Lake Oval · Sat 4 Sep 1897 · 3,800 in attendance
| Team | QT | HT | 3QT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EssendonESS | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 14 |
| MelbourneMELB | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 8 |
Quarter figures cumulative · goals.behinds. Final = 14 and 8.
Essendon won by 6 points.
1.8 (14) — 0.8 (8)
Full listed players, ordered by disposals then goals.
| Player | K | H | D | M | T | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgar Croft | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Son Barry | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Arthur Cleghorn | — | — | — | — |
| — |
| 0 |
| George Cochrane | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Maurie Collins | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Tod Collins | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Charlie Forbes | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Hugh Gavin | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Joe Groves | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| George Hastings | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Gus Kearney | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Ted Kinnear | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| George Martin | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Ned Officer | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Pat OLoughlin | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Archie Sykes | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| George Vautin | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Norm Waugh | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Harry Wright | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Jim Anderson | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
Croft 1
| Player | K | H | D | M | T | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stewart Geddes | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Maurie Herring | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Harry Hughes | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Edwin Jenkyn | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Jack Leith | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Austin Lewis | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Fred McGinis | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Norm McLeod | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Henry Mitchell | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| George Moodie | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| George Moysey | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Bert Robinson | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Fred Sheahan | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Eddie Sholl | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Wally Steele | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Dave Strahan | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Ned Sutton | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Dick Wardill | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Alf Wood | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Charlie Young | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |