Round 11, 1938
Melbourne vs Essendon
Saturday 2 July
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 12,054
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 3.2 | 5.6 | 10.9 | 11.13.79 |
| Essendon | 4.1 | 5.1 | 9.2 | 13.7.85 |
Essendon win by 6 points
Goalkickers: Ron Barassi 3, Norm Smith 3, Harry Harley 2, Lou Reiffel 2, Les Jones 1
Milestones:
First game and First goal
Harry Harley
Last Game
Sid Meehl
Melbourne's unconvincing form over previous weeks had put their spot in the top four in danger, and after a thrilling battle with the Bombers they found themselves out of the finals and fifth on percentage. The Demons had been known for their accurate kicking throughout the season, but it deserted them on this day and proved costly.
On a quagmire of a ground quality football was off the agenda, and Essendon seemed to fancy the conditions more and had a five point lead at quarter time. Melbourne were the better side in the second but they were successfully kept at bay by the opposition defenders and only managed to open up a five point lead.
In the third quarter play became congested as neither side was able to play their usual game on the heavy ground. Melbourne used a ruck advantage to take control and they extended the gap to 13 points at the last change. The side kicking against the wind had been better until the last quarter, where the lead quickly disappeared as Essendon kicked three quick goals, and Melbourne's inaccuracy cost them any chance of a comeback. They reshuffled their forward line but it didn't help, and when Murnane had the chance to level the scores late in the game he missed.
Barassi, Smith and Lock were best. McNamara was 19th man.
Seconds
Melbourne 12.7 d. Essendon 9.5
Media
Herald - 01/07/1938
Sporting Globe - 02/07/1938
Australasian - 09/07/1938
Football Record R12 1938