Round 12, 1928
Melbourne vs Essendon
Saturday 7 July
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 18,695
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 2.5 | 4.14 | 6.16 | 8.19.67 |
| Essendon | 3.5 | 5.6 | 11.12 | 12.17.89 |
Essendon win by 22 points
Goalkickers: Robert C Johnson 3, Tommy McConville 2, Bert Chadwick 1, Jack Collins 1, Col Deane 1
Milestones:
Last Game
Charlie Streeter
Barney Wood
After finishing the first round of games in second place on percentage, Melbourne got off to a bad start in the second part of the year's games with a loss on their own turf to Essendon.
Melbourne had themselves to blame. They withstood a number of attacks by Essendon in the open minutes and were 15 points down before scoring but once they recovered their inaccuracy in the first half meant what should have been a much bigger lead was only two points.
They gifted Essendon two goals with poor kicks and it took them 10 minutes to register any score, but that tipped the balance in their favour and they forced Essendon into 10 minutes of solid defence. By quarter time they'd cut the margin to a goal. They took the lead early in the second quarter but the misses cost them a chance to put up a big lead.
The home side were far superior in the second quarter but their wasted opportunities ruined good work and another defensive blunder gifted Essendon a major. By half time they'd had seven more scoring shots but were just four points in front.
Essendon then kicked away in the third quarter and they couldn't be caught. Two early goals were responded to by McConville but the visitors managed six for the term and were 26 points in front. Melbourne had won several games in 1928 after coming back from a three-quarter time deficit but this was too much for them and they only managed to take a goal off the margin.
Davidson, Vine and Warne-Smith were Melbourne's best. Taylor suffered a cut chin and Wood a shoulder/neck injury after falling heavily.
If Melbourne had won they'd have gone to the top of the ladder as Collingwood had also been defeated.
Seconds
Essendon 20.16 d. Melbourne 5.7
Goals - Smith 2, Carr 1, Banks 1, More 1
Best - Ogden, Driver, Moodie
Media
Sporting Globe - 07/07/1928
Argus - 09/07/1928
Football Record R13 1928