View source for 1953 VFL grand final

{{Short description|Grand final of the 1953 Victorian Football League season}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox Australian rules football grand final
| year = 1953
| competition = VFL
| image = 
| home = [[File:Geelong Football Club Colours.svg|50px]]<br/> {{AFL Gee}}
| home_score = 8.17 (65)
| away = [[File:Collingwood icon.svg|50px]]<br/>{{AFL Col}}
| away_score = 11.11 (77)
| home_abbr     = GEE
| away_abbr     = COL
| home_qtr1     = 2.3 (15)
| home_qtr2     = 3.9 (27)
| home_qtr3     = 5.11 (41)
| home_qtr4     = 8.17 (65)
| away_qtr1     = 2.4 (16)
| away_qtr2     = 5.6 (36)
| away_qtr3     = 10.10 (70)
| away_qtr4     = 11.11 (77)
| date = 26 September 1953
| attendance = 89,149
| stadium = [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]]
| last = 1952
| next = 1954
}}

The '''1953 VFL Grand Final''' was an [[Australian rules football]] game contested between the [[Geelong Football Club]] and [[Collingwood Football Club]], held at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] on 26 September 1953. It was the 56th annual [[VFL Grand Final|Grand Final]] of the [[Victorian Football League (1897–1989)|Victorian Football League]], staged to determine the [[List of AFL premiers|premiers]] for the [[1953 VFL season]]. The match, attended by 89,149 spectators, was won by Collingwood by 12 points, the club's 12th premiership victory.

This was the third successive Grand Final appearance for the Cats, who were attempting to win three successive flags after having defeated [[Essendon Football Club|Essendon]] in the [[1951 VFL Grand Final]] and Collingwood in the [[1952 VFL Grand Final]]. Collingwood had not won a premiership since winning the [[1936 VFL Grand Final]].

In round 14 of the 1953 season, Collingwood defeated Geelong to end their record 23 game winning streak (26 games unbeaten). Collingwood won again when the sides battled in the Semi Final, and in the Grand Final defeated Geelong for the third time in the year. Geelong had the better of the final quarter, but inaccuracy cost them.

Collingwood's full-back [[Jack Hamilton (footballer, born 1928)|Jack Hamilton]] and Geelong's dual premiership player [[Russell Middlemiss]] missed the game through injury.

==Teams==
{| width=92% |
|-
|{{Australian rules football kit
 | pattern_b  = _blackstripes 
 | pattern_sh =  
 | pattern_so =  
 | body       = ffffff 
 | shorts     = 000000 
 | socks      =  000000
 | title      = Collingwood
}}
|{{Australian rules football kit
 | pattern_b      = _thinwhitehoops
| pattern_sh     = 
| pattern_so     = _3whitehoops
| body           = 1C3C63
| shorts         = 
| socks          = 1C3C63
 | title      =  Geelong
}}
|}
{|
|valign="top"|
[[File:Bob Rose.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Bob Rose]]
{{Aussie rules team
| title =  {{font color|#FFFFFF|Collingwood|link=Collingwood Football Club}} | color = #000000   
| backpocket1 = [[Lerrel Sharp]]
| fullback = [[Jack Finck]]
| backpocket2 = [[Arthur Gooch (footballer)|Arthur Gooch]]
| halfbackflank1 = [[Jack Parker (footballer, born 1931)|Jack Parker]]
| centrehalfback = [[Neville Waller]]
| halfbackflank2 = [[Ron Kingston]]
| wing1 = [[Des Healey]]
| centre = [[Bill Twomey, Jr.]]
| wing2 = [[Ron Richards (footballer, born 1928)|Ron Richards]]
| halfforwardflank1 = [[Pat Twomey]]
| centrehalfforward = [[Terry Waites]]
| halfforwardflank2 = [[Thorold Merrett]]
| forwardpocket1 = [[Mick Twomey]]
| fullforward = [[Keith Batchelor]]
| forwardpocket2 = [[Lou Richards]] (c)
| ruck = [[Neil Mann (Australian rules footballer)|Neil Mann]]
| ruckrover = [[Bill Rose (footballer)|Bill Rose]]
| rover = [[Bob Rose (footballer)|Bob Rose]] 
| reserve1 = [[Murray Weideman]]
| reserve2 = [[George Hams]]
| coach = [[Phonse Kyne]]}}

