Round 21, 1983
Hawthorn vs Melbourne
Saturday 20 August
Venue: Waverley
Attendance: 21,192
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Hawthorn | 5.4 | 15.10 | 22.11 | 25.22.172 |
| Melbourne | 3.2 | 4.3 | 6.6 | 8.9.57 |
Hawthorn win by 115 points
Goalkickers: Robert Flower 3, Peter Moore 2, David Cordner 1, Alan Johnson 1, Frank Rugolo 1
Milestones:
First game and First goal
Frank Rugolo
Statistical categories led:
Biggest loss against Hawthorn
Biggest loss in Round 21
With their finals hopes already over, Melbourne was playing for pride against third placed Hawthorn but ended up conceding one of the largest scores in club history. At the end of a relatively even first quarter, Alan Johnson and Ron Barassi exchanged heated words during the break until Steven Icke took Johnson away. Icke had already been forced from the ground with an Achilles' injury caused by standing in a sprinkler hole on the Waverley turf. Later, Barassi refused to be drawn on the clash, saying "Johnson is a very intense player, that's all I am going to say". From there things went badly wrong for the Demons, conceding 10.6 to 1.1 in the second quarter.
Once Icke was gone, Melbourne's defence was exposed. His replacement Michael Reynolds couldn't cope, and by the time Reynolds was also injured later in the match the damage was done. Michael Tuck, returning from injury himself, had six goals and 33 touches for the day. If the Hawks hadn't hit the post five times and missed a number of sitters it could have been even more ugly.
Barassi said it was his side's "lowest ebb" for the year, and the star studded forward line ended up with just sixteen kicks between them - though those kicks delivered five of the side's eight goals.
Best were T. Fidge, Johnson and Richards. Icke received a calf injury, Reynolds an ankle injury and Flower a corked leg.
Reserves
Hawthorn 24.27.171 d. Melbourne 9.9.63
Goals - Ellingworth 2, Earley 2, Hipworth 1, Rugolo 1, Withers 1, McKenzie 1, Thomas 1
Best - Ellingworth, Withers, Earley
Under 19s
Melbourne 17.11.113 d. Hawthorn 8.7.55
Goals - Johnson 5, Healy 3, Payne 3, Bailey 2, McCarty 2, Fidge 1, Howard 1,
Best - McDonald, Mazurek, Healy
Video
Lists
Highest score conceded
100 point losses
Media
Age - Age - 22/08/1983
Westside Football - 25/08/1983
Football Record - R22 1983