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1964

Image Coach: Norm Smith
Captain: Ron Barassi
Finishing Position: 1st (Premiers)
Best and Fairest: Ron Barassi
Leading Goalkicker: John Townsend (35)
Best First Year Player: Graeme Jacobs

Matches Ladder Playing List Tribunal Reserves Under 19s
Image

Melbourne looked to have run out of steam midway through 1963 after years of losing veteran players, before recovering to qualify for a Preliminary Final. The club's annual report was full of praise, reading “the challenge of the years 1962 and 1963 has been answered most stirringly by the coach, officials and the team.” Many expected that this would be the year they fell away, but Norm Smith said “Prospects for 1964 look rosy. The young players are bound to improve and we have recruited well.” He also praised the leadership of captain Barassi and vice-captain Dixon who he said would come in handy with a new rule that only allowed runners, or messengers as they were known, to talk to a side’s on-field leaders. Dixon was then replaced as vice-captain by Hassa Mann, who was being groomed as Barassi's successor. Bryan Kenneally became deputy vice-captain in place of Frank Adams.

It was the first season where VFL goal and behind posts were padded to prevent injuries to players. Other rule changes involved runners only being able to pass messages to captains or vice-captains, but this proved controversial and was rescinded in early June. The break between the first and second quarter was extended from three to four minutes to allow coaches to address players. The father/son rule extended from just players with 50 games experience to cover president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, assistant secretary, coach or a member of the committee with 10 years service.

Two losses in their first four games let Melbourne vulnerable, before a winning streak carried them back into top two. In a tight top four race, they weren't assured of a finals spot until a thrilling win over Hawthorn in the second last round, before unexpectedly finishing on top after Geelong lost in the final round. Collingwood was unexpectedly steamrolled in the Semi Final, before winning through to a Grand Final rematch. The Demons started hot favourites but were nearly beaten, relying on back pocket Neil Crompton to kick a goal when playing forward against coaches' orders, then surviving a frantic final few seconds with the ball in front of the Magpie goal. Earlier on Grand Final day, the Under 19s had won a premiership.

At the end of the season, Ron Barassi became the first reigning premiership captain to change clubs when he accepted an offer to become captain/coach of Carlton. Norm Smith offered to stand aside and allow Barassi to coach Melbourne, but he crossed to Princes Park once the Demon committee finally relented early in 1965.

Melbourne's VFL delegates were Arthur King and Tom Trumble. Despite the premiership the club was not as not as financially successful as in previous years. They had receipts of £39,708 against expenditure of £43,474 for a loss of £3766. The club would have made a profit if it wasn't for a £7080 levy payable to the VFL, including £2551 for the construction of Waverley.

There were negotiations to play games against a Northwest Tasmanian team and a replay against Collingwood in Sydney but neither happened.

Practice match

OppositionResultScore
Hampden League WIN184-22

Premiership season

RoundOppositionResultScore
1 Geelong LOSS97-110
2 North MelbourneWIN77-61
3 CarltonWIN79-33
4 St. KildaLOSS67-93
5 EssendonWIN85-53
6 HawthornWIN73-68
7 FootscrayWIN86-44
8 Fitzroy WIN118-51
9 Collingwood WIN73-63
10 RichmondWIN156-43
11 South MelbourneWIN129-83
12 GeelongWIN75-21
13 North MelbourneWIN123-51
14 CarltonWIN80-68
15 St. KildaWIN55-37
16 EssendonLOSS48-50
17 HawthornWIN73-69
18 FootscrayLOSS38-78
SF CollingwoodWIN134-45
GF CollingwoodWIN64-60

Ladder

WDL%P
Melbourne1404138.156
Collingwood1314133.254
Essendon1314130.254
Geelong1314127.454
Hawthorn1305121.052
St. Kilda1008118.440
Footscray90988.136
North Melbourne801087.232
Richmond601284.924
Carlton511290.322
South Melbourne201668.08
Fitzroy001859.70

Exhibition Match

OppositionResult
South Adelaide WIN68-57

Playing List

NumberNameGamesGoals
1 Rob Foster 21
3 Maurie Bartlett 31
4 John Lord 814
5 Neil Crompton 191
6 Frank Adams 151
7 Owen Zinko 23
8 Tassie Johnson 192
9 Brian Dixon 171
10 Ken Emselle 2024
11 Tony Anderson 160
14 Barry Bourke 2028
15 Ray Groom 129
16 John Townsend 2035
17 Graeme Watson 132
18 Brian Roet 150
19 Bob Carroll 10
20 Graeme Jacobs 1633
21 Brian Leahy 141
22 Bryan Kenneally 2015
23 Graham Wise 191
28 David Robbie 64
29 Hassa Mann 1915
31 Ron Barassi 1825
32 Barrie Vagg 2022
33 Robert Miller 50
34 Len Mann 40
35 Don Williams 171
36 Peter McLean 101
37 Bernie Massey 180
38 Jim Leitch 20
39 Herbie Matthews 40
40 Frank Davis 61

Best and Fairest

Player
1st Ron Barassi
2nd Hassa Mann
3rd Brian Dixon
4th Bryan Kenneally
5th John Townsend

Awards
Outstanding Service - Bryan Kenneally, John Townsend and Ray Groom
Most Improved - Graham Wise

Tribunal

RoundPlayerChargeSanction
Round 9 Reserves Maurie Bartlett Striking 2 weeks

Reserves

1964 Reserves season

Best and Fairest - Jim Leitch
Second Best and Fairest - Frank Davis
Outstanding Service - Bob Lynch, John Lord, Peter McLean

WDL%P
Collingwood 1602152.564
Geelong 1512146.262
Richmond1107113.544
Footscray1107106.344
Hawthorn 1017126.442
Melbourne 1008113.840
North Melbourne828100.136
Carlton7101105.230
St Kilda601280.024
Essendon511284.622
South Melbourne301562.912
Fitzroy301561.512

Under 19s

1964 Under 19s season

Captain - Neville Stone
Vice-Captain - Rick Feldmann
Best and Fairest - Bob Russell
Second Best and Fairest - John Millard
Best Clubman - Rod McNab
Best First Year Player - George Griffiths
Most Improved - W. Adams
Most Consistent - A. Schultz
Leading goalkicker - Rod McNab (52 goals)

WDL%P
Melbourne 1602136.764
Collingwood 1503150.560
Richmond 1503137.860
North Melbourne 1107130.144
Footscray1008125.640
Essendon90999.936
Hawthorn90993.636
Geelong701192.428
St Kilda601289.624
Carlton501387.720
South Melbourne401466.116
Fitzroy101748.44

Finals

RoundOppositionResult
SF Collingwood LOSS
PF Richmond WIN
GF Collingwood WIN

Fourths

Best and Fairest - John Sinclair
Second Best and Fairest - J. Little
Best Clubman - Greg Smith
Most Consistent - C. Kinnear
Outstanding service - Rob Dowsing, K. D'Arcy

Notes
A practice match may have been played against Old Scotch on Saturday 11/04 (Age 11/04) but more likely this was an intra-club game at Old Scotch Oval.

Media
Age - 30/01/1964, 20/02/1964, 22/02/1964, 04/04/1964, 04/06/1964, 21/09/1964
Football Record - R1 1964, R2 1964, R3 1964

Links
AFL Tables page
Wikipedia page