Round 17, 1928
St. Kilda vs Melbourne
Saturday 18 August
Venue: Junction Oval
Attendance: 17,000
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| St. Kilda | 6.2 | 8.5 | 10.8 | 12.10.82 |
| Melbourne | 3.4 | 4.9 | 6.12 | 11.15.81 |
St. Kilda win by 1 point
Goalkickers: Robert C Johnson 4, Tommy McConville 2, Gordon Ogden 2, Jimmy Abernethy 1, Herbert White 1, Stan Wittman 1
Milestones:
Last game
Derek Mollison
With a game advantage over third placed Richmond, but an inferior percentage Melbourne needed to win both their last two games to ensure a top two finish but their chances took a major hit with a heartbreaking loss against the Seasiders.
St Kilda had been thrashed by almost ten goals by Collingwood the week before, but showed considerable improvement in the first term at the Junction Oval. 16 points in front at the first break they had been let off the hook by Bob Corbett missing a sitter that they turned into a goal themselves, but they were easily the better team early on.
The Seasiders started the second quarter with a series of frenzied attacks. The Redleg defence managed to hold back the tide for a while before conceding two goals. With the game in danger of passing them by, Melbourne responded with a goal to Tommy McConville to keep them in touch. St. Kilda by 21 at half-time. Melbourne managed to shave just one more point off the home side's score in the third term.
The last quarter, though, saw the game turn on its head. Melbourne kicked the first two goals of the quarter through McConville and Herbert White. With seven minutes remaining Melbourne were in front and extended the margin to 12 points before St Kilda fought back.
With the margin under a goal the Fuschias through everybody into defence to try and stop St. Kilda from scoring again. In the dramatic finish, with the crowd going wild the bell was rung but the umpire didn't hear it in the commotion. Bert Smedley goalled for St. Kilda several seconds after the 'siren', the umpire paid the goal and the Saints had won.
Even after the goal the umpire didn't know the game was over and ran to the centre of the ground to bounce the ball before spectators and mounted police dashed onto the field. He conferred with a boundary umpire before leaving the ground.
The drama wasn't over, a minute after the scores had been altered to show St Kilda as 82-81 winners they were altered to show Melbourne as winners by five points. It took several minutes for the scores to be changed back and for St Kilda officials to claim victory.
Melbourne appealed to the VFL on the ground that the goal had been kicked at least five seconds after the bell. On the following Tuesday night the league made the ruling that although the umpires and St Kilda timekeeper admitted the bell had gone before the ball was kicked the game was not over until the umpire heard the bell and signalled the end of the game. Like the Round 1, 1900 match between the two sides the match had gone to the league but this time the appeal had been overturned.
Johnson, Deane and Chadwick were Melbourne's best. Warne-Smith was hampered by a knock to the leg in the third quarter.
Richmond's thumping victory over Essendon at Punt Road vaulted them over the Fuschias into second on the ladder.
Seconds
Melbourne 9.5 d. St Kilda 4.12
Goals - Smith 4, Hope 3, Rice 1, Herbert 1
Best - Haw, Bowman, L. Meade
Lists
After The Siren
One point games
Media
Sun - 17/08/1928
Argus - 20/08/1928
Sporting Globe - 22/08/1928
Age - 23/08/1928
Sun - Sun - 23/08/1928
Sporting Globe - 29/08/1928
Football Record 1928 Interstate game