# 1932 VFL season

The 1932 VFL season was the 36th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs and ran from 30 April to 1 October, comprising an 18-match home-and-away season followed by a four-week finals series featuring the top four clubs.
Richmond won the premiership, defeating Carlton by nine points in the 1932 VFL grand final; it was Richmond's third VFL premiership. Carlton won the minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with a 15–3 win–loss record. Fitzroy's Haydn Bunton Sr. won his second consecutive Brownlow Medal as the league's best and fairest player, and Geelong's George Moloney won the leading goalkicker medal as the league's leading goalkicker.

## Background

In 1932, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus one substitute player, known as the 19th 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 1932 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 |
| Richmond | 16.20 (116) | St Kilda | 6.14 (50) | Punt Road Oval | 25,000 | 30 April 1932 |
| Geelong | 14.21 (105) | North Melbourne | 11.12 (78) | Corio Oval | 13,000 | 30 April 1932 |
| Essendon | 15.15 (105) | Footscray | 7.12 (54) | Windy Hill | 30,000 | 30 April 1932 |
| South Melbourne | 11.19 (85) | Melbourne | 9.11 (65) | Lake Oval | 17,500 | 30 April 1932 |
| Hawthorn | 7.9 (51) | Collingwood | 11.10 (76) | Glenferrie Oval | 14,500 | 30 April 1932 |
| Fitzroy | 12.19 (91) | Carlton | 10.15 (75) | Brunswick Street Oval | 25,000 | 30 April 1932 |

### Round 2

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Collingwood | 12.11 (83) | Geelong | 13.16 (94) | Victoria Park | 18,000 | 7 May 1932 |
| Carlton | 10.15 (75) | South Melbourne | 17.11 (113) | Princes Park | 28,000 | 7 May 1932 |
| St Kilda | 16.19 (115) | Hawthorn | 11.16 (82) | Junction Oval | 13,000 | 7 May 1932 |
| Footscray | 14.11 (95) | Fitzroy | 7.10 (52) | Western Oval | 21,500 | 7 May 1932 |
| North Melbourne | 14.12 (96) | Essendon | 16.17 (113) | Arden Street Oval | 15,000 | 7 May 1932 |
| Melbourne | 7.13 (55) | Richmond | 15.26 (116) | Motordrome | 13,000 | 7 May 1932 |

### Round 3

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 8.11 (59) | Melbourne | 6.14 (50) | Glenferrie Oval | 8,000 | 14 May 1932 |
| Geelong | 25.10 (160) | St Kilda | 6.9 (45) | Corio Oval | 10,500 | 14 May 1932 |
| Fitzroy | 13.16 (94) | North Melbourne | 17.11 (113) | Brunswick Street Oval | 15,000 | 14 May 1932 |
| South Melbourne | 10.11 (71) | Footscray | 8.12 (60) | Lake Oval | 30,000 | 14 May 1932 |
| Essendon | 15.20 (110) | Collingwood | 18.11 (119) | Windy Hill | 18,000 | 14 May 1932 |
| Richmond | 10.23 (83) | Carlton | 12.12 (84) | Punt Road Oval | 24,500 | 14 May 1932 |

### Round 4

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 9.16 (70) | South Melbourne | 11.7 (73) | Arden Street Oval | 23,000 | 21 May 1932 |
| Footscray | 6.12 (48) | Richmond | 7.9 (51) | Western Oval | 19,000 | 21 May 1932 |
| Collingwood | 14.22 (106) | Fitzroy | 11.9 (75) | Victoria Park | 17,000 | 21 May 1932 |
| Carlton | 16.16 (112) | Hawthorn | 7.7 (49) | Princes Park | 16,000 | 21 May 1932 |
| St Kilda | 7.15 (57) | Essendon | 12.15 (87) | Junction Oval | 16,000 | 21 May 1932 |
| Melbourne | 14.11 (95) | Geelong | 20.13 (133) | Motordrome | 7,000 | 21 May 1932 |

### Round 5

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 13.14 (92) | St Kilda | 8.10 (58) | Western Oval | 14,000 | 28 May 1932 |
| Fitzroy | 12.6 (78) | Geelong | 20.10 (130) | Brunswick Street Oval | 13,000 | 28 May 1932 |
| Carlton | 13.15 (93) | Collingwood | 11.7 (73) | Princes Park | 32,000 | 28 May 1932 |
| North Melbourne | 18.10 (118) | Melbourne | 12.16 (88) | Arden Street Oval | 12,000 | 28 May 1932 |
| Richmond | 13.18 (96) | Hawthorn | 6.9 (45) | Punt Road Oval | 10,000 | 28 May 1932 |
| South Melbourne | 14.15 (99) | Essendon | 9.11 (65) | Lake Oval | 28,000 | 28 May 1932 |

