12 goals up, seconds to play... and lose!
Modern day V.F.A. records suggest that their Thirds was started in 1952, but there was actually a little-known competition carrying the name from 1939 and lasting until 1941, after which the Association shut down due to the Second World War.
Perhaps the competition has never been regarded as part of the V.F.A.'s history because several of the teams that played were not linked to Association clubs.
West Coburg dominated the competition winning all three premierships, it being noted in mid-1940 when they lost to Newmarket that it was their first loss in three and a half years!
Maybe their domination was behind a decision by the competition's organisers in 1940 to augment the final four series with a second "handicap premiership" for the next four clubs that did not make the normal finals.
From what can be traced of the known scores, Preston finished fifth and for the second round were handicapped on minus 20 points with Port Melbourne on "scratch", Northcote on plus 20 and the dark horses from the Holeproof clothing factory awarded a whopping 60 points start!
Just when the handicap system was decided upon was never recorded, but Holeproof may have done a "Kruezer" and lifted the foot off the pedal in the second half of the season.
Preston's 32 point win over Port in the second semi-final was enough to get them to the Grand Final by 12 points, but Northcote's 12.13.85 "victory" over Holeproof 10.7.67 left them well short of the 40 point margin required.
The absurdity of the handicapping became obvious when Holeproof, although receiving 60 points from Port Melbourne, actually won the preliminary final outright, 13.10.88 to 11.18.82 - or with handicaps, a 66 point victory.
Many Preston supporters will recall the furore when Dandenong were given a goal start in the 1971 Grand Final thanks to a free kick before the game had started, but that faded into insignificance when Preston had to concede Holeproof a whopping 80 point start to win this odd little premiership!
Certainly they gave it a fair shot, but inaccuracy proved costly and the final score of 14.18.102 to Holeproof's 4.6.30 left them just eight points short of the required margin.
The handicap system was used again the following year, but with a subtle modification - the handicap was deducted BEFORE the game started rather than from the final score. Or, in other words, Preston would have had to post at least 80 points before they actually registered on the scoreboard; the final scores would have been Holeproof 4.6.30, Preston (assuming goals were deducted first) 1.16.22.
I know "seniors" played "juniors" throughout the 1870s, 80s and early 90s, but the handicaps then were usually 20 players to 25 for the juniors, but I've never heard before or since of games played under on a "points in" basis.
Unfortunately I have never been able to identify the qualification for Thirds players. Preston were captained in 1939 by Harold Ludgate - his family still have a small trophy awarded for them finishing fourth - and they reckon that he was only 20 at the time.
That suggests an age-limit somewhere, but the occasional match reports note a few ex-senior V.F.A. players. My guess is that the rules may have been similar to those of the Victorian Junior Football Association of the 1920s (which became the V.F.A. Seconds around 1929).
Under those rules, "junior" clubs could field a maximum of six players who had appeared at the V.F.L. or V.F.A. level - probably any restriction for the Thirds would have been perhaps one or two to allow for a former senior player to act as captain-coach.
Comments
Adam Cardosi 17 July 2012
I certainly never knew about this handicapping system. Very interesting find Brian. A real historical oddity.
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