Round 5 – Melbourne V Brisbane

Liam Chambers

The hordes from the North attack

Brisbane’s recent appearances at the MCG have left a lot to be desired and with a poor start to the season, they would have been keen to address that particular Achilles Heel. They had a lot riding on their match against Melbourne and would be anxious to prove themselves worthy contenders in 2024.

The Demons have been travelling well so far this season and their opening goal courtesy of Alex Neal-Bullen would have gladdened the hearts of the faithful. The midfielder works extremely hard and his 45m running kick, under pressure, landed in the goal square before bouncing across the line.

It didn’t take long for Brisbane to get on the scoreboard, with Eric Hipwood marking the in front of goal, then slotting his 40m set shot. Joe Daniher took a similar mark five minutes later but steered it left. However his next set shot from inside the square sailed through and Brisbane was a goal up.

Unfortunately Christian Salem was subbed off early with a suspected hamstring injury. Taj Woewodin took to the field as replacement. Bailey Fritsch proved his class yet again with his flawless 48m set shot from the pocket, shrinking the margin back to one point.

Before long though, Melbourne’s defence was under siege with Brisbane launching wave after wave of attack, basically keeping the ball hostage inside their forward 50. The pressure paid off with Hipwood again marking in front of goal. The 40m set shot was a simple conversion for the key forward. Joe Daniher shot from the 50m arc was a little more difficult, but he too kicked cleanly, and the visitors were up by thirteen points.

It was beginning to look like one of those nights, when Melbourne just couldn’t get the ball to behave, whereas Brisbane’s handling was clean and effective. Luckily for us though, the margin remained at a respectable fourteen points when the sides went in at quarter time.

Brisbane consolidate their advantage

The Lions would have been encourage with their performance during the first term and the fans would have been very encourage with their start to the second, when Jaspa Fletcher snapped a 35m goal, resulting from of a clearance. Brisbane continued to dominate, with the Dees struggling to get a grip on the game.

The Lions kicked four in a row after Hugh MacLuggage drew a free kick and a Logie nomination, when his head was lightly brushed as he jumped for the ball in the pocket. His 40m set shot was on target. Everything was going Brisbane’s way, with Melbourne missing contested and uncontested marks in equal measure. Their opponents, on the other hand, couldn’t miss. There was no let up to Melbourne’s misery.

As if to further compound our predicament, just before half time, Charlie Cameron took a contested mark 25m directly. He split the middle with set shot.

No relief in sight

With their season on the line, Brisbane was not about to up their thirty point half time lead. The onus was well and truly on the Dees to step up and reclaim the momentum.

Melbourne got the start they so desperately needed when Kade Chandler kicked a difficult set shot from deep in the pocket.

Unfortunately five minutes later Kai Lohmann dribbled the ball through traffic, on the edge of the square, stretching the lead back out to thirty two points in the process.

The Demons couldn’t get a break, with all decisions seemingly going Brisbane’s way. In addition, the Lions had set up their base camp in Melbourne’s defensive 50 and showed no signs of moving on. The gap grew to thirty nine points after Hugh MacLuggage tapped in a second from inside the goal square.

Up the other end, nothing was working for the Dees. There was an abundance of missteps and miskicks.

It only got more painful for fans of the red and the blue when Charlie Cameron stole a handpass on the edge of the square, before running around to the front and snapping from 10m.

Melbourne manages to stem the carnage

With a game high margin of forty three points, only the most fanatically optimistic Demon fan expected Melbourne to prevail. Still, you have to hope. Ben Brown gave us a fighting chance with his impressive contested mark and accurate set shot.

However Brisbane douse the flames of fans’ enthusiasm when they quickly took possession after the hitout and got the ball to Zac Bailey, who then snapped a goal from 15m in front. Charlie Cameron put the result beyond doubt when he marked inside 50 and out ran Jake Lever, before tapping in the ball from the edge of the square.

Max Gawn helped soothe the blow for Melbourne fans when he marked in the pocket and converted the set shot. The Dees then won the bounce and Jacob van Rooyen took a contested mark inside 50. His 30m set shot reduced the margin to thirty six points. Bailey Fritsch further eased the pain when he kicked his second from a 40m set shot, but with only three minutes left on the clock, it provided only the faintest of hopes.

In a bonus for traumatised spectators and viewers, Jake Lever scored a very rare goal after he was awarded a 50m penalty, allowing him to kick from point blank range

We played Richmond in our Anzac Eve game. We were victorious in the same clash last season but with both teams returning from a bye, anything could happen. However, if I was a betting man, I’d put the farm on Melbourne.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 4

Liam Chambers

Low scoring first quarter

After last week’s nailbiter, the Dees opted to extend their stay in SA, in order to prepare for the Round 4 clash with the Crows. Although winless in 2024, Adelaide have caused more than a few nervous moments for Demon fans over the years. That last minute one point loss in our premiership winning year anyone?

