1923 MAFA season

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]

1923 MAFA season
Date	5 May − 27 August 1923
Teams	16
← 1922 1924 →

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

• The MAFA began to trial a substitute player replacing injured players, which was not yet a rule in the Victorian Football League (VFL).^[12]

A Section

1923 MAFA A Section season
Date	5 May − 18 August 1923
Teams	8
Premiers	Old Scotch 1st A Section premiership
Minor premiers	University 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
Date	5 May − 25 August 1923
Teams	8
Premiers	Sandringham 1st B Section premiership
Minor premiers	Murrumbeena 1st B Section minor premiership
Leading goalkicker	A.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. "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. "METROPOLITAN AMATEURS". The Age. 6 August 1923. p. 7. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
15. "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.