| Venue: Princes Park | Date: Saturday July 19, 1902 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: Won by 17 points | Umpire: Cariss | Crowd: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers: G.Topping 2, T.Fox 1, A.Snell 1. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: | Injuries: | |||||||||||||||||||
Game Review
During this turbulent round of matches, Carlton showed that their impressive last month of football was no fluke by accounting for second-placed Essendon in a dour struggle at Princes Park. The disciplined Blues had a stranglehold on the game at half-time, leading 3.5 to 0.4. The previously free-scoring Essendon (with a percentage of 137.13) didn’t kick their first major until well into the third quarter, and their final score of 1.10 (16) is still among their lowest on record.Carlton’s acting captain Joe McShane was officially appointed to lead the Blues from this match on. He was the fourth of the six McShane brothers from Geelong to play for Carlton. Joe's younger brother Henry was also in the team this day, while Tom and Phil had turned out for the Blues during the club's earlier years in the VFA.
In another upset during this round, Melbourne beat the previously invincible Fitzroy, and Collingwood slaughtered St Kilda by 117 points to assume ladder leadership. Essendon, Fitzroy and Melbourne made up the four, followed by Geelong, Carlton, South Melbourne and St Kilda.
Jack Worrall
"Some unfair criticisms as to the "attention" paid to Thurgood have been passed. Thurgood is a champion, and by his own efforts can often win a game. Naturally he has to be closely watched, and the insinuation is that on Saturday Carlton exceeded the bounds of fair play in trying to prevent him. Nothing is further from the truth. Carlton put up a sportsman against him, a medical student named Gordon Ross, an ornament to the game, who is incapable of anything foul. It was a legitimate and manly case of skill against skill by two big men, with honors in Thurgood's favor. It seems to me that if this goes on much further it will be penal servitude for life if a man dares to go near Thurgood. The humor of the thing is that Essendon did exactly what Carlton did. Scott, who is wonderful mark, was closely shepherded by Gavin, but as in the former case, in a thoroughly sportsmanlike manner, and I sincerley compliment both Hugh Gavin and Gordon Ross on their manliness."(Referee, July 23 p8)
Team
| B: | Charlie Ross | Charlie Tough | Gordon Ross |
| HB: | Bill McNamara (vc) | Ernie Walton | Tom Watson |
| C: | Charlie O'Connor | Wally Powell | Charlie Roland |
| HF: | Fred Webber | Fred Scott | Henry McShane |
| F: | Jim Opie | Tom Fox | George Topping |
| Ruck: | Joe McShane (c) | Bobby Walsh | Archie Snell |
| Coach: | Jack Worrall | ||
Changes
In : T.Fox, F.Webber, C.O'ConnorOut : B.Lazarus, J.Martin, A.Dougall
Milestones
Debut : Charlie O'ConnorRound 11 | Round 13