Coach: Checker Hughes
Captain: Norm Smith
Finishing Position: 4th (Lost Grand Final)
Best and Fairest: Jack Mueller
Leading Goalkicker: Jack Mueller (58)
Best First Year Player: Len Dockett
| Matches | Ladder | Playing List | Best and Fairest | Seconds | Thirds |
Even with World War II over, Melbourne was still unable to use the MCG at the start of the year. Other than being stuck at Punt Road, and training in two groups with limited dressing room facilities at the Albert Ground the club started returning to normality. Premiership players Ted Cordner, Gerry Daly, Adrian Dullard, Jack Furniss, Dick Hingston, Wally Lock, Shane McGrath, Jack Mueller and Alby Rodda returned, immediately helping the side back to the top four. After winning the first two games, losses in five of next six left them in ninth after Round 8, before only losing one more game in the home and away season.
The VFL introduced a 20th man substitute, and a Thirds grade for Under 19 players. The Provident Fund was introduced to raise money for players when they retired.
In Round 17, Melbourne returned to the MCG for the first time since the 1941 Grand Final, and won two finals at their home ground before falling to Essendon in the Grand Final.
On Thursday 19 September, Melbourne's finals team played a practice game on the MCG against the rest of the list plus three players loaned from Richmond and amateur clubs.
The Brownlow Medal was reintroduced and won by Don Cordner. He lost Melbourne's Best and Fairest to Jack Mueller who only scored a single Brownlow vote.
Melbourne's VFL delegates were Joe Blair (until his passing in September) and Bruce Hogg.
Premiership season
| Round | Opposition | Result | Score | ||
| 1 | Geelong | WIN | 137-91 | ||
| 2 | Carlton | WIN | 72-66 | ||
| 3 | Essendon | LOSS | 85-141 | ||
| 4 | South Melbourne | WIN | 87-74 | ||
| 5 | Footscray | LOSS | 85-146 | ||
| 6 | Hawthorn | LOSS | 91-106 | ||
| 7 | Fitzroy | LOSS | 41-97 | ||
| 8 | North Melbourne | LOSS | 27-56 | ||
| 9 | St. Kilda | WIN | 96-57 | ||
| 10 | Richmond | WIN | 86-70 | ||
| 11 | Collingwood | WIN | 91-69 | ||
| 12 | Geelong | WIN | 140-97 | ||
| 13 | Carlton | WIN | 72-55 | ||
| 14 | Essendon | WIN | 78-73 | ||
| 15 | South Melbourne | LOSS | 95-106 | ||
| 16 | Footscray | WIN | 112-91 | ||
| 17 | Hawthorn | WIN | 123-86 | ||
| 18 | Fitzroy | WIN | 69-65 | ||
| 19 | North Melbourne | WIN | 113-76 | ||
| SF | Footscray | WIN | 120-102 | ||
| PF | Collingwood | WIN | 113-100 | ||
| GF | Essendon | LOSS | 87-150 | ||
Ladder
| W | D | L | % | P | |
| Essendon | 15 | 0 | 4 | 140.7 | 60 |
| Collingwood | 13 | 0 | 6 | 125.2 | 52 |
| Footscray | 13 | 0 | 6 | 117.8 | 52 |
| Melbourne | 13 | 0 | 6 | 104.8 | 52 |
| Richmond | 11 | 0 | 8 | 115.8 | 44 |
| Carlton | 11 | 0 | 8 | 102.1 | 44 |
| South Melbourne | 10 | 0 | 9 | 106.5 | 40 |
| Fitzroy | 9 | 0 | 10 | 118.7 | 36 |
| North Melbourne | 8 | 0 | 11 | 91.2 | 32 |
| Geelong | 4 | 0 | 15 | 70.9 | 16 |
| St. Kilda | 4 | 0 | 15 | 70.0 | 16 |
| Hawthorn | 3 | 0 | 16 | 70.5 | 12 |
Exhibition Match
| Opposition | Result | Score | |||
| Gippsland League | WON | 125-84 | |||
Playing list
| Number | Name | Games | Goals | ||
| 1 | Ern Rowarth | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Roy Dowsing | 14 | 0 | ||
| 3 | Ron Irwin | 13 | 0 | ||
| 4 | Norm Smith | 19 | 33 | ||
| 5 | Billy Deans | 22 | 3 | ||
| 6 | Fred Fanning | 20 | 56 | ||
| 7 | Clem Conroy | 1 | 0 | ||
| 8 | Roy Stabb | 9 | 0 | ||
| 9 | Ivan Porter | 4 | 2 | ||
| 10 | Lance Arnold | 4 | 1 | ||
| 11 | Gordon Bowman | 19 | 3 | ||
| 12 | Jack Mueller | 22 | 58 | ||
| 14 | Ron Hall | 8 | 2 | ||
| 15 | Jack Quinn | 6 | 5 | ||
| 16 | George Bickford | 18 | 3 | ||
| 17 | Frank Kennedy | 15 | 1 | ||
| 18 | Wally Lock | 15 | 0 | ||
| 19 | Bill Scanlan | 7 | 2 | ||
| 20 | Norm Wilson | 3 | 9 | ||
| 21 | Don Cordner | 22 | 2 | ||
| 22 | Shane McGrath | 20 | 2 | ||
| 23 | Ted Cordner | 19 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Dick Kennedy | 4 | 6 | ||
| 25 | Col McLean | 20 | 0 | ||
| 26 | Ralph Shalless | 1 | 0 | ||
| 27 | Gerry Daly | 3 | 1 | ||
| 27 | Ernie O'Rourke | 14 | 28 | ||
| 28 | Adrian Dullard | 11 | 14 | ||
| 29 | Harry Rowe | 1 | 0 | ||
| 29 | Alf Copsey | 5 | 0 | ||
| 30 | Alby Rodda | 16 | 19 | ||
| 31 | Stan Rule | 18 | 3 | ||
| 32 | Dick Hingston | 3 | 0 | ||
| 32 | Len Dockett | 18 | 4 | ||
| 34 | Arnold Byfield | 18 | 10 | ||
| 35 | Noel McMahen | 3 | 0 | ||
| 36 | Des Bell | 5 | 2 | ||
| 37 | Jim Mitchell | 13 | 18 | ||
Best and Fairest
| Player | |||||
| 1st | Jack Mueller | ||||
Tribunal
| Round | Player | Charge | Sanction | ||
| Round 7 | Alby Rodda | Striking | Not Guilty | ||
| Round 9 | Roy Stabb | Striking | 4 matches | ||
| Round 9 | Alby Rodda | Attempted Striking | 4 matches | ||
| Round 13 | Billy Deans | Charging | Not Guilty | ||
| GF | Frank Kennedy | Striking | 4 matches | ||
| GF | Adrian Dullard | Kneeing | Not Guilty | ||
Awards
Best clubman - Norm Smith
Best all-round player - Jim Mitchell
Most brilliant - Donald Cordner
Most unselfish - Shane McGrath
Most tenacious - Ted Cordner
Most determined - Wally Lock
Most improved - George Bickford and Stan Rule
Seconds
1946 Seconds season
Captain - H. Gray
Vice Captain - Ralph Shalless
| W | D | L | % | P | |
| Richmond | 17 | 0 | 2 | 149.3 | 68 |
| Fitzroy | 16 | 0 | 3 | 157.9 | 64 |
| Collingwood | 16 | 0 | 3 | 147.2 | 64 |
| Melbourne | 13 | 0 | 6 | 129.1 | 52 |
| South Melbourne | 11 | 1 | 7 | 95.8 | 46 |
| Carlton | 8 | 0 | 11 | 95.3 | 32 |
| Essendon | 8 | 0 | 11 | 91.8 | 32 |
| St Kilda | 7 | 1 | 11 | 91.6 | 30 |
| Footscray | 7 | 0 | 12 | 98.0 | 28 |
| Geelong | 7 | 0 | 12 | 76.9 | 28 |
| North Melbourne | 2 | 1 | 16 | 67.1 | 10 |
| Hawthorn | 0 | 1 | 18 | 55.9 | 2 |
Finals
| Round | Opposition | Result | Score | ||
| SF | Collingwood | LOSS | 77-105 | ||
Thirds
| P | |||||
| Melbourne | 44 | ||||
| North Melbourne | 40 | ||||
| Carlton | 32 | ||||
| Essendon | 28 | ||||
| Richmond | 16 | ||||
| St Kilda | 8 | ||||
| Hawthorn | 4 | ||||
Finals
| Round | Opposition | Result | Score | ||
| SF | North Melbourne | LOSS | 32-91 | ||
| PF | Carlton | LOSS | 76-93 | ||
Media
Herald - 18/04/1946
Herald - 18/09/1946
Age - 21/11/1946
Links
AFL Tables page
Wikipedia page
Membership image courtesy of grandoldflag.net