The 1974 VFL season was the 78th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 6 April until 28 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.
The premiership was won by the Richmond Football Club for the ninth time and second time consecutively, after it defeated by 41 points in the 1974 VFL Grand Final.
Background
In 1974, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th 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 22 rounds; matches 12 to 22 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 11.
Once the 22 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1974 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "McIntyre final five system".
Home-and-away season
Round 1
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.14 (110) | | 9.11 (65) | Western Oval | 15,204 | 6 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.15 (117) | | 15.10 (100) | Victoria Park | 30,493 | 6 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.13 (97) | | 6.12 (48) | Princes Park | 16,562 | 6 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.10 (100) | | 11.14 (80) | Lake Oval | 10,744 | 6 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.16 (88) | | 15.14 (104) | MCG | 38,735 | 6 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.17 (83) | | 6.7 (43) | Moorabbin Oval | 17,286 | 6 April 1974
Round 2
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.13 (67) | | 15.26 (116) | Junction Oval | 17,040 | 13 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 6.12 (48) | | 10.11 (71) | Princes Park | 28,689 | 13 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.7 (97) | | 12.16 (88) | Kardinia Park | 21,043 | 13 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.20 (86) | | 14.16 (100) | MCG | 36,708 | 15 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 21.24 (150) | | 10.18 (78) | Windy Hill | 25,348 | 15 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 20.12 (132) | | 11.9 (75) | Arden Street Oval | 21,358 | 15 April 1974
Round 3
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.16 (112) | | 14.15 (99) | Victoria Park | 23,233 | 20 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.15 (81) | | 18.11 (119) | Princes Park | 33,050 | 20 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.18 (66) | | 20.15 (135) | Lake Oval | 12,157 | 20 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.10 (106) | | 16.14 (110) | MCG | 21,041 | 20 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.18 (120) | | 7.11 (53) | Arden Street Oval | 21,358 | 20 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.14 (110) | | 15.15 (105) | VFL Park | 35,064 | 20 April 1974
Round 4
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 18.12 (120) | | 17.9 (111) | Junction Oval | 28,471 | 25 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 19.9 (123) | | 6.15 (51) | VFL Park | 54,086 | 25 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 6.9 (45) | | 8.13 (61) | Kardinia Park | 18,550 | 27 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.6 (96) | | 7.9 (51) | Western Oval | 12,491 | 27 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.16 (94) | | 9.15 (69) | MCG | 28,080 | 27 April 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.15 (69) | | 5.13 (43) | Princes Park | 17,590 | 27 April 1974
Round 5
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.11 (89) | | 19.15 (129) | MCG | 23,616 | 4 May 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.26 (98) | | 10.14 (74) | Windy Hill | 19,123 | 4 May 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.12 (90) | | 15.20 (110) | Moorabbin Oval | 30,673 | 4 May 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.16 (100) | | 15.10 (100) | Lake Oval | 10,316 | 4 May 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.14 (92) | | 10.14 (74) | Victoria Park | 33,452 | 4 May 1974 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.14 (62) | | 11.19 (85) | VFL Park | 20,281 | 4 May 1974
