Australian Football

Match Report

An amazing 12-goal last quarter burst has seen Melbourne record a come-from-behind victory, their first of 2013, and saved the Demons from plunging further into crisis. The club has lurched from one disaster to another in recent months, with a fines and suspensions resulting from the so-called "tanking" allegations, three disastrous losses to open the season, and most recently being linked to drugs administered at the direction of Stephen Dank, who is currently the focus of several investigations.

At three-quarter time in Sunday's match, it appeared that things were about to get worse for Melbourne. They trailed GWS, a club in just its second season with only two previous wins to its name, by 19 points, and they looked a beaten side. All of which made what happened in the last quarter all the more remarkable.

The first act of the last quarter did not suggest that things were about to get any better for the Demons, as Shannon Byrnes tripped over his own feat in the goal square and turned a certain goal into a point. But three minutes in, Nathan Jones took a mark and calmly slotted a goal to reduce the GWS lead to 12 points. Less than two minutes later Max Gawn took a pack mark in the goal square and converted to cut the lead to 6. Two minutes after that Michael Evans marked and also goaled and the scores were level after just seven minutes.

Toby Greene briefly restored the lead to the Giants with a goal but a behind to Evans was followed by another mark, this time to co-captain Jack Trengove and his true kick gave the Demons a one-point lead which, remarkably, they would not surrender.

Three more goals followed, to Jeremy Howe, Evans and Aaron Davey and Melbourne jumped to an 18-point lead. The Giants' Liam Sumner then marked and goaled to reduce the lead to just 12 points at the 22-minute mark but this was to be the last shot GWS would fire. The Demons would amazingly round out the quarter with another five goals (through Davey, Evans, Gawn and two more to Howe), ultimately winning in a canter by 41 points.

The wash-up from that final quarter, which began with Melbourne potentially facing its darkest moment, was a term in which the Demons kicked 12.2 (74), their highest-EVER score in any quarter. It was a remarkable effort and one that well keep the doomsayers at bay for awhile at least.

Best for the Demons included Nathan Jones and Jeremy Howe, while the Giants were well-served by Adam Treloar and Setanta O'hAilpin who, returning from a knee reconstruction, kicked five goals.

Melbourne will now travel to Brisbane to take on the Lions, who are also struggling. The Giants will host Gold Coast at Manuka, the venue of their first-ever victory last year against the same opponent.

GOALS
Melbourne: Howe 4; Byrnes, Evans 3; Pedersen, Gawn, Davey 2; Sylvia, Bail, N Jones, Trengove, Clark, Jamar
GWS: O'hAilpin 5; Palmer 2; Cameron, Treloar, Shiel, Giles, Ward, Scully, Shiel, Sumner

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Melbourne: N. Jones, Gawn, Grimes, Howe, Garland, Evans, Terlich, Trengove
GWS: Scully, Shiel,Treloar, Whitfield, O'hAilpin, Greene, Ward

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Melbourne: Evans, Byrnes, Howe, N.Jones, Frawley, Garland, Jamar
GWS