Determined Dees Ultimately Unable To Destroy Dogs’ Dream

Liam Chambers

Dees keep the Dogs in check

Aaron Naughton opened the scoring after he marked in the pocket, then made sure with the 25m set shot. So far, it had been a high speed, low pressure game with few chances going the Demons’ way.

Up the other end, the Bulldogs were making the most of their opportunities, kicking a second goal off a mistake in defence. Sam Darcy took advantage of his unexpected gift and tapped the ball through from the goal square.

Finally though, Jake Melksham put Melbourne on the board with his thirtieth goal of the season. He had a couple of attempts at the contested mark, but firmly held on and then went back to slot the 25m set shot from directly in front.

Jacob van Rooyen’s earlier attempt at goal was offline, but his second attempt with a 40m set shot was perfect, and it was a one point game. Lachie Bramble brought it back to eight in the Dogs favour with his 45m launch; bouncing the ball in the square and across the line.

Then Jai Culley snapped it back to a single point when he collected the ground ball in front of goal, before spinning around and driving it through the uprights.

Bulldogs narrowly extend their lead in a low scoring quarter

Aaron Naughton again opened the scoring with a contested mark in the pocket, and a clinically executed 45m set shot.

Bailey Fritsch had his first of the day when he ran hard to mark the ball in the right hand pocket, after Kozzy Pickett’s long kick into space. With the shot on his preferred side, the left footer had no problem kicking the round the corner goal.

Lachie McNeil kicked the next goal for the Dogs after his second attempt from the top of the square. It was a low scoring quarter, with the margin continuingly hovering around the ten point mark in the Dogs favour.

Terrific term for the Demons, as they take the lead into three quarter time

Aaron Naughton yet again scored the opener; this time running out to take a contested mark. His 30m conversion from in front of goal gave his side a sixteen point lead.
Then two minutes later, Naughton took a diving mark in front before slotting the 40m set shot.

The Demons were now trailing by twenty one points and desperately needed to do something quickly to stem the Dogs’ momentum.

Then Kade Chandler was paid a free kick in the pocket after his mark was impeded. The set shot was on target, and the Melbourne renaissance began. Bailey Fritsch had his second after some flowing transition footy from the Dees got the sherrin inside 50. The ball bounced 20m in front of goal, favoured Fritsch, who collected and ran on, before tapping it through from the top of the square.

Melbourne then had a couple of chances to take the lead, but were unable to capitalise before Bailey Williams stretched the margin back out to fourteen points, with his tap through from the square.

Kozzy Pickett was having a quiet game by his recent standards, but he made a statement when he scooped up the ground ball, and found a pathway to goal through the Bulldogs defence.

Then another Melbourne surge got the ball back inside 50, where Harvey Langford grabbed it and handpassed to Petty, who then snapped from 10m to reduce the deficit to two points.

The Dees were now in full flow, playing with an urgency not seen in recent times.

Jake Melksham took a brilliantly contested mark deep in the pocket. He took his time to assess his options, before kicking the 40m round the corner set shot, giving Melbourne the lead for the first time in the match. The Demons had little time to enjoy the upper hand before Sam Darcy took back the lead with a 35m set shot.

Then with just over a minute left on the clock, Max Gawn took a contested mark near the top of the square, before going back and kicking his sixth goal of the season, with an around the corner set shot. An upset looked well and truly on the cards, when Christian Petracca collected the bouncing ball inside 50 and ran on towards the unguarded goal, launching from the square to extend the lead out to ten points.

Bulldogs fightback for a narrow win in the final quarter

With their season on the line, the Bulldogs desperately needed the first goal, and they got it when Luke Cleary found himself with enough space inside 50 to launch a kick from 30m, drawing his side to within three points of the Dees. The Dogs then regained the lead, when Ed Richards’ launch from 60m crossed the line.

It wasn’t over yet though, and Harrison Petty’s 30m set shot from the pocket put the Demons back in front. It was also Petty’s one hundred AFL goal.

