The 1972 VFL season was the 76th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 1 April until 7 October, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs – an increase from the four clubs which had contested the finals in previous years.

1972 VFL premiership season
Teams12
PremiersCarlton
11th premiership
Minor premiersCarlton
12th minor premiership
Brownlow MedallistLen Thompson (Collingwood)
Coleman MedallistPeter McKenna (Collingwood)
Attendance
Matches played139
Total attendance3,526,848 (25,373 per match)
Highest112,393
← 1971
1973 →

The premiership was won by the Carlton Football Club for the eleventh time, after it defeated Richmond by 27 points in the 1972 VFL Grand Final.

Background

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In 1972, 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 22 rounds; matches 12 to 22 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 11.

Once the 22 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1972 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the McIntyre final five 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
Hawthorn 15.14 (104) Melbourne 10.15 (75) Glenferrie Oval 26,000 1 April 1972
Carlton 11.15 (81) Fitzroy 10.10 (70) Princes Park 32,500 1 April 1972
St Kilda 20.14 (134) North Melbourne 11.10 (76) Moorabbin Oval 24,000 1 April 1972
South Melbourne 10.13 (73) Geelong 9.7 (61) Lake Oval 18,654 3 April 1972
Footscray 9.13 (67) Essendon 18.20 (128) Western Oval 28,935 3 April 1972
Richmond 16.9 (105) Collingwood 14.17 (101) MCG 72,714 3 April 1972

Round 2

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 10.3 (63) Richmond 22.17 (149) Kardinia Park 18,494 8 April 1972
Fitzroy 12.16 (88) St Kilda 12.8 (80) Junction Oval 20,000 8 April 1972
Essendon 16.11 (107) South Melbourne 7.18 (60) Windy Hill 22,611 8 April 1972
North Melbourne 11.10 (76) Hawthorn 19.24 (138) Arden Street Oval 10,200 8 April 1972
Melbourne 11.18 (84) Footscray 15.15 (105) MCG 21,452 8 April 1972
Collingwood 10.15 (75) Carlton 11.9 (75) Victoria Park 37,070 8 April 1972

Round 3

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 17.11 (113) Melbourne 6.12 (48) Victoria Park 25,172 15 April 1972
St Kilda 22.7 (139) Footscray 12.9 (81) Moorabbin Oval 20,068 15 April 1972
North Melbourne 12.14 (86) Fitzroy 16.13 (109) Arden Street Oval 10,383 15 April 1972
Richmond 16.15 (111) Essendon 19.17 (131) MCG 55,823 15 April 1972
South Melbourne 14.10 (94) Carlton 18.18 (126) Lake Oval 20,499 15 April 1972
Geelong 9.11 (65) Hawthorn 15.17 (107) VFL Park 16,347 15 April 1972

Round 4

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 18.19 (127) South Melbourne 8.8 (56) MCG 18,594 22 April 1972
Footscray 15.10 (100) North Melbourne 12.14 (86) Western Oval 12,827 22 April 1972
Fitzroy 11.17 (83) Hawthorn 9.10 (64) Junction Oval 16,937 22 April 1972
Essendon 17.27 (129) Geelong 12.14 (86) Windy Hill 15,000 22 April 1972
Carlton 15.14 (104) Richmond 15.19 (109) Princes Park 28,536 22 April 1972
Collingwood 9.13 (67) St Kilda 12.15 (87) VFL Park 40,201 22 April 1972

Round 5

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 13.11 (89) Melbourne 12.12 (84) MCG 38,154 25 April 1972
Essendon 10.13 (73) Carlton 13.10 (88) VFL Park 50,502 25 April 1972
South Melbourne 5.17 (47) St Kilda 9.16 (70) Lake Oval 19,724 29 April 1972
Hawthorn 14.20 (104) Footscray 11.10 (76) Glenferrie Oval 15,355 29 April 1972
Geelong 11.9 (75) Fitzroy 19.13 (127) Kardinia Park 16,343 29 April 1972
North Melbourne 8.14 (62) Collingwood 22.8 (140) Arden Street Oval 17,414 29 April 1972

