Melbourne loses control of its destiny after loss to Collingwood
MELBOURNE has lost control of its destiny and a huge chunk of respect after the club’s horror loss to Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday.
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OH, Melbourne.
What have you done?
First, let’s take care of the mathematics. Saturday’s shock loss to Collingwood leaves the Demons’ finals fate in the hands of Adelaide.
If the Crows, without bookends Tex Walker and Daniel Talia, lose to West Coast by more than about four goals at Subiaco on Sunday, the Demons are out.
Some suspected Saturday’s MCG clash would spell the end of Magpies coach Nathan Buckley.
Instead, it has more likely brought the Demons’ season to a premature close.
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Now, to the footy.
Watching a graph of Collingwood’s goals versus Melbourne’s tackles made for ugly viewing in the first quarter.
When the Pies had three majors, the Demons were yet to lay a single tackle.
When the Pies had six — and their best first term for the season — the Dees had laid only five tackles.
The intensity was invisible.
The Demons started the second quarter with intent. Jayden Hunt, held to one first-quarter disposal, set up a goal in the first six seconds to Jeff Garlett.
Suddenly, Christian Salem was outmarking Jamie Elliott and Jordan Lewis was directing play like an air traffic controller.
Angus Brayshaw, a player built for finals, got involved and when he did shots on goal eventuated.
The Demons replaced bombs from halfback with a bit of thought. Problem was, the intensity was short lived.
It evaporated, and when they began the second term 32 points adrift that made for trouble.
Throw in a pair of simply irresistible Elliott goals — one from the boundary and the other while navigating a lunging Tom McDonald — and the halftime margin remained beyond four goals.
When Will Hoskin-Elliott waltzed into an open goal during the third quarter, the Pies led by 41 points.
Tasked with beating Collingwood so they could go to sleep assured of breaking an 11-year finals drought, the Demons were seven goals down.
It was implausible. The fact the Magpies led was concerning enough. But the margin had eroded Melbourne’s percentage all the way below West Coast’s.
One team was meant to be playing for September and the other team was meant to be counting down for Mad Monday.
The Magpies faded fast last week and so the question was, would history repeat?
Christian Petracca’s devastating field kicking set up an Alex Neal-Bullen open goal, and then he kicked one himself to close out the third term.
Finally, the Demons were fighting, and they briefly threatened in the final term.
A deft Lewis handball paved the way for Mitch Hannan to goal and when Jake Melksham landed a double-strike from the next centre clearance it was game on.
It was 13 points with West Coast’s percentage back in play.
Callum Brown’s snap hit the post and after a chaotic 30 seconds, Jack Watts’ daring corridor kick led to a Cameron Pedersen open goal.
Watts’ class also set up the Dees’ only first-quarter goal, and a nice major kicked by himself and the loving reception from the crowd shows this club wants him in the best 22.
The gap was less than two goals. The Pies, as they did last week, were fading.
But the lack of composure from there on was worrying. What was unfolding was puzzling.
And after a run of entries, Hoskin-Elliott put the Dees out of their misery.
Petracca plays with swagger made for September and Hunt’s scintillating pace could crack finals open like a coconut.
While the footy world simply wants heart-and-soul captain Nathan Jones and former whipping boy Watts to finally experience sudden-death footy.
But they have lost control of their destiny, as well as a chunk of respect.
Whether they have lost their season will be determined today.
Either way, this will go down as yet another dark day.
Originally published as Melbourne loses control of its destiny after loss to Collingwood
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