Melbourne Football Club Life Membership is one of the highest honours awarded to club players, staff, directors and volunteers.

The group of Life Members labelled ‘Pre-1943’ were – as with Harrison – awarded their MFC Life Memberships before the formal system came into being in 1943. Research is being undertaken to determine the exact date of award for each, and the list will be updated accordingly.

In 1943, MFC Life Membership was formally established. At this time, it was only for players who had completed ten years of service. In 1945, this was expanded to officials.

The first female to be awarded MFC Life Membership was Jackie Emmerton, in 2013. She was followed by Lynda Carroll in 2014, and Karen Woodroofe in 2017.

Following the 2021 premiership win, it was decided that all MFC premiership players – both living and deceased - should be awarded MFC Life Membership. This takes effect upon their retirement from the game, and includes those from all VFL premierships won by Melbourne between 1900 and 1964.

Two MFC premiership players from 2021 – Max Gawn and Tom McDonald – had already qualified for, and were awarded, MFC Life Membership in 2020.

See below the full list of Club Life Members:

1884

H.C.A. Harrison*

Pre-1943

F. Grey-Smith*, A.C.H. Norcott*, W.C. (Doc) McClelland*, A.A. Manzie*, G. Haines*, J.C. Blair*, W.S. Hirst*, P. Page*

1943

P.J. Beames*, R.J. Corbett*, M.P. Gibb*, C.H. Lilley*, J.E. Mueller*, G.F. Ogden*, R.J. Taylor*

1944

H.E. Brereton*, H.J. Fry*, N.W. Smith*

1945

W.M. Allan*, W. de C. Berry*, Sir A.E. Chadwick*, A.V. Coutie*, H. Donahoo*, W.M. Flintoft*, W. Hislop*, F.V. (Checker) Hughes*, F.W. Ince*, J.A. Jones*, A. La Fontaine*, A. McL. Paterson*, W. Murphy*, F. Pleass*, J. Roach*, H.G. Stanley*, E.C.H. Taylor*, F.S. Vine*, R. Wynd*

1946

W.J. Adams*, R.O. Baggott*, R.F. Fischer*, J.K. Furniss*, R.B. Hogg*, G.A. Jones*, W.A. Lock*

1947

S.A. Brownbill*

1948

A.R. Rodda*

1949

R.E. Dowsing*, A.M. Dullard*, J.P. (S) McGrath*, C. McLean*

1950

D.P. (Don) Cordner*

1952

L.D’Altera*, H.C. Long*, W.J. Saunders*, W.G. Spry*, I.P. Warne-Smith*

1953

W. Neal*

1954

A. Neal*

1955

N.J. McMahen*

1956

G.D. (Denis) Cordner*, W.K. Scott*

1959

A.L.V. King*, N.H. King*, C.R. McKay*

1960

J.S. Beckwith, J.H. Cardwell*, I. McLean*

1961

N.J. Abernethy*, K. Chalmers*, D.G. Duffy*, F. Fraser*, M. Hutchins*, J.C. Loughrey*

1962

F.T. Adams*, R.D. Barassi*, G.A. Case*, T.F. Johnson*, G.J. (T) Gleeson*

1963

B.J. Dixon, J.C. McLoughlin*

1964

R.S. Geary*, G.A. Lenne*, L.S. Millis*, H. McPherson*

1965

K. Carlon*, R. Edwards*, B. Jeffrey*, J.F. Lord*

1966

D.E. Williams*

1968

R.E. Johnson*, W. (B). Kenneally, A.E. Langley*, H.P. Mann, B.D. Massey*, R. Read*, I.J. Ridley*

