Saturday August 2 - Mildura Recreation Ground
Crowd: 5000
Melbourne 3.4, 13.8, 14.10, 23.18.156
Sunraysia League 3.5, 4.7, 7.15, 8.16.64
Melbourne win by 92 points
Goalkickers: Smith 4, Arnold 1, Jackson 1, Mitchell 1, O'Connor 1, O'Rourke 1, Scanlon 1, Unknown 13
The locals played a trial match during June to select the team for the game, which was described as the biggest in the area for many years. Melbourne chartered a plane to fly most of its 28 players and officials to Mildura for the game.
Sunraysia won the toss and were able to kick with the wind. They opened the scoring with the first behind, but their advantage of playing on the ground before was offset by most of the squad being teammates for the first time. Nevertheless, they kicked the first two goals and had the better of early play before the wind died down. From there the visitors kicked three goals but trailed by a point at the first change.
Melbourne dominated the rest of the game. Norm Smith goalled from the first bounce of the second quarter and the ball spent almost the entire quarter in front of their goal. They kicked 10 goals to one for the term. Sunraysia had the benefit of a slight breeze again in the third, and used it to register their best term for the game.
The last quarter was a procession, with Melbourne kicking around their opponents on the way to goal as if it was a training drill.
Best were Jackson, O'Connor, and Robinson.
Squad
Lance Arnold, Des Bell, George Bickford, Gordon Bowman, Eddie Craddock, Billy Deans, Len Dockett, Adrian Dullard, Jock Farquharson, Eddie Jackson, Wally Lock, Col McLean, Noel McMahen, Jim Mitchell, Jack Mueller, Dave Newman, Frank O'Connor, Ernie O'Rourke, Ron Perkins, Russ Robinson, Ern Rowarth, Bill Scanlan, Frank Scanlan, Norm Smith, Max Spittle, Roy Stabb. Frank Hanna and Stan Rule travelled with the side but did not play due to injury.
Team
B: Deans, Robinson, B. Scanlan
HB: McLean, Mueller, Lock
C: Jackson, Dockett, Spittle
HF: F. Scanlan, Arnold, Mueller
F: McMahen, Smith, O'Rourke
Foll: Dullard, Rowarth, O'Connor
19th: Bowman
20th: Bickford
Media
Sunraysia Daily - 09/06/1947, 28/07/1947, 30/07/1947, 31/07/1947, 01/08/1947, 04/08/1947
Football Record R14 1947