Round 8, 1966
Footscray vs Melbourne
Saturday 11 June
Venue: Western Oval
Attendance: 15,983
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Footscray | 0.0 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 11.5.71 |
| Melbourne | 3.1 | 3.3 | 7.6 | 7.8.50 |
Footscray win by 21 points
Goalkickers: Rob Dowsing 2, Tassie Johnson 1, Terry Leahy 1, John Quirk 1, Barrie Vagg 1, Gary Wynd 1
Milestones:
First Game
Rob Dowsing (and first goal)
John Hamilton
John Quirk (and first goal)
Last Game and first goal
Gary Wynd (2nd game)
Despite winning their first game of the year a week earlier, the Demons were forced to make five changes, including two debutants, because of a rash of injuries and interstate team call-ups for Hassa Mann and Barry Bourke.
Neither team was amongst the contenders for the finals, and it showed when they put on a scrappy first quarter that saw the Bulldogs go into their huddle scoreless and three goals behind. The second term was a different story though, and when they had their chance with the wind the Dogs kicked five goals and restricted Melbourne to two points.
With the breeze playing havoc at the Western Oval, Footscray were then held scoreless for the second time at the same end. The gap was 16 points but Melbourne had botched many forward thrusts when their dysfunctional attacking setup failed. Ken Jungwirth, the latest to be thrown into full-forward, sat nearly fifty metres from goal during one attack and the only player in a scoring position was a resting ruckman.
Having only kicked five goals in the first three quarters the Dogs kicked six in the last quarter and held Melbourne without a goal at the end which had seen just 0.4 all day. One of their last quarter goals summed up the farcical nature of the day, Footscray's David Thorpe thumped a speculative kick inside fifty from beyond the half-forward flank but carried by the strong wind it evaded four players and trickled through for a goal despite a despairing lunge, and protestations that he'd touched it, from Tassie Johnson.
Best were Alves, Williams and Johnson. Feldman (bruised thigh) was replaced by Quirk in the second quarter.
Reserves
Footscray 11.10 d. Melbourne 10.8
Goals - Behan 3, Knight 2, Osborne 1, Callery 1, Townsend 1, Mollison 1, Smith 1
Best - Townsend, Crompton, Smith
Reported - Langford, for throwing an opponent to the ground after a mark and striking
Under 19s
Melbourne 13.19 d. Footscray 3.6
Goals - P. Johnson 4, Catlin 3, I. Johnson 2, Smith 2, Sayers 2
Best - Sinclair, Smith, Catlin
Lists
Scoreless first quarters
Media
Age - 10/06/1966
Canberra Times - 11/06/1966
Canberra Times - 13/06/1966
Age - 13/06/1966
Football Record R9 1966