Round 9, 1997
Port Adelaide vs Melbourne
Friday 23 May
Venue: Football Park
Attendance: 32,958
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Port Adelaide | 4.1 | 5.6 | 7.13 | 10.18.78 |
| Melbourne | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 3.9.27 |
Port Adelaide win by 51 points
Goalkickers: Leigh Newton 2, Jeff Farmer 1
Brownlow Votes:
Nil
Milestones:
First match against Port Adelaide
Last game as coach
Neale Balme
Statistical categories led:
Lowest score against Port Adelaide and at Football Park
Melbourne's first match against the Power was the last for coach Neale Balme. The former coach of the year had seen his season destroyed by injuries and a night where his side managed just three goals was the final straw for Joseph Gutnick who, despite public support for Balme from Chief Executive Cameron Schwab, sacked him during the week.
Without any other options Balme was forced to set his forward line up around Jeff Farmer and Sean Charles, but without marking targets Melbourne were unable to score a goal in the first half. It didn't help when they lost Charles to injury in the first quarter, but having not kicked a goal since the seven minute mark of the third term the week before, they failed to boot one until eight minutes into the third quarter when Leigh Newton converted a set shot.
The Demons chipped the ball around from side to side waiting for forward options to present themselves, but there were none and it led to a terrible standard match. Melbourne's negative tactics saw them have more kicks than their opposition but most were just passes from one side of the ground, with the idea of kicking the ball in front of (Jeff Farmer and Sean Charles and hoping for their pace to make the difference failing miserably. Charles was an early casualty with an injured hamstring, leaving the visitors even less potent in attack.
Balme said "I thought we had a crack at it. They had a bit more power up forward, and a fair bit of pace on the ball, but I thought our blokes worked hard - very hard". He admitted the board wouldn't be happy with eight straight losses, but suggested the team would win more games when they got players back from injury. Ultimately he wasn't given the chance to test his theory.
Best were Clarkson, Donald Cockatoo-Collins and Stynes. Donald Cockatoo-Collins was suspended for two matches for headbutting. Damien Gaspar was reported for charging but cleared. During the match Gavin Wanganeen was accused of racially abusing Jim Stynes, but Stynes chose not to press charges with the AFL.
Reserves
Carlton 18.13.121 d. Melbourne 11.12.78
Goals - Robertson 2, David Cockatoo-Collins 2, Black 2, Irving 2, Bishop 1, Finnochiaro 1, Ward 1
Best - Robertson, Winterton, Black
Notes
Age 25/05/1997 shows the crowd as 32,658.
Lists
Tribunal
Media
Age - 23/05/1997, 24/05/1997, 25/05/1997, 28/05/1997
Football Record - R10 1997