Coach: Norm Smith
Captain: John Beckwith
Finishing Position: 1st (Runners-Up)
Best and Fairest: Laurie Mithen
Leading Goalkicker: Ron Barassi / Athol Webb (44)
Best First Year Player: Alan Rowarth
Matches | Ladder | Playing List | Best and Fairest | Seconds | Thirds |
Having won three premierships from their four consecutive Grand Final appearances, the Demons were now shooting for a chance to equal Collingwood's record of four flags in a row. In contrast to the 1957 pre-season when they had been written off, 1958 saw most tipsters selecting them to win the flag. The only senior player lost was Jim Sandral, who'd gone to Corowa to coach, leaving them with more returning players than any other side in the league.
The season took a break for three weeks in late June and mid July for an interstate carnival to be played in Victoria. Melbourne players picked to represent the VFL were John Beckwith, Robert B Johnson, Ron Barassi, Laurie Mithen and Don Williams.
Immediately after the heavy Round 11 loss, their worst in five years, the Demons appointed Ron Baggott as an assistant to Norm Smith. He was employed to do specialist work with players while Smith directed training generally.
A "Highlights of '58" exhibition at the Olympic Swimming Stadium during the season saw the Demons win the final of a league goalkicking contest against Richmond. Bob Johnson and Athol Webb booted three each in the final. Johnson also appeared in Melbourne's tug-of-war team alongside Peter Marquis.
At the end of the season six players registered for professional foot races. Frank Adams, Peter Brenchley, Athol Webb, Brian Dixon, Geoff Case and Brian Dunsford all ran in various athletics competitions. The club had its end of season trip to Surfers Paradise, and while they were there they played an exhibition match under lights against Carlton.
Melbourne's VFL delegates were Bert Chadwick and Richard Taylor, though Ivor Warne-Smith replaced Chadwick between 14 March and 4 June as the delegate took a leave of absence.
Premiership Season
Round | Opposition | Result
| |||
1 | Carlton | WIN | |||
2 | Geelong | WIN | |||
3 | North Melbourne | WIN | |||
4 | Hawthorn | WIN | |||
5 | Essendon | WIN | |||
6 | St. Kilda | LOSS | |||
7 | Footscray | WIN | |||
8 | Richmond | WIN | |||
9 | South Melbourne | WIN | |||
10 | Collingwood | WIN | |||
11 | Fitzroy | LOSS | |||
12 | Carlton | WIN | |||
13 | Geelong | WIN | |||
14 | North Melbourne | WIN | |||
15 | Hawthorn | WIN | |||
16 | Essendon | LOSS | |||
17 | St. Kilda | WIN | |||
18 | Footscray | WIN | |||
SF | Collingwood | WIN | |||
GF | Collingwood | LOSS |
Ladder
W | D | L | % | P
| |
Melbourne | 15 | 0 | 3 | 123.7 | 60 |
Collingwood | 12 | 0 | 6 | 123.7 | 48 |
Fitzroy | 12 | 0 | 6 | 120.9 | 48 |
North Melbourne | 11 | 0 | 7 | 92.7 | 44 |
Essendon | 10 | 0 | 8 | 111.3 | 40 |
Hawthorn | 9 | 0 | 9 | 109.3 | 36 |
Carlton | 8 | 0 | 10 | 91.9 | 32 |
St. Kilda | 7 | 0 | 11 | 92.2 | 28 |
South Melbourne | 7 | 0 | 11 | 88.7 | 28 |
Richmond | 7 | 0 | 11 | 88.5 | 28 |
Footscray | 6 | 0 | 12 | 97.3 | 24 |
Geelong | 4 | 0 | 14 | 73.8 | 16 |
Exhibition match
Opposition | Result
| ||||
Carlton | WIN |
Playing List
Number | Name | Games | Goals | ||
