Saturday 1 July - East Melbourne
Crowd: 22,000 to 25,000
Essendon 0.0, 1.7, 2.12, 5.13
Melbourne 4.7, 5.8, 5.8, 5.9
Match drawn
Goalkickers: Smith 3, Christy 1, Wiseman 1
Despite wet, muddy conditions which would ordinarily ruin the match as a spectacle the two best sides in the competition instead played out a classic. Writing in The Argus 'Observer' said I doubt whether a football crowd has ever been worked up to such a pitch of excitement before as during the last half of the game.
The East Melbourne ground had prepared for a big crowd by adding 800 extra seats and putting measures into place to allow more people to stand on the grass reserve. Essendon wore white 'knickers' to distinguish between the two sides due to their similar colours.
Melbourne kicked with the wind to open the game and after struggling to get into the match in the first few minutes they then took full advantage of the breeze by booting four goals to none. They were also wasteful in kicking seven behinds when they could have racked up an enormous score before giving Essendon their chance to make amends. After withstanding two shots at the start of the second quarter, Melbourne surprised the home side by kicking a goal into the breeze, seeing another shot touched through, and forcing Essendon to mark in the square.
With a four goal lead and another use of the wind after half time, Melbourne should have been comfortable winners but failed to score in the third term. Essendon sent two extra men into the ruck to start the second half, and captain Eddie Fox failed to respond. His side managed just one behind in the second half with the wet and heavy ball. The home side's recovery was also impressive considering they lost their best ruckman in the early minutes as he was forced to go forward due to a leg injury.
Melbourne looked comfortable at three quarter time, before Essendon mounted a desperate fight-back to snatch a draw, with champion Albert Thurgood kicking the last three goals of the game. Fox had a place kick but missed, and at the end Essendon was pressing for victory while Melbourne sat back and played for the draw with exhausted defenders. Watson could have won the game for Essendon but his shot on goal curved away and the match was over.
Best was Smith, Fred Sheahan and Moore.
The result left the two sides locked at the top of the league table, with only Essendon's superior defensive record keeping them on top.
Team
Christy, Fox, Fry, Healing, Howes, B. Kelly, R. Kelly, Kean, Lewis, Moore, Masey, McRaile, McKenzie, O'Dea, O'Halloran, O'Loughlin, O'Leary, Roche, Smith, Stranger, F. Sheahan, G. Sheahan, Toms, Wilson, Wiseman
Media
Gippsland Daily News - 30/06/1893
Argus - 01/07/1893
Argus - 03/07/1893
Referee - 05/07/1893
North Melbourne Advertiser - 07/07/1893