1900 MJFA season explained

Competition:mjfa
Year:1900
Teams:9
Premiers:Leopold
Count:1
Minor Premiers:Leopold
Mpcount:1
Wooden Spooners:Brighton
Prevseason:1899
Nextseason:1901

The 1900 MJFA season, also known as the 1900 MFA season, was the ninth season of the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA).[1] [2]

Leopold won the MJFA premiership for the first time, defeating South Melbourne Juniors in the 1900 MJFA Grand Final. This was the first time a grand final had been held in the MJFA, as prior to this season it was not necessary.[3]

Association name

On 27 March 1900, the MJFA decided on a change of name to the Metropolitan Football Association (MFA).[4] MJFA president Lawrence Adamson believed that his association was now a senior competition and the "junior" label no longer applied.[5] [6]

Adamson brokered a deal that the existing MFA (of 1899) became the MJFA, giving his MJFA (of 1892) the "Metropolitan Football Association" name.[5] [7]

Despite this, various newspaper reports from 1900 until 1912 still use the MJFA (or simply "Metropolitan Junior Association") name when referring to Adamson's competition. Most consensus is that "MJFA" in this time period refers to the now-VAFA, and the VAFA's official history continues to use the MJFA name until 1912.[8] [9]

Association membership

Like the previous season in 1899, a total of nine teams competed in the MJFA. St Francis Xavier and South St Kilda both disbanded during the 1899 season, while Parkville left at the end of the season.[10]

Three new clubs − Celtic, South Melbourne Juniors and St Ignatius − entered the association. South Melbourne Juniors was formed by the South Melbourne Football Club on 29 March 1900, acting as the junior (reserves) team for the senior club.[11]

In April 1900, The Argus reported Alberton, Scotch Collegians (both last competed in 1895), South Yarra (last competed in 1898) and South St Kilda were interested in re-joining the MJFA.[12] However, none returned for the 1900 season.[13]

Ladder

St Ignatius won a game over Caulfield on protest.[14]

! style="width:35%;"
Team
1 (P)161510101026160
2South Melbourne Juniors16151060
3Collegians16115044
4Caulfield1688032
5St Ignatius1679028
6Beverley16610024
7Kew16511020
8Celtic16313012
9Brighton1621408

Grand Final

At the time, the MJFA premiership was decided by the best overall record for the season. In the event of a tie, a playoff match would have been held.

1900 was the first time in MJFA history that such a match was required, with and South Melbourne Juniors finishing with 60 premiership points each.[15] [16] [17]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: METROPOLITAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION . The Argus . 13 August 2024 . 3 . 14 August 1900.
  2. Web site: Metropolitan Junior Football Association . Brighton Southern Cross . 13 August 2024 . 4 . 25 August 1900.
  3. 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.
  4. Web site: BRUNSWICK . The Age . 13 August 2024 . 3 . 30 March 1900 . The word "junior" was dropped from the name of the association..
  5. Web site: CLUB HISTORY . Kew Football Club . 25 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230419112433/https://www.kewfc.com/club-history/ . 19 April 2023.
  6. Web site: FOOTBALL . The Argus . 13 August 2024 . 9 . 2 April 1900.
  7. Web site: METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION . The Herald . 13 August 2024 . 5 . 17 August 1906 . Tomorrow's MFA matches.
  8. Web site: A BRIEF HISTORY . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 9 June 2024 . 9 April 2009.
  9. Web site: Metropolitan Junior Football Association (Vic) . Footypedia . 10 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240810084646/http://www.footypedia.info/00008650.htm . 10 August 2024.
  10. Web site: Previous VAFA Clubs . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 8 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240606014345/https://www.vafa.com.au/history/vafa-clubs-1892-2015/previous-vafa-clubs/ . 6 June 2024.
  11. Web site: The Record . Trove . Record . 13 August 2024 . 3 . 7 April 1900 . At a committee meeting of the South Melbourne Football Club held on Thursday evening last, it was unanimously agreed to establish a team to be known as the South Melbourne Juniors. They will compete for the Metropolitan Association Premieiship, and be under the joint management of the South Melbourne Football and Cricket Clubs..
  12. Web site: Victorian Football League . The Argus . 13 August 2024 . 14 April 1900.
  13. Web site: METROPOLITAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION . The Argus . 13 August 2024 . 6 September 1900.
  14. Web site: FOOTBALL . The Argus . 13 August 2024 . 3 . 28 August 1900.
  15. Web site: FOOTBALL . Standard . 13 August 2024 . 4 . 15 September 1900.
  16. Web site: METROPOLITAN JUNIOR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION . The Argus . 13 August 2024 . 6 . 22 September 1900.
  17. Web site: FOOTBALL . The Age . 13 August 2024 . 22 September 1900.