Saturday August 24 - MCG
Crowd - 8000 - 10,000
Melbourne 2.3
Carlton 0.14 (half time 1.2 to 0.3)
Melbourne win by 2 goals
Goalkickers: Charles Baker 2
Fresh off two wins in a week against the travelling Victorians side from Adelaide, Melbourne got their third win over Carlton for the year to keep their premiership hopes alive. Each team brought their strongest side and there was no wind to speak of, so neither team went into the game with an excuse for losing.
The visitors should have done better, and were the superior side for most of the day, but let themselves down with poor kicking for goal. They did all the attacking in the first few minutes but failed to capitalise and presented chances for Melbourne at the other end. They couldn't take them either.
Eventually C. Baker got Melbourne's first, but Carlton continued to press for no reward. They were lucky not to go a second goal down when Baker missed from 25 yards.
If Carlton had missed chances in the first half they were absolutely criminal with their attacking in the second, racking up 11 useless behinds without one goal. At one point they got seven in a row, and for almost 15 minutes the ball was camped in their forward line only to finally end up in the arms of C. Baker again at the other end. His place kick hit the target and Melbourne's lead doubled.
Best were Longden, Simson and McKie.
Selected team
C. Baker, F. Baker, Bennie, Booth, Boys, JV Cook, Crohan, Downes, Houston, Lamrock, Longden, A. McKie, J. McKie, Nicholas, Sandilands, Sillett, Simson, Stephen, Waldron, Wills. Emergencies - Sherard, MacDonald.
Media
Herald - 23/08/1878
Age - 24/08/1878
Age - 26/08/1878
Argus - 26/08/1878
Leader - 31/08/1878
Australasian - 31/08/1878