Saturday 2 August - South Melbourne Cricket Ground
Crowd: 4000
South Melbourne 4.8
Melbourne 2.11 (half time 4.5-1.4)
South Melbourne win by 2 goals
Goalkickers: Stubbs 1, Franks 1
Another week, another loss for the hapless red and blues, who had already been beaten once by South in 1884. The home side had lost four games in a row but finally snapped their run of bad luck with a comfortable victory.
The home side won the toss, kicked with a strong breeze in the first half, and made full use of it. Despite this Melbourne had the first shot on goal for the game through McAllister but he was unsuccessful, and they got another minor score not long after. The visitors continued to press for a few minutes before South could mount any attack of their own.
It took stout defence to keep Melbourne out in the first few minutes, and they eventually got the first goal of the game. Each side traded behinds before South got the equaliser courtesy of a long kick from a difficult angle. This sparked them and they got another goal from 50 yards out not long after. Melbourne's early domination came to nothing as they changed ends three goals behind.
Defending the wind South's players managed to keep Melbourne at bay, only conceding one goal through Franks but could have lost another if Jones hadn't run into goal and missed from three or four yards out.
Best were Franks, L. Cussen and Propsting.
Media
Argus - 04/08/1884
Sportsman - 06/08/1884
Australasian - 09/08/1884
Australasian - 09/08/1884