Round 1, 1909
Richmond vs Melbourne
Saturday 1 May
Venue: Punt Road
Attendance: Unknown
1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
Richmond | 3.2 | 5.5 | 9.6 | 9.9.63 |
Melbourne | 3.3 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 11.8.74 |
Melbourne win by 11 points
Goalkickers: Vin Coutie 6, Joe Hodgkins 2, Jack Strong 2, Hughie Odgers 1
Milestones:
First game
Harry Brereton
Vern Daniel
Jim Fargie
Hughie Odgers (and first goal)
Only MFC game
George McNeilage
With four new players in their ranks, Melbourne went to battle with their next door neighbours and eventually prevailed in a see-sawing game where the teams went goal for goal most of the day. It took until the last quarter, where Richmond failed to score a point for Melbourne to kick away.
Richmond got the first goal of the game, but by the end of the first quarter it was three apiece. Coutie got two of his six in the first quarter, another three in the second and one shortly after half time but his side wasn't able to get away from the home team. In fact Richmond's third quarter was their best, with two goals more than the Fuschias.
They went into the last quarter with an 11 point lead before Jack Strong carried Melbourne over the line almost single handedly with a dominant final term. He set one goal up for Hodgkins and kicked another of his own to give Melbourne the lead which they never surrendered. Hodgkins got another to seal victory.
Best were Strong, Coutie and Purse.
Media
Argus - 03/05/1909
Punch - 06/05/1909
Richmond Guardian - 08/05/1909
Australasian - 08/05/1909