Round 12, 1954
Collingwood vs Melbourne
Saturday 10 July
Venue: Victoria Park
Attendance: 29,000
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Collingwood | 2.0 | 3.2 | 6.3 | 8.6.54 |
| Melbourne | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.11 | 5.16.46 |
Collingwood win by 8 points
Goalkickers: Robert B Johnson 2, Noel Clarke 1, Bob McKenzie 1, Stuart Spencer 1
Milestones:
Nil
Melbourne put themselves right in the hunt for a top four position with a fighting win over North Melbourne a week earlier, but ruined their chance to claim another scalp the next Saturday with inaccurate kicking.
In wet and muddy conditions, Melbourne dominated much of the day despite being behind on the scoreboard. Playing the better football, out marking and outpacing their opponents, Melbourne were even beating the Pies at their own game when the game became a contested scrap. But they found it hard to break through the Magpie defence, and even harder to kick accurately when they did. Melbourne opened with three consecutive behinds, and had seven more scoring shots than their opponents but couldn't kick more than three goals from their 14 shots to three quarter time.
From the 10 minute mark of the third quarter Collingwood kicked 4.1 while the Demons managed just 0.8. They managed one more goal before three quarter time and another one from a free kick just after the break cut the margin to four - behinds to Spencer and Barassi slashed the margin further to two but Melbourne continued to miss chances and Barassi had two more points to take his total for the day to six. Down the other end, Collingwood made no mistake, kicking the sealer and holding top spot on the ladder.
McMahon, Collins and Williams were best. Beckwith suffered a cut eye in a collision and was replaced by Case during the last quarter. Williams had a cut forehead.
Seconds
Melbourne 14.17 d. Collingwood 5.11
Goalkickers - Ridley 5, Unknown 9
Best - Dixon, Webster, Ridley
Thirds
Collingwood 6.12 d. Melbourne 5.11
Notes
Sporting Globe gives the crowd as 27,000
Media
Herald - 09/07/1954
Sporting Globe - 10/07/1954
Herald - 10/07/1954
Argus - 12/07/1954
Age - 12/07/1954
Sporting Globe - 14/07/1954
Argus - 14/07/1954
Football Record R13 1954