Melbourne’s win against Hawthorn will be remembered for one moment of brilliance and one period of excellence
MELBOURNE plays ugly, tough, brillliant, beautiful footy that wins finals. Last night the Demons ‘out-scrubbed’ the Hawks. Next up: West Coast in Perth. MARK ROBINSON on how far the Dees can go.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
SCRUBBY football is all the rage and Melbourne is killing it.
The Demons won Friday night because they outscrubbed the Hawks for most of the match, but punctuated it with one moment of brilliance and one period of excellence.
The brilliance came midway thought the final quarter.
GAME RECAP: HOW DEES, HAWKS PLAYED OUT
STAT RECAP: WHO STOOD TALL IN DEES, HAWKS?
As the Hawks challenged from five goals down — and as every Melbourne fan was consumed by fear — Jake Melksham settled their nerves with a goal which was breathtaking in its brilliance.
It came from a front and square under Tom McDonald; Melksham gathered the ball, took three steps and kicked a drop punt off his left foot. Not only did he kick it across his body, it travelled all of 51m.
It wasn’t as captivating as Dustin Martin’s corker from the boundary line last week, but arguably it was more difficult — on the run, across the body and on his non-preferred foot?
The timing can’t be ignored.
The margin was 12 points after goals from Isaac Smith, Jack Gunston and Jarryd Roughead and Melksham’s goal shook the faith of the Hawks and inspired his teammates.
That goal, and the next from McDonald, who has emerged as genuine star, and a second from Melksham ended the Hawks’ charge.
The period of excellence came midway through the third quarter.
It was a game of mistakes and missed opportunities before Melbourne kicked the last three goals of the third term.
They came after Gunston hit the post from 15m and, minutes later, Liam Shiels handballed to Melbourne in the defensive 50m which led to an Alex Neal-Bullen goal.
Two further goals from Mitch Hannan and Angus Brayshaw made the lead five goals. The roar then rivalled the noise last week when Nathan Jones kicked the first goal of the final quarter against the Cats.
They play a dog-ugly and tough brand of footy, these possessed Demons.
The immediate question is how far can these tough littler buggers travel?
They are not scarred by recent history, nor will they will be mesmerised by the bright lights and thunderous noise of Perth Stadium. They won there in Round 22 and belief was strong.
It’s stronger now.
The team is dotted with determined characters, hard heads, cult figures and players who would tackle a bull if Simon Goodwin asked them.
Neville Jetta swamped Luke Breust, Oscar McDonald held Jarryd Roughead in check, his brother Tom took 10 marks and kicked four goals and James Harmes ran around with an injured Mitchell and kept him to 24 disposals.
It wasn’t a blow-‘em away win, and the kids in the kitchen didn’t accumulate the same numbers as last week, nor was Max Gawn overly dominant, but in the end it was five goals.
That’s two down and two to go. But, gee, it was ugly at times.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson put ‘’scrubby’’ footy on the agenda last week and knew it was coming Friday night.
Melbourne played tough, hard and some ordinary footy for two and a half quarters and you had to wonder if the Demons were being dragged down by the Hawks or were dragging down the Hawks.
In the second and third quarters the Hawks had 25 inside 50s for one goal. They kicked six behinds in the second term and, at the time and in the review, that’s criminal.
It was bruising, bustling first half, dominated by pressure, highlighted by Melbourne’s want to move the ball as quickly as possible and damaged by some atrocious kicking from both sides.
Melbourne had 15 turnovers by foot in the first half — its average is 20 a game — and many of its short kicks didn’t find a target.
It was certainly Hawthorn’s pressure late in the second quarter which rattled the Demons. As the Hawks won territory, the Demons players — Bayley Fritsch, Jetta and Oliver — kicked without looking and gave the ball back to the Hawks. Worse still, Nathan Jones and Christian Petracca kicked when looking and still found the Hawks.
Hawthorn’s behinds came from Paul Puopolo, Gunston, Ricky Henderson (rushed), Ryan Burton and Gunston again. The barren landscape was broken when Ryan Schoenmakers kicked a goal — from another Petracca turnover by foot.
They are confident the Demons, but Friday night were too cute with the ball and coughed it up too many times.
Which was in contrast to their play against the Cats, which was chaos aplenty.
They’ll need chaos, control and everything in between to the beat the Eagles, but they can. They play beautiful, ugly, scrubby, tough, winning footy which old timers say is the best recipe for September.
Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Season. SIGN UP NOW >
Originally published as Melbourne’s win against Hawthorn will be remembered for one moment of brilliance and one period of excellence
Join the conversation
Why Allen needs Eagles more than they need him amid Lions links
It’s a strange statement to attach to the co-captain of a bottom-four club, but Oscar Allen needs the struggling Eagles more than they need him, writes ELIZA REILLY.
Read more
Potential Houston replacement puts Port contract talks on hold
He has been touted as a breakout contender for Port Adelaide and is unsigned beyond this year. But for now this Power youngster’s focus is on playing regularly, not a new deal.
Read more