The 1984 VFL season was the 88th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 31 March until 29 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.

1984 VFL premiership season
Teams12
PremiersEssendon
13th premiership
Minor premiersEssendon
11th minor premiership
Night seriesEssendon
2nd Night series win
Brownlow MedallistPeter Moore
Melbourne (24 votes)
Coleman MedallistBernie Quinlan
Fitzroy (104 goals)
Attendance
Matches played138
Total attendance3,394,571 (24,598 per match)
Highest92,685
← 1983
1985 →

The premiership was won by the Essendon Football Club for the 13th time, after it defeated Hawthorn by 24 points in the 1984 VFL Grand Final.

Night series

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Essendon defeated Sydney 13.11 (89) to 5.8 (38) in the final.

Home-and-away season

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Round 1

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 17.22 (124) Sydney 13.11 (89) Princes Park 13,888 31 March 1984
Footscray 18.14 (122) Richmond 11.17 (83) Western Oval 25,013 31 March 1984
Collingwood 18.12 (120) Melbourne 15.17 (107) Victoria Park 32,471 31 March 1984
Geelong 23.10 (148) Fitzroy 15.9 (99) Kardinia Park 22,260 31 March 1984
St Kilda 14.13 (97) Essendon 19.20 (134) Moorabbin Oval 26,019 31 March 1984
North Melbourne 9.8 (62) Carlton 31.13 (199) VFL Park 36,504 31 March 1984

Round 2

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 16.14 (110) Hawthorn 17.14 (116) Windy Hill 23,824 7 April 1984
Collingwood 22.17 (149) St Kilda 7.14 (56) Victoria Park 26,647 7 April 1984
Richmond 15.17 (107) North Melbourne 14.9 (93) MCG 25,004 7 April 1984
Fitzroy 16.15 (111) Carlton 18.13 (121) Junction Oval 22,202 7 April 1984
Geelong 16.9 (105) Footscray 9.11 (65) VFL Park 24,114 7 April 1984
Sydney 16.16 (112) Melbourne 13.20 (98) SCG 8,131 8 April 1984

Round 3

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 18.8 (116) Sydney 22.13 (145) Moorabbin Oval 15,127 14 April 1984
Carlton 15.7 (97) Geelong 19.12 (126) Princes Park 27,738 14 April 1984
Melbourne 20.12 (132) Hawthorn 20.18 (138) MCG 25,557 14 April 1984
North Melbourne 14.17 (101) Footscray 25.14 (164) Arden Street Oval 14,174 14 April 1984
Essendon 26.13 (169) Collingwood 16.10 (106) Windy Hill 28,101 14 April 1984
Fitzroy 16.9 (105) Richmond 22.19 (151) VFL Park 25,888 14 April 1984

Round 4

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 15.13 (103) Sydney 17.4 (106) Victoria Park 22,519 21 April 1984
Richmond 14.13 (97) Carlton 23.13 (151) MCG 45,710 21 April 1984
Melbourne 14.7 (91) Essendon 17.24 (126) VFL Park 31,535 21 April 1984
Hawthorn 23.21 (159) St Kilda 14.15 (99) Princes Park 15,081 23 April 1984
Geelong 9.11 (65) North Melbourne 11.13 (79) Kardinia Park 26,574 23 April 1984
Fitzroy 21.14 (140) Footscray 9.16 (70) Junction Oval 20,280 23 April 1984

Round 5

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 12.14 (86) Essendon 20.15 (135) MCG 55,141 25 April 1984
Carlton 9.17 (71) Collingwood 10.16 (76) VFL Park 68,082 25 April 1984
Footscray 13.16 (94) Hawthorn 22.9 (141) Western Oval 19,988 28 April 1984
North Melbourne 16.17 (113) Melbourne 14.14 (98) MCG 23,292 28 April 1984
St Kilda 10.11 (71) Geelong 15.12 (102) Moorabbin Oval 16,892 28 April 1984
Sydney 17.17 (119) Fitzroy 15.14 (104) SCG 10,967 29 April 1984

Round 6

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 11.18 (84) Sydney 11.11 (77) Western Oval 15,236 5 May 1984
Collingwood 15.18 (108) North Melbourne 12.15 (87) Victoria Park 25,156 5 May 1984
Carlton 15.14 (104) St Kilda 13.12 (90) Princes Park 18,513 5 May 1984
Melbourne 23.10 (148) Geelong 12.13 (85) MCG 27,685 5 May 1984
Fitzroy 13.15 (93) Essendon 22.12 (144) Junction Oval 20,270 5 May 1984
Hawthorn 11.15 (81) Richmond 17.18 (120) VFL Park 31,259 5 May 1984

