1983 VFL premiership season
Teams12
PremiersHawthorn
5th premiership
Minor premiersNorth Melbourne
3rd minor premiership
Night seriesCarlton
1st Night series win
Brownlow MedallistRoss Glendinning
North Melbourne (24 votes)
Coleman MedallistBernie Quinlan
Fitzroy (106 goals)
Attendance
Matches played138
Total attendance3,638,017 (26,362 per match)
Highest110,332
← 1982
1984 →

The 1983 VFL season was the 87th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria.

The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 26 March until 24 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.

Prior to the season, the South Melbourne Football Club, which had played its home games in Sydney, New South Wales in 1982, formally relocated its operations to Sydney and was renamed the Sydney Swans.

The premiership was won by the Hawthorn Football Club for the fifth time, after it defeated Essendon by 83 points in the 1983 VFL Grand Final.

Night series

Carlton defeated Richmond 14.16 (100) to 10.6 (66) in the final.

Premiership season

Round 1

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date North Melbourne 14.16 (100) St Kilda 12.15 (87) Arden Street Oval 18,496 26 March 1983 Fitzroy 16.16 (112) Hawthorn 20.11 (131) Junction Oval 15,626 26 March 1983 Carlton 20.16 (136) Richmond 11.10 (76) Princes Park 28,108 26 March 1983 Melbourne 19.11 (125) Collingwood 20.15 (135) MCG 72,274 26 March 1983 Geelong 15.16 (106) Footscray 11.9 (75) VFL Park 18,377 26 March 1983 Sydney 17.9 (111) Essendon 15.20 (110) SCG 12,001 27 March 1983

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Collingwood 14.12 (96) Geelong 15.11 (101) Victoria Park 34,851 2 April 1983 Richmond 15.10 (100) Melbourne 18.11 (119) MCG 41,889 2 April 1983 Footscray 14.15 (99) Carlton 12.10 (82) Western Oval 20,414 2 April 1983 Hawthorn 9.16 (70) Sydney 5.15 (45) Princes Park 16,159 4 April 1983 Essendon 20.11 (131) St Kilda 10.10 (70) Windy Hill 27,566 4 April 1983 North Melbourne 6.7 (43) Fitzroy 12.16 (88) VFL Park 23,788 4 April 1983

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Geelong 13.16 (94) Richmond 6.10 (46) Kardinia Park 23,643 9 April 1983 Footscray 16.15 (111) Melbourne 11.13 (79) Western Oval 20,608 9 April 1983 St Kilda 6.6 (42) Hawthorn 26.15 (171) Moorabbin Oval 19,227 9 April 1983 Fitzroy 14.13 (97) Essendon 7.14 (56) Junction Oval 19,823 9 April 1983 Carlton 13.19 (97) Collingwood 11.21 (87) VFL Park 69,596 9 April 1983 Sydney 5.15 (45) North Melbourne 27.23 (185) SCG 11,831 10 April 1983

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date North Melbourne 18.19 (127) Richmond 14.19 (103) Arden Street Oval 14,822 16 April 1983 Fitzroy 17.23 (125) Sydney 6.16 (52) Junction Oval 10,738 16 April 1983 Hawthorn 12.25 (97) Footscray 17.16 (118) Princes Park 16,026 16 April 1983 Essendon 20.21 (141) Collingwood 17.15 (117) Windy Hill 27,888 16 April 1983 Melbourne 13.12 (90) Carlton 14.15 (99) MCG 38,544 16 April 1983 St Kilda 11.13 (79) Geelong 13.12 (90) VFL Park 20,826 16 April 1983

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Collingwood 9.19 (73) Hawthorn 14.11 (95) Victoria Park 28,506 23 April 1983 Carlton 9.11 (65) Fitzroy 18.17 (125) Princes Park 25,971 23 April 1983 Sydney 24.16 (160) St Kilda 21.11 (137) SCG 11,276 24 April 1983 Geelong 16.14 (110) Melbourne 18.13 (121) Kardinia Park 27,645 25 April 1983 Richmond 17.12 (114) Footscray 18.8 (116) MCG 51,651 25 April 1983 Essendon 20.8 (128) North Melbourne 17.21 (123) VFL Park 47,722 25 April 1983

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Melbourne 18.18 (126) Sydney 12.21 (93) MCG 22,590 30 April 1983 Essendon 27.19 (181) Footscray 7.7 (49) Windy Hill 25,151 30 April 1983 Collingwood 19.16 (130) North Melbourne 15.18 (108) Victoria Park 28,016 30 April 1983 Carlton 12.13 (85) Geelong 14.11 (95) Princes Park 25,480 30 April 1983 St Kilda 15.12 (102) Fitzroy 22.11 (143) Moorabbin Oval 16,154 30 April 1983 Hawthorn 12.16 (88) Richmond 15.16 (106) VFL Park 33,096 30 April 1983

