Melbourne proves it can still produce its brand of ‘sexy’ football with win over Hawthorn

It has been a horror start to 2019 for Melbourne. But the signs are there that this club is starting to turn things around. SAM LANDSBERGER looks at the little moments that helped a big win grow.

Nathan Jones and James Harmes celebrate a goal for the Demons. Picture: AAP Images

It was the little moments late that won Melbourne this match.

Jeff Garlett’s desperate tackle in the final quarter, which set up Jay Lockart for the go-ahead goal.

Sam Frost dancing around opponents – yes, Sam Frost – in the frantic finish, pumping the ball back into attack.

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Lockart wiping precious seconds off the clock and then cleverly passing to Jake Melksham, who did likewise.

There was a defensive mark by Jordan Lewis to blunt a repeat Hawthorn entry.

For a team in premiership contention you would expect those moments in a tight game.

But the Demons weren’t in premiership contention. They entered Saturday’s game on the bottom of the ladder, their confidence drained over the past six weeks.

To conjure a win after an ugly beginning was a fair effort.

It was just their second win since last year’s semi-final victory against the Hawks, and coach Simon Goodwin embraced his players on the field as if the calendar read September.

Jordan Lewis made a big play late for the Demons. Picture: Michael Klein

A shocking first half morphed into a heart-stopper as the Demons came to life in 2019. And Goodwin became a man of his word.

Last week Goodwin promised the Melbourne faithful the scoring would come. It seemed hopeful rather than likely, given the Demons had just posted their lowest score in 62 games.

But a five-goal blitz in 13 minutes to start the third quarter showed the Demons can still play the sexy brand that nearly catapulted them to last year’s Grand Final.

James Harmes might have frustrated Goodwin by conceding two 50m penalties – which both led to goals – but his shutdown work on Jaeger O’Meara was superb.

O’Meara started hot with 11 disposals in the first quarter and then touched it just eight more times for the match.

He was in Harmes way, and the Demon finished with a game-high 31 disposals and a game-high four centre clearances, most of them bursting out into space.

Harmes and Tom McDonald must’ve felt equally frustrated by the umpiring. McDonald should’ve been awarded two 50m penalties of his own in the last quarter but both were ignored.

Kaiden Brand kicked the ball away after McDonald’s free kick and then Blake Hardwick handballed the ball back to Angus Brayshaw instead of McDonald.

Nathan Jones celebrates a goal for the Demons. Picture: AAP Images

LEWIS NEEDS TIME

JORDAN Lewis has been a champion player, with emphasis on the words ‘has been’. A disastrous turnover in the last quarter gifted best mate Jarryd Roughead a goal that gave the Hawks the lead.

Luckily for Lewis, it didn’t last. Goals to Jay Lockhart and James Harmes inside a minute helped the Demons scoot clear.

Liam Shiels’ gut-busting run gave Chad Wingard a shot at being the hero but the Port Adelaide recruit dropped a mark inside 50m, and the Demons ultimately held on. But plenty in the radio boxes were already wondering where Lewis was at.

“It’s been an ordinary game again by Lewis,” AFL legend Leigh Matthews said on 3AW.

“He’s really struggling. He’s had six kicks and three of them have been clangers.”

Wayne Carey noted earlier: “I’ve never seen Jordan Lewis like this. He looks like he’s got no confidence whatsoever”.

Lewis took a crucial intercept mark in defensive in the final minutes and finished with 13 disposals, the equal-fewest at his second club.

He blew out 33 birthday candles last week and his 310th match is certain to be scrutinized, but the future AFL Hall of Famer deserves time to get his season rolling.

