1978 VFLR Season
This page displays the results for the 1978 season of the Victorian Football League Reserves (currently known as the Australian Football League Reserves).
It featured twenty-two rounds in a double round-robin format. The North Melbourne Reserves were the minor premiers.
The premiership ended with a finals series following the McIntyre Final Five system. The North Melbourne Reserves were the premiers, with Ray Jordon as the premiership coach.
Premiership Details
Name:
1978 Victorian Football League Reserves Season
Known As:
1978 VFLR Season
Teams:
12
Rounds:
22
Finals System:
McIntyre Final Five System
Matches:
138
Team Details
| Team | Home Ground | Coach (Appointed) | Coach (Caretaker) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton (R) | Princes Park | Serge Silvagni | |
| Collingwood (R) | Victoria Park | Ron Richards | |
| Essendon (R) | Windy Hill | Ken Fraser | |
| Fitzroy (R) | Junction Oval | ||
| Footscray (R) | Western Oval | ||
| Geelong (R) | Kardinia Park | ||
| Hawthorn (R) | Princes Park | John O'Mahoney | |
| Melbourne (R) | MCG | Colin Wilson | |
| North Melbourne (R) | Arden Street Oval | Ray Jordon | |
| Richmond (R) | MCG | Tony Jewell | |
| South Melbourne (R) | Lakeside Oval | ||
| St Kilda (R) | Moorabbin Oval |
Premiership Results
Premiers:
North Melbourne Reserves
Runners-Up:
Hawthorn Reserves
Minor Premiers:
North Melbourne Reserves
Team Results
Minor Premiership Results
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | GF | BF | GA | BA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 19 | -0- | 3 | 76 | 180.7% | 2,996 | 1,658 | 441 | 350 | 234 | 254 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 17 | -0- | 5 | 68 | 141.2% | 2,778 | 1,967 | 410 | 318 | 280 | 287 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 3rd | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 115.0% | 2,490 | 2,166 | 365 | 300 | 311 | 300 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 113.5% | 2,634 | 2,320 | 382 | 342 | 333 | 322 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 5th | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 108.3% | 2,339 | 2,160 | 339 | 305 | 310 | 300 |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | 11 | -1- | 10 | 46 | 103.1% | 2,321 | 2,252 | 336 | 305 | 325 | 302 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 99.4% | 2,268 | 2,282 | 322 | 336 | 331 | 296 |
| Carlton (R) | 8th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 96.0% | 2,417 | 2,519 | 344 | 353 | 375 | 269 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 9 | -0- | 13 | 36 | 96.1% | 2,359 | 2,454 | 332 | 367 | 354 | 330 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 4 | -1- | 17 | 18 | 77.7% | 1,997 | 2,569 | 283 | 299 | 372 | 337 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 4 | -0- | 18 | 16 | 61.8% | 1,957 | 3,165 | 283 | 259 | 456 | 429 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 19 | 12 | 62.0% | 1,706 | 2,750 | 241 | 260 | 397 | 368 |
Overall Premiership Results
| Team | Position (Outcome) | |
|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | Premiers |
| Hawthorn (R) | 2nd | Runners-Up |
| Richmond (R) | 3rd | Defeated by Hawthorn (R) (Preliminary Final) |
| Geelong (R) | 4th | Defeated by Richmond (R) (Semi Final) |
| Fitzroy (R) | 5th | Defeated by Richmond (R) (Elimination Final) |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | Did not qualify for finals |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | Did not qualify for finals |
| Carlton (R) | 8th | Did not qualify for finals |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | Did not qualify for finals |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | Did not qualify for finals |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | Did not qualify for finals |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | Did not qualify for finals |
Premiership Fixture
Regular Season
Round 1
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 01/04/1978 | Essendon (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Windy Hill | 121 | - | 75 | ||
| SAT | 01/04/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v St Kilda (R) | Junction Oval | 137 | - | 60 | ||
| SAT | 01/04/1978 | Footscray (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Western Oval | 51 | - | 128 | ||
| SAT | 01/04/1978 | Geelong (R) v Collingwood (R) | Kardinia Park | 161 | - | 44 | ||
| SAT | 01/04/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 99 | - | 70 | ||
| SAT | 01/04/1978 | Richmond (R) v Carlton (R) | MCG | 169 | - | 104 | ||
Round 1 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 365.9% | 161 | 44 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 251.0% | 128 | 51 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 228.3% | 137 | 60 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 162.5% | 169 | 104 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 161.3% | 121 | 75 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 6th | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 141.4% | 99 | 70 |
| Melbourne (R) | 7th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 70.7% | 70 | 99 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 8th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 62.0% | 75 | 121 |
| Carlton (R) | 9th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 61.5% | 104 | 169 |
| St Kilda (R) | 10th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 43.8% | 60 | 137 |
| Footscray (R) | 11th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 39.8% | 51 | 128 |
