1897 MJFA season explained

Competition:	mjfa
Year:	1897
Teams:	9
Premiers:	South St Kilda
Count:	4
Minor Premiers:	South St Kilda
Mpcount:	4
Wooden Spooners:	Windsor
Prevseason:	1896
Nextseason:	1898

The 1897 MJFA season was the 6th season of the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA).^{[1] [2]}

South St Kilda won its fourth MJFA premiership, having finished won 15 of its 16 games.^{[3] [4]} This was the club's final premiership before it disbanded during the 1899 season.^{[5] [6]}

Association membership

Nine clubs competed in the MJFA in 1897, one less than the previous season in 1896. Malvern and Old Melburnians both withdrew after their inaugural seasons, while Nunawading also left after three seasons in the competition.^[7]

South Yarra and Boroondara were both admitted into the association.^[8]

Waltham withdrawal

On 5 June, Waltham were scheduled to play against Caulfield but did not appear, with the match awarded to Caulfield.^[9] The club formally withdrew prior to the next round on 12 June, having lost all of its four games, and disbanded three days later on 15 June.^{[7] [10] [11]}

Ladder

Boroondara appears to have withdrawn sometime in the latter half of the season, and were not included in end-of-season ladders published by the Oakleigh Leader and Brighton Southern Cross.^[12] The club did not play any recorded games in September 1897.^{[13] [14]}

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Team
1	South St Kilda (P)	16	15	1	0	104	37	60
2	Collegians	16	13	3	0	96	37	52
3	Caulfield	16	10	6	0	50	52	40
4	South Yarra	16	8	6	2	68	54	36
5	Brighton	16	8	7	1	56	73	34
6	St Mary's	16	6	8	2	42	58	28
7	Windsor	16	6	9	1	32	53	26
−	Boroondara (W)	12	3	9	0	17	59	12
−	Waltham (W)	4	0	4	0	3	17	0

Notable events

• A combined MJFA team played a game against the Fitzroy Football Club, with Fitzroy winning 5.16 (46) to 3.11 (29). The MJFA received 2 pounds, 12 shillings and 6 pence as its share of gate receipts from the game.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rover . FOOTBALL . The Prahran Telegraph . 10 August 2024 . 21 August 1897.
2. Web site: BRIGHTON v WALTHAM . The Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader . 10 August 2024 . 3 . 22 May 1897.
3. Web site: Rover . FOOTBALL . Trove . The Prahran Telegraph . 10 August 2024 . 2 . 14 August 1897 . The honors for this premiership are almost certain to be carried off by the South St. Kilda, who up to the present are unbeaten. They have only to win or draw today against Caulfield to make a certainty of the honour..
4. Web site: Rover . FOOTBALL . The Prahran Telegraph . 10 August 2024 . 2 . 21 August 1897 . The premiership in this competition has been easily won by the South St. Kilda, who have an unbeaten record up to date..
5. Web site: Premier Section Finals Series . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 25 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240525061534/https://www.vafa.com.au/history/finals-series/premier-grand-finals/ . 25 May 2024.
6. Web site: Football Notes . Trove . Brighton Southern Cross . 25 July 2024 . 27 May 1899.
7. Web site: A BRIEF HISTORY . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 9 June 2024 . 9 April 2009.
8. Web site: Boroondara Football Club (Vic) . Footypedia . 8 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240725235030/https://www.footypedia.info/00000946.htm . 25 July 2024.
9. Web site: FOOTBALL . The Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader . 10 August 2024 . 3 . 12 June 1897.
10. Web site: FOOTBALL . Trove . The Prahran Telegraph . 10 August 2024 . 2 . 12 June 1897 . The Waltham club have disbanded, and consequently there are only six clubs left in for the remainder of the matches..
11. Web site: POSITIONS OF CLUBS IN METROPOLITAN JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . Oakleigh Leader . 10 August 2024 . 3 . 14 August 1897.
12. Web site: BRIGHTON v BOROONDARA . The Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader . 10 August 2024 . 29 May 1897.
13. Web site: FOOTBALL . The Argus . 10 August 2024 . 3 September 1897.
14. Web site: FOOTBALL . Brighton Southern Cross . 10 August 2024 . 4 September 1897.