Ed Richards made it back to back goals with his round the corner set shot from the boundary line, restoring the lead to the Bulldogs in a seesawing final term. Riley Garcia then made it back to back for the Dogs, when his round the body snap from 40m went through.

A ten point lead with twelve minutes on the clock meant the visitors had all the momentum, but Melbourne wasn’t going to die wondering. Harvey Langford is an exciting and talented young player, who will hopefully be at the Dees for many years to come. His brilliantly contested mark in the pocket and his calmly taken round the corner set shot had his side back in contention.

Blake Howes could not have picked a better time to score his first AFL goal. The 50m set shot had the distance and the accuracy to give Melbourne back the advantage, with under nine minutes left to play.
Rhylee West then kicked an enormously important goal, from a difficult angle to again restore the Bulldogs’ lead. Aaron Naughton was able to keep the ball in play after it was going behind for a minor score, before launching from the edge of the square. Ten point lead to Dogs.

When Petty slapped the sherrin into Daniel Turners path as he ran towards the square, the big defender had just enough time to scoop it up and tap it over the line and keep the upset alive.

Unfortunately, the cards didn’t fall Melbourne’s way, and when Sam Darcy took a literally breathtaking mark, the Dogs took control of the ball and prevented the Demons from getting anyway near their goal.
It was a terrific match and was almost one of the upsets of the season. Still, we can be proud of the way our players performed after what was a tumultuous week for the club.

Two extremely difficult games in the final rounds, with Hawthorne first and then reigning premiers Collingwood. Neither side will be taking Melbourne for granted after their spirited display against the Dogs.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 19 – Carlton V Melbourne – Just Pipped Again

Liam Chambers

Some good Melbourne moments

After some very close loses to the Blues in recent times, Melbourne would be hoping for another win after last’s weeks victory over the Roos.

It wasn’t the ideal start for us when Charlie Curnow was able to get a snap away, 20m out, and score his first goal in a month. I’m not sure how to explain our effect on opposition players who are going through a dry scoring patch; we always seem to enable them to raise their game.

Up the other end, Jacob Weitering made his intentions clear, very early on, that the Demons would have to work extremely hard to get past the seemingly one man defence. Weitering was unable to do much about Kozzy Pickett though, when the high scoring forward quickly recovered from an initial fumble to snap Melbourne’s first goal from 20m in the pocket.

Curnow had well and truly put his goal kicking jitters behind him when he marked near the top of the square, then kicked the around the corner set shot to claim his second major in less than seven minutes. Carlton appeared to have decided to keep kicking towards goal, hoping that eventually the sherrin would go through the uprights. After Matthew Carroll’s initial inaccurate 50m set shot didn’t make the distance, two other Carlton players had an attempt, before Ashton Moir’s snap from the goal square went through.

High scoring Jake Melksham pulled one back for the Dees when he was impeded in the pocket and drew the free. His calmly taken shot was perfectly executed, and it was back to a one goal game. Kozzy managed to place himself in the perfect position to received Cabel Windsor’s kick from the wing. The conversion from 35m easily hit the target and it three goals apiece.

The game continued to stay very close until a minute before quarter time when Adam Cerra was awarded a 50m penalty under the highly confusing rules about protected areas. The result was a point blank set shot and unmissable goal for Cerra.

Carlton have the best of the quarter

After the break, Ashton Moir extended Carlton’s lead to fourteen points when he successfully kicked a 50m set shot, after an intercepted mark just inside the arc.  The margin continued to hover around the fifteen point mark for the majority of the quarter, with Melbourne having few chances to build on their first term score.

The best chance of a goal was denied when Christian Petracca’s kick to Jacob van Rooyen was deemed to not be 15m, immediately putting both van Rooyen and Caleb Windsor under unexpected pressure, and resulting in a miss by Windsor. The 15m rule is laughable at times. Kicks that evidently don’t meet the required distance are allowed, while sometimes kicks of 10m are waived through.

Then just before half time, Ashton Moir kicked his third of the game for the Blues when he ran out to mark the ball inside 50, before converting the 45m set shot.