1969

L. Green*

1970

W.H. Deans*, T.C. Trumble*

1971

G.M. Swan*, J.D. Townsend

1972

B. Bourke 

1973

F. Davis

1974

D.T. Phillips*, G.R. Simpson*

1975

N. (S) Alves, G.G. Osborne

1976

G.E. Hardeman, A.J. Sullivan, W.E. Thomson*

1977

G.H. Bell*, R.L. Biffin

1978

S.F. Allica*, N.H. Parkhill*, G.T. Wells

1979

R.J. Ashby*, W.A. Rodriquez*

1980

A. Henderson*, K. (B) Nancarrow*, R.L. Wartman*

1981

A.H. Bull*, R.A. Flower*, R.A. Mollison*, B.S. Sims*

1982

C.S. Bradley*

1983

P.H. Rhoden, I.A. Thorogood*

1984

G.J. Hutchison, E. Massey*, S.J. Smith

1985

I.W. Dunlop*, V.G. Harwood*, K.J. Rowe

1986

G.N. (M) Kostos*, A.G. McKnight*, Sir B.M. Snedden*

1987

R. Manley*, S. Spencer*

1988

K.V. Jones, L. Morgan*, D.W. Peel

1989

R. Lane*

1990

K.C. Cheong*, G. Paine*

1991

C. Connolly, T. Jackett, L. McHutchison*, K.G. McKaige*, S. Zantuck

1992

G. Simon, A. Wilkinson*, S. Wittman*

1993

Greg Healy, J.R. Mitchell, G.J. Yeats

1994

R.M. Grinter, S.P. Wight*

1995

B.J. Lovett, G.P. Lyon, B.J. King

1996

G.A. Lovett, J.P. Stynes*, T.G. Viney, B. (T). Beard*

1997

S.N. Febey, N. Lockwood*

1998

G.G. Coningsby*, R.B. Johnson (Jnr)*, S.G. Tingay

2000

W.E. Balcam, K.L.  Beard*, D.T. Schwarz, M.T. Febey

2001

R. Mather

2002

D.E. Baron, A.J. Gardner*, D.A. Neitz

2004

G. Collins*, A. Yze

2005

A. Daff, G. Marchant, L. Jones*, N. Keyburn*, M.A. (B) Monk*, J.G. Leith*, G.B. Moodie*, A.M. (J) Pearce*, J.O. Smith*, C. Streeter*, C.H.L. Young*

2006

J.I. McDonald, A.E. Nicholson, R. Robertson, C.W. (S) Harris

2007

N.D. Brown, C. Cameron, N.F. Daniher, L.S. Dockett*, C. Fagan, I. Johnson*, T.R. Johnstone
D.S. Ward, J.J.D. White

2009

C.R. Bruce, B. Green, P.M. Wheatley, M.D. Whelan

2013

B. Dunn, J.M. Emmerton, M. Jamar, A.P. Leoncelli, L.S. Mithen*, B. Wilson

2014

S. Bickford, L.P. Carroll, A. Davey, L. Dunn, A.A. Johnson, C.R. Laidlaw

2015

N. Jones, J. Rivers, C.M. Sylvia*

2016

J. Clare, C. Garland

2017

C. (N) Crompton*, P.L. Hopgood, A.W. Lewis*, N. (K) O’Donnell, C. (H) Parkin*, J.S. Strong*, R.C. Wardill*, K. Woodroofe

2018

N. Jetta, J. Stanaway, D. Thurin

2020

J. Byrne*, C. Forrester*, M. Gawn, T. McDonald

2023

K. Emselle, G. Jacobs, L. Mann, P. (K) Melville*, R. Nilsson, B. (Doc) Roet, A.W.M. Rowarth, J. Sandral, B. Vagg, A. Webb, G. Wise, M.G. Hibberd

2024

R. Barassi Snr.*, K. Truscott*, H. Ball*, S. Anderson*, T.  Anderson*, P. McLean*, J. Viney, C. Salem, A. Neal-Bullen, A. Brayshaw, B. Brown

This listing contains information to the end of October 2024. It is correct to the best of our knowledge; however, if there are any corrections or updates needed, please do not hesitate to contact the club with verifiable information to this effect.

The asterisk * - deceased.
A name or initial in brackets indicates the name by which the player or official was most commonly known.
Wherever available, and for the sake of future research, all initials have been included.