Round 5, 1993
Melbourne vs Adelaide
Sunday 25 April
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 17,011
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 3.5 | 6.9 | 8.15 | 10.17.77 |
| Adelaide | 0.2 | 4.9 | 6.11 | 9.14.68 |
Melbourne win by 9 points
Goalkickers: Garry Lyon 4, Andy Lovell 2, David Neitz 2, Greg Healy 1, Stephen Tingay 1
Brownlow votes:
3 - David Schwarz
2 - Andy Lovell
1 - Andrew Obst
Milestones:
First win as coach
Neil Balme
After four losses to start the season under Neil Balme, Melbourne's finals hopes were already on the edge in a year with only 20 home and away games. Any hope of salvaging something from 1993 needed a win over the unbeaten Crows, and the Demons pulled off a memorable victory. Jim Stynes recovered from what had been originally listed as a six week rib injury suffered the previous week to play, extending his streak of consecutive games to 138. Stynes was one of his side's best players.
The new coach could claim credit for two tactical moves that helped deliver victory, with Andrew Obst and Glenn Lovett beating the dangerous Andrew Jarman and Chris McDermott, and Todd Viney holding Tony McGuinness. His side responded to their poor start with ferocity, laying a number of important tackles in the opening minutes of a defensive game. Tony Modra kicked five goals from limited opportunities.
Adelaide reduced the margin to 10 points in the first 30 seconds of the final term, before Melbourne went out of the centre for Garry Lyon to toepoke the ball off the outside of his boot, and into the path of David Neitz for the reply.
Crows forward Scott Hodges cut the gap to five points, then missed two shots from better positions that would have put his side ahead. The margin was still under a goal before Stephen Tingay made the result safe in time-on with another kick off the ground that narrowly eluded two Crows defenders before going through.
Balme said, "If, in four weeks' time we've won five then we're in with a chance. But we've only pinched one at this stage".
Best were G. Lovett, S. Febey and Obst. Brett Lovett had 40 disposals.
Reserves (played Saturday 24 April)
Melbourne 21.21.147 d. Geelong 15.13.103
Goals - Jakovich 5, Lamb 3, A. Campbell 2, Cuthbertson 2, Mackay 2, Stretch 2, Burgmann 1, B. Campbell 1, Dyson 1, Sullivan 1, Yeats 1
Best - Lamb, Dyson, Yeats
Video
Media
Age - 25/04/1993, 26/04/1993
Canberra Times - 26/04/1993
Football Record R6 1993