Round 9, 1960
Fitzroy vs Melbourne
Saturday 18 June
Venue: Brunswick Street
Attendance: 23,233
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Fitzroy | 5.1 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 10.8.68 |
| Melbourne | 5.2 | 9.5 | 13.9 | 16.14.110 |
Melbourne win by 42 points
Goalkickers: Ray Nilsson 3, Geoff Tunbridge 3, Robert B Johnson 2, Ian Ridley 2, Alan Rowarth 2, Bob Turner 2, Ron Barassi 1, Trevor Johnson 1
Milestones:
Nil
Fitzroy had enjoyed a good recent record against the Demons at Brunswick Street, but after a tight first half they couldn't stop the visitors from running away to a comfortable victory.
The Maroons sprung a number of positional surprises shortly after the first bounce and it took Melbourne almost two quarters to stamp their superiority on the game. When they did it took a heroic performance by Fitzroy's defence to stop them from being thrashed. The rest of their team were completely incapable of holding off the league leaders and premiership favourites, who were dominant in the air and won the game on the ground.
In the first half Fitzroy showed better pace and teamwork, and made Melbourne look slow. But in the second the game turned, with a number of Demons who'd been down on form in the opening quarters coming to life, and Brian Dixon continuing his dominance from before the break.
Dixon, Thorogood and Barassi were Melbourne's best. Case (ankle) was replaced by Trevor Johnson in the second quarter and Ray Nilsson (thigh) by Mann in the last quarter.
It was Melbourne's best ever win at Brunswick Street at the time and gave Melbourne the best percentage at the halfway mark of the year of any team in the VFL's 12 team era.
Reserves
Melbourne 10.19 d. Fitzroy 6.16
Goals - Anderson 5, Leslie 2, B. Leahy 1, Bourke 1, Heesom 1
Best - L. Mann, B. Leahy, Pinfold
Under 19s
Melbourne 15.12 d. Fitzroy 10.6
Goals - Carroll 4, Groves 4, Murdock 3, Ingwersen 2, Bolton 1, Edwards 1
Best - Hill, Strachov, Bolton
Media
Age - 20/06/1960
Sun - 20/06/1960
Football Record R10 1950