The 1938 VFL season was the 42nd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 23 April until 24 September, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The premiership was won by the Carlton Football Club for the sixth time, after it defeated by 15 points in the 1938 VFL Grand Final.
Background
In 1938, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus one substitute player, known as the 19th man. A player could be substituted for any reason; however, once substituted, a player could not return to the field of play under any circumstances.
Teams played each other in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds; matches 12 to 18 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 7.
Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1938 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.
Home-and-away season
Round 1
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.13 (115) | | 20.12 (132) | Corio Oval | 16,000 | 23 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.17 (119) | | 12.13 (85) | Windy Hill | 15,000 | 23 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 19.26 (140) | | 9.9 (63) | Punt Road Oval | 16,000 | 23 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.13 (97) | | 9.14 (68) | Lake Oval | 18,000 | 23 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.15 (87) | | 14.21 (105) | Brunswick Street Oval | 22,000 | 23 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.10 (76) | | 14.8 (92) | Glenferrie Oval | 18,000 | 23 April 1938
Round 2
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.10 (64) | | 6.8 (44) | Arden Street Oval | 11,000 | 30 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 18.19 (127) | | 9.20 (74) | Victoria Park | 15,000 | 30 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.23 (95) | | 14.10 (94) | Princes Park | 32,000 | 30 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.8 (92) | | 16.15 (111) | MCG | 11,327 | 30 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.16 (94) | | 8.17 (65) | Junction Oval | 17,000 | 30 April 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.17 (95) | | 10.5 (65) | Western Oval | 15,000 | 30 April 1938
Round 3
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 20.16 (136) | | 6.11 (47) | Corio Oval | 9,500 | 7 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.11 (83) | | 17.14 (116) | Brunswick Street Oval | 14,000 | 7 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.12 (60) | | 11.17 (83) | Lake Oval | 18,000 | 7 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.14 (62) | | 9.16 (70) | Glenferrie Oval | 14,500 | 7 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.12 (102) | | 11.26 (92) | Punt Road Oval | 30,000 | 7 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.17 (101) | | 15.12 (102) | Windy Hill | 17,000 | 7 May 1938
Round 4
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 23.15 (153) | | 15.11 (101) | MCG | 14,569 | 14 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.17 (65) | | 10.12 (72) | Western Oval | 16,000 | 14 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 21.15 (141) | | 14.16 (100) | Victoria Park | 14,000 | 14 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.19 (121) | | 10.10 (70) | Princes Park | 16,000 | 14 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.9 (99) | | 13.11 (89) | Junction Oval | 25,000 | 14 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.17 (101) | | 19.11 (125) | Arden Street Oval | 15,000 | 14 May 1938
Round 5
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.9 (87) | | 12.12 (84) | Glenferrie Oval | 18,000 | 21 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.15 (105) | | 11.19 (85) | Windy Hill | 14,000 | 21 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.16 (82) | | 10.12 (72) | Junction Oval | 14,000 | 21 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.12 (72) | | 10.16 (76) | MCG | 14,979 | 21 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 21.21 (147) | | 11.9 (75) | Corio Oval | 10,000 | 21 May 1938 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.12 (114) | | 19.16 (130) | Victoria Park | 38,000 | 21 May 1938