1929 VFL season
# 1929 VFL season

The 1929 VFL season was the 33rd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 27 April until 28 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 eighth time and third time consecutively. Collingwood became the first and only club to record an undefeated home-and-away season in the league's history, with an 18–0 record; and although it lost its semi-final, it won the premiership by defeating Richmond by 29 points in the 1929 VFL Grand Final.

## Background

In 1929, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume their place on the field at any time during the match.

Teams played each other in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds; matches 12 to 18 were the "home-and-away reverse" of matches 1 to 7.

Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1929 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the amended "Argus system".

## Home-and-away season

### Round 1

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Melbourne | 12.8 (80) | South Melbourne | 7.16 (58) | MCG | 16,843 | 27 April 1929 |
| Collingwood | 15.2 (92) | Richmond | 11.9 (75) | Victoria Park | 25,000 | 27 April 1929 |
| Carlton | 19.17 (131) | Essendon | 8.10 (58) | Princes Park | 7,000 | 27 April 1929 |
| St Kilda | 12.10 (82) | Hawthorn | 8.10 (58) | Junction Oval | 13,000 | 27 April 1929 |
| North Melbourne | 8.6 (54) | Geelong | 12.20 (92) | Arden Street Oval | 7,000 | 27 April 1929 |
| Footscray | 10.18 (78) | Fitzroy | 10.9 (69) | Western Oval | 17,000 | 27 April 1929 |

### Round 2

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Geelong | 12.15 (87) | Melbourne | 3.10 (28) | Corio Oval | 11,000 | 4 May 1929 |
| Fitzroy | 14.23 (107) | North Melbourne | 8.7 (55) | Brunswick Street Oval | 13,000 | 4 May 1929 |
| Essendon | 17.10 (112) | Footscray | 16.8 (104) | Windy Hill | 20,000 | 4 May 1929 |
| South Melbourne | 12.17 (89) | St Kilda | 9.9 (63) | Lake Oval | 21,270 | 4 May 1929 |
| Hawthorn | 11.7 (73) | Collingwood | 18.18 (126) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 4 May 1929 |
| Richmond | 16.23 (119) | Carlton | 16.13 (109) | Punt Road Oval | 36,000 | 4 May 1929 |

### Round 3

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Footscray | 8.16 (64) | North Melbourne | 7.11 (53) | Western Oval | 15,000 | 11 May 1929 |
| Essendon | 9.9 (63) | Richmond | 15.17 (107) | Windy Hill | 25,000 | 11 May 1929 |
| Collingwood | 19.20 (134) | South Melbourne | 4.14 (38) | Victoria Park | 18,000 | 11 May 1929 |
| Carlton | 13.28 (106) | Hawthorn | 9.14 (68) | Princes Park | 17,000 | 11 May 1929 |
| St Kilda | 8.9 (57) | Geelong | 8.12 (60) | Junction Oval | 21,000 | 11 May 1929 |
| Melbourne | 15.17 (107) | Fitzroy | 12.4 (76) | MCG | 18,920 | 11 May 1929 |

### Round 4

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Fitzroy | 12.8 (80) | St Kilda | 16.21 (117) | Brunswick Street Oval | 14,000 | 18 May 1929 |
| North Melbourne | 6.5 (41) | Melbourne | 14.15 (99) | Arden Street Oval | 9,000 | 18 May 1929 |
| Richmond | 14.19 (103) | Footscray | 11.19 (85) | Punt Road Oval | 22,000 | 18 May 1929 |
| Hawthorn | 10.10 (70) | Essendon | 10.15 (75) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 18 May 1929 |
| Geelong | 6.13 (49) | Collingwood | 12.13 (85) | Corio Oval | 20,499 | 18 May 1929 |
| South Melbourne | 9.19 (73) | Carlton | 10.19 (79) | Lake Oval | 25,000 | 18 May 1929 |

### Round 5

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Footscray | 10.15 (75) | Melbourne | 11.9 (75) | Western Oval | 15,500 | 25 May 1929 |
| Essendon | 10.18 (78) | South Melbourne | 7.10 (52) | Windy Hill | 15,000 | 25 May 1929 |
| Collingwood | 16.19 (115) | Fitzroy | 8.11 (59) | Victoria Park | 18,000 | 25 May 1929 |
| Carlton | 10.13 (73) | Geelong | 8.7 (55) | Princes Park | 30,000 | 25 May 1929 |
| St Kilda | 18.13 (121) | North Melbourne | 7.13 (55) | Junction Oval | 15,000 | 25 May 1929 |
| Richmond | 16.22 (118) | Hawthorn | 12.5 (77) | Punt Road Oval | 14,000 | 25 May 1929 |