| Collingwood (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 27.3% | 44 | 161 |
Round 2
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 08/04/1978 | Carlton (R) v Geelong (R) | Princes Park | 178 | - | 148 | ||
| SAT | 08/04/1978 | Collingwood (R) v Essendon (R) | Victoria Park | 143 | - | 91 | ||
| SAT | 08/04/1978 | Melbourne (R) v Fitzroy (R) | MCG | 123 | - | 142 | ||
| SAT | 08/04/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Richmond (R) | Arden Street Oval | 195 | - | 66 | ||
| SAT | 08/04/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Lakeside Oval | 89 | - | 160 | ||
| SAT | 08/04/1978 | St Kilda (R) v Footscray (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 92 | - | 160 | ||
Round 2 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 2 | -0- | 0 | 8 | 276.1% | 323 | 117 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 2nd | 2 | -0- | 0 | 8 | 162.9% | 259 | 159 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 2 | -0- | 0 | 8 | 152.5% | 279 | 183 |
| Geelong (R) | 4th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 139.2% | 309 | 222 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 97.2% | 212 | 218 |
| Footscray (R) | 6th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 95.9% | 211 | 220 |
| Carlton (R) | 7th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 89.0% | 282 | 317 |
| Richmond (R) | 8th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 78.6% | 235 | 299 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 74.2% | 187 | 252 |
| Melbourne (R) | 10th | 0 | -0- | 2 | 0 | 80.1% | 193 | 241 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 11th | 0 | -0- | 2 | 0 | 58.4% | 164 | 281 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 2 | 0 | 51.2% | 152 | 297 |
Round 3
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 15/04/1978 | Carlton (R) v Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 156 | - | 76 | ||
| SAT | 15/04/1978 | Essendon (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Windy Hill | 93 | - | 114 | ||
| SAT | 15/04/1978 | Footscray (R) v Geelong (R) | Western Oval | 108 | - | 163 | ||
| SAT | 15/04/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Hawthorn (R) | VFL Park | 113 | - | 90 | ||
| SAT | 15/04/1978 | Richmond (R) v St Kilda (R) | MCG | 127 | - | 108 | ||
| SAT | 15/04/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v Collingwood (R) | Lakeside Oval | 103 | - | 80 | ||
Round 3 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 3 | -0- | 0 | 12 | 210.6% | 436 | 207 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 2nd | 3 | -0- | 0 | 12 | 142.4% | 393 | 276 |
| Geelong (R) | 3rd | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 143.0% | 472 | 330 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 128.3% | 349 | 272 |
| Carlton (R) | 5th | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 111.5% | 438 | 393 |
| Richmond (R) | 6th | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 88.9% | 362 | 407 |
| Essendon (R) | 7th | 1 | -0- | 2 | 4 | 91.9% | 305 | 332 |
| Footscray (R) | 8th | 1 | -0- | 2 | 4 | 83.3% | 319 | 383 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 1 | -0- | 2 | 4 | 75.2% | 267 | 355 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 1 | -0- | 2 | 4 | 74.0% | 267 | 361 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 0 | -0- | 3 | 0 | 67.8% | 269 | 397 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 3 | 0 | 61.3% | 260 | 424 |
Round 4
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 22/04/1978 | Carlton (R) v Essendon (R) | VFL Park | 104 | - | 156 | ||
| SAT | 22/04/1978 | Collingwood (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Victoria Park | 125 | - | 107 | ||
| SAT | 22/04/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Junction Oval | 135 | - | 87 | ||
| SAT | 22/04/1978 | Geelong (R) v Richmond (R) | Kardinia Park | 158 | - | 100 | ||
| SAT | 22/04/1978 | Melbourne (R) v Footscray (R) | MCG | 115 | - | 155 | ||
| SAT | 22/04/1978 | St Kilda (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 56 | - | 144 | ||
Round 4 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 4 | -0- | 0 | 16 | 220.5% | 580 | 263 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 2nd | 4 | -0- | 0 | 16 | 145.5% | 528 | 363 |
| Geelong (R) | 3rd | 3 | -0- | 1 | 12 | 146.5% | 630 | 430 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 114.9% | 456 | 397 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 105.7% | 461 | 436 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 98.7% | 542 | 549 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 95.2% | 474 | 498 |
| Collingwood (R) | 8th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 84.8% | 392 | 462 |
| Richmond (R) | 9th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 81.8% | 462 | 565 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 1 | -0- | 3 | 4 | 71.4% | 354 | 496 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 0 | -0- | 4 | 0 | 69.6% | 384 | 552 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 4 | 0 | 55.6% | 316 | 568 |
Round 5
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 29/04/1978 | Footscray (R) v Essendon (R) | Western Oval | 100 | - | 94 | ||
| SAT | 29/04/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Princes Park | 136 | - | 109 | ||
| SAT | 29/04/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Collingwood (R) | Arden Street Oval | 144 | - | 90 | ||
| SAT | 29/04/1978 | Richmond (R) v Melbourne (R) | MCG | 173 | - | 109 | ||
| SAT | 29/04/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v Carlton (R) | Lakeside Oval | 110 | - | 146 | ||
