The media focus on the fiery interaction between Max Gawn and Steven May at the end of the game was unfortunate because it took away the gloss from Melbourne’s performance in winning almost everywhere but on the scoreboard in its Kings Birthday clash with Collingwood at the MCG.

It was a real battle reminiscent of the good old days when the rivalry between the two clubs was at its height and a fitting contest to celebrate the 2025 Australian of the Year, Neale Daniher and his superb work to bring the campaign to raise funds for motor neurone disease awareness to the forefront.

Notwithstanding the fact that the Magpies snatched a one point victory from his old club, Daniher would be proud of the fact that his Demons fought tooth and nail to win the keenly contested game in front of 77,761 fans.

And the skipper, once again stood out in the ruck with yet another brilliant performance against an opponent who tried everything in the playbook to beat him but Max did to him that which he has done to so many others this season and beat him comprehensively.

The match included some intriguing duels, none of which was better than that between Ed Langdon who sacrificed his own game to play a run with role on Magpie superstar Nick Daicos and kept him under control for most of the game. You could forgive him the few free kicks he gave away for holding and he wasn’t responsible for Daicos’ only goal or the point he scored courtesy of a free from the lightest touch to his back but I do take umbrage at his not getting the benefit of a free for insufficient intent with a handball that went straight over the boundary line. That’s football.

The player Melbourne couldn’t control was Josh Daicos who finished with the most disposals and the Neale Daniher medal to hang around his neck. Melbourne really needed some clean finishers like him to seal the deal but unfortunately, they lacked in that area in a game where one clean finish like a Melksham goal instead of a poster, a level headed Fritsch kick for goal when playing on after a mark or an extra metre on Koltyn Tholstrup’s shot at goal late in the game.

Another great duel was the one between Gawn’s end of game protagonist Steven May who was superb all day as was the entire Demon defence including the improving youngsters Daniel Turner and Blake Howes. May was supremely effective on Jamie Elliott who has been on fire recently and kept him quiet with just the single goal. 

After an even first quarter, Melbourne did what it has been particularly good at doing for some time - winning in general play without managing to do what good football teams are supposed to do and that is to score goals.

For all its dominance in the early part of the second quarter, it managed only 1.2 from 13 inside-50s while Collingwood scored two straight goals from six entries in the same period. Thankfully, Kozzy Pickett was around to weave some magic with a couple of great goals but again, some poor lapses and a failure to shut the game down in the dying moments of the opening half allowed a goal to Membrey right on half time.

This was a game between the competition’s oldies who are holding down first place and a team that has some promising youngsters who are in fourteenth place. They should not feel discouraged by how they went about their game. Xavier Lindsay who was subbed off after he gave away a 50 metre penalty – harsh punishment since he was well behind the line but like a few other umpiring decisions on the day, they were probably technically there. The message for he and the other Demon youngsters who took part in this game is that their day will come.

The Demons won the second half and even managed to steal the lead from the Magpies when Pickett kicked his third halfway through the final term. But they were to rue some more missed opportunities at the end against the competition’s most formidable combination in close games and for the second week in a row, lost a game despite having more scoring opportunities.

They had sufficient intent but were unable to finish the game on the scoreboard.

MELBOURNE 2.2.14 4.6.30 7.8.50 10.11.71

COLLINGWOOD 2.2.14 6.2.38 9.3.57 11.6.72

GOALS

MELBOURNE Fritsch Pickett 3 Melksham Petty Sparrow Tholstrup

COLLINGWOOD McStay 2 N Daicos Elliott Hayes Hill Long McCreery Membrey Mihocek Sidebottom

BEST

MELBOURNE Gawn Oliver Pickett May Petracca Rivers

COLLINGWOOD J Daicos Howe Sidebottom Pendlebury N Daicos Quaynor

INJURIES 

MELBOURNE Nil 

COLLINGWOOD Darcy Cameron (head cut) 

REPORTS 

MELBOURNE Nil 

COLLINGWOOD Nil 

SUBSTITUTIONS 

MELBOURNE Caleb Windsor (replaced Lindsay in the third term)

COLLINGWOOD Will Hoskin-Elliott (replaced Allan in the fourth term)

UMPIRES Andrew Stephens, Brendan Hosking, Jack Howard, Jamie Broadbent

CROWD 77,761 at The MCG

7 minutes ago, Demonland said:

The media focus on the fiery interaction between Max Gawn and Steven May at the end of the game was unfortunate because it took away the gloss from Melbourne’s performance in winning almost everywhere but on the scoreboard in its Kings Birthday clash with Collingwood at the MCG.

