July 6 - Melbourne Ground
Crowd: "not less than 3000"
Melbourne 1
HM 14th Regiment 2
HM 14th Regiment win
Goalkicker: Donald Campbell 1
Originally scheduled for the previous Saturday before being postponed, the match was described in the Australasian as "The roughest, if not the best, match that has ever been played on the Melbourne ground."
The soldiers were new to the game, so instead of following the rules they dedicated themselves to tripping and holding instead. Henry Harrison had decided not to exercise his side's right to challenge for free kicks because the game would have been held up too much. Harrison won the toss, but on a day where there was barely a breath of wind it wasn't a factor.
The soldiers - playing with an advantage of 20 to 16 - scored first after 25 minutes. Less than half an hour later Melbourne equalised through Donald Campbell - kicking the club's first goal all season - but the visitors scored the winner with a goal which would usually be disallowed. Harrison's decision not to challenge, though, meant his side had lost.
The game had kicked off at half past two, and the winning goal was scored at 4.15. The violent nature of the game caused several injuries, with one soldier suffering a severed lip and another a large gash on the temple. Both seriously injured players immediately re-entered the fray, and their strength won out in the end.
Best were Harrison, Freeman and T. Ireland.
Selected team
Harrison (c), Bennie, Bell, Bruford, Horan, Fleming, Freeman, Finlay, Ferguson, T. Ireland, De C. Ireland, Oswald, T. Moody, Hepburn, D. Campbell, McLaughlin. Emergenies - Green, Waugh, Waugh, Stevens, Colville, Bald, Moody and Hetherington.
Notes
Bell's Life says Melbourne fielded 15 men
Media
Australasian - 06/07/1867
Bell's Life - 06/07/1867
Argus - 06/07/1867
Age - 08/07/1867
Herald - 08/07/1867
Australasian - 13/07/1867
Australasian - 13/07/1867
Leader - 13/07/1867
Bell's Life - 13/07/1867