| SAT | 29/04/1978 | St Kilda (R) v Geelong (R) | VFL Park | 85 | - | 149 | ||
Round 5 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 5 | -0- | 0 | 20 | 205.1% | 724 | 353 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 4 | -0- | 1 | 16 | 151.3% | 779 | 515 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 4 | -0- | 1 | 16 | 127.7% | 637 | 499 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 3 | -0- | 2 | 12 | 117.0% | 592 | 506 |
| Carlton (R) | 5th | 3 | -0- | 2 | 12 | 104.4% | 688 | 659 |
| Footscray (R) | 6th | 3 | -0- | 2 | 12 | 97.0% | 574 | 592 |
| Richmond (R) | 7th | 3 | -0- | 2 | 12 | 94.2% | 635 | 674 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 2 | -0- | 3 | 8 | 103.5% | 555 | 536 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 2 | -0- | 3 | 8 | 79.5% | 482 | 606 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 1 | -0- | 4 | 4 | 72.3% | 464 | 642 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 0 | -0- | 5 | 0 | 68.0% | 493 | 725 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 5 | 0 | 55.9% | 401 | 717 |
Round 6
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 06/05/1978 | Carlton (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Princes Park | 177 | - | 124 | ||
| SAT | 06/05/1978 | Essendon (R) v Richmond (R) | Windy Hill | 94 | - | 135 | ||
| SAT | 06/05/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v Collingwood (R) | Junction Oval | 123 | - | 119 | ||
| SAT | 06/05/1978 | Footscray (R) v South Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 126 | - | 127 | ||
| SAT | 06/05/1978 | Geelong (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Kardinia Park | 131 | - | 132 | ||
| SAT | 06/05/1978 | Melbourne (R) v St Kilda (R) | MCG | 140 | - | 101 | ||
Round 6 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 6 | -0- | 0 | 24 | 176.9% | 856 | 484 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 2nd | 5 | -0- | 1 | 20 | 123.0% | 760 | 618 |
| Geelong (R) | 3rd | 4 | -0- | 2 | 16 | 140.6% | 910 | 647 |
| Carlton (R) | 4th | 4 | -0- | 2 | 16 | 110.5% | 865 | 783 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 4 | -0- | 2 | 16 | 100.3% | 770 | 768 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 6th | 3 | -0- | 3 | 12 | 104.8% | 716 | 683 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 3 | -0- | 3 | 12 | 97.4% | 700 | 719 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 2 | -0- | 4 | 8 | 96.7% | 649 | 671 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 2 | -0- | 4 | 8 | 82.4% | 601 | 729 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 2 | -0- | 4 | 8 | 77.0% | 591 | 768 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 1 | -0- | 5 | 4 | 76.6% | 633 | 826 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 6 | 0 | 58.6% | 502 | 857 |
Round 7
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 13/05/1978 | Collingwood (R) v Carlton (R) | Victoria Park | 91 | - | 102 | ||
| SAT | 13/05/1978 | Geelong (R) v Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 179 | - | 43 | ||
| SAT | 13/05/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v Footscray (R) | Princes Park | 101 | - | 114 | ||
| SAT | 13/05/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Arden Street Oval | 121 | - | 78 | ||
| SAT | 13/05/1978 | Richmond (R) v South Melbourne (R) | MCG | 136 | - | 95 | ||
| SAT | 13/05/1978 | St Kilda (R) v Essendon (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 50 | - | 131 | ||
Round 7 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 7 | -0- | 0 | 28 | 173.8% | 977 | 562 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 5 | -0- | 2 | 20 | 157.8% | 1,089 | 690 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 5 | -0- | 2 | 20 | 113.4% | 838 | 739 |
| Carlton (R) | 4th | 5 | -0- | 2 | 20 | 110.6% | 967 | 874 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 5 | -0- | 2 | 20 | 105.0% | 906 | 863 |
| Footscray (R) | 6th | 4 | -0- | 3 | 16 | 99.3% | 814 | 820 |
| Essendon (R) | 7th | 3 | -0- | 4 | 12 | 108.2% | 780 | 721 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 8th | 3 | -0- | 4 | 12 | 102.5% | 817 | 797 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 2 | -0- | 5 | 8 | 83.3% | 692 | 831 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 2 | -0- | 5 | 8 | 75.9% | 686 | 904 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 1 | -0- | 6 | 4 | 67.3% | 676 | 1,005 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 7 | 0 | 55.9% | 552 | 988 |
Round 8
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 20/05/1978 | Carlton (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Princes Park | 86 | - | 109 | ||
| SAT | 20/05/1978 | Essendon (R) v Geelong (R) | Windy Hill | 42 | - | 74 | ||
| SAT | 20/05/1978 | Footscray (R) v Collingwood (R) | Western Oval | 101 | - | 96 | ||
| SAT | 20/05/1978 | Melbourne (R) v North Melbourne (R) | MCG | 73 | - | 135 | ||
| SAT | 20/05/1978 | Richmond (R) v Hawthorn (R) | VFL Park | 90 | - | 96 | ||
| SAT | 20/05/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v St Kilda (R) | Lakeside Oval | 103 | - | 81 | ||
Round 8 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 8 | -0- | 0 | 32 | 175.1% | 1,112 | 635 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 6 | -0- | 2 | 24 | 158.9% | 1,163 | 732 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 6 | -0- | 2 | 24 | 114.8% | 947 | 825 |
| Carlton (R) | 4th | 5 | -0- | 3 | 20 | 107.1% | 1,053 | 983 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 5 | -0- | 3 | 20 | 103.9% | 996 | 959 |