Harrison Petty is slowly returning to form and proved how dangerous he can be in front of goal by almost taking a one handed mark. He was awarded a free kick anyway, as he was deemed to have been held. His successful set shot was the opening goal of Gather Round.

The next major was a long time coming, but when it did, it was brilliant in its simplicity. Izac Rankine scooped up the low ball, zig zagged around the Dees’ defence, then snapped from point blank.
If Rankine made his goal look easy, up the other end Kysaiah Pickett’s banana bend off the outside of his right boot was simply genius.

In a term of few goals, the Crows took the lead with ten seconds left on the clock, after Darcy Fogarty marked the ball on the edge of the goal square.

Playing see saw with the scoreboard

Melbourne had the wind advantage going into the second quarter but was unable to add to its goal tally; notching up five consecutive minor scores in the opening ten minutes. Then Christian Petracca broke the drought by collecting the ball in the pocket, spinning around and snapping the goal; giving his side back the lead.

Rory Laird redressed the balance when he marked in the pocket and converted.

Kade Chandler has been in good form so far this year, taking on the challenge when faced with difficult kicks. His 50m set shot from close to the boundary line was pitch perfect and Melbourne was ahead again.

When Kozzie Pickett’s in the mix, it’s never boring, as he proved yet again when he ran into the pack, collected the ground ball, turned, then snapped. The result was never in doubt. Back to back goals for the Demons.

Jacob van Rooyen made it three in a row for Melbourne when he marked 30m in front. Adelaide’s Mark Keane made sure the goal was a certainty by giving away a 50m penalty for Umpire dissent.

Fritsch picks up the tempo

Bailey Fritsch was having a quiet night before he opened his account, and the second half scoring, when his 30m set shot, directly in front, sailed through. After that goal, Melbourne had the chance to potentially put the game further out of Adelaide’s reach but squandered some good chances.

At some point during most Crows’ games, Taylor (Tex) Walker makes his presence felt and this match was no exception. His contested mark and subsequent 25m set shot, put the hosts back within three goals of the Demons.

Fritsch stretch the lead out to twenty six points when he marked 60m from goal, then ran on and launched from the 50m arc. The ball landed in the square and bounced across the line. He wasn’t done yet though, and the high scoring Demon racked up his hat trick for the quarter when his 45m set shot hit the target.

With a buffer of thirty two points, Melbourne appeared to be cruising.

Then, when the Crows looked to be on the canvas, they kicked a goal against the run of play, after Tex Walker marked 20m out, then hand passed to Ben Keays, allowing the forward to run in the goal. Suddenly the Crows were fired up and the fans were on their feet.

They sat down again when van Rooyen took a mark on the edge of the square and kicked the set shot.

Darcy Fogarty had them up again with his outstanding set shot from deep in the pocket.

Max Gawn had a chance with his own set shot but sent it slightly wide. The Dees were again notching up the minor scores as Jack Billings hit the upright. Overall though, Melbourne would have been happy with a twenty eight point lead at three quarter time.

Crows’ revival comes late in the game

The Crows needed to move quickly if they intended to run down the Dees in the final term. Conversely, Melbourne couldn’t rest on their laurels if they wanted to put the contest beyond doubt early in the quarter.

Despite, or perhaps because both sides were fighting so hard for supremacy, the first goal wasn’t kicked until mid-way through the term. Much to the delight of the home crowd, it was Adelaide’s captain Jordan Dawson who took the contested mark on the edge of the square. He didn’t miss and the margin was cut to twenty two points. Though Adelaide was still in contention, it would take a very impressive comeback to kick another four unanswered goals.

There was some concerned looking faces amongst the Demon faithful however, when a mistake in defence allowed Josh Rachelle to snap an around the corner set shot, closing the gap to fifteen points.

Adelaide almost had a second in quick succession, but a case of friendly fire between team mates meant Melbourne dodged a bullet and was able to rush behind the ball, conceding a minor point. Still the Crows kept attacking. Fortunately the Dees were up to the challenge.

In an interesting twist, Kysaiah Pickett was stranded on the sidelines, unable to participate, for over six minutes. When he eventually made it back on ground, he had a half chance which failed to hit the target. It seemed like everything that Melbourne threw at their opponents was missing the mark.

In the end, the Dees prevailed, and the win meant a return to the top of the table, albeit temporarily.

Next week we’re back at the MCG to take on the Brisbane Lions. Last’s years runners up in the Grand Final have only had one win so far in 2024, though that statistic doesn’t mean Melbourne won’t have to work hard for victory.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!