Saturday September 1 - Fitzroy Cricket Ground
Crowd: "About 6000"

Melbourne 2.16
Carlton 1.8 (half time 1.3 to 1.5)

Melbourne win by 1 goal

Goalkickers: Billy Stiffe 1, Propsting 1

In their first of two matches against Carlton for September, Melbourne snapped a three game losing streak.

With the MCG unable due to cricket season preparations the first senior game ever was played in Fitzroy. Despite the distance from Melbourne's usual headquarters the match was well attended, but the facilities for fans were far from ideal and two thirds of the fans presented had an obscured view.

On a short ground the ball was more often than not out of bounds, and the game was spoiled as a spectacle. Melbourne's poor kicking kept Carlton in the match, but they did have the first goal on the board through Stiffe. In the limited space on the Fitzroy ground the two teams had less space and came together more often, leading to a rough match.

Early in the game Frank Conway suffered a fractured kneecap, and the loss of one of their best players brought them back level with Carlton who equalised not long after.

The rough match continued, and the next player to be felled was Carlton's Westwood who was temporarily taken out of the play by a hard throw and was forced out of the game until after half time.

Melbourne had use of the wind in the second half and attacked constantly but failed to register a major due to their terrible kicking for goal. It took Propsting, promoted from the Second 20 for the game, to finally score the second and winning goal. It was a controversial winner as the umpire had failed to see the ball go out of bounds before the ball was passed to Propsting.

Best were Cunningham, Jones and Tuckfield.

Notes
The Argus suggests that juniors were occupying both club's ground.

Media
Argus - 03/09/1883
Australasian - 08/09/1883
Weekly Times - 08/09/1883