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1909

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
Image

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

OppositionResultScore
Leopold WIN94-41
Commonwealth Association WIN126-13

Premiership season

RoundOppositionResultScore
1 RichmondWIN74-63
2 EssendonLOSS47-67
3 South MelbourneLOSS24-88
4 St KildaWIN51-40
5 CarltonLOSS57-80
6 UniversityWIN65-46
7 GeelongWIN117-38
8 FitzroyWIN55-42
9 CollingwoodDRAW65-65
10 RichmondWIN82-15
11 EssendonLOSS30-40
12 South MelbourneLOSS24-45
13 St KildaWIN79-41
14 CarltonLOSS30-81
15 UniversityWIN28-27
16 GeelongWIN68-45
17 FitzroyWIN61-31
18 CollingwoodLOSS66-108

Exhibition match

OpponentResultScore
Norwood WIN76-35

Ladder

WDL%P
South Melbourne1404168.956
Carlton1404146.856
Collingwood1224130.352
Essendon1107121.744
Melbourne1017106.342
Fitzroy819101.634
University729100.132
Richmond601264.424
Geelong201665.512
St. Kilda301559.38
St. Kilda forfeited points to Geelong despite their Round 6 win after fielding a suspended player.

Playing list

PlayerGamesGoals
David Bell 10
Percy Beswicke 71
Albert Bickford 10
Harry Brereton 1834
Harry Cope 100
Vin Coutie 1833
Jim Cowell 71
Vern Daniel 41
Con Doherty 10
Jim Fargie 51
Bill Fischer 10
Jim Fitzpatrick 1713
Bill Flintoft 166
Frank Harris 141
Fred Hewitt 161
Joe Hodgkins 129
Les Irwin 40
Alf Jones 83
Ted Leach 93
Bill Maxwell 21
Billy McBean 10
Bill McKenzie 30
George McNeilage 10
Paddy Mills 122
Bobby Monk 181
Bernie Nolan 142
Len Norman 1411
Hughie Odgers 31
George Oliver 10
Bert Parke 30
Joe Pearce 180
Hugh Purse 100
Jack Robertson 165
Jack Smith 166
Jack Strong 135
Wally Sykes 63
George Woods 21
Henry Wright 20

Tribunal

RoundPlayerChargeSanction
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.


Links
AFL Tables page
Wikipedia page