| Venue: Windy Hill | Date: Saturday June 26, 1937 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: Win by 12 points | Umpire: Batt | Crowd: 14,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers: M. Price 3.5, J. Wrout 3.2, K. Fox 3.1, A. Shields 2.2, B. Butler 1.2, B. Green 1.2, H. Bullen 1.0, J. Hale 1.0, G. Collard 0.2, M. Crisp 0.1, Rushed 0.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Best: B. Green, F. Gill, D. McIntyre, R. McLean, N. Cashin, M. Price | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: | Injuries: J. Hale (concussed) replaced by C. Davey at half time, K. Fox (jarred knee) | |||||||||||||||||||
Game Review 
After a dominant first half, Carlton was pushed all the way by a resurgent Essendon, winning by two goals at Windy Hill. The Blues were again wasteful in front of goal and could have sealed the game by half time. But a strong second half by the Dons almost stole the game, with just two points difference as time on was entered.
The injury list was still quite long. Captain Ansell Clarke’s shoulder was slow in responding to treatment and he was expected to be out for some time yet. Rod McLean (flu), Keith Shea (ankle) and Ron Cooper (shoulder) didn’t train but were hopeful of playing. Eric Huxtable’s thigh was still giving him trouble and he left Tuesday’s training quite early. Jack Carney, Frank Anderson, Fred Ayers, Bert Butler and Kevin Fox were expected to be available. By Thursday night, Shea, Carney and Anderson couldn’t be included and four changes were made in the announced side to play Essendon. Huxtable and Cooper were out with their injuries and in a sensation, Harry Vallence was omitted along with Clem Neeson. Into the side came Fred Gilby, Fox, Butler and Charlie Davey as 19th man. Vallence’s relegation seemed quite odd, after his four goal performance the previous week which moved him to third on the VFL all time goal-kicking list.
In other news, Keith Shea and Jack Hale had been selected in the VFL team to play in the AFC championships in Perth in August, the Age reported that Charlie Davey had withdrawn his application to be cleared to Kew, and Ted Pollock, Frank Williams, Clem Neeson and Will Kuhlken had been delisted prior to the mid-year deadline for player transfers. There was lots of interest from other clubs to secure their services.
From the opening bounce Carlton, using weight and pace, rushed forward several times for three behinds, to Collard and Price, whose second shot was touched before the line. Essendon brought the ball around the wing in a nice bit of play and scored the first goal of the game. Park stopped another attack and Crisp, Hale and Bullen featured in some good football to send Carlton forward. Play was fast and vigorous, both sides using weight freely. Keeping the ball in attack, Carlton scored two goals in a good burst to Shields and Price. Shields drove the Blues forward again but his running shot was offline for a behind. Carlton were on top across the centre and Green and Cashin were providing plenty of drive from their wings, but erratic and hurried kicking by Carlton’s forwards wasted several chances. The Blues were dominating the play now and should have been further ahead. By contrast Essendon used its chances well, goaling late in the term to trail by seven points at quarter time.
Carlton’s dominance continued on resumption and great play from Crisp, McLean, Gill, Hale and Green resulted in Shields having a shot at goal. His kick skewed across goal, but Price quickly recovered the ball and goaled. Essendon attacked strongly but a long punt kick brought only a behind. Carlton answered immediately, bullocking through a pack for Green to kick a running goal. Essendon now rallied and sent three promising thrusts forward but managed only one behind from a shot which hit the post. The game was now pretty even, although Carlton held sway across the centre. Tempers were rising too, and some ugly clashes occurred; Hale being heavily decked twice. Then Hale got the goal of the day, picking up a spilled ball, pivoting and kicking from a long way out from a tight angle. Still attacking, Hale then sent to Crisp who found Wrout. He kicked the Blues’ sixth goal. It was a thrilling game, with Essendon matching the Blues, kicking two fine goals. Gill and Francis stopped two Essendon attacks and from the rebound, a direct thrust involving Crisp, Shields and Wrout gave Bullen a chance which he didn’t waste. Carlton went further ahead when Fox, who had been very quiet, scored the eighth goal. A quick rebound by the Dons resulted in their fifth goal from a great individual effort to trail by 20 points at half time. Green, Crisp, Price, Gill and Shields were among Carlton’s best for the half.
Hale (concussion) was replaced by Davey during the break. Cashin sent the Blues forward early in the term with a lightning burst which found Fox, who kicked the ninth goal. The Dons responded swiftly with an equally quick attack for a long driving goal. It was a splendid game, both sides playing great football and much of the early spite had gone. Another quick passage from Gilby went to Shields who goaled on the run. Essendon responded brilliantly, bringing up two goals in quick succession. Keeping the pressure up, Carlton’s defence was made to work hard to ward off several Essendon drives. McLean and Green worked Carlton forward to where Crisp, Gilby and Shields were involved in two goals, to Butler and Fox. Essendon replied, bringing the ball around the wing and a kick off the ground brought their ninth goal. Some brilliant team play resulted in two more, one from a mighty drop kick to make their deficit only seven points at the last change.
A rushed behind to Essendon opened the scoring in the last quarter. Another behind followed, then the Dons were unlucky with a good shot hitting the post. Neither side was giving an inch in their quest for the ball. Good work around the flank by Green, Davey and Crisp put Carlton into the forward line to where Butler worked hard and gained a behind. Playing desperate football, the Dons stormed forward four times in a row, only to see Gill and Park stop each thrust. Crisp then helped Collard score a behind and then Green, brilliant all day, burst his way through a pack and found Wrout. His shot missed for a behind. Carlton had reverted to their long kicking game, driving straight from the middle and some relief came after Bullen and Wrout co-operated well to allow Price to kick a much needed thirteenth goal. The Dons refused to lie down however, and two brilliant goals brought them to just two points in arrears as the time on period was entered. Supporters of both sides roared their encouragement and every act was roundly cheered. From a hard won clearance from the centre, Carlton surged forward and Wrout marked brilliantly a long way out. He kicked accurately to give the Blues some breathing space. Seconds later, he repeated the act, with another long range kick going through for a goal to just about seal the game. Essendon fought on gamely for two behinds, to be two straight goals down when the final bell rang to end a great game, which just kept getting better as the day went on.
At the end of this round Carlton were in 6th spot on the ladder with a percentage of 114.4.
Team
| B: | 2 Don McIntyre | 21 Frank Gill | 26 Jim Park |
| HB: | 35 Clen Denning | 10 Jim Francis (acting capt.) | 6 Fred Gilby |
| C: | 4 Norm Cashin | 12 Creswell 'Mickey' Crisp | 32 Bob Green |
| HF: | 11 Jack Hale | 28 Jack Wrout | 25 Arch Shields |
| F: | 13 George Collard | 27 Kevin Fox | 29 Bert Butler |
| Ruck: | 15 Horrie Bullen | 14 Rod McLean | 30 Mick Price |
| 19th Man: | 17 Charlie Davey | ||
| Coach: | Percy Rowe | ||
Milestones
Last game: Clen DenningRound 9 | Round 11