The Fuchsias were third on the VFL ladder and enjoying their best start for many years when they made the short trip to Punt Road Oval to face seventh placed Richmond in front of a huge crowd that witnessed a hard fought slog . At the end of the game neither side could be separated and the clubs shared the premiership points on offer between them.

Round 6 Richmond vs Melbourne

Saturday 6 June

Venue: Punt Road

Attendance: 38,000

MELBOURNE 2.2.14 8.4.52 8.7.55 10.10.70

RICHMOND 2.5.17 5.8.38 6.13.49 9.16.70

Goalkickers: Col Deane 3, Derek Mollison 2, Harry Moyes 2, Harry Davie 1, Bill Shelton 1, Stan Wittman 1

Richmond was kicking to the end favored by a slight wind but managed only a three point lead at quarter time. The visitors pounced after the break and looked at one stage as if they were heading for a big lead but they were reined back to finish the half 14 points in front. Both sides missed their opportunities in the third term with poor kicking for goal but the home side was able to narrow the deficit to six points with a late goal before three quarter time. The match hung precariously in the balance in the last quarter, with the teams trading goals.  Richmond hit the front at one stage after converting a free kick into a goal after ten minutes and it was a neck and neck struggle until the final bell rang. With seconds remaining, a snap on goal was narrowly touched through by Coy to ensure the clubs would share the points. Chadwick, Deane, and Corbett were the standout players for Melbourne, which slipped slightly into fourth place on the table.

Seconds Richmond 16.16.112 d. Melbourne 10.7.67

The game marked the debut appearance for 28-year-old Harry Moyes, who kicked two goals, including a crucial one in the final quarter. He was also the player responsible for the team's poor kicking for goal in the third term, having missed three shots, but he was to redeem himself as his career at the club progressed.

Moyes was recruited from St Kilda ten years after both clubs had initially battled for the services of the promising left footed forward from South Yarra. He topped St Kilda's goalkicking with 32 goals in 1915 but enlisted in the military and didn't return to the club until 1919, leading the Saints' goalkicking in every season from 1921 to 1923. Melbourne finally got its man after persuading him to come out of retirement at the beginning of 1925. It proved to be a wise move.

Following his debut season, where he scored 26 goals in 12 games, Moyes became instrumental in the club's 1926 premiership season, scoring 55 goals that year. He kicked three goals in Melbourne's grand final win over Collingwood, and his end-of-season tally was the third highest in the league. He played his last game in Round 18, 1927 against Footscray at Western Oval for a total of 45 games (106 goals) for the club which is a record for the wearer of jumper 22 for Melbourne. Moyes died on 18 September 1968, aged 72.

The club’s next assignment was against ladder leader Fitzroy at the MCG, where it dispelled any notion that its excellent early season form was fleeting with a comprehensive victory.

Round 7 Melbourne vs Fitzroy

Saturday 13 June

Venue: MCG

Attendance: 23,601

MELBOURNE 3.4.22 7.6.48 9.8.62 12.11.83

FITZROY 1.2.8 1.3.9 3.8.26 6.9.45

Goalkickers: Stan Wittman 3, Jimmy Davidson 2, Harry Davie 2, Col Deane 2, Derek Mollison 1, Harry Moyes 1, Ivor Warne-Smith 1

The Redlegs were primed to impress their fans and led from start to finish in a dominant display of strength, speed and skill, winning in the air and around the ball. Coy and Thomas were impassable in defence and even the loss of Taylor through injury late in the second quarter did not stop them. The Maroons were restricted to a single goal in the opening half and received massive applause from the members' reserve as they left the field as 38-point winners. Best were Thomas, Coy and Chadwick.

Seconds Fitzroy 15.16 d. Melbourne 8.9

Goals - Duff 3, Unknown 5

Best - Cannon, Forty, White

Round 8 South Melbourne vs Melbourne

Saturday 20 June

Venue: Lake Oval

Attendance: 16,000

MELBOURNE 3.7.25 4.11.35 11.14.80 14.16.100

SOUTH MELBOURNE 3.1.19 5.4.34 5.8.38 7.12.54

Goalkickers: Harry Davie 5, Harry Moyes 5, Col Deane 2, George Haines 1, Frank Jorgensen 1

Despite being held to a single point lead in the opening half, Melbourne decisively defeated South Melbourne at the Lakeside Oval with a dominant 7.3 to 0.4 third quarter, ultimately securing a commanding 46-point victory that solidified its position in third place. Mollison led the way in the ruck where he combined well with former Geelong rover Haines and Moyes, Davie and Wittman were all prominent.

