1908 VFL Season - Notable Events

Notable Events

• Richmond Football Club and University Football Club admitted to the VFL competition.
• With fiery former Collingwood coach Dick Condon as both player and coach, and former Collingwood champion Charlie Pannam as captain, Richmond win their first VFl match with a first round victory against Melbourne, 8.14 (62) to 7.9 (51).
• University Football Club have their first VFL victory in the second round of the season, beating Richmond 14.10 (94) to 12.4 (76).
• In the first round match between Fitzroy and South Melbourne at the Brunswick Street Oval an umpire was hit by a stone thrown by a spectator.
• The sixth round match between Fitzroy and Essendon, also at the Brunswick Street Oval, was a fiery affair that resulted in a number of suspensions. A horde of Fitzroy supporters invaded the ground immediately the final bell had rung, kicking, punching and otherwise assaulting Essendon players as they tried to leave the playing field. Essendon fans also jumped the fence, in order to protect their players. A riot ensued.
• A ten-day Carnival, the "Jubilee of Australasian Football (1858-1908)" was held in Melbourne in August 1908, involving teams from New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, .
• At an official Carnival function, when proposing a toast to "The Australasian Game" the Prime Minister of Australia, the Ballarat-born Alfred Deakin (1856–1919) spoke of his youthful experiences of playing a rudimentary form of Australian football.