Saturday 3 May - Melbourne Ground
Crowd: "About 3000"
Melbourne 4.7
Hotham 1.6 (half time 1.4-0.3)
Goalkickers: McIntyre 2, Tuckfield 1, McAlister 1
The visitors entered the new season with a number of new players and high hopes of an upset but were overwhelmed. Melbourne won the toss and started with the advantage of a slight breeze. It took six minutes for Tuckfield to register the opener, and only goal of the first half.
Hotham missed some shots on goal in the second half, but were never seriously troubled as Melbourne ran away to an easy opening win of the year.
Aitken, Murphy, and Cussen were best.
Notes
Some sources have the half time score as 1.3-0.4
Media
Argus - 05/05/1884
Sportsman - 07/05/1884
North Melbourne Advertiser - 09/05/1884
Australasian - 10/05/1884