M.C.G. · Sat 11 Apr 1981 · 61,908 in attendance
| Team | QT | HT | 3QT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RichmondRICH | 3.5 | 7.7 | 10.11 | 118 |
| EssendonESS | 5.4 | 10.8 | 14.13 | 114 |
Quarter figures cumulative · goals.behinds. Final = 118 and 114.
Richmond won by 4 points.
17.16 (118) — 16.18 (114)
Full listed players, ordered by disposals then goals.
| Player | K | H | D | M | T | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale Weightman | 13 | 12 | 25 | 3 | — | 3 |
| Bryan Wood | 18 | 6 | 24 | 4 | — | 1 |
| Robert Wiley | 16 | 5 | 21 | 2 | — |
| 2 |
| Bruce Tempany | 12 | 8 | 20 | 2 | — | 1 |
| Geoff Raines | 15 | 5 | 20 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Barry Rowlings | 18 | 2 | 20 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Mark Lee | 12 | 6 | 18 | 4 | — | 0 |
| David Cloke | 12 | 5 | 17 | 9 | — | 4 |
| Paul Sarah | 13 | 3 | 16 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Kevin Bartlett | 13 | 2 | 15 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Merv Keane | 9 | 6 | 15 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Michael Nugent | 9 | 4 | 13 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Graeme Landy | 8 | 4 | 12 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Francis Bourke | 9 | 3 | 12 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Greg Strachan | 6 | 5 | 11 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Mick Malthouse | 7 | 4 | 11 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Michael Roach | 7 | 2 | 9 | 1 | — | 3 |
| Stephen Mount | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | — | 1 |
| Matthew Wall | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Peter Welsh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Player | K | H | D | M | T | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn Hawker | 25 | 5 | 30 | 4 | — | 0 |
| Merv Neagle | 20 | 4 | 24 | 2 | — | 1 |
| Alan Reid | 19 | 3 | 22 | 4 | — | 1 |
| Neale Daniher | 14 | 6 | 20 | 7 | — | 0 |
| Neil Clarke | 13 | 7 | 20 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Terry Daniher | 13 | 4 | 17 | 3 | — | 2 |
| Shane Heard | 10 | 6 | 16 | 2 | — | 1 |
| Tony Buhagiar | 11 | 5 | 16 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Ron Andrews | 11 | 5 | 16 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Garry Foulds | 12 | 0 | 12 | 3 | — | 7 |
| Grant Fowler | 8 | 4 | 12 | 0 | — | 1 |
| Max Crow | 10 | 2 | 12 | 4 | — | 0 |
| Phil Carman | 7 | 3 | 10 | 4 | — | 2 |
| Steven Taubert | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3 | — | 1 |
| Alan Stoneham | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Stephen Carey | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Neil Besanko | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Denis Scanlon | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Roger Merrett | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Geoff Burdett | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 0 |