Round 7, 1992
Melbourne vs Sydney
Saturday 2 May
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 17,532
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 3.5 | 5.8 | 10.13 | 13.18.96 |
| Sydney | 2.1 | 6.9 | 10.12 | 13.18.96 |
Match Drawn
Goalkickers: Garry Lyon 3, Grant Williams 3, Darren Cuthbertson 1, Greg Healy 1, Andy Lovell 1, Michael Pickering 1, David Schwarz 1, Steven Stretch 1, Graeme Yeats 1
Brownlow Votes:
2 - Graeme Yeats
Milestones:
First Game
Wayne Lamb
After four losses in a row, including a remarkable collapse against Essendon a week earlier the Demons looked at a clash with the lowly Swans as a chance to get some confidence back into the team, but they didn't reckon on the Swans fighting the game out to the death and forcing a tie.
On the weekend that Jason Dunstall kicked 17 goals for Hawthorn and Geelong registered the highest score in the history of league football, Melbourne threw away victory for the second game in a row.
It was less dramatic against the Swans than it had been against Essendon, but still saw them give up a seven point advantage in the final 90 seconds. It was no less worrying for coach John Northey whose side was sliding out of the finals race at a rapid rate. Garry Lyon kicked the goal which seemingly saw his side home before Jim West kicked a goal at the other end to cut the margin to one before rushing through a behind which tied the scores.
Scores remained tight throughout the day but the Demons suffered a body blow in the first minute of the third quarter when Jim Stynes was knocked out by a shirtfront from Swan defender Andrew Dunkley. As the trainer attempted to assess Stynes' condition by asking the standard concussion questions the Irishman responded each time with "Stop asking stupid questions." Minutes later Dunkley was on the end of a collision with Simon Eishold.
Melbourne were having more trouble with a Sydney side missing eight senior players through injury or suspension than they should have, and alarm bells were ringing for Northey and his coaching staff. After the match, he accused his side of not being desperate enough and said "we were probably lucky to get away with a draw".
Best were Lyon, Yeats and Grinter. In addition to Stynes' concussion, Greg Healy had a hamstring injury.
The match ended Melbourne's sequence of 462 games without a draw. They hadn't had one since Round 18, 1971, more than a year before debutant Lamb was born - and wouldn't have another until 2006. It was also Melbourne's first ever draw against Sydney - having never had one with South Melbourne between 1897 and their move north.
The draw came after two matches in a row at the ground decided by one point.
Reserves
Melbourne 32.25.217 d. Sydney 13.7.85
Goals - Charles 8, Howat 6, Beveridge 6, S. Febey 2, Wearne 2, Neitz 2, Gorozidis 2, Hopgood 2, Keogh 1, Taylor 1
Best - Charles, Wearne, Hopgood
Lists
Draws
Media
Age - 03/05/1992
Canberra Times - 03/05/1992
Age - 04/05/1992
Football Record R8 1992