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1943

Captain - Coach: Percy Beames
Finishing Position: 7th
Best and Fairest: Don Cordner
Leading Goalkicker: Fred Fanning (62)
Best First Year Player: n/a

Matches Ladder Playing List Tribunal Seconds

Exiled from the MCG, and with many players serving in the war, Melbourne had done well to win five games in 1942. Down to just seven of their 1941 premiership side, things looked grim for the Demons when they sat last after Round 6. The last placed club would be eliminated from the season after Round 11 but the Demons won their next four to finish well clear of last, with St Kilda being excluded from the last five rounds.

Their eventual seventh placed finish was a credit to Percy Beames, who had to debut 18 players during the year, with 11 retired due to wartime restrictions and health problems. In February, 23 Melbourne players were serving in the conflict, leading to a player shortage that left Beames with 13 players unavailable for selection in one game. A five match winning streak helped lift them to mid-table, but Melbourne were forced to debut another 18 players during the year and 11 more retired due to wartime restrictions and health problems. In one game they had 13 players unavailable for selection, but were only a game and percentage outside the four after Round 12. Three consecutive losses from there left them out of contention.

Round 12 games were pushed back a week for a four team Lightning Premiership. Melbourne did not play, giving them two weeks off after a Round 11 bye where they'd played an exhibition game against the Ballarat League.

Melbourne's VFL delegates were Joe Blair and Bruce Hogg.

The club had receipts of £1693 for the year, with expenses of £1925.

Practice match

OppositionResultScore
Hawthorn WIN101-52

Premiership season

RoundOppositionResultScore
1 FitzroyLOSS96-99
2 South MelbourneWIN109-86
3 HawthornLOSS72-117
4 North MelbourneLOSS71-104
5 RichmondLOSS113-141
6 FootscrayLOSS63-143
7 CarltonWIN92-87
8 CollingwoodWIN87-81
9 St. KildaWIN110-82
10 EssendonWIN85-70
11 BYE
12 FootscrayWIN154-74
13 South MelbourneLOSS60-139
14 FitzroyLOSS54-104
15 RichmondLOSS85-109
16 CollingwoodWIN113-101

Exhibition match

OppositionResultScore
Ballarat League WIN156-63

Ladder

WDL%P
Richmond1005123.144
Essendon1005115.244
Fitzroy1005109.044
Carlton906125.040
Hawthorn906103.940
Footscray70893.632
Melbourne70888.732
South Melbourne609105.828
North Melbourne51977.026
Collingwood501089.624
St. Kilda11873.910

Playing list

NumberPlayerGamesGoals
1 Don Hooper 33
1 Ken Shadbolt 20
2 Roy Dowsing 155
3 Keith Molloy 40
3 Ron Irwin 10
4 Norm Smith 1211
5 Billy Deans 136
6 Fred Fanning 1562
7 Bob Stone 20
8 Don Hewson 90
9 Richie Emselle 40
10 Maurie Gibb 139
11 Norm Matthews 20
12 Jack Mueller 14
14 George Archibald 123
15 Colin Bradley 90
16 Hughie McPherson 158
17 Denis Cordner 12
17 Frank Deayton 72
18 Darcy Walsh 80
18 Bill Scanlan 12
20 Bob Herbert 1425
21 Don Cordner 152
22 Tom Ferguson 97
23 Jack Doherty 70
24 Percy Beames 148
25 Doug Heywood 57
26 Frank Scanlan 40
26 Ron Hobba 80
27 Ralph Shalless 33
28 Ted Cordner 110
29 Jack Minnis 105
30 Alby Rodda 32
31 Ken Levey 102
32 Ron Marshall 20
33 Johnny Dalton 22
34 Adrian Dullard 818
35 Charlie Newman 40
36 Bryan Martin 20
36 Ernie Hart 10
38 Ron White 30
38 Harden Dean 10

Awards
Best clubman - (Billy Deans))
Most serviceable player - George Archibald

Tribunal

RoundPlayerChargeSanction
Round 1 Jack Mueller Abusive Language 4 matches

Seconds

1943 Seconds season

WDL%P
St Kilda 1222167.652
Fitzroy 1303160.752
Collingwood 1213140.050
South Melbourne 1105103.644
Richmond916102.838
Essendon90791.936
Carlton70981.428
North Melbourne70973.728
Footscray601081.624
Melbourne501185.220
Hawthorn301372.412

Notes
Football Record shows Jack Minnis as #31, but official club sources show him as #29. By Round 4 he was shown as having no official number. In Round 10 he was shown as #29.

Football Record also shows Alby Rodda as wearing #31 in Round 4, but this unlikely as he had the same number throughout his whole career.

Record shows Frank Scanlan as #13. All other records, including official club records, show him as #26.

An exhibition match may have been played in Healesville in October.

Media
Sun - 25/02/1943
Herald - 03/09/1943, 07/02/1944 -
Argus - 08/02/1944

Links
AFL Tables page
Wikipedia page