Round 1, 1968
Melbourne vs Fitzroy
Monday 15 April
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 25,064
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 4.3 | 9.4 | 11.8 | 14.10.94 |
| Fitzroy | 6.2 | 7.8 | 9.12 | 12.18.90 |
Melbourne win by 4 points
Goalkickers: Kelvin Clarke 3, Ted Lees 3, Hassa Mann 3, Stan Alves 1, Ross Dillon 1, John Townsend 1, Barrie Vagg 1, Max Walker 1
Milestones:
First game
Kelvin Clarke (and first goal)
John Forster
First Game as senior Coach
John Beckwith
John Beckwith's official coaching debut started perilously against the Roys, who only avoided the wooden spoon in 1967 by percentage. Fitzroy hadn't beaten the Demons at the MCG since 1953, and early on it looked like they were about to break the hoodoo. After twenty minutes the scores were 5.1 to nothing and it looked like the Demons were about to be blown away by their unfancied opponents.
The rest of the first quarter belonged to the Demons and they kicked four goals to one from that point, led by Hassa Mann in the centre and Ross Dillon up front and managed to cut the gap to a manageable 11 points at the first change. Kelvin Clarke goalled with his first kick, but was dragged down in the process and injured his knee. He played on until three quarter time, kicking two more goals before succumbing to knee soreness.
The two sides then traded blows for the rest of the game, with neither side being able to kick away. Fitzroy were dominant around the ground but where unable to breach the backline of Roet, Johnson and Feldman regularly enough to put a winning score on the board.
The Roys had their chances again in the last term but 3.6 hurt them and Melbourne held on to win and open their season with a victory.
Best were Dillon, Roet and Williams. Kelvin Clarke was replaced by Barrie Vagg at three quarter time. Frank Davis was an unused reserve.
Reserves
Melbourne 16.18 d. Fitzroy 11.10
Goals - Parke 5, Catlin 3, Fahey 3, Dowsing 2, Rowlands 1, G. Osborne 1, K. Osborne 1
Best - Dowsing, Sullivan, Rowlands
Under 19s
Melbourne 15.14 d. Fitzroy 12.14
Goals - Colcott 3, Sampson 3, Callery 2, Guest 2, Hill 2, Gough 1, McKenzie 1, Wells 1
Best - Sampson, O'Farrell, McKenzie
Lists
Goal with their first kick
Notes
A teamsheet from the Under 19s shows the 15 goals being split Mervicich 4, Colcott 3, Hill 2, G. Emselle 2, Guest 1, Gough 1, McKenzie 1, Wells 1
Some sources say Clarke was replaced at half time.
Media
Football Record R2 1968
Age - 16/04/1968
Herald - April 1968