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1926

Captain - Coach: Bert Chadwick
Finishing Position: 3rd (Premiers)
Best and Fairest: n/a
Leading Goalkicker: Harry Moyes (55)
Best First Year Player: n/a
Members: 1822

Matches Ladder Playing list Seconds
Image

After playing finals for the first time in a decade in 1925, the football club demanded greater autonomy from the MCC. They got two representatives on the cricket club's committee, as well as an eight man committee to oversee the football club. The football committee was voted on by MCC members, and all candidates also had to be members of the club.

Three of the 1925 committee - S. Church, W. Sykes and HD Westley, were defeated at election before the season. Successfully elected were H. Parkin (346 votes), G. Coulter (309), JO Smith (306), Henty Wilson (270), A. Sowden (253), F. Ince (247) and GH Watson (229). G. Haines (94) and CA Taylor (84) won the vote to be member representatives, defeating S. Hutton (46).

Melbourne didn't start the year as top premiership contenders, but were carried to the finals by the goals of Harry Moyes (55), Robert C Johnson (51), and Harry Davie (50), who became the first trio of teammates to register more than 50 goals in a season. play. Essendon was beaten in the Semi Final, despite playing with 17 men for much of the second quarter after Bob Corbett suffered a broken jaw after a king hit. A barely conscious Corbett returned to the field in the last quarter, helping free Ivor Warne-Smith to play his normal role. After playing every game for the year Corbett was unable to take his place in the Grand Final, watching on as his teammates avenged their defeat by Collingwood was avenged in the Grand Final. One of the club's founding fathers Henry Harrison was also present as his side captured their first premiership since 1900. Players celebrated by driving around the streets of Melbourne in open topped cars singing "It's A Grand Old Flag" before repairing to the Bentleigh milkbar of Hugh Dunbar to continue the celebrations.

A verse by committeeman JO Smith called "Will to Win" celebrated the Reds making the Grand Final

''There's a wonderful old player
In the Melbourne side this year
His name's not in the "Record"
But you can bet he's there

He's know as Mr. Will-to-Win
And he dominates the play
At Centre, Back or Forward
You'll find him in the fray

He's great on tear-through tactics,
And loves a willing crush.
And many a game he's won for us
With a great last-quarter rush

Sometimes this year he's been away
And sometimes he's been sick:
He's back and feeling fit and well
And says he's going to stick.

He's not too fond of birds and beasts
And when we have to play
In Tigers' lairs and Magpies' nests
He sometimes stays away

And wires to our committee
That he's got a nasty pain,
But he's made a faithful promise
That it won't occur again.

And when the finals come he says -
That he'll be at his best:
He'll give the Blues the blues again
And paralyse the rest.''

Former Redleg Bill McClelland became President of the VFL before the season began. He held the position until 1956. Andrew Manzie and Harry Parkin were the club's league delegates.

Premiership season

RoundOppositionResultScore
1 St. KildaWIN92-63
2 CarltonLOSS58-69
3 North MelbourneWIN119-89
4 CollingwoodLOSS79-84
5 RichmondWIN122-89
6 FootscrayWIN105-46
7 South MelbourneWIN88-65
8 EssendonWIN75-69
9 HawthornWIN154-13
10 GeelongLOSS53-67
11 FitzroyWIN99-60
12 St. KildaWIN118-29
13 CarltonWIN90-58
14 North MelbourneWIN70-67
15 CollingwoodLOSS43-93
16 RichmondWIN94-68
17 FootscrayWIN140-68
18 HawthornWIN121-79
SF CollingwoodWIN95-84
PF EssendonWIN42-39
GF CollingwoodWIN119-62

Ladder

WDL%P
Collingwood1503149.360
Geelong1503145.260
Melbourne1404146.456
Essendon1206124.348
South Melbourne1206118.948
Carlton1107106.544
Richmond90992.036
Fitzroy601286.124
St. Kilda601275.824
Footscray401469.916
Hawthorn311466.414
North Melbourne011773.72

Playing list

NumberPlayerGamesGoals
1 Stan Wittman 1620
3 Ted Thomas 181
4 Jim Abernethy 196
5 Ossie Green 201
6 Jim Veal 31
7 Frank Jorgensen 20
8 Herbert White 217
9 Charlie Streeter 210
10 Jack Collins 182
11 Bruce Pie 10
11 Derek Mollison 31
11 Carlyle Jones 22
12 Bob Corbett 200
14 Ivor Warne-Smith 2017
16 Bob Johnson 2050
17 Bert Chadwick 131
18 Percy Tulloh 24
19 Harry Coy 171
21 Tom O'Brien 40
22 Harry Moyes 1955
23 Francis Vine 11
24 Harry Davie 1550
25 Jack Cannan 11
26 Bill Tymms 134
28 Hugh Dunbar 171
29 Jimmy Davidson 134
30 Bert Lawrence 30
31 Col Deane 1816
32 Eric Andersen 22
33 Fred Dick 41
34 Dave Duff 1126
35 Richard Taylor 216

Seconds

Captain/coach: Jimmy Sullivan
1926 Seconds season

Notes
A match was played against 'Tasmania' in late July. A pre-season game may have been played against Geelong for charity.

Media
Herald - 04/03/1926
Argus - 03/02/1927
Football Record R13 1936

Links
AFL Tables page
Wikipedia page

1926 team photo courtesy of grandoldflag.net