The only thing missing from the end of Melbourne v Geelong was Benny Hill music, writes Scott Gullan

TALK about comedy! The only thing the end of the Melbourne v Geelong match was missing was Benny Hill music. But somehow the Cats were able to hang on. SCOTT GULLAN looks at how it all played out.

The Cats were all smiles after their win. Picture: Getty Images

TALK about comedy.

The final 90 seconds of this game needed Benny Hill music to accompany it given the extraordinary bloopers from both sides which ultimately ended with Geelong somehow hanging on to win by three points.

This calamity started when Melbourne’s Alex Neal-Bullen sprayed a simple kick along the line at half-forward out on the full.

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At this point the Demons were surging while the Cats were banged up and on their knees.

That looked like being the game until 20 seconds later Jordan Murdoch moved onto his lethal left-boot at half-back and does the same thing sending it into the crowd.

Melbourne’s re-entry was promising before Irishman Zach Tuohy got in the way and went to relieve the pressure. Now, you can guess what he did.

Yep, out on the full as well which meant Melbourne’s Cam Pedersen had the ball at the 50 metre line with 40 seconds remaining.

Max Gawn with the mark before his shot for goal. Picture: Michael Klein

He did the team thing and rather than take the tough shot, centred it brilliantly to 20 metres out which gave the biggest man on the ground, Max Gawn, the opportunity to be the hero.

Gawn took the mark and with his team down by four points he had a simple shot to win the game.

Get that music back on because the Demons ruckman shanked the kick and sunk the Demons.

Well, everyone thought that was it but remember this is a comedy and the Fat Lady still wasn’t ready to start singing.

Melbourne defender Jayden Hunt marked the kick-out which meant he had a shot from 65 metres after the siren to win the game. Remember, this is the man who kicked a 75-metre barrel goal last year.

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Anyway, there was going to be no last laugh for the Demons with Hunt’s torpedo coming up short.

It ended a crazy afternoon at the MCG where Geelong celebrated Gary Ablett’s return by dominating the second quarter to lead by 27 points at the main break.

Then Melbourne hit back with a couple of good positional moves from Simon Goodwin, sending experienced heads Jordan Lewis and Bernie Vince to half-back to steady the ship.

It worked a treat with a five-goal to one term setting up what was to become an extraordinary final term.

There were several interesting sub plots early before the farcical scenes late.

It was almost like Christian Petracca watched the opening game of the season on Thursday night and took offence.

The post-script of Carlton’s gallant effort against the reigning premier was that the Blues were on track because they had the two best young players in the game, Patrick Cripps and Charlie Curnow.

Max Gawn reacts to missing his shot for goal. Picture: AAP Images

We’re not sure if reports that Petracca was playing the Moving Pictures classic song ‘What About Me?’ on his way to the MCG are correct but it certainly summed up the message he sent the rest of the competition.

Petracca started the game in the spotlight given he stood next to Ablett at the opening bounce.

He then proceeded to put the champion in the shade, and everyone else, to lead all-comers at quarter-time with 11 disposals, which included six contested possessions and three clearances, to give his team the lead at the opening break.

Petracca was strong, clean, explosive and everything Demons fans have been dreaming of since he arrived via the No. 2 pick in the 2014 draft.

He was up to 20 touches at half-time and then was influential in his team’s comeback in the third quarter from 27 points down.

Max Gawn can’t believe he missed. Picture: Getty Images

His first goal of the day late in that term when he roved a pack in the goalsquare put the Demons within seven points and set up an enthralling final stanza.

Ironically it was another Moving Pictures fan from Geelong who was taking some of the spotlight away from Petracca.

Daniel Menzel was singing the song during last year’s trade period when no-one, including his own club for a while, wanted him.

Luckily for Geelong he ended up staying because he was the match-winner for the Cats even though the comedy of the final quarter did get to him.

Menzel was all class with four goals — one in each term — to again show that all the talk about his lack of forward pressure last year was a waste of everyone’s time.

Joel Selwood celebrates after his 250th game. Picture: AAP Images

The bottom line is he’s a freak who does things that not many players in the competition can.

He had two chances to seal the deal midway through the final quarter, missing an easy set shot from 15 metres out and then two minutes later blowing a harder set shot from 40m.

In the end it was a gutsy performance from Geelong and a pretty impressive debut by the new recruit wearing No.4.

Ablett finished with 39 disposals which included a brilliant goal in the opening term and showed the punt on the 33-year-old might well pay off.

His captain Joel Selwood was brilliant in his 250th with 39 touches while debutant Tim Kelly impressed with 27 possessions and one goal.

The Cats lost key defender Harry Taylor to an ankle injury early in the second quarter and then had Tom Stewart and Cam Guthrie both spend extended periods on the bench in the second half because of issues.

As for the Demons, Petracca was the star, Gawn dominant with 47 hitouts with Nathan Jones prolific with 29 touches.

Boom recruit Jake Lever didn’t enjoy his first game as a Demon, being hardly sighted in the first half before finishing with just 10 disposals.

GEELONG 5.3 12.8 13.10 14.13 97

MELBOURNE 6.1 8.5 12.9 13.16 94

BEST

CATS: J.Selwood, Ablett, Menzel, C Guthrie, Duncan, Kelly

DEMONS: Gawn, Petracca, Lewis, Jones, Vince, Oliver

GOALS

CATS: Menzel 4, Parfitt 2, Ablett, Smith, Kelly, Ratugolea, Murdoch, C.Guthrie, Parsons, Fogarty.

DEMONS: Hogan 3, Pedersen 2, Neal-Bullen 2, Petracca, Garlett, Gawn, Oliver, Hannan, Fritsch.

INJURIES

CATS: Taylor (foot), Stewart (ankle), C.Guthrie (groin).

UMPIRES

Stevic, Deboy, Gavine.

CROWD

54,112 at the MCG.