Melbourne Football Club
It competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition and plays its home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).Its origins can be traced to an 1858 letter in which Tom Wills, captain of the Victoria cricket team, called for the formation of a "foot-ball club" with its own "code of laws".[11][12] A subsequent meeting was held to elect a Secretary, Treasurer and committee of five to administer the affairs of the club and to draft its rules, whilst an application to the MCC was made for use of the MCG on Wednesdays and Saturdays.[12] Although most Melbourne players and officials were associated with the MCC, the football club was not initially allowed to use its ground, so matches were played on the fields at Yarra Park.On 17 and 21 May 1859, Wills, Hammersley, Thompson and Smith met near the MCG at the Parade Hotel, owned by Bryant, to draft "The Rules of the Melbourne Football Club".In the early years of the club, football matches were conducted on a casual basis with no set fixture and teams often having to cancel engagements due to a lack of players.14 Melbourne players lost their lives in the conflict, including Arthur Mueller 'Joe' Pearce, Clifford Burge, Jack Doubleday, Desmond McDonald, Ralph Robertson, Percy Rodriguez and Alfred Williamson.The next year Don Cordner became the second Demon to win the Brownlow Medal with Melbourne reaching the grand final, losing to Essendon by a margin of 63 points.After the Demons took out the Wooden Spoon in 1951, Smith returned to take up the coaching position in the 1952 season and set about forging a new team with future club champion Ron Barassi joining in 1953 under the newly created father-son rule.In one of the most thrilling grand finals, Melbourne won its 12th VFL premiership in the dying seconds of the game against Collingwood with back-pocket player Neil Crompton kicking the winning goal.After having lost just three games, the club's committee made the startling decision to sack Norm Smith as coach before its Round 13 fixture against North Melbourne.Despite possessing gifted players including Robert Flower and Greg Wells, the introduction of country zoning and poor management hampered the club's fortunes.Melbourne tried to supplement its list by recruiting older players from successful teams including Carl Diterich who played in two separate engagements with the Demons, the first between 1973 and 1975 and then serving as captain-coach in 1979 and 1980.Melbourne would then fall back into the bottom quarter of the ladder the following season, and in 1979 they suffered the worst defeat in VFL/AFL history, losing to Fitzroy by 190 points in round 17,[22] although they would beat Essendon the following week.In 1981, under the chairmanship of Sir Billy Snedden, and with a public campaign backed by radio broadcaster Derryn Hinch, Ron Barassi returned to Melbourne as coach and immediately appointed Robert Flower as captain.In Robert Flower's last game, the Demons lead the Hawks by 4 points at the final siren, though Hawthorn's Gary Buckenara had a free kick 55 metres out.But Melbourne Irish recruit Jim Stynes ran across the mark and incurred a 15-metre penalty, bringing Buckenara close enough to kick the winning goal after the siren.In the first few days of this debate, lifelong supporters Mark and Anthony Jenkins met with coterie member George Zagon to form the Demon Alternative – an anti-merger group that was to significantly impact on the plans of the incumbent board.Daniher had become the club's the second longest-serving coach while Neitz became Melbourne's all-time leading goal-kicker on 19 May, surpassing Norm Smith's previous record of 546 goals.At the start of the 2007 AFL season, Melbourne were thought by many pundits to be contenders for the Premiership, but injuries to key players across the team resulted in the Demons losing its opening nine matches.[26] New club CEO Cameron Schwab declared that it required urgent AFL assistance to continue, requesting additional funding to its special annual distribution.The club's 2011 season took a dramatic turn when the Demons suffered its second greatest loss in league history, going down to Geelong at Kardinia Park in round 19 by 186 points.Under Roos, the club continued to steadily improve winning 7 games in 2015 and key forward Jesse Hogan won Melbourne's second AFL Rising Star award.With captain Max Gawn kicking a goal after the siren in the Round 23 match against Geelong, Melbourne finished the season as minor premiers for the first time since 1964.