History will probably not remember Melbourne’s Round 22 loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday night at the MCG. After all, what was there worthy of retaining in the memory banks for supporters to take away from a game where the sides found it a struggle to find the goals and their combined score barely passed 100 points?

 

Perhaps, the meagre attendance of less than 18,000 at a Melbourne game against a finals-bound opponent at the MCG for the second time in a fortnight that saw so many embarrassing gaps in the stadium’s sitting areas and a singular lack of crowd participation to cheer the team home in a close finish? Or, if one AFL club coach is to be believed, to provide sufficient noise of affirmation to draw a favourable umpiring decision for the home side at a crucial moment late in the game?

 

Or the efforts of Kysaiah Pickett, who scored four of his team’s seven goals (including the goal that put Melbourne back in front at the eleven minute mark of the final quarter) in a best on ground performance which almost singlehandedly won the game for his team? On top of those four goals, Pickett who has been criticized recently for not contributing enough in matches, put together a classy display of 21 disposals, four marks, six tackles, eight score involvements and multiple high pressure acts.

 

Or the number of opportunities squandered after Pickett’s final term goal that could have seen an unlikely Demon victory in light of Port’s demolition of league leader Sydney by almost 19 goals a week earlier? Squandered opportunities that led to the club’s fourth defeat this season by less than a single goal. 

 

Let that sink in - an extra goal per game could have seen the club still vying for a qualifying final appearance. 

 

As Melbourne Simon Goodwin said afterwards:

 

“I thought certainly through the middle part of the (last) quarter we had some dominance where we could have hit the scoreboard a little bit more and I think that was probably the story of the night.”

 

Or the heroic effort of injury-stricken leaders Max Gawn and Jack Viney as they constantly willed themselves into a contest that each could be excused for having given a miss altogether? The Demons had far too few consistent four quarter contributions in the game although honourable mentions should go to Alex Neal-Bullen and Christian Salem who played their hearts out and a number of others who tried and kept Melbourne in the game against a hard-working and more motivated opponent. After all, the Demons won the contested possession count 160 to 130 - an area in which they have been deficient for a good part of the season.

 

Or the possibility that illness within the group soured the team’s last ditch stand to maintain credibility among the competition’s middle tier? 

 

Perhaps one memorable highlight might be that Max cemented his All-Australian credentials because he is far and above every other contender for that post in this competition?

 

The best that can be said of Melbourne is that it ends the round as one of the better sides to ever sit in thirteenth place on the ladder - a fact that is not one that will ever provide a lasting memory to many Demon fans.



MELBOURNE 2.3.15 4.5.29 6.5.41 7.9.51

 

PORT ADELAIDE 2.4.16 3.8.26 5.8.38 7.11.53

 

GOALS

 

MELBOURNE Pickett 4 Fritsch
 Langdon Neal-Bullen

 

PORT ADELAIDE Dixon Horne-Francis 2 Butters Byrne-Jones Narkle

 

BEST

 

MELBOURNE Pickett Gawn Viney Neal-Bullen Salem
 Petty

 

PORT ADELAIDE Horne-Francis Butters Rozee Houston Boak Burgoyne

 

INJURIES 

 

MELBOURNE Nil

 

PORT ADELAIDE Marshall (concussion)

 

LATE CHANGES

 

MELBOURNE Taj Woewodin (illness) replaced in selected side by Jack Billings 

Jake Bowey replaced in selected side by Blake Howes

 

PORT ADELAIDE Nil

 

REPORTS 

 

MELBOURNE Nil

 

PORT ADELAIDE Nil

 

SUBSTITUTIONS

 

MELBOURNE Jake Melksham replaced Jacob van Rooyen in the fourth quarter


 

PORT ADELAIDE Quinton Narkle replaced Todd Marshall at half-time

 

UMPIRES Hayden Gavine Andrew Heffernan Brent Wallace Nicholas McGinness 

 

CROWD 17,867 at the MCG

 

Eloquent. Thank you, Jack.

Well written and spot on analysis. Thank you.

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

The best that can be said of Melbourne is that it ends the round as one of the better sides to ever sit in thirteenth place on the ladder - a fact that is not one that will ever provide a lasting memory to many Demon fans

That's precisely the sort of fact this Demon fan remember.

“an extra goal per game could have seen the club still vying for a qualifying final appearance”.

Misuse of our only viable key forward likely cost us a finals spot. JVR’s forward time was interrupted far too much playing second fiddle in the ruck. Gave us many stillborn goals IMO. No other club as I am aware uses their best big forward to be the regular ruck relief.