Round 7

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 12.10 (82) Footscray 16.8 (104) Windy Hill 21,196 12 May 1984
Hawthorn 20.15 (135) Fitzroy 16.8 (104) Princes Park 14,189 12 May 1984
Geelong 11.17 (83) Collingwood 19.14 (128) Kardinia Park 25,876 12 May 1984
Melbourne 16.9 (105) Carlton 18.14 (122) MCG 41,073 12 May 1984
North Melbourne 14.17 (101) St Kilda 22.16 (148) VFL Park 18,066 12 May 1984
Sydney 17.20 (122) Richmond 18.21 (129) SCG 14,794 13 May 1984

Round 8

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 18.19 (127) Sydney 19.20 (134) Arden Street Oval 10,759 19 May 1984
Fitzroy 12.9 (81) Melbourne 13.14 (92) Junction Oval 12,712 19 May 1984
Carlton 12.11 (83) Hawthorn 23.13 (151) Princes Park 31,946 19 May 1984
St Kilda 13.11 (89) Footscray 9.17 (71) Moorabbin Oval 18,100 19 May 1984
Richmond 15.19 (109) Collingwood 13.17 (95) MCG 70,889 19 May 1984
Essendon 19.19 (133) Geelong 14.6 (90) VFL Park 39,962 19 May 1984

Round 9

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 24.8 (152) St Kilda 12.16 (88) MCG 30,402 26 May 1984
Hawthorn 21.17 (143) North Melbourne 13.8 (86) Princes Park 12,975 26 May 1984
Collingwood 15.19 (109) Fitzroy 11.16 (82) Victoria Park 25,578 26 May 1984
Essendon 16.17 (113) Carlton 9.12 (66) Windy Hill 27,312 26 May 1984
Footscray 11.15 (81) Melbourne 23.21 (159) VFL Park 20,056 26 May 1984
Sydney 16.15 (111) Geelong 7.27 (69) SCG 13,572 27 May 1984

Round 10

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 15.13 (103) Richmond 11.10 (76) MCG 43,712 2 June 1984
Geelong 17.11 (113) Hawthorn 11.19 (85) Kardinia Park 14,290 2 June 1984
North Melbourne 15.16 (106) Essendon 16.12 (108) Arden Street Oval 16,690 2 June 1984
Footscray 15.10 (100) Collingwood 13.17 (95) Western Oval 25,618 2 June 1984
St Kilda 11.17 (83) Fitzroy 22.15 (147) VFL Park 20,618 2 June 1984
Sydney 12.15 (87) Carlton 20.19 (139) SCG 25,062 3 June 1984

Round 11

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 20.15 (135) Sydney 14.10 (94) Windy Hill 21,739 9 June 1984
St Kilda 13.13 (91) Melbourne 19.13 (127) Moorabbin Oval 20,080 9 June 1984
Richmond 16.15 (111) Geelong 17.21 (123) MCG 38,183 9 June 1984
Fitzroy 25.16 (166) North Melbourne 23.14 (152) Junction Oval 14,607 11 June 1984
Carlton 22.11 (143) Footscray 16.13 (109) Princes Park 29,982 11 June 1984
Collingwood 14.8 (92) Hawthorn 18.16 (124) VFL Park 62,339 11 June 1984

Round 12

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 14.10 (94) Richmond 16.14 (110) Arden Street Oval 10,242 16 June 1984
Melbourne 21.17 (143) Sydney 5.16 (46) MCG 24,871 16 June 1984
Footscray 13.11 (89) Geelong 10.13 (73) Western Oval 16,233 16 June 1984
Hawthorn 12.21 (93) Essendon 6.10 (46) Princes Park 25,772 16 June 1984
St Kilda 11.6 (72) Collingwood 11.12 (78) Moorabbin Oval 17,648 16 June 1984
Carlton 9.13 (67) Fitzroy 10.12 (72) VFL Park 24,639 16 June 1984

Round 13

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 13.12 (90) Melbourne 15.17 (107) Princes Park 20,416 23 June 1984
Collingwood 12.17 (89) Essendon 19.9 (123) Victoria Park 32,701 23 June 1984
Richmond 11.15 (81) Fitzroy 14.14 (98) MCG 26,707 23 June 1984
Geelong 4.17 (41) Carlton 10.18 (78) Kardinia Park 21,769 23 June 1984
Footscray 11.11 (77) North Melbourne 9.8 (62) VFL Park 12,945 23 June 1984
Sydney 15.11 (101) St Kilda 19.12 (126) SCG 10,392 24 June 1984

