Round 2, 1991
Fitzroy vs Melbourne
Saturday 30 March
Venue: Princes Park
Attendance: 11,278
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Fitzroy | 1.4 | 3.7 | 4.11 | 6.13.49 |
| Melbourne | 6.5 | 15.10 | 21.17 | 27.18.180 |
Melbourne win by 131 points
Goalkickers: Darren Bennett 8, Steven O'Dwyer 3, Luke Beveridge 3, Greg Healy 3, Darren Cuthbertson 2, Simon Eishold 2, Rod Owen, Jim Stynes 2, Todd Viney 1
Brownlow Votes:
3 - Jim Stynes
2 - Glenn Lovett
1 - Todd Viney
Milestones:
First game and First goal
Darren Cuthbertson
Statistical categories led:
Biggest win and highest score against Fitzroy and at Princes Park
Highest score in Round 2
Stung by criticism after their two goal capitulation against West Coast in Round 1, coach John Northey put his sides through a series of commando drills during the week. His hard approach was repaid with a thumping victory, their biggest ever against Fitzroy and at Princes Park.
After a Round 1 bye, Fitzroy's first game of the season proved to be as traumatic as Melbourne's had been six days in early. The danger signs were on show from the first bounce, the two goals Melbourne took four quarters to kick a week earlier were matched by Luke Beveridge and Darren Bennett in the opening 30 seconds.
Bennett destroyed three opponents on route to eight goals, and with Steve O'Dwyer and Jim Stynes dominating a pair of first game ruckmen, Greg Healy was a driving force out of the centre square. The Lions were't helped by losing both of their bench players during the second quarter, at a time where Melbourne kicked eight goals in 11 minutes, then late in the term star forward Richard Osborne went down with an ankle injury.
Stynes had nearly been dropped after Round 1 but convinced Northey to keep him in the side, repaying the coach's faith with a 25 possession, two goal performance that won maximum Brownlow Medal votes.
The Demons were rampant, not kicking less than six goals a quarter all afternoon. Already more than 100 points in front at three quarter time, another six goals to two in the final term carried the margin to Melbourne's second biggest of all time. On the other side, new Lions coach Robert Shaw was left with one of the biggest first game defeats in AFL coaching history.
Comparing the performance with the Round 1 debacle, John Northey said "Right from the first bounce today you could see they were more keen, and they really wanted to get in there and show the opposition that they could play.
Best were Greg Healy, Darren Bennett and Jim Stynes.
Steve O'Dwyer was reported for striking Matthew Bourke in the second quarter but cleared. He was alleged to have struck Bourke with a roundarm action after Bourke was tackled by Simon Eishold. The umpire considered that it was unnecessary but not vicious. O'Dwyer countered that he had been attempting to tackle. Bourke denied any contact and the matter was thrown out.
Notes
Age gives the attendance as 10,999.
Video
Reserves
Melbourne 21.10.136 d. Fitzroy 18.12.120
Goals - B. Stynes 5, Lovell 4, Jackson 3, Bryce 3, Heaver 2, Spencer 1, Morrison 1, Theodore 1, Jakovich 1
Best - Spencer, Bryce, Egan
Under 19s
Melbourne 20.13.133 d. Fitzroy 10.12.72
Goals - Burgmann 5, Wilkins 3, Lamb 3, Sullivan 2, Nelson 2, B. Goldberg 1, Robins 1, Hopgood 1, Francis 1, Neitz 1
Best - Lamb, Lemon, Nelson
Lists
100 point wins
Highest Scores
Tribunal
Media
Age - 31/03/1991
Age - 01/04/1991
Age - 04/04/1991
Canberra Times - 31/03/1991