Melbourne storm back, before Blues regroup

Trailing by twenty one points at half time is never ideal, but Carlton’s Achilles heel seems to be the third quarter, and we didn’t want them to rectify that particular blemish on our watch.

It didn’t take long for Melbourne to give the Blues something to think about, when Jacob van Rooyen took a contested mark in the pocket, then went back to make sure with the set shot. Five minutes later Bailey Fritsch took a diving mark, just inside the arc, and showed that he’s lost none of his goal scoring capabilities with a perfectly taken 50m set shot.

Kozzy Pickett made it a one point game when his 45m round the corner kick from the boundary line went through. Few players would have attempted that goal, but Kozzy is currently full of self belief. Pickett made it back to back goals, and showed he can kick from any angle, when his 45m from deep in the opposite pocket spun through the uprights.

Francis Evans ensured that it wasn’t all one way traffic when he ran out to mark the ball in the pocket, before slotting the 45m shot. Unfortunately, a few minutes later, Evans was collected by Stephen May in a horrible collision that was unavoidable but looked bad in the slow motion replay. It looks like May will have to sit out the next three games. Not ideal, when Stephen is the soul of our defence.

Ashton Moir took the resulting free kick and slotted his fourth goal of the evening. Flynn Young increased Carlton’s lead to ten points when he scored his first AFL goal with a 50m set shot.

Demons win quarter, but not by enough

Bailey Fritsch gave the Demons their perfect start to the fourth quarter, when he ran out to mark Kozzy Pickett’s perfectly placed kick. Fritsch’s form is improving with every game and the 45m set shot was never going to miss.

Sam Docherty was determined not to let Melbourne get a run of goals like they did in the previous term, when he secured a free kick 30m from home. The goal stretched Carlton’s lead back out to eleven. Then Matthew Carroll made the Dees’ job just a little more difficult when he launched a kick from just inside the arc to push the margin out to seventeen points.

After a few almost there attempts, Melbourne finally got their second goal of the quarter, when Kozzy inserted himself into the middle of the pack and got boot to ball at the top of the square. His kick sent the sherrin across the line, claiming his fifth goal in the process.

Matthew Jefferson is increasingly becoming an important player for Melbourne. His efforts on goal are hit and miss, so to speak, but his set shot effort from 40m, though a tad low, got there in the end, and that’s all that matters.

It was gearing up to be another extremely close result, with just two points separating the sides.  It could have been a different result and in Melbourne’s favour, if 200th gamer Clayton Oliver’s tackle inside 50 was paid. It wasn’t, and the Blues were able to regroup and make their way up the ground. Then Charlie Curnow kicked a 55m set shot, and that was all she wrote.

Next up it’s away at St Kilda. Again, we’ll be playing against a side who have won only six games this year and who have lost all of their last six contests. Coincidentally, their last win was against us in Round 12.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 18 – Melbourne V North Melbourne

Playing Well Is The Best Revenge

Liam Chambers

North win the quarter after a promising start for Melbourne

It’s no secret that our last encounter with the Roos, in Round 2, was a shock for all involved. Even though we had lost the previous game, it was by a slim margin and against an opposition with finals aspirations. The fifty nine point mauling at the hands of North was most definitely not expected and the lads would be fired up to ensure that there was no humiliating repeat on this occasion.

It took ten minutes for the first goal of the game, but it was worth the wait. Jake Melksham took a contested mark 60m out, then launch towards the square where Kozzy Pickett was waiting. The small forward showed again how good he is at marking in tight contests, grabbing the sherrin before quickly turning and running on, smashing it into the stands.

After the bounce, Pickett was involved again, taking a handpass from Christian Petracca, then launching the ball down the ground, where it bounced just outside the 50m arc. Then it bounced again and Bailey Fritsch was in the right spot to collect and control the ball before running on and snapping from 20m out, to make it back to back for the Demons.

North Melbourne had their first goal when Harvey Cooper ran out to take an uncontested mark before going back to successfully kick the 35m set shot. Jack Darling made it two in a row for the Roos when he was awarded a free kick in front of goal. The high scoring veteran had no problem converting the set shot, and North had a one point lead. Then Paul Curtis took a mark at the top of the square and increase the margin to seven.