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Hawthorn 13.13 (91) North Melbourne 21.16 (142) Princes Park 13,945 7 May 1983 Fitzroy 11.10 (76) Geelong 9.13 (67) Junction Oval 18,770 7 May 1983 Richmond 16.16 (112) Essendon 21.11 (137) MCG 49,707 7 May 1983 Footscray 11.16 (82) Collingwood 14.4 (88) Western Oval 31,479 7 May 1983 Melbourne 16.12 (108) St Kilda 11.9 (75) VFL Park 25,192 7 May 1983 Sydney 18.10 (118) Carlton 22.17 (149) SCG 15,432 8 May 1983

Round 8

Round 8
Saturday, 14 May (2:10 pm) St Kilda 12.17 (89) def. by Carlton 22.13 (145) Moorabbin Oval (crowd: 19,016) Report
Saturday, 14 May (2:10 pm) Collingwood 16.11 (107) def. Richmond 8.11 (59) VFL Park (crowd: 58,780) Report
Saturday, 14 May (2:10 pm) Hawthorn 20.17 (137) def. Essendon 14.11 (95) Princes Park (crowd: 21,835) Report
Saturday, 14 May (2:10 pm) Melbourne 12.15 (87) def. by Fitzroy 18.18 (126) MCG (crowd: 33,758) Report
Saturday, 14 May (2:10 pm) North Melbourne 29.15 (189) def. Footscray 11.8 (74) Arden Street Oval (crowd: 15,556) Report
Saturday, 14 May (2:10 pm) Geelong 11.18 (84) def. by Sydney 16.14 (110) Kardinia Park (crowd: 17,650) Report
  • North Melbourne broke the record for their highest League score in front of over 15,000 supporters at Arden Street Oval. After going into the main break with a 39-point lead and coach Barry Cable urging them be more ruthless, they piled on 12 goals in the third quarter to extend the lead to over 100 points. The play of brothers Jim and Phil Krakouer was a particular highlight, combining with Kym Hodgeman to kick 13 goals between them.[1]
  • Playing in the forward pocket due to knee difficulties, Fitzroy captain Garry Wilson kicked six goals to help the Lions pull away to a 39-point win over Melbourne, who had stayed in the game for three-quarters despite missing a number of senior players and losing key forward Kelvin Templeton as a late withdrawal.[2]

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Geelong 12.12 (84) North Melbourne 18.16 (124) Kardinia Park 21,802 21 May 1983 Essendon 22.17 (149) Melbourne 17.13 (115) Windy Hill 19,850 21 May 1983 Carlton 15.14 (104) Hawthorn 14.12 (96) Princes Park 30,750 21 May 1983 St Kilda 16.12 (108) Richmond 13.15 (93) Moorabbin Oval 20,686 21 May 1983 Fitzroy 13.21 (99) Footscray 22.13 (145) VFL Park 22,336 21 May 1983 Sydney 18.13 (121) Collingwood 14.16 (100) SCG 15,305 22 May 1983

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Richmond 16.10 (106) Sydney 14.10 (94) MCG 21,047 28 May 1983 Footscray 17.26 (128) St Kilda 11.16 (82) Western Oval 19,247 28 May 1983 Essendon 15.19 (109) Geelong 15.7 (97) Windy Hill 20,782 28 May 1983 Collingwood 10.17 (77) Fitzroy 13.15 (93) Victoria Park 32,820 28 May 1983 North Melbourne 29.19 (193) Carlton 11.16 (82) Arden Street Oval 22,776 28 May 1983 Melbourne 16.13 (109) Hawthorn 27.9 (171) VFL Park 23,988 28 May 1983

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Melbourne 18.17 (125) North Melbourne 20.19 (139) MCG 25,249 4 June 1983 Fitzroy 20.16 (136) Richmond 16.18 (114) Junction Oval 16,153 4 June 1983 Hawthorn 12.16 (88) Geelong 14.11 (95) Princes Park 13,465 4 June 1983 St Kilda 21.18 (144) Collingwood 24.16 (160) Moorabbin Oval 25,153 4 June 1983 Carlton 15.11 (101) Essendon 19.12 (126) VFL Park 60,619 4 June 1983 Sydney 17.19 (121) Footscray 15.12 (102) SCG 10,710 5 June 1983

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Footscray 15.12 (102) Geelong 14.7 (91) Western Oval 25,382 11 June 1983 St Kilda 15.14 (104) North Melbourne 20.15 (135) Moorabbin Oval 15,467 11 June 1983 Hawthorn 25.17 (167) Fitzroy 21.8 (134) Princes Park 20,559 11 June 1983 Essendon 23.18 (156) Sydney 13.5 (83) Windy Hill 20,535 13 June 1983 Richmond 21.15 (141) Carlton 13.13 (91) MCG 48,243 13 June 1983 Collingwood 12.15 (87) Melbourne 10.8 (68) VFL Park 55,380 13 June 1983

