PARTY POOPERS by George on the Outer

[Demonland 71,868]

Buddy Franklin’s farewell to his Sydney crowd, with a home finals berth in the offing for the Swans. All was set for a victory party in the Harbour City except that someone forgot to tell the Melbourne Demons, who turned out to be real party poopers.

It certainly was set up for those victory celebrations when the Swans bounced out to a near three goal lead in the third quarter, but by the end that time the Demons had pegged the lead back to a mere four points.

That lead soon evaporated, with Melbourne keeping the home side to a mere two points in the final stanza while they piled on a further four goals.

At the commencement of the game, Melbourne already knew its fate with the results in other matches already being decided, and a fourth-place finish and a final against the arch-enemy Collingwood locked in for the first week.    

Melbourne teams in the past would have put the cue in the rack, and coasted to the end of the game, avoiding injury, and resting valuable players.  But not this side.  When the going demanded a lift in tempo, and with the game result in doubt up stepped the leaders of the club and the coach who demanded the output epitomized by the Demon Spirit.  We have often heard of “playing our style of game”  and it was on full display in this game.  

Especially in that third quarter when injuries threatened.  Bayley Fritsch on return from seven weeks away with a foot injury, hobbled off the ground, and the fans feared the worse.  

However, he was to return, and finish the game with five goals, and what looked like a bruised side of his foot.  It seems he will be able to play in subsequent games.  

Jake Bowey was in all sorts of trouble with a shoulder injury, but he also returned to the field and had a hand in repelling many an attacking thrust by the opposition.  

Then the worst was to occur when an innocuous stumble by a running Jake Melksham saw him collapse clutching his knee. While Melbourne fans can only hope, the body language from the coach in the post-match conference was rather glum, with an ACL injury as a strong prospect. After missing the 2021 Premiership, this would be a catastrophic event for Jake, especially since his form has been so good in the past weeks.

For the first half of the game, the Demons clearly were not at their best. Perhaps it was slippery in the middle of the ground, but fumbling seemed to be the order of the day.  

With a tag on Clayton Oliver, his output was curtailed.  But then Christian Petracca got going especially from that mid-point in the third and the tag was moved to him, to no avail, and that released Oliver as well. Petracca finished with 29 touches, and while he didn’t take full advantage in front of goal, he still accumulated 17 of those possessions as contested.  Oliver, when he was unshackled finished with 25 and 10 contested, while the ever-irrepressible Jack Viney just powered on with 29 touches of his own and 14 contested.

Tellingly, when Gawn, Petracca and Oliver were rested in the final minutes, Viney was still out there fighting and bullocking his way through the opposition.  

Down back, stability has returned with the addition of Daniel “Disco” Turner in only his third game for the club.  Importantly, he knows how to play and execute a zone defence and positioned himself as required.  

It meant Jake Lever and Steven May were free to do their best jobs, so it was not surprising that May finished with 21 disposals, six marks and an incredible 550 metres gained. Lever was free to do his best and both stayed on the ground for 100% of the game. Unsurprisingly as a result, the Sydney talls in McDonald and Amartey only managed a single goal between them.  

Disco is likely to be playing finals in only his fourth game, so he probably needs to speak with Jaky Bowey about what can happen to someone in that circumstance.

On the wings, Lachie Hunter ran riot again, and Ed Langdon was almost as influential, certainly saving one Sydney goal with a last gasp tackle. Hunter racked up another over 500 metres gained game from his 21 touches.  

Kudos also deserve to go to Jacob van Rooyen who despite low disposal numbers had plenty of time in the ruck and managed 15 hit outs from 80% game time.  It was a big effort for a 20-year-old, especially since Sydney’s number 1 ruck in Tom Hickey only managed 17 hit outs for the game.  

With a break now to the first of the finals, a couple of Melbourne players will relish the rest, after a long season.  

It was interesting that even in this game, the coach was trying all manner of things.  Jake Bowey taking most of the kickouts, Trent Rivers and Hunter in the midfield, Alex Neal-Bullen on the wing. It all pointed to the flexibility that will be needed and for the opposition to be unexpected come finals.

With the forthcoming game against Collingwood, whose fans have declared their team to be certain premiers already, the stage is set for the Demons to become the party poopers, yet again.  

How sweet will that be!

MELBOURNE 3.2.20 5.4.34 7.8.50 11.11.77

SYDNEY SWANS 2.5.17 3.8.26 7.12.54 7.14.56

GOALS

MELBOURNE Fritsch 5 Melksham 2 Brayshaw Petracca Pickett van Rooyen 

SYDNEY SWANS Gulden 2 McDonald McLean Mills Warner Wicks

BEST

MELBOURNE Petracca Fritsch Viney May Brayshaw Neal-Bullen

SYDNEY SWANS Gulden Mills Parker Warner McCartin Stephens 

LATE CHANGES

MELBOURNE Nil

SYDNEY SWANS Tom Papley (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Ryan Clarke

INJURIES 

MELBOURNE Fritsch (foot) Melksham (leg) Bowey (shoulder)

SYDNEY SWANS Nil

REPORTS

MELBOURNE Nil

SYDNEY SWANS Nil

SUBSTITUTIONS

MELBOURNE Bailey Laurie (replaced Jake Melksham in third quarter)

SYDNEY SWANS Nil

UMPIRES Ray Chamberlain Simon Meredith Nathan Williamson Andre Gianfagna

CROWD 41,753 at the SCG