SILENT RICKY A LAY-UP STAR

HAWTHORN won’t let Ricky Henderson tell his remarkable story. The wingman was shooting hoops at an NBL talent camp when the AFL came calling. Adelaide recruiter Hamish Ogilvie sat in the stands and gave Henderson his business card, requesting a phone call. Henderson was 20, hadn’t kicked the Sherirn in six years and was pouring beers and filing paperwork at the basketball stadium to make ends meet. Several interview requests have been ignored by the Hawks but it is time to highlight one of the game’s most underrated players, signed by the Hawks as a delisted free agent after 90 games for the Crows. Henderson’s 12 disposals in the first quarter continued the 30-year-old’s sparkling season. It was Henderson who kicked Hawthorn into the top four with a tough set-shot at the SCG in Round 23 last year. A shrewd pick up first identified by super scout Ogilvie, regardless of whether Hawthorn lets him talk.

Ricky Henderson continues to star for the Hawks. Picture: Michael Klein

TALE OF THE TAPE EARLY …

TWO contests in the first quarter summed up these teams. Jeff Garlett and Tom McDonald found themselves in a two-on-one deep in attack and, as McDonald charged to the goalline, all Garlett had to do was feed him the footy for a certain six-pointer. Instead, Garlett went for a miracle snap which dribbled into the post. It was selfish, dumb footy and left Garlett confused — he then became too selfless — and kept McDonald out of the game. At the other end, Isaac Smith and Jaeger O’Meara charged towards goal with Demon Josh Wagner in between. It was a similar contest and Smith handballed to Jaeger who finished the easiest of goals, which was set up by Jarryd Roughead’s desperation at halfback. The outcomes summarised an otherwise ordinary first quarter.

Jeff Garlett had a tough day after an early blunder. Picture: AAP Images

CONFIDENCE JAR

WAYNE Carey suggested Melbourne was a team devoid of belief in the first half. “It’s not just Lewis. (Clayton) Oliver is missing handballs, (so is Michael) Hibberd. This is a team confidence thing,” Carey said on Triple M. Carey’s old coach, Denis Pagan, used to say you can’t go to the shops and buy a jar of confidence. Well, maybe the Demons can, because it was a different story for plenty of their players in the third term.

WE GOT OUR DNA BACK: GOODWIN

Melbourne got its “DNA” back against Hawthorn as coach Simon Goodwin declared struggling veteran Jordan Lewis’s rich standing in the game meant he deserved time to rediscover his form.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Goodwin said.

“When it’s such a tight game, and at 1-5, I thought as a club during the week we really looked at what we can do, rather than what we can’t do.

“The pleasing thing for me is we’ve started to reestablish our self as what we want to play as, and that’s a contest and defensive-based team that works incredibly hard.

“Our method around the ball was a lot better. That’s our DNA and we got back to that but we also defended really strongly. It’s as best as we’ve defended for a long time.

“It’s important because you get a bit of nourishment from a result-perspective.”

Goodwin said Harmes’ shutdown job on Jaeger O’Meara was “unbelievable” as he kept the Hawks star to eight touches in the final three quarters.

Jordan Lewis had some tough moments against the Hawks. Picture: AAP Images

“To shut a guy out of the game and to have the impact he had – that was the James Harmes we know and have been looking for,” Goodwin said.

The coach praised Lewis’s leadership in setting up the defensive structure and pointed out he had played just three games after a hamstring injury.

“For Jordan it’s about getting his season rolling,” Goodwin said.

“Without question he would like to be playing a little bit better. But let’s just give him some time and let him evolve into the season and see where it sits in a few weeks’ time.”

Goodwin said Tom McDonald – who didn’t take a mark in the first half – “evolved and got back to some really strong footy” and explained the jubilant celebrations.

“We play an emotional game,” he said.

“Our supporters have suffered over the last six weeks, our players have been working incredibly hard to turn this ship around.”

Tom McDonald is working hard to find his form. Picture: AAP Images

Hawthorn’s four goals in the first quarter all came from defensive chains but Goodwin then played Frost as a gatekeeper, limiting the opposition to just two more transition majors, which both game in the final term.

Co-captain Jack Viney (shoulder) is a chance to play against Gold Coast next week but more likely to return against West Coast in Round 9.