{{Aussie rules team
| title =  {{font color|#FFFFFF|Geelong|link=Geelong Football Club}} | color = #1C3C63   
| backpocket1 = [[Bernie Smith]]
| fullback = [[Bruce Morrison (footballer)|Bruce Morrison]]
| backpocket2 = [[Harry Herbert]]
| halfbackflank1 = [[Sid Smith (Australian footballer)|Sid Smith]]
| centrehalfback = [[John Hyde (footballer)|John Hyde]]
| halfbackflank2 = [[Geoff Williams (footballer)|Geoff Williams]]
| wing1 = [[Les Reed (footballer)|Les Reed]]
| centre = [[Leo Turner]]
| wing2 = [[Bert Worner]]
| halfforwardflank1 = [[Noel Rayson]]
| centrehalfforward = [[Fred Flanagan]] (c)
| halfforwardflank2 = [[Bob Davis (Australian rules footballer)|Bob Davis]]
| forwardpocket1 = [[George Swarbrick (footballer)|George Swarbrick]]
| fullforward = [[Russell Renfrey]]
| forwardpocket2 = [[Neil Trezise]]
| ruck = [[Bill McMaster]] 
| ruckrover = [[Norm Sharp]]
| rover = [[Peter Pianto]]
| reserve1 = [[Doug Palmer]]
| reserve2 = [[Ron Hovey]]
| coach = [[Reg Hickey]]}}

==The game==
===1st quarter===

The game opened with the large crowd spilling out onto the oval and forming a human boundary line; these people got to see a Collingwood side that were more determined to get to the ball first and run their Geelong opponents off their feet.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}} It was a tight first term in which the Magpies didn't allow the Cats to play their usual dominant game. A few fiery incidents occurred, but Umpire McMurray was soon on top of it.

===2nd quarter===

The second quarter was a microcosm of the game: Geelong were wasteful in front of goal, whereas the Collingwood team, with [[Keith Batchelor|Batchelor]] and [[Bill Rose (footballer)|Rose]], were accurate. Three goals to one gave the Magpies a handy lead going into half time.

===3rd quarter===

Collingwood set up the win in the third quarter by kicking 5 goals to 2. Geelong's ruckman [[Bill McMaster]] was carried from the field, and the Cats had to play [[Russell Renfrey|Renfrey]] [[Follower (Australian rules football)|on the ball]]. This left a hole in the Geelong's attack that the Magpies exploited and resulted in coast-to-coast goals.

===Final quarter===

With Collingwood slowing to a walk, Geelong challenged hard to make up the gap. Geelong peppered the goals but could only manage 1 goal from 8 attempts. [[Ron Hovey|Hovey]], who replaced McMaster, had two chances from 20 metres and missed both. A goal against play by Collingwood's Rose put the result out of reach of the Cats. Two late goals to Geelong were not enough to stop Collingwood winning their twelfth pennant.

==Statistics==
===Best===
'''Collingwood'''
* Mann, Healey, R. Richards, R. Rose, Finck, Merrett

'''Geelong'''
* B. Smith, Williams, Morrison, Turner, Davis, Renfrey

===Goalkickers===
'''Collingwood'''
* Batchelor 4, Bob Rose 3, Healey 2, L. Richards, M. Twomey

'''Geelong'''
* Davis 3, Rayson 2, Hovey, McMaster, Trezise

===Free kicks===
*Collingwood 14, 4, 11, 2 total 31
*Geelong  15, 7, 5, 4 total 31

===Marks===
*Collingwood 61
*Geelong 49

===Attendance===
* MCG crowd – 89,149

==See also==
* [[George Goninon]]

==References==
*[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1953/040919530926.html 1953 Grand Final page on AFL Tables]
* ''The Official statistical history of the AFL 2004'' 
* Ross, J. (ed), ''100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported'', Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. {{ISBN|0-670-86814-0}}
* [https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/dumped-for-adultery/news-story/f546c8619787569e1c0198860cea6bfd Piesse, Ken, "Stray Cat lifts lid on Grand Final dumping", ''Sunday Herald Sun'', (Sunday, 23 September 2007).]

{{1953 Collingwood premiership players}}
{{Geelong Football Club}}
{{Collingwood Football Club}}
{{Australian Football League}}

[[Category:VFL/AFL Grand Finals]]
[[Category:1953 in Australian rules football|Grand]]
[[Category:Collingwood Football Club]]
[[Category:Geelong Football Club]]
[[Category:September 1953 sports events in Australia]]
|}