1885

President - Frank Grey Smith
Vice-Presidents - Henry Harrison, Ben Goldsmith, James MacDonald, Murdoch McKenzie
Secretary - Harry Carr
Treasurer - Arthur Hunt
Captain - George Aitken / Frederick Franks
Vice-Captain - Harry Rush / Frederick Franks
Second 20 Secretary - McGregor
Committee - Rush, Morris, C. Rannard, Tuckfield

Turfed off the MCG by the Cricket Club who preferred Carlton as a tenant, Melbourne then lost the Football Ground outside when the council decided to plant trees in what is now Yarra Park.

After talks to use the Richmond Cricket Ground collapsed the club organised to move to the Friendly Societies Ground on Swan Street (now the Olympic Park precinct), the former site of the first Melbourne Zoo. They signed a five year lease but after making their debut in the venue late in the season it was soon deemed inappropriate and the club were on the way back to the MCG. They had taken out a 500p overdraft to develop the ground but had no grandstands and couldn't charge admission to games.

In addition to the office bearers other members of the club's committee were H. Rush, A. Morris, D. Rannard and HT Champion. Selection committee was M. Plant, Rush, H. Morrison, McDonald, Champion and Hunt. Club delegates to the VFA were D. Rannard and HD Carr. Mr McGregor was secretary of the Second 20.

The present day Richmond side and University were admitted to the VFA for the first time. The association sought to standardise ground sizes, and goal umpires were paid for the first time.

Melbourne had a difficult year, the senior side winning seven games, drawing three and losing 14. The second twenty won eight, lost four and drew five.

Billy Carroll was voted the best player at the end of the year. Players who were named amongst The Australasian newspaper's best players were Carroll, D. Willis (followers), J. Kelly and George Aitken (backs), C. Spooner and George Strachan (centres), Howard Morrison and E. Griffith (wings)).

Receipts for the year were 207p, 3s and 10d but expenditure was 408p, 11s, 1d and the club's debts had blown out to 523p, 11s, 9d.

VFA matches

Date	Opposition	Result
2 May	Carlton	LOSS
9 May	Fitzroy	LOSS
16 May	Essendon	LOSS
30 May	Richmond	LOSS
6 June	Hotham	WIN
13 June	University	WIN
20 June	Geelong	LOSS
27 June	Carlton	LOSS
4 July	Williamstown	LOSS
11 July	South Melbourne	LOSS
18 July	Essendon	WIN
25 July	Fitzroy	DRAW
1 August	Hotham	LOSS
8 August	Richmond	LOSS
15 August	University	WIN
22 August	South Melbourne	LOSS
29 August	Carlton	LOSS
5 September	Hotham	WIN
12 September	Williamstown	LOSS
19 September	Essendon	LOSS
26 September	Geelong	DRAW

Other matches

Date	Opposition	Result
25 April	Public Schools	WIN
23 May	Ballarat Imperial	LOSS
25 May	Port Adelaide	WIN
18 June	Norwood	WIN

Players

J. Affleck, George Aitken, WR Bailey, S. Baird, E. Brayshay, R. Brown, J. Carroll, Billy Carroll, C. Carter, H. Champion, A. Collie, Albert Coulson, Charles Coulson, J. Doran, A. Edwards, Foote, F. Franks, C. Garton, E. Griffith, W. Harry, Hubbard, A. Hunt, Hyland, H. Johnson, James Kelly, Kerr, Kerrigan, E. Lynar, W. McAlister, A. McCrindle, Murdoch McKenzie, Mitchell, Howard Morrison, Moss, W. Nuttall, Fred Plant, Propsting, Reade, Dick Robinson, W. Ross, H. Rush, C. Spooner, George Strachan, P. Stubbs, H. Taylor, H. Tuckfield, D. Willis

Goalkickers

Billy Carroll 7, C. Coulson 5, S. Baird 4, A. McCrindle 3, E. Lynar 3, A. Collie 2, J. Doran 2, Hubbard 2, F. Plant 2, J. Carroll 1, E. Griffith 1, W. Ross 1, H. Taylor 1, Unknown 1

Ladder

	Team	P	W	L	D	F	A
1st	South Melbourne	25	22	0	3	158	38
2nd	Essendon	21	15	2	4	110	58
3rd	Geelong	23	14	4	5	94	64
4th	Carlton	23	13	8	2	73	61
5th	Hotham	24	14	6	4	103	62
6th	Fitzroy	22	10	8	4	57	55
7th	Williamstown	18	8	8	2	43	49
8th	Richmond	18	4	12	2	31	72
9th	Melbourne	23	6	15	2	43	88
10th	University	22	4	16	2	40	79

Second 20

Date	Opponent	Result	Score	Goals/Notes
25 April	Evansdale	UNKNOWN	?
2 May	Osborne	UNKNOWN	?
9 May	Fitzroy	WIN	6.9 - 1.7	Stub 3, Nuttall 2, Parsons 1
16 May	Essendon	DRAW	2.11 - 2.6	Harvey 1, Champion 1
30 May	Southern Cross	LOSS	2.5 - 4.7
13 June	Hotham	UNKNOWN	?
27 June	Carlton	WIN	1.7 - 0.4	Marshall
4 July	Williamstown	UNKNOWN	?
11 July	South Melbourne	UNKNOWN	?
18 July	Essendon	DRAW	1.9 - 1.5
25 July	Fitzroy	5.13 - 2.8	Finlay, Harvey, Whitford, Costelloe, Macgregor
8 August	Southern Cross	UNKNOWN	?
22 August	South Melbourne	UNKNOWN	?
19 September	Essendon	WIN	1.7 - 0.3

Notes

• It is not clear if Melbourne Juniors were an affiliated team or another name for the Second 20. They won 1-0 against Young Australians on 2 May when the opposition captain withdrew his team after a dispute with the umpire.
• The 18 July game is described as being won by Melbourne Second 20 despite the goals being tied. Games in this era were generally described as drawn if the goal scores were equal.
• The senior results above differ from both the ladder and the report from the next year's AGM.
• 1886 newspapers suggest a game against South Ballarat was played in May. This may be the same club as Ballarat Imperial.
• Some sources say the Friendly Societies' Ground was on the site of Melbourne Park

Media
Argus - 28/03/1885
Age - 28/03/1885
Tasmanian - 04/04/1885
Leader - 04/04/1885
Australasian - 04/04/1885
Australasian - 10/04/1886
Sydney Mail - 30/05/1885
Otago Witness - 13/06/1885
Sportsman - 15/07/1885
Sydney Morning Herald - 20/07/1885
Argus - 07/04/1886

Links
Blueseum 1885 page
footytimeline.com- 1885
VFA Results and Tables