Victorian Football Association

Season 1883

 

Season Notes

 

Senior clubs contesting the premiership

With the steady reduction in the number of senior clubs over previous seasons, just six clubs contested the premiership in 1883.

 

The Ballarat clubs played too few games to be eligible for a premiership ranking, however their games with the Metropolitan clubs and Geelong are listed here.

These games are counted towards the Premiership and included in the Final Ladder.

 

 

Results

 

 

Round 1

 

12 May 1883

Melbourne

2-1

2-5

Venue: MCG; Attendance: Very large

 

Essendon

2-10

5-14

Result: Essendon won by 3 goals

 

 

 

 

 

12 May 1883

Geelong

1-

4-10

Venue: Corio Oval

 

Albion Imperial (Ballarat)

3-

3-5

Result: Geelong won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 2

 

19 May 1883

Essendon

1-6

2-12

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 12000

 

South Melbourne

2-3

3-5

Result: South Melbourne won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 3

 

24 May 1883

Hotham

0-2

3-8

Venue: MCG; Attendance: 13500

 

Geelong

3-9

3-16

Result: DRAW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 4

 

26 May 1883

Carlton

2-3

2-13

Venue: MCG; Attendance: 12000

 

Hotham

3-6

3-8

Result: Hotham won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

26 May 1883

South Melbourne

2-3

2-12

Venue: South Melbourne; Attendance: 4000

 

Melbourne

3-3

3-8

Result: Melbourne won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

26 May 1883

Geelong

1-

1-17

Venue: Corio Oval; Attendance: 1200

 

Ballarat

1-

1-2

Result: DRAW

Game 50 minutes each way

 

 

 

 

 

Round 5

 

2 June 1883

Melbourne

1-3

3-7

Venue: MCG

 

Carlton

3-7

5-7

Result: Carlton won by 2 goals

 

 

 

 

 

2 June 1883

Essendon

1-5

4-9

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 3000

 

Hotham

1-6

1-6

Result: Essendon won by 3 goals

 

 

 

 

 

2 June 1883

Geelong

1-3

1-3

Venue: Corio Oval; Attendance: 2000

 

South Melbourne

1-5

6-9

Result: South Melbourne won by 5 goals

The Age: "The South kicked splendidly, and seldom missed marking the ball, one of the noticeable features in the game being the clever manner in which they outwitted their opponents by the 'little mark' system."

 

 

Round 6

 

9 June 1883

Essendon

2-9

3-10

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 4000

 

Geelong

0-3

4-7

Result: Geelong won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

9 June 1883

Hotham

0-9

1-12

Venue: Hotham; Attendance: 2000

 

Melbourne

0-4

3-6

Result: Melbourne won by 2 goals

 

 

 

 

 

9 June 1883

Carlton

3-2

4-7

Venue: MCG; Attendance: 10000

 

South Melbourne

0-5

1-7

Result: Carlton won by 3 goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 7

 

16 June 1883

Geelong

1-2

4-13

Venue: Corio Oval; Attendance: 3000

 

Hotham

1-8

1-9

Result: Geelong won by 3 goals

 

 

 

 

 

16 June 1883

Melbourne

4-

4-10

Venue: MCG; Attendance: 12000

 

South Melbourne

0-

2-10

Result: Melbourne won by 2 goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 8

 

23 June 1883

Carlton

2-3

4-14

Venue: MCG; Attendance: 13000

 

Geelong

0-3

2-7

Result: Carlton won by 2 goals

The Age: “The largest attendance of spectators that has yet witnessed a game this season”

23 June 1883

South Melbourne

1-6

1-6

Venue: South Melbourne; Attendance: 2000

 

Hotham

0-1

1-6

Result: DRAW

 

 

 

 

 

23 June 1883

Melbourne

2-11

3-18

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: Few hundred

 

Ballarat

1-3

2-12

Result: Melbourne won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 9

 

30 June 1883

Essendon

1-1

3-16

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 8000

 

Carlton

3-11

4-15

Result: Carlton won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

30 June 1883

Melbourne

0-4

4-7

Venue: MCG; Attendance: 6000

 

Geelong

3-3

4-4

Result: DRAW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 10

 

7 July 1883

Hotham

-

3-9

Venue: Hotham; Attendance: 2000

 

Carlton

-

3-8

Result: DRAW

 

 

 

 

 

7 July 1883

Essendon

4-5

5-9

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 6000

 

Melbourne

2-4

4-11

Result: Essendon won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 11

 

