AFTER THE HORROR by Ruby Tuesday

[Demonland 71,868]

After last week’s horror defeat at the hands of bottom of the ladder Collingwood in Alice Springs, Melbourne turned its season around last night with a heart-thumping six point victory over Brisbane at Casey Fields. 

The result came after selectors swung the axe in response to last week’s showing and the fact that this was yet another six day break after a fortnight on the road.

The Demons were inspired by a return to form by skipper Daisy Pearce who led the charge with two goals as her team opened proceedings with a now familiar early domination that has seen the opposition kept scoreless in the first quarter for three weeks in a row. The inside 50 advantage at that stage was 11 to 3 in Melbourne’s favour.

Predictably, it was the home side’s inaccuracy in front of goal that kept the second placed Lions in the hunt. By half time, the Dees led by just 11 points despite having 80% of the scoring shots and dominating most of the game’s statistics.

Brisbane was not to be denied and kept coming back hard after the main break thanks to Sabrina Frederick-Traub whose banana kick for goal reduced Melbourne's lead to just six points halfway through the third quarter. 

Tegan Cunningham returned the compliment with a goal of her own to put the Demons in a strong position at the final break. Not long after, Cunningham suffered a nasty collision with an opponent and consequently played no further art in the game.

Brisbane played its best football of the evening in the last quarter, reversing Melbourne’s forward dominance but strong defence in the end ensured that the club song would be sung on the final siren.

The strength of the team was the team’s leading trio of Karen Paxman (24), Elise O'Dea and Daisy (23 each) who dominated the disposal count with Kate Hore, the heroin with the team’s only final quarter score - a goal out of a pack midway through the term.

Frederick-Traub put the visitor’s back in with a chance after seeming to push her opponent out of a ruck contest near goal, but time ran out for the visitors who finished a six points in arrears as the Demons pressed home their finals prospects after a heavy week of introspection. They have a break of eight days before facing the Blues at Ikon Park in the penultimate round on Sunday week.

Melbourne 2.3.15 2.6.18 3.10.28 4.10.34 

Brisbane 0.0.0 1.1.7 2.2.14 4.4.28

Goals 

Melbourne D Pearce 2 Cunningham Hore

Brisbane Frederick-Traub 3 Gibson

Best 

Melbourne D Pearce Paxman O’Dea  L Pearce Smith Hore 

Brisbane Frederick-Traub Lutkins Ashmore Anderson Zielke

Injuries

Melbourne Cunningham (head knock)

Brisbane Hildebrand (head knock)

Reports Nil

Umpires Dore Buwalda Atkins

Crowd 2,100 at Casey Fields, Cranbourne