Round 18, 1947
Footscray vs Melbourne
Saturday 23 August
Venue: Western Oval
Attendance: 11,000
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Footscray | 2.5 | 6.8 | 8.11 | 11.14.80 |
| Melbourne | 5.1 | 8.6 | 15.6 | 24.11.155 |
Melbourne win by 75 points
Goalkickers: Fred Fanning 10, Alby Rodda 4, Frank O'Connor 3, Adrian Dullard 2, Jack Mueller 2, Frank Scanlan 2, Billy Deans 1
Milestones:
First Game
Dave Hardie
Statistical categories led:
Highest score at Western Oval
With both teams having blown their finals chances a week earlier, Footscray by losing and Melbourne by not winning by enough there was nothing but pride to play for.
Footscray was inaccurate in the first quarter, and it cost them. They kicked the first goal of the quarter before Melbourne took over, adding the last two goals of the quarter to extend the margin to 14.
The Demons only conceded a few points off their lead in the second before running away with the game in brutal fashion during the second half. The Demons were superior across the ground, and though the Bulldogs were tenacious in the first half they fell away drastically in the second. Two goals in a row at the start of the third stamped their authority on the game, and despite kicking two of the last three goals of the game Melbourne led by 37 points. Aided by Fanning's 10 goal haul they ran away to a big win in the final term.
It was Melbourne's largest ever VFL score against the Bulldogs to that point.
Fitzroy's win elsewhere meant that Melbourne's big percentage boost from what would be their largest ever score at the Western Oval was wasted.
Best were Rodda, Fanning and Arnold. Bowman replaced Deans in the last quarter, Scanlan was an unused 20th man.
Seconds
Melbourne 21.18.144 d. Footscray 16.6.102
Goals - Craddock 6, Unknown 15
Notes
Sporting Globe gives the crowd as 12,000
Lists
10 goals
Media
Football Record R19 1947
Sporting Globe - 23/08/1947