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1919

Captain - Coach: George Haines
Finishing Position: 9th (Last)
Best and Fairest: n/a
Leading Goalkicker: George Haines (15)
Best First Year Player: n/a

Matches Ladder Playing List

Having finally made the finals again in 1915 after a decade long break, the club were forced into recess the next year by the First World War and didn't return until after it was over.

The league took applications for new teams to join the competition for the next season. The Ballarat League, Brunswick, Footscray, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Prahran and Port Melbourne applied but none were accepted. The league also fell out with the VFA who refused to adopt a district scheme. This meant that VFL clubs could take players from the other competition without a clearance. Melbourne lost the University as a recruiting zone and gained Prahran, an area where it was hard to generate local support.

The inclusion of new teams might have allowed Melbourne the opportunity to register a victory. Or it may have further depleted a talent pool that left them easy pickings most weeks. A number of players returned after the break but most were ineffectual or only played a handful of games. Most of the squad, including seven league debutants in the first round, were new to the VFL. George Haines, the new captain-coach, was the eight MFC debutant in the first match of the season.

While not thrashed every week they rarely looked like winning a match and went through the season without a single victory. At time they had up to 10 returned servicemen in their side.

With the team having spent a season being battered by all and sundry, it was said that three players went for a 'long lunch' before the last game at the season. One of the players broke a window in a cab on the way to the ground and were locked inside until suitable compensation was offered. With their entrance to the ground delayed by the commotion they managed to sneak in and avoid the watchful eye of Secretary Andrew Manzie. After a terrible first half they recovered to be named amongst the best players.

A "second XVIII" reserves competition was run for the first time but the league sides were represented by district teams rather than actual reserves.

Melbourne's league delegates were Bill McClelland and WF Knight.

Premiership Season

RoundOppositionResultScore
1 St. Kilda LOSS58-86
2 South Melbourne LOSS28-79
3 Richmond LOSS49-80
4 BYE
5 CarltonLOSS34-123
6 CollingwoodLOSS55-116
7 FitzroyLOSS42-78
8 GeelongLOSS52-72
9 EssendonLOSS44-113
10 St. KildaLOSS37-47
11 South MelbourneLOSS27-94
12 RichmondLOSS48-72
13 BYE
14 CarltonLOSS36-96
15 Collingwood LOSS36-145
16 FitzroyLOSS17-142
17 GeelongLOSS51-96
18 EssendonLOSS33-67

Ladder

WDL%P
Collingwood1303162.352
South Melbourne1204158.748
Carlton1006127.640
Richmond1006118.240
Fitzroy916125.338
Essendon70994.628
St. Kilda70970.628
Geelong311273.414
Melbourne001643.00

Exhibition Match

OppositionResult
Army ?

Playing List

NumberPlayerGamesGoals
1 Bill Allen 94
2 Eric Tonkin 1414
3 Percy Love 116
4 Bill McKenzie 132
5 Bob Love 81
6 Herb Matthews 146
7 Bill Hore 20
7 Reg Gibb 30
8 Charlie Lilley 141
9 John McMahon 30
10 Gordon Coulter 82
11 Jack Baquie 141
13 Les Nichols 10
14 Alec Gray 130
15 George Haines 1415
16 George Walker 100
17 Con Kenney 95
18 Bob Bodington 40
18 Stan Huntington 33
19 Eric Chisholm 52
19 Allan McLean 50
19 Jack Huntington 126
20 Art McWhinney 90
20 Teddy Johnston 11
21 Jack House 151
22 Bill Brunier 40
23 Alex Salvado 52
24 Lou Salvana 63
25 Alec Farrow 42
25 Howard Richardson 10
26 Cyril Hall 90
27 Jack Connole 52
28 Matt Connors 30
28 Jack Evans 10
29 Charlie Armstrong 30
29 Frank Cummins 10
30 Bill Shelton 81
31 Leo Little 61
32 Archie Grigg 31
33 Ivor Warne-Smith 82
34 Harry Selover 32
35 Dave Elliman 30
? Gordon Landy 1 1


Notes
Allan McLean shown as #12 in R1 Football Record and and all subsequent records.

Leo Little is shown as wearing #27 in the R14 record and R17

Bob Bodington is shown as wearing #28 in the R14 record.

A player called 'Warrington' is referred to in reports of the Round 17 match against Geelong. This is likely a misprint of Boddington.

Media
Argus - 16/05/1919
Argus - 28/07/1919

Created by Supermercado. Last Modification: Monday 04 October 2021 15:06:48 AEDT by Supermercado. (Version 23)

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