The 1964 VFL season was the 68th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 18 April until 19 September, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.

1964 VFL premiership season
Teams12
PremiersMelbourne
12th premiership
Minor premiersMelbourne
9th minor premiership
Consolation seriesFootscray
2nd Consolation series win
Brownlow MedallistGordon Collis (Carlton)
Coleman MedallistJohn Peck (Hawthorn)
Matches played112
Highest102,471
← 1963
1965 →

The premiership was won by the Melbourne Football Club for the twelfth time, after it defeated Collingwood by four points in the 1964 VFL Grand Final.

Background

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In 1964, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th 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 1964 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.

Home-and-away season

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Round 1

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 8.16 (64) Richmond 5.4 (34) Western Oval 23,965 18 April 1964
Essendon 12.13 (85) St Kilda 11.13 (79) Windy Hill 29,500 18 April 1964
Collingwood 14.15 (99) Fitzroy 10.11 (71) Victoria Park 29,255 18 April 1964
Carlton 10.16 (76) North Melbourne 10.8 (68) Princes Park 23,053 18 April 1964
South Melbourne 10.13 (73) Hawthorn 14.13 (97) Lake Oval 20,260 18 April 1964
Melbourne 14.13 (97) Geelong 17.8 (110) MCG 66,250 18 April 1964

Round 2

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 13.17 (95) South Melbourne 18.10 (118) Brunswick Street Oval 17,603 25 April 1964
North Melbourne 8.13 (61) Melbourne 11.11 (77) Arden Street Oval 15,914 25 April 1964
St Kilda 13.18 (96) Footscray 6.7 (43) Junction Oval 33,600 25 April 1964
Richmond 11.9 (75) Essendon 15.21 (111) Punt Road Oval 27,300 25 April 1964
Geelong 14.11 (95) Collingwood 6.7 (43) Kardinia Park 40,290 25 April 1964
Hawthorn 9.20 (74) Carlton 8.5 (53) Glenferrie Oval 28,000 25 April 1964

Round 3

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 12.15 (87) St Kilda 9.11 (65) Glenferrie Oval 25,000 2 May 1964
Fitzroy 6.12 (48) Geelong 11.24 (90) Brunswick Street Oval 15,723 2 May 1964
Essendon 16.11 (107) North Melbourne 19.7 (121) Windy Hill 21,000 2 May 1964
South Melbourne 8.7 (55) Richmond 8.15 (63) Lake Oval 18,920 2 May 1964
Footscray 8.12 (60) Collingwood 11.13 (79) Western Oval 23,983 2 May 1964
Melbourne 11.13 (79) Carlton 4.9 (33) MCG 45,494 2 May 1964

Round 4

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 12.13 (85) South Melbourne 8.9 (57) Victoria Park 29,237 9 May 1964
Carlton 12.8 (80) Footscray 16.15 (111) Princes Park 21,663 9 May 1964
St Kilda 13.15 (93) Melbourne 9.13 (67) Junction Oval 35,300 9 May 1964
North Melbourne 14.15 (99) Hawthorn 9.14 (68) Arden Street Oval 17,431 9 May 1964
Richmond 14.20 (104) Fitzroy 5.10 (40) Punt Road Oval 17,200 9 May 1964
Geelong 8.21 (69) Essendon 14.7 (91) Kardinia Park 34,083 9 May 1964

Round 5

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 10.14 (74) St Kilda 8.19 (67) Punt Road Oval 27,270 16 May 1964
Essendon 7.11 (53) Melbourne 10.25 (85) Windy Hill 27,000 16 May 1964
South Melbourne 8.11 (59) Geelong 11.10 (76) Lake Oval 24,580 16 May 1964
North Melbourne 15.13 (103) Footscray 7.14 (56) Arden Street Oval 20,862 16 May 1964
Hawthorn 16.18 (114) Fitzroy 8.19 (67) Glenferrie Oval 13,100 16 May 1964
Collingwood 12.13 (85) Carlton 9.12 (66) Victoria Park 32,868 16 May 1964

