Round 11, 1963
Footscray vs Melbourne
Saturday 20 July
Venue: Western Oval
Attendance: 18,231
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Footscray | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 3.6.24 |
| Melbourne | 1.1 | 5.7 | 8.7 | 10.9.69 |
Melbourne win by 45 points
Goalkickers: Ron Barassi 3, Ken Emselle 3, Barry Bourke 2, Frank Adams 1, Bryan Kenneally 1
Milestones:
Nil
The match originally set down for Saturday 13 July was postponed when the VFL Adverse Weather Committee called all matches off due to wet conditions. Despite the conditions not being bad enough to call the match off for a second time it was still extremely wet and muddy. Footscray were terrible in the conditions, registering their lowest score in 38 years of VFL football - only two goals in the last quarter saving them from further humiliation after they'd kicked two points in the middle two terms.
Despite the awful conditions, Melbourne's players shone. At times they even played a short passing game as if they were in the dry. Their forwards were also surprisingly accurate, registering 10.9.
Footscray's best chance came early in the game when they had a number of attacks that were turned back by the Demon defence. Melbourne pushed them back, gradually pushing them down the other end, with Barassi kicking the first goal. The sides ended the quarter on onegoal each, with Footscray two points up after their use of a nominal wind.
The game turned at the start of the second. Kenneally goalled from 60 yards, then Vagg kicked two behinds and Barassi kicked a major to give his side a clear break. The Dogs were held to a point for the quarter, going into the half 27 points down - even that was off a Melbourne boot, when John Lord tried to kick over his head from close range but put the ball over Footscray's line.
Footscray reshuffled their side at the start of the third quarter but it had little effect. Ken Emselle kicked two then set up another one. The game was won, and while the Dogs beat their score from the first three quarters combined in the last it came too late.
Barassi, Anderson and Roet were best. Miller replaced Groom and Robbie replaced Townsend, both in the last quarter.
Scoring
Barassi 3.2, Emselle 3.1, Bourke 2.2, Adams 1, Kenneally 1, Groom 0.2, Vagg 0.2
Reserves
Melbourne 9.6 d. Footscray 8.7
Goals - Unknown
Best - Unknown
Under 19s
Footscray 5.5 d. Melbourne 3.10
Goals - Unknown
Best - Unknown
Notes
The team for the game that was called off the previous Saturday was:
B: Miller, Massey, Kenneally
HB: Anderson, Roet, Leahy
C: Robbie, H. Mann, Dixon
HF: Rowarth, Groom, Vagg
F: Lord, Bourke, Emselle
Foll: Barassi, Johnson, Townsend
Res: Dawson, Matthews
Media
Sporting Globe - 20/07/1963
Sun - 22/07/1963
Herald - 22/07/1963
Football Record R12 1963