AFL 2021: Melbourne Demons thrash Geelong Cats to storm into first grand final since 2000
Inspirational skipper Max Gawn has guided the Melbourne Demons to victory over Geelong and into their first grand final since 2000.
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It’s really happening.
The longest current AFL/VFL premiership drought is on the brink of coming to an end.
Melbourne has just one last hurdle to navigate before it can hold aloft its first cup in 57 years after it demolished Geelong by 83 points in the preliminary final at Optus Stadium on Friday night, 19.11 (125) to 5.6 (42).
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The last obstacle looms large though, a grand final against either Port Adelaide or the Western Bulldogs, also in Perth, on Saturday 25 September.
This game is... a bloodbath. Thoughts and prayers. #AFLDeesCats
— Penny Timms (@pennytimms) September 10, 2021
Someone call triple zero #AFLDeesCats
— Luke Henriques-Gomes (@lukehgomes) September 10, 2021
I AM LOVING EVERY SECOND OF THIS!! #AFLDeesCats#AFLFinals
— CASEY BARNES (@Casey_Barnes) September 10, 2021
Big Maxy. Unbelievable #AFLDeesCats
— Matt Malone (@matt_malone14) September 10, 2021
They may also need to find a replacement for key defender Steven May, who appeared to injure a hamstring in the first quarter and was forced from the ground.
He returned, but was clearly sore and was finally subbed out in the third term.
His fitness will be watched closely by everyone over the next fortnight.
While Covid has forced the season decider away from the MCG, again, and has also stopped most Victorian-based Melbourne fans and members from enjoying the emotional ride with their team, the Demons are well supported in the West.
Geelong made a last-ditch effort to win over the WA crowd, promoting current locals who wear the navy blue hoops, such as Mitch Duncan, and some from yesteryear, such as the late and great Graham Polly Farmer.
But whether the Demons have a large supporter-base in WA, or the locals have jumped on their plight to end the run without a flag, the crowd of 58,599 was clearly biased to the red and the blue.
Big lessons learned
When the Demons won their 12th and last flag, in 1964, the entire current squad were far from being even a twinkle in their parent’s eyes.
When they last played in a grand final, a 60-point loss to Essendon in 2000, Jake Bowey, Luke Jackson, Trent Rivers, Kysaiah Pickett and James Jordon, of the current crop, still weren’t born. Clayton Oliver was only three and of the oldest Demons players on the ground on Friday night, Michael Hibberd was just 10 and Max Gawn was eight.
There isn’t much finals experience among the Melbourne squad, but they seem to have learned from what little they have had.
There were 12 players returning to the scene of their embarrassing preliminary final loss to West Coast in 2018, when they failed to kick one goal in the first half.
Those Demons have three years more experience under their belts and it shows. The additions of May, Ed Langdon, Jake Lever and Ben Brown, from other clubs, hasn’t hurt either.
They had nine goals on the board by halftime against the Cats, with eight different goal scorers and they led by 29 points at the main break.
The need for speed
The age of Geelong’s playing group was a big concern in the game’s lead-up. It’s going to be an even bigger talking point over the coming off-season.
They have brought in Jeremy Cameron and Isaac Smith, who have made them a more potent team, but at what cost in the long term?
Joel Selwood, Duncan, Tom Hawkins and Cam Gutherie all played in Geelong’s last premiership, in 2011.
The Cats had 16 left from last year’s grand final loss to Richmond, where they were run over in the final term.
In Round 23 of this season, after leading Melbourne by seven goals during the third term, they completely lost momentum and then the game, courtesy of a Gawn goal after the siren.
Including Friday night’s sub, Shaun Higgins, the Cats had 11 players aged 30 years or more.
Melbourne had one, Michael Hibberd.
That gap in youthfulness and lack of leg speed never looked more obvious than in the third quarter on Friday when the Demons kicked seven consecutive goals in 16 minutes to open up a matchwinning 71-point lead.
Gawn booted four of his career-best five goals in that time.
The big dance
The MCG not hosting the grand final is a cruel blow for the success-starved Demons supporters on the east coast.
For the second consecutive year a tenant of the home of footy may claim the title away from their home, as the Tigers did in Brisbane last year.
Making this year even worse is that there is now a bye before the grand final. The Demons faithful need to keep control of their mixed emotions for a week longer than they normally would.
But as the twilight (Perth time) bounce down for the grand final gets closer, regardless of where they are watching from, surely the anger around the venue for the game will have disappeared.
The last time a team had to wait two weeks to play in a grand final was back when second semi-finalists won straight through to the big dance.
That hasn’t happened since 1993 when Carlton had a week off after beating Adelaide in the Second semi-final, then lost to Essendon in the big game by 44 points.
The year before (1992), West Coast beat Geelong in the grand final a fortnight after beating the Cats in the second semi-final.
The difference this season is that the Demons and either the Dogs or Power, will both have to navigate the extra week off.
It’s going to be a tough two weeks.
DEMONS 5.3 9.6 17.8 19.11 (125)
CATS 1.0 5.1 5.2 6.6 (42)
ELBOROUGH’S BEST Demons: Petracca, Gawn, Viney, Oliver, Salem, Lever. Cats: Dangerfield, Selwood, Duncan, C Gutherie, Close, Bews.
GOALS Demons: Gawn 5; Pickett 3; Brown 2, Spargo 2, Fritsch 2; Harmes, McDonald, Neal-Bullen, Petracca, Sparrow. Cats: Cameron 2; Hawkins, Miers, Smith, Stanley.
INJURIES Demons: May (hamstring), replaced Jordon. Cats: Rohan (hamstring) replaced by Higgins.
UMPIRES Donlon, Meredith, Mollison
VENUE Optus Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BRAD ELBOROUGH’S VOTES
3 Petracca (Demons)
2 Gawn (Demons)
1 Viney (Demons
Originally published as AFL 2021: Melbourne Demons thrash Geelong Cats to storm into first grand final since 2000
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