Waverley Park · Sat 5 Sep 1981 · 58,598 in attendance
| Team | QT | HT | 3QT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EssendonESS | 0.5 | 4.8 | 11.11 | 94 |
| FitzroyFITZ | 3.4 | 7.7 | 12.11 | 109 |
Quarter figures cumulative · goals.behinds. Final = 94 and 109.
Fitzroy won by 15 points.
13.16 (94) — 16.13 (109)
Full listed players, ordered by disposals then goals.
| Player | K | H | D | M | T | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Buhagiar | 17 | 12 | 29 | 7 | — | 1 |
| Tim Watson | 18 | 9 | 27 | 8 | — | 0 |
| Garry Foulds | 19 | 3 | 22 | 3 | — |
| 2 |
| Max Crow | 15 | 5 | 20 | 12 | — | 0 |
| Glenn Hawker | 16 | 4 | 20 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Terry Daniher | 15 | 4 | 19 | 6 | — | 1 |
| Merv Neagle | 14 | 5 | 19 | 6 | — | 0 |
| Paul Vander Haar | 14 | 2 | 16 | 4 | — | 1 |
| Alan Stoneham | 11 | 4 | 15 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Grant Fowler | 8 | 6 | 14 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Stephen Carey | 10 | 3 | 13 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Shane Heard | 10 | 2 | 12 | 2 | — | 2 |
| Frank Dunell | 7 | 4 | 11 | 5 | — | 0 |
| Ron Andrews | 9 | 1 | 10 | 3 | — | 3 |
| Michael Thomson | 7 | 2 | 9 | 2 | — | 1 |
| Neil Clarke | 7 | 2 | 9 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Graeme Schultz | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Simon Madden | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Roger Merrett | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Justin Madden | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Player | K | H | D | M | T | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garry Wilson | 23 | 10 | 33 | 7 | — | 2 |
| Peter Francis | 20 | 6 | 26 | 5 | — | 0 |
| Neville Taylor | 14 | 6 | 20 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Mick Conlan | 12 | 7 | 19 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Bernie Quinlan | 13 | 4 | 17 | 5 | — | 3 |
| Les Parish | 13 | 4 | 17 | 5 | — | 2 |
| Ron Alexander | 11 | 6 | 17 | 3 | — | 1 |
| Grant Lawrie | 12 | 5 | 17 | 4 | — | 0 |
| Leigh Carlson | 9 | 5 | 14 | 4 | — | 2 |
| David McMahon | 10 | 4 | 14 | 4 | — | 1 |
| Chris Smith | 10 | 3 | 13 | 3 | — | 0 |
| Scott Clayton | 8 | 4 | 12 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Laurie Serafini | 11 | 1 | 12 | 4 | — | 0 |
| Leon Harris | 7 | 4 | 11 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Michael Poynton | 9 | 1 | 10 | 3 | — | 2 |
| Matthew Rendell | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | — | 1 |
| Des Herbert | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Terry ONeill | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Rod Lewis | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Lee Murnane | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 0 |