Round 6

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 11.6 (72) Richmond 8.11 (59) Kardinia Park 25,264 23 May 1964
Footscray 10.22 (82) South Melbourne 10.9 (69) Western Oval 16,437 23 May 1964
Fitzroy 10.18 (78) North Melbourne 13.17 (95) Brunswick Street Oval 15,043 23 May 1964
Melbourne 10.13 (73) Hawthorn 10.8 (68) MCG 53,795 23 May 1964
Essendon 9.19 (73) Collingwood 11.3 (69) Windy Hill 30,300 23 May 1964
St Kilda 13.19 (97) Carlton 6.13 (49) Junction Oval 25,300 23 May 1964

Round 7

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 13.11 (89) Richmond 7.16 (58) Glenferrie Oval 22,000 30 May 1964
Geelong 11.23 (89) St Kilda 13.8 (86) Kardinia Park 28,000 30 May 1964
Collingwood 22.18 (150) North Melbourne 6.6 (42) Victoria Park 34,222 30 May 1964
Carlton 8.12 (60) Fitzroy 8.11 (59) Princes Park 18,945 30 May 1964
Melbourne 12.14 (86) Footscray 6.8 (44) MCG 33,129 30 May 1964
South Melbourne 11.18 (84) Essendon 14.12 (96) Lake Oval 20,470 30 May 1964

Round 8

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 10.9 (69) St Kilda 11.17 (83) Arden Street Oval 19,620 6 June 1964
Footscray 5.5 (35) Geelong 6.12 (48) Western Oval 20,000 6 June 1964
Fitzroy 7.9 (51) Melbourne 17.16 (118) Brunswick Street Oval 12,727 6 June 1964
Hawthorn 9.8 (62) Essendon 6.12 (48) Glenferrie Oval 26,000 6 June 1964
Richmond 3.12 (30) Collingwood 7.13 (55) Punt Road Oval 34,600 6 June 1964
South Melbourne 8.13 (61) Carlton 12.14 (86) Lake Oval 18,700 6 June 1964

Round 9

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 13.10 (88) Footscray 10.13 (73) Windy Hill 22,000 13 June 1964
Carlton 11.15 (81) Richmond 11.12 (78) Princes Park 24,930 13 June 1964
St Kilda 13.18 (96) Fitzroy 6.12 (48) Junction Oval 20,900 13 June 1964
North Melbourne 10.15 (75) South Melbourne 7.9 (51) Arden Street Oval 11,763 15 June 1964
Geelong 10.15 (75) Hawthorn 3.8 (26) Kardinia Park 39,911 15 June 1964
Melbourne 10.13 (73) Collingwood 8.15 (63) MCG 86,664 15 June 1964

Round 10

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 18.15 (123) South Melbourne 10.8 (68) Junction Oval 20,300 27 June 1964
Melbourne 23.18 (156) Richmond 6.7 (43) MCG 27,614 27 June 1964
Geelong 11.8 (74) North Melbourne 10.12 (72) Kardinia Park 20,579 27 June 1964
Collingwood 13.11 (89) Hawthorn 15.8 (98) Victoria Park 31,133 27 June 1964
Footscray 14.9 (93) Fitzroy 13.7 (85) Western Oval 13,119 27 June 1964
Essendon 10.9 (69) Carlton 8.15 (63) Windy Hill 22,000 27 June 1964

Round 11

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 12.11 (83) St Kilda 10.9 (69) Victoria Park 27,588 4 July 1964
Carlton 7.19 (61) Geelong 13.7 (85) Princes Park 22,293 4 July 1964
Richmond 6.12 (48) North Melbourne 10.5 (65) Punt Road Oval 10,170 4 July 1964
South Melbourne 12.11 (83) Melbourne 18.21 (129) Lake Oval 10,490 4 July 1964
Hawthorn 12.9 (81) Footscray 3.3 (21) Glenferrie Oval 13,000 4 July 1964
Fitzroy 7.8 (50) Essendon 10.9 (69) Brunswick Street Oval 11,254 4 July 1964

Round 12

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 15.13 (103) South Melbourne 6.15 (51) Glenferrie Oval 11,000 11 July 1964
Geelong 7.12 (54) Melbourne 10.15 (75) Kardinia Park 33,761 11 July 1964
Richmond 12.11 (83) Footscray 9.7 (61) Punt Road Oval 12,000 11 July 1964
St Kilda 5.13 (43) Essendon 11.10 (76) Junction Oval 30,100 11 July 1964
Fitzroy 5.8 (38) Collingwood 13.10 (88) Brunswick Street Oval 17,093 11 July 1964
North Melbourne 6.12 (48) Carlton 7.5 (47) Arden Street Oval 16,020 11 July 1964

