The move was unpopular with the city councils of Port Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg, which had spent a lot of money bringing their grounds up to the necessary standards for finals football, and attendances at North Melbourne were ultimately poor compared with previous seasons; so, in 1931 the Association reverted to staging finals at different Association venues.
[2] The incident was a prelude to the massive dispute between the Association and the councils which erupted in 1934 over the use of Olympic Park as a central ground.
The final match, played in rainy conditions, was marred by a number of violent onfield incidents which culminated in a pitch invasion.
Many players, mostly from Northcote, took an unduly rough approach to the match, and regularly kicked, punched and elbowed opponents.
[7] At the next general meeting in October, the Oakleigh club delegate told the Association that he believed almost the entire Northcote team should have been reported, and that it was the roughest game he had ever seen.