14 July 1883

Essendon

1-5

4-7

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 6000

 

Hotham

2-7

4-16

Result: DRAW

 

 

 

 

 

14 July 1883

Ballarat

-

2-5

Venue: Saxon Paddock

 

Melbourne

-

3-9

Result: Melbourne won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 12

 

21 July 1883

Essendon

1-9

4-13

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 8000

 

Carlton

2-3

3-6

Result: Essendon won by 1 goal

Moloney and Wilson (Carlton) assaulted W. Hughes (Essendon) as he was shooting for goal, provoking a crowd invasion which interrupted the game with two minutes left to play. Umpire Mr George Robertson refused to resume the game and a 'thoroughly disorganised' Carlton team declined to follow Essendon which went back out onto the field 'still thronged by the excited crowd' and 'claimed the game according to the rules of the Association. Meetings of the VFA on July 27 and 30 suspended Wilson (rest of season) and Maloney (3 Saturdays) for rough play.

21 July 1883

South Melbourne

0-3

0-6

Venue: South Melbourne; Attendance: 4000

 

Melbourne

3-6

3-9

Result: Melbourne won by 3 goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 13

 

28 July 1883

Melbourne

0-5

1-11

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 8000

 

Carlton

0-7

0-10

Result: Melbourne won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

28 July 1883

South Melbourne

2-2

5-7

Venue: South Melbourne; Attendance: 2000

 

Essendon

0-5

1-8

Result: South Melbourne won by 4 goals

 

 

 

 

 

28 July 1883

Geelong

3-3

4-13

Venue: Corio Oval; Attendance: Not large

 

Albion Imperial (Ballarat)

1-2

2-4

Result: Geelong won by 2 goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 14

 

4 August 1883

Geelong

3-12

4-14

Venue: Corio Oval; Attendance: 5000

 

Carlton

1-0

3-8

Result: Geelong won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

4 August 1883

South Melbourne

4-5

6-7

Venue: South Melbourne; Attendance: 3000

 

Hotham

0-2

2-9

Result: South Melbourne won by 4 goals

 

 

 

 

 

4 August 1883

Essendon

4-7

4-11

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 6000

 

Melbourne

0-2

2-8

Result: Essendon won by 2 goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 15

 

11 August 1883

South Melbourne

2-2

5-10

Venue: South Melbourne; Attendance: 2500

 

Carlton

1-8

2-11

Result: South Melbourne won by 3 goals

 

 

 

 

 

11 August 1883

Hotham

0-0

1-7

Venue: Hotham; Attendance: Large

 

Essendon

1-10

1-13

Result: DRAW

 

 

 

 

 

11 August 1883

Melbourne

0-2

4-12

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 5000

 

Geelong

6-10

6-12

Result: Geelong won by 2 goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 16

 

18 August 1883

Hotham

2-7

3-15

Venue: Hotham

 

Melbourne

0-2

0-3

Result: Hotham won by 3 goals

 

 

 

 

 

18 August 1883

Essendon

0-3

1-11

Venue: EMCG; Attendance: 3000

 

South Melbourne

1-11

1-15

Result: DRAW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 17

 

25 August 1883

Carlton

3-8

3-11

Venue: Prince's Oval; Attendance: 7000

 

Essendon

0-0

1-10

Result: Carlton won by 2 goals

The Argus: The first senior game of the season was played on Prince's-oval, Carlton, on Saturday afternoon, as the cricket-grounds have been given up to be prepared for "the national pastime".

25 August 1883

South Melbourne

6-8

6-10

Venue: South Melbourne; Attendance: 5000

 

Geelong

1-2

5-11

Result: South Melbourne won by 1 goal

South Melbourne was advantaged by kicking with a very strong wind in the first half that died off at half time. The Age: "the wind had died off, and the advantage held by (South) was so great that odds of 100 to 3 were easily obtainable". However, Geelong fought back strongly in the second half and fell just short of obtaining a draw.

