Round 19, 1981
Essendon vs Melbourne
Saturday 8 August
Venue: Windy Hill
Attendance: 15,365
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Essendon | 1.9 | 5.12 | 9.19 | 14.20.104 |
| Melbourne | 0.2 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 9.6.60 |
Essendon win by 40 points
Goalkickers: Mark Jackson 3, Tony Elshaug 2, Des O'Dwyer 2, Shane Braddy 1, Trevor Korn 1
Milestones:
First game
Shane Braddy (and first goal)
First Goal
Trevor Korn (2nd game)
With a disappointing season rapidly drawing to a close, one of their few shining lights Brent Crosswell suspended for the rest of the year and the Demons looking unlikely to add to their one win of the year the last place they would have wanted to be in mid-August was the aptly named Windy Hill on a stormy day.
Almost certain of a place in the top five the Bombers were aiming for their 13th straight home win against a side looking at a 1-18 record. They made hard work of it, kicking 1.9 with a howling gale in the first quarter. Melbourne were played off the park and failed to kick a goal but were only 13 points behind.
Kicking into the wind in the second the Bombers were far more impressive, kicking four goals to three. They played the strong winds better, having removed a ruckman for a smaller player before the game. Melbourne initially hung around in the third quarter but conceded 4.7 to 0.1.
On a day where Reserves and Under 19's umpires took over from their senior counterparts due to a strike Mark Jackson was providing the entertainment with antics that riled the Bombers fans so much that one jumped the fence to remonstrate with him, and police had to separate them after a brief fracas. Jackson kicked three last quarter goals and contributed to his side cutting a goal off the lead but they were comfortably beaten.
Best were Flower, Elshaug and O'Donnell. Bill Nettlefold suffered a torn achilles tendon which restricted him to just one more career game in Round 21, 1982.
Reserves (Played on Sunday 9 August at Lake Oval)
Essendon 18.8.116 d. Melbourne 7.9.51
Goals - Catoggio 2, Clayton 2, Whitfort 2, Whitworth 1
Best - Whitford, Joycey, Maynard
Under 19s
Essendon 10.16.76 d. Melbourne 10.12.72
Goals - Cordner 5, McCarthy 2, Battiston 1, Connolly 1, O'Sullivan 1
Best - Battiston, Connolly, Curran
Media
Canberra Times - 09/08/1981
Age - 10/08/1981
Canberra Times - 09/08/1981
Football Record R20 1981