Round 6

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 14.12 (96) Hawthorn 15.11 (101) Victoria Park 29,885 6 May 1972
Carlton 22.15 (147) Geelong 14.14 (98) Princes Park 19,073 6 May 1972
St Kilda 24.21 (165) Richmond 10.16 (76) Moorabbin Oval 34,055 6 May 1972
Footscray 16.16 (112) Fitzroy 13.12 (90) Western Oval 18,466 6 May 1972
Melbourne 16.13 (109) Essendon 12.13 (85) MCG 41,537 6 May 1972
South Melbourne 14.22 (106) North Melbourne 13.13 (91) VFL Park 9,099 6 May 1972

Round 7

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 13.14 (92) South Melbourne 9.20 (74) Glenferrie Oval 13,742 13 May 1972
Essendon 18.15 (123) St Kilda 10.22 (82) Windy Hill 27,875 13 May 1972
Richmond 17.19 (121) North Melbourne 13.16 (94) MCG 17,331 13 May 1972
Geelong 15.18 (108) Footscray 16.15 (111) Kardinia Park 16,836 13 May 1972
Fitzroy 10.15 (75) Collingwood 15.10 (100) Junction Oval 26,766 13 May 1972
Carlton 10.15 (75) Melbourne 5.8 (38) VFL Park 30,249 13 May 1972

Round 8

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 7.14 (56) Footscray 11.14 (80) Victoria Park 25,986 20 May 1972
Melbourne 20.14 (134) Geelong 14.17 (101) MCG 19,023 20 May 1972
South Melbourne 9.7 (61) Fitzroy 18.11 (119) Lake Oval 12,421 20 May 1972
North Melbourne 8.13 (61) Essendon 14.12 (96) Arden Street Oval 14,091 20 May 1972
St Kilda 10.12 (72) Carlton 14.15 (99) Moorabbin Oval 31,547 20 May 1972
Richmond 11.25 (91) Hawthorn 13.6 (84) VFL Park 25,845 20 May 1972

Round 9

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 12.9 (81) South Melbourne 9.10 (64) Western Oval 15,891 27 May 1972
Fitzroy 12.25 (97) Richmond 16.9 (105) Junction Oval 21,753 27 May 1972
Essendon 15.17 (107) Hawthorn 14.21 (105) Windy Hill 28,187 27 May 1972
Collingwood 28.16 (184) Geelong 16.13 (109) Victoria Park 20,771 27 May 1972
Carlton 16.13 (109) North Melbourne 6.11 (47) Princes Park 15,664 27 May 1972
Melbourne 5.6 (36) St Kilda 9.19 (73) VFL Park 23,507 27 May 1972

Round 10

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 9.11 (65) St Kilda 11.15 (81) Kardinia Park 15,835 3 June 1972
North Melbourne 6.11 (47) Melbourne 23.17 (155) Arden Street Oval 8,063 3 June 1972
Richmond 15.14 (104) Footscray 12.14 (86) MCG 36,985 3 June 1972
South Melbourne 8.11 (59) Collingwood 19.14 (128) Lake Oval 18,085 3 June 1972
Hawthorn 11.22 (88) Carlton 13.7 (85) Glenferrie Oval 26,665 3 June 1972
Essendon 14.17 (101) Fitzroy 15.9 (99) VFL Park 26,790 3 June 1972

Round 11

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 14.11 (95) South Melbourne 2.19 (31) MCG 18,692 10 June 1972
St Kilda 17.8 (110) Hawthorn 7.14 (56) Moorabbin Oval 24,000 10 June 1972
Footscray 7.9 (51) Carlton 7.15 (57) Western Oval 23,948 10 June 1972
Fitzroy 12.17 (89) Melbourne 13.10 (88) Junction Oval 23,103 12 June 1972
Collingwood 23.10 (148) Essendon 13.15 (93) Victoria Park 42,206 12 June 1972
North Melbourne 14.11 (95) Geelong 14.20 (104) VFL Park 13,945 12 June 1972

