Oldest known Australian rules footy film reveals 1909 VFL grand final

THIS precious film, the oldest known Aussie rules footage, shows South Melbourne and Carlton playing the 1909 VFL grand final at a vastly different MCG.

Winners are grinners: South Melbourne players pose for photographs after the match. Picture: National Film and Sound Archive

FOR many Herald Sun readers, it’s going to be a long, hot summer without the footy.

Fret not, footy fanatics, because here’s a very special Footy Flashback — the oldest known footage of an Australian Rules match.

The footage is held by the National Film and Sound Archive and is described as a “near-complete” film of a segment of the 1909 VFL grand final between South Melbourne and Carlton at the MCG.

The MCG has been knocked down and rebuilt many times since 1909, so the film gives a rare insight into how the home of football used to look.

But the film also shows sights no longer seen in our great game — slap passes, place kicks and lace-up guernseys with no numbers on the back and crowds chairing the victors from the ground.

A crowd of 37,000 people packed the MCG to see the game on Saturday, October 2, 1909.

Spectators were dressed in their finery — men in suits and bowler hats or straw boaters and women wearing bonnets and elaborate dresses.

Interestingly, the South Melbourne uniform wasn’t all that … well … uniform.

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The red sash went from left shoulder to right hip for most platers, but on at least three players, the sash descended from their right shoulder.

The members’ stand is visible in the film along with a smaller stand on the west side of the ground, but in 1909 there were no other grandstands.

Trees in Yarra Park are still visible behind the crowd.

The lack of shelter turned out to be a problem for spectators, who were forced to duck under umbrellas as the rain tumbled down during the match.

This match was South Melbourne’s first VFL grand final win.

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The Bloods were held goalless in the final quarter by a hard-charging Carlton but when the siren sounded, the Blues were two points short of winning the club’s fourth premiership in a row.

The tough, low-scoring contest ended with South Melbourne 4-14-38 to 4-12-36.

About 37,000 people packed the MCG for the big match and, at the end of the game, the victors were chaired from the ground.

The film was produced by Sydney filmmaker Charles Cozens Spencer for general exhibition.

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