 

 

Round 18

 

1 September 1883

Melbourne

1-3

2-17

Venue: Fitzroy; Attendance: 6000

 

Carlton

1-5

1-8

Result: Melbourne won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

1 September 1883

Geelong

2-7

7-13

Venue: Corio Oval; Attendance: 2000

 

Hotham

2-5

2-11

Result: Geelong won by 5 goals

 

 

 

 

 

1 September 1883

South Melbourne

3-

7-8

Venue: South Melbourne; Attendance: 2000

 

Albion Imperial (Ballarat)

1-

1-6

Result: South Melbourne won by 6 goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 19

 

8 September 1883

Geelong

-

4-15

Venue: Corio Oval; Attendance: 3000

 

Essendon

-

3-5

Result: Geelong won by 1 goal

 

 

 

 

 

8 September 1883

Melbourne

1-4

3-9

Venue: Melbourne Football Ground; Attendance: Large

 

Hotham

0-5

1-6

Result: Melbourne won by 2 goals

The Argus: “The grandstand of the cricket-ground was reversed, so that members were able to witness the play in comfort.”

8 September 1883

Carlton

1-5

2-12

Venue: Prince's Oval; Attendance: 8000

 

South Melbourne

3-2

4-5

Result: South Melbourne won by 2 goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 20

 

15 September 1883

Carlton

5-1

6-8

Venue: Prince's Oval; Attendance: 5000

 

Hotham

1-2

3-5

Result: Carlton won by 3 goals

 

 

 

 

 

15 September 1883

Geelong

1-14

5-21

Venue: Corio Oval; Attendance: 4000

 

Melbourne

0-4

0-5

Result: Geelong won by 5 goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round 21

 

22 September 1883

Geelong

3-11

7-16

Venue: Corio Oval; Attendance: Large

 

Carlton

1-5

2-10

Result: Geelong won by 5 goals

The Argus: "Brownlow kicked off for Geelong…"

 

 

 

22 September 1883

Melbourne

1-0

1-7

Venue: Fitzroy; Attendance: 4000

 

South Melbourne

1-7

2-10

Result: South Melbourne won by 1 goal

Play commenced at 20 minutes past 3.

 

 

 

 

 

Round 22

 

29 September 1883

Carlton

2-4

2-15

Venue: Prince's Oval; Attendance: 9000

 

Melbourne

0-4

0-8

Result: Carlton won by 2 goals

 

 

 

 

 

29 September 1883

Hotham

-

2-8

Venue: Hotham; Attendance: 2000

 

South Melbourne

-

2-6

Result: DRAW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ladder

 

 

Team

P

W

L

D

F

A

Points

Proportional Points

%

1

Geelong

16

10

3

3

65

47

46

54.63

138.30

2

South Melbourne

16

9

4

3

53

35

42

49.88

151.43

3

Carlton

16

7

8

1

46

46

30

35.63

100.00

4

Essendon

14

5

6

3

41

41

26

35.29

100.00

5

Melbourne

19

9

9

1

45

52

38

38.00

86.54

6

Hotham

15

2

7

6

31

49

20

25.33

63.27

7

Ballarat

3

0

2

1

5

7

2

12.67

71.43

8

Albion Imperial

3

0

3

0

6

15

0

0.00

40.00

 

Total

102

42

42

18

292

292

204

 

 

 

Notes:

 

- Premiership awarded to the team with the ‘best record’.

- Geelong ranked ahead of South Melbourne although this was disputed in some quarters as South Melbourne beat Geelong in both games between the club this season.

- Proportional Points system (officially used only from the 1888 season onwards) correlates with most contemporary rankings.

- Where two teams are close on Proportional Points (less than 4.00 points separate) then head-to-head results are used to rank clubs:

      - Melbourne has a superior Proportional Points tally, however this includes two wins against Ballarat (Carlton and Essendon did not play the Ballarat clubs in 1883)

      - Carlton played Essendon three times and won twice and lost once. Therefore Carlton rank above Essendon. (The Argus 4 Oct 1886 still listed the game won by Essendon on 21 July 1883 as 'undecided')

      - Carlton played Melbourne four times, with two wins to each team.

      - Essendon played Melbourne three times, won all three games, and therefore rank above them.

- Rule requiring a minimum of 18 games to qualify for the Premiership not in force until 1888

- For the Ballarat clubs, only matches between them and the Metropolitan clubs (including Geelong) are listed in this ladder. Ballarat Imperial did not play any games with Metropolitan clubs in 1883.

- Behinds were recorded but did not count towards the final score or in determining the result of matches.

- The percentage column of goals for divided by goals against is included as an indication only.

 

1883 premiers: Geelong

 

 

About this document

Prepared and maintained by Andrew Robinson

Author: Andrew Robinson (contact: andrewxx166 at hotmail dot com)
First created:
25 August 2012
Last updated:
5 November 2014

(C) Copyright Andrew Robinson
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.

 

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