| Footscray (R) | 6th | 5 | -0- | 3 | 20 | 99.9% | 915 | 916 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 7th | 4 | -0- | 4 | 16 | 102.9% | 913 | 887 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 3 | -0- | 5 | 12 | 103.4% | 822 | 795 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 3 | -0- | 5 | 12 | 80.1% | 789 | 985 |
| Collingwood (R) | 10th | 2 | -0- | 6 | 8 | 84.5% | 788 | 932 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 1 | -0- | 7 | 4 | 65.7% | 749 | 1,140 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 8 | 0 | 58.0% | 633 | 1,091 |
Round 9
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 27/05/1978 | Carlton (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 89 | - | 127 | ||
| SAT | 27/05/1978 | Collingwood (R) v Richmond (R) | Victoria Park | 82 | - | 148 | ||
| SAT | 27/05/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v Footscray (R) | Junction Oval | 124 | - | 67 | ||
| SAT | 27/05/1978 | Geelong (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Kardinia Park | 88 | - | 70 | ||
| SAT | 27/05/1978 | Melbourne (R) v Essendon (R) | VFL Park | 110 | - | 93 | ||
| SAT | 27/05/1978 | St Kilda (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 74 | - | 138 | ||
Round 9 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 9 | -0- | 0 | 36 | 171.1% | 1,239 | 724 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 7 | -0- | 2 | 28 | 156.0% | 1,251 | 802 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 7 | -0- | 2 | 28 | 120.1% | 1,071 | 892 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 6 | -0- | 3 | 24 | 109.9% | 1,144 | 1,041 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 5th | 5 | -0- | 4 | 20 | 109.4% | 1,051 | 961 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 5 | -0- | 4 | 20 | 102.9% | 1,142 | 1,110 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 5 | -0- | 4 | 20 | 94.4% | 982 | 1,040 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 3 | -0- | 6 | 12 | 101.1% | 915 | 905 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 3 | -0- | 6 | 12 | 80.1% | 859 | 1,073 |
| Collingwood (R) | 10th | 2 | -0- | 7 | 8 | 80.6% | 870 | 1,080 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 2 | -0- | 7 | 8 | 69.7% | 859 | 1,233 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 9 | 0 | 57.5% | 707 | 1,229 |
Round 10
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 03/06/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v Geelong (R) | Princes Park | 110 | - | 88 | ||
| SAT | 03/06/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Essendon (R) | Arden Street Oval | 115 | - | 121 | ||
| SAT | 03/06/1978 | Richmond (R) v Fitzroy (R) | MCG | 68 | - | 78 | ||
| MON | 05/06/1978 | Footscray (R) v Carlton (R) | Western Oval | 79 | - | 83 | ||
| MON | 05/06/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v Melbourne (R) | Lakeside Oval | 183 | - | 126 | ||
| MON | 05/06/1978 | St Kilda (R) v Collingwood (R) | VFL Park | 54 | - | 144 | ||
Round 10 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 9 | -0- | 1 | 36 | 160.2% | 1,354 | 845 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 2nd | 8 | -0- | 2 | 32 | 119.7% | 1,149 | 960 |
| Geelong (R) | 3rd | 7 | -0- | 3 | 28 | 146.8% | 1,339 | 912 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 6 | -0- | 4 | 24 | 110.7% | 1,161 | 1,049 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 6 | -0- | 4 | 24 | 108.3% | 1,212 | 1,119 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 6 | -0- | 4 | 24 | 103.0% | 1,225 | 1,189 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 5 | -0- | 5 | 20 | 94.5% | 1,061 | 1,123 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 4 | -0- | 6 | 16 | 101.6% | 1,036 | 1,020 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 4 | -0- | 6 | 16 | 86.9% | 1,042 | 1,199 |
| Collingwood (R) | 10th | 3 | -0- | 7 | 12 | 89.4% | 1,014 | 1,134 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 2 | -0- | 8 | 8 | 69.6% | 985 | 1,416 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 10 | 0 | 55.4% | 761 | 1,373 |
Round 11
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 17/06/1978 | Carlton (R) v St Kilda (R) | Princes Park | 144 | - | 77 | ||
| SAT | 17/06/1978 | Collingwood (R) v Melbourne (R) | Victoria Park | 86 | - | 90 | ||
| SAT | 17/06/1978 | Essendon (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Windy Hill | 95 | - | 110 | ||
| SAT | 17/06/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v Geelong (R) | Junction Oval | 122 | - | 143 | ||
| SAT | 17/06/1978 | Richmond (R) v Footscray (R) | MCG | 167 | - | 124 | ||
| SAT | 17/06/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v North Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 66 | - | 118 | ||
Round 11 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 10 | -0- | 1 | 40 | 161.6% | 1,472 | 911 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 8 | -0- | 3 | 32 | 143.3% | 1,482 | 1,034 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 8 | -0- | 3 | 32 | 115.2% | 1,271 | 1,103 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 7 | -0- | 4 | 28 | 111.1% | 1,271 | 1,144 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 7 | -0- | 4 | 28 | 110.9% | 1,379 | 1,243 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 7 | -0- | 4 | 28 | 108.1% | 1,369 | 1,266 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 5 | -0- | 6 | 20 | 91.9% | 1,185 | 1,290 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 4 | -0- | 7 | 16 | 100.1% | 1,131 | 1,130 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 4 | -0- | 7 | 16 | 84.1% | 1,108 | 1,317 |