### Round 6

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| South Melbourne | 11.14 (80) | Richmond | 10.17 (77) | Lake Oval | 24,000 | 1 June 1929 |
| North Melbourne | 11.15 (81) | Collingwood | 20.12 (132) | Arden Street Oval | 10,000 | 1 June 1929 |
| Fitzroy | 10.13 (73) | Carlton | 20.12 (132) | Brunswick Street Oval | 25,000 | 1 June 1929 |
| Melbourne | 8.13 (61) | St Kilda | 8.11 (59) | MCG | 38,104 | 3 June 1929 |
| Footscray | 16.24 (120) | Hawthorn | 7.15 (57) | Western Oval | 14,000 | 3 June 1929 |
| Geelong | 7.13 (55) | Essendon | 8.12 (60) | Corio Oval | 13,250 | 3 June 1929 |

### Round 7

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hawthorn | 15.8 (98) | South Melbourne | 11.13 (79) | Glenferrie Oval | 10,000 | 15 June 1929 |
| Essendon | 18.25 (133) | Fitzroy | 12.8 (80) | Windy Hill | 15,000 | 15 June 1929 |
| Collingwood | 12.11 (83) | Melbourne | 9.5 (59) | Victoria Park | 22,000 | 15 June 1929 |
| Carlton | 15.17 (107) | North Melbourne | 7.10 (52) | Princes Park | 18,000 | 15 June 1929 |
| Richmond | 13.15 (93) | Geelong | 12.13 (85) | Punt Road Oval | 19,000 | 15 June 1929 |
| St Kilda | 13.14 (92) | Footscray | 8.13 (61) | Junction Oval | 20,000 | 15 June 1929 |

### Round 8

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Geelong | 8.8 (56) | Hawthorn | 2.13 (25) | Corio Oval | 4,000 | 22 June 1929 |
| Footscray | 11.9 (75) | South Melbourne | 8.13 (61) | Western Oval | 11,000 | 22 June 1929 |
| Fitzroy | 13.8 (86) | Richmond | 19.13 (127) | Brunswick Street Oval | 14,000 | 22 June 1929 |
| North Melbourne | 4.14 (38) | Essendon | 10.12 (72) | Arden Street Oval | 9,000 | 22 June 1929 |
| St Kilda | 7.8 (50) | Collingwood | 7.12 (54) | Junction Oval | 27,000 | 22 June 1929 |
| Melbourne | 5.12 (42) | Carlton | 10.17 (77) | MCG | 26,591 | 22 June 1929 |

### Round 9

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Essendon | 11.10 (76) | Melbourne | 12.10 (82) | Windy Hill | 15,000 | 29 June 1929 |
| Collingwood | 20.19 (139) | Footscray | 14.10 (94) | Victoria Park | 18,000 | 29 June 1929 |
| Carlton | 12.22 (94) | St Kilda | 7.15 (57) | Princes Park | 32,000 | 29 June 1929 |
| Richmond | 19.15 (129) | North Melbourne | 11.10 (76) | Punt Road Oval | 11,000 | 29 June 1929 |
| South Melbourne | 10.13 (73) | Geelong | 10.15 (75) | Lake Oval | 12,000 | 29 June 1929 |
| Hawthorn | 13.15 (93) | Fitzroy | 8.10 (58) | Glenferrie Oval | 10,000 | 29 June 1929 |

### Round 10

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Melbourne | 10.8 (68) | Richmond | 9.11 (65) | MCG | 18,048 | 6 July 1929 |
| Footscray | 9.13 (67) | Geelong | 9.5 (59) | Western Oval | 9,000 | 6 July 1929 |
| Fitzroy | 12.14 (86) | South Melbourne | 17.8 (110) | Brunswick Street Oval | 6,000 | 6 July 1929 |
| North Melbourne | 8.6 (54) | Hawthorn | 8.18 (66) | Arden Street Oval | 4,500 | 6 July 1929 |
| St Kilda | 9.9 (63) | Essendon | 7.6 (48) | Junction Oval | 12,500 | 6 July 1929 |
| Collingwood | 15.15 (105) | Carlton | 11.10 (76) | Victoria Park | 33,000 | 6 July 1929 |

### Round 11

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Richmond | 13.13 (91) | St Kilda | 7.11 (53) | Punt Road Oval | 20,000 | 13 July 1929 |
| Hawthorn | 5.13 (43) | Melbourne | 7.11 (53) | Glenferrie Oval | 8,000 | 13 July 1929 |
| Carlton | 15.20 (110) | Footscray | 6.7 (43) | Princes Park | 20,000 | 13 July 1929 |
| South Melbourne | 17.14 (116) | North Melbourne | 12.9 (81) | Lake Oval | 8,000 | 13 July 1929 |
| Geelong | 15.6 (96) | Fitzroy | 10.11 (71) | Corio Oval | 7,500 | 13 July 1929 |
| Essendon | 11.7 (73) | Collingwood | 13.14 (92) | Windy Hill | 17,000 | 13 July 1929 |

