Round 12, 1898
Melbourne vs Essendon
Saturday 30 July
Venue: MCG
Attendance: Unknown
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 2.8.20 |
| Essendon | 3.2 | 7.4 | 8.7 | 11.9.75 |
Essendon win by 55 points
Goalkickers: George Moodie 1, Alf Wood 1
Milestones:
First Game
Les Rippon
Two losses in a row had wrecked Melbourne's chances of winning the premiership, and without Moysey and Strahan they took on a near full strength Essendon side and were beaten comfortably.
While several Melbourne players put in decent individual performances the team didn't play with any great system, while Essendon always played to the advantage of their teammates in wet conditions.
The game was as good as over at half time with the visitors 44 points in front but Melbourne played their best football of the match in the third quarter when they changed their team around significantly and broke even with nine points apiece.
It was reported that there was so little enthusiasm in the crowd that the crowd of the VFA game being played next door at Punt Road could be clearly heard over the MCG audience.
Best were Lanigan, Herring and Lewis.
Notes
The papers report two players called "Johnson" and "Moore" playing for Melbourne, showing that they were playing under assumed names.
Media
Argus - 01/08/1898