Home
Up
1858 to 1879
1880 to 1894
1895 to 1904
1905 to 1912
1913 to 1920
1921 to 1926
1927 to 1932
1933 to 1938
1939 to 1944
1945 to 1950
1951 to 1955
1956 to 1960
1961 to 1966
1967 to 1971
1972 to 1976
1977 to 1980
1981 to 1985
1986 to 1990
1991 to 1996
1997 to 2007

1927 to 1932

1927: The Australasian Football Council becomes known as the Australian National Football Council (ANFC).  Four of the state/territory controlling bodies adopt similar name changes: the South Australian Football League becomes the South Australian National Football League (SANFL); the New South Wales Australian Football League becomes the New South Wales Australian National Football League (NSWANFL); the Queensland Football League becomes the Queensland Australian National Football League (QANFL); and the name of the Federal Territory Australian Rules Football League is changed to the Canberra Australian National Football League (CANFL). The VFL win sixth Australian interstate championship series, held in Melbourne. Canberra, having been granted honorary membership of the Australian National Football Council (formerly Australasian Football Council), play first ever full scale representative match, losing 8.11 (59) to 9.10 (64) against Queensland in Canberra. Grand final results - VFL: Collingwood 2.13 (25) d. Richmond 1.7 (13); SANFL: West Adelaide 10.11 (71) d. North Adelaide 8.10 (58); WAFL: East Perth 10.12 (72) d. South Fremantle 7.9 (51); VFA: Coburg 19.10 (124) d. Brighton 13.12 (90); TFL: Cananore 13.10 (88) d. Lefroy 7.16 (58); NTFA: North Launceston 9.8 (62) d. Launceston 6.10 (46); NSWANFL: Eastern Suburbs 9.16 (70) d. Newtown 6.13 (49); NTFL: Buffaloes 3.11 (29) d. Magpies 3.7 (25); QANFL: Mayne 10.9 (69) d. Windsor 7.8 (50); NWFU: Burnie 13.8 (86) d. Devonport 12.12 (84); CANFL: Acton 12.13 (85) d. Eastlake 7.9 (51); TSP: Cananore 12.20 (92) d. North Launceston 10.15 (75).

1928:  TFL becomes known as Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL).  Coburg 17.12 (114) defeat Port Melbourne 16.11 (107) to clinch third consecutive VFA premiership. Claremont-Cottesloe enter WAFL.  Yarraville replace Geelong Association in VFA. Other grand final results - VFL: Collingwood 13.18 (96) d. Richmond 9.9 (63); SANFL: Port Adelaide 15.14 (104) d. Norwood 7.14 (56); WAFL: East Fremantle 10.13 (73) d. East Perth 8.8 (56); NTFA: City 8.6 (54) d. North Launceston 5.8 (38); NSWANFL: Newtown 10.16 (76) d. Eastern Suburbs 4.5 (29); QANFL: Mayne 10.10 (70) d. Windsor 3.8 (26); NWFU: Burnie 7.11 (53) d. Devonport 4.13 (37); CANFL: Eastlake 9.16 (70) d. Ainslie 4.6 (30); TSP: City 9.10 (64) d. North Hobart 3.14 (32). Other premiers - TANFL: North Hobart (see footnote 1); NTFL: Magpies.

The Northcote side which triumphed against Port Melbourne in the 1929 VFA grand final, a success which heralded the start of a decade of sustained dominance for the Brickfielders.

1929: Gordon Coventry (Collingwood) kicks 124 goals for season to become first VFL player to top century. Introduction of 19th man by VFA.  Oakleigh and Sandringham admitted to VFA, producing a 12 team competition. Grand final results - VFL: Collingwood 11.13 (79) d. Richmond 7.8 (50); SANFL: Norwood 16.14 (110) d. Port Adelaide 10.9 (69); WAFL: East Fremantle 8.22 (70) d. South Fremantle 5.9 (39); VFA: Northcote 15.21 (111) d. Port Melbourne 10.9 (69); TANFL: North Hobart 9.15 (69) d. Lefroy 7.12 (54); NTFA: Launceston 9.8 (62) d. North Launceston 6.10 (46); NSWANFL: Newtown 10.8 (68) d. North Shore 6.6 (42); NTFL: Waratahs 10.15 (75) d. Buffaloes 3.6 (24); QANFL: Windsor 6.12 (48) d. Mayne 6.8 (44); NWFU: Circular Head 8.8 (56) d. Burnie 6.14 (50); CANFL: Ainslie 7.13 (55) d. Eastlake 6.11 (47); TSP: North Hobart 11.12 (78) d. Launceston 9.15 (69).

