Round 9, 1940
St. Kilda vs Melbourne
Saturday 22 June
Venue: Junction Oval
Attendance: 13,000
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| St. Kilda | 4.3 | 7.9 | 13.10 | 16.16.112 |
| Melbourne | 5.6 | 7.10 | 10.18 | 17.21.123 |
Melbourne win by 11 points
Goalkickers: Ron Baggott 6, Roy Dowsing 3, Norm Smith 3, Hugh Murnane 2, Percy Beames 1, Maurie Gibb 1, Jack O'Keefe 1
Milestones:
50 Games
Ron Barassi
The top of the ladder Demons were forced to work hard to beat a St Kilda side who had dropped off after showing early season promise and losing their last four matches. The Saints got the first two, before Ray Wartman's wing created two goals to Smith and Baggott to get his side back on level terms. Both side's forwards were beating their defenders, and Melbourne came out nine points ahead of a high scoring first term.
The backlines came to the fore in the second, holding the teams to five goals between them. The gap was cut to one, before Melbourne got a break at the start of the third with a pair of goals. St Kilda responded with three straight to grab the lead. Jack Mueller was swung into the ruck to try and curb St Kilda, but the home side's momentum was only halted by the bell.
Conceding a ten point lead at the last change the Reds rattled home with seven goals in the final term to earn the victory. Three of the goals came in the last three minutes, carrying them over the line - two of them from Roy Dowsing. A Maurie Gibb goal on the bell won the game. The win put the Demons a game clear at the top of the ladder.
Best were Mueller, Baggott and Gibb. Barassi replaced Beames (bruised thigh) in the last quarter.
Seconds
Melbourne 18.10.118 d. St Kilda 10.12.72
Goals - Fanning 10, Adams 2, Hall 2, Bravo 1, O'Shea 1, Baldwin 1, Neenan 1
Best - Baxter, Lenne, Fanning
Notes
Sporting Globe gave the crowd as 12,000.
Media
Sporting Globe - 22/06/1940
Football Record R10 1940