| Collingwood (R) | 10th | 3 | -0- | 8 | 12 | 89.9% | 1,100 | 1,224 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 8 | 12 | 71.6% | 1,075 | 1,502 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 11 | 0 | 55.2% | 838 | 1,517 |
Round 12
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 24/06/1978 | Carlton (R) v Richmond (R) | Princes Park | 126 | - | 138 | ||
| SAT | 24/06/1978 | Collingwood (R) v Geelong (R) | VFL Park | 58 | - | 116 | ||
| SAT | 24/06/1978 | Melbourne (R) v Hawthorn (R) | MCG | 76 | - | 143 | ||
| SAT | 24/06/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Footscray (R) | Arden Street Oval | 110 | - | 100 | ||
| SAT | 24/06/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v Essendon (R) | Lakeside Oval | 119 | - | 119 | ||
| SAT | 24/06/1978 | St Kilda (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 70 | - | 137 | ||
Round 12 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 11 | -0- | 1 | 44 | 156.5% | 1,582 | 1,011 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 9 | -0- | 3 | 36 | 146.3% | 1,598 | 1,092 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 9 | -0- | 3 | 36 | 120.0% | 1,408 | 1,173 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 8 | -0- | 4 | 32 | 115.9% | 1,414 | 1,220 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 8 | -0- | 4 | 32 | 110.8% | 1,517 | 1,369 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 7 | -0- | 5 | 28 | 106.5% | 1,495 | 1,404 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 5 | -0- | 7 | 20 | 91.8% | 1,285 | 1,400 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 4 | -1- | 7 | 18 | 100.1% | 1,250 | 1,249 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 4 | -1- | 7 | 18 | 85.4% | 1,227 | 1,436 |
| Collingwood (R) | 10th | 3 | -0- | 9 | 12 | 86.4% | 1,158 | 1,340 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 9 | 12 | 70.0% | 1,151 | 1,645 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 12 | 0 | 54.9% | 908 | 1,654 |
Round 13
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 01/07/1978 | Essendon (R) v Collingwood (R) | Windy Hill | 172 | - | 109 | ||
| SAT | 01/07/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 159 | - | 95 | ||
| SAT | 01/07/1978 | Footscray (R) v St Kilda (R) | Western Oval | 160 | - | 54 | ||
| SAT | 01/07/1978 | Geelong (R) v Carlton (R) | Kardinia Park | 135 | - | 78 | ||
| SAT | 01/07/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 108 | - | 101 | ||
| SAT | 01/07/1978 | Richmond (R) v North Melbourne (R) | MCG | 60 | - | 175 | ||
Round 13 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 12 | -0- | 1 | 48 | 164.1% | 1,757 | 1,071 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 10 | -0- | 3 | 40 | 148.1% | 1,733 | 1,170 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 10 | -0- | 3 | 40 | 123.6% | 1,567 | 1,268 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 9 | -0- | 4 | 36 | 115.2% | 1,522 | 1,321 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 8 | -0- | 5 | 32 | 102.1% | 1,577 | 1,544 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 7 | -0- | 6 | 28 | 102.2% | 1,573 | 1,539 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 6 | -0- | 7 | 24 | 99.4% | 1,445 | 1,454 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 5 | -1- | 7 | 22 | 104.7% | 1,422 | 1,358 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 4 | -1- | 8 | 18 | 86.0% | 1,328 | 1,544 |
| Collingwood (R) | 10th | 3 | -0- | 10 | 12 | 83.8% | 1,267 | 1,512 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 10 | 12 | 69.1% | 1,246 | 1,804 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 13 | 0 | 53.0% | 962 | 1,814 |
Round 14
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 08/07/1978 | Essendon (R) v Carlton (R) | Windy Hill | 139 | - | 95 | ||
| SAT | 08/07/1978 | Footscray (R) v Melbourne (R) | Western Oval | 157 | - | 34 | ||
| SAT | 08/07/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v Collingwood (R) | VFL Park | 140 | - | 93 | ||
| SAT | 08/07/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v St Kilda (R) | Arden Street Oval | 195 | - | 39 | ||
| SAT | 08/07/1978 | Richmond (R) v Geelong (R) | MCG | 89 | - | 111 | ||
| SAT | 08/07/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Lakeside Oval | 71 | - | 109 | ||
Round 14 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 13 | -0- | 1 | 52 | 175.9% | 1,952 | 1,110 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 11 | -0- | 3 | 44 | 146.5% | 1,844 | 1,259 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 11 | -0- | 3 | 44 | 125.2% | 1,676 | 1,339 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 10 | -0- | 4 | 40 | 117.5% | 1,662 | 1,414 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 8 | -0- | 6 | 32 | 100.7% | 1,666 | 1,655 |
| Footscray (R) | 6th | 7 | -0- | 7 | 28 | 107.7% | 1,602 | 1,488 |
| Carlton (R) | 7th | 7 | -0- | 7 | 28 | 99.4% | 1,668 | 1,678 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 6 | -1- | 7 | 26 | 107.4% | 1,561 | 1,453 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 4 | -1- | 9 | 18 | 84.6% | 1,399 | 1,653 |
| Collingwood (R) | 10th | 3 | -0- | 11 | 12 | 82.3% | 1,360 | 1,652 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 11 | 12 | 65.3% | 1,280 | 1,961 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 14 | 0 | 49.8% | 1,001 | 2,009 |
Round 15
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 15/07/1978 | Collingwood (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Victoria Park | 117 | - | 94 | ||
| SAT | 15/07/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v Essendon (R) | Junction Oval | 73 | - | 120 | ||
