Coach: Norm Smith
Captain: Ron Barassi
Finishing Position: 1st (Premiers)
Best and Fairest: Ron Barassi
Leading Goalkicker: John Townsend (35)
Best First Year Player: Graeme Jacobs
| Matches | Ladder | Playing List | Best and Fairest | Reserves | Under 19s |
The club’s annual report talked up how the club had weathered what many outsiders felt was going to be a difficult period across 1962 and 1963 with the loss of numerous veterans. The retirements of Geoff Case, Terry Gleeson, Denis Jones, Clyde Laidlaw, Laurie Mithen, Ian Thorogood and Geoff Tunbridge left them vulnerable but the club came through intact. The annual report said, “the challenge of the years 1962 and 1963 has been answered most stirringly by the coach, officials and the team.”
Norm Smith said, “the prospects or 1964 look rosy. The young players are bound to improve and we have recruited well.” He also praised the leadership of captain Barassi and vice-captain Dixon who he said would come in handy with a new rule that only allowed runners, or messengers as they were known, to talk to a side’s on-field leaders. Dixon was then replaced as vice-captain by Hassa Mann, being groomed as Barassi's successor, and Bryan Kenneally became deputy vice-captain in place of Frank Adams.
The Demons last premiership was their sixth in a decade, and it seemed like the golden era might stretch on forever. It might not have happened, though, if Neil Crompton hadn't been 100m out of position and kicked the goal that won the Grand Final.
The Under 19s also won their premiership, but unlike the seniors they would continue to feature in the finals over the next twenty years.
After the season finished Ron Barassi shocked the football world by announcing that he had accepted an offer to become the captain-coach of Carlton. It was the end of an era in more ways than one. Nobody knew it yet, but it would be 23 more years until the Demons saw another finals series.
It was the first season where VFL goal and behind posts were padded to prevent injuries to players. Other rule changes involved Runners only being able to pass messages to Captains or Vice-Captains rather than any player - the rule proved controversial and was rescinded in early June. Additionally, the break between the first and second quarter was extended from three to four minutes to allow coaches to address players.
The father/son rule extended from just players with 50 games experience to cover president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, assistant secretary, coach or a member of the committee with 10 years service.
Melbourne's VFL delegates were Arthur King and Tom Trumble. Despite the premiership the club was not as not as financially successful as in previous years. They had receipts of £39,708 against expenditure of £43,474 for a total loss of £3766. The club would have made a profit if it wasn't for a £7080 levy payable to the VFL, including £2551 for the construction of Waverley.
Practice Match
There were negotiations to play games against a Northwest Tasmanian team and a replay against Collingwood in Sydney but neither happened.
| Opposition | Result | ||||
| Hampden League | WIN | ||||
Premiership Season
| Round | Opposition | Result | |||
| 1 | Geelong | LOSS | |||
| 2 | North Melbourne | WIN | |||
| 3 | Carlton | WIN | |||
| 4 | St. Kilda | LOSS | |||
| 5 | Essendon | WIN | |||
| 6 | Hawthorn | WIN | |||
| 7 | Footscray | WIN | |||
| 8 | Fitzroy | WIN | |||
| 9 | Collingwood | WIN | |||
| 10 | Richmond | WIN | |||
| 11 | South Melbourne | WIN | |||
| 12 | Geelong | WIN | |||
| 13 | North Melbourne | WIN | |||
| 14 | Carlton | WIN | |||
| 15 | St. Kilda | WIN | |||
| 16 | Essendon | LOSS | |||
| 17 | Hawthorn | WIN | |||
| 18 | Footscray | LOSS | |||
| SF | Collingwood | WIN | |||
| GF | Collingwood | WIN | |||
Ladder
| W | D | L | % | P | |
| Melbourne | 14 | 0 | 4 | 138.1 | 56 |
| Collingwood | 13 | 1 | 4 | 133.2 | 54 |
| Essendon | 13 | 1 | 4 | 130.2 | 54 |
