1904 VFA season

1904 premiership season
Teams	10
Premiers	North Melbourne (2nd premiership)
Minor premiers	Richmond (2nd minor premiership)
← 1903 1905 →

The 1904 Victorian Football Association season was the 28th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the North Melbourne Football Club in controversial circumstances, after minor premiers Richmond forfeited the challenge final in protest at the appointment of umpire. It was North Melbourne's second premiership in a row.

The home-and-away season was played over eighteen rounds, with each club playing the others twice; then, the top four clubs contested a finals series under the amended Argus system to determine the premiers for the season.

The challenge final for the major premiership was scheduled for Saturday, 1 October at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, on Wednesday 27 September, Richmond informed the Association that it would not play the final if Mr Allen was appointed as the umpire. The Association refused to appoint an alternative umpire, so Richmond refused to play; accordingly, the match was scratched and North Melbourne was awarded the premiership.

Allen was regarded by all of the clubs in the Association, including Richmond, as one of its most competent and unbiased decision-makers, and he was accordingly appointed to umpire in all four finals in 1904; but he had drawn criticism for his poor control over rough play in two of the semi-finals, which led ultimately led to Richmond's protest.

Before the third quarter in the semi-final between Richmond and North Melbourne on 10 September, Richmond accused several of the North Melbourne players of wearing iron spikes in their boots, and raised its complaint with Allen. North Melbourne captain Noonan refused to allow Allen to inspect his players' boots, and after a delay of about fifteen minutes, play resumed without North Melbourne's boots having been inspected. Richmond went on to lodge a complaint to the Association against Allen for failing to insist upon the inspection. According to Association secretary Mr T. J. Evans, Allen had inspected the North Melbourne players' boots prior to the team leaving the pavilion, and that Noonan had refused to submit to a second inspection on the grounds that it was only minutes later. Noonan was reprimanded by the Association for the refusal.

Allen was formally appointed as umpire for the challenge final on Wednesday, 14 September, with no objections from the Richmond delegate present at the appointment. During the week, Allen personally received a sarcastic letter from Richmond secretary, Mr Peckham-Beachcroft, in which was enclosed a book of rules; this letter was submitted by Allen to an Association general meeting on Saturday 17 September. On Tuesday, 20 September, the Association first received correspondence from Richmond regarding its complaint against Allen's handling of the boot inspection in the semi-final; the letter was dated Tuesday 13 September. On Saturday 26 September, Allen umpired the semi-final between Footscray and North Melbourne, and attracted heavy criticism for keeping poor control over the game, allowing too much rough play, and permitting North Melbourne to engage in persistent time-wasting tactics.

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