Round 13

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 18.15 (123) North Melbourne 6.15 (51) MCG 29,631 18 July 1964
Footscray 11.9 (75) St Kilda 10.10 (70) Western Oval 12,935 18 July 1964
Essendon 13.28 (106) Richmond 6.8 (44) Windy Hill 16,100 18 July 1964
Collingwood 8.11 (59) Geelong 7.7 (49) Victoria Park 38,218 18 July 1964
Carlton 5.12 (42) Hawthorn 8.10 (58) Princes Park 18,423 18 July 1964
South Melbourne 17.15 (117) Fitzroy 5.14 (44) Lake Oval 10,350 18 July 1964

Round 14

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 13.21 (99) South Melbourne 5.4 (34) Punt Road Oval 12,500 25 July 1964
Collingwood 14.15 (99) Footscray 5.5 (35) Victoria Park 22,233 25 July 1964
Carlton 9.14 (68) Melbourne 12.8 (80) Princes Park 17,831 25 July 1964
St Kilda 11.15 (81) Hawthorn 7.9 (51) Junction Oval 18,600 25 July 1964
Geelong 10.22 (82) Fitzroy 4.3 (27) Kardinia Park 13,854 25 July 1964
North Melbourne 7.14 (56) Essendon 12.13 (85) Arden Street Oval 15,878 25 July 1964

Round 15

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 8.7 (55) St Kilda 5.7 (37) MCG 33,212 1 August 1964
Hawthorn 7.7 (49) North Melbourne 5.8 (38) Glenferrie Oval 9,100 1 August 1964
Fitzroy 2.9 (21) Richmond 10.16 (76) Brunswick Street Oval 7,167 1 August 1964
Essendon 5.13 (43) Geelong 6.7 (43) Windy Hill 27,000 1 August 1964
South Melbourne 5.13 (43) Collingwood 12.13 (85) Lake Oval 12,600 1 August 1964
Footscray 11.6 (72) Carlton 10.7 (67) Western Oval 11,038 1 August 1964

Round 16

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 8.9 (57) South Melbourne 1.9 (15) Kardinia Park 16,436 8 August 1964
Footscray 10.8 (68) North Melbourne 4.3 (27) Western Oval 13,366 8 August 1964
Fitzroy 9.10 (64) Hawthorn 10.13 (73) Brunswick Street Oval 7,322 8 August 1964
Carlton 11.13 (79) Collingwood 12.7 (79) Princes Park 25,875 8 August 1964
St Kilda 10.12 (72) Richmond 6.11 (47) Junction Oval 16,700 8 August 1964
Melbourne 7.6 (48) Essendon 6.14 (50) MCG 70,385 8 August 1964

Round 17

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 10.9 (69) Melbourne 10.13 (73) Glenferrie Oval 20,000 15 August 1964
Collingwood 9.14 (68) Essendon 9.11 (65) Victoria Park 45,907 15 August 1964
Carlton 6.9 (45) St Kilda 8.13 (61) Princes Park 17,178 15 August 1964
Richmond 7.14 (56) Geelong 12.10 (82) Punt Road Oval 18,000 15 August 1964
South Melbourne 10.8 (68) Footscray 10.15 (75) Lake Oval 11,060 15 August 1964
North Melbourne 11.14 (80) Fitzroy 12.7 (79) Arden Street Oval 17,178 15 August 1964

Round 18

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 12.6 (78) Melbourne 4.14 (38) Western Oval 20,555 22 August 1964
Essendon 28.16 (184) South Melbourne 2.7 (19) Windy Hill 16,800 22 August 1964
Richmond 9.18 (72) Hawthorn 16.19 (115) Punt Road Oval 15,500 22 August 1964
St Kilda 12.18 (90) Geelong 11.12 (78) Junction Oval 27,100 22 August 1964
North Melbourne 8.13 (61) Collingwood 14.8 (92) Arden Street Oval 21,895 22 August 1964
Fitzroy 7.12 (54) Carlton 19.20 (134) Brunswick Street Oval 14,151 22 August 1964