| SAT | 15/07/1978 | Geelong (R) v Footscray (R) | Kardinia Park | 82 | - | 91 | ||
| SAT | 15/07/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 87 | - | 61 | ||
| SAT | 15/07/1978 | Melbourne (R) v Carlton (R) | VFL Park | 93 | - | 121 | ||
| SAT | 15/07/1978 | St Kilda (R) v Richmond (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 88 | - | 86 | ||
Round 15 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 13 | -0- | 2 | 52 | 168.2% | 2,013 | 1,197 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 11 | -0- | 4 | 44 | 142.7% | 1,926 | 1,350 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 11 | -0- | 4 | 44 | 119.9% | 1,749 | 1,459 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 11 | -0- | 4 | 44 | 118.6% | 1,749 | 1,475 |
| Footscray (R) | 5th | 8 | -0- | 7 | 32 | 107.8% | 1,693 | 1,570 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 8 | -0- | 7 | 32 | 101.0% | 1,789 | 1,771 |
| Richmond (R) | 7th | 8 | -0- | 7 | 32 | 100.5% | 1,752 | 1,743 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 7 | -1- | 7 | 30 | 110.2% | 1,681 | 1,526 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 4 | -1- | 10 | 18 | 84.4% | 1,493 | 1,770 |
| Collingwood (R) | 10th | 4 | -0- | 11 | 16 | 84.6% | 1,477 | 1,746 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 12 | 12 | 65.9% | 1,373 | 2,082 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 1 | -0- | 14 | 4 | 52.0% | 1,089 | 2,095 |
Round 16
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 22/07/1978 | Carlton (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 122 | - | 44 | ||
| SAT | 22/07/1978 | Collingwood (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Victoria Park | 87 | - | 187 | ||
| SAT | 22/07/1978 | Essendon (R) v Footscray (R) | VFL Park | 120 | - | 73 | ||
| SAT | 22/07/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Junction Oval | 104 | - | 99 | ||
| SAT | 22/07/1978 | Geelong (R) v St Kilda (R) | Kardinia Park | 145 | - | 64 | ||
| SAT | 22/07/1978 | Melbourne (R) v Richmond (R) | MCG | 120 | - | 187 | ||
Round 16 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 14 | -0- | 2 | 56 | 171.3% | 2,200 | 1,284 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 12 | -0- | 4 | 48 | 146.5% | 2,071 | 1,414 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 12 | -0- | 4 | 48 | 118.9% | 1,853 | 1,558 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 11 | -0- | 5 | 44 | 117.0% | 1,848 | 1,579 |
| Carlton (R) | 5th | 9 | -0- | 7 | 36 | 105.3% | 1,911 | 1,815 |
| Richmond (R) | 6th | 9 | -0- | 7 | 36 | 104.1% | 1,939 | 1,863 |
| Essendon (R) | 7th | 8 | -1- | 7 | 34 | 112.6% | 1,801 | 1,599 |
| Footscray (R) | 8th | 8 | -0- | 8 | 32 | 104.5% | 1,766 | 1,690 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 4 | -1- | 11 | 18 | 81.2% | 1,537 | 1,892 |
| Collingwood (R) | 10th | 4 | -0- | 12 | 16 | 80.9% | 1,564 | 1,933 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 13 | 12 | 65.8% | 1,493 | 2,269 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 1 | -0- | 15 | 4 | 51.5% | 1,153 | 2,240 |
Round 17
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 29/07/1978 | Collingwood (R) v Fitzroy (R) | VFL Park | 140 | - | 93 | ||
| SAT | 29/07/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v Carlton (R) | Princes Park | 127 | - | 148 | ||
| SAT | 29/07/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Geelong (R) | Arden Street Oval | 100 | - | 107 | ||
| SAT | 29/07/1978 | Richmond (R) v Essendon (R) | MCG | 135 | - | 97 | ||
| SAT | 29/07/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v Footscray (R) | Lakeside Oval | 86 | - | 99 | ||
| SAT | 29/07/1978 | St Kilda (R) v Melbourne (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 135 | - | 52 | ||
Round 17 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 14 | -0- | 3 | 56 | 165.3% | 2,300 | 1,391 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 13 | -0- | 4 | 52 | 143.9% | 2,178 | 1,514 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 12 | -0- | 5 | 48 | 114.6% | 1,946 | 1,698 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 11 | -0- | 6 | 44 | 114.4% | 1,975 | 1,727 |
| Carlton (R) | 5th | 10 | -0- | 7 | 40 | 106.0% | 2,059 | 1,942 |
| Richmond (R) | 6th | 10 | -0- | 7 | 40 | 105.8% | 2,074 | 1,960 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 9 | -0- | 8 | 36 | 105.0% | 1,865 | 1,776 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 8 | -1- | 8 | 34 | 109.5% | 1,898 | 1,734 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 5 | -0- | 12 | 20 | 84.1% | 1,704 | 2,026 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 4 | -1- | 12 | 18 | 81.5% | 1,623 | 1,991 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 14 | 12 | 64.3% | 1,545 | 2,404 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 2 | -0- | 15 | 8 | 56.2% | 1,288 | 2,292 |
Round 18
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 05/08/1978 | Carlton (R) v Collingwood (R) | Princes Park | 80 | - | 109 | ||
| SAT | 05/08/1978 | Essendon (R) v St Kilda (R) | Windy Hill | 93 | - | 77 | ||
| SAT | 05/08/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Junction Oval | 62 | - | 88 | ||
| SAT | 05/08/1978 | Footscray (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Western Oval | 124 | - | 77 | ||
| SAT | 05/08/1978 | Melbourne (R) v Geelong (R) | MCG | 66 | - | 169 | ||
| SAT | 05/08/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v Richmond (R) | VFL Park | 62 | - | 140 | ||
