President - Frank Grey Smith
Vice Presidents - Dr Gray, Henry Harrison, James Byrne, Charles Forrester
Captain - James Bennie
Vice-Captain - Fred Baker
Treasurer - E. Longden
Secretary - Charles Jenvey
Committee - Above plus Sillett, T. Anthony
Leading goalkicker - John Macdonald and Murdoch McKenzie 7
Melbourne entered the season with £219, 5s and 11d to their credit and property to the value of £100. In addition to the other office holders Sillett and Anthony were on the committee. McKay and Graham were captain and secretary of the Second 20 respectively.
The top four were Geelong, Carlton, South Melbourne and Melbourne. South had been bolstered by merging with the Albert Park club. East Melbourne played their first season as a senior VFA club, while St Kilda reformed as a senior club but dropped back to the junior ranks after one game before folding again.
In the off-season Melbourne had lost John Booth, Crohan, Murray, WA Sandilands and the retired Sillett. They played 22 matches for the season, registering nine wins and five losses with eight draws.
In a major rule change, for the first time the ball had to be handpassed when it wasn't kicked.
A match against Toorak was cancelled at the last minute on Saturday 17 July when Melbourne couldn't field a team. Its players preferred to watch the nearby Geelong vs Carlton match. The next Saturday a game again West Melbourne on 24 July was called off when the opposition couldn't field a team. A match against East Melbourne on 11 September was also cancelled, this time due to bad weather.
On August 7 two teams of ex-players of Melbourne and Carlton played in a benefit match for the Children's Hospital. 3000 attended and 17 pounds were raised. Melbourne won 1-0.
Dave Aitken, Murdoch McKenzie and John Watson were named in The Australasian newspaper's best players of the year.
Receipts for the year were 418p, 11s against expenditure of 371p, 15s, 3d.
VFA matches
| Date | Opposition | Result | |
| 22 May | West Melbourne | WIN | |
| 29 May | Hotham | DRAW | |
| 5 June | Carlton | LOSS | |
| 12 June | South Melbourne | LOSS | |
| 19 June | Geelong | DRAW | |
| 3 July | Essendon | WIN | |
| 10 July | Carlton | DRAW | |
| 7 August | South Melbourne | DRAW | |
| 14 August | Geelong | LOSS | |
| 21 August | Carlton | LOSS | |
| 28 August | Essendon | DRAW | |
| 4 September | Hotham | WIN | |
| 18 September | South Melbourne | DRAW | |
| 25 September | Carlton | DRAW | |
Other matches
| Date | Opposition | Result | |
| 1 May | Public Schools | WIN | |
| 8 May | South Yarra | DRAW | |
| 15 May | East Melbourne | WIN | |
| 24 May | Sandhurst | WIN | |
| 24 May | Seymour | WIN | |
| 26 June | Northcote | WIN | |
| 1 July | Norwood | LOSS | |
| 31 July | Ballarat | WIN | |
| 3 August | Western District | WIN | |
Players
John Adams, Dave Aitken, Charles Baker, Fred Baker, James Bennie, John Booth, Bob Booth, W. Boys, J. Chuck, C. Cock, Frank Crohan, E. Darlot, Harry Downes, C. Franks, J. Graves, W. Henderson, A. Hill, A. Hopkins, F. James, S. Lamrock, T. Lempriere, E. Longden, W. Longden, J. Lucas, William Manifold, James McDonald, John McDonald, McGivern, Murdoch McKenzie, A. McKie, Jim McKie, G. Meader, W. Moffatt, Thomas Nash, A. Oliver, F. Power, L. Roberts, Percy Serjeant, Bob Sibley, Bob Sillett, E. Silvester, Bob Simson, E. Smart, C. Swyer, John Watson, Arthur Young
Goalkickers
John Macdonald 7, Murdoch McKenzie 7, Fred Baker 5, Bob Booth 5, Dave Aitken 4, Roberts 4, Arthur Young 3, W. Longden 2, Thomas Nash 2, A. Hopkins 1, E. Longden 1, F. Power 1, Bob Simson 1
Second 20
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 1 May | Vaucluse | WIN | 2-0 |
| 8 May | Northcote | LOSS | 0-1 |
| 15 May | East Melbourne | WIN | 5.21 - 1.0 |
| 22 May | West Melbourne | WIN | 2-0 |
| 24 May | Colac | WIN | 1-1 |
| 12 June | South Melbourne | WIN | Forfeit |
| 26 June | East St Kilda | WIN | 2-0 |
| 3 July | East Melbourne | LOSS | 2.9 - 3.14 |
| 17 July | Northcote | LOSS | 0.0 - 1.15 |
| 24 July | East St Kilda | UNKNOWN | ? |
| 31 July | Hawthorn | LOSS | 0.3 - 1.16 |
| 7 August | Carlton | LOSS | 3-5 |
| 28 August | Essendon | UNKNOWN | |
| 28 August | Powlett | LOSS | Forfeit |
| 4 September | Carlton | WIN | 3-1 |
Notes
Vice-President Burn was probably James Byrne, and J Binney was probably John Bennie.
The Melbourne Juniors side who lost 2-1 to Richmond Albion on 19 June may have been the Melbourne Second 20 under an alternative name. Some say the Second 20 game on 12 June was against Fitzroy and the 24 July game vs East St Kilda.
Scheduled matches vs Hotham on May 29, Toorak on 17 July, West Melbourne on 24 July and Clifton on 11 September were not played.
Media
The Age - 10/04/1880
Geelong Advertiser - 25/05/1880
The Age - 22/07/1880
Australasian - 24/07/1880
Australasian - 31/07/1880
The Argus - 07/08/1880
The Argus - 25/03/1881
The Age - 25/03/1881
Leader - 26/03/1881