It was a real battle reminiscent of the good old days when the rivalry between the two clubs was at its height and a fitting contest to celebrate the 2025 Australian of the Year, Neale Daniher and his superb work to bring the campaign to raise funds for motor neurone disease awareness to the forefront.

Notwithstanding the fact that the Magpies snatched a one point victory from his old club, Daniher would be proud of the fact that his Demons fought tooth and nail to win the keenly contested game in front of 77,761 fans.

And the skipper, once again stood out in the ruck with yet another brilliant performance against an opponent who tried everything in the playbook to beat him but Max did to him that which he has done to so many others this season and beat him comprehensively.

The match included some intriguing duels, none of which was better than that between Ed Langdon who sacrificed his own game to play a run with role on Magpie superstar Nick Daicos and kept him under control for most of the game. You could forgive him the few free kicks he gave away for holding and he wasn’t responsible for Daicos’ only goal or the point he scored courtesy of a free from the lightest touch to his back but I do take umbrage at his not getting the benefit of a free for insufficient intent with a handball that went straight over the boundary line. That’s football.

The player Melbourne couldn’t control was Josh Daicos who finished with the most disposals and the Neale Daniher medal to hang around his neck. Melbourne really needed some clean finishers like him to seal the deal but unfortunately, they lacked in that area in a game where one clean finish like a Melksham goal instead of a poster, a level headed Fritsch kick for goal when playing on after a mark or an extra metre on Koltyn Tholstrup’s shot at goal late in the game.

Another great duel was the one between Gawn’s end of game protagonist Steven May who was superb all day as was the entire Demon defence including the improving youngsters Daniel Turner and Blake Howes. May was supremely effective on Jamie Elliott who has been on fire recently and kept him quiet with just the single goal. 

After an even first quarter, Melbourne did what it has been particularly good at doing for some time - winning in general play without managing to do what good football teams are supposed to do and that is to score goals.

For all its dominance in the early part of the second quarter, it managed only 1.2 from 13 inside-50s while Collingwood scored two straight goals from six entries in the same period. Thankfully, Kozzy Pickett was around to weave some magic with a couple of great goals but again, some poor lapses and a failure to shut the game down in the dying moments of the opening half allowed a goal to Membrey right on half time.

This was a game between the competition’s oldies who are holding down first place and a team that has some promising youngsters who are in fourteenth place. They should not feel discouraged by how they went about their game. Xavier Lindsay who was subbed off after he gave away a 50 metre penalty – harsh punishment since he was well behind the line but like a few other umpiring decisions on the day, they were probably technically there. The message for he and the other Demon youngsters who took part in this game is that their day will come.

The Demons won the second half and even managed to steal the lead from the Magpies when Pickett kicked his third halfway through the final term. But they were to rue some more missed opportunities at the end against the competition’s most formidable combination in close games and for the second week in a row, lost a game despite having more scoring opportunities.

They had sufficient intent but were unable to finish the game on the scoreboard.

MELBOURNE 2.2.14 4.6.30 7.8.50 10.11.71

COLLINGWOOD 2.2.14 6.2.38 9.3.57 11.6.72

GOALS

MELBOURNE Fritsch Pickett 3 Melksham Petty Sparrow Tholstrup

COLLINGWOOD McStay 2 N Daicos Elliott Hayes Hill Long McCreery Membrey Mihocek Sidebottom

BEST

MELBOURNE Gawn Oliver Pickett May Petracca Rivers

COLLINGWOOD J Daicos Howe Sidebottom Pendlebury N Daicos Quaynor

INJURIES 

MELBOURNE Nil 

COLLINGWOOD Darcy Cameron (head cut) 

REPORTS 

MELBOURNE Nil 

COLLINGWOOD Nil 

SUBSTITUTIONS 

MELBOURNE Caleb Windsor (replaced Lindsay in the third term)

COLLINGWOOD Will Hoskin-Elliott (replaced Allan in the fourth term)

UMPIRES Andrew Stephens, Brendan Hosking, Jack Howard, Jamie Broadbent

CROWD 77,761 at The MCG

Everything but the scoreboard.... might be the epitaph of our season.