### Round 12

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hawthorn | 7.9 (51) | St Kilda | 15.12 (102) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 20 July 1929 |
| Geelong | 11.14 (80) | North Melbourne | 8.6 (54) | Corio Oval | 7,000 | 20 July 1929 |
| Fitzroy | 9.15 (69) | Footscray | 12.16 (88) | Brunswick Street Oval | 10,000 | 20 July 1929 |
| South Melbourne | 12.10 (82) | Melbourne | 9.15 (69) | Lake Oval | 15,000 | 20 July 1929 |
| Richmond | 11.9 (75) | Collingwood | 16.21 (117) | Punt Road Oval | 33,000 | 20 July 1929 |
| Essendon | 8.7 (55) | Carlton | 7.17 (59) | Windy Hill | 22,000 | 20 July 1929 |

### Round 13

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| St Kilda | 15.9 (99) | South Melbourne | 8.8 (56) | Junction Oval | 18,500 | 27 July 1929 |
| Collingwood | 22.10 (142) | Hawthorn | 7.14 (56) | Victoria Park | 7,000 | 27 July 1929 |
| Carlton | 8.9 (57) | Richmond | 13.15 (93) | Princes Park | 27,000 | 27 July 1929 |
| Melbourne | 6.14 (50) | Geelong | 6.12 (48) | MCG | 12,834 | 27 July 1929 |
| North Melbourne | 12.13 (85) | Fitzroy | 15.12 (102) | Arden Street Oval | 5,000 | 27 July 1929 |
| Footscray | 11.11 (77) | Essendon | 10.18 (78) | Western Oval | 14,000 | 27 July 1929 |

### Round 14

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Geelong | 9.6 (60) | St Kilda | 11.5 (71) | Corio Oval | 10,500 | 3 August 1929 |
| Fitzroy | 5.11 (41) | Melbourne | 11.11 (77) | Brunswick Street Oval | 8,000 | 3 August 1929 |
| North Melbourne | 9.8 (62) | Footscray | 7.7 (49) | Arden Street Oval | 7,000 | 3 August 1929 |
| Richmond | 10.14 (74) | Essendon | 10.14 (74) | Punt Road Oval | 22,000 | 3 August 1929 |
| South Melbourne | 6.7 (43) | Collingwood | 10.10 (70) | Lake Oval | 20,000 | 3 August 1929 |
| Hawthorn | 5.7 (37) | Carlton | 7.8 (50) | Glenferrie Oval | 6,000 | 3 August 1929 |

### Round 15

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Melbourne | 15.17 (107) | North Melbourne | 6.14 (50) | MCG | 8,421 | 10 August 1929 |
| Footscray | 11.6 (72) | Richmond | 14.15 (99) | Western Oval | 13,000 | 10 August 1929 |
| Essendon | 15.10 (100) | Hawthorn | 13.14 (92) | Windy Hill | 11,000 | 10 August 1929 |
| Collingwood | 13.9 (87) | Geelong | 8.12 (60) | Victoria Park | 14,000 | 10 August 1929 |
| Carlton | 17.17 (119) | South Melbourne | 11.15 (81) | Princes Park | 20,000 | 10 August 1929 |
| St Kilda | 21.16 (142) | Fitzroy | 10.15 (75) | Junction Oval | 14,500 | 10 August 1929 |

### Round 16

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| North Melbourne | 9.8 (62) | St Kilda | 20.12 (132) | Arden Street Oval | 9,000 | 17 August 1929 |
| Hawthorn | 8.10 (58) | Richmond | 11.14 (80) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,500 | 17 August 1929 |
| Melbourne | 11.16 (82) | Footscray | 6.5 (41) | MCG | 13,891 | 17 August 1929 |
| South Melbourne | 14.10 (94) | Essendon | 13.10 (88) | Lake Oval | 15,000 | 17 August 1929 |
| Fitzroy | 8.7 (55) | Collingwood | 16.15 (111) | Brunswick Street Oval | 13,000 | 17 August 1929 |
| Geelong | 2.13 (25) | Carlton | 5.9 (39) | Corio Oval | 10,000 | 17 August 1929 |

### Round 17

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Richmond | 18.28 (136) | South Melbourne | 10.5 (65) | Punt Road Oval | 12,000 | 24 August 1929 |
| Essendon | 7.11 (53) | Geelong | 6.15 (51) | Windy Hill | 9,000 | 24 August 1929 |
| Collingwood | 21.12 (138) | North Melbourne | 8.13 (61) | Victoria Park | 6,000 | 24 August 1929 |
| Carlton | 15.18 (108) | Fitzroy | 9.15 (69) | Princes Park | 13,000 | 24 August 1929 |
| St Kilda | 9.12 (66) | Melbourne | 6.13 (49) | Junction Oval | 35,000 | 24 August 1929 |
| Hawthorn | 10.17 (77) | Footscray | 5.3 (33) | Glenferrie Oval | 4,000 | 24 August 1929 |

