Round 19, 1986
Melbourne vs Geelong
Saturday 9 August
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 32,635
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 2.6 | 4.10 | 13.13 | 18.19.127 |
| Geelong | 4.2 | 10.10 | 13.16 | 17.18.120 |
Melbourne win by 7 points
Goalkickers: Garry Lyon 7, Frank Rugolo 3, Adrian Battiston 1, Chris Connolly 1, Robert Flower 1, Len Gandini 1, Danny Hughes 1, Alan Johnson 1, Russell Richards 1, Brian Wilson 1
Brownlow votes:
3 - Garry Lyon
1 - Brian Wilson
Milestones:
First goal
Len Gandini (2nd game)
Last game
Frank Rugolo
The Demons had climbed off the canvas with a win against Collingwood a week earlier, and with the victory over Geelong they leapt over the Cats and out of the bottom two.
A pair of sides totally devoid of confidence put on a game so bad as to be almost comical, and 25 minutes into the second quarter the players put on a spectacle in front of the Member's Stand where after an eternity of Demons fumbling for the ball one of their opponents through all of them and picked the ball up.
Geelong looked the better of two evils in the first half, and Gary Ablett could have finished the game by half time if he could kick straight. The Cats took a six goal lead into the sheds. John Northey started the third quarter with Steve Turner in the ruck and David Allday banished to the bench, Steven Stretch on Ablett and Garry Lyon forward. It was a trio of matchwinning moves. Lyon booted three goals in three minutes to get his side back into it the match and by the last change they were just three points behind. Despite wasteful kicking in the last the Demons managed to do enough to get the four points. In front by one straight kick late in the game, Lyon made certain of victory with a point from a set shot.
The match was played as the first half of a double header, with a North Melbourne vs Footscray game following later in the afternoon.
Best were Lyon, Connolly and Turner. Payne suffered a bruised hip and Battiston a bruised arm.
Video
Reserves
Melbourne 16.23.119 d. Geelong 12.13.85
Goals - Ryan 3, Jackson 2, Withers 2, Eishold 2, J. Fidge 2, J. Rugolo 1, Dickson 1, Nichols 1, Stoney 1, Sizer 1
Best - T. Fidge, Bourke, Campbell
Under 19s
Melbourne 16.9.105 d. Geelong 9.12.60
Goals - Lawrence 3, Hewitson 3, Roewe 3, Aitken 2, Dann 2, Brodie 1, Taglieri 1
Best - Kiley, Smith, Dann
Media
Canberra Times - 10/08/1986
Age - 11/08/1986
Football Record R20 1986