Round 23, 1991
Footscray vs Melbourne
Sunday 25 August
Venue: Western Oval
Attendance: 16,380
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Footscray | 0.1 | 1.4 | 3.8 | 6.9.45 |
| Melbourne | 2.4 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 8.8.56 |
Melbourne win by 11 points
Goalkickers: Allen Jakovich 3, Luke Beveridge 1, Simon Eishold 1, Brent Heaver 1, David Schwarz 1, Jim Stynes 1
Brownlow Votes:
2 - Jim Stynes
Milestones:
Last MFC Game
Steven O'Dwyer
Last Game
Jay Viney
Once again needing a win to keep their finals hopes alive the Demons eked out a narrow victory in a terrible game. Melbourne beat the Dogs comfortably in the first half before succumbing to their own lapse in the second and nearly throwing the game away.
Having kept Footscray to one goal by half time Melbourne managed just a point in the third term and were playing like a team who thought their season was over. It was only the home side's pathetic forward structure and lack of key targets which stopped them from kicking a winning score. At the other end Allen Jakovich kicked 3.6, two out on the full and four that didn't make the distance.
Best were J. Stynes, Yeats and B. Lovett. Steve O'Dwyer was reported for for charging Tony Liberatore and suspended for one match, keeping him out of the Demons first final. He would not play for the Demons again.
The result meant that Melbourne went into Round 24 with the bye needing Collingwood to lose to Geelong. The Cats saluted by 41 points and Melbourne slipped into the six. Bulldogs coach Terry Wheeler was less than complimentary, saying "If Melbourne are a finals side perhaps the system is a joke. If that's what the final six is encouraging then maybe we are barking up the wrong tree".
Reserves
Melbourne 20.10.130 d. Footscray 16.15.111
Best - Francis, Grinter, Lovell
Goals - Gorozides 7, Lovell 4, Wearne 3, Flintoff 2, Cuthbertson 2, Nelson 1, Grinter 1
Under 19s
Melbourne 12.13.85 d. Richmond 10.10.70
Best - Carroll, Siderellis, Coote
Goals - McCarthy 4, Sullivan 2, Lemon 2, O'Brien 1, Fafatoulis 1, Coote 1, Harwood 1
Video
Lists
Tribunal
Media
Age - 26/08/1991
Canberra Times - 26/08/1991
Canberra Times - 27/08/1991