Round 14

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 23.14 (152) Richmond 4.13 (37) Princes Park 21,643 30 June 1984
St Kilda 4.6 (30) Hawthorn 19.20 (134) Moorabbin Oval 12,523 30 June 1984
North Melbourne 16.11 (107) Geelong 19.11 (125) MCG 11,050 30 June 1984
Footscray 13.13 (91) Fitzroy 11.11 (77) Western Oval 14,473 30 June 1984
Essendon 14.15 (99) Melbourne 7.14 (56) VFL Park 46,753 30 June 1984
Sydney 14.16 (100) Collingwood 19.17 (131) SCG 14,917 1 July 1984

Round 15

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 18.9 (117) North Melbourne 10.14 (74) MCG 17,204 7 July 1984
Geelong 15.12 (102) St Kilda 13.11 (89) Kardinia Park 10,861 7 July 1984
Fitzroy 9.14 (68) Sydney 14.12 (96) Junction Oval 8,368 7 July 1984
Essendon 14.10 (94) Richmond 7.19 (61) Windy Hill 16,993 7 July 1984
Hawthorn 16.14 (110) Footscray 10.16 (76) Princes Park 11,169 7 July 1984
Collingwood 9.16 (70) Carlton 14.13 (97) VFL Park 48,218 7 July 1984

Round 16

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 20.7 (127) Fitzroy 9.12 (66) Windy Hill 17,749 14 July 1984
Richmond 14.13 (97) Hawthorn 28.17 (185) VFL Park 27,274 14 July 1984
Sydney 16.17 (113) Footscray 12.15 (87) SCG 10,644 15 July 1984
Geelong 20.10 (130) Melbourne 15.18 (108) Kardinia Park 21,448 21 July 1984
North Melbourne 14.17 (101) Collingwood 21.20 (146) MCG 27,181 21 July 1984
St Kilda 16.9 (105) Carlton 13.6 (84) Moorabbin Oval 17,102 21 July 1984

Round 17

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 12.19 (91) Sydney 3.10 (28) MCG 13,041 28 July 1984
Fitzroy 11.11 (77) Hawthorn 10.7 (67) Junction Oval 6,920 28 July 1984
Collingwood 6.19 (55) Geelong 4.5 (29) Victoria Park 22,306 28 July 1984
Carlton 7.10 (52) Melbourne 3.8 (26) Princes Park 17,847 28 July 1984
Footscray 3.14 (32) Essendon 4.10 (34) Western Oval 16,771 28 July 1984
St Kilda 5.12 (42) North Melbourne 5.14 (44) VFL Park 12,643 28 July 1984

Round 18

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 16.16 (112) St Kilda 11.13 (79) Western Oval 13,356 4 August 1984
Collingwood 19.14 (128) Richmond 12.20 (92) Victoria Park 24,067 4 August 1984
Melbourne 17.18 (120) Fitzroy 22.20 (152) MCG 20,236 4 August 1984
Hawthorn 21.14 (140) Carlton 16.12 (108) Princes Park 23,968 4 August 1984
Geelong 12.17 (89) Essendon 19.22 (136) VFL Park 31,675 4 August 1984
Sydney 17.6 (108) North Melbourne 18.15 (123) SCG 8,538 5 August 1984

Round 19

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 16.17 (113) Sydney 14.8 (92) Kardinia Park 10,752 11 August 1984
Carlton 12.18 (90) Essendon 15.12 (102) Princes Park 26,863 11 August 1984
St Kilda 11.15 (81) Richmond 10.14 (74) Moorabbin Oval 11,025 11 August 1984
North Melbourne 17.20 (122) Hawthorn 7.9 (51) Arden Street Oval 8,274 11 August 1984
Melbourne 15.13 (103) Footscray 20.15 (135) MCG 18,019 11 August 1984
Fitzroy 14.19 (103) Collingwood 9.7 (61) VFL Park 25,656 11 August 1984

Round 20

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 20.11 (131) Geelong 14.9 (93) Junction Oval 9,518 18 August 1984
Essendon 22.6 (138) St Kilda 13.5 (83) Windy Hill 13,882 18 August 1984
Carlton 16.15 (111) North Melbourne 14.14 (98) Princes Park 15,463 18 August 1984
Melbourne 9.17 (71) Collingwood 15.13 (103) MCG 31,847 18 August 1984
Richmond 12.13 (85) Footscray 9.11 (65) VFL Park 13,013 18 August 1984
Sydney 11.19 (85) Hawthorn 25.24 (174) SCG 8,276 19 August 1984

