The inaugural Victorian Football League (VFL) season in 1897 saw 284 players make their senior debut for the eight clubs that comprised the VFL. Many of these players previously played for their clubs in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) prior to the establishment of the VFL.
Summary + Summary of debuts in 1897 Club VFL debuts 39 31 36 37 34 38 41 South Melbourne 28 Total 284
Debuts
Name Club Age at debut Round debuted Games Goals Notes 120 8 78 21 61 2 41 25 34 1 30 3 27 0 25 17 24 6 24 10 24 2 16 1 15 3 14 0 14 3 12 0 11 1 11 0 11 0 101 8 0 7 1 7 4 5 2 5 0 5 0 4 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 Father of Jimmy Goonan. 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 179 111 Brother of Albert Pannam, father of Alby and Charlie Pannam, and grandfather of Lou and Ron Richards. 171 7 Father of Jack Monohan Jr. 149 101 129 67 108 0 104 37 89 119 84 8 Brother of Arthur and Ted Leach. 72 1 67 0 64 4 55 8 42 17 38 21 Brother of Jim Dowdall. 37 20 29 2 22 0 21 3 175 172 161 116 11 3 9 2 9 0 8 2 6 1 Brother of Harry Dowdall. 4 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 136 13 134 21 112 21 109 25 108 31 104 34 98 7 91 23 86 6 74 18 71 4 Brother of Harry Stuckey. Played first class cricket for Victoria and won the 1897 Stawell Gift. 61 53 57 0 52 13 48 12 30 34 26 1 Played first-class cricket for Tasmania and Victoria. 23 30 22 4 18 0 18 8 15 12 12 4 Played first-class cricket for Tasmania. 11 1 9 1 8 1 6 0 5 3 5 1 5 2 4 2 Brother of Fred and Ted Leach. 3 2 2 0 1 2 1 0 1 1 182 16 126 93 106 0 Father of Jack Moriarty. 102 110 99 59 66 0 65 55 Brother of Jim Grace. 61 3 57 1 55 18 47 33 Brother of Mick Grace. 44 0 Brother of Bill Dalton. 36 7 34 1 32 0 24 14 24 0 21 6 16 3 12 2 10 6 10 0 Also played first-class cricket for Victoria. 8 1Brother of Albert Banks. 6 1 5 0 5 3 5 1 5 1 5 0 4 0 4 0 3 0 3 1 2 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 180 35 Brother of Tom Rankin. Father of Cliff, Bert and Doug Rankin. Great-grandfather of Georgie Rankin. 167 76 89 7 Brother of Allen Burns. 84 29 82 53 Brother of Henry and Joe McShane. 75 30 Brother of Henry and Jim McShane 74 25 72 81 72 22 72 0 61 14 53 8 51 0 50 11 46 85 31 1 Brother of Jim and Joe McShane. 29 0 28 28 21 16 20 2 17 4 17 0 17 0 13 0 13 1 7 1 4 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 134 29 133 162 129 46 87 9 84 36 91 10 68 3 60 37 50 2 46 4 36 1 35 25 Played first-class cricket for Western Australia. 32 0 29 0 26 12 18 1 17 2 16 0 Brother of Gerald Sheahan. 13 8 13 2 11 0 10 0 8 0 8 1 8 1 8 2 6 1 Played first-class cricket for Victoria. 5 4 4 1 2 0 Brother of Jack Blackham. 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 Brother of Fred Sheahan. 91 11 83 1 80 7 73 10 30 5 Brother of George and Tom Blake. 30 4 29 0 29 1 25 0 23 0 21 0 15 7 13 0 13 4 13 4 13 1 12 6 12 1 12 1 11 0 10 1 10 1 10 0 9 0 8 1 7 0 7 0 Represented Australia at the 1906 Intercalated Games and 1908 Summer Olympics as a long distance runner. 6 1 6 0 6 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 2 1 Played First-class cricket for Victoria, Otago and Wellington. 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 South Melbourne 152 2 Played first-class cricket for Victoria. South Melbourne 129 36 South Melbourne 109 41 South Melbourne 90 11 South Melbourne 88 18 South Melbourne 72 16 Father of Harry Purdy Jnr. South Melbourne 60 1 Brother of Jack and Jim O'Hara. South Melbourne 42 26 South Melbourne 40 23Brother of Peter Burns. South Melbourne 37 1 Brother of Jack and Frank O'Hara. South Melbourne 37 0 South Melbourne 31 3 South Melbourne 29 9 South Melbourne 22 3 South Melbourne 14 14 South Melbourne 13 11 South Melbourne 13 0 South Melbourne 13 4 South Melbourne 12 14 South Melbourne 12 0 South Melbourne 12 10 South Melbourne 9 0 South Melbourne 7 0 South Melbourne 6 0 South Melbourne 5 2 South Melbourne 3 0Brother of Dave Adamson. South Melbourne 2 0 South Melbourne 1 0
References