Round 3, 1988
Melbourne vs Geelong
Saturday, 16 April
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 30,873
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 2.8 | 4.11 | 7.15 | 9.18.72 |
| Geelong | 1.1 | 4.5 | 7.8 | 9.10.64 |
Melbourne win by 8 points
Goalkickers: Simon Eishold 2, Andy Lovell 2, Tony Campbell 1, Warren Dean 1, Ricky Jackson 1, Steven O'Dwyer 1, Earl Spalding 1
Brownlow Votes:
3 - Steven O'Dwyer
2 - Greg Healy
Milestones:
First game and First goal
Andy Lovell
Andy Lovell goalled with his first kick in league football and then kicked the winning goal deep into the last quarter, but for once it was Gary Ablett who the Demons could thank for their victory. He'd kicked three goals in the first half on Steven Stretch, before Sean Wight quietened him, but with his side less than a goal down in the dying seconds Ablett pulled in a screamer. He inexplicably missed from 20m out directly in front.
Both teams had kicked inaccurately, but Ablett's miss was crucial as the Demons swept the ball up the other end of the ground where Lovell kicked the sealer to give Melbourne their third straight win to start the season.
Best were O'Dwyer, Yeats and Dean.
John Northey called it a "good, grinding, gutsy win."
Reserves
Melbourne 23.14.152 d. Geelong 15.10.100
Goals - Williams 8, Rohde 3, Sparks 3, Normington 3, Bayes 2, Lamb 2, Stoney 1, Smith 1
Best - Bayes, Duursma, Normington
Under 19s
Geelong 16.11.107 d. Melbourne 8.14.62
Goals - Putamorsi 2, Power 1, Passington 1, Hanlan 1, Williams 1, Hollingsworth 1, Williams 1
Best - Putamorsi, Peck, Taglieri
Media
Canberra Times - 17/04/1988
Football Record R4 1988
Age - 18/04/1988