Jake Melksham has been on fire in the last couple of games and he made the 50m set shot look easy, drawing his side level at 20 points apiece.

Then the exact scenario that teams desperately want to avoid, happened. With thirty seconds left in the quarter, Paul Curtis marked in the pocket and kicked the goal just as the siren was sounding.

Dees finally get into their stride

It was beginning to look like déjà vu all over again when Jack Darling kicked the opener of the second term, after taking a contested mark 20m out. With the lead out to eleven points, Dees’ fans were getting nervous.

However, Matthew Jefferson quickly steadied the ship when he performed an impromptu juggling act near the boundary line on the edge of goal. His around the corner set shot went through and fans’ jitters were settled. Ed Langdon then put Melbourne ahead with his 15m snap from the pocket. Kade Chandler’s hasn’t been scoring as regularly as earlier in the season, but his running chip from 35m was perfect.

As the term progressed, the Roos began to apply more pressure on Melbourne but they were unable to take advantage of their scoring opportunities, and the Dees remained five points ahead going into the main break.

Melbourne increase their lead

Max Gawn is well known as an inaccurate goal kicker, but his set shot launch from 50m was something special and gave the Dees a ten point lead. Bailey Fritsch stretched it out to sixteen when he marked and hit the target with the 50m set shot, making it five in a row for the Demons.

Cameron Zurhaar stopped Melbourne’s momentum when he was taken high in the pocket and went back to kick the set shot.

Jake Melksham continues to make his case regarding a contract renewal for next season. His contested mark and subsequent set shot from 45m was elite.

Cameron Zurhaar then kicked his second after he tackled Jake Lever, and the defender was pinged for holding the ball. Zurhaar’s goal reduced the margin back to eleven. Zurhaar then won another free kick and made it three in a row. The gap narrowed to three points.

Kade Chandler had definitely rediscovered his goal kicking mojo when he kicked his second from 30m, snapping it off his right boot.

Earlier I said that teams hate it when the opposition get a scoring opportunity right at the end of the quarter. I forgot to mention that we love it when we’re in that position. Riley Hardeman gifted Melbourne that opportunity when carried the ball across the boundary line while under no immediate pressure. Jacob van Rooyen was closest to the ball, so he got to take the set shot. His around the corner from 10m curled nicely through the uprights.

Another good final quarter for Melbourne

Leading by sixteen at the start of the final term, Jake Melksham quickly increased that to twenty two when he marked in the pocket, then just squeezed the sherrin through the inside of the left upright. Melksham made it back to back and four for the afternoon, when he ran out to mark the ball; going back to successfully slot the 30m shot.

It was five goals in a row, when Koltyn Tholstrup calmly chipped the ball 10m, from a tight angle in the pocket, while under pressure from two North players.

It wasn’t all one way traffic though, as Harvey Cooper remined us when he snapped from 30m, reducing Melbourne’s lead to twenty eight points.

Bailey Fritsch pumped it back up to thirty four when he was able to take an uncontested mark in the pocket and claim his hat trick for the game. After the bounce, the ball was back inside the Dees’ forward fifty, and Bailey decided that three was enough for awhile. He marked 20m out, then hand passed it over the top to Melksham, who ran on and slammed it through from the square. Five goals for the veteran. With unselfish acts like that, the Demons are in a good place and playing like a team again.

Jack Darling didn’t want a reverse scoreline of the Round 2 result, and his kick from 40m had just enough length to cross the goal line untouched. Harvey Cooper made it consecutive majors for North with his 50m set shot and gave the Dees something to think about.

Tom Sparrow was able to halt the Roos resurgence, when he took an intercept mark inside 50, then went back to launch the 50m kick. Less than a minute after his brilliant goal, Tom Sparrow was knocked out cold, after a strike by Tristian Xerri caught him high. The normally calm and collected captain Gawn was not happy and made his feelings known to his rival ruckman. The best you can say about Xerri’s contact, was that it was reckless. He is a big guy, and a direct hit to the jaw from his forearm, wouldn’t be nice. Thankfully, Tom is on the mend.

