The same year of 1883 saw the South Melbourne Football Club visit Maitland on July 17th 1883 to play against a team combined of clubs from Newcastle and Maitland, with South winning the game 6.9.47 to 5.10.40 at the Albion Ground in front of a crowd of approximately 500. The game was part of an onslaught by Victorian administrators to grow the game Australia wide, with the Victorian Football Association believing that the long-term future of the game was for it to be accepted in all six states.
