1961 VFL Season: Melbourne

These are the details of the premiership results for Melbourne for the 1961 season of the Victorian Football League (currently known as the Australian Football League). The team used the MCG as their home ground, playing eleven matches there (ten as hosts and one as visitors). The team finished the regular season in second place, securing a place in the finals series. After being defeated by Hawthorn in the second semi final, Melbourne were defeated by Footscray in the preliminary final, resulting in finishing in third place overall (adjusted for finals).

Team Details

Competition: 1961 VFL Season
Team: Melbourne
Club: Melbourne
Home Ground: MCG

Team Results

Ladder Position: 2nd (W-D-L: 12-1-5, P%: 131.2)
Finals Performance: Defeated by Footscray (Preliminary Final)

Player Results

Player Guernseys Matches Goals Rounds
Adams, Frank #6 13 23 R01-12, PF
Barassi, Ron #31 19 19 R01-12, R14-18, SF, PF
Carroll, Bob #19 6 0 R05, R12, R16-18, SF
Case, Geoff #7 2 0 R01-02
Collins, Mike #11 2 1 R18, SF
Dawson, Ray #17 12 5 R01-02, R05-06, R10-13, R16-18, PF
Dixon, Brian #9 16 2 R01-12, R14-16, PF
Gleeson, Terry #28 13 1 R01-09, R13-15, PF
Johnson, Bob #16 19 36 R01-02, R04-18, SF, PF
Johnson, Tassie #8 20 0 R01-18, SF, PF
Johnson, Trevor #14 14 0 R02-04, R10-18, SF, PF
Kenneally, Bryan #22 20 1 R01-18, SF, PF
Laidlaw, Clyde #35 20 11 R01-18, SF, PF
Leahy, Brian #21 17 0 R01-17
Leahy, John #30 2 0 R12-13
Leslie, Bruce #1 6 1 R07, R10-12, R15, SF
Lord, John #4 19 4 R01-03, R05-18, SF, PF
Mann, Hassa #29 20 26 R01-18, SF, PF
Mann, Len #34 10 2 R01, R03-11
Massey, Bernie #37 8 0 R01-02, R08-09, R12-14, R17
Matthews, Herbie #39 3 2 R13-15
Miller, Robert #33 14 0 R03-10, R13, R15-18, SF
Milner, George #32 10 0 R03, R09-15, R17-18
Mithen, Laurie #11 17 23 R01-08, R11, R13-18, SF, PF
Nilsson, Ray #38 14 13 R04, R06-08, R10-14, R16-18, SF, PF
Pinfold, Graeme #20 3 0 R03-04, R15
Ridley, Ian #24 14 21 R01-11, R16, SF, PF
Roet, Brian #18 13 0 R04-11, R16-18, SF, PF
Rowarth, Alan #2 12 11 R01-03, R09, R13-18, SF, PF
Thorogood, Ian #26 14 0 R01-08, R12-14, R18, SF, PF
Tunbridge, Geoff #23 20 26 R01-18, SF, PF
Turner, Bob #10 8 0 R09, R14-18, SF, PF

Coach Results

Coach Matches (W-D-L) Rounds
Smith, Norm 20 12 -1- 7 R01-18, SF, PF

Match Results

Date Round Opponent H/A Result Coach Captain (Nominated)
15/04/1961 Round 1 Fitzroy AWAY WIN MELB by 29 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
22/04/1961 Round 2 Hawthorn HOME LOSS HWTH by 32 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
25/04/1961 Round 3 Essendon AWAY WIN MELB by 25 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
06/05/1961 Round 4 St Kilda HOME LOSS STKL by 3 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
13/05/1961 Round 5 Geelong AWAY WIN MELB by 65 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
27/05/1961 Round 6 Footscray AWAY WIN MELB by 25 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
03/06/1961 Round 7 Carlton HOME WIN MELB by 25 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
12/06/1961 Round 8 Collingwood HOME WIN MELB by 69 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
17/06/1961 Round 9 South Melbourne AWAY WIN MELB by 36 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
24/06/1961 Round 10 North Melbourne AWAY WIN MELB by 49 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
01/07/1961 Round 11 Richmond HOME WIN MELB by 66 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
08/07/1961 Round 12 Fitzroy HOME DRAW drawn Norm Smith Ron Barassi
15/07/1961 Round 13 Hawthorn AWAY LOSS HWTH by 18 Norm Smith Bob Johnson
29/07/1961 Round 14 Essendon HOME LOSS ESSE by 9 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
05/08/1961 Round 15 St Kilda AWAY LOSS STKL by 11 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
12/08/1961 Round 16 Geelong HOME WIN MELB by 2 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
19/08/1961 Round 17 Footscray HOME WIN MELB by 40 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
26/08/1961 Round 18 Carlton AWAY WIN MELB by 1 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
09/09/1961 Semi Final Hawthorn AWAY LOSS HWTH by 7 Norm Smith Ron Barassi
16/09/1961 Preliminary Final Footscray HOME LOSS FOOT by 27 Norm Smith Ron Barassi