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1956

Image Coach: Norm Smith
Captain: Noel McMahen
Finishing Position: 1st (Premiers)
Best and Fairest: Stuart Spencer
Leading Goalkicker: Robert B Johnson (43)
Best First Year Player: Jim Sandral

Matches Ladder Playing list Tribunal Seconds Thirds
Image


Unable to train at the MCG in pre-season due to preparation for the Olympics, the reigning premiers used Olympic Park as an alternative training venue, then the Albert Ground from the start of the season until August. The Thirds played at the Albert Ground all season while curtain raisers were banned from the MCG. The ground was unavailable for any games for the first month of the season, and they didn't return to unveil their 1955 premiership flag until Round 5.

Norm Smith admitted before the season that he was concerned his side were vulnerable to over-confidence, but they remained unbeaten for the first 13 weeks. Two losses in three weeks were their only defeats all year, finishing the season with a 16-2 record, the best in club history to that point. They only needed 27 players for the year, the equal least of any Melbourne season.

The year ended with three consectutive matches against Collingwood, in the last round, Semi Final, then Grand Final. After beating the Pies three times for the year, one of the finest Melbourne sides ever to take the field did what was expected to capture the premiership in front a record 115,000 strong crowd. The Seconds had already won their Grand Final earlier in the day.

A night football competition was played for the first time, but was restricted to the eight clubs who missed finals.

During the Summer Olympics held in Melbourne during summer Denis Cordner captained a combination of VFA/VFL amateurs in a match against the VAFA as part of a demonstration of Australian Rules Football.

The club made a profit of £1268 for the year. Before the season the league approved an increase in player payments to £6 per match, £3 for emergency players, £2 for listed players, £6 for injured players and £2 for disqualified players.

Melbourne's VFL delegates were Bert Chadwick and Richard Taylor.

Premiership season

RoundOppositionResult
1 RichmondWIN
2 CarltonWIN
3 FootscrayWIN
4 FitzroyWIN
5 GeelongWIN
6 North MelbourneWIN
7 CollingwoodWIN
8 St. KildaWIN
9 EssendonWIN
10 South MelbourneWIN
11 HawthornWIN
12 RichmondWIN
13 CarltonWIN
14 FootscrayLOSS
15 FitzroyWIN
16 GeelongLOSS
17 North MelbourneWIN
18 CollingwoodWIN
SF CollingwoodWIN
GF CollingwoodWIN

Ladder

WDL%P
Melbourne1602146.064
Collingwood1305125.952
Geelong1305121.952
Footscray1107114.244
Carlton1017113.742
Essendon100895.840
Hawthorn711088.930
Fitzroy701189.328
South Melbourne611188.126
Richmond601286.824
St. Kilda411388.018
North Melbourne301569.612

Exhibition games

OppositionResultScore
North West Football Union WIN147-61
Port Adelaide WIN84-74
East Perth WIN67-56

Playing list

NumberNameGamesGoals
1 Denis Cordner 202
3 Peter Marquis 154
5 Ian McLean 141
6 Frank Adams 73
7 Geoff Case 40
8 Jim Sandral 152
9 Brian Dixon 175
11 Laurie Mithen 188
12 Stuart Spencer 1942
14 Trevor Johnson 201
15 Athol Webb 2028
16 Clyde Laidlaw 185
17 Geoff McGivern 130
18 Bob Johnson 1943
19 Keith Carroll 200
21 Peter Cook 73
24 Ian Ridley 2040
25 Don Williams 180
27 Denis Jones 21
28 Terry Gleeson 102
29 Tony Bull 71
30 John Beckwith 200
31 Ron Barassi 1927
33 Colin Wilson 20
34 Ralph Lane 182
35 Noel McMahen 192
38 Ken Melville 191

Best and Fairest

Player Votes
1st Stuart Spencer 87.5
2nd John Beckwith 87
3rd Ron Barassi 50

Awards
Best Clubman - Ralph Lane
Outstanding Service - Brian Dixon
Most Unselfish - Athol Webb

Seconds

1956 Seconds season

Captain - Brian Collopy
Vice Captain - Denis Jones
Best and Fairest - Graham Kerr
Second Best and Fairest - Colin Wilson
Most serviceable - Denis Jones
Outstanding service - Robert Hayes, Dick Atkinson, Brian Collopy, Tom Lay
Grand Final Trophy - John Lord, Ben Crameri

WDL%P
South Melbourne 1404125.556
Melbourne 1305130.452
Hawthorn 1206134.548
Richmond 1206111.748
St Kilda 1206109.048
Collingwood 1206106.048
Essendon909119.936
Footscray601288.124
Carlton 501379.020
Geelong501377.320
Fitzroy 501372.820
North Melbourne301572.512

Finals

RoundOppositionResultScore
SF South Melbourne WIN65-59
GF South Melbourne WIN110-72

Thirds

1956 Thirds season

Captain - Noel Williamson
Best and Fairest - Trevor Clay
Second Best and Fairest - Ron Dudley
Outstanding service - Noel Williamson, Kevin Boyle, David McKenzie, Ken Davidson

WDL%P
Fitzroy 1303163.352
Collingwood 1303138.552
St Kilda 1213130.850
South Melbourne 1204168.148
Essendon 1105129.044
North Melbourne835126.038
Carlton 61990.926
Geelong601067.324
Richmond401267.316
Footscray311270.914
Hawthorn301366.212
Melbourne201457.48

Fourths

Best and Fairest - Neil Campbell
Second Best and Fairest - Bernie Massey
Outstanding service - L. Scotland, L. Seawood, G. Harris

Notes
Football Record suggests the Demons were planning to play a game against the Western Australian premiers on October 20. The Grand Final Record says they also played in Tasmania and Adelaide before the WA game.

Media
Age - 14/02/1956, 21/09/1956
Argus - 09/04/1956, 21/09/1956
Football Record R17 1956

Links
AFL Tables page
Wikipedia page
1956 Story - melbfc.com.au

Created by Supermercado. Last Modification: Saturday 14 October 2023 15:12:53 AEDT by Supermercado. (Version 57)

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