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1968

Coach: John Beckwith
Captain: Hassa Mann
Finishing Position: 8th
Best and Fairest: Ray Groom
Leading Goalkicker: Hassa Mann (29)
Best First Year Player: Greg Parke

Matches Ladder Playing List Night Series Best and Fairest Reserves Under 19s

John Beckwith took over as coach to replace Norm Smith. He had already coached a game and a half the year before when Smith was struck with chest pains. Smith, and his son Peter walked away from the club when the coach lost a bid to be elected to the club committee.

The VFL introduced a controversial regional zoning plan which caused country leagues to go to a vote on whether or not to disaffiliate from the major league. Clubs had long been assigned recruiting areas within the Melbourne metropolitan area, but were now assigned one of 12 zones within Victoria and the Riverina area of New South Wales. In a random draw, Melbourne ended up with the Goulburn Valley League, considered a solid but not outstanding breeding ground for talent. They also ended with smaller leagues Kyabram, Picola, Riddell, Echuca, Tungamah, and Benalla. A decade later, when the zone carve up was being blamed for Melbourne's poor status, then Secretary Jim Cardwell said the vote was only carried on the club's vote. He said the club put $100,000 into the Goulburn Valley area but hadn't found a star in 10 years.

The league caused further controversy when a radical new plan for distribution of gate receipts led to the board which controlled most of Melbourne's suburban grounds to threaten a lockout of teams. Jim Cardwell said that if the Demons were unable to play on the MCG they would be forced to go into recess as the committee would not play elsewhere. The matter was sorted out in time for the first bounce of the season and the competition continued unhindered.

The Fourths went through the season undefeated.

Melbourne's VFL delegates were Arthur King and Tom Trumble. Lord Mayor RTA Talbot was Club Patron

Practice Matches

OppositionResult
Port Adelaide WIN

Premiership Season

RoundOppositionResult
1 FitzroyWIN
2 St. KildaLOSS
3 South MelbourneWIN
4 North MelbourneWIN
5 GeelongLOSS
6 FootscrayLOSS
7 HawthornWIN
8 CollingwoodWIN
9 RichmondLOSS
10 EssendonLOSS
11 CarltonLOSS
12 FitzroyWIN
13 St. KildaLOSS
14 South MelbourneLOSS
15 North MelbourneWIN
16 GeelongLOSS
17 FootscrayWIN
18 HawthornLOSS
19 CollingwoodLOSS
20 RichmondLOSS

Ladder

WDL%P
Essendon1613130.366
Carlton1505130.460
Geelong1505106.860
St. Kilda1415136.058
Richmond1406123.056
Hawthorn9110103.538
Collingwood901194.536
Melbourne801283.932
South Melbourne611383.926
Footscray501582.620
Fitzroy401680.716
North Melbourne301774.312

Exhibition Matches

OppositionResult
Broken Hill League WIN

Playing List

NumberPlayerGamesGoals
1 Max Walker 1614
2 Rob Dowsing 70
3 Sid Catlin 10
4 Tony Sullivan 60
6 Frank Davis 160
7 Graham Osborne 1710
8 Tassie Johnson 191
9 Brian Dixon 192
11 Tony Anderson 130
12 Chris Fowler 153
14 Barry Bourke 124
15 Stan Alves 1820
16 John Townsend 1615
17 Kelvin Clarke 25
18 Neville Stone 50
21 Ted Lees 67
22 Bryan Kenneally 197
23 Brian Roet 180
24 Ross Dillon 713
25 Peter Weekes 32
25 Geoff Whitton 50
26 Greg Parke 1717
27 John Forster 50
28 Derek Feldmann 181
29 Hassa Mann 1829
31 Ray Groom 190
32 Barrie Vagg 1921
33 Gary Hardeman 1721
34 Brent Jones 151
35 Don Williams 30
36 Ken Osborne 55
37 Darryl Schwarz 20
38 Denis Clark 51
39 George Lakes 91
40 Ray Biffin 52
41 Euan Campbell 10
44 Phil Rhoden 10
49 Graeme Aubrey 12

Golden Fleece Night Series

RoundOppositionResult
1 Hawthorn LOSS

Best and Fairest

Player
1st Ray Groom
2nd Tassie Johnson
3rd Hassa Mann
4th Greg Parke
5th Brian Dixon

Tribunal

RoundPlayerChargeSanction
Round 13 Under 19s Ray Sampson Striking Unknown
Round 16 Reserves Bob Langford Unduly rough play Unknown
Round 19, 1968 Under 19s Michael Stanton Disputing decision with abusive languageUnknown

Reserves

1968 Reserves Season

Best and Fairest - Darryl Schwarz
Second Best and Fairest - Sid Catlin
Outstanding Service - Bob Langford, Phil Rhoden

WDL%P
Richmond 1514154.162
Essendon 1505117.860
Collingwood 1118113.946
Hawthorn 111889.146
St Kilda1019108.742
Geelong911092.038
Melbourne811183.334
Carlton8012101.832
North Melbourne801296.432
Footscray801289.432
Fitzroy801289.332
South Melbourne601482.024

Under 19s

1968 Under 19s Season

Under 19s Best and Fairest - Paul Callery
Second Best and Fairest - Danny Jennings
Leading Goalkicker - Paul Callery
Best Clubman - D. Gough
Outstanding Service - Michael Stanton, A. Jenkin

WDL%P
Richmond 1901171.376
Footscray 1703158.768
Fitzroy 1307128.052
Collingwood 1307109.452
Essendon1208114.348
Melbourne1109101.444
St Kilda1001094.240
Carlton801283.432
Geelong5015100.320
Hawthorn501576.420
South Melbourne311669.814
North Melbourne311662.714

Fourths

Best and Fairest - Jim Theodore
Best and Fairest - P. Etheredge
Outstanding Service - Warren Tassell and T. Roberts
Best Clubman - Graeme Aubrey
Best in Finals - D. Nish

Notes
Some sources show Stan Alves finishing fourth in the Best and Fairest.

Media
Age - 19/03/1968
Herald - 18/07/1978

Links
Footystats Diary

Created by Supermercado. Last Modification: Friday 15 March 2024 11:35:56 AEDT by Supermercado. (Version 38)

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