Welcome to Grand Final History, a Podcast that explores every VFL and AFL premiership since 1897. Each episode takes you through a summary of the season, the changing rules, emerging trends, controversies and highlights. Then into the finals culminating in two teams challenging each other in a Grand Final to become the premiers for the year (Apart from the seasons where a round robin system replaced the Grand Final). From the early years of the VFL when 8 suburban clubs built a competition to a national league playing games in every state and territory across the country.
1954 was a year of communist spies and royal tours, the race of the century and a race around Australia. Construction crews moved into the MCG and North Melbourne embraced their Kangaroo mascot while John Coleman’s made his last jump for a mark. The season would be tarnished with a Grand Final scandal that would forever change how the game is officiated and, for the first time ever, the Australian code would be shown on TV, not in Melbourne but in the USA. The 1954 VFL season was impossible to predict, teams went from second last to second on the ladder but who would make finals wasn’t known until the very last round. Listen to this episode to see how crazy the season was and how the finals unfolded. And find out more about Bob Hawke and Rupert Murdoch’s footy careers, decades before one presented a VFL cup and the other helped arrange some TV broadcast deals.
www.grandfinalhistory.au/episode-58-1954-the-footys-on-the-tv-in-the-usa/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SQW7OWdDAlKJQHuSY3Xe7?si=p8fn_l3RRSOHadjQj8Qr2g
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/episode-58-1954-the-footys-on-the-tv-in-the-usa/id1532640129?i=1000792320367
30 Aug 2026
Episode 57 1953 The Streak
A season with the longest winning streak in the V/AFL history and the debut of one of the game’s giants while Collingwood mourned the loss of a club legend. 1953 was a year Coronation Fever swept the country, a Melbourne premiership player helped get the Olympic games to the MCG and the first All Australian Squad was announced. Supporters flocked to an Anzac Eve night game, even if it was not easy to see all the action. Geelong dropped one of their stars during the finals, was he a victim of religious bigotry? All this and more if you listen to the 1953 episode of Grand Final History
31 Jul 2026
Episode 56 1952 National Day
Games in four states, the first night game for premiership points, radio broadcasts of interstate games and teams visiting the Gold Coast, 1952 was a window to the future. Geelong began a mighty streak and Coleman kicked yet another ton. It was the wettest season in years, one ground literally ploughed up to remove the water but that didn't stop the footy! The venue for the Melbourne Olympics was announced, not what you might be expecting.
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