1923 MAFA season

1923 MAFA season
Date5 May − 27 August 1923
Teams16
← 1922
1924 →

The 1923 MAFA season was the 28th season of the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA), an Australian rules football competition played in the state of Victoria.[1][2] The season began on 5 May and concluded on 25 August, with 16 teams participating across two divisions under a promotion and relegation system.[3][4]

After splitting the competition into A Section and B Section for the first time in 1922, the MAFA introduced promotion and relegation in 1923, with the A Section wooden spooners relegated and the B Section premiers promoted.[5][6] This system has remained in place in the MAFA (now VAFA) with minimal changes since 1923.[7][8]

Association membership

Black Rock lef the MAFA after one season, while Melbourne Shipping Company had disbanded during the 1922 season.[9][10] Hampton and Murrumbeena both entered the competition, keeping the total number of clubs at 16.[9][11]

Notable events

A Section

1923 MAFA A Section season
Date5 May − 18 August 1923
Teams8
PremiersOld Scotch
1st A Section premiership
Minor premiersUniversity B
1st A Section minor premiership
← 1922
1924 →

Old Scotch won its first MAFA premiership, defeating University B by 34 points in the grand final.[13]

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 University B 14 1171 758 151.5 40 Finals series
2 Old Scotch (P) 14 1046 791 132.2 40
3 Hampton 14 1006 700 143.7 36
4 University A 14 969 685 141.5 36
5 Collegians 14 1148 788 145.1 32
6 Elsternwick 14 851 885 96.2 24
7 Old Melburnians 14 713 1414 50.4 8
8 Old Xaverians 14 615 1493 41.2 8 Relegation

Source: [14]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

1923 MAFA A Section Grand Final
Saturday, 18 August University B def. by Old Scotch Elsternwick Park [15]
5.4 (34)
6.4 (40)
5 point lead
12.7 (79) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final 		3.0 (18)
6.5 (41)

17.11 (113)
  • Although 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, the ability to challenge was not given to University B because it was even with Old Scotch on premiership points.[15][16]

B Section

1923 MAFA B Section season
Date5 May − 25 August 1923
Teams8
PremiersSandringham
1st B Section premiership
Minor premiersMurrumbeena
1st B Section minor premiership
Leading goalkickerA.Lundy[17][18]
(Murrumbeena)
← 1922
1924 →

Sandringham won its first MAFA premiership, defeating Murrumbeena by four points in the first-ever B Section grand final.

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Murrumbeena 14 1101 720 152.9 52 Finals series
2 Old Caulfield Grammarians 14 921 784 117.5 34
3 Elsternwick B 14 762 752 101.3 32
4 Sandringham (P) 14 831 830 100.1 28
5 Melbourne Swimming Club 14 829 871 95.2 28
6 Teachers' College 14 698 900 75.6 20
7 Elwood 14 791 1006 78.6 18
8 Old Trinity 14 956 1026 93.2 12

Source: [14]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

1923 MAFA B Section Grand Final
Saturday, 25 August Murrumbeena def. by Sandringham University Oval [19][20]
4.6 (30)

7.7 (49)
8.7 (55) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final 		2.5 (17)

6.8 (44)
8.11 (59)
Lundy 3 Goals Harris 4, Kenna 2, Morrison, Woods
Cleal, Scott, Horwood, Lundy, Reeves, Callaghan Best Graham, Lee, Smith, Kenna, Harris, Wilson

References

  1. ^ "FOOTBALL". The Argus. 11 April 1923. p. 10. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  2. ^ "METROPOLITAN AMATEURS". The Age. 23 July 1923. p. 15. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  3. ^ "FOOTBALL". The Argus. 29 March 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  4. ^ "METROPOLITAN AMATEUR FOOTBALL". Richmond Guardian. 5 May 1923. p. 1. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  5. ^ "METROPOLITAN AMATEURS". The Age. 9 July 1923. p. 15. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  6. ^ "METROPOLITAN AMATEURS". The Argus. 1 April 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  7. ^ Beitzel, Brad (27 August 2015). "VAFA: Collegians, Old Scotch and Old Xavs fight drop". The Age. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  8. ^ Lenaghan, Peter (4 June 2018). "Country footy looks to change in bid to re-energise and preserve the game". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Former VAFA Clubs". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  10. ^ "A BRIEF HISTORY" (PDF). Victorian Amateur Football Association. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  11. ^ "JUNIOR FOOTBALL". The Herald. 11 August 1912. p. 5. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  12. ^ Boy, Old (27 July 1923). "FOOTBALL". The Argus. p. 4. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  13. ^ "UNFURLING 1923 PREMIERSHIP PENNANT OF METROPOLITAN AMATEUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION". Table Talk. 19 June 1924. p. 30. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  14. ^ a b "METROPOLITAN AMATEURS". The Age. 6 August 1923. p. 7. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  15. ^ a b "OLD SCOTCH COLLEGIANS PREMIERS, B GRADE GRAND FINAL NECESSARY". The Age. 20 August 1923. p. 15. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  16. ^ "SOUTH YARRA WINS MINOR PREMIERSHIP". The Age. 30 August 1909. p. 11. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Murrumbeena Premiers". The Age. 22 September 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  18. ^ "Leading Goalkickers – Premier B (B Section)". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  19. ^ "SANDRINGHAM WIN POOR GAME". The Age. 27 August 1923. p. 15. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  20. ^ "Wild Amateur Football". The Sun News-Pictorial. 27 August 1923. p. 18. Retrieved 11 December 2024.