Gawn says win over Power shows Dees are united; Scott’s pride after Bombers surge to victory

MELBOURNE 15.6 (96) d PORT ADELAIDE 13.11 (89)

Max Gawn celebrates a goal with his teammates.Credit: AFL Photos

KEY POINTS

Finals dress rehearsal

Gilt-edged September intensity and standard were on display by both Melbourne and Port Adelaide, in the post-summer afterglow of late March.

The top-four Easter Saturday blockbuster lived up to its billing, neither team split by more than seven points at any break.

Charlie Dixon of the Power competes for a mark against Harrison Petty and Marty Hore of the Demons.Credit: Getty Images

The Power’s ground-ball prowess shone for large portions as they threatened to take control of the contest, their leaders Connor Rozee and Zak Butters lifting after so-so opening halves by their lofty standards.

The Demons withstood everything the Power could throw at them in the third quarter before steadying late, Ben Brown goaling from 55m, then inspirational captain Max Gawn (20 disposals, 50 hit-outs) converting after the three-quarter-time siren.

Melbourne’s sublime finishing stood out in the fourth.

Rozee’s goal tied the scores on the cusp of half-time before Brown soared for a majestic mark and kicked truly, then Bayley Fritsch showed his class with a majestic finish from the north-western pocket to shut the door on Port, who lost few admirers in falling to a gritty first loss for the year.

Adversi-dees

Melbourne’s on-field capacity to conquer off-field controversy has them encamped comfortably inside the top four and geared to charge towards another finals tilt with the double chance.

The adversity that has engulfed the club since the summer months would have swallowed lesser outfits. But these Dees know how to compartmentalise.

Three days after federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie’s bombshell remarks in parliament about components of the AFL’s illicit drugs policy, Melbourne got around each other, made the trip to enemy territory and stood up to be counted.

They did it with a patched-up backline - Harrison Petty asked in the first half to fill the breach left by the injury-enforced absence of Steven May - and against a quality opponent, which had been making most of the running to fashion a 16-point third-quarter advantage.

Kade Chandler of the Demons tackles Travis Boak of the Power.Credit: AFL Photos

Boak banged up

Travis Boak’s best game of 2024 ended with the veteran sporting a sore head after copping some “friendly-fire” from teammate Ivan Soldo.

Club games record holder Boak, who made his 350th appearance in last week’s win over Richmond, was afforded a rousing 60-second ovation at the 10-minute mark of the contest - in deference to his No.10 jumper.

At half-time the veteran had a match-high 20 disposals, his skill on the wing a key plank in Port’s performance.

But with less than five minutes remaining in the pulsating contest, Boak came off the ground feeling worse for wear after colliding front-on with big ruckman Soldo. The Power were weakened by Boak’s presence and steadying influence down the stretch.

KEY STATS

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Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin spoke to the media post game.

If you do it by the numbers you should have lost by plenty so how did you get that result considering the game didn’t all go your way?

You have got to give Port norm enormous credit. We saw a beauty of a game. High contest, high stoppage. If you look at the numbers Pete probably should have won the game. We won the critical moments. That is what I am so proud about this footy team. They are starting to really galvanise together and win critical moments and when the game was there to be won, we put on our best and we are really proud of that. Full credit to Port. They played an enormous game, but our boys, jeez, they were special.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin.Credit: AFL Photos

Which bit of the game did you like more than other? The way they defended so they couldn’t get good entry in or the way your team made all of their chances count?

Both. You have got to love both. We took our chances and executed in front of goal. That was the difference, our ability to be efficient and take chances and kick accurately at goal. You have got to love both phases of the game but tonight we probably win on the efficiency side.

The goal kicking - That is different to how it ended last year. What turned it around?

Consistency. Mark Williams has been doing kicking in our football club. We have been building and heading in the right direction with goal kicking. It was more at the end back end of the year that it didn’t quite come our way. Consistency in program and the boys have invested into it.

Max Gawn, did he feel like he owed that one with how difficult it was last time?

Gawny is a leader of our footy club. He stood up in the critical moments. I think Alex Neal-Bullen was brilliant. All our leaders were brilliant. Christian Petracca. That last quarter, as I said, sometimes you don’t play a game where you should win, but when the game was there to be won, our group really stepped up and you have got to love the grit and you have got to love the grit and the fight about the boys.

It gives you some momentum to build on going through the season?

They are the sort of wins when you are on the road that you love against a really high-quality opponent. To come away with a victory like that, that is what builds your season. We are in a good position now, but we have got to find ways to get better. With weren’t at our best tonight, but we had greatness in the end. We have got to build on this and find ways to continue and improve and get better but wins on the road against high-quality opposition they certainly set up your season.

Power coach Ken Hinkley spoke to the media post game.

