Round 10, 1987
Essendon vs Melbourne
Saturday, 30 May
Venue: Windy Hill
Attendance: 13,796
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Essendon | 1.3 | 6.8 | 8.10 | 11.14.80 |
| Melbourne | 4.4 | 5.6 | 14.9 | 15.12.102 |
Melbourne win by 22 points
Goalkickers: Bret Bailey 5, Garry Lyon 4, Russell Richards 2, Earl Spalding 2, Alan Johnson 1, Steven Stretch 1
Brownlow Votes:
3 - Bret Bailey
2 - Graeme Yeats
1 - Steven Stretch
Milestones:
Last game
Joe Rugolo
Desperate for a win to get their stuttering season back on the track the Demons got their first victory at Windy Hill in eleven years to return to just half a game outside the five.
Without Robert Flower, Peter Moore, Steve O'Dwyer, Brian Wilson, Danny Hughes, Chris Connolly and Todd Viney Melbourne may have been expected to suffer a thrashing, but while they were ascending the Bombers were swan diving down the ladder and the two sides passed each other at the Bombers home.
The Demons held a narrow quarter time lead, but by half time it looked like the Bombers had taken control. Terry Daniher and Paul Salmon formed a lethal combination in the forward line and the Demons, with Hughes absent, couldn't stop them. Unfortunately for Essendon the half time break killed their momentum before they could break Melbourne's back.
It was in the last few minutes of the third quarter that the match was one. Six goals in ten minutes put the Demons in front by 37 points at the last change.
Bret Bailey was best on ground and both Sean Wight and Steven Stretch recovered from disasterous starts to play key roles in the side. Earl Spalding and Warren Dean were also prominent.
It was Melbourne's first win at Windy Hill since 1976.
Rod Grinter was reported for striking Keane with a right arm to the face in the third quarter. He received a two match ban.
Video
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Reserves
Melbourne 10.16.76 d. Essendon 8.9.57
Goals - Normington 4, Kiley 2, G. Lovett 2, Moore 1, Sizer 1
Best - Normington, Campbell, Lovett
Under 19s
Essendon 15.14.104 d. Melbourne 8.4.62
Goals - Ward-Ambler 3, Aitken 2, Robinson 1, Howat 1, Clarkson 1
Best - Newton, Clarkson, Gow
Lists
Tribunal
Media
Age - 01/06/1987
Football Record R11 1987