Round 18 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 15 | -0- | 3 | 60 | 164.3% | 2,388 | 1,453 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 14 | -0- | 4 | 56 | 148.5% | 2,347 | 1,580 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 12 | -0- | 6 | 48 | 112.4% | 2,008 | 1,786 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 11 | -0- | 7 | 44 | 110.9% | 2,052 | 1,851 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 11 | -0- | 7 | 44 | 109.5% | 2,214 | 2,022 |
| Footscray (R) | 6th | 10 | -0- | 8 | 40 | 107.3% | 1,989 | 1,853 |
| Carlton (R) | 7th | 10 | -0- | 8 | 40 | 104.3% | 2,139 | 2,051 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 9 | -1- | 8 | 38 | 109.9% | 1,991 | 1,811 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 6 | -0- | 12 | 24 | 86.1% | 1,813 | 2,106 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 4 | -1- | 13 | 18 | 79.1% | 1,685 | 2,131 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 15 | 12 | 62.6% | 1,611 | 2,573 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 2 | -0- | 16 | 8 | 57.2% | 1,365 | 2,385 |
Round 19
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 12/08/1978 | Collingwood (R) v Footscray (R) | Victoria Park | 149 | - | 45 | ||
| SAT | 12/08/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v Carlton (R) | VFL Park | 74 | - | 68 | ||
| SAT | 12/08/1978 | Geelong (R) v Essendon (R) | Kardinia Park | 74 | - | 80 | ||
| SAT | 12/08/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v Richmond (R) | Princes Park | 74 | - | 72 | ||
| SAT | 12/08/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Melbourne (R) | Arden Street Oval | 168 | - | 40 | ||
| SAT | 12/08/1978 | St Kilda (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 82 | - | 60 | ||
Round 19 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 16 | -0- | 3 | 64 | 171.2% | 2,556 | 1,493 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 14 | -0- | 5 | 56 | 145.8% | 2,421 | 1,660 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 13 | -0- | 6 | 52 | 112.3% | 2,082 | 1,854 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 12 | -0- | 7 | 48 | 110.6% | 2,126 | 1,923 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 11 | -0- | 8 | 44 | 109.1% | 2,286 | 2,096 |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | 10 | -1- | 8 | 42 | 109.9% | 2,071 | 1,885 |
| Carlton (R) | 7th | 10 | -0- | 9 | 40 | 103.9% | 2,207 | 2,125 |
| Footscray (R) | 8th | 10 | -0- | 9 | 40 | 101.6% | 2,034 | 2,002 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 7 | -0- | 12 | 28 | 91.2% | 1,962 | 2,151 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 4 | -1- | 14 | 18 | 78.9% | 1,745 | 2,213 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 16 | 12 | 60.2% | 1,651 | 2,741 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 16 | 12 | 59.2% | 1,447 | 2,445 |
Round 20
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 19/08/1978 | Essendon (R) v Melbourne (R) | Windy Hill | 150 | - | 89 | ||
| SAT | 19/08/1978 | Footscray (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Western Oval | 86 | - | 88 | ||
| SAT | 19/08/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v St Kilda (R) | VFL Park | 102 | - | 75 | ||
| SAT | 19/08/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Carlton (R) | Arden Street Oval | 214 | - | 52 | ||
| SAT | 19/08/1978 | Richmond (R) v Collingwood (R) | MCG | 121 | - | 96 | ||
| SAT | 19/08/1978 | South Melbourne (R) v Geelong (R) | Lakeside Oval | 98 | - | 127 | ||
Round 20 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 17 | -0- | 3 | 68 | 179.3% | 2,770 | 1,545 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 15 | -0- | 5 | 60 | 144.9% | 2,548 | 1,758 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 14 | -0- | 6 | 56 | 111.9% | 2,170 | 1,940 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 13 | -0- | 7 | 52 | 111.5% | 2,228 | 1,998 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 12 | -0- | 8 | 48 | 109.8% | 2,407 | 2,192 |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | 11 | -1- | 8 | 46 | 112.5% | 2,221 | 1,974 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 10 | -0- | 10 | 40 | 101.4% | 2,120 | 2,090 |
| Carlton (R) | 8th | 10 | -0- | 10 | 40 | 96.6% | 2,259 | 2,339 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 7 | -0- | 13 | 28 | 90.6% | 2,058 | 2,272 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 4 | -1- | 15 | 18 | 78.8% | 1,843 | 2,340 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 17 | 12 | 60.2% | 1,740 | 2,891 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 17 | 12 | 59.8% | 1,522 | 2,547 |
Round 21
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 26/08/1978 | Carlton (R) v Footscray (R) | Princes Park | 68 | - | 92 | ||
| SAT | 26/08/1978 | Collingwood (R) v St Kilda (R) | Victoria Park | 113 | - | 96 | ||
| SAT | 26/08/1978 | Essendon (R) v North Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 45 | - | 128 | ||
| SAT | 26/08/1978 | Fitzroy (R) v Richmond (R) | Junction Oval | 72 | - | 103 | ||
| SAT | 26/08/1978 | Geelong (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Kardinia Park | 113 | - | 112 | ||
| SAT | 26/08/1978 | Melbourne (R) v South Melbourne (R) | MCG | 131 | - | 86 | ||
Round 21 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 18 | -0- | 3 | 72 | 182.3% | 2,898 | 1,590 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 16 | -0- | 5 | 64 | 142.3% | 2,661 | 1,870 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 3rd | 14 | -0- | 7 | 56 | 109.7% | 2,242 | 2,043 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 13 | -0- | 8 | 52 | 110.9% | 2,510 | 2,264 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 5th | 13 | -0- | 8 | 52 | 110.8% | 2,340 | 2,111 |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | 11 | -1- | 9 | 46 | 107.8% | 2,266 | 2,102 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 11 | -0- | 10 | 44 | 102.5% | 2,212 | 2,158 |
