Research Correcting historical match starting times

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Here’s one that I’m surprised has not been picked up before.
Essendon v St.Kilda 13 June 1938. AFL Tables has start time of 2.30 PM.
In fact this was a morning match which began at 10.30 AM.



View attachment 1988787

AustralianFootball site also shows 2.30 as start time for St Kilda v Essendon.

This item in The Age issue of 11 June explains why the morning start was arranged..

No reference to a delay was found in any of the match reports I've read e.g.

so...
Summary: 1938 Round 12 match (on 13 June) Essendon v St Kilda
start time remove 2.30 and replace with 10.30 am
 
I think that tthe confusion lies within the Reserves Start Times. For possibly the only time ever the St.Kilda v Essendon Reserves match did start in the afternooon - but at the Away Ground.
 
It possibly is. There are a couple of other morning matches on 26 May 1920, but start times given are 10.45 AM.

Confirmation here in The Age issue of 25 May 1920 that Fitzroy v Geelong and Richmond v Collingwood were both due the next day to start at 10.45 am.

Reading a number of match reports didn't reveal any delays being mentioned so the time stands for Round 5 on 26 May 1920 - as per AFL Tables and AustralianFootball, two matches at 10.45 am and two at 3 pm.
 
Summary: 1905 Semi Finals x2 start time is 3pm, not 2.30 as per AFLTables Screen Shot 2024-05-15 at 3.59.53 pm.png

As for 1905 Grand Final
We know the "Gates opened at 2pm" and pretty much everyone was seated (30,000) by start of the the game. Will keep searching
 
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AustralianFootball site also shows 2.30 as start time for St Kilda v Essendon.

This item in The Age issue of 11 June explains why the morning start was arranged..

No reference to a delay was found in any of the match reports I've read e.g.

so...
Summary: 1938 Round 12 match (on 13 June) Essendon v St Kilda
start time remove 2.30 and replace with 10.30 am
That trove article doesn’t make much sense. It perhaps explains why the match was played on Kings Birthday but not why it started at 10.30am. Did those teams also play on the Saturday?

Good effort to fit a 36 hole comp at Riversdale at that time of year. Either wasn’t a big field or they played quick.
 

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Confirmation here in The Age issue of 25 May 1920 that Fitzroy v Geelong and Richmond v Collingwood were both due the next day to start at 10.45 am.

Reading a number of match reports didn't reveal any delays being mentioned so the time stands for Round 5 on 26 May 1920 - as per AFL Tables and AustralianFootball, two matches at 10.45 am and two at 3 pm.
Looks like that was a Tuesday. It coincided with a visit by the Prince of Wales.
 
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That trove article doesn’t make much sense. It perhaps explains why the match was played on Kings Birthday but not why it started at 10.30am. Did those teams also play on the Saturday?

Good effort to fit a 36 hole comp at Riversdale at that time of year. Either wasn’t a big field or they played quick.
Those clubs did play on the Saturday, Essendon lost at home to Geelong and Collingwood away to St Kilda.

They then backed up on the Monday just 41 hours later.

Both sides then had Sat 9 July off.

Still doesn’t explain why it was played at 10.30am.
 
Those clubs did play on the Saturday, Essendon lost at home to Geelong and Collingwood away to St Kilda.

They then backed up on the Monday just 41 hours later.

Both sides then had Sat 9 July off.

Still doesn’t explain why it was played at 10.30am.
Essendon played a Northern Tasmanian Football Association 18 at York Park in Launceston on Sat 9 July 1938.
 
Summary: 1905 Semi Finals x2 start time is 3pm, not 2.30 as per AFLTablesView attachment 1989634

As for 1905 Grand Final
We know the "Gates opened at 2pm" and pretty much everyone was seated (30,000) by start of the the game. Will keep searching

AustralianFootball site also has 2.30 shown as start time.

The Preliminary Final, week before the GF was also advertised as starting at 3 o'clock.

A check of articles after the match did not reveal any mention of a delay, so...

Summary: 1905 Preliminary Final Carlton v Fitzroy start time remove 2.30 and replace with 3.00
 
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The 1907 Grand Final starting time amendment was noted a few weeks ago.

So, at the moment, sources for start times of 1898-1904 and 1906-07 Grand Finals have been identified.
Checking for details on the 1905 GF ...frustratingly, the standard sources which have helped in the other years
haven't included specific times in their articles or adverts for the '05 match.
 
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1908
26 September Grand Final Carlton v Essendon

AFL Tables and AustralianFootball websites have start as 2.50, I think it should be 3.00

The Herald issue of 25 September carried an advertisement which included “Victorian Football League / Grand Final Match / …Carlton v Essendon / At 3. / To-morrow To-morrow..”

The Age issue of 26 September in an advertisement at column six of page 16 includes
“..Carlton v Essendon / To-day, To-day, at 3..”

No match reports or post-match reviews that I have seen comment on any delay so..

Summary: 1908 Grand Final start time, remove 2.50 and replace with 3.00
 
1909
2 October Grand Final Carlton v South Melbourne
AFL Tables and AustralianFootball websites have start as 2.50, I think it should be 3.00

The Herald issue of Friday 1 October carries an advertisement which includes
“Victorian Football League / Grand Final Match / ..To-morrow To-morrow / Carlton v South Melbourne, / At 3.”

The Argus issue of Saturday 2 October carried a list under a heading Sporting Intelligence which included “To-Day’s Events / final match for league football premiership, Carlton v South Melbourne, on Melbourne Cricket-ground, 3 p.m.”

No match reports or post-match reviews that I have seen comment on any delay so..

Summary: 1909 Grand Final start time, remove 2.50 and replace with 3.00
 
1910
Grand Final 1 October Carlton v Collingwood
AFL Tables and AustralianFootball websites have start as 2.50, I think it should be 3.00

The Herald issue of Friday 30 September carried an advertisement which included
“Grand Final Match / To-morrow To-morrow / Carlton v Collingwood / At 3. “

The Age issue of Saturday 1 October has an advertisement on page 18 column 6 which includes
“..Grand Final Match / ..Carlton v Collingwood, At 3.”

No match reports or post-match reviews that I have seen comment on any delay so..

Summary: 1910 Grand Final start time, remove 2.50 and replace with 3.00
 
1901 7 September Grand Final - Essendon v Collingwood
AFL Tables and AustralianFootball have start as 2.50, I think time should be 3.05

The Argus issue of Saturday 7 September has an advertisement in the Amusements section for the match which includes “..Baseball Match, Victoria v New South Wales, 1 to 3, prior to Football Match.”

The Sportsman issue of Tuesday 10 September has a match report which includes “..The crowd was anxious for the start, and just after 3 o’clock a mighty roar went up in welcoming the players, Essendon were the first out, and were quickly followed by Collingwood.”

Summary: 1901 Grand Final start time - remove 2.50 and replace with 3.05

Similiar to the 1901 Grand Final info above, the Semi Finals certainly didn't take place prior to 3pm (as per AFLTables/AF)
As the baseball match was schedule between 1pm - 3pm

Screenshot 2024-05-18 at 1.09.40 pm.png


And this article for Coll v Geel final talks about the grandstand being pretty full by 3 oclock. Screenshot 2024-05-18 at 1.19.14 pm.png


Summary:
Change 1901 Semi Finals matches from 2.30pm to 3.05pm
 
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Research Correcting historical match starting times

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