1913 VFL grand final
grand final of the 1913 Victorian Football League season

The 1913 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Fitzroy Football Club and St Kilda Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 1913. It was the 16th annual grand final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1913 VFL season. The match, attended by 59,556 spectators, was won by Fitzroy by a margin of 13 points, marking that club's fifth premiership victory.
It was St Kilda's first ever grand final appearance and they struggled early, not kicking a goal until the third quarter. A last quarter burst from St Kilda had them within two points when George Morrissey goaled. A mark to Des Baird looked like giving the Saints the lead but he handpassed it to Morrissey who was covered by his opponent and he could only kick a behind. Two late goals to Fitzroy sealed the game.
Teams
Umpire – Jack Elder
Statistics
Goalkickers
Attendance
MCG crowd – 59,556
References
1913 VFL Grand Final statistics
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.
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