Seconds: South Melbourne 16.18.114 d. Melbourne 5.12.42

The trip down Princes Highway to Corio Oval is always a challenge and the Fuchsias certainly met their match against Geelong on the following Saturday when they were virtually blown off the park.

Round 9 Geelong vs Melbourne

Saturday 27 June

Venue: Corio Oval

Attendance: 19,500

MELBOURNE 0.1.1 4.5.29 6.10.46 10.15.75

GEELONG 6.4.40 9.5.59 13.8.86 15.9.99

Goalkickers: Harry Moyes 6, Harry Davie 2, Col Deane 1, Ivor Warne-Smith 1

After scoring the first point of the game, Melbourne was forced into submission by a six goal onslaught that saw them trailing by 39 points at the first break. Despite kicking with the advantage of a slight breeze in the second quarter, the gallant visitors were unable to make inroads and four behinds in a row immediately after half time was hardly helpful. Melbourne kicked four goals in the last quarter, three of which came from Moyes, but Geelong had been given too great a start and ran out winners by four goals. It was the team’s first loss since Round 2. Warne-Smith, Chadwick and Davidson were their best.

Seconds: Geelong 10.12 d. Melbourne 6.1

Goals - Hazzell 2, Forness 2, Fergeus 1, Parker

It was time for redemption after a fortnight’s break and it came in the form of a hard fought victory against second placed Essendon in the cold and the wet on a grey day at the MCG.

Round 10 Melbourne vs Essendon

Saturday 11 July

Venue: MCG

Attendance: 22,872

MELBOURNE 4.1.25 6.2.38 7.3.45 8.7.55

ESSENDON 1.1.7 4.4.28 5.6.36 5.8.38

Goalkickers: Harry Moyes 3, Stan Wittman 2, Harry Davie 1, Col Deane 1, Gerry Donnelly 1

Still reeling from their defeat on the road to Geelong, the bigger, stronger Fuschias commenced strongly in atrocious conditions with a dominant opening term with the advantage of the wind against the reigning premier. They opened up a four goals to one lead and were able to hold off Essendon in the driving rain by playing a hard, tough brand of football as evidenced by it giving away 58 to 35 free kicks. Essendon fought hard to get back into the game for the next three quarters and despite closing the gap and even looking the likely winner at stages, Melbourne was able steady and keep the visitors goalless in the final quarter. It was Wittman who kicked the sealer through to extend the margin to 15 points with a few minutes left. Warne-Smith, Thomas and Donnelly were Melbourne's best.

Seconds: Essendon 14.20.104 d. Melbourne 6.12.48

On this day, 100 years ago, Melbourne and Hawthorn clashed for the first time ever in their match at the Glenferrie Oval, with Harry Davie kicking six goals in the visitors’ 56-point victory.

Round 11 Hawthorn vs Melbourne

Saturday 18 July

Venue: Glenferrie Oval

Attendance: 6,000

MELBOURNE 1.5.11 6.11.47 10.12.72 14.18.102

HAWTHORN 2.4.16 3.5.23 5.7.37 6.10.46

Goalkickers: Harry Davie 6, Carlyle Jones 2, Harry Moyes 2, Stan Wittman 2, Col Deane 1, George Haines 1

Hawthorn was positioned at the bottom of the VFL ladder in its inaugural season in the league; its sole victory for the season having come at home in Round 5 against fellow newcomers Footscray.

They managed to trouble the Fuchsias early in the wet, muddy conditions on the small, sardine can shaped Glenferrie Oval to hold a five-point lead at quarter time, but the resistance was short-lived as Melbourne took control and had little trouble in running away to record an easy win. Corbett, Chadwick, Collins, and Streeter were the standout players.

Seconds: Hawthorn 8.10.58 defeated Melbourne 5.19.49

Goals - Fergens 3, Parker 1, Duff 1

It was past the halfway mark of the season and  the Redlegs were in second place in the standings and well placed to make it all the way to the finals.

So 100 years ago, the Hawks were road kill. I think they stole our thunder from the late 1960s after which they became a regular power and we were meh for so long.

1 hour ago, Leopold Bloom said:

So 100 years ago, the Hawks were road kill. I think they stole our thunder from the late 1960s after which they became a regular power and we were meh for so long.

In Red Fox the story is told how Norm Smith knocked back Percy Cerutty's post '60 flag summer boot camp and cerutty then turned Hawthorn into Kennedy's commandos.