Round 17, 1996
Melbourne vs North Melbourne
Friday 26 July
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 20,955
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 4.2 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 11.4.70 |
| North Melbourne | 7.3 | 13.9 | 20.12 | 28.15.183 |
North Melbourne win by 113 points
Goalkickers: Jeff Farmer 3, Darren O'Brien 2, Jim Stynes 2, Paul Hopgood 1, Anthony Ingerson 1, Andrew Leoncelli 1, Stephen Tingay 1
Brownlow Votes:
Nil
Milestones:
Last game
Jeff Hilton
First goal
Andrew Leoncelli (2nd game)
On the day that news of a potential Melbourne/Hawthorn merger broke, the Cheer Squad was banned by the club from displaying a run-through reading "We were threatened, we were told, no talk of mergers with the brown and gold" and the team ran onto the ground without a banner. The offending message was later displayed in the Southern Stand.
A night that ended in disaster didn't instantly turn sour, the Demons conceded from the first kick of the game but responded with the next two goals. They restricted the lead to 19 points at the break but looked unlikely to go with the premiership contending Roos for four quarters. A week after Shaun Smith kept Gary Ablett goalless, Melbourne had less luck with centre half-forward Wayne Carey, whose 11.2 contributed to one of the highest scores the club has ever conceded. Smith started on Carey but conceded three goals in 15 minutes, leaving David Neitz to unsuccessfully try to curb the North champion's influence.
The margin blew out to 13 goals at the last change, before North piled on eight goals to four in the last quarter to win by triple figures. Neil Balme said "We just haven't got enough good players to put on the track against good sides".
Best were Stynes, O'Brien, and Clarkson. Tingay injured his leg.
Reserves
North Melbourne 14.11.95 d. Melbourne 12.10.82
Goals - Corrigan 3, McDonald 2, Davidson 1, Doyle 1, S. Febey 1, Sampson 1, Smith 1, A. Yze 1, D. Yze 1
Best - Norman, Doyle, Corrigan
Lists
Highest Score Conceded
100 point losses
Video
Media
Age - 26/07/1996, 27/07/1996, 28/07/1996
Football Record - R18 1996
Herald Sun - 24/08/2002