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1957

Image Coach: Norm Smith
Captain: John Beckwith
Finishing Position: 1st (Premiers)
Best and Fairest: John Beckwith
Leading Goalkicker: Athol Webb (56)
Best First Year Player: Geoff Tunbridge
Members: 3550

Matches Ladder Playing List Best and Fairest Seconds Thirds

Image


The Demons lost a wealth of experience before the season with Noel McMahen (captain), Ken Melville (vice-captain), Stuart Spencer (best and fairest), Geoff McGivern, Ken Melville, Ralph Lane and Denis Cordner either moving on or retiring. Despite having won the premiership in easy fashion the year before they were suddenly being tipped to tumble down the ladder.

In 1956 Smith had the luxury of using just 27 players for the season, but the next year he was forced to turn out 36 - including 13 debutants. John Beckwith and Ron Barassi were appointed as the youngest leadership team in the league - 24 and 21 years old respectively.

After being forced to do their pre-season training at Olympic Park due to resurfacing works on the MCG Melbourne's road to the top of the ladder was far rockier than it had been in 1956, when they'd remained unbeaten for over three months and only lost two games. This time they lost five - including two of the first four - and their points total was the lowest for a minor premier in the 12 team era. At the other end of the table Geelong were demonstrating the evenness of the competition by scoring the highest total for a wooden spooner in the same time frame.

They had to battle through to the Grand Final via the Preliminary Final after losing to Essendon. They faced the Bombers again in the last match of the year and this time made amends.

After the success of a 1956 night series where only teams who didn't qualify for the finals were involved, the league introduced an expanded competition featuring all sides - including Melbourne for the first time.

The club made a profit of approximately 2000p.

Melbourne's VFL delegates were Bert Chadwick and Dick Taylor.

Premiership Season

Round
Opposition
Result
1 FitzroyLOSS
2 CollingwoodWIN
3 EssendonWIN
4 HawthornLOSS
5 St. KildaWIN
6 South MelbourneWIN
7 RichmondLOSS
8 CarltonWIN
9 GeelongWIN
10 North MelbourneWIN
11 FootscrayWIN
12 FitzroyWIN
13 CollingwoodDRAW
14 EssendonWIN
15 HawthornLOSS
16 St. KildaWIN
17 South MelbourneLOSS
18 RichmondWIN
SF EssendonLOSS
PF HawthornWIN
GF EssendonWIN

Ladder

W
D
L
%
P
Melbourne1215138.850
Essendon1107118.344
Hawthorn1107116.744
Carlton110799.544
Collingwood918101.838
Footscray91899.138
Richmond90993.936
North Melbourne801095.132
St. Kilda801094.532
South Melbourne701188.828
Fitzroy601284.124
Geelong511288.222

Exhibition Match

Opposition
Result
Wimmera League WIN
Carlton WIN

Night Series

Round
Opposition
Result
1BYE
2 Footscray LOSS

Playing List

NumberNameGamesGoals
1 Dick Fenton-Smith 1818
3 Peter Marquis 170
4 John Lord 140
5 Ian McLean 208
6 Frank Adams 1417
7 Geoff Case 1811
8 Jim Sandral 70
9 Brian Dixon 212
10 Bob Turner 20
11 Laurie Mithen 121
12 Neil Crompton 10
14 Trevor Johnson 173
15 Athol Webb 2156
16 Bob Johnson 1829
18 Kevin Mithen 10
19 Keith Carroll 100
20 Graeme Pinfold 61
21 Peter Cook 63
22 Ben Crameri 20
23 Geoff Tunbridge 2032
24 Ian Ridley 2133
25 Don Williams 211
26 Ian Thorogood 171
27 Denis Jones 20
28 Terry Gleeson 165
29 Tony Bull 10
29 Brian Dunsford 71
30 John Beckwith 210
31 Ron Barassi 2130
32 Graham Kerr 30
33 Colin Wilson 161
35 Clyde Laidlaw 63
36 Dick Atkinson 40
37 Terry Mountain 31
38 Peter Brenchley 158
39 Bill Byrne 10

Best and Fairest

Player
1st John Beckwith
2nd Ron Barassi
3rd Geoff Tunbridge

Other Awards
Best Clubman Trophy - Jim Sandral
Most Improved Player - Colin Wilson
Fred Pleass Special Trophy - Athol Webb
Outstanding Service - Robert B Johnson, Ian Ridley, Brian Dixon, Don Williams

Seconds

1957 Seconds season

Leading goalkicker - Graeme Wilkinson (49)
Best and Fairest - Robert Hayes
Second Best and Fairest - Ben Crameri
Best First Year Player - George Milner
Best Clubman - Don Thorne
Most Improved - Kevin Mithen
Outstanding Service - Terry Mountain, Peter Cook, Graeme Wilkinson

WDL%P
North Melbourne 1503129.860
Fitzroy 1404121.256
Essendon1206113.048
St Kilda 1206110.048
Footscray1107123.044
Melbourne801098.532
Richmond7110106.430
Collingwood701194.528
South Melbourne701178.628
Hawthorn601192.126
Geelong501385.520
Carlton301574.612

Thirds

1957 Thirds season

Captain - Kevin Boyle
Best and Fairest - Neil Campbell
Second Best and Fairest - Bernie Massey
Most improved - G. Harris
Outstanding service - Lance Rolfe, Kevin Boyle

W
D
L
%
P
St Kilda 1213147.950
South Melbourne 1213143.750
Carlton1213141.550
Collingwood 1204150.048
Hawthorn1105110.344
Essendon71899.030
Fitzroy71892.530
North Melbourne601088.724
Geelong601077.524
Melbourne311258.514
Footscray221277.812
Richmond201466.28

Fourths

Best and Fairest - Malcolm Innes
Second Best and Fairest - Robert Anderson
Third Best and Fairest - Noel Bosch

Notes
Football Record shows the Seconds ladder as above, with only one draw listed.

Media
Team list - The Age 15/04/1957
Football Record 1957 Finals

Created by Supermercado. Last Modification: Sunday 04 March 2018 11:15:59 AEDT by Supermercado. (Version 40)

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