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date St Kilda 13.13 (91) Essendon 21.12 (138) VFL Park 30,616 18 June 1983 Geelong 15.11 (101) Collingwood 13.7 (85) Kardinia Park 25,808 18 June 1983 Melbourne 18.15 (123) Richmond 15.19 (109) MCG 28,468 18 June 1983 Fitzroy 34.16 (220) North Melbourne 10.10 (70) Junction Oval 19,770 18 June 1983 Carlton 26.15 (171) Footscray 12.10 (82) Princes Park 23,710 18 June 1983 Sydney 11.12 (78) Hawthorn 15.20 (110) SCG 10,084 19 June 1983

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date North Melbourne 11.16 (82) Sydney 7.8 (50) Arden Street Oval 7,408 25 June 1983 Hawthorn 21.17 (143) St Kilda 9.20 (74) Princes Park 8,190 25 June 1983 Essendon 8.10 (58) Fitzroy 9.11 (65) Windy Hill 22,925 25 June 1983 Melbourne 14.15 (99) Footscray 12.13 (85) MCG 19,306 25 June 1983 Collingwood 15.10 (100) Carlton 6.9 (45) Victoria Park 27,778 25 June 1983 Richmond 11.4 (70) Geelong 10.9 (69) VFL Park 17,339 25 June 1983

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Footscray 9.6 (60) Hawthorn 13.11 (89) VFL Park 15,750 2 July 1983 Carlton 9.13 (67) Melbourne 15.16 (106) Princes Park 19,300 2 July 1983 Geelong 9.14 (68) St Kilda 18.12 (120) Kardinia Park 11,459 2 July 1983 Collingwood 16.8 (104) Essendon 13.9 (87) Victoria Park 33,614 2 July 1983 Richmond 16.18 (114) North Melbourne 21.12 (138) MCG 23,622 2 July 1983 Sydney 23.9 (147) Fitzroy 17.15 (117) SCG 10,315 3 July 1983

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Footscray 12.12 (84) Richmond 15.14 (104) Western Oval 15,006 9 July 1983 North Melbourne 19.14 (128) Essendon 16.11 (107) Arden Street Oval 22,340 9 July 1983 Fitzroy 13.11 (89) Carlton 18.16 (124) VFL Park 31,757 9 July 1983 St Kilda 20.9 (129) Sydney 14.16 (100) Moorabbin Oval 17,861 16 July 1983 Melbourne 10.19 (79) Geelong 10.13 (73) MCG 34,155 16 July 1983 Hawthorn 19.23 (137) Collingwood 14.16 (100) Princes Park 28,595 16 July 1983

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date North Melbourne 24.8 (152) Collingwood 14.14 (98) VFL Park 41,098 23 July 1983 Richmond 11.16 (82) Hawthorn 22.14 (146) MCG 31,084 23 July 1983 Footscray 16.11 (107) Essendon 18.17 (125) Western Oval 20,708 23 July 1983 Geelong 11.7 (73) Carlton 15.18 (108) Kardinia Park 17,657 23 July 1983 Fitzroy 20.18 (138) St Kilda 22.17 (149) Junction Oval 15,335 23 July 1983 Sydney 18.17 (125) Melbourne 16.16 (112) SCG 11,094 24 July 1983

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Essendon 6.14 (50) Richmond 19.10 (124) Windy Hill 18,050 30 July 1983 Collingwood 12.10 (82) Footscray 9.19 (73) Victoria Park 20,743 30 July 1983 Carlton 17.17 (119) Sydney 11.9 (75) Princes Park 17,868 30 July 1983 St Kilda 11.15 (81) Melbourne 14.14 (98) Moorabbin Oval 20,218 30 July 1983 North Melbourne 12.18 (90) Hawthorn 15.7 (97) Arden Street Oval 17,720 30 July 1983 Geelong 7.7 (49) Fitzroy 16.15 (111) VFL Park 14,718 30 July 1983

Round 19

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Sydney 10.15 (75) Geelong 20.21 (141) SCG 12,752 5 August 1983 Fitzroy 22.29 (161) Melbourne 11.9 (75) Junction Oval 13,870 6 August 1983 Essendon 23.18 (156) Hawthorn 16.14 (110) Windy Hill 19,315 6 August 1983 Carlton 25.18 (168) St Kilda 8.13 (61) Princes Park 19,203 6 August 1983 Richmond 11.13 (79) Collingwood 13.11 (89) MCG 81,966 6 August 1983 Footscray 10.11 (71) North Melbourne 25.14 (164) VFL Park 12,028 6 August 1983

