Round 15, 1983
Carlton vs Melbourne
Saturday 2 July
Venue: Princes Park
Attendance: 19,301
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Carlton | 3.2 | 6.5 | 7.9 | 9.13.67 |
| Melbourne | 3.2 | 7.9 | 11.12 | 15.16.106 |
Melbourne win by 39 points
Goalkickers: Gerard Healy 3, Kelvin Templeton 3, Steven Icke 2, Rodney Wright 2, Ted Fidge 1, Peter Giles 1, Kelly O'Donnell 1, Michael Reynolds 1, Brian Wilson 1
Milestones:
Only Game
Trevor Castles
First game and first goal
Michael Reynolds
A third win a row kept the Demons chances of jumping into the five more than alive, leaving them just one game and percentage outside the finals. Spirits were high, to the point where players felt comfortable playing pranks on the coach. With a split round following Barassi arrived at training on Monday night to find a dead pigeon hanging by a rope in his locker with a note demanding the following weekend off from training “or else.” It was a harmless joke, a player found the deceased bird outside the MCG and strung it up for comic value. It was all for nothing, even before he opened his locker Barassi had told the group that they had that weekend off.
In wet conditions at Princes Park, Alan Johnson played a masterful game on a wing against the defending premiers - themselves trying to win a spot in the top five back after a disappointing season. Having lost Robert Flower and Roger Ellingworth before the match the Demons needed somebody to step up in their absence and they got their man in Johnson.
Not only was Johnson dominant but Kelvin Templeton was consistently beating his opponents up forward and youngsters like Michael Reynolds and Ted Fidge looked right home against the team that had won three of the last four premierships.
Speaking after the game Alan Johnson credited his personal improvement to relaxing and not taking the game so seriously. "After all it's a game and should be fun" he said. Which was easy to say after your side had won three games in a row for the second time in one season. He was unstoppable despite the wet conditions.
Best were Johnson, Icke and McLean
Steven Smith, Ron Barassi and Brian Wilson
Video
Reserves
Carlton 11.16.82 d. Melbourne 8.8.56
Goals - Battiston 2, Dawson 1, Howard 1, Cordner 1, Hutchison 1, Young 1, Thomas 1
Best - Hutchison, Tossol, Howard
Under 19s
Melbourne 14.9.93 d. Carlton 6.8.44
Goals - Woolfe 3, Bailey 2, Howard 2, Hutchinson 2, McDonald 2, Yeats 2, Payne 1
Best - Fisher, Hutchinson, Bailey
Media
Canberra Times - 03/07/1983
Age - 04/07/1983
Football Record R16 1983
Links
Blueseum match report