Round 21

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 14.29 (113) Richmond 9.9 (63) Kardinia Park 15,926 25 August 1984
North Melbourne 15.21 (111) Fitzroy 26.9 (165) MCG 20,086 25 August 1984
Hawthorn 16.23 (119) Collingwood 15.14 (104) Princes Park 22,031 25 August 1984
Footscray 14.9 (93) Carlton 7.16 (58) Western Oval 20,890 25 August 1984
Melbourne 14.16 (100) St Kilda 9.8 (62) VFL Park 14,079 25 August 1984
Sydney 23.17 (155) Essendon 14.15 (99) SCG 12,173 26 August 1984

Round 22

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 24.20 (164) St Kilda 15.17 (107) Junction Oval 15,156 1 September 1984
Essendon 27.7 (169) North Melbourne 19.17 (131) Windy Hill 21,002 1 September 1984
Collingwood 16.18 (114) Footscray 9.17 (71) Victoria Park 32,023 1 September 1984
Carlton 20.19 (139) Sydney 15.13 (103) Princes Park 20,319 1 September 1984
Richmond 21.19 (145) Melbourne 18.9 (117) MCG 21,565 1 September 1984
Hawthorn 25.14 (164) Geelong 14.11 (95) VFL Park 31,609 1 September 1984

Ladder

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(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Essendon (P) 22 18 4 0 2556 1994 128.2 72
2 Hawthorn 22 17 5 0 2724 2069 131.7 68
3 Carlton 22 13 9 0 2332 2014 115.8 52
4 Collingwood 22 13 9 0 2260 2072 109.1 52
5 Fitzroy 22 11 11 0 2405 2345 102.6 44
6 Geelong 22 11 11 0 2112 2239 94.3 44
7 Footscray 22 11 11 0 1992 2123 93.8 44
8 Richmond 22 10 12 0 2157 2373 90.9 40
9 Melbourne 22 9 13 0 2328 2233 104.3 36
10 Sydney 22 9 13 0 2223 2522 88.1 36
11 North Melbourne 22 5 17 0 2174 2661 81.7 20
12 St Kilda 22 5 17 0 1904 2522 75.5 20

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 102.9
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

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Finals week 1

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Qualifying final
Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm) Hawthorn 18.14 (122) def. Carlton 13.14 (92) VFL Park (crowd: 55,947) Report
Elimination final
Sunday, 9 September (2:30 pm) Collingwood 23.15 (153) def. Fitzroy 15.17 (107) MCG (crowd: 73,994) Report

Finals week 2

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Semi-finals
SF1: Saturday, 15 September (2:30 pm) Carlton 14.9 (93) def. by Collingwood 17.16 (118) VFL Park (crowd: 70,634) Report
SF2: Sunday, 16 September (2:30 pm) Essendon 15.15 (105) def. by Hawthorn 16.17 (113) MCG (crowd: 76,514) Report

Preliminary final

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Preliminary final
Saturday, 22 September (2:30 pm) Essendon 28.6 (174) def. Collingwood 5.11 (41) VFL Park (crowd: 73,550) Report
  • Essendon' 133-point victory is the biggest win in a VFL/AFL final.

Grand final

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Grand final
Saturday, 29 September (2:50 pm) Essendon 14.21 (105) def. Hawthorn 12.9 (81) MCG (crowd: 92,685) Report
  • This was the second consecutive Grand final featuring Hawthorn and Essendon.
  • The Bombers won their first VFL premiership in 19 years. Their last quarter score of 9.6 (60) was a Grand final record until surpassed the following year.
  • Kevin Sheedy won his first Jock McHale Medal.

Season notes

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  • Fitzroy became the only side to make the finals after winning only one of its first nine games.
  • Essendon's 133-point win over Collingwood in the Preliminary Final is the largest win in any VFL/AFL final and the first 100-point loss by Collingwood since 1943 when they were depleted by war.
  • In Round 17, shocking weather saw the lowest aggregate score for a round since 1961, with a combined total of only 577 points or an approximate average score of 6.12 (48).

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Match details". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. 1 October 1984. p. 38.
  • Stephen Rodgers: Every Game Ever Played VFL/AFL Results 1897–1991 3rd Edition 1992. Penguin Books Australia ISBN 0-670-90526-7.

Sources

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