Over the years North Melbourne Football club has built a reputation for resourcefulness and an enviable work ethic. The way in which the club procured its first football says much about the north character. The money came from the sale of old roof iron belonging to one of the founders of the club, Tom Jacks.
Contrary to popular belief, North Melbourne did not have its origins in the Hotham club. It began life as North Melbourne in 1869 and is believed to have originated from members of the St Mary�s Church of England cricket team. Father Gerald Downing has found that a separate team, Hotham was playing games in the 1870.
North played its early games at Royal Park. Its was a junior club in its early years , wasn�t accorded senior status until 1874 and did not join the VFA until 1886, when its changed its uniform to vertical stripes to distinguish it from Geelong. It went to play at the Arden Street ground in 1882.
The town of hotham was proclaimed North Melbourne in August 1887 and the club again became North Melbourne.
When the big split came in 1896 North could have reasonable have hoped to have earned a place in the VFL as it has finished 6 of the 13 teams in the 1896 VFA season, but there were several factors against it - it was not financially strong, had a reputation for hooliganism and was drawing players from the same area as Essendon.
In 1903 under the leadership of Paddy Noonan, North broke through for its first VFA premiership. It was a stirring and emotional win, in stark contrast to winning the next year through Richmond�s forfeit.
North caused a sensation in 1907 when it proposed an merger with West Melbourne, a fellow VFA club that shared the Arden Street ground, with an aim of joining the VFL. The VFL admitted Richmond and University instead and angry VFA delegates voted to expel North and West Melbourne. North Melbourne reformed as a �new� club and took the field again in 1908.
By the end of 1910 the Pheonix-like Northerners had grabbed another flag thanks to the daring recruiting that netted Carlton champions �Melle� Johnson, Fred Jinks, Charlie Hammond and Frank Caine after internal upheaval at Princes park. It was a coup that remained unsurpassed for six decades until the 10 year rule and Ron Barassi.
North won another flag in 1914 and began a an era of unprecedented success, The VFA suspended competition between 1916 and 1917, but North did not lose a game from August 1914 to September 1919, winning three Premierships. The champions were rover Charlie Hardy and ruckman Syd Barker. The success heightened Norths determination to join the VFL. In 1921 it announced it would merge with Essendon (left homeless by the closure of the East Melbourne cricket ground) but the move fell through when it was found that the Arden Street oval belonged to the citizens of North Melbourne. North did not play in the second half of 1921 and when it reformed it amalgamated with the Essendon Association team, but still remained in the VFA.
Early in 1925 admission to the League was finally achieved. Footscray and Hawthorn were first to the door and after much deliberation North was given the nod instead of Prahan. The men from Arden Street had made it at last....