[33] Melbourne's premiership defence began with 10 straight victories, increasing their streak from last year to 17, before suffering three losses on the bounce to fellow finalists Fremantle, Sydney and Collingwood.The Demons’ form in the second half of the 2022 season was inconsistent, but the reigning premiers emphatically secured a spot in the top four after a comfortable 58-point victory over Brisbane in the final round.The year was compounded by a myriad of off-field issues including a season ending injury to Christian Petracca during the annual King's Birthday match after he was kneed in the ribs late in the first quarter by Collingwood captain Darcy Moore.Ron Barassi Don Cordner Ian Ridley Norm Smith Ivor Warne-Smith Frank AdamsSam AllicaStan AlvesRon BaggottPercy BeamesJohn BeckwithJoe BlairBarry BourkeJim Cardwell Geoff CaseAlbert ChadwickDenis CordnerBrian DixonRobert FlowerMaurie GibbGary HardemanH.C.A.HarrisonGreg Healy Frank HughesAlan JohnsonBob JohnsonTassie JohnsonAllan La FontaineClyde LaidlawWally LockBrett LovettGarry Lyon Hassa MannWilliam McClellandFred McGinisShane McGrathNoel McMahenLaurie MithenJack MuellerDavid NeitzPercy Page Dudley PhillipsStuart SpencerJim StynesTodd VineyGreg WellsSean WightDon WilliamsTom Wills Melbourne FC announced its "150 Heroes" to celebrate its 150th anniversary at Crown Casino on 7 June 2008.The heroes named were: Jim Abernethy, Frank Adams, Bill Allen, Stan Alves, Syd Anderson, Tony Anderson, Lance Arnold, Ron Baggott, Garry Baker, Harold Ball, Ron Barassi, Percy Beames, John Beckwith, George Bickford, Ray Biffin, Barry Bourke, Harry Brereton, Cameron Bruce, Keith Carroll, Geoff Case, Albert Chadwick, Noel Clarke, Geoff Collins, Jack Collins, Chris Connolly, Bob Corbett, Denis Cordner, Don Cordner, Ted Cordner, Vin Coutie, Harry Coy, Jim Davidson, Frank Davis, Ross Dillon, Carl Ditterich, Brian Dixon, Len Dockett, Adrian Dullard, Hugh Dunbar, Richie Emselle, Fred Fanning, Jeff Farmer, Matthew Febey, Steven Febey, Dick Fenton-Smith, Rowley Fischer, Robert Flower, Laurie Fowler, Maurie Gibb, Peter Giles, Terry Gleeson, Brad Green, Rod Grinter, George Haines, Gary Hardeman, Henry Harrison, Gerard Healy, Greg Healy, Dick Hingston, Paul Hopgood, Danny Hughes, Anthony Ingerson, Eddie Jackson, Alan Johnson, Bob Johnson, Tassie Johnson, Trevor Johnson, Travis Johnstone, Gordon Jones, Les Jones, Bryan Kenneally, Allan La Fontaine, Clyde Laidlaw, Frank Langley, Jack Leith, Andrew Leoncelli, Charlie Lilley, Wally Lock, Harry Long, John Lord, Andy Lovell, Brett Lovett, Glenn Lovett, Garry Lyon, Hassa Mann, George Margitich, Peter Marquis, Bernie Massey, Anthony McDonald, James McDonald, Fred McGinis, Shane McGrath, Bob McKenzie, Col McLean, Ian McLean, Noel McMahen, Ken Melville, Laurie Mithen, Peter Moore, Jack Mueller, David Neitz, Stephen Newport, Jack O'Keefe, Andrew Obst, Gordon Ogden, Greg Parke, Joe Pearce, Jack Purse, Ian Ridley, Guy Rigoni, Frank Roberts, Russell Robertson, Alby Rodda, Brian Roet, Peter Rohde, Alan Rowarth, David Schwarz, Norm Smith, Steven Smith, Earl Spalding, Stuart Spencer, Charlie Streeter, Steven Stretch, Jim Stynes, Tony Sullivan, Dick Taylor, Ted Thomas, Ian Thorogood, Stephen Tingay, John Townsend, Keith Truscott, Geoff Tunbridge, Bill Tymms, Barrie Vagg, Francis Vine, Todd Viney, Ivor Warne-Smith, Ray Wartman, Athol Webb, Greg Wells, Jeff White, Sean Wight, Don Williams, Brian Wilson, Stan Wittman, Shane Woewodin, Graeme Yeats, Charlie Young, Adem Yze Head coach Assistant coaches Updated: 20 January 2025Source(s): Playing list, Coaching staff The honour board is listed from the first VFL/AFL season and includes the following individual awards: Legend: ^ Premiers, * Grand finalist, † Finals, ‡ Wooden spoon Bold italics: competition leading goal kicker In June 2013, the club fielded a women's representative side known as the Chappettes against Western Bulldogs in the first AFL-sanctioned women's exhibition match, held at the MCG.
Melbourne City FCBayley FritschBrad GreenGary PertSimon GoodwinMick StinearMax GawnKate Hore2022 (S7)Melbourne Cricket GroundCasey FieldsGosch's PaddockAustralian rules footballMelbourneVictoria, AustraliaAustralian Football Leagueoldest professional club of any football codeTom WillsVictoria cricket teamVictorian Football AssociationAFL Women's2022 season 7Melbourne Cricket ClubOrigins of Australian footballH. C. A. Harrisonthe parklandsBell's Life in Victoria and Sporting ChronicleJerry BryantWilliam HammersleyJ. B. ThompsonThomas H. SmithSouth Yarra Football ClubThe ArgusYarra Parkthe lawsGeelong Football ClubChallenge CupMelbourne University Football ClubSouth Yarra CupVictorianCarltonGeelongEssendonVFL/AFLVictorian Football LeagueJack LeithFred McGinisfirst VFL premiershipFitzroyVin CoutieHarry BreretonWorld War IC. LilleyJ. HassettH. TomkinsJ. EvansW. HendrieR. L. ParkJ. DoubledayA. BestC. BurgeC. (viz., A.) WilliamsonJ. BrakeR. LowellE. ParsonsA. M. PearceF. LugtonA. GeorgeC. ArmstrongP. RodriguezJ. Cannole (viz., Connole)A. FraserT. CollinsAlbert ChadwickGrand Final.Ivor Warne-SmithBrownlow MedalAllan La FontainePercy BeamesJack MuellerNorm SmithKeith 'Bluey' TruscottHarold BallSyd AndersonRon Barassi SrBest and FairestDon Cordnergrand finalFred FanningRon Barassifather-son rule1958 grand finalgrand finalsNeil CromptonJohn BeckwithIan RidleyBob SkiltonDennis JonesRobert FlowerGreg WellsCarl DiterichCollingwoodBilly SneddenBrian WilsonPeter MooreGary BuckenaraJim StynesNeil Balmemerger with HawthornBrian DixonJoseph GutnickNeale DaniherAdelaideSt KildaDavid NeitzColeman MedalGabriel SzondyTroy Broadbridge2004 Boxing Day tsunamiPhi PhiThailandFremantleMark RileyDean Bailey2008 seasonWimbledon