### Round 6

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 11.14 (80) | South Melbourne | 16.13 (109) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 4 June 1932 |
| Geelong | 9.15 (69) | Richmond | 9.15 (69) | Corio Oval | 17,000 | 4 June 1932 |
| Essendon | 22.10 (142) | Fitzroy | 13.12 (90) | Windy Hill | 15,000 | 4 June 1932 |
| Collingwood | 12.19 (91) | Footscray | 9.21 (75) | Victoria Park | 25,000 | 4 June 1932 |
| St Kilda | 16.9 (105) | North Melbourne | 16.14 (110) | Junction Oval | 13,000 | 4 June 1932 |
| Melbourne | 9.9 (63) | Carlton | 12.15 (87) | Motordrome | 12,500 | 4 June 1932 |

### Round 7

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Collingwood | 16.5 (101) | Melbourne | 11.17 (83) | Victoria Park | 7,000 | 18 June 1932 |
| Carlton | 17.16 (118) | St Kilda | 7.12 (54) | Princes Park | 15,000 | 18 June 1932 |
| South Melbourne | 14.21 (105) | Geelong | 14.12 (96) | Lake Oval | 38,000 | 18 June 1932 |
| North Melbourne | 9.8 (62) | Footscray | 13.13 (91) | Arden Street Oval | 18,000 | 18 June 1932 |
| Richmond | 14.16 (100) | Fitzroy | 8.13 (61) | Punt Road Oval | 13,000 | 18 June 1932 |
| Hawthorn | 7.9 (51) | Essendon | 8.17 (65) | Glenferrie Oval | 7,000 | 18 June 1932 |

### Round 8

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 8.7 (55) | South Melbourne | 8.9 (57) | Punt Road Oval | 35,000 | 25 June 1932 |
| Footscray | 10.7 (67) | Melbourne | 3.9 (27) | Western Oval | 10,000 | 25 June 1932 |
| Fitzroy | 13.15 (93) | Hawthorn | 9.9 (63) | Brunswick Street Oval | 7,500 | 25 June 1932 |
| Geelong | 9.9 (63) | Essendon | 11.12 (78) | Corio Oval | 9,500 | 25 June 1932 |
| St Kilda | 12.16 (88) | Collingwood | 15.15 (105) | Junction Oval | 9,000 | 25 June 1932 |
| North Melbourne | 11.7 (73) | Carlton | 14.16 (100) | Arden Street Oval | 15,000 | 25 June 1932 |

### Round 9

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 12.13 (85) | St Kilda | 10.14 (74) | MCG | 9,747 | 2 July 1932 |
| Essendon | 4.18 (42) | Richmond | 11.14 (80) | Windy Hill | 20,000 | 2 July 1932 |
| Collingwood | 19.12 (126) | North Melbourne | 13.9 (87) | Victoria Park | 10,500 | 2 July 1932 |
| Carlton | 9.21 (75) | Footscray | 7.9 (51) | Princes Park | 23,000 | 2 July 1932 |
| Hawthorn | 7.12 (54) | Geelong | 14.11 (95) | Glenferrie Oval | 5,500 | 2 July 1932 |
| South Melbourne | 12.10 (82) | Fitzroy | 10.15 (75) | Lake Oval | 16,000 | 2 July 1932 |

### Round 10

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| St Kilda | 10.9 (69) | South Melbourne | 9.16 (70) | Junction Oval | 13,000 | 9 July 1932 |
| Footscray | 7.15 (57) | Geelong | 8.8 (56) | Western Oval | 9,500 | 9 July 1932 |
| Collingwood | 14.6 (90) | Richmond | 11.12 (78) | Victoria Park | 20,000 | 9 July 1932 |
| Carlton | 21.16 (142) | Essendon | 11.11 (77) | Princes Park | 15,000 | 9 July 1932 |
| North Melbourne | 14.22 (106) | Hawthorn | 8.11 (59) | Arden Street Oval | 6,000 | 9 July 1932 |
| Melbourne | 15.12 (102) | Fitzroy | 13.12 (90) | MCG | 9,807 | 9 July 1932 |

