President - Dr FTW Ford
Vice-Presidents - James Byrne, Henry Harrison, WR Hill
Secretary - Angus Cumming (until July), William Freeman (from 8 July)
Treasurer - Angus Cumming (until July), Bob Sillett (from 8 July)
Second 20 Secretary - Munro (from 8 July)
Committee - Ford, Goldsmith, Loughnan, Cumming, Freeman (from 8 July), Sillett (from 8 July), Loughnan (from 8 July)
Captain - Ben Goldsmith (until July), Charles Forrester (from 8 July)
Vice Captain - Andrew Loughnan
Leading goalkicker - Utar Nicholas 7
New senior clubs Carlton Imperial, East Melbourne, Richmond and University joined the senior ranks for the first time. Richmond returned to junior ranks early in the season, and University merged with St Kilda in June.
Melbourne once again introduced a Second 20. A seconds game against St Kilda on Saturday September 18 was interrupted when Richmond and East Melbourne players turned up to play their senior match on the ground, having moved the match from East Melbourne's ground. When the seconds players wouldn't cede the ground the seniors started playing their own match anyway. Inevitably this became a farce and eventually a coin toss gave the use of the ground to the seniors.
Scratch matches were played on 17 and 24 April. On Saturday 22 May a match against St Kilda was called off due to rain but Melbourne managed to play a scratch match instead. A match scheduled for Sandhurst on 1 July was cancelled because Melbourne couldn't field a team.
Complaints were fielded about the club's ground, with one letter suggesting it was "uneven, full of ruts and places where water lodges".
In July Ben Goldsmith left the colony to move to China, and his departure led to a string of changes in the club's administration.
Carlton won the Challenge Cup, finishing in front of Melbourne after beating them in the last game of the season. Despite finishing second Melbourne nevertheless set a new club record for goals scored with 43.
First Twenty Matches
| Date | Opposition | Result | |
| 17 May | Geelong | WIN | |
| 24 May | Kyneton | WIN | |
| 29 May | Richmond | WIN | |
| 5 June | Clifton | WIN | |
| 12 June | Albert Park | WIN | |
| 19 June | Carlton | LOSS | |
| 26 June | East Melbourne | WIN | |
| 3 July | St Kilda-University | WIN | |
| 10 July | Albert Park | WIN | |
| 17 July | Carlton | WIN | |
| 24 July | St Kilda-University | WIN | |
| 7 August | Carlton Imperial | WIN | |
| 14 August | Albert Park | WIN | |
| 21 August | Carlton | LOSS | |
| 28 August | East Melbourne | DRAW | |
| 11 September | Carlton Imperial | DRAW | |
| 18 September | Albert Park | DRAW | |
| 25 September | Carlton | LOSS | |
Second Twenty Matches
| Date | Opposition | Result | Score |
| 5 June | Carlton | LOSS* | 2-1 |
| 12 June | North Melbourne | LOSS | 0-1 |
| 26 June | East Melbourne | DRAW | 1-1 |
| 3 July | West Melbourne | LOSS | 0-1 |
| 10 July | Carlton Imperial | WIN | 2-0 |
| 24 July | St Kilda | LOSS* | 2-2 |
| 31 July | Albert Park | LOSS | 0-6 |
| 7 August | Carlton | LOSS | 0-4 |
| 14 August | North Melbourne | LOSS | Unknown |
| 28 August | East Melbourne | WIN | Unknown |
| 11 September | Carlton Imperial | LOSS | Unknown |
| 18 September | St Kilda | LOSS | Unknown |
| 2 October | Albert Park | LOSS | Unknown |
Melbourne forfeited the 5 June game for playing substitutes and the 24 July game for playing with 22 men.
Players
W. Barker, Larry Bell, James Bennie, John Bennie, John Booth, James Byrne, Charles Carr, G. Cullen, Angus Cumming, Raleigh Davidson, J. Dowling, G. Down, England, Charles Forrester, William Freeman, Ben Goldsmith, P. Goldsmith, H. Hammill, Tommy Horan, G. Houston, H. Jennings, C. Jenvey, J. Johnson, Billy Kneen, Landon, Edward Longden, Austin Loughnan, Andrew Loughnan, R. Marshall, Martin, John Macdonald, Utar Nicholas, H. Ryan, H. Sampson, E. Scott, G. Searcey, Percy Serjeant, Bob Sillett, Stokes, F. Strickland, Edwin Towle, Trickett, George Watson, George Watson, C. Wheatland, O. Williams, W. Williams, J. Wright
Goalkickers
Utar Nicholas 7, Austin Loughnan 6, Bob Sillett 6, William Freeman 4, Andrew Loughnan 4, Edwin Towle 4, R. Marshall 3, E. Longden 2, Charles Carr 1, G. Cullen 1, J. Dowling 1, P. Goldsmith 1, Tommy Horan 1, Billy Kneen 1, W. Williams 1
Notes
At the following AGM it was suggested that 19 matches were played when there is only record of 18.
Media
The Argus - 17/04/1875
The Argus - 24/04/1875
The Age - 27/04/1875
Herald - 23/06/1875
Leader - 10/07/1875
The Argus - 09/07/1875
The Argus - 13/05/1876
"Origins of Australian Football: Volume 1" by Mark Pennings