Round 12

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 7.8 (50) St Kilda 12.19 (91) Arden Street Oval 10,681 17 June 1972
Collingwood 11.24 (90) Richmond 12.13 (85) Victoria Park 28,188 17 June 1972
Melbourne 11.10 (76) Hawthorn 11.9 (75) MCG 31,314 17 June 1972
Geelong 15.14 (104) South Melbourne 10.13 (73) Kardinia Park 14,426 24 June 1972
Essendon 14.15 (99) Footscray 19.19 (133) Windy Hill 23,903 24 June 1972
Fitzroy 8.7 (55) Carlton 13.13 (91) VFL Park 29,380 24 June 1972

Round 13

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 21.14 (140) North Melbourne 10.16 (76) Glenferrie Oval 8,201 1 July 1972
Carlton 10.10 (70) Collingwood 9.8 (62) Princes Park 36,133 1 July 1972
Richmond 14.8 (92) Geelong 25.18 (168) MCG 22,595 1 July 1972
St Kilda 13.10 (88) Fitzroy 6.17 (53) Moorabbin Oval 18,355 1 July 1972
South Melbourne 12.12 (84) Essendon 13.9 (87) Lake Oval 12,984 1 July 1972
Footscray 11.8 (74) Melbourne 16.15 (111) VFL Park 14,180 1 July 1972

Round 14

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
South Melbourne 10.9 (69) Melbourne 14.9 (93) Lake Oval 10,405 8 July 1972
North Melbourne 8.15 (63) Footscray 14.15 (99) Arden Street Oval 9,302 8 July 1972
Geelong 10.10 (70) Essendon 9.6 (60) Kardinia Park 23,873 8 July 1972
St Kilda 4.13 (37) Collingwood 9.13 (67) Moorabbin Oval 30,451 8 July 1972
Richmond 17.17 (119) Carlton 13.10 (88) MCG 46,471 8 July 1972
Hawthorn 19.19 (133) Fitzroy 12.8 (80) VFL Park 12,425 8 July 1972

Round 15

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 14.7 (91) St Kilda 9.11 (65) Western Oval 18,655 15 July 1972
Fitzroy 16.14 (110) North Melbourne 9.12 (66) Junction Oval 7,007 15 July 1972
Essendon 13.12 (90) Richmond 17.9 (111) Windy Hill 22,251 15 July 1972
Carlton 20.8 (128) South Melbourne 8.15 (63) Princes Park 14,465 15 July 1972
Hawthorn 19.14 (128) Geelong 15.8 (98) Glenferrie Oval 12,425 15 July 1972
Melbourne 8.10 (58) Collingwood 10.13 (73) VFL Park 30,883 15 July 1972

Round 16

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 11.18 (84) Richmond 19.9 (123) MCG 32,416 22 July 1972
Footscray 13.11 (89) Hawthorn 19.16 (130) Western Oval 18,400 22 July 1972
Fitzroy 10.9 (69) Geelong 12.13 (85) Junction Oval 11,046 22 July 1972
Collingwood 17.6 (108) North Melbourne 11.14 (80) Victoria Park 18,049 22 July 1972
Carlton 20.13 (133) Essendon 17.15 (117) Princes Park 26,206 22 July 1972
St Kilda 14.11 (95) South Melbourne 9.5 (59) VFL Park 13,184 22 July 1972

Round 17

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 23.15 (153) St Kilda 11.15 (81) MCG 44,348 29 July 1972
North Melbourne 12.15 (87) South Melbourne 11.12 (78) Arden Street Oval 6,191 29 July 1972
Essendon 21.14 (140) Melbourne 14.11 (95) Windy Hill 16,318 29 July 1972
Hawthorn 11.16 (82) Collingwood 19.13 (127) Glenferrie Oval 24,135 29 July 1972
Geelong 9.13 (67) Carlton 17.17 (119) Kardinia Park 24,797 29 July 1972
Fitzroy 15.12 (102) Footscray 11.15 (81) VFL Park 9,750 29 July 1972