1930: Seventh interstate championship series held in Adelaide and won by VFL. Collingwood 14.16 (100) defeat Geelong 9.16 (70) to win a record fourth successive VFL premiership. Ken Farmer (North Adelaide) kicks 105 goals for season to become first SANFL player to achieve century. General introduction of 19th man. Other grand final results - SANFL: North Adelaide 9.13 (67) d. Port Adelaide 9.9 (63); WAFL: East Fremantle 12.18 (90) d. South Fremantle 9.11 (65); VFA: Oakleigh 9.6 (60) d. Northcote 7.9 (51); TANFL: Lefroy 14.11 (95) d. North Hobart 10.17 (77); NTFA: City 15.19 (109) d. Launceston 8.10 (58); NSWANFL: Newtown 9.17 (71) d. South Sydney 7.13 (55); NTFL: Waratahs 10.9 (69) d. Buffaloes 5.5 (35); QANFL: Mayne 10.5 (65) d. Windsor 7.8 (50) - some records, however, have Mayne and Windsor sharing the premiership; NWFU: Latrobe 9.15 (69) d. Burnie 6.10 (46); CANFL: Eastlake 14.16 (100) d. Ainslie 7.7 (49); TSP: City 14.10 (94) d. Lefroy 5.6 (36).

1931: Page-McIntyre finals system whereby both 1st and 2nd placed teams at conclusion of home and away rounds enjoy 'double chance' implemented in VFL, SANFL and WAFL. Richmond accumulate new VFL record score of 30.19 (199) against North Melbourne. East Fremantle 9.13 (67) defeat Subiaco 7.7 (49) to win fourth WAFL flag in a row. CANFL becomes Australian Capital Territory Australian Football League (ACTAFL). Other grand final results - VFL: Geelong 9.14 (68) d. Richmond 7.6 (48); SANFL: North Adelaide 17.13 (115) d. Sturt 11.11 (77); VFA: Oakleigh 10.14 (74) d. Northcote 11.5 (71); TANFL: Cananore 9.12 (66) tied North Hobart 9.12 (66). Replay: Cananore 8.9 (57) d. North Hobart 7.12 (54); NTFA: North Launceston 10.13 (73) d. Longford 6.7 (43); NSWANFL: Sydney 6.7 (43) d. Newtown 4.14 (38); NTFL: Waratahs 10.14 (74) d. Buffaloes 6.10 (46); QANFL: Mayne 8.14 (62) d. Taringa 5.5 (35); NWFU: Latrobe 8.19 (67) d. Ulverstone 8.10 (58); CANFL: Manuka 10.6 (66) d. Acton 6.11 (47); TSP: Cananore 7.7 (49) d. North Launceston 7.6 (48).

During a 1932 encounter between West Perth and East Fremantle in Western Australia play was interrupted when the ball went flat.  There being no spare ball - this was during the worst economic depression of the twentieth century, remember - the West Perth players returned to their changing rooms while the umpires arranged for the ball to be repaired.  The East Fremantle players, however, being of a much more public-spirited bent than their opponents, remained out on the oval and played leapfrog to entertain the crowd!  The Cardinals had the last laugh though as they went on win the flag (see below), with Old Easts finishing third.

1932: Name of Western Australian Football League changed to Western Australian National Football League (WANFL). East Fremantle's George Doig, with 106 goals, becomes first WANFL/WAFL player to kick over 100 goals in a season. Grand final results - VFL: Richmond 13.14 (92) d. Carlton 12.11 (83); SANFL: Sturt 16.14 (110) d. North Adelaide 10.9 (69); WANFL: West Perth 18.9 (117) d. East Perth 11.8 (74); VFA: Northcote 13.11 (89) d. Coburg 8.15 (63); TANFL: North Hobart 16.15 (111) d. Cananore 9.5 (59); NTFA: City 6.15 (51) d. North Launceston 5.18 (48); NSWANFL: Newtown 7.12 (54) d. South Sydney 5.5 (35); NTFL: Buffaloes 12.5 (77) d. Waratahs 3.9 (27); QANFL: Windsor 10.5 (65) d. Yeronga 6.16 (52); NWFU: Penguin 14.10 (94) d. Latrobe 10.13 (73); CANFL: Goulburn 7.18 (60) d. Manuka 5.6 (36); TSP: City 7.14 (56) d. North Hobart 7.8 (50).

Back to Top

Go to Next Page

Footnotes

1.  Reports in 'The Mercury' make it clear that no finals series took place this year.  On Friday 7 September it was observed that if North Hobart defeated Lefroy in its roster match on the following afternoon it would clinch the premiership, while the match between Cananore and New Town might decide the runners-up position.  The game which is often cited as a grand final, in which North Hobart defeated Lefroy 11.20 (86) to 8.8 (56), might feasibly have actually been the decisive roster match between the teams.  (Information courtesy of Ross Smith.)  Return to Main Text