All eight teams that participated in the 1901 MJFA season continued in 1902.[7] One new club, the Hawthorn Football Club, was formed in March 1902 and admitted into the Association several weeks later, bringing the total number of teams to nine.[8][9]
Celtic withdrawal
In round 7, the Celtic Football Club was scheduled to play a match against Beverley. However, Beverley won after Celtic forfeited.[10]
Celtic had a bye the following week in round 8, but was scheduled to play Brighton in round 9.[11] However, "owing to a misunderstanding", Celtic did not state where the game was supposed to be played.[11] The match was eventually called off, and Brighton claimed a walkover victory.[12] Celtic disbanded the following week, prior to a scheduled match against Caulfield at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground, having lost all of its eight games.[13][14]
At the time, the MJFA premiership was decided by the best overall record for the season. In the event of a tie, a playoff match would have been held.[70]
1902 was the second time in MJFA history that such a match was required (the first being in 1900), with Collegians and Brighton finishing with 60 premiership points each.[67]
^In 1900, the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA, now VAFA) decided on a change of name to the Metropolitan Football Association (MFA). MJFA president Lawrence Adamson brokered a deal that the existing MFA (of 1899) became the MJFA, giving his MJFA (of 1892) the "Metropolitan Football Association" name.[1][2] Despite this, various newspaper reports from 1900 until 1912 still use the MJFA name when referring to Adamson's competition, most consensus is that "MJFA" in this time period refers to the now-VAFA, and the VAFA's official history continues to use the MJFA name until 1912.[3][4]
^"Our History". Collegians Football Club. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024. The Club has been Premiers of the M.J.F.A. in 1892, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1902 and 1904