Melbourne beats Gold Coast with last kick of the match to snatch thrilling win at Metricon Stadium
Melbourne looked dead and buried when Gold Coast went a goal clear in the final minute. But somehow the Dees clawed their way back to snatch a dramatic win — and keep their finals flame burning.
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Melbourne have snatched victory from Gold Coast in the final seconds in one of the most dramatic finishes of 2019.
Demons forward Tom McDonald managed to find the post with a soccer off the ground in the final few seconds to seal victory 8.13 (61) to 9.6 (60) in front of 9765 at Metricon Stadium.
It was a nightmare end for the Suns after Nick Holman’s stunning goal less than a minute from time had put the home side six points clear.
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At that stage, it looked like being all-but curtains for the Dees’ season.
But 20 seconds later Demon Marty Hore responded, levelling the scores with 22 seconds left on the clock and laying the platform for McDonald’s heroics.
What a way to win!
— AFL (@AFL) May 11, 2019
Tom McDonald with a behind that will be remembered for a long time.#AFLSunsDees pic.twitter.com/4kwgzDAfLr
With the seconds ticking down, Max Gawn won the ensuing centre bounce and booted to half forward. Melbourne was able to regain possession before McDonald, who dropped what he should have taken at the top of the goalsquare, managed to knock the ball to his own advantage and scrounge a behind.
The result leaves Gold Coast at 3-5 while Melbourne now sit beside them with the same ledger.
McDonald was thankful his dropped mark in the dying seconds didn’t cost his team.
“It was pretty incredible,” McDonald told Fox Footy after the game. “I haven’t seen (a game) like that in a long time.”
“I was probably pretty mad to drop the (mark) there, and I didn’t really hit (the kick), but it counts.
“It was a dewy night, but I should have held it. I knew there had been about 10 to 15 seconds left at the (earlier) centre bounce, so I knew this (last) kick had to go through.
“We got there by a second.”
Jack Lukosius had his best game in Suns colours, Ben Ainsworth was a bull in the midfield and Sam Collins a pillar in defence in a game that lacked goals but was in no shortage of contests.
It was incredible the margin was just seven points at the end of a first term where only Melbourne’s wastefulness in front of goal kept Gold Coast in it.
The Suns’ best opportunities came through centre-bounce wins but Melbourne rebounded with ease, moving through Suns players like training markers up the middle of the ground on the way to winning the inside-50 count 21-9 in the opening term.
The Suns looked disjointed coming the other way, forced into small chips by foot before turning it over more often than not.
Gold Coast responded in the second, restricting Melbourne’s run in a dour affair that played into the host’s hands as the Demons took a two-point lead into the main break.
The arm wrestle took its toll, Melbourne losing Michael Hibberd to a suspected broken collarbone in the second while the Suns lost returning pressure forward Sean Lemmens in the third to an ankle injury.
Gold Coast trailed by three points going into the final term and looked headed for another surprise win before blowing it in one the tightest games of the season.
MELBOURNE 3.2 3.5 5.9 8.13 (61)
GOLD COAST 2.1 3.3 5.6 9.6 (60)
Goals: Melbourne: T McDonald 3 C Petracca J Harmes J Hunt J Melksham M Hore
Gold Coast: B Ainsworth 2 N Holman 2 D MacPherson J Corbett P Wright S Lemmens W Powell
Best: Melbourne: Oliver, Jones, Melksham, Harmes, Salem, McDonald
Gold Coast: Holman, Swallow, Macpherson, Hanley, Ainsworth
Venue: Metricon Stadium
TOM BOSWELL’S VOTES:
3 — Clayton Oliver (Melb)
2 — Nick Holman (GC)
1 — David Swallow (GC)
🎶 #AFLSunsDees pic.twitter.com/o2dhneBWGi
— Melbourne FC (@melbournefc) May 11, 2019
GOODWIN: IT WAS A CRAZY GAME
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has praised his team’s fight after the Demons fought back from a goal down with less than a minute remaining to snatch a memorable win.
“It was a crazy, crazy 40 seconds, especially that last 10 seconds,” coach Simon Goodwin said.
“We always knew it was going to be an arm-wrestle coming into this game.
“Gold Coast are a much improved side, they play theright way around the contest and defensively.
“We always knew the challenge coming here but obviously proud to get the win, they obviously stuck together.”
STUART DEW: WE’RE GETTING BETTER
Suns coach Stuart Dew said the evidence was clear of Gold Coast’s on-field improvement after taking it to a team who thrashed them by 96 points when they last met at the MCG in 2018.
“We have had (five) out of our eight games under a goal. Sometimes you will get a kick in the guts and other times you sing the song,” Dew said.
“You want to be in the game in the last minute. You only have to look at last year’s grand final that games can be won and lost in the last minute.
“The level of competitiveness is showing and our challenge will be to just stay in it. They have a thirst for it. We will work on our polish, we get that.
“Going down through our list they are playing for each other, that is one thing we are all certain of, the evidence is there.
“We are not immune to close losses but the message is the whole aim this year is to lay a competitive foundation.
“Bar two results I think we have done that. Last week against the reigning premiers (West Coast), preliminary final side (Saturday night) and we pushed them to the end.”
Dew praised the performances of co-captains Jarrod Witts and David Swallow (35 disposals), with the former overcoming illness to match it with Demons big man Max Gawn.
“It was a huge effort by Wittsy on the back of last week,” Dew said.
“He was really crook and couldn’t come into the club. He was in on Monday but then he was quarantined until (Friday).
“He didn’t train at all. I’m really proud of the way he got up…and obviously Dave was unbelievable.”
Lemmens, who was in a moon boot after the game, missed the first seven games of the season with an ankle injury and lasted until the opening stages of the third term before re-injuring it in a contest.
“It’s hard to tell (the diagnosis), it didn’t look like much,” Dew said.
“It’s really unlucky for Sean because he worked so hard to get back and he is such an impact on our side and a bit of a barometer.
“We will just get around him again. We know he is an absolute pro and goes about it the right way. “He will need a bit of support though because it’s so frustrating for him. He has shown what he can do at AFL level. He is really powerful, he just needs a fair run at it.
“He will be shattered but he knows he will be able to play again this year.”
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