Saturday 23 June - SCG
Crowd: 500
Melbourne 0.6, 1.6, 2.7, 2.11
New South Wales 0.0, 0.0, 1.1, 1.1
Melbourne win by 1 goal
Goalkickers: King 1, Unknown 1
Despite fielding a weakened team Melbourne had "superior little marking and better combination" and won comfortably. They had a poor preparation, having spent the whole Friday travelling to Sydney by train. In front of a few hundred people Melbourne captain H. King won the toss and kicked with a strong wind.
Kenny Burn registered the first behind for Melbourne, and they pressed several times for no reward. At quarter time they had missed six opportunities but had also kept the locals scoreless. The locals' play was disorganised and aimless, and they were defending their goal for much of the match.
Wasting the wind may have cost them against a better side, but while Sydney had the best of the play for much of the quarter and at times had Melbourne's goal under siege it was the visitors who scored the first major - the only score of the quarter.
Sydney got the ball behind for the first time early in the third quarter but Burns added Melbourne's second to give his side a two goal cushion. The locals soon converted their first goal of the afternoon to get back in the match, but in a fast last quarter neither side managed to score a goal.
Best were Burn, King and Burton.
Team
Brooks, Fred Burton, Kenny Burn, Burns, Carah, Eddie Fox, Franks, Griffiths, Harper, Huggins, Kelly, A. King, H. King (c), Lording, McCrindle, Murphy, Parsons, Plant, Frank Rivers, Wiseman
Notes
- In some sources the opposition are called Sydney or Combined Sydney.
- Kelly may have been Richard Kelly
- It's not clear which King kicked the first goal
- Sportsman says Melbourne kicked 2.11
Media
Sydney Morning Herald - 25/06/1888
Referee - 28/06/1888
Australian Town and Country Journal - 30/06/1888
Sydney Mail - 30/06/1888