Victorian Soccer Season Files - 1928

1928 was the second, and final, divided season in the wake of the 1927 schism. The previous year a District system had been brought in to replace the old League structure. The clubs opposed to it, or not accepted by it, established the Melbourne and Districts Association. The Melbourne Soccer Football Association, with the authorisation of the Victorian Amateur Soccer Football Association, ran the Metropolitan League and the Suburban League.

The established body weakened the rebels at the end of the 1927 season by poaching that League's top team Naval Depot before they could play in the M&D Association League's Grand Final. For 1928, the Metropolitan District League was expanded to two divisions, of Southern and Northern Sections with the winners of each to meet in a Grand Final. Below that sat the Suburban League. Conversely, the rebel league went from having two divisions (A & B) to a single league.

Having two divisions tested the depth of the top league, and lead to some one-sided match-ups, none greater than Naval Depot thrashing Richmond 14-0 on July 14, with Percy Lewis notching nine goals. Naval Depot were unbeaten in winning the Southern Section, as were Footscray Thistle in claiming the Northern Section. In the Grand Final at the Motordrome it was the Navy who emerged triumphant, a 2-1 win taking the title to Crib Point. They made it a double by defeating the country team of Wonthaggi Magpies 6-0 in the Dockerty Cup Final.

Essendon won all their games in winning the Suburban League then disappeared before the 1929 season. The District League ran two reserves divisions, with the intention of staging a Grand Final between the two winners. This was scuppered when the northern section saw Footscray Thistle and Williamstown finish level on points. With goal average or goal difference not yet in vogue a Championship Play-Off was held, which ended up going to five replays before Thistle claimed honours. By then it was cricket season and the Grand Final was abandoned.

A new team, Caledonians (Scots playing out of Royal Park) took the M&D Association League by storm in taking a League and Cup double. After the split was resolved they were added to the new Second Division in 1929. Their rivals, former powerhouse Melbourne Thistle, were welcomed back into the First Division with the reunion of the factions.

There is one result missing from the Suburban League, as well as known results not matching up with the final published table in two cases, Alphington and Albert Park so something has happened there.

There are many more missing results in the "rebel" M&D Association League. The Age didn't give it much coverage, and only one table was published all season, in The Herald making it hard to determine any of the missing results.

Anyway, here it is:

1928 Victorian Season File