Ladder

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(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Melbourne (P) 18 14 4 0 1532 1109 138.1 56
2 Collingwood 18 13 4 1 1470 1104 133.2 54
3 Essendon 18 13 4 1 1499 1151 130.2 54
4 Geelong 18 13 4 1 1328 1042 127.4 54
5 Hawthorn 18 13 5 0 1382 1142 121.0 52
6 St Kilda 18 10 8 0 1408 1189 118.4 40
7 Footscray 18 9 9 0 1146 1301 88.1 36
8 North Melbourne 18 8 10 0 1231 1411 87.2 32
9 Richmond 18 6 12 0 1143 1346 84.9 24
10 Carlton 18 5 12 1 1190 1318 90.3 22
11 South Melbourne 18 2 16 0 1125 1654 68.0 8
12 Fitzroy 18 0 18 0 1019 1706 59.7 0

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 71.6
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

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Semi-finals

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Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Essendon 4.0 5.3 7.5 10.5 (65)
Geelong 1.5 6.6 9.7 12.12 (84)
Attendance: 92,231
Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Melbourne 2.3 8.7 14.13 19.20 (134)
Collingwood 2.2 3.6 5.8 6.9 (45)
Attendance: 93,010

Preliminary final

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Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Collingwood 2.1 4.2 6.6 7.6 (48)
Geelong 2.4 4.8 4.10 5.14 (44)
Attendance: 87,091

Grand final

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Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Melbourne 2.6 5.7 7.10 8.16 (64)
Collingwood 2.5 5.9 5.11 8.12 (60)
Attendance: 102,471

Consolation Night Series Competition

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The night series were held under the floodlights at Lake Oval, South Melbourne, for the teams (5th to 12th on ladder) out of the finals at the end of the season.

Final: Footscray 11.12 (78) defeated St Kilda 11.7 (73).

Season notes

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  • Shortly before the start of the season, St Kilda came to an arrangement with the City of Moorabbin that it would move its playing and administrative base from the Junction Oval to the Moorabbin Oval from the 1965 season, becoming the first club to voluntarily move from its traditional home ground. St Kilda was motivated by the desire to manage and operate its own venue, including a licensed social club, rather than remain in its current situation where the St Kilda Cricket Club managed the operations of the ground.[1] A group of members sought an injunction to prevent the move, and in May the Supreme Court allowed the move provided there was a vote among the club's members,[2] which ultimately saw a 75% majority in favour of the move.[3] The move had ramifications in the Victorian Football Association, where the local Moorabbin Football Club was expelled from the competition for supporting the Saints and the council in their moves.[4]
  • Carlton's Gordon Collis was reported in Round 6, but the charge was not upheld and he went on to win the Brownlow Medal.
  • At the end of the Round 10 match between Geelong and North Melbourne at Kardinia Park, North Melbourne coach, 5'4" (163 cm) Alan Killigrew was king-hit in the players race by an officially unidentified Geelong player. A brief brawl ensued, with Killigrew emerging with his face covered in blood. The VFL initiates an inquiry into the matter, involving the examination of 20 different witnesses. On 20 July the VFL announces that no charges will be laid against Geelong's 6'2" (188 cm) Geoff Rosenow.
  • In Round 13, North Melbourne rover and professional dentist Allen Aylett broke his left arm, and retired immediately.
  • On 22 August 1964 (Round 18), St Kilda played its farewell home game at the Junction Oval. On the same day, Richmond played its last home game, and the last VFL match, at the Punt Road Oval, as the club began playing its home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from 1965; it was not known at the time that this was a farewell match for the venue, as the deal to change grounds was not made until after the season.

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Jack Dunn (25 March 1964). "Saints will move to Moorabbin in '65". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 52.
  2. ^ Jack Dunn (25 May 1964). "Surprise vote for Saints". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 60.
  3. ^ Jack Dunn (19 May 1964). "Norm Smith is state fancy". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 47.
  4. ^ Peter Stone (4 April 1964). "V.F.A. suspends Moorabbin for season". The Age. Melbourne. p. 20.
  5. ^ Rex Pullen (21 September 1964). "Cats got this one". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 26.
  • Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-9591740-2-8
  • Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. ISBN 0-670-90809-6
  • Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0

Sources

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