Grand Final, 1926
Melbourne vs Collingwood
Saturday 9 October
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 59,632
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 4.5 | 7.7 | 14.9 | 17.17.119 |
| Collingwood | 1.1 | 6.4 | 7.6 | 9.8.62 |
Melbourne win by 57 points
Goalkickers: Robert C Johnson 6, Harry Moyes 3, Stan Wittman 3, Dave Duff 2, Col Deane 1, Richard Taylor 1, Francis Vine 1
Milestones:
First game and First goal
Francis Vine
For the first time since 1900, Melbourne had a chance to win the premiership. They had lost twice to Collingwood in the home and away season, but beat them in the Semi. The Grand Final rematch marked the first time two league teams met four times in one season. Melbourne delivered a selection shock picking debutante Francis Vine to replace Bob Corbett, who had suffered a broken jaw (Preliminary Final 1926|Preliminary Final)) victory. Corbett and Ossie Green had played every match of the season to that point, but with Corbett out, Green was also forced to miss for team balance. They still had the first side with three players to kick 50 goals for the season, and Brownlow Medal winner Ivor Warne-Smith in their ranks.
Collingwood won a coin toss for their choice of MCG rooms and chose Melbourne's rooms. They tried to make the rooms their own by introducing a 'talking' Magpie to watch over players while they warmed up.
Heavy rain stopped on Grand Final morning, leaving the game to be played in the sun. Melbourne won the toss and started brilliantly with the breeze. They goalled first through Johnson after a minute, before a long shot at goal on the run by Taylor bounced luckily through an unguarded goal. Melbourne were faster to the ball and better in the air. By quarter time Johnson had three goals in a 22 point lead. With their use of the breeze Collingwood hit back in the second quarter, kicking two early goals. In a fierce, rough quarter they reduced Melbourne's lead with dogged play. Only a controversial goal to Duff which prompted some spectators to shower the goal umpire with orange-peels stopped them in their tracks, and when Johnson kicked another they had restored the quarter time lead. Collingwood rallied before half time and reduced the margin to nine points.
With Syd Coventry thrown to the dangerous Johnson, Melbourne managed to provide multiple facets of attack thanks to Moyes and Duff and it ran the Pies off their feet. Moyes got two of his goals in quick succession at the start of the quarter and another later from a free kick and by three quarter time they'd kicked 7.1 to 1.1 and the match looked over.
Gordon Coventry broke the VFL season goalkicking record in the last term but his side was long beaten. At the other end Johnson kicked 6.7 in a best on ground performance. His goal three minutes into the last quarter put the result beyond doubt, and he became the first man to kick five in a Grand Final. The final score of 17.17 was a record score in a Grand Final for its time.
One of the interested spectators was Henry Harrison, first captain of the club in 1859 just days short of his 90th birthday. Also present was 1900 premiership player Dick Wardill.
Best were Johnson, Wittman and Moyes.
Team
B: Charlie Streeter, Harry Coy, Jim Abernethy
HB: Bill Tymms, Hugh Dunbar, Ted Thomas
C: Richard Taylor, Ivor Warne-Smith, Jack Collins
HF: Stan Wittman, Bob Johnson, Jimmy Davidson
F: Francis Vine, Dave Duff, Harry Moyes
R: Bert Chadwick (c), Col Deane, Herbert White
Media
Age - 08/10/1926
Herald - 09/10/1926
Sporting Globe - 09/10/1926
Sun - 11/10/1926, 11/10/1926
Argus - 11/10/1926
Examiner - 11/10/1926
Table Talk - 14/10/1926
Argus - 19/08/1950
Links
Boyles Football Photos