Round 8, 1939
Melbourne vs Footscray
Monday 12 June
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 22,016
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 5.2 | 12.3 | 16.6 | 18.14.122 |
| Footscray | 3.3 | 6.4 | 10.10 | 15.13.103 |
Melbourne win by 19 points
Goalkickers: Ron Barassi 5, Sid Anderson 3, Ron Baggott 3, Les Jones 3, Norm Smith 2, Harold Ball 1, Allan La Fontaine 1
Milestones:
Nil
The Demons warmed up for their top of the table clash with Collingwood a fortnight later with a fighting win over the Bulldogs.
Footscray were last on the table, so it didn't look like much of a contest considering the destruction job Melbourne had unleashed on South a week earlier, but the visitors went in with confidence after beating the Redlegs twice in 1938.
Still, Melbourne were one of the league's attacking powerhouses and Footscray had conceded a hundred points in almost every game for the season so the home team still went in as overwhelming favourites and when they went into the half time break with a lead of almost six goals in look like another big win was on the cards.
To Footscray's credit they fought back strongly, and Melbourne's poor kicking in the last quarter allowed the league's 12th placed team to come out of the match with some credit. They got within 15 points during the fourth term but couldn't make any further inroads.
Seconds (played Saturday 10 June)
Footscray 12.13 d. Melbourne 8.12
Media
Herald - 09/06/1939
Sporting Globe - 10/06/1939
Football Record R9 1939