The league's normal finals venue, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, remained unavailable as it was still set up for military use, as it had been for the previous four years.

South Melbourne finished the home-and-away season as minor premiers with a 16–4 record, having sat atop the ladder continuously since Round 3.

South Melbourne attacked first after the stoppage, but managed only two behinds, before Carlton kicked three consecutive goals from general play – by Jim Mooring, Jack Bennett and Mick Price – to take an eight-point lead shortly before half time.

Carlton players remonstrated with Jack Williams, and Spokes once again held up play as police entered the arena to assist with breaking up the fight.

No players were reported in the fracas, and South Melbourne's Brian Kelly limped from the ground with a cartilage injury, replaced by Ron Hartridge.

With players still out of position following the restart of play, South Melbourne cleared and Vic Castles scored his third goal of the quarter straight off the centre bounce, right before the half time bell.

Alan Linden scored a goal for South Melbourne from a holding the ball free kick, but this was soon after answered by Carlton's Jim Mooring.

As the quarter began, Chitty was put down in an incident with Nash; Spokes again held up play and police entered the field to break up any potential disturbance.

South attacked strongly, but after ten minutes, Carlton's Clinton Wines kicked a goal after catching Don Grossman holding the ball, and the margin was extended back to 23 points.

[5] South Melbourne attacked strongly to mount an attempted comeback in the aftermath of the melee, but managed only 1.3 from four easy shots, the only goal scored by Smith from a scrimmage at the boundary line.

[5] Carlton still led by only 16 points with seven minutes remaining, before late goals to Chitty and Baxter put the game beyond South Melbourne's reach.

[5] Overall, the game was considered a poor exhibition of football, with inclement weather, weak skills, rough play and melees.

Sportswriters praised the play of both teams' defences, and Carlton full-back Vin Brown was considered the best player on the ground for his consistent work in repelling the South Melbourne attacks.

[5] The roughness of play, and the high number of reports, suspensions and melees, drew heavy comment from sportswriters and public at the time.

The Mirror in Perth noted "widespread disgust has been expressed throughout Australia at the exhibition of alleged football staged by Carlton and South Melbourne in the VFL Grand Final last Saturday".

The Record, the local newspaper circulating in South Melbourne, reported that "to say the match was a 'shameful spectacle' and 'a blot on the game' is sheer hypocrisy, as anyone who has followed League football during the last few years knows that roughness is the rule rather than the exception.

[17] The VFL met in November to discuss its position on a variety of potential national rule changes to reduce congestion – such as re-abolishing the boundary throw-in in favour of a free kick, re-introducing the flick pass, and reducing the number of players on the field – as well as direct measures against violent play – including introducing order-off provisions, and appointing stewards to report players instead of umpires – but ultimately supported none of them.

He also happily recalled getting away with punching out Bob Chitty in the final quarter, in retaliation for Chitty's two second-quarter strikes against South Melbourne's youngsters Ron Clegg and Bill Williams, which started the game's melees; and, said that Jim Cleary, who was nicknamed "Gentleman Jim" for his reputation as a fair player,[24] was very unlucky to be suspended for eight weeks for what he thought was an honest attempted spoil on Hands.

South Melbourne brought in Reg Richards (who had missed the semi-final with illness) and Alan Linden, omitting Roy Porter and Max Blumfield.