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!!!