Kardinia Park · Sat 28 Mar 1981 · 37,256 in attendance
| Team | QT | HT | 3QT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeelongGEEL | 3.4 | 6.9 | 8.14 | 77 |
| EssendonESS | 3.2 | 4.5 | 9.8 | 71 |
Quarter figures cumulative · goals.behinds. Final = 77 and 71.
Geelong won by 6 points.
10.17 (77) — 10.11 (71)
Full listed players, ordered by disposals then goals.
| Player | K | H | D | M | T | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Featherby | 14 | 11 | 25 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Rod Blake | 13 | 10 | 23 | 7 | — | 0 |
| Ian Nankervis | 16 | 6 | 22 | 4 | — |
| 0 |
| Neville Bruns | 18 | 2 | 20 | 4 | — | 0 |
| Michael Turner | 17 | 2 | 19 | 6 | — | 1 |
| Ray Card | 15 | 3 | 18 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Gary Malarkey | 10 | 7 | 17 | 1 | — | 0 |
| John Mossop | 12 | 4 | 16 | 7 | — | 1 |
| Stephen Lunn | 12 | 4 | 16 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Tommy Floyd | 12 | 4 | 16 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Mark Bos | 10 | 5 | 15 | 4 | — | 0 |
| Bruce Nankervis | 12 | 3 | 15 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Peter Johnston | 10 | 4 | 14 | 10 | — | 2 |
| Terry Bright | 12 | 1 | 13 | 4 | — | 2 |
| Garry Sidebottom | 9 | 2 | 11 | 4 | — | 1 |
| Steve Reynoldson | 7 | 3 | 10 | 4 | — | 1 |
| Zane Taylor | 7 | 2 | 9 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Murray Witcombe | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Paul Jeffreys | 5 | 3 | 8 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Malcolm Reed | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | — | 0 |
Turner 1, Mossop 1, Lunn 1, Johnston 2, Bright 2, Sidebottom 1, Reynoldson 1, Taylor 1
| Player | K | H | D | M | T | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Buhagiar | 19 | 6 | 25 | 4 | — | 3 |
| Glenn Hawker | 18 | 6 | 24 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Alan Reid | 15 | 8 | 23 | 6 | — | 0 |
| Ron Andrews | 15 | 7 | 22 | 7 | — | 0 |
| Peter Bennett | 11 | 8 | 19 | 5 | — | 0 |
| Merv Neagle | 11 | 6 | 17 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Neil Clarke | 13 | 3 | 16 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Terry Daniher | 12 | 3 | 15 | 6 | — | 2 |
| Shane Heard | 8 | 7 | 15 | 4 | — | 0 |
| Paul Vander Haar | 14 | 0 | 14 | 7 | — | 1 |
| Grant Fowler | 8 | 6 | 14 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Stephen Carey | 9 | 5 | 14 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Max Crow | 8 | 5 | 13 | 7 | — | 2 |
| Garry Foulds | 10 | 3 | 13 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Neale Daniher | 9 | 4 | 13 | 4 | — | 0 |
| Steven Taubert | 11 | 1 | 12 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Simon Madden | 5 | 3 | 8 | 3 | — | 1 |
| Neil Besanko | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Phil Carman | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Roger Merrett | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | — | 0 |