1911

Coach: Alex Hall
Captain: Vin Coutie
Finishing Position: 7th
Best and Fairest: n/a
Leading Goalkicker: Harry Brereton (46)
Best First Year Player: n/a

For the first time clubs were allowed to openly pay players instead of doing it under the table or disguising payments as 'expenses'. An earlier attempt at introducing professionalism failed to achieve the required 75% majority, before a later vote saw the change approved by all clubs except Melbourne and University. Under pressure from the MCC, the league allowed any player to remain amateur if he wished. Melbourne continued to pay players 5/ a week to cover his tram fare and no more unless he could show that he lost money through employment to train or play. Some players who wished to remain purely amateur refused to even take tram fare. Many players were compensated with jobs either with the MCC or with the companies of prominent supporters.

During the pre-season Melbourne looked like being bolstered from a number of Fitzroy players who had left Brunswick Street due to off-field turmoil, but most returned to their old club before the start of the season. Regardless, the Reds were still much-improved and finished comfortably mid-table.

The Round 2 match against Geelong ended in a protest which was dismissed. The claim was that Geelong shouldn't have received a point which came when the ball was punched through after the bell.

Elections for the committee saw Bernie Nolan (213 votes), WM Cattlin (212), CE Couchman (198), Amos Norcott (191) and J. Nevill (151) elected. J Urquhart (116) and HD Westley (69) were unsuccessful.

Melbourne's delegates to the league were Bill McClelland and Bernie Nolan.

Premiership season

Ladder

Exhibition matches

Playing List

Media
Independent - 25/03/1911
Referee - 17/05/1911
Argus - 16/06/1911

Links
AFL Tables page
Wikipedia page