Max Gawn then showed that the best revenge is playing your best game. His run on, after taking the ball from a stoppage, and centring kick to inside 50 was impressive. Speaking of impressive, Christian Petracca then collected the bouncing sherrin, broke a tackle and then snapped through for a goal.

Harvey Cooper decided a hat trick would be a nice twenty first birthday present to himself, when he ran out to take the mark, then converted the 45m set shot. Tracca had a chance to go back to back with his 50m shot from deep in the pocket, but the ball drifted for a behind.

Next up is Carlton. We’ve played some close fought contests recently, and it looks like Saturday’s game will be tight. Of course, I’m backing Melbourne to win.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 17 – Adelaide V Melbourne

Melbourne Fight The Good Fight But Crows Just Too Good

Liam Chambers

Dees show they’re equal to Adelaide but struggle to convert

The Demons demonstrated again last week that they can take the game to the more successful sides in the competition. We would have got up over the Suns had we not faltered so badly in the opening term. The Crows at home would be a more daunting task, but we know on the day we can match any team. 

That was on display when Trent Rivers kicked the first goal with his effort from just inside the arc. Christian Petracca also showed some fancy footwork through traffic in getting the ball to his team mate Rivers. Melbourne was ticking all the boxes, applying pressure to their opponents, transitioning the ball up the ground. Accuracy on goal continues to be a concern though.

Izak Rankine got Adelaide on the board when he marked in the pocket, then went back to slot the 20m set shot. Next up was veteran Tex Walker, who took a mark deep in the left hand pocket. His around the corner shot had the perfect bend to sail through the uprights.

There were other opportunities for the Dees but we were unable to make the most of them and the Crows went in three points up at quarter time.

Melbourne dominate early, but Adelaide launch a revival in the latter half of the term

Melbourne continued to control the game in the second term and got their reward when a mistake in Adelaide’s defence allowed Kozzy Pickett to pounce and grab the sherrin, snapping it goalward, where it bounced in the square and shot across the line.  

Jacob van Rooyen made it consecutive goals for the Dees when he was awarded a 50m penalty and showed that he’s been practicing his technique by easily slotting the 25m set shot. Van Rooyen had back to back goals when he marked deep in the pocket, then kicked the perfect bender from 45m to put Melbourne sixteen points in front.

By now the Demons were dominating in all areas, denying the Crows their preferred game.

After the bounce, Melbourne was straight back inside 50, where Jake Melksham was impeded while going for the mark. He kicked the subsequent set shot to make it four in a row for Melbourne. Make that five in a row. Kozzy took the perfect mark when he climbed up the back of Max Gawn. His around the corner set shot sailed through and the Dees were up by twenty eight points.

Finally Izak Rankine loosened the Dees’ grip on the game when he marked in the pocket. It was in a similar position to where he marked when he scored his first quarter goal, and it was a similar result when he kicked the set shot. Then Rankine made it back to back goals for the Crows when he snapped from 40m.

The momentum was well and truly back with Adelaide after Tex Walker ran out to mark the ball, then went back to take the kick. Fortunately Tex hooked the kick but the atmosphere had changed with the Oval crowd rediscovering their voice. Walker didn’t miss with his next shot, launching from 40m, the ball bounced in the square and through the posts.

There were no more majors for the half but the Crows continued to pepper the goal and by the main break it was down to a five point advantage in favour of Melbourne.

Crows take back the lead

Adelaide’s momentum continued gathering pace at the start of the second half, with Ben Keays receiving the handball at the edge of the square, before dribbling it across the line.

The Crows were dominating territory, not allowing Melbourne any chance to control the game. When Izak Rankine kicked his fourth with a running snap from 20m out, the signs were good for the home side, but ominous for Melbourne.

Nothing that the Demons tried was working, and Adelaide was dictating the terms of play. Izak Rankine eventually kicked his fifth goal, and the Crows sixth in a row, with his round the corner 30m set shot.

