1984

Coach: Ron Barassi
Captain: Robert Flower
Finishing Position: 9th
Best and Fairest: Gerard Healy
Leading Goalkicker: Kelvin Templeton (51)
Best First Year Player: Graeme Yeats
Members: 6297
Major Sponsor: Mayne Nickless/Hertz (Joint)

Matches	Ladder	Playing List	Best and Fairest	Reserves	Under 19s

In a year when the first rumblings of a breakaway national competition were led by Carlton President John Elliott, the Demons finally gave their fans some hope that a return to the finals was just around the corner.

Ron Barassi started his fourth year as coach of the Demons knowing that time was ticking on the five year plan he'd declared when he joined the club. His side had got to within a whisker of the finals the year before until a horror last month of the season saw them play, and lose to, all top four sides on the ladder. Thrashings suffered at the hands of Fitzroy and Hawthorn during those four weeks showed just how far they were behind the leading pack.

The Under 19's had won a premiership though, their second of the decade, and with young players coming through there was still some light at the end of the tunnel for the Demons.

Off-field Hertz replaced Mayne Nickless as major sponsor, paying more than $100,000 with further incentives for top five football. Hertz was a subsidiary of Mayne Nickless and it was a corporate decision to put their name on the jumper. Between Round 1 and Round 2 the VFL swapped rounds 20 and 22 due to an issue with a Hawthorn vs Sydney game proposed for the last round.

Despite Peter Moore's second Brownlow Medal the Demons suffered another second half fadeout to miss the finals. Six wins in a row between Round 8 and 13 had them inside the five, and as late as Round 18 they were only a game outside but six losses in the last seven rounds saw them finish a place lower than the previous season. Moore's Brownlow came in the first count where the votes were read on a game by game basis. Despite criticism from Barassi at the end of the season Robert Flower was five votes adrift in third.

The reserves continued the good work of the Under 19's, who had won two premierships already in the 80's, when they won the premiership. Melbourne's Little League side were the joint winners of the competition along with Hawthorn.

The club made a profit of $4,329 but were forced to issue a statement in October confirming that Barassi would continue to coach. Speculation had been that he the vacant Swans coaching job was his if he wanted it but Melbourne stood firm on keeping their man. Sydney had also had a crack at Ray Jordon but were unable to prise him away as he had a contract.

Practice Matches

Opposition	Result	Score
Sydney	LOSS	96-136
Footscray	WIN	159-111
North Melbourne	WIN	138-100

Stirling Cup

Round	Opposition	Result	Score
1	Sturt	WIN	106-97
2	Carlton	LOSS	78-93

Premiership Season

Round	Opposition	Result	Score
1	Collingwood	LOSS	107-120
2	Sydney	LOSS	98-112
3	Hawthorn	LOSS	132-138
4	Essendon	LOSS	91-126
5	North Melbourne	LOSS	98-113
6	Geelong	WIN	148-85
7	Carlton	LOSS	105-122
8	Fitzroy	WIN	92-81
9	Footscray	WIN	159-81
10	Richmond	WIN	103-76
11	St. Kilda	WIN	127-91
12	Sydney	WIN	143-46
13	Hawthorn	WIN	107-90
14	Essendon	LOSS	56-99
15	North Melbourne	WIN	117-74
16	Geelong	LOSS	108-130
17	Carlton	LOSS	26-52
18	Fitzroy	LOSS	120-152
19	Footscray	LOSS	103-135
20	Collingwood	LOSS	71-103
21	St. Kilda	WIN	100-62
22	Richmond	LOSS	117-145

Ladder

	W	D	L	%	P
Essendon	18	0	4	128.2	72
Hawthorn	17	0	5	131.7	68
Carlton	13	0	9	115.8	52
Collingwood	13	0	9	109.1	52
Fitzroy	11	0	11	102.6	44
Geelong	11	0	11	94.3	44
Footscray	11	0	11	93.8	44
Richmond	10	0	12	90.9	40
Melbourne	9	0	13	104.3	36
Sydney	9	0	13	88.1	36
North Melbourne	5	0	17	81.7	20
St. Kilda	5	0	17	75.5	20

Playing List

Number	Player	Games	Goals
1	Steven Smith	19	6
2	Robert Flower	21	28
3	Gerard Healy	20	19
4	Peter Giles	19	1
5	Ray Holden	3	1
6	Michael O'Sullivan	7	0
7	Brian Wilson	6	5
8	Peter Thorne	12	17
9	Alan Johnson	16	16
10	Danny Hughes	11	2
11	Steven Icke	19	1
12	David Williams	18	13
14	Roger Ellingworth	10	4
15	Mark Withers	5	5
16	Adrian Battiston	7	5
18	Greg Hutchison	1	1
19	Rodney Wright	6	1
20	Russell Richards	15	7
21	Peter Tossol	10	14
22	Chris Connolly	16	16
23	Kelly O'Donnell	5	2
24	Bret Bailey	12	6
25	Xavier Tanner	9	5
26	Glenn McLean	2	0
27	Glenn Boland	7	1
28	David Cordner	17	32
29	Dale Dickson	10	7
30	Peter Moore	22	5
31	Kelvin Templeton	16	51
32	Shane Zantuck	14	1
33	Greg Healy	16	25
35	Darryl Cox	3	1
43	Frank Rugolo	6	6
44	John Fidge	12	27
45	Graeme Yeats	13	0
46	Michael Reynolds	10	2
47	Alan Jarrott	21	3
48	Ross Fisher	1	0
56	Paul Earley	1	1
58	Michael Howard	2	0

Best and Fairest

	Player	Votes
1st	Gerard Healy	362
2nd	Peter Moore	306
3rd	Alan Jarrott	292
4th	Robert Flower	254
5th	Peter Giles	196
6th	David Cordner	139
7th	Graeme Yeats	134
8th	Greg Healy	132
9th	David Williams	130
10th	Shane Zantuck	96
11th	Russell Richards	79
12th	Steven Icke	78
13th	John Fidge	76
14th	Kelvin Templeton	72
15th	Alan Johnson	68
16th	Brian Wilson	59
17th	Danny Hughes	58
18th	Glenn Boland	50
19th	Steven Smith	50
20th	Peter Thorne	47
21st	Rodney Wright	31
22nd	Mark Withers	30
23rd	Bret Bailey	29
24th	Frank Rugolo	28
25th	Michael O'Sullivan	24
26th	Chris Connolly	22
27th	Michael Reynolds	19
28th	Ray Holden	16
29th	Peter Tossol	15
30th	Roger Ellingworth	12
31st	Bruce Joycey	6
32nd	Darryl Cox	4
33rd	Dale Dickson	4
34th	Kelly O'Donnell	3

Joycey did not play seniors during the year. The votes were awarded for his performance in a night match.

Other Awards
Redlegs Trophy - Chris Connolly

Tribunal

Round	Player	Charge	Sanction
Round 11	Gerard Healy	Striking	Not Guilty
Round 14	Chris Connolly	Striking	Not Guilty
Round 21	Darryl Cox	Striking	Not Guilty
Round 21	Darryl Cox	Striking	2 matches
Round 21	Darryl Cox	Attempted headbutting	Not Guilty