Round 18

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 9.19 (73) Geelong 10.9 (69) Western Oval 14,699 5 August 1972
Collingwood 19.15 (129) Fitzroy 12.13 (85) Victoria Park 25,007 5 August 1972
South Melbourne 13.11 (89) Hawthorn 23.10 (148) Lake Oval 9,207 5 August 1972
St Kilda 12.9 (81) Essendon 12.16 (88) Moorabbin Oval 29,062 5 August 1972
Melbourne 8.18 (66) Carlton 11.11 (77) MCG 33,364 5 August 1972
North Melbourne 6.14 (50) Richmond 13.20 (98) VFL Park 11,393 5 August 1972

Round 19

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 15.12 (102) Richmond 17.11 (113) Glenferrie Oval 18,103 12 August 1972
Geelong 11.19 (85) Melbourne 21.16 (142) Kardinia Park 12,716 12 August 1972
Fitzroy 14.14 (98) South Melbourne 6.17 (53) Junction Oval 7,451 12 August 1972
Essendon 21.14 (140) North Melbourne 14.11 (95) Windy Hill 14,454 12 August 1972
Carlton 13.16 (94) St Kilda 10.11 (71) Princes Park 22,109 12 August 1972
Footscray 7.13 (55) Collingwood 15.12 (102) VFL Park 21,540 12 August 1972

Round 20

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 13.12 (90) Melbourne 13.11 (89) Moorabbin Oval 18,836 19 August 1972
South Melbourne 9.12 (66) Footscray 11.13 (79) Lake Oval 9,154 19 August 1972
Richmond 20.17 (137) Fitzroy 13.22 (100) MCG 27,651 19 August 1972
Geelong 17.10 (112) Collingwood 17.9 (111) Kardinia Park 23,108 19 August 1972
North Melbourne 8.12 (60) Carlton 23.11 (149) Arden Street Oval 11,271 19 August 1972
Hawthorn 15.16 (106) Essendon 12.15 (87) VFL Park 36,749 19 August 1972

Round 21

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 17.22 (124) North Melbourne 14.7 (91) MCG 11,241 26 August 1972
Footscray 17.21 (123) Richmond 18.17 (125) Western Oval 18,117 26 August 1972
Collingwood 22.17 (149) South Melbourne 11.6 (72) Victoria Park 19,934 26 August 1972
Carlton 24.12 (156) Hawthorn 11.22 (88) Princes Park 32,048 26 August 1972
Fitzroy 14.20 (104) Essendon 18.11 (119) Junction Oval 17,252 26 August 1972
St Kilda 11.10 (76) Geelong 8.13 (61) VFL Park 25,663 26 August 1972

Round 22

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 15.12 (102) St Kilda 18.13 (121) Glenferrie Oval 22,855 2 September 1972
Geelong 20.20 (140) North Melbourne 13.11 (89) Kardinia Park 12,267 2 September 1972
Carlton 13.8 (86) Footscray 11.17 (83) Princes Park 24,619 2 September 1972
Melbourne 18.19 (127) Fitzroy 14.11 (95) MCG 21,653 2 September 1972
Essendon 17.15 (117) Collingwood 17.10 (112) Windy Hill 35,030 2 September 1972
South Melbourne 12.10 (82) Richmond 23.20 (158) VFL Park 16,541 2 September 1972

Ladder

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(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Carlton (P) 22 18 3 1 2237 1666 134.3 74
2 Richmond 22 18 4 0 2469 2098 117.7 72
3 Collingwood 22 14 7 1 2338 1747 133.8 58
4 St Kilda 22 14 8 0 1989 1721 115.6 56
5 Essendon 22 14 8 0 2317 2140 108.3 56
6 Hawthorn 22 13 9 0 2277 2050 111.1 52
7 Footscray 22 11 11 0 1930 2038 94.7 44
8 Melbourne 22 10 12 0 2043 1929 105.9 40
9 Fitzroy 22 9 13 0 1997 2062 96.8 36
10 Geelong 22 7 15 0 1994 2369 84.2 28
11 South Melbourne 22 2 20 0 1513 2323 65.1 8
12 North Melbourne 22 1 21 0 1628 2589 62.9 4

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 93.7
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

