1916 VFL season
The 1916 VFL season was the 20th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria.
| 1916 VFL premiership season | |
|---|---|
Fitzroy FC, Premiers | |
| Teams | 4 |
| Premiers | Fitzroy 6th premiership |
| Minor premiers | Carlton 6th minor premiership |
| Leading Goalkicker Medallist | Dick Lee (Collingwood) |
| Matches played | 28 |
| Highest | 21,130 |
Played during the peak of World War I, the season was the smallest and shortest in the league's history, with only four of the nine senior clubs competing – Carlton, Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond. The season ran from 6 May until 2 September, and comprised a 12-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring all four clubs. The season saw the introduction of district football, allocating players to clubs based on residential address, a system which formed the basis of metropolitan recruiting until 1991.
The premiership was won by the Fitzroy Football Club for the sixth time. Despite finishing in last place in the home-and-away rounds with a 2–9–1 record, Fitzroy won its three finals, finishing by defeating Carlton by 29 points in the 1916 VFL Grand Final.