Coach: Alex Hall
Captain: Hugh Purse
Finishing Position: 8th
Best and Fairest: n/a
Leading Goalkicker: Vin Coutie (37)
Best First Year Player: n/a
Before the season former secretary Amos Norcott challenged incumbent George Beachcroft for the job. Despite Beachcroft having presided over a much improved 1907, Norcott won a vote of members 457 to 388. At the same election, 10 candidates stood for five positions on the committee - AH Rowe, JA Harper, A. Sowden, C. Sinclair, CE Couchman, GH Goddard, Dr TRH Willis, Dr JF Agnew, WM Cattlin and RM Osborne.
New training rooms were installed in a new stand at the MCG, and a resolution was submitted to the MCC that players should receive free membership of the cricket club after playing football with Melbourne for three years. With Richmond and University added to the competition, Melbourne were victims of the former's first win in Round 1, and lost twice to the Students but improved to 'just' third last on the ladder.
In honour of the 50 year anniversary of Australian Football, a carnival was held in Melbourne between all Australian states and New Zealand. Joe Pearce and Hugh Purse represented Victoria.
Despite an improved season, the club resolved to stop recruiting established players from the country due to the expense involved and the inability of players to regularly train with teammates. They decided to focus on local recruits who could be promised jobs, appealing for supporters to help organise suitable positions for players.
Practice matches
Premiership season
| Round | Opposition | Result | Score
|
| 1 | Richmond | LOSS | 51-62
|
| 2 | Carlton | LOSS | 44-62
|
| 3 | Geelong | WIN | 72-50
|
| 4 | South Melbourne | WIN | 75-73
|
| 5 | St. Kilda | LOSS | 25-66
|
| 6 | University | LOSS | 19-79
|
| 7 | Essendon | LOSS | 66-72
|
| 8 | Collingwood | LOSS | 32-56
|
| 9 | Fitzroy | WIN | 28-25
|
| 10 | Richmond | WIN | 82-12
|
| 11 | Carlton | LOSS | 31-63
|
| 12 | Geelong | WIN | 66-48
|
| 13 | South Melbourne | WIN | 74-40
|
| 14 | St. Kilda | WIN | 107-51
|
| 15 | University | LOSS | 54-58
|
| 16 | Essendon | LOSS | 59-119
|
| 17 | Collingwood | LOSS | 32-45
|
| 18 | Fitzroy | LOSS | 10-84 |
Ladder
| W | D | L | % | P
|
| Carlton | 17 | 0 | 1 | 169.4 | 68
|
| Essendon | 14 | 0 | 4 | 142.5 | 56
|
| St. Kilda | 10 | 0 | 8 | 101.4 | 40
|
| Collingwood | 10 | 0 | 8 | 97.0 | 40
|
| South Melbourne | 9 | 0 | 9 | 101.4 | 36
|
| University | 8 | 0 | 10 | 96.0 | 32
|
| Fitzroy | 7 | 0 | 11 | 109.4 | 28
|
| Melbourne | 7 | 0 | 11 | 87.0 | 28
|
| Richmond | 6 | 0 | 12 | 73.7 | 24
|
| Geelong | 2 | 0 | 16 | 68.6 | 8 |
Exhibition matches
Playing List
Tribunal
Media
Herald - 06/03/1908
Argus - 13/03/1908
Argus - 05/03/1909
Links
AFL Tables page
Wikipedia page