Round 20, 1984
Melbourne vs Collingwood
Saturday 18 August
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 31,847
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 3.4 | 5.6 | 6.13 | 9.17.71 |
| Collingwood | 6.1 | 9.9 | 14.9 | 15.13.103 |
Collingwood win by 32 points
Goalkickers: Gerard Healy 2, David Cordner 1, Darryl Cox 1, Roger Ellingworth 1, John Fidge 1, Robert Flower 1, Greg Healy 1, Alan Jarrott 1
Brownlow Votes:
Nil
Milestones:
Nil
With the Demons chances of a finals appearance hanging on a victory against the old enemy, the match was blown out of the water when Collingwood booted four goals in a row in the first quarter.
Poor use of handball was exploited by the Magpies time and time again as they gratefully accepted any gift the Demons would offer. Melbourne lacked strength, and the run they had a month earlier had disappeared and replaced with a fumbling side reminscent of many Demons sides of the past twenty years. The Demons won the last quarter but it was too late.
Barassi declared it Melbourne's worst game of the year and described some of the skills as "kindergarden stuff". He knew that his side had blown it in the last quarter of the season just when September was in sight.
Graeme Yeats was Melbourne's best, joined by Alan Jarrott, Gerard Healy and Peter Moore but few others. Steven Icke was replaced by Rodney Wright in the selected side due to flu.
Geelong's loss to Fitzroy meant the Demons were still a chance of sneaking in if they could win both their last two games and Geelong, Footscray and Fitzroy all last their final two games. None of the three played each other so there was still a chance but it was a million to one shot by now.
It was the third time in a row the Demons had lost by 32 points, the only time in history a side has ever lost three straight games by the same margin.
Video
Reserves
Melbourne 22.18.150 d. Collingwood 10.16.76
Goals - T. Fidge 4, Hutchison 4, Templeton 4, Reynolds 3, Battiston 2, Thorne 2, Durnan 1, Howard 1, Hutchinson 1
Best - Durnan, Howard, T. Fidge
Under 19s
Melbourne 13.17.95 d. Collingwood 10.11.71
Goals - Paul McCarty 4, Grinter 3, Marra 2, Nichols 1, Stoney 1, Hannant 1, Ward 1
Best - King, Payne, Marra
Media
Age - 20/08/1984
Football Record R21 1984