Saturday July 10 - East Melbourne
Crowd: 10,000
Melbourne 2.8
Carlton 2.9 (half time 1.3 to 1.4)
Match drawn
Goalkickers: John Macdonald 1, Arthur Young 1
In front of a big crowd, on heavy turf affected by recent rain Carlton were dominant early with a slight breeze, keeping the ball in front of the Melbourne goal and rapidly returning it down the other end if Melbourne threatened.
After Carlton opened the scoring Melbourne had a good chance through John Macdonald but he rushed his chance and missed it. McDonald's behind gave his side a boost and they played better after it - with his brother James equalising not long after.
The two sides went into half time locked together, and after a lively start to the half where neither team had the advantage Carlton broke the deadlock when they took advantage of an error by Baker in the middle of the ground. Melbourne were then forced to defend against a third goal, and Carlton got three behinds in a row.
During the second half Carlton's Gunn had a hat thrown at him from the crowd while kicking on goal. He failed to convert the shot, and not long after Arthur Young goalled after marking a kick from Bennie and the scores were level again.
With the game on the line it became a rough contest as both teams tried to steal a winner. Longden might have had it, but Carlton managed to scramble a clearance and as the afternoon went on the two sides faded as a result of their previous exertions and the match ended in a draw. Melbourne had been the better side after their second goal but eventually Carlton had turned the tide back in their favour courtesy of its possession game until the two sides threw everything at each other in the dying minutes trying to find a winning goal.
Despite missing several players it was the best performance Melbourne had put in all season. They might have been saved by the intervention of a crowd member who threw a hat in front of a Carlton player taking a shot on goal and put him off. The crowd were generally kept off the arena, a spot on the west side where spectators often encroached was patrolled by mounted policemen and "no one ventured inside the flags except the ragged little urchins who hovered round the players all the afternoon, giving directions and criticising the play with that freedom of speech which they affect on all public occasions".
Best were E. Longden, Bennie and Nash
Selected team
J. Adams, F. Baker, J. Bennie, R. Booth, W. Boys, HJ Downes, SC Lamrock, EW Longden, W. Longden, Jas. Macdonald, John Macdonald, W. Manifold, JG McKie, T. Nash, F. Power, WH Roberts, R. Sibley, E. Silvester, R. Simon, JF Watson
Notes
Some sources say John McDonald scored first.
Media
Age - 10/07/1880
Argus - 12/07/1880
Age - 12/07/1880
Advocate - 17/07/1880
Leader - 17/07/1880
Australasian - 17/07/1880