1955 was the first year where league clubs fielded basketball teams in an off-season tournament. Matches appear to have been played outdoors, meaning that two games in a row were cancelled due to rain.
For the 1958/59 season a Melbourne club was still involved, and Brian Dixon was one of the players, but the team also fielded a Collingwood player.
1955/56
Matches played at North Essendon.
Round 1 - Wednesday 23 November
Hawthorn 9 d. Melbourne 6 (Bull 2, Clarke 2, Marquis 2)
Round 2
BYE
Round 3 - Wednesday 7 December
Collingwood 18 d. Melbourne 14 (Clarke 7, Bull 3, Dixon 2, Marquis 2)
Round 4 - Wednesday 14 December
Melbourne 10 d. Richmond 8 (Barassi 4, Bull 3, Clarke 3)
Round 5 - Wednesday 21 December
Melbourne vs Footscray (Match cancelled due to bad weather)
Round 6 - Friday 6 January
Melbourne vs St Kilda (Rescheduled from Wednesday due to bad weather)
Round 7 - Wednesday 11 January
Melbourne vs South Melbourne
Round 8 - Wednesday 18 January
Melbourne vs North Melbourne
Round 9 - Friday 27 January
Carlton 17 d. Melbourne 14 (Rescheduled from Wednesday 24 January)
Round 10 - Wednesday 1 February
Fitzroy 21 d. Melbourne 13 (Bull 8, Marquis 3, Dixon 2)
Round 11 - Wednesday 8 February
Essendon 27 d. Melbourne 11 (Bull 9, Marquis 2)
Round 12 - Monday 13 February
Melbourne vs Footscray
Round 13 - Wednesday 15 February
North Melbourne d. Melbourne 22-13
1956/57
Matches played at North Essendon.
Round 1 - Thursday 13 December
Melbourne d. Port Melbourne
Round 2 - Thursday 20 December
Melbourne d. Collingwood
Round 3 - Thursday 27 December
Melbourne vs South Melbourne
Round 4 - Thursday 4 January
North Melbourne 30 d. Melbourne 22
1957/58
Ray Anderson and Brian Dixon were amongst of the players. Dixon later represented Victoria against Tasmania.
Wednesday 4 December at Wirth's Olympia
Melbourne vs Carlton
Wednesday 8 January at Exhibition Building
Melbourne vs North Melbourne
Thursday 16 January at Exhibition Building
Melbourne vs Hawthorn
Thursday 23 January at Exhibition Building
Melbourne vs Port Melbourne
Media
"Fiery incidents at basketball" - The Age 24/11/1955
"Hard-fought basketball" - The Age 08/12/1955
"North hits top in basketball" - The Age 15/12/1955
"Magpie challenge to unbeaten club" - The Age 04/01/1956
Age - 05/01/1956
Age - 06/01/1956
Age - 02/02/1956
Age - 09/02/1956
"Essendon win at basketball" - The Age 16/02/1956
"Basketball ends in wild brawl" - The Age 05/01/1957
"Basketball starts again" - The Age 08/01/1958
"Tough test in basketball" - The Age 23/01/1958
"Johnson star of basketball" - The Age 28/01/1958
Age - 17/11/1958