1 | Dick Fenton-Smith | 19 | 0 | ||
2 | Alan Rowarth | 10 | 3 | ||
3 | Peter Marquis | 13 | 0 | ||
4 | John Lord | 11 | 1 | ||
5 | Ian McLean | 20 | 8 | ||
6 | Frank Adams | 13 | 13 | ||
7 | Geoff Case | 19 | 12 | ||
9 | Brian Dixon | 20 | 2 | ||
10 | Bob Turner | 7 | 2 | ||
11 | Laurie Mithen | 20 | 1 | ||
12 | Neil Crompton | 8 | 8 | ||
14 | Trevor Johnson | 18 | 3 | ||
15 | Athol Webb | 20 | 44 | ||
16 | Bob Johnson | 20 | 41 | ||
17 | Graeme Wilkinson | 1 | 0 | ||
18 | Kevin Mithen | 3 | 0 | ||
19 | Keith Carroll | 9 | 0 | ||
20 | Graeme Pinfold | 3 | 0 | ||
21 | Peter Cook | 1 | 0 | ||
22 | Ben Crameri | 1 | 0 | ||
22 | John Kerr | 1 | 2 | ||
23 | Geoff Tunbridge | 18 | 19 | ||
24 | Ian Ridley | 20 | 39 | ||
25 | Don Williams | 20 | 0 | ||
26 | Ian Thorogood | 13 | 0 | ||
27 | Denis Jones | 16 | 0 | ||
28 | Terry Gleeson | 5 | 0 | ||
30 | John Beckwith | 18 | 0 | ||
31 | Ron Barassi | 18 | 44 | ||
33 | Colin Wilson | 18 | 0 | ||
35 | Clyde Laidlaw | 14 | 4 | ||
38 | Peter Brenchley | 3 | 1 |
Best and Fairest
Player | |||||
1st | Laurie Mithen | ||||
2nd | Don Williams | ||||
3rd | Ian McLean |
Other Awards
Outstanding Service - Brian Dixon
Seconds
Best and Fairest - Neil Crompton
Second Best and Fairest - Kevin Mithen
Best First Year Player - Lance Rolfe
Best Clubman - David McKenzie
Outstanding Service - Terry Gleeson, Trevor Clay, Alan Rowarth, Graeme Wilkinson
Round | Player | Charge | Sanction | ||
GF | Ron Barassi | Striking | Guilty |
W | D | L | % | P | |
Hawthorn | 15 | 0 | 3 | 138.2 | 60 |
Essendon | 13 | 0 | 5 | 114.6 | 52 |
Collingwood | 11 | 0 | 7 | 126.7 | 44 |
Fitzroy | 11 | 0 | 7 | 108.2 | 44 |
St Kilda | 11 | 0 | 7 | 103.9 | 44 |
Footscray | 8 | 0 | 10 | 98.8 | 32 |
Geelong | 8 | 0 | 10 | 95.7 | 32 |
Melbourne | 7 | 0 | 11 | 98.8 | 28 |
Carlton | 7 | 0 | 11 | 85.6 | 28 |
North Melbourne | 7 | 0 | 11 | 84.2 | 28 |
South Melbourne | 6 | 0 | 12 | 93.0 | 24 |
Richmond | 4 | 0 | 14 | 72.2 | 16 |
Richmond were stripped of a win which was given to Essendon.
Thirds
Captain - Neil Campbell
Vice-Captain - Kevin Avery
Best and Fairest - Neil Campbell
Second Best and Fairest - Ron McLeod
Most Consistent - Gary Buswell
Outstanding service - Gary Butler, John Kerley, Doug McIver, Murray Grainger, Kevin Avery
W | D | L | % | P
| |
Richmond | 13 | 0 | 3 | 137.6 | 52 |
Essendon | 13 | 0 | 3 | 133.8 | 52 |
St Kilda | 12 | 0 | 4 | 147.3 | 48 |
Carlton | 11 | 0 | 5 | 116.2 | 44 |
South Melbourne | 10 | 0 | 6 | 118.4 | 40 |
Footscray | 10 | 0 | 6 | 98.8 | 40 |
Collingwood | 8 | 0 | 8 | 111.9 | 32 |
Geelong | 6 | 0 | 10 | 84.7 | 24 |
North Melbourne | 5 | 0 | 11 | 92.1 | 20 |
Melbourne | 5 | 0 | 11 | 83.1 | 20 |
Fitzroy | 2 | 0 | 14 | 63.2 | 8 |
Hawthorn | 1 | 0 | 15 | 66.6 | 4 |
Fourths
Best and Fairest - Malcolm Innes
Second Best and Fairest - Alec Ingwersen
Outstanding service - Terry Rankin, Brian Jeffrey, Jim Edwards, Ian Bowater
Media
"VFL sides name final lists" - The Age 07/04/1958
Football Record R11 1958
"Demon coach gets assistant" - The Age 25/06/1958
"Injuries a problem in tug-o-war" - The Age 15/07/1958
"Demons Win Goal Kicking" - The Age 22/08/1958
"Mithen wins Demon award" - The Age 27/09/1958
The Age - 29/09/1958
"Bluey Adams After Records" - The Age 17/12/1958