The 1953 VFL season was the 57th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 18 April until 26 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 Collingwood Football Club for the twelfth time, after it defeated by twelve points in the 1953 VFL Grand Final.
Background
In 1953, 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 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 1953 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" | | 12.15 (87) | | 5.8 (38) | Kardinia Park | 19,877 | 18 April 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.9 (111) | | 12.16 (88) | Windy Hill | 23,100 | 18 April 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.16 (118) | | 11.11 (77) | Victoria Park | 29,678 | 18 April 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 7.18 (60) | | 9.11 (65) | Princes Park | 27,198 | 18 April 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.9 (57) | | 14.21 (105) | Junction Oval | 14,000 | 18 April 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.7 (73) | | 9.13 (67) | Punt Road Oval | 18,000 | 18 April 1953
Round 2
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.9 (57) | | 13.14 (92) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 2 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.13 (61) | | 15.12 (102) | Western Oval | 28,500 | 2 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.9 (81) | | 11.14 (80) | Brunswick Street Oval | 21,000 | 2 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.21 (99) | | 13.11 (89) | Lake Oval | 29,231 | 2 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 18.10 (118) | | 11.9 (75) | Arden Street Oval | 21,377 | 2 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.11 (59) | | 13.12 (90) | MCG | 29,204 | 2 May 1953
Round 3
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.15 (111) | | 6.6 (42) | Western Oval | 15,000 | 9 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.20 (122) | | 7.16 (58) | Windy Hill | 18,000 | 9 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.19 (73) | | 14.14 (98) | Victoria Park | 33,000 | 9 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.12 (84) | | 11.17 (83) | Arden Street Oval | 12,000 | 9 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.15 (75) | | 12.14 (86) | Lake Oval | 24,000 | 9 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.8 (98) | | 16.8 (104) | Punt Road Oval | 31,000 | 9 May 1953
Round 4
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 7.11 (53) | | 9.9 (63) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 16 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.14 (86) | | 10.15 (75) | Brunswick Street Oval | 20,500 | 16 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.11 (95) | | 14.19 (103) | Princes Park | 37,500 | 16 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.17 (83) | | 8.17 (65) | Junction Oval | 16,500 | 16 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 4.6 (30) | | 9.21 (75) | MCG | 23,727 | 16 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.7 (79) | | 9.11 (65) | Kardinia Park | 35,000 | 16 May 1953
Round 5
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 6.10 (46) | | 9.3 (57) | Windy Hill | 9,500 | 23 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.18 (96) | | 3.8 (26) | Victoria Park | 9,627 | 23 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 7.10 (52) | | 6.7 (43) | Princes Park | 9,150 | 23 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.10 (58) | | 9.8 (62) | Lake Oval | 11,000 | 23 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 6.16 (52) | | 15.16 (106) | Punt Road Oval | 10,000 | 23 May 1953 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.6 (66) | | 1.0 (6) | Western Oval | 14,087 | 23 May 1953