Melbourne 2–0 For Perfect Start To Season

Liam Chambers

Tayla Harris gets her eye in

Tayla Harris got the Dees off to a perfect start when she ran in to take mark at the top of the square. It was an easy conversion from there and put Melbourne on the board in the first minute of play. Harris made it two from two when she marked on the arc, before being awarded a 50m penalty.

Against the run of play, St Kilda kicked their first major at the eight minute mark when J’Noemi Anderson was awarded a free in the pocket. She went back to take the kick, comfortably slotting the goal.

After a very promising start, the Dees were struggling to land another goal. They continued to dominate their opponents, but a third major was proving elusive.

Dees kick five unanswered goals

Tayla Harris was quick off the mark in term two, being awarded a free kick after a strong tackle inside 50. She hit the target with the 35m set shot and the Demons were seventeen points in front.  Melbourne continued their high pressure game, with the Saints being contained in their defensive half, only making occasionally incursions inside their forward 50.

Eden Zanker got in on the action, when she marked at the top of the square, after some clever play by Melbourne to get the ball inside 50. Zanker converted and it was a twenty two point advantage to the home side. Georgia Gall made it three for the quarter and five for the game when she marked the sherrin from a precise Kate Hore kick. The key forward made short work of set shot and the Dees were twenty eight ahead.

At this stage, Melbourne had basically set up camp in their forward 50, dominating the Saints and dictating the terms. The next major came quickly, with Kate Hore again providing the kick that set up the goal; this time it was Tayla Harris who marked the ball, next to the square. Harris then ran on and slotted her fourth.

Towards the end of the quarter, Liv Purcell limped off the ground after an injury sustained in a tackle. It seems that she had damaged her ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Not good news for Purcell or the Dees. The talented and resilient player had previously played in a mask after suffering facial injuries last year. Hopefully she will play in 2026, fully recovered.

Just before half time, veteran Paxy Paxman scored a rare goal when she received a handpass from Kate Hore (who else) and then snapped a bender through the uprights.

Saints rally, but a couple of late Melbourne goals breaks their momentum

St Kilda finally had a second goal when Georgia Patrikios was awarded a free inside 50, and made sure with the 20m set shot. The Saints had started to build a little momentum, but the thirty six point deficit looked to be too difficult a hill too climb for the visitors.

When Eden Zanker marked at the top of the square, then went back to slot the goal, St Kilda’s game plan became that much more difficult. When Kate Hore was taken high 15m out, she didn’t waste the opportunity to add to her career goal tally, and easily slotted the set shot.

Demons wrap it up with another four majors

Leading by forty nine at the start of the final term, Melbourne had it all sewn up. The only unknown was how big the margin would be at the final siren. Georgia Gall ensured that it would be over fifty points, when she knocked down the incoming ball, then collected on the bounce, before chipping it into the square where it bounce across the line. Lily Johnson pushed it past sixty when she received the handball just inside 50, then running on before kicking from 35m sending the sherrin over the line.

In case you were wondering where Alyssa Bannen was hiding throughout the match, she suddenly popped up with six minutes to go and launched from the arc, sending the ball all the way to the goal line, where it also bounced across the line. Worried that Megan Fitzsimmon was missing out, Eden Zanker scooped up the ground ball 30m out and passed it to the midfielder, who launched and scored.

In the end, Melbourne won by seventy four points. It was a clinical display and puts the other teams on notice that the Demons will be hard to beat this year.

Next up is Collingwood. A win against the old enemy would be icing on the cake and taste very sweet indeed.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!