Coach: n/a
Captain: Ned Sutton
Finishing Position: 6th
Best and Fairest: n/a
Leading Goalkicker: Charlie Young (21)
Best First Year Player: n/a
Like 1897, Melbourne started their second VFL season strongly before fading. They were 5-3 after the first eight games before not winning another home and away game. They weren't able to take advantage of a generous finals system that included all eight teams but did register another win, against a hapless St Kilda side who hadn't yet won in the VFL.
In June an 'old players' game took place between Melbourne and Essendon. Melbourne's selected side was Rannard, Garton, McAllister, J. Morris (C), Strachan, H. Morrison (VC), Spooner, King, Barrass, Franks, Douglas, Norcott, Plante, Lowe, McGregor, Parry, Rush, Harry, Aitken, Stiffe, Longden, Crohan, Booth, Lucas, Tuckfield, Dodds, Robinson, Thewlis and Wilmot but the final side was Garton, McAllister, Norcott, J. Morris (c), Macgregor, Barrass, Miller, Longden, Crohan, King, Morrison, Swyer, Thewlis, Gillett, Spooner, Franks, Harry, Plant, Douglas and Strachan. The game was deliberately played for comedy value and Melbourne won by 5.1 to 2.8.
Practice matches
Premiership season
| Round | Opposition | Result | Score
|
| 1 | St. Kilda | WIN | 92-16
|
| 2 | Carlton | WIN | 83-26
|
| 3 | Collingwood | WIN | 46-36
|
| 4 | Fitzroy | LOSS | 19-38
|
| 5 | Essendon | LOSS | 23-48
|
| 6 | South Melbourne | LOSS | 13-15
|
| 7 | Geelong | WIN | 59-39
|
| 8 | St. Kilda | WIN | 45-21
|
| 9 | Carlton | DRAW | 28-28
|
| 10 | Collingwood | LOSS | 11-59
|
| 11 | Fitzroy | LOSS | 33-50
|
| 12 | Essendon | LOSS | 20-75
|
| 13 | South Melbourne | LOSS | 38-43
|
| 14 | Geelong | LOSS | 19-51
|
| 15 | Geelong | LOSS | 16-78
|
| 16 | St. Kilda | WIN | 38-17
|
| 17 | Collingwood | LOSS | 41-55 |
Ladder
| W | D | L | % | P
|
| Essendon | 11 | 0 | 3 | 202.1 | 44
|
| Collingwood | 10 | 0 | 4 | 181.0 | 40
|
| Fitzroy | 10 | 0 | 4 | 121.6 | 40
|
| Geelong | 9 | 0 | 5 | 151.8 | 36
|
| South Melbourne | 7 | 0 | 7 | 89.6 | 28
|
| Melbourne | 5 | 1 | 8 | 97.1 | 22
|
| Carlton | 3 | 1 | 10 | 60.3 | 14
|
| St. Kilda | 0 | 0 | 14 | 33.5 | 0 |
Finals Section B ladder
| W | D | L | % | P
|
| Collingwood | 3 | 0 | 0 | 207.1 | 12
|
| Geelong | 2 | 0 | 1 | 238.6 | 8
|
| Melbourne | 1 | 0 | 2 | 63.3 | 4
|
| St. Kilda | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29.2 | 0 |
Playing list
Notes
Some sources show a game against West Melbourne on 30/04 at Wesley College. West Melbourne played Essendon on this day, with no corresponding MFC fixture.
Media
Argus - 06/06/1898
Argus - 22/06/1898
Age - 23/06/1898
Argus - 23/06/1898
Leader - 25/06/1898
Argus - 27/03/1899
Links
AFL Tables page
Wikipedia page