Round 20

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Collingwood 28.14 (182) Sydney 18.12 (120) Victoria Park 18,772 13 August 1983 North Melbourne 16.20 (116) Geelong 11.18 (84) Arden Street Oval 11,093 13 August 1983 Footscray 19.11 (125) Fitzroy 14.15 (99) Western Oval 14,688 13 August 1983 Melbourne 19.10 (124) Essendon 21.15 (141) MCG 38,620 13 August 1983 Hawthorn 15.22 (112) Carlton 20.9 (129) Princes Park 28,504 13 August 1983 Richmond 9.11 (65) St Kilda 21.14 (140) VFL Park 21,811 13 August 1983

Round 21

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Carlton 18.18 (126) North Melbourne 13.15 (93) Princes Park 32,610 20 August 1983 St Kilda 13.16 (94) Footscray 16.4 (100) Moorabbin Oval 15,680 20 August 1983 Fitzroy 19.13 (127) Collingwood 7.21 (63) Junction Oval 24,104 20 August 1983 Hawthorn 25.22 (172) Melbourne 8.9 (57) VFL Park 21,192 20 August 1983 Geelong 12.11 (83) Essendon 26.9 (165) Kardinia Park 20,110 20 August 1983 Sydney 10.13 (73) Richmond 15.24 (114) SCG 11,475 21 August 1983

Round 22

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Geelong 11.11 (77) Hawthorn 24.13 (157) Kardinia Park 11,214 27 August 1983 Footscray 17.12 (114) Sydney 10.12 (72) Western Oval 13,369 27 August 1983 Collingwood 24.11 (155) St Kilda 14.8 (92) Victoria Park 19,016 27 August 1983 North Melbourne 21.22 (148) Melbourne 10.15 (75) Arden Street Oval 10,603 27 August 1983 Richmond 12.21 (93) Fitzroy 19.13 (127) MCG 27,310 27 August 1983 Essendon 18.10 (118) Carlton 8.19 (67) VFL Park 64,232 27 August 1983

Ladder

1983 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 North Melbourne 22 16 6 0 2789 2183 127.8 64 Finals
2 Hawthorn (P) 22 15 7 0 2675 2078 128.7 60
3 Fitzroy 22 15 7 0 2608 2059 126.7 60
4 Essendon 22 15 7 0 2664 2215 120.3 60
5 Carlton 22 13 9 0 2360 2244 105.2 52
6 Collingwood 22 12 10 0 2315 2247 103.0 48
7 Footscray 22 10 12 0 2102 2428 86.6 40
8 Melbourne 22 9 13 0 2220 2557 86.8 36
9 Geelong 22 8 14 0 1932 2197 87.9 32
10 Richmond 22 7 15 0 2124 2392 88.8 28
11 Sydney 22 7 15 0 2068 2670 77.5 28
12 St Kilda 22 5 17 0 2150 2737 78.6 20
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

Elimination Finals

Home team Score Away team Score Venue Attendance Date Essendon 17.12 (114) Carlton 12.9 (81) Waverley Park 65,881 Saturday, 3 September

Qualifying final

Home team Score Away team Score Venue Attendance Date Hawthorn 19.13 (127) Fitzroy 19.9 (123) MCG 58,288 Saturday, 3 September

Semi-finals

Home team Score Away team Score Venue Attendance Date North Melbourne 6.12 (48) Hawthorn 13.10 (88) Waverley Park 41,063 Saturday, 10 September Fitzroy 12.14 (86) Essendon 16.13 (109) MCG 81,090 Saturday, 10 September

Preliminary final

Home team Score Away team Score Venue Attendance Date North Melbourne 12.6 (78) Essendon 25.14 (164) Waverley Park 63,785 Saturday, 17 September

Grand Final

Main article: 1983 VFL Grand Final
Home team Score Away team Score Venue Attendance Date Hawthorn 20.20 (140) Essendon 8.9 (57) MCG 110,332 Saturday, 24 September

Attendance

A total of 3,631,042 people attended VFL matches during the 1983 season, an average of about 26,312 per game (including finals matches). A combined total of 420,439 attended finals matches in 1983, an average of 70,073 per finals match. The largest attendance for a home and away game was Richmond versus Collingwood at the MCG, the attendance figure was 81,966.

Awards

Notable events

See also

References

  1. ^ "Roos run up record score". The Canberra Times. Vol. 57, no. 17, 395. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 15 May 1983. p. 6 (SPORT). Retrieved 1 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Captain inspires Lions". The Canberra Times. Vol. 57, no. 17, 395. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 15 May 1983. p. 6 (SPORT). Retrieved 1 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Grand final scores". The Age. Melbourne. 26 September 1983. p. 25.

Sources

Categories