| Geelong | 13 | 1 | 4 | 127.4 | 54 |
| Hawthorn | 13 | 0 | 5 | 121.0 | 52 |
| St. Kilda | 10 | 0 | 8 | 118.4 | 40 |
| Footscray | 9 | 0 | 9 | 88.1 | 36 |
| North Melbourne | 8 | 0 | 10 | 87.2 | 32 |
| Richmond | 6 | 0 | 12 | 84.9 | 24 |
| Carlton | 5 | 1 | 12 | 90.3 | 22 |
| South Melbourne | 2 | 0 | 16 | 68.0 | 8 |
| Fitzroy | 0 | 0 | 18 | 59.7 | 0 |
Exhibition Match
| Opposition | Result | ||||
| South Adelaide | WIN | ||||
Playing List
| Number | Name | Games | Goals | ||
| 1 | Rob Foster | 2 | 1 | ||
| 3 | Maurie Bartlett | 3 | 1 | ||
| 4 | John Lord | 8 | 14 | ||
| 5 | Neil Crompton | 19 | 1 | ||
| 6 | Frank Adams | 15 | 1 | ||
| 7 | Owen Zinko | 2 | 3 | ||
| 8 | Tassie Johnson | 19 | 2 | ||
| 9 | Brian Dixon | 17 | 1 | ||
| 10 | Ken Emselle | 20 | 24 | ||
| 11 | Tony Anderson | 16 | 0 | ||
| 14 | Barry Bourke | 20 | 28 | ||
| 15 | Ray Groom | 12 | 9 | ||
| 16 | John Townsend | 20 | 35 | ||
| 17 | Graeme Watson | 13 | 2 | ||
| 18 | Brian Roet | 15 | 0 | ||
| 19 | Bob Carroll | 1 | 0 | ||
| 20 | Graeme Jacobs | 16 | 33 | ||
| 21 | Brian Leahy | 14 | 1 | ||
| 22 | Bryan Kenneally | 20 | 15 | ||
| 23 | Graham Wise | 19 | 1 | ||
| 28 | David Robbie | 6 | 4 | ||
| 29 | Hassa Mann | 19 | 15 | ||
| 31 | Ron Barassi | 18 | 25 | ||
| 32 | Barrie Vagg | 20 | 22 | ||
| 33 | Robert Miller | 5 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Len Mann | 4 | 0 | ||
| 35 | Don Williams | 17 | 1 | ||
| 36 | Peter McLean | 10 | 1 | ||
| 37 | Bernie Massey | 18 | 0 | ||
| 38 | Jim Leitch | 2 | 0 | ||
| 39 | Herbie Matthews | 4 | 0 | ||
| 40 | Frank Davis | 6 | 1 | ||
Best and Fairest
| Player | |||||
| 1st | Ron Barassi | ||||
| 2nd | Hassa Mann | ||||
| 3rd | Brian Dixon | ||||
| 4th | Bryan Kenneally | ||||
| 5th | John Townsend | ||||
Other Awards
Outstanding Service - Bryan Kenneally, John Townsend and Ray Groom
Most Improved - Graham Wise
Tribunal
| Round | Player | Charge | Sanction | ||
| Round 9 Reserves | Maurie Bartlett | Striking | 2 weeks | ||
Reserves
Best and Fairest - Jim Leitch
Second Best and Fairest - Frank Davis
Outstanding Service - Bob Lynch, John Lord, Peter McLean
| W | D | L | % | P | |
| Collingwood | 16 | 0 | 2 | 152.5 | 64 |
| Geelong | 15 | 1 | 2 | 146.2 | 62 |
| Richmond | 11 | 0 | 7 | 113.5 | 44 |
| Footscray | 11 | 0 | 7 | 106.3 | 44 |
| Hawthorn | 10 | 1 | 7 | 126.4 | 42 |
| Melbourne | 10 | 0 | 8 | 113.8 | 40 |
| North Melbourne | 8 | 2 | 8 | 100.1 | 36 |
| Carlton | 7 | 10 | 1 | 105.2 | 30 |
| St Kilda | 6 | 0 | 12 | 80.0 | 24 |
| Essendon | 5 | 1 | 12 | 84.6 | 22 |
| South Melbourne | 3 | 0 | 15 | 62.9 | 12 |
| Fitzroy | 3 | 0 | 15 | 61.5 | 12 |
Under 19s
Captain - Neville Stone
Vice-Captain - Rick Feldmann
Best and Fairest - Bob Russell
Second Best and Fairest - John Millard
Best Clubman - Rod McNab
Best First Year Player - George Griffiths
Most Improved - W. Adams
Most Consistent - A. Schultz
Leading goalkicker - Rod McNab (52 goals)
| W | D | L | % | P | |
| Melbourne | 16 | 0 | 2 | 136.7 | 64 |
| Collingwood | 15 | 0 | 3 | 150.5 | 60 |
| Richmond | 15 | 0 | 3 | 137.8 | 60 |
| North Melbourne | 11 | 0 | 7 | 130.1 | 44 |
| Footscray | 10 | 0 | 8 | 125.6 | 40 |
| Essendon | 9 | 0 | 9 | 99.9 | 36 |
| Hawthorn | 9 | 0 | 9 | 93.6 | 36 |
| Geelong | 7 | 0 | 11 | 92.4 | 28 |
| St Kilda | 6 | 0 | 12 | 89.6 | 24 |
| Carlton | 5 | 0 | 13 | 87.7 | 20 |
| South Melbourne | 4 | 0 | 14 | 66.1 | 16 |
| Fitzroy | 1 | 0 | 17 | 48.4 | 4 |
Finals
| Round | Opposition | Result | |||
| SF | Collingwood | LOSS | |||
| PF | Richmond | WIN | |||
| GF | Collingwood | WIN | |||
Fourths
Best and Fairest - John Sinclair
Second Best and Fairest - J. Little
Best Clubman - Greg Smith
Most Consistent - C. Kinnear
Outstanding service - Rob Dowsing, K. D'Arcy
Notes
A practice match may have been played against Old Scotch on Saturday 11/04 (Age 11/04)
Media
Age - 30/01/1964
Age - 20/02/1964
Age - 22/02/1964
Age - 04/04/1964
Age - 04/06/1964
Age - 21/09/1964
Football Record R1 1964
Football Record R2 1964
Football Record R3 1964