| Carlton (R) | 8th | 10 | -0- | 11 | 40 | 95.7% | 2,327 | 2,431 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 8 | -0- | 13 | 32 | 91.7% | 2,171 | 2,368 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 4 | -1- | 16 | 18 | 78.1% | 1,929 | 2,471 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 4 | -0- | 17 | 16 | 62.8% | 1,871 | 2,977 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 18 | 12 | 60.8% | 1,618 | 2,660 |
Round 22
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 02/09/1978 | Footscray (R) v Richmond (R) | VFL Park | 56 | - | 124 | ||
| SAT | 02/09/1978 | Geelong (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Kardinia Park | 117 | - | 97 | ||
| SAT | 02/09/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v Essendon (R) | Princes Park | 150 | - | 55 | ||
| SAT | 02/09/1978 | Melbourne (R) v Collingwood (R) | MCG | 86 | - | 188 | ||
| SAT | 02/09/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Arden Street Oval | 98 | - | 68 | ||
| SAT | 02/09/1978 | St Kilda (R) v Carlton (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 88 | - | 90 | ||
Round 22 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 19 | -0- | 3 | 76 | 180.7% | 2,996 | 1,658 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 17 | -0- | 5 | 68 | 141.2% | 2,778 | 1,967 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 3rd | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 115.0% | 2,490 | 2,166 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 113.5% | 2,634 | 2,320 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 5th | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 108.3% | 2,339 | 2,160 |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | 11 | -1- | 10 | 46 | 103.1% | 2,321 | 2,252 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 99.4% | 2,268 | 2,282 |
| Carlton (R) | 8th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 96.0% | 2,417 | 2,519 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 9 | -0- | 13 | 36 | 96.1% | 2,359 | 2,454 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 4 | -1- | 17 | 18 | 77.7% | 1,997 | 2,569 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 4 | -0- | 18 | 16 | 61.8% | 1,957 | 3,165 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 19 | 12 | 62.0% | 1,706 | 2,750 |
Finals Series
The positions of teams going into the finals:
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | GF | BF | GA | BA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st | 19 | -0- | 3 | 76 | 180.7% | 2,996 | 1,658 | 441 | 350 | 234 | 254 |
| Geelong (R) | 2nd | 17 | -0- | 5 | 68 | 141.2% | 2,778 | 1,967 | 410 | 318 | 280 | 287 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 3rd | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 115.0% | 2,490 | 2,166 | 365 | 300 | 311 | 300 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 113.5% | 2,634 | 2,320 | 382 | 342 | 333 | 322 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 5th | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 108.3% | 2,339 | 2,160 | 339 | 305 | 310 | 300 |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | 11 | -1- | 10 | 46 | 103.1% | 2,321 | 2,252 | 336 | 305 | 325 | 302 |
| Footscray (R) | 7th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 99.4% | 2,268 | 2,282 | 322 | 336 | 331 | 296 |
| Carlton (R) | 8th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 96.0% | 2,417 | 2,519 | 344 | 353 | 375 | 269 |
| Collingwood (R) | 9th | 9 | -0- | 13 | 36 | 96.1% | 2,359 | 2,454 | 332 | 367 | 354 | 330 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 10th | 4 | -1- | 17 | 18 | 77.7% | 1,997 | 2,569 | 283 | 299 | 372 | 337 |
| Melbourne (R) | 11th | 4 | -0- | 18 | 16 | 61.8% | 1,957 | 3,165 | 283 | 259 | 456 | 429 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 19 | 12 | 62.0% | 1,706 | 2,750 | 241 | 260 | 397 | 368 |
Final Round 1
Elimination Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 09/09/1978 | Richmond (R) v Fitzroy (R) | MCG | 157 | - | 98 | ||
Qualifying Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 09/09/1978 | Geelong (R) v Hawthorn (R) | VFL Park | 96 | - | 122 | ||
Final Round 1 Ladder
| Team | Pos. |
|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st |
| Hawthorn (R) | 2nd |
| Geelong (R) | 3rd |
| Richmond (R) | 4th |
| Fitzroy (R) | 5th |
Final Round 2
Semi Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 16/09/1978 | Geelong (R) v Richmond (R) | MCG | 123 | - | 128 | ||
| SAT | 16/09/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Hawthorn (R) | VFL Park | 137 | - | 42 | ||
Final Round 2 Ladder
| Team | Pos. |
|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st |
| Hawthorn (R) | 2nd |
| Richmond (R) | 3rd |
| Geelong (R) | 4th |
| Fitzroy (R) | 5th |
Final Round 3
Preliminary Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 23/09/1978 | Hawthorn (R) v Richmond (R) | VFL Park | 87 | - | 80 | ||
Final Round 3 Ladder
| Team | Pos. |
|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st |
| Hawthorn (R) | 2nd |
| Richmond (R) | 3rd |
| Geelong (R) | 4th |
| Fitzroy (R) | 5th |
Final Round 4
Grand Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 30/09/1978 | North Melbourne (R) v Hawthorn (R) | MCG | 131 | - | 79 | ||
Final Round 4 Ladder
| Team | Pos. |
|---|---|
| North Melbourne (R) | 1st |
| Hawthorn (R) | 2nd |
| Richmond (R) | 3rd |
| Geelong (R) | 4th |
| Fitzroy (R) | 5th |