### Round 11

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Fitzroy | 11.6 (72) | St Kilda | 10.13 (73) | Brunswick Street Oval | 10,000 | 16 July 1932 |
| Essendon | 6.14 (50) | Melbourne | 7.11 (53) | Windy Hill | 10,000 | 16 July 1932 |
| Richmond | 8.10 (58) | North Melbourne | 6.7 (43) | Punt Road Oval | 11,500 | 16 July 1932 |
| Hawthorn | 9.9 (63) | Footscray | 6.6 (42) | Glenferrie Oval | 7,500 | 16 July 1932 |
| South Melbourne | 5.17 (47) | Collingwood | 7.8 (50) | Lake Oval | 38,000 | 16 July 1932 |
| Geelong | 8.20 (68) | Carlton | 10.23 (83) | Corio Oval | 14,000 | 16 July 1932 |

### Round 12

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 12.12 (84) | South Melbourne | 13.15 (93) | MCG | 20,283 | 23 July 1932 |
| Collingwood | 14.10 (94) | Hawthorn | 10.10 (70) | Victoria Park | 9,000 | 23 July 1932 |
| Carlton | 18.21 (129) | Fitzroy | 13.6 (84) | Princes Park | 20,000 | 23 July 1932 |
| St Kilda | 7.12 (54) | Richmond | 12.13 (85) | Junction Oval | 18,000 | 23 July 1932 |
| North Melbourne | 6.14 (50) | Geelong | 14.10 (94) | Arden Street Oval | 12,000 | 23 July 1932 |
| Footscray | 11.16 (82) | Essendon | 10.9 (69) | Western Oval | 14,000 | 23 July 1932 |

### Round 13

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 8.13 (61) | St Kilda | 7.8 (50) | Glenferrie Oval | 6,000 | 30 July 1932 |
| Fitzroy | 6.13 (49) | Footscray | 10.14 (74) | Brunswick Street Oval | 10,000 | 30 July 1932 |
| Essendon | 14.14 (98) | North Melbourne | 15.2 (92) | Windy Hill | 9,000 | 30 July 1932 |
| Richmond | 12.18 (90) | Melbourne | 10.6 (66) | Punt Road Oval | 11,000 | 30 July 1932 |
| Geelong | 13.17 (95) | Collingwood | 10.10 (70) | Corio Oval | 11,000 | 30 July 1932 |
| South Melbourne | 11.14 (80) | Carlton | 12.17 (89) | Lake Oval | 41,000 | 30 July 1932 |

### Round 14

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 11.14 (80) | South Melbourne | 9.14 (68) | Western Oval | 18,000 | 6 August 1932 |
| Collingwood | 14.15 (99) | Essendon | 9.13 (67) | Victoria Park | 10,000 | 6 August 1932 |
| Carlton | 12.14 (86) | Richmond | 13.13 (91) | Princes Park | 31,000 | 6 August 1932 |
| Melbourne | 12.4 (76) | Hawthorn | 10.12 (72) | MCG | 6,486 | 6 August 1932 |
| St Kilda | 15.19 (109) | Geelong | 13.18 (96) | Junction Oval | 10,000 | 6 August 1932 |
| North Melbourne | 12.17 (89) | Fitzroy | 10.8 (68) | Arden Street Oval | 6,000 | 6 August 1932 |

### Round 15

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 15.14 (104) | Melbourne | 5.13 (43) | Corio Oval | 6,000 | 13 August 1932 |
| Essendon | 14.13 (97) | St Kilda | 8.10 (58) | Windy Hill | 10,000 | 13 August 1932 |
| South Melbourne | 9.13 (67) | North Melbourne | 4.11 (35) | Lake Oval | 15,000 | 13 August 1932 |
| Richmond | 9.11 (65) | Footscray | 8.12 (60) | Punt Road Oval | 25,000 | 13 August 1932 |
| Fitzroy | 11.13 (79) | Collingwood | 12.26 (98) | Brunswick Street Oval | 12,500 | 13 August 1932 |
| Hawthorn | 8.14 (62) | Carlton | 12.12 (84) | Glenferrie Oval | 9,000 | 13 August 1932 |

### Round 16

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 14.9 (93) | North Melbourne | 16.22 (118) | MCG | 7,246 | 20 August 1932 |
| Hawthorn | 6.9 (45) | Richmond | 16.16 (112) | Glenferrie Oval | 10,000 | 20 August 1932 |
| Essendon | 13.12 (90) | South Melbourne | 11.20 (86) | Windy Hill | 15,000 | 20 August 1932 |
| St Kilda | 10.5 (65) | Footscray | 9.17 (71) | Junction Oval | 13,000 | 20 August 1932 |
| Geelong | 25.18 (168) | Fitzroy | 8.6 (54) | Corio Oval | 6,500 | 20 August 1932 |
| Collingwood | 11.13 (79) | Carlton | 17.23 (125) | Victoria Park | 33,000 | 20 August 1932 |

