Semi Final 1925

Semi Final, 1925
Melbourne vs Geelong
Saturday 26 September
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 51,256

Melbourne win by 15 points

Goalkickers: Percy Tulloh 5, Stan Wittman 3, Harry Davie 2, Hugh Dunbar 1, George Haines 1, Derek Mollison 1, Richard Taylor 1

Milestones:
Nil

Playing in their first final since 1915, and just their fifth in VFL history, the Fuschias went into the match against the minor premiers without Harry Moyes and Jimmy Davidson who had been injured in training mishaps. Derek Mollison was able to use the team's week off after the Round 17 match to recover from a case of measles.

They were already underdogs after poor early season form, but without two crucial players it seemed even more unlikely that they would be able to beat the premiership favourites. They even lost the use of their dressing rooms after Geelong won a toss of the coin and chose the more luxurious Melbourne rooms.

The teams had last played in Round 9 where Geelong had taken a quarter time lead of 40-1, but with the luck of playing the match on their own home ground and with the breeze in the first quarter Melbourne put in a stronger, quicker and more determined performance to turn the tables and jump out to a handy early lead, putting 3.6 on the board in the first 15 minutes before the red-hot favourite Geelong could score. The visitors managed their first goal late in the term to cut the margin to 20 points at quarter time.

The Blue and Whites steadied from there, with Lloyd Hagger kicking the first of a finals record equalling seven goals in the first 90 seconds of the second quarter, but Melbourne hit back and won the second quarter by a goal despite Geelong resorting to crowding tactics.

With the wind dropping a notch in the third quarter Geelong did far better than they had in the first but still lost the term by a goal after George Haines kicked a running goal on the bell. Despite a last quarter rally they couldn't get close enough to do any damage and Melbourne earned their first victory in a finals match since the Grand Final 1900 with their biggest score of the year.

The 27 goals kicked were the most ever in a finals match to that point. Melbourne lost the free kick count 53-51.

Best were Wittman, Taylor and Haines and amidst jubilant scenes in the dressing rooms the Redlegs set themselves for a Preliminary Final clash against Collingwood.

The Governor-General Lord Forster and the Governor the Earl of Stradbroke both came to the ground for the end of the match after attending the Moonee Valley races.

Team
B: Lilley, Coy, Streeter
HB: Thomas, Chadwick, Corbett
C: Collins, Taylor, Wilson
HF: Jorgenson, Mollison, Wittman
F: Duff, Davie, Dunbar
Foll: Deane, Warne-Smith, Haines

Media
Sporting Globe - 23/09/1925
Argus - 25/09/1925
Argus - 26/09/1925
Sporting Globe - 26/09/1925
Argus - 28/09/1925
Geelong Advertiser - 28/09/1925
Geelong Advertiser - 02/10/1925
Football Record 1925 Finals.