By claiming their third successive premiership, Melbourne joined Carlton and Collingwood as the only clubs to achieve the feat.
Melbourne's team was understrength as they had been depleted by the war. Syd Anderson, Harold Ball, Ron Barassi and Keith Truscott, who were members of the previous season's premiership, missed the Grand Final as they were serving their country and all died in World War II.
There were sets of brothers on each team, with the Cordner brothers of Melbourne taking on the Reynolds brothers of Essendon.
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