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Qualifying and elimination finalsSemi-finalsPreliminary finalGrand final
16 September, VFL Park/23 September, Melbourne Cricket Ground7 October, Melbourne Cricket Ground
1Carlton8.13 (61)9.15 (69)Richmond22.18 (150)
9 September, Melbourne Cricket GroundRichmond8.13 (61)15.20 (110)30 September, Melbourne Cricket GroundCarlton28.9 (177)
2Richmond25.14 (164)Carlton16.13 (109)
3Collingwood18.12 (120)16 September, Melbourne Cricket GroundSt Kilda13.15 (93)
Collingwood8.17 (65)
9 September, VFL ParkSt Kilda11.17 (83)
4St Kilda18.16 (124)
5Essendon10.11 (71)

Finals week 1

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Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 18.16 (124) Essendon 10.11 (71) VFL Park 52,499 9 September
Richmond 25.14 (164) Collingwood 18.12 (120) MCG 91,900 9 September

Finals week 2

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Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 8.17 (65) St Kilda 11.17 (83) MCG 91,857 16 September
Carlton 8.13 (61) Richmond 8.13 (61) VFL Park 54,338 16 September
Carlton 9.15 (69) Richmond 15.20 (110) MCG 92,670 23 September

Preliminary final

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Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 16.13 (109) St Kilda 13.15 (93) MCG 96,272 30 September

Grand final

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Season notes

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  • The Page–McIntyre system for determining the VFL premiership team, that had been centered on a final four, and had operated from 1931 to 1971, was replaced by the McIntyre final five system in 1972 (the new finals system operated from 1972 until the 1991 AFL season, when it was replaced by the first McIntyre final six system).
  • In Round 1, Hawthorn full-forward Peter Hudson kicked 8 goals at Glenferrie Oval before he sustained a knee injury that kept him out until Round 21 of the following season.
  • In Round 10, the VFL changed a tradition: the field umpire, rather than team captains, tossed the coin at the start of the match, in order to reduce gamesmanship.
  • In Round 14, Collingwood half-forward John Greening was felled by St Kilda back-man Jim O'Dea 70 metres behind play. Greening was comatose for some time and was extremely lucky not to have died. After a VFL investigation, O'Dea received a 10-week suspension, which was seen by some as unsatisfactory.
  • In the second quarter of Carlton's Round 16 match against Essendon, Alex Jesaulenko kicked six goals in eleven minutes. Carlton kicked 11 goals straight in that second quarter.
  • In August, the VFL announced that it would grant a free transfer to any player who had played 10 years with a single club.
    • The "10-year rule" was introduced in order to render the VFL immune from the sorts of "restraint of trade" difficulties that were being experienced, at the time, in New South Wales in relation to Rugby League footballers.
    • Although twenty-two VFL players were eligible to do so, only six players, George Bisset (Footscray to Collingwood), Barry Davis (Essendon to North Melbourne), Carl Ditterich (St Kilda to Melbourne), Adrian Gallagher (Carlton to Footscray), John Rantall (South Melbourne to North Melbourne), and Doug Wade (Geelong to North Melbourne) took advantage of the new rule. The rule was rescinded in May 1973.
  • In September, North Melbourne Football Club appointed Ron Barassi as its 1973 coach.
  • In Round 20, Geelong's Ken Newland kicked a behind after the siren to win the match against Collingwood.
  • In the Round 21 match between Fitzroy and Essendon at the Junction Oval, bespectacled Essendon full-forward Geoff Blethyn kicked his 100th goal. A mounted policeman galloped out to protect Blethyn from spectators, and Blethyn was temporarily rendered sightless when the policeman's horse slobbered all over his glasses.
  • The 16 September First semi-final between Richmond and Carlton was tied at 8.13 (61) each. Angry fans invaded VFL Park immediately after the siren and field umpire Ian Coates was assaulted.
  • The Grand Final between Carlton and Richmond featured an aggregate score of 50.27 (327), setting the record for the highest aggregate score in any game, final or otherwise. The previous record of 48.25 (313) had stood since 1942, and the record would last until 1978.

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Jim Robb (9 October 1972). "Flag No. 2 to Hawks". The Age. Melbourne. p. 27.
  • Hogan, P., The Tigers of Old, The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. ISBN 0-646-18748-1
  • 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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