This season was played under the amended Argus system. Carlton was the minor premier, and Essendon had finished second. The teams both qualified for this match by winning their semi-finals matches.
If Essendon had won this match, Carlton would have had the right to challenge Essendon to a rematch for the premiership on the following weekend, because Carlton was the minor premier. The winner of that match would then have won the premiership.[1]
Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN0-670-86814-0