Jake Melksham finally arrested Adelaide’s momentum when he snapped a 30m goal. It was something from nothing, and the Dees were back in contention.

Unfortunately, the jubilation was only fleeting, as Zac Taylor was able to take an uncontested mark and convert the 30m set shot. Then another blow for Melbourne. Jake Lever was escorted off the ground limping; luckily the injury wasn’t too serious. Darcy Fogarty added to the pain with his contested mark in the pocket and successful set shot, increasing the advantage to twenty points.

Melksham has been invaluable to Melbourne this year, just getting better with age. His set shot from 50m reduced the margin to fourteen points.

Sadly, two minutes later, Darcy Fogarty did the same thing from a similar position and range. Margin back to twenty. But wait… there is a footy god. The review deemed that the sherrin had touched the upright and it was back to fifteen.

Demons win final quarter battle but lose the war

It was the perfect start for Melbourne when Jake Melksham took a mark deep in the pocket and converted the difficult 45m shot, to reducing the Dees’ deficit back to single figures. Then Darcy Fogarty played party pooper again with his round the corner snap from 35m. Back to fifteen.

Tom Sparrow’s running kick from 35m reduced the gap to nine points and at that stage, it was anyone’s game. Then Daniel Curtain took a contested mark at the top of the square and converted the set shot. Ben Keays’s acrobatic effort on the goal line was eventually deemed to be a goal, overturning the line umpire’s decision, and the margin was now a very difficult twenty one points.

With just over five minutes left on the clock, Bailey Fritsch was held at the top of the square and went back to kick the goal. Kozzy almost had one of the goals of the season, but Josh Worrell just got a hand to it. What might have been…?  Then with less than two minutes to go, Fritsch also had a shot touched on the line.

Great effort by the Dees against one of the favourites, but unfortunately it was not to be.

Next, we take on North Melbourne. I have a feeling it will be a different result from the Round 2 trashing we suffered at the hands of the Roos. Still, never underestimate a team coached by Alastair Clarkson.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 16 – Gold Coast V Melbourne

Dees Get Sun Burnt On The Coast

Liam Chambers

First quarter Demons still in holiday mode

After notching up a couple of minor scores, Gold Coast kicked their first major when Ben Long ran out to take an inside 50 mark. He had no problems converting the set shot to give the home team an eight point advantage.

Despite dominating possession and territory, the Suns were unable to convert all that pressure into a larger advantage. That changed in the sixteen minute, when Joel Jeffery’s kick from 40m sailed through, extending Gold Coast’s lead to seventeen points.

After the centre bounce, Melbourne became more serious about taking on their opponents and started to get the ball into their forward half. After repeat inside 50s by the Dees, Jake Melksham almost kicked the first goal for his side, but the effort was touched on the line, denying him what would have been a spectacular goal.

After the near miss, the Demons were back defending against another Suns’ onslaught; the only thing saving Melbourne from being completely overwhelmed in the first quarter, was Gold Coast’s inaccuracy in front of goal. Unfortunately, Jed Walter was gifted a 50m penalty, which meant he was kicking a set shot from the goal square and therefore almost uncertain to miss. He didn’t disappoint the home fans.

Next up Bailey Humphrey took a mark in the pocket 20m from goal and made sure with the set shot. Then Touk Miller made it three in a row for the Suns when he marked directly in front and converted the 30m set shot.

Quarter time couldn’t come quickly enough for Demon fans, and when Ben Ainsworth marked in the pocket, we all held our breath while he went back for the set shot. Thankfully he hooked the kick and Melbourne was able to hang on till the siren, going in at the break trailing by thirty six points.

The Dees get back into the competition

Melbourne needed to produce something special in the second term after an uninspired opening quarter. Straightaway it was obvious that the Dees’ pressure had moved up several gears and it paid off early when Harrison Petty snapped a goal, after Jack Viney’s effort at ground level got the ball to his teammate.

Ben King stretched the Suns’ lead back out to thirty six points when he took a contested mark in the pocket and made the set shot look easy. Then, another set back for the Demons when Petty took a concerning knock to the head and was walked off for an assessment.