Losing in a game like this. Anything that sticks to mind as to what would make that margin go against you?

I think it is pretty clear about the margin. Melbourne were well and truly good enough to convert their opportunities. We got a lot of things right tonight but we didn’t win the game. That is what it comes down to. When they kick plus 33 and we go -8 that is footy. That is what happens with two good teams playing a strong game of football all night. I’m sure Goody and the Melbourne boys will be proud to come and do what they did. They executed when the moments got big.

Trent Rivers of the Demons tackles Connor Rozee of the Power.Credit: AFL Photos

Was it missed shots or shots taken in positions that are more difficult?

Our execution wasn’t terrible. I think the quality of their execution was off the charts a bit.

Such a big focus in pre-season. What have you made of the back lines and how they have been doing so far? Are you on top of that at the moment?

We are not perfect clearly. We gave up too big a score, but that goes back to some of the conversions. They took shots from tough spots and were good enough to put it through the goals. It is not perfectly clear and we are looking for improvements.

Do you feel like you learned a fair bit?

I think we learned exactly what this game is like. When you come up against really good teams you have got to get every - you can’t get every moment right, You have got to get a lot of moments right. I think we know that. We will review the game with a really fine lens on where those moments appear and we won’t be. We have put ourselves in good spots amount lot of the numbers were positive for us but we lost the game so we are in the winning and losing business.

Do you have a gut feel on exactly why you couldn’t get off the line a couple of times?

It is the quality of the game. This is what happens. You have got to execute at that level when the pressure is at its highest. That is OK to say it out loud. I just said it to our playing group we have a moment where we could have done better. We are a really good team but if you are going to beat good teams you need luck but you need to make the most of your moments when they come.

Probably a moment that one player would want back again is the mark behind the goal?

The boys will be able to look at themselves - there were two bowl-line balls that with defended and we probably should have been able to go a better result out of them. We didn’t. We didn’t deliberately make those mistakes, but you have got to get those right.

An impassioned Eddie Betts has called on the public to “have those uncomfortable conversations” just days after the Indigenous AFL great shared footage to social media of children being racially abused while playing basketball at his home.

The former Adelaide and Carlton champion described his repeated efforts to call out incidents of racial abuse as “exhausting”.

“I know I’ve called this out many, many times. I will still stand here in front of everybody and put my face to it,” Betts said on Fox Footy.

Betts posted CCTV footage on Instagram on Thursday night of a white car driving in front of the Glen Iris home while four children played basketball inside the fence.

A male voice can be heard repeatedly yelling the N-word from the slowly moving car.

On Friday police said they had received a report regarding racial abuse toward children. Police allege the driver drove past the property just after 8.30pm on Thursday, yelling from the windows before driving away.

Betts, meanwhile, has vowed to continue his tireless fight to stamp out racism in Australia.

“It was really, really tough and hard to see,” an exasperated Betts said on Fox, where he works as an expert commentator.

“I’m glad that I brought awareness to this because if I didn’t you wouldn’t know what happened. This continues to happen to Aboriginal people all over the country.

“We’ve got to keep calling it out. It is, you know, it is exhausting.

AFL legend Eddie Betts.Credit: Eamon Gallagher

“I will still stand here in front of everybody and put my face to it ... and call it out, educate and continue to educate because we need to stamp out racism in Australia altogether ... because it does hurt. I just want the people who’ve done this and who’ve drove past my house to yell abuse at my kids, it is hurtful.

“This will stick with them [my children] for the rest of their lives and the rest of my life.”

Betts said Thursday’s incident was particularly concerning because it happened at his house.

“The only place that I would ever want my kids to feel safe is is at home, and they can’t even feel safe at home,” he said.

“It has been a tough week but I just want to thank the community, the footy community for their support ... it means so much to hear your support.

“As a family we’ll continue to stick together. Like I said we’ll continue to stand here before everybody and continue to educate. That’s the only way we’re going to move forward - with education.

“To everyone at home, if you’re watching this, please have conversations with your kids, your families, your friends, have those uncomfortable conversations ... because that’s the only way we’re going to move forward as a nation.”

Melbourne skipper Max Gawn knows his club’s past off-field troubles are being played out in the media but he says the strength of the current side shone in tonight’s win over Port Adelaide.

When asked about winning in the face of controversy by Eddie Betts on Fox Footy, Gawn couldn’t resist making a joke.

“Is there a bit of noise on us Ed? I haven’t been listening,” Gawn deadpanned to Fox Footy.

Jack Viney of the Demons is carried off for his 200th game. Max Gawn is on the far right side.Credit: Getty Images

“I get what is going on externally and it doesn’t faze me. That was five, six years ago what they are talking about.