### Round 17

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 14.21 (105) | St Kilda | 13.7 (85) | Arden Street Oval | 7,000 | 27 August 1932 |
| Carlton | 15.15 (105) | Melbourne | 9.9 (63) | Princes Park | 12,000 | 27 August 1932 |
| South Melbourne | 24.13 (157) | Hawthorn | 4.10 (34) | Lake Oval | 10,000 | 27 August 1932 |
| Richmond | 13.8 (86) | Geelong | 9.20 (74) | Punt Road Oval | 26,000 | 27 August 1932 |
| Fitzroy | 12.17 (89) | Essendon | 7.10 (52) | Brunswick Street Oval | 10,000 | 27 August 1932 |
| Footscray | 9.12 (66) | Collingwood | 11.5 (71) | Western Oval | 15,000 | 27 August 1932 |

### Round 18

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 17.23 (125) | South Melbourne | 9.15 (69) | Corio Oval | 9,500 | 3 September 1932 |
| Footscray | 9.10 (64) | North Melbourne | 12.18 (90) | Western Oval | 11,000 | 3 September 1932 |
| Fitzroy | 10.7 (67) | Richmond | 14.11 (95) | Brunswick Street Oval | 14,000 | 3 September 1932 |
| Essendon | 11.15 (81) | Hawthorn | 4.10 (34) | Windy Hill | 7,000 | 3 September 1932 |
| Melbourne | 13.12 (90) | Collingwood | 16.17 (113) | MCG | 10,698 | 3 September 1932 |
| St Kilda | 7.12 (54) | Carlton | 20.21 (141) | Junction Oval | 15,000 | 3 September 1932 |

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Carlton | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1803 | 1308 | 137.8 | 60 |
| 2 | Richmond (P) | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 1526 | 1096 | 139.2 | 58 |
| 3 | Collingwood | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1644 | 1473 | 111.6 | 56 |
| 4 | South Melbourne | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1531 | 1297 | 118.0 | 52 |
| 5 | Geelong | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 1825 | 1306 | 139.7 | 46 |
| 6 | Essendon | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1488 | 1444 | 103.0 | 40 |
| 7 | Footscray | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1229 | 1188 | 103.5 | 36 |
| 8 | North Melbourne | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1535 | 1581 | 97.1 | 32 |
| 9 | Melbourne | 18 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 1281 | 1675 | 76.5 | 16 |
| 10 | Fitzroy | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1361 | 1786 | 76.2 | 12 |
| 11 | St Kilda | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1263 | 1753 | 72.0 | 12 |
| 12 | Hawthorn | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1034 | 1613 | 64.1 | 12 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 81.1 Source: AFL Tables

## Finals series
### Semi-finals

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Collingwood | 17.12 (114) | South Melbourne | 12.16 (88) | MCG | 51,209 | 10 September |
| Carlton | 14.15 (99) | Richmond | 18.16 (124) | MCG | 63.326 | 17 September |

### Preliminary final

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Carlton | 23.19 (157) | Collingwood | 11.16 (82) | MCG | 46,447 | 24 September |

### Grand final
## Season notes

* Rain had delayed the resurfacing of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, so Melbourne arranged to play its first three matches for the year at the Motordrome. These were the only three VFL matches ever staged at the venue.
* In round 11, due to the effects of an extremely strong cross-wind that blew all day at the Lake Oval, the up-to-that-time-unbeaten South Melbourne lost to Collingwood, kicking 5.17 (47) to their opponent's more accurate 7.8 (50).
* After the match was over, it was revealed that Richmond wingman Alan Geddes had played the entire second half of the Grand-Final with a broken jaw.

## Awards

* The 1932 VFL Premiership team was Richmond.
* The VFL's leading goalkicker was George Moloney of Geelong with 109 goals (all scored during the home-and-away season).
* The winner of the 1932 Brownlow Medal was Haydn Bunton, Sr of Fitzroy with 23 votes.
* Hawthorn took the "wooden spoon" in 1932.
* The seconds premiership was won by Melbourne. Melbourne 8.12 (60) defeated Essendon 4.10 (34) in the Grand Final, played as a curtain-raiser to the firsts Grand Final on 1 October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.