The match, attended by 45,477 spectators, was won by reigning premiers Carlton by a margin of five points, marking that club's second VFL premiership victory and second in succession.

[4] Since Carlton ultimately won the game, this was the last match of the year and is retrospectively considered a Grand Final.

[8] Carlton won the coin toss and kicked with the slight breeze, but South Melbourne attacked early and had the better of play overall.

With misses to Len Mortimer, Charlie Ricketts and Hughie Callan, South Melbourne scored the first three behinds.

[10][8] Both clubs opened the game in rough style, and umpire Lardie Tulloch paid a high volume of early free kicks to keep control, after which play settled down.

[5] South Melbourne attacked, and Strang kicked two goals in quick succession to reduce the margin to three points.

[5] Their next chance, a long kick by Alex Kerr, was marked on the goal line by a Carlton defender (identified as either Doug Gillespie or Les Beck).

Carlton rebounded the ensuing kick-off to Frank Caine, and the bell rang as he was lining up for a set shot.

Game conditions favoured Carlton, but fatigue in the final quarter almost allowed South Melbourne to come back to win.

[5] South Melbourne captain Bill Dolphin praised his team, while noting that the young and inexperienced forwardline had played flustered in the final ten minutes when it missed several chances to win.

Rod McGregor was out of the Carlton team with a broken nose suffered in the semi-final and Alby Ingleman took his place; and George Curran and Bill Goddard were out of the South Melbourne team with sprained ankles, replaced by Bill Kerr and Harry Wilson.