Saturday 20 May - MCG
Crowd: 7000-10,000
Melbourne 3.6
Essendon 4.12 (half time 1.5-1.5)
Essendon win by 1 goal
Goalkickers: C. Power 1, D. Aitken 1, Stiffe 1
Three weeks after opening their season with a win in the traditional match against the public schools, Melbourne started their VFA campaign with a loss.
The two clubs sent their strongest twenty onto the field, and on a fine day for football both teams played a quality game - the only difficulty being the similarity between the two sides' playing strips which caused confusion for spectators.
Essendon won the toss but there was little wind to speak of and Melbourne got the first behind of their season through Charles Power after 10 minute. The two sides traded minors for the first few minutes of the game before Power got the opening goal of the match. As Essendon settled, they began to outpace the Reds. They hit back straight away and the game went to half time level.
The visitors had the best of the game at the start of the second half, putting the Melbourne defence under siege while keeping the ball in their possession and out of Melbourne's hands. They scored a second and third goal in quick time, and would have had a fourth if the umpire had not disallowed a goal.
Melbourne then got two in a row, the second through Stiffe, to level the scores before Essendon scored the winner late in the match.
Best were R. Booth, Rannard and Aitken.
Media
Argus - 22/05/1882
Express and Telegraph - 27/05/1882
Australasian - 27/05/1882