### Round 18

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Geelong | 12.10 (82) | Richmond | 5.12 (42) | Corio Oval | 6,500 | 31 August 1929 |
| Footscray | 4.18 (42) | St Kilda | 9.13 (67) | Western Oval | 10,000 | 31 August 1929 |
| South Melbourne | 13.10 (88) | Hawthorn | 11.5 (71) | Lake Oval | 8,000 | 31 August 1929 |
| Fitzroy | 11.18 (84) | Essendon | 7.11 (53) | Brunswick Street Oval | 8,500 | 31 August 1929 |
| Melbourne | 5.10 (40) | Collingwood | 14.12 (96) | MCG | 41,316 | 31 August 1929 |
| North Melbourne | 8.8 (56) | Carlton | 8.15 (63) | Arden Street Oval | 8,000 | 31 August 1929 |

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| - | - |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Collingwood (P) | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1918 | 1117 | 171.7 | 72 |
| 2 | Carlton | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1589 | 1161 | 136.9 | 60 |
| 3 | Richmond | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 1703 | 1399 | 121.7 | 50 |
| 4 | St Kilda | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1493 | 1146 | 130.3 | 48 |
| 5 | Melbourne | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 1228 | 1164 | 105.5 | 46 |
| 6 | Essendon | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 1349 | 1405 | 96.0 | 38 |
| 7 | Geelong | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1175 | 1082 | 108.6 | 32 |
| 8 | South Melbourne | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1338 | 1578 | 84.8 | 28 |
| 9 | Footscray | 18 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1268 | 1464 | 86.6 | 26 |
| 10 | Hawthorn | 18 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 1170 | 1522 | 76.9 | 16 |
| 11 | Fitzroy | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1340 | 1827 | 73.3 | 12 |
| 12 | North Melbourne | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 1070 | 1776 | 60.2 | 4 |

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 77.0 Source: AFL Tables

## Finals series

All of the 1929 finals were played at the MCG so the home team in the semi-finals and Preliminary Final is purely the higher ranked team from the ladder but in the Grand Final the home team was the team that won the Preliminary Final.

### Semi-finals

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Carlton | 12.9 (81) | St Kilda | 11.7 (73) | MCG | 58,481 | 7 September |
| Collingwood | 8.13 (61) | Richmond | 18.15 (123) | MCG | 51,069 | 14 September |

### Preliminary final

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Richmond | 15.7 (97) | Carlton | 14.7 (91) | MCG | 60,653 | 21 September |

## Season notes

* Collingwood set many records during the 1929 season, including:
   * First team to remain undefeated through an entire home-and away season (never matched, although Essendon came close – with just one loss – in 2000). However, given that they lost the second semi-final to Richmond, they were not undefeated for the entire season.
   * In three seasons, 1927, 1928, and 1929, the team had played 61 matches, for 53 wins, 1 draw, and 7 losses.
   * First team to score more than 2,000 points in a single season.
   * First team to have a full-forward scoring more than 100 goals in a single season.
   * First team to have a player kick 16 goals in a single match.
   * First team to be VFL premiers on eight occasions.
* On 18 June 1929 the VFL was incorporated as a public company, and it purchased a three-storey building (later named Harrison House after Henry Harrison who died later that year, on 2 September) on the corner of Spring Street and Flinders Lane.
* Clarrie Hearn of Essendon won the 1929 130-yard Stawell Gift in eleven and fifteen sixteenths of a second (approx. 11.94 seconds), off a handicap of 10 yards.
* Footscray's 23 effective scoring shots (7 goals and 16 behinds) against Hawthorn in the third quarter of their Round 6 match remains the most scoring shots by a team in one quarter.
   * Footscray's 16 behinds in that quarter has been equalled only by Collingwood against North Melbourne in the third quarter in Round 6, 1970.

## Awards

* The 1929 VFL Premiership team was Collingwood.
* The VFL's leading goalkicker was Gordon Coventry of Collingwood with 124 goals.
* The winner of the 1929 Brownlow Medal was Albert "Leeter" Collier of Collingwood with 6 votes.
* North Melbourne took the "wooden spoon" in 1929.
* The seconds premiership was won by Richmond. Richmond 12.8 (80) defeated Geelong 7.15 (57) in the challenge Grand Final, played as a stand-alone game on Thursday 26 September (Show Day holiday) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before a crowd of 6,544.
