The Demons locked in a top four spot on the AFL 2023 ladder on Sunday with a 27-point victory against the Hawks denying them a third top end scalp in a row.

Melbourne is now primed for finals action in September, although at this late stage who and where it will play in the first week is the loaded question as its final ladder position depends upon games yet to be played.

This match was a hard tussle with barely a goal or two in it until the Demons broke the shackles in the final term. Indeed, Hawthorn got within six points in that final quarter, only to see Melbourne break away convincingly.

Shackles were certainly the way the Hawks wanted to play, with Finn Maguiness locked onto Clayton Oliver like a leech, restricting him to just 14 touches. Was it worth it?  Perhaps, but it shows the respect that oppositions show to a player like Oliver in just his second game back from a ten week layoff.

It was a strange game to watch, as the Melbourne movers and shakers just seemed to be below their best. Except, of course, for Jack Viney who just kept on barrelling in with 25 touches including 9 contested possessions. Angus Brayshaw with 20 disposals, Christian Petracca with 22, and Tom Sparrow 17 are probably not the numbers we have become accustomed to from the mids. However, when needed it was Oliver and Petracca in those final minutes who conjured the damaging goals.

The disposal disease wasn’t restricted to the middle of the ground. Kysaiah Pickett only touched the ball five times with a single effective disposal.  Kade Chandler, Jacob van Rooyen and Joel Smith each finished with seven touches to their names. The problems of the forward line were still lurking and it was left to Jake Melksham with 15 disposals and 3 goals to show the way, although both Smith and van Rooyen capitalised on the low possession count with two and three goals respectively. Not to mention 100% & 85% disposal efficiency from those paltry opportunities. Even Chandler didn’t miss a target for the whole night.

The backline structures also looked shaky until the final term, when Smith was sent back there and suddenly Steven May and Jake Lever won the ball again and again. Lever with 13 marks including a magnificent one on one victory when the Hawks were within a goal, simply changed the course of the game.

Trent Rivers had been busily holding the fort prior to that final surge, and he was easily the best performed MFC player to that point. He finished the game with 27 touches and a very creditable 496 metres gained. Rivers is rapidly becoming the springboard out of defence with his run and long kicking that is so damaging in today’s game.

Down the wings, Ed Langdon was his damaging best, as Hawthorn hadn’t learnt the lessons of others who keep the ball away from his side of the ground. He finished with 18 touches producing 435 metres contribution to the territory game for the side.

That the side was able to win this tight tussle, with a good number of players well below their best was a credit, particularly when it resulted in that top four outcome. They may not need to win next week, but that is not the Melbourne way in this game. A top two finish still possible at this point in time and the players will know if that is the case before they enter the ground next Sunday.

The other inspiration for the players is that of playing not only in finals but also in a potential premiership side. The other contenders at the top end are suddenly looking tired and the inevitable injuries are showing up their weaknesses.

With the Demons looking to load up with more silverware, then locking in a spot in the side now means nothing less than 100% commitment and output from each and every individual.

MELBOURNE 3.2.20 6.5.41 10.6.66 13.9.87

HAWTHORN 4.2.26 6.3.39 8.5.53 9.6.60

GOALS

MELBOURNE Melksham van Rooyen 3 Smith 2 Brayshaw Chandler Oliver Petracca Sparrow 

HAWTHORN Breust Hustwaite McDonald 2 Day Grainger-Barass Moore

BEST

MELBOURNE Melksham Lever Viney Rivers Brayshaw Petracca

HAWTHORN Worpel Nash Maginness Day Sicily Amon

INJURIES 

MELBOURNE Nil

HAWTHORN Nil

REPORTS

 

MELBOURNE Nil 

HAWTHORN Nil

LATE CHANGES

MELBOURNE Nil

HAWTHORN Jai Newcombe (replaced in the selected side by Henry Hustwaite)

SUBSTITUTIONS



MELBOURNE Josh Schache (replaced Adam Tomlinson in the fourth quarter)

HAWTHORN Jai Serong (replaced Max Ramsden at three-quarter time)

UMPIRES Andrew Stephens Brendan Hosking Alex Whetton Nathan Toner

CROWD 50,142 at the MCG

PINK LADY DAY Congratulations to the fans who turned up to support their team and the heartening revival of the Breast Cancer initiative at our games.