Coach: John Beckwith
Captain: Frank Davis
Finishing Position: 10th
Best and Fairest: Frank Davis
Leading Goalkicker: Ross Dillon (41)
Best First Year Player: Graham Molloy
As the Demons finished their fifth straight season outside the finals and began a new decade departures were Tassie Johnson (retired), Bryan Kenneally, Ken Emselle, Barrie Vagg who joined Prahran in the VFA and David Hone, who went to Cambridge University to undertake an advanced teaching course.
Before the season the VFL brought in a rule that allowed clubs to legally pay anything they liked for interstate recruits, but restricted every club to two a year instead of up to 20 as in the past. A move to restrict all interstate recruiting for three years was defeated on a 6-6 vote of the clubs. The league also cleared clubs to play practice matches in Melbourne, previously they had been banned from matches against sides within 60 miles of the city.
Another change was the introduction of a kicking in danger rule, which the VFL proposed to the Australian National Football Council and which was accepted unanimously. It didn't prove popular with players or coaches, who had not been consulted before it was adopted.
The Reserves won their premiership, and despite a disappointing Home and Away season the Demons managed to make the final of the night series. The Under 19s missed the finals in a 21 game season. The Round 4 games were not played due to a law against sports being played before 1pm on Anzac Day.
Beckwith's resignation as coach at the end of the year led to speculation that Ron Barassi was to return to lead the Demons. When the former #31 reaffirmed his commitment to the Blues, whom he had just led to the flag, two time reserves premiership winning coach Ian Ridley was unanimously appointed.
Melbourne's VFL delegates were Arthur King and Tom Trumble. The club lost $8,711 for the year.
Practice Matches
Premiership Season
| Round | Opposition | Result
|
| 1 | South Melbourne | WIN | 93-68
|
| 2 | Hawthorn | WIN | 96-85
|
| 3 | North Melbourne | LOSS | 64-121
|
| 4 | Fitzroy | WIN | 121-91
|
| 5 | Collingwood | LOSS | 57-65
|
| 6 | Essendon | WIN | 72-57
|
| 7 | Footscray | LOSS | 46-68
|
| 8 | Richmond | LOSS | 100-127
|
| 9 | St. Kilda | LOSS | 53-96
|
| 10 | Geelong | LOSS | 74-91
|
| 11 | Carlton | LOSS | 62-147
|
| 12 | South Melbourne | LOSS | 78-82
|
| 13 | Hawthorn | LOSS | 74-113
|
| 14 | North Melbourne | WIN | 85-77
|
| 15 | Fitzroy | LOSS | 62-90
|
| 16 | Collingwood | LOSS | 61-76
|
| 17 | Essendon | LOSS | 89-125
|
| 18 | Footscray | LOSS | 61-75
|
| 19 | Richmond | WIN | 118-64
|
| 20 | St. Kilda | LOSS | 56-116
|
| 21 | Geelong | LOSS | 96-108
|
| 22 | Carlton | LOSS | 87-101 |
Ladder
| W | D | L | % | P
|
| Collingwood | 18 | 0 | 4 | 136.5 | 72
|
| Carlton | 16 | 0 | 6 | 112.3 | 64
|
| St. Kilda | 14 | 0 | 8 | 125.7 | 56
|
| South Melbourne | 14 | 0 | 8 | 104.7 | 56
|
| Geelong | 12 | 0 | 10 | 102.4 | 48
|
| Richmond | 12 | 0 | 10 | 101.6 | 48
|
| Footscray | 11 | 0 | 11 | 91.2 | 44
|
| Hawthorn | 10 | 0 | 12 | 114.0 | 40
|
| Fitzroy | 9 | 0 | 13 | 82.3 | 36
|
| Melbourne | 6 | 0 | 16 | 83.5 | 24
|
| Essendon | 6 | 0 | 16 | 81.5 | 24
|
| North Melbourne | 4 | 0 | 18 | 79.1 | 16 |
Playing List
Radiant Night Series
| Round | Opponent | Result
|
| 1 | Richmond | WIN
|
| SF | Hawthorn | WIN
|
| F | Footscray | LOSS |
Best and Fairest
Tribunal
Reserves
1970 Reserves Season
Captain - Phil Rhoden
Best and Fairest - Paul Callery
Second Best and Fairest - Danny Jennings
Outstanding Service - Kelvin Clarke, Graham Osborne, Barry Hodges
| W | D | L | % | P
|
| Richmond | 17 | 0 | 5 | 132.1 | 68
|
| Melbourne | 17 | 0 | 5 | 128.2 | 68
|
| Hawthorn | 16 | 0 | 6 | 125.3 | 64
|
| North Melbourne | 14 | 0 | 8 | 104.0 | 56
|
| Collingwood | 13 | 0 | 9 | 111.9 | 52
|
| Essendon | 12 | 0 | 9 | 98.3 | 50
|
| Fitzroy | 8 | 1 | 13 | 95.4 | 34
|
| South Melbourne | 8 | 1 | 13 | 85.3 | 34
|
| Carlton | 7 | 0 | 15 | 91.1 | 28
|
| Footscray | 6 | 2 | 14 | 84.0 | 28
|
| Geelong | 6 | 1 | 15 | 84.6 | 26
|
| St Kilda | 5 | 0 | 17 | 74.5 | 20 |
Finals
| Round | Opponent | Result
|
| SF | Richmond | LOSS
|
| PF | North Melbourne | WIN
|
| GF | Richmond | WIN |
Under 19s
Best and Fairest - Warren Tassell
Second Best and Fairest - Stephen Cook
Best Clubman - Trevor Roberts
Outstanding Service - Jim Theodore, Hilton Stephenson
| P
|
| 1st | Richmond | 72
|
| 2nd | Hawthorn | 68
|
| 3rd | Geelong | 60
|
| 4th | Essendon | 56
|
| 5th | Melbourne | 48
|
| 6th | North Melbourne | 44
|
| 7th | Collingwood | 40
|
| 8th | Fitzroy | 32
|
| 9th | Footscray | 28
|
| 10th | South Melbourne | 28
|
| 11th | St Kilda | 16
|
| 12th | Carlton | 12 |
Under 17s
Best and Fairest - Ray McQueen
Second Best and Fairest - Greg Welsh
Outstanding Service - John Hogan, Robert Sandilands
Best Clubman - Adrian Graham
Media
Age - 27/02/1970
Age - 08/09/1970
