Coach: Alex Hall
Captain: Bernie Nolan
Finishing Position: 5th
Best and Fairest: n/a
Leading Goalkicker: Harry Brereton (34)
Best First Year Player: n/a
Matches | Ladder | Playing list |
For the first time players had to be registered with the league before taking part in matches, and Melbourne continued their improvement from 1908 when the only missed finals by half a game. They were a chance until the last round, when the already qualified Collingwood ran away with the game in the second half.
New secretary Jack Harper was elected unopposed, but was heavily criticised for a speech where he accused the VFA of trying to pirate VFL players. In Round 18 Harper ran onto the field to make a citizens' arrest on a Collingwood fan who had punched a Melbourne player.
Elections for the committee saw Bill McClelland (323 votes), Harry Parkin 317, WM Cattlin (301), CE Couchman (298) and Dr J Agnew (264) elected. Former secretary George Beachcroft (147) and WAJ Branston (125) were unsuccessful.
Practice matches
Opposition | Result | Score | |||
Leopold | WIN | 94-41 | |||
Commonwealth Association | WIN | 126-13 |
Premiership season
Round | Opposition | Result | Score | ||
1 | Richmond | WIN | 74-63 | ||
2 | Essendon | LOSS | 47-67 | ||
3 | South Melbourne | LOSS | 24-88 | ||
4 | St Kilda | WIN | 51-40 | ||
5 | Carlton | LOSS | 57-80 | ||
6 | University | WIN | 65-46 | ||
7 | Geelong | WIN | 117-38 | ||
8 | Fitzroy | WIN | 55-42 | ||
9 | Collingwood | DRAW | 65-65 | ||
10 | Richmond | WIN | 82-15 | ||
11 | Essendon | LOSS | 30-40 | ||
12 | South Melbourne | LOSS | 24-45 | ||
13 | St Kilda | WIN | 79-41 | ||
14 | Carlton | LOSS | 30-81 | ||
15 | University | WIN | 28-27 | ||
16 | Geelong | WIN | 68-45 | ||
17 | Fitzroy | WIN | 61-31 | ||
18 | Collingwood | LOSS | 66-108 |
Exhibition match
Opponent | Result | Score | |||
Norwood | WIN | 76-35 |
Ladder
W | D | L | % | P | |
South Melbourne | 14 | 0 | 4 | 168.9 | 56 |
Carlton | 14 | 0 | 4 | 146.8 | 56 |
Collingwood | 12 | 2 | 4 | 130.3 | 52 |
Essendon | 11 | 0 | 7 | 121.7 | 44 |
Melbourne | 10 | 1 | 7 | 106.3 | 42 |
Fitzroy | 8 | 1 | 9 | 101.6 | 34 |
University | 7 | 2 | 9 | 100.1 | 32 |
Richmond | 6 | 0 | 12 | 64.4 | 24 |
Geelong | 2 | 0 | 16 | 65.5 | 12 |
St. Kilda | 3 | 0 | 15 | 59.3 | 8 |
Playing list
Player | Games | Goals | |||
David Bell | 1 | 0 | |||
Percy Beswicke | 7 | 1 | |||
Albert Bickford | 1 | 0 | |||
Harry Brereton | 18 | 34 | |||
Harry Cope | 10 | 0 | |||
Vin Coutie | 18 | 33 | |||
Jim Cowell | 7 | 1 | |||
Vern Daniel | 4 | 1 | |||
Con Doherty | 1 | 0 | |||
Jim Fargie | 5 | 1 | |||
Bill Fischer | 1 | 0 | |||
Jim Fitzpatrick | 17 | 13 | |||
Bill Flintoft | 16 | 6 | |||
Frank Harris | 14 | 1 | |||
Fred Hewitt | 16 | 1 | |||
Joe Hodgkins | 12 | 9 | |||
Les Irwin | 4 | 0 | |||
Alf Jones | 8 | 3 | |||
Ted Leach | 9 | 3 | |||
Bill Maxwell | 2 | 1 | |||
Billy McBean | 1 | 0 | |||
Bill McKenzie | 3 | 0 | |||
George McNeilage | 1 | 0 | |||
Paddy Mills | 12 | 2 | |||
Bobby Monk | 18 | 1 | |||
Bernie Nolan | 14 | 2 | |||
Len Norman | 14 | 11 | |||
Hughie Odgers | 3 | 1 | |||
George Oliver | 1 | 0 | |||
Bert Parke | 3 | 0 | |||
Joe Pearce | 18 | 0 | |||
Hugh Purse | 10 | 0 | |||
Jack Robertson | 16 | 5 | |||
Jack Smith | 16 | 6 | |||
Jack Strong | 13 | 5 | |||
Wally Sykes | 6 | 3 | |||
George Woods | 2 | 1 | |||
Henry Wright | 2 | 0 |
Round | Player | Charge | Sanction | ||
Round 15 | Frank Harris | Striking | 7 matches |
Awards
Meritorious play - Coutie, Brereton, Pearce
Media
The Argus - 05/03/1909
The Argus - 15/04/1909
The Argus - 19/03/1910
Football Record R7 1996
Notes
A practice match may have been played against Commonwealth Football Association. Melbourne may also have played in Broken Hill during August.
It's reported that attendances across the VFL rose when shopkeepers were given Saturday off instead of half-Wednesdays, but crowd figures for the season are limited so this can't be verified.