1970 VFL season

Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Australian rules football season

The 1970 VFL season was the 74th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria.

The season featured twelve clubs, and ran from 4 April until 26 September. It was the first season to play comprise a 22-game home-and-away season, which became the standard for the following fifty years, and which was followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs. The season saw the opening of the league's privately owned stadium, VFL Park, in Mulgrave.

The premiership was won by the Carlton Football Club for the tenth time, after it defeated Template:AFL Col by ten points in the 1970 VFL Grand Final. A crowd of 121,696 attended the match, the all-time record for the highest Australian rules football crowd.

Background

In 1970, 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 1970 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.

Home-and-away season

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Template:S-start |- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Ric | 6.13 (49) | Template:AFL SM | 10.11 (71) | MCG | 23,084 | 2 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Foo | 11.13 (79) | Template:AFL Haw | 11.10 (76) | Western Oval | 19,610 | 2 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Fit | 5.24 (54) | Template:AFL NM | 7.7 (49) | Junction Oval | 7,450 | 2 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Ess | 9.14 (68) | Template:AFL Gee | 14.4 (88) | Windy Hill | 16,077 | 2 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL StK | 8.9 (57) | Template:AFL Car | 12.14 (86) | Moorabbin Oval | 22,800 | 2 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Col | 8.17 (65) | Template:AFL Mel | 8.9 (57) | VFL Park | 28,454 | 2 May 1970 Template:S-end

Round 6

Template:S-start |- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Car | 23.9 (147) | Template:AFL Fit | 15.20 (110) | Princes Park | 20,022 | 9 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL SM | 9.25 (79) | Template:AFL StK | 9.8 (62) | Lake Oval | 20,312 | 9 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Gee | 18.15 (123) | Template:AFL Foo | 11.11 (77) | Kardinia Park | 21,139 | 9 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Mel | 10.12 (72) | Template:AFL Ess | 7.15 (57) | MCG | 34,219 | 9 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL NM | 10.6 (66) | Template:AFL Col | 17.30 (132) | Arden Street Oval | 20,091 | 9 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Haw | 20.10 (130) | Template:AFL Ric | 21.11 (137) | VFL Park | 26,133 | 9 May 1970 Template:S-end

Round 7

Template:S-start |- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Foo | 9.14 (68) | Template:AFL Mel | 7.4 (46) | Western Oval | 16,346 | 16 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Col | 15.15 (105) | Template:AFL Fit | 9.18 (72) | Victoria Park | 22,774 | 16 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL StK | 10.21 (81) | Template:AFL Haw | 8.8 (56) | Moorabbin Oval | 17,618 | 16 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Ric | 16.20 (116) | Template:AFL Gee | 15.2 (92) | MCG | 43,435 | 16 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL SM | 23.12 (150) | Template:AFL Car | 10.13 (73) | Lake Oval | 28,395 | 16 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Ess | 8.12 (60) | Template:AFL NM | 9.22 (76) | VFL Park | 13,339 | 16 May 1970 Template:S-end

Round 8

Template:S-start |- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Mel | 15.10 (100) | Template:AFL Ric | 18.19 (127) | MCG | 36,064 | 23 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Haw | 21.20 (146) | Template:AFL SM | 12.12 (84) | Glenferrie Oval | 17,063 | 23 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Gee | 14.5 (89) | Template:AFL StK | 12.9 (81) | Kardinia Park | 20,942 | 23 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL NM | 9.13 (67) | Template:AFL Foo | 13.18 (96) | Arden Street Oval | 13,475 | 23 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Fit | 9.14 (68) | Template:AFL Ess | 11.5 (71) | Junction Oval | 12,264 | 23 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Car | 12.13 (85) | Template:AFL Col | 16.12 (108) | VFL Park | 55,332 | 23 May 1970 Template:S-end