Jake Melksham has kicked some great goals over the course of his career, and he can add number 200 to that impressive tally. The hook kick from 45m deep in the pocket was spectacular.

Clayton Oliver was the second casualty for the Dees after he connected with Touk Miller. Oliver came off after the collision, just before Ben Long converted the set shot from the resulting free kick. The margin was back to thirty five points.

After the centre bounce, Kozzy Pickett was awarded a free kick for tackling Bailey Humphrey, who was pinged for holding the ball. Max Gawn ran downfield to inside 50, where he then went up to mark Pickett’s kick. The Big Fella notched up his hat trick for the season with his accurate kick from 25m directly in front.

Then after the bounce, another inside 50 mark, this time from Melksham, also marking a Pickett kick. His 50m set shot reduced the margin to twenty three points. Unfortunately Ben King brought the Dees back to reality with his imposing contested mark, right on the edge of the square. His second goal was never in doubt, and it was back out to thirty.

Melksham was having a quarter to remember after he took a mark on the edge of 50 arc, then went back to slot his third goal from 55m.

Suns extend their lead

Melbourne started the second half in a much better position, but still trailed Gold Coast by four goals. Kozzy had been instrumental in two of his side’s goals in the second quarter, but his first individual shot of the game was classic Pickett.

It didn’t take long for the Suns’ response however, and it came when Ethan Read marked just inside 50. His set shot was good, and it was back to twenty four points. Bailey Humphrey stretched it out to thirty one when his snap from 40m went through.

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen an old school all in melee, but we got one when Ben Ainsworth was collected high after marking in the pocket. Then Steven May was knocked to the ground and players were streaming from every quarter to get in on the action. Meanwhile Ainsworth played on to advantage and snuck one in while everyone else was otherwise engaged. I’m not sure that Ainsworth didn’t run more than fifteen metres before kicking the ball, but I was unable to see his full run, and the goal stood anyway.

By now it was looking as though the hill was too high for Melbourne to scale, but Bailey Fritsch’s mark just inside 50 gave fans a glimmer of hope. His kick from the 50m line had both accuracy and length and the Dees were still in it.

Ainsworth put some doubt back in Melbourne minds when he marked at the top of the square, then played on for his second goal. It seemed a bridge too far for the Dees after Connor Budarick launched from 40m to claim his first goal of the year. Then, with thirty seconds left on the clock, Jed Walter scored his second with a chip from 15m out to give Gold Coast a forty six point lead heading into the final term.

Mighty last quarter effort from Demons not enough for victory

The margin continued to hover around the forty six mark, as both sides had opportunities but were unable to convert.

Then, at the ten minute mark, Kozzy almost marked in the square, but recovered quickly to tap the ball across the line. A similar lapse in the Suns’ defence a minute later allowed Melksham to mark the ball a metre from the line, making it a formality for the 200 plus goal kicker to go back and slot his fourth of the afternoon.

With seven minutes left on the clock, Bailey Fritsch marked in the pocket and then converted to reduce the margin to twenty six points. The Dees had certainly rattled the Gold Coast, but it was probably too late for a record breaking comeback.

Still… When Kozzy collected the ground ball 60m out, then ran on, launching from 40m, and hitting the target in the process, there was suddenly a realistic possibility of that incredible comeback.

As the seconds ticked down though, the likelihood of an unlikely win began to fade, and when Ben King marked at the top of the square, the dream was over.

However, Jake Melksham still had one more footnote to add to the day’s proceedings. First he marked at the edge of the square and then successfully kicked the set shot, despite suffering some very uncomfortable leg cramps.

In the end Melbourne redeemed themselves, but a perplexing first quarter and a couple of relatively easy scoring opportunities in the fourth most likely cost them an important away victory. Having said that, there was plenty to like about our performance on the Gold Coast.

Next round is another away game. This time against the Crows at their home fortress, Adelaide Oval. Technically they haven’t lost a home game all year, so we’ll be the underdogs again.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!