Round 19, 1969
Melbourne vs Fitzroy
Saturday 23 August
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 17,790
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 2.7 | 4.10 | 8.12 | 14.13.97 |
| Fitzroy | 4.3 | 6.6 | 9.11 | 14.15.99 |
Fitzroy win by 2 points
Goalkickers: Ross Dillon 6, Barry Bourke 3, David Hone 2, Denis Clark 1, Danny Jennings 1, Greg Wells 1
Milestones:
First Game
Daryl Powell
Only game
Ray Sampson
First Goal
Danny Jennings (3rd game)
A shock victory over top of the league Carlton in Round 18 had given the Demons a chance to avoid the wooden spoon if they could beat the Roys and then South Melbourne in the last week of the season.
During the first half of the match the crowd was showing far more interest in updates of a Lionel Rose fight that were being given over the public address system, and when it was announced that Rose had lost the crowd went silence and remained subdued until after half time.
Despite trailing at every change it looked like the Demons were going to win until a 60-yard dash down the wing was capped off by Fitzroy wingman Norm Dare and the Lions hit the lead. He was thanked by the club with a prize of two tins of dog food.
The Ross Dillon and Greg Parke combination had a rare off day, but Dillon was on fire as a solo act and booted six goals. The Lions didn't have Kevin Murray, and with Paul Rowlands thumping full forward Dough Seary Fitzroy's goalkicking prowess was down.
It took Dare's great run to get Fitzroy's first win against Melbourne at the MCG for 16 years and consign the Demons to their first wooden spoon since 1951.
Best were Dillon, Rowlands and Bourke. Clark (bruised hip) was replaced by Powell in the third quarter. Sampson (strained ankle) was replaced by Osborne in the last quarter.
Reserves
Melbourne 17.24 d. Fitzroy 12.12
Goals - Vagg 4, Colcott 3, McKenzie 2, Callery 2, Stone 1, Biffin 1, Kenneally 1, Hodges 1, Hayes 1, Mitchell 1
Best - Emselle, Biffin, Kenneally
Under 19s
Fitzroy 17.22 d. Melbourne 7.11
Goals - Stephenson 3, Caulfield 1, Glazner 1, McSpeerin 1, Walker 1
Best - Missen, Gowdie, Stephenson
Media
Age - 25/08/1969
Football Record R20 1969