Thursday 30 July - Sale

Melbourne 7.4, 13.11, 15.14, 16.16.112
Sale 0.0, 2.1, 5.4, 5.5.35

Melbourne win by 77 points

The original proposal for the match involved the Bairnsdale club offering Melbourne 20 guineas payment during June to make the trip on 6 August. The match was then changed to a game against Sale, who guaranteed 15p to Melbourne regardless of the gate takings.

Despite Sale being boosted by the inclusion of players from Maffra, Heyfield, Cowwarr and Bairnsdale they had only 14 players on field when the game started. Heavy rain may have taken its toll on their team, but it also affected the crowd and left the club vulnerable to financial disaster considering the guarantee.

Luckily for them the rain cleared before the game and the club made a 2p profit on the gate takings. The crowd who did show up saw Melbourne run riot early, and by the time Sale were up to 18 players they were behind 7.4 to nothing.

The locals regained confidence with their full lineup in place and kicked two goals in a row at the start of the second quarter, but then the metropolitans took over again and kicked 6.7 for the term.

By the time the last quarter started Melbourne were in self-preservation mode, and they only added one more goal for the game.

Best were Langley, Herring and Moody.

Team (from)
Gardner, Gardner, Hocking, Strong, McSperrin, Mills, Drane, Herring, Sowden, Moriarity, Parkin, Purse,. Anderson, Henderson, McClelland (c), Jackson, Tout and Langley.

Media
Australasian - 25/06/1903
Bairnsdale Advertiser and Tambo and Omeo Chronicle - 21/07/1903
Gippsland Times - 27/07/1903
Bairnsdale Advertiser and Tambo and Omeo Chronicle - 01/08/1903
Gippsland Times - 03/08/1903