Round 1, 1969
Geelong vs Melbourne
Monday 7 April
Venue: Kardinia Park
Attendance: 23,571
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Geelong | 4.5 | 6.7 | 12.12 | 17.16.118 |
| Melbourne | 3.1 | 8.4 | 10.7 | 13.13.91 |
Geelong win by 27 points
Goalkickers: Ross Dillon 2, Gary Hardeman 2, Barrie Vagg 2, Peter Weekes 2, Stan Alves 1, Barry Bourke 1, Kelvin Clarke 1, Derek Feldmann 1, John Townsend 1
Milestones:
First Game
David Hone
John Letcher
Trevor Rollinson
The opening of the season was a disappointing one for the Demons who crashed to their seventh straight loss against the Cats, getting the new year off to a disappointing start which would ultimately end in a wooden spoon.
Cat spearhead Doug Wade was getting plenty of the ball against Tassie Johnson but had a nightmare with his kicking during the first half. Of his first five shots on goal three went out of bounds, one was a point and one went into the man on the mark. He finally converted his sixth shot from a difficult angle.
Ten minutes into the third quarter Melbourne were 15 points in front despite being on the road, kicking into the wind and were looking comfortable, having thrashed the Cats through the middle of the ground all day. It took Geelong changing tactics and attacking around the flanks for them to run over the top of the visitors.
Best were Parke, Townsend and Hone. K. Clarke and Feldmann were replaced by Vagg and Anderson respectively during the last quarter.
Reserves
Melbourne 13.14 d. Geelong 12.8
Goals - Aitken 4, Walker 3, Campbell 2, Sinclair 2, Colcott 1, Powell 1
Best - Clarke, Sullivan, Aitken
Under 19s
Geelong 18.10.118 d. Melbourne 17.12.114
Goals - Mitchell 6, Glazner 3, Roberts 3, Callery 1, Stephenson 1, Theodore 1, Walker 1, Wells 1
Best - Mitchell, Wells, Walker
Media
Age - 08/04/1969
Football Record R2 1969