporter and businessman John Wren suffered a heart attack at the 1953 Grand Final and died one month later.

## Awards

* The 1953 VFL Premiership team was Collingwood.
* The VFL's leading goalkicker was John Coleman of Essendon who kicked 97 goals (including one goal in the finals).
* The winner of the 1953 Brownlow Medal was Bill Hutchison of Essendon with 26 votes.
* Hawthorn took the "wooden spoon" in 1953.