Round 9

Template:S-start |- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Car | 10.14 (74) | Template:AFL Haw | 15.16 (106) | Princes Park | 19,298 | 30 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Ric | 10.17 (77) | Template:AFL NM | 15.7 (97) | MCG | 22,284 | 30 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL StK | 14.12 (96) | Template:AFL Mel | 7.11 (53) | Moorabbin Oval | 19,393 | 30 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL SM | 19.14 (128) | Template:AFL Gee | 10.18 (78) | Lake Oval | 19,794 | 30 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Ess | 13.15 (93) | Template:AFL Col | 11.21 (87) | Windy Hill | 24,936 | 30 May 1970 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Template:AFL Foo | 11.13 (79) | Template:AFL Fit | 12.9 (81) | VFL Park | 10,292 | 30 May 1970 Template:S-end

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Ladder

(P)	Premiers
	Qualified for finals

Template:Australian rules football ladder start |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 1 || align=left | Template:AFL Col || 22 || 18 || 4 || 0 || 2333 || 1709 || 136.5 || 72 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 2 || align=left | Template:AFL Car (P) || 22 || 16 || 6 || 0 || 2146 || 1911 || 112.3 || 64 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 3 || align=left | Template:AFL StK || 22 || 14 || 8 || 0 || 1926 || 1532 || 125.7 || 56 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 4 || align=left | Template:AFL SM || 22 || 14 || 8 || 0 || 1914 || 1828 || 104.7 || 56 |- | 5 || align=left | Template:AFL Gee || 22 || 12 || 10 || 0 || 1949 || 1903 || 102.4 || 48 |- | 6 || align=left | Template:AFL Ric || 22 || 12 || 10 || 0 || 2029 || 1998 || 101.6 || 48 |- | 7 || align=left | Template:AFL Foo || 22 || 11 || 11 || 0 || 1728 || 1894 || 91.2 || 44 |- | 8 || align=left | Template:AFL Haw || 22 || 10 || 12 || 0 || 2264 || 1986 || 114.0 || 40 |- | 9 || align=left | Template:AFL Fit || 22 || 9 || 13 || 0 || 1774 || 2155 || 82.3 || 36 |- | 10 || align=left | Template:AFL Mel || 22 || 6 || 16 || 0 || 1705 || 2043 || 83.5 || 24 |- | 11 || align=left | Template:AFL Ess || 22 || 6 || 16 || 0 || 1734 || 2128 || 81.5 || 24 |- | 12 || align=left | Template:AFL NM || 22 || 4 || 18 || 0 || 1574 || 1989 || 79.1 || 16 |}

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 87.4
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

Semi-finals

Team	1 Qtr	2 Qtr	3 Qtr	Final
St Kilda	6.1 (37)	9.3 (57)	14.8 (92)	22.11 (143)
South Melbourne	2.5 (17)	9.8 (62)	10.10 (70)	13.12 (90)
Attendance: 110.467

Team	1 Qtr	2 Qtr	3 Qtr	Final
Collingwood	5.2 (32)	9.7 (61)	12.11 (83)	17.16 (118)
Carlton	5.0 (30)	9.2 (56)	14.3 (87)	17.6 (108)
Attendance: 109,345

Preliminary final

Team	1 Qtr	2 Qtr	3 Qtr	Final
Carlton	2.6 (18)	6.12 (48)	13.16 (94)	17.21 (123)
St Kilda	1.4 (10)	4.12 (36)	6.16 (52)	7.19 (61)
Attendance: 102,118

Grand final

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Team	1 Qtr	2 Qtr	3 Qtr	Final
Carlton	0.3 (3)	4.5 (29)	12.5 (77)	17.9 (111)
Collingwood	4.8 (32)	10.13 (73)	13.16 (94)	14.17 (101)
Attendance: 121,696

Consolation Night Series Competition

The consolation 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 home and away rounds.

Final: Template:AFL Foo 13.17 (95) defeated Melbourne 13.15 (93).

Season notes

Unhappy with their treatment over the three seasons they spent at Princes Park, Fitzroy moved their home ground to the Junction Oval in St Kilda.
VFL Park was opened. As part of accommodating the neutral ground, the 1970 VFL season was extended to 22 rounds, with each of the 12 clubs to play three games at VFL Park. The idea was that six clubs would play ten games on their home grounds, and the other six would play nine home ground matches. In 1971, the home ground advantage would be reversed, so that those teams that had nine home ground games in 1970 would play ten home ground games in 1971 and vice versa.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On Monday 9 March, the Victoria representative team played a match under Gaelic football rules against the 1969 All-Ireland Senior football champions, Kerry, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Kerry 4-11 defeated Victoria 2–10.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Essendon's Don McKenzie, Geoff Gosper, Darryl Gerlach, Geoff Pryor, and Barry Davis, and Collingwood's Len Thompson and Des Tuddenham did not play in Round 1 due to separate disputes over player payments with their respective clubs (see Dispute over player payments).
The second half of the Round 1 match between Richmond and Fitzroy, played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, 5 April 1970, was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales (now Charles III) and Anne, Princess Royal, who were present as part of the 1970 royal tour commemorating the bicentenary of the first voyage of James Cook. The royals met the players on the field at half time and were present to unfurl Richmond's 1969 premiership flag before watching the second half. The match was specially scheduled to accommodate the royals' itinerary; it was the first VFL match played on a Sunday, and the second half was televised live in spite of the rules which normally precluded live telecasts of VFL matches.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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In Round 10, Collingwood trailed St Kilda by 60 points late in the second quarter, before coming back in the second half to win by seven points. It set a new record for the biggest comeback in VFL history which stood until 1999.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> The half-time deficit of the 52-point deficit remains, as of 2025, the greatest half-time deficit by a winning side.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The 1970 season was the first in which three full-forwards (Alex Jesaulenko, Peter McKenna, and Peter Hudson) kicked at least 100 goals in a home-and-away season.Template:Efn Hudson's 146 goals remains the highest tally on record for a home-and-away season,<ref>See {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> although only the third-highest overall total.

South Melbourne ended the second-longest finals drought in league history (twenty-four seasons) by finishing fourth, making the finals for the first time since 1945.Template:Efn
In Round 5, Ted Whitten played his 321st senior VFL game, breaking the record set by Dick Reynolds. Whitten retired after this match.
On Monday 31 August HSV-7 broadcast the first live Brownlow Medal count.
In the 1970 Second Semi-Final, Carlton's Syd Jackson was reported for striking Collingwood defender Lee Adamson. Carlton president George Harris, eager to have Jackson in his Grand Final team, devised the strategy of having the club's advocate to assert to the tribunal (on Jackson's behalf) that Jackson had been provoked by an extended series of racial taunts from Adamson, including repeatedly calling him "Sambo" and, furthermore, stating that Jackson would respond in the same way to any future vilification. The tribunal took the stance that the VFL had to be seen to protect its only top-level Aboriginal footballer at the time, and they immediately exonerated him, without hearing Adamson's side of the story, stating that Jackson had no case to answer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The 1970 Grand Final between Template:AFL Col and Template:AFL Car was considered to be the most memorable Grand Final in VFL/AFL history. Collingwood had a great lead over Carlton during most of the game, however Carlton managed to come back and win the Grand Final by 10 points.

Awards

Major awards

The 1970 VFL Premiership team was Carlton.
The VFL's leading goalkicker was Peter Hudson of Hawthorn who kicked 146 goals.
The winner of the 1970 Brownlow Medal was Peter Bedford of South Melbourne with 25 votes.
North Melbourne took the "wooden spoon" in 1970.
The reserves premiership was won by Template:AFL Mel for the second consecutive year. Melbourne 16.10 (106) defeated Template:AFL Ric 16.8 (104) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 26 September.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Leading goalkickers

Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the player led the goalkicking at the end of that round.
DNP = did not play in that round.

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

Sources

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