The 1917 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Collingwood Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 22 September 1917. It was the 20th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1917 VFL season. The match, attended by 28,512 spectators, was won by Collingwood by a margin of 35 points, marking that club's fourth premiership victory.

1917 VFL Grand Final

Collingwood

Fitzroy
9.20 (74) 5.9 (39)
1 2 3 4
COLL 2.6 (18) 3.8 (26) 6.14 (50) 9.20 (74)
FIT 1.0 (6) 2.2 (14) 3.4 (22) 5.9 (39)
Date22 September 1917
StadiumMelbourne Cricket Ground
Attendance28,512
← 1916 VFL Grand Final 1918 →

War had restricted the competition to just six clubs during the home and away season and Fitzroy, despite winning just six of their 15 games, qualified for the final by finishing fourth.

Fitzroy made it into the Grand Final by defeating minor premiers Collingwood by a goal a week earlier but Collingwood this time won comfortably, dominating from the opening quarter.

Alec Mutch of Collingwood was playing his 100th VFL game.

Teams

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Collingwood
 
 
 
 
 
Fitzroy
Collingwood
B: Jock McHale Harry Saunders Alec Mutch
HB: George Anderson Charlie Brown Jack Green
C: Tom Drummond Percy Wilson (c) Charlie Pannam
HF: Gus Dobrigh Harry Curtis Charlie Lee
F: Con McCarthy Dick Lee Ernie Lumsden
Foll: Les Hughes Pen Reynolds Charlie Laxton
Coach: Jock McHale
Fitzroy
B: Bill Byrne Fred Bamford Bert Lenne
HB: Chris Lethbridge Jim Toohey Bob King
C: Roy Millen George Holden (c) Carl Keller
HF: Percy Parratt Thomas Heaney Gordon Rattray
F: Jimmy Freake Len Wigraft Tom Lowrie
Foll: Fred Moore Charlie Norris Ted McDonald
Coach: George Holden
  • Umpire – Norden

Statistics

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Collingwood FC, Premier team

Goalkickers

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Collingwood:

  • D.Lee 4
  • Curtis 3
  • Dobrigh 1
  • Hughes 1

Fitzroy:

  • Freake 1
  • Norris 1
  • Parratt 1
  • Rattray 1
  • Toohey 1

Attendance

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  • MCG crowd – 28,512

References

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  • 1917 VFL Grand Final statistics
  • The Official statistical history of the AFL 2004
  • 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

See also

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