“I’m working with this group of players. We had 23 tonight, 45 on the list and we all have one goal and that is to make our supporters proud and I thought performances like tonight where we lost every key stat and still won away from home - I think that will make our supporters proud.

“I can talk our culture all I want but it is wins like this that show that we are united. We are ready to go this year and I’m bloody proud of our effort tonight.

“We are going to keep going. We will be here in Adelaide for six nights, we have a lot of families here, we have 15 kids with us. Tonight was about us and tomorrow morning will be about them.

“We are one from two, we came here to go two done and we have Adelaide to come on Thursday night.”

MELBOURNE 15.6 (96) d PORT ADELAIDE 13.11 (89)

Max Gawn celebrates a goal with his teammates.Credit: AFL Photos

KEY POINTS

Finals dress rehearsal

Gilt-edged September intensity and standard were on display by both Melbourne and Port Adelaide, in the post-summer afterglow of late March.

The top-four Easter Saturday blockbuster lived up to its billing, neither team split by more than seven points at any break.

Charlie Dixon of the Power competes for a mark against Harrison Petty and Marty Hore of the Demons.Credit: Getty Images

The Power’s ground-ball prowess shone for large portions as they threatened to take control of the contest, their leaders Connor Rozee and Zak Butters lifting after so-so opening halves by their lofty standards.

The Demons withstood everything the Power could throw at them in the third quarter before steadying late, Ben Brown goaling from 55m, then inspirational captain Max Gawn (20 disposals, 50 hit-outs) converting after the three-quarter-time siren.

Melbourne’s sublime finishing stood out in the fourth.

Rozee’s goal tied the scores on the cusp of half-time before Brown soared for a majestic mark and kicked truly, then Bayley Fritsch showed his class with a majestic finish from the north-western pocket to shut the door on Port, who lost few admirers in falling to a gritty first loss for the year.

Adversi-dees

Melbourne’s on-field capacity to conquer off-field controversy has them encamped comfortably inside the top four and geared to charge towards another finals tilt with the double chance.

The adversity that has engulfed the club since the summer months would have swallowed lesser outfits. But these Dees know how to compartmentalise.

Three days after federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie’s bombshell remarks in parliament about components of the AFL’s illicit drugs policy, Melbourne got around each other, made the trip to enemy territory and stood up to be counted.

They did it with a patched-up backline - Harrison Petty asked in the first half to fill the breach left by the injury-enforced absence of Steven May - and against a quality opponent, which had been making most of the running to fashion a 16-point third-quarter advantage.

Kade Chandler of the Demons tackles Travis Boak of the Power.Credit: AFL Photos

Boak banged up

Travis Boak’s best game of 2024 ended with the veteran sporting a sore head after copping some “friendly-fire” from teammate Ivan Soldo.

Club games record holder Boak, who made his 350th appearance in last week’s win over Richmond, was afforded a rousing 60-second ovation at the 10-minute mark of the contest - in deference to his No.10 jumper.

At half-time the veteran had a match-high 20 disposals, his skill on the wing a key plank in Port’s performance.

But with less than five minutes remaining in the pulsating contest, Boak came off the ground feeling worse for wear after colliding front-on with big ruckman Soldo. The Power were weakened by Boak’s presence and steadying influence down the stretch.

KEY STATS

Demons forward Ben Brown says his club will cherish their win over the Power tonight.

Brown kicked three goals in the victory and he credited skipper Max Gawn for helping him secure a goal late in the third term.

Ben Brown of the Demons celebrates a goal.Credit: Getty Images

“Max gave me help on the goal line which was nice,” Brown told Channel Seven.

“It was a hard-fought win I think. One of the better ones I’ve been a part of when you are really cracking in and the opposition is cracking in.

“Port will go deep this year I would have thought. Those are the wins that you cherish when you put your body on the line all day. You have to dig in. Probably not great to watch at times. A lot of stoppages and tough, hard stuff but we love those type of clashes.

“That is why we bring the likes of Caleb [Windsor] into the club because he will do it four quarters long and it was great.”

UPDATED: After a week of more off-field controversies, Melbourne have comeback from 16 points down to beat Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

The Demons were exceptional in the final term and when the game was there to be won, their stars stepped up.

Oliver, Petracca, Neal-Bullen and Ben Brown (three goals) were all huge as was Max Gawn.

Jeremy Finlayson kicked a late goal for the Power but they were just short.

Alex Neal-Bullen.Credit: Getty Images

Bayel Fritsch was fed a pass from a very poised Windsor and he went back and kicked the goal.

The Demons aren’t home yet but they are in a strong position.

He gave the Power fans on the fence and earful after his goal so perhaps they were ‘helping’ again.

Dees 95, Power 83 with two mins to go.