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1915 MAFA season

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1915 MAFA season
Date24 April − 7 August 1915
Teams10
PremiersCollingwood District
1st premiership
Minor premiersCollingwood District
2nd minor premiership
Wooden spoonersElsternwick
1st wooden spoon
← 1914
1920 →

The 1915 MAFA season was the 24th season of the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA), an Australian rules football competition played in the state of Victoria. The season began on 24 April and concluded earlier than scheduled on 7 August, comprising an 14-match home-and-away season, followed by a two-week finals series.[1]

Collingwood District won the MAFA premiership for the first time, defeating Leopold by 15 points in the 1915 MAFA Grand Final.[2]

This was the final MAFA season until 1920, with the 1916, 1917, 1918 and 1919 seasons cancelled due to the impacts of World War I.[3][4]

Association membership

[edit]

Like the previous season in 1914, a total of ten teams competed in the MAFA.

On 16 October 1914, three weeks after the end of the 1914 season, the University Football Club dropped out of the Victorian Football League (VFL).[5] The club had competed in the MJFA/MAFA with a senior team in 1906 and 1907, and had been fielding a "2nd" (reserves) team in the competition since 1908.[6] After leaving the VFL, University's senior team returned to the MAFA in 1915, with several of its VFL players staying with the club.[7]

Additionally, the Caulfield Football Club combined with Malvern prior to the start of the 1915 season and became known as "Caulfield-Malvern".[8][9]

World War I

[edit]

The 1915 home-and-away season was originally scheduled to end on 26 August.[10] However, due to the impacts of World War I – including a significant number of players enlisting in the Australian Army – the MJFA decided at a meeting on 26 July to curtail the home-and-away season four weeks early.[11][12] Prior to the final games held in round 14, some clubs had already struggled to find players as a result of enlistments.[1][13]

Following the conclusion of the season, officials from the VFL sought to have the MAFA become a reserves competition to the VFL for the 1916 season.[3] At least two clubs – Beverley and South Yarra – reported the MAFA that they had been "approached" about becoming reserves teams to Richmond and St Kilda respectively.[3] The MAFA announced in late 1915 that they would not resume competition until the war had ended, while also stating that they were not prepared to be absorbed by the VFL.[3] Ultimately, no MAFA seasons would be held until 1920.[14][15]

As of 30 July 1930, 164 MJFA players had been enlisted in the Australian Army:[11]

Ladder

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W L D Pts Qualification
1 Collingwood District (P) 14 13 1 0 52 Finals series
2 Leopold 14 12 1 1 50
3 Fitzroy Juniors 14 12 2 0 48
4 Carlton District 14 8 6 0 32
5 South Yarra 14 6 6 2 28
6 Beverley 14 4 10 0 16
7 Collegians 14 3 9 2 16
8 University 14 4 10 0 16
9 Caulfield-Malvern 14 2 11 1 10
10 Elsternwick 14 2 12 0 9

Source: [16]
(P) Premiers

Finals

[edit]

At the time, the MAFA used the Argus finals system, which gave the club that finished first on the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season (the minor premiers) the right to challenge the winner of the finals series for the premiership.[17]

Semi-finals

[edit]
Semi-finals
Saturday, 31 July Collingwood District 9.24 (78) def. Carlton District 5.4 (34) East Melbourne Cricket Ground [18][19]
Saturday, 31 July (3:00pm) Leopold 10.11 (71) drew with Fitzroy Juniors 10.11 (71) Richmond Cricket Ground [12][19]
  • Leopold and Fitzroy Juniors drew in their match, with the final score being 10.11 (71) each.[1] At the time, a rule existed in the MAFA which stated "that should a tie take place in either of the matches played in the second round [finals series] the club with the best performances during the season shall adjourned the winner".[20] With Leopold finishing the home-and-away season with two points more than Fitzroy Juniors, the MAFA decided at a meeting on 2 August that they would advance to the grand final.[21]
  • The semi-finals were originally scheduled to be held on 28 August prior to the curtailing of the home-and-away season.[10]

Grand Final

[edit]
1915 MAFA Grand Final
Saturday, 7 August Collingwood District def. Leopold Richmond Cricket Ground [22][23][24][25]



9.10 (64) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final


6.13 (49) 		Umpires: Hood
Oram 2, Carkeek 2, T. Bayliss 2, Brown, Lumsden, G. Bayliss Goals Schilling 2, Skehan, Harley, Gunn, Murra
Lumsden (striking), Nash (elbowing), T. Bayliss (striking) Reports Harley (striking), Hughes (elbowing), Skehan (bad languague)
  • The grand final was originally scheduled to be held on 4 September prior to the curtailing of the home-and-away season.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "1915 Reserves". Blueseum. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Premier Section Finals Series". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Boy, Old (8 December 1915). "THE LEAGUE'S PREPARATIONS". The Argus. p. 13. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  4. ^ "METROPOLITAN AMATEUR ASSOCIATION". The Argus. 26 March 1920. p. 11. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Exit University – Football League Retirement". The Argus. Melbourne. 17 October 1914. p. 20.
  6. ^ "METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION". The Argus. 4 May 1908. p. 9.
  7. ^ "JUNIOR ASSOCIATIONS". The Argus. 24 April 1914. p. 17. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  8. ^ "METROPOLITAN AMATEUR ASSOCIATION". Weekly Times. 12 June 1915. p. 19. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Previous VAFA Clubs". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION". The Argus. 8 April 1915. p. 10. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "METROPOLITAN". The Herald. 30 July 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b "METROPOLITAN AMATEUR ASSOCIATION". The Argus. 31 July 1915. p. 14. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  13. ^ "METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION". Record. 24 July 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  14. ^ "A Look Ahead". The Age. 12 March 1919. p. 11. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  15. ^ Smith, W.H.; Ogiley, A. (13 March 1919). "THE FOOTBALL SEASON". The Age. p. 6. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  16. ^ "METROPOLITAN AMATEUR". The Argus. 26 July 1915. p. 11. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  17. ^ "SOUTH YARRA WINS MINOR PREMIERSHIP". The Age. 30 August 1909. p. 11. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  18. ^ "METROPOLITAN AMATEUR ASSOCIATION". The Argus. 31 July 1915. p. 14.
  19. ^ a b "SEMI-FINAL MATCHES". The Age. 3 August 1915. p. 5. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  20. ^ "SEMI-FINAL MATCHES". The Argus. 2 August 1915. p. 5. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  21. ^ "METROPOLITAN AMATEUR ASSOCIATION". The Age. 3 August 1915. p. 5. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  22. ^ Umpire (6 August 1916). "FINAL". The Herald. p. 3. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  23. ^ "MELEE AT FOOTBALL MATCH". The Herald. 7 August 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  24. ^ "COLLINGWOOD PREMIERS". The Age. 9 August 1915. p. 10. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  25. ^ "SEVERAL PLAYERS REPORTED". The Argus. 9 August 1915. p. 11. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
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