Round 2, 1981
Fitzroy vs Melbourne
Saturday 4 April
Venue: Waverley
Attendance: 20,107
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Fitzroy | 5.5 | 10.9 | 16.13 | 23.17.155 |
| Melbourne | 3.1 | 8.5 | 11.9 | 16.14.110 |
Fitzroy win by 45 points
Goalkickers: Mark Jackson 6, Kelly O'Donnell 4, Tony Barnes 2, Tony Elshaug 2, Gerard Healy 1, Michael Seddon 1
Milestones:
Nil
Given his first real chance to rack up a win as Demon coach, against the 1980 wooden spooners, Ron Barassi went to Waverley hoping that his team would continue the fighting spirit they'd shown against Hawthorn a week earlier but instead saw them go down limply, and defensively as a shambles, to the Roys.
The quick, fast-moving side who had given the Hawks a fright a week earlier were replaced with a slow, plodding outfit who did as much to lose the game as Fitzroy did to win it. Two goals in the last ten minutes of the first term to Bernie Quinlan gave the Lions the advantage at the first break and three goals in the first seven minutes of the second term all but put the Demons away.
The fightback came courtesy of the forwards, Mark Jackson and Kelly O'Donnell kicked two each and when Tony Barnes added another from the boundary line Melbourne had drawn to within four points. It was as close as they would get and the sheer weight of inside 50's for the Lions would get them over the line comfortably for their first win since August the year before, giving Robert Walls his first victory in charge of the club.
Barassi blamed basic skill errors and said too many of his players were doing "park things", the sheer enormity of the task he had taken on finally starting to show.
Best were Jackson, O'Donnell and Barnes. Giles (thigh) and Young (concussion) were injured.
Reserves
Fitzroy 16.13.109 d. Melbourne 13.10.88
Goals - McGlashan 5, Battiston 3, O'Brien 1, O'Dwyer 1, McCarthy 1, Zantuck 1, Withers 1
Best - Giles, McGlashan, Zantuck
Under 19s
Fitzroy 25.24.174 d. Melbourne 15.10.100
Goals - Cordner 8, Fidge 4, Bergman 1, Deakin 1, O'Sullivan 1
Best - Cordner, Fidge, Boland
Media
Canberra Times - 05/04/1981
Age - 06/04/1981
Football Record R3 1981