Round 2, 1945
Melbourne vs St. Kilda
Saturday 28 April
Venue: Punt Road
Attendance: 8000
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 3.3 | 6.8 | 10.11 | 17.16.118 |
| St. Kilda | 3.3 | 5.4 | 6.7 | 7.7.49 |
Melbourne win by 69 points
Goalkickers: Fred Fanning 7, Ron Baggott 6, Percy Taylor 2, Allan La Fontaine 1, Norm Smith 1
Milestones:
Last Game
Percy Taylor
The resurgent Demons earned another victory to start the season, running away from St Kilda in the second half with 11 goals to two. They were led by the dangerous combination of Fanning and Baggott who kicked 13 of Melbourne's 17 for the day.
Apart from the two dominant forwards, St Kilda were unable to cope with Melbourne's speed and aerial supremacy. The only thing keeping a ragged game close before half time was the Demons' struggles to break through a tough backline. St Kilda had started well, responding to Fanning's open goal with three of their own. The Demons played with a better system than the hard-working Saints, clawing back to level at quarter time.
With their use of a handy breeze in the second quarter Melbourne overwhelmed the opposition defence, with Baggott and Fanning goalling early. Play became ragged but the early goals were enough to leave Melbourne 10 points ahead at the long break.
Into the wind in the third quarter, the 'home' side controlled the game. Despite Smith suffering a thigh injury that caused him to switch from the midfield to the forward line, allowing Allan La Fontaine a run in the position that made him famous, they forged ahead with 4.2 to 1.2 into the wind.
The Saints were dispirited by the start of the last quarter, and crumbled to concede the first seven goals before scoring the last major of the game as a consolation.
Dullard was Melbourne's best in his first game for three years, alongside the Baggott-Smith-Fanning forward combination. Smith hurt his thigh and Molloy was unused 19th man.
Seconds
Melbourne 13.7 d. St Kilda 9.19
Media
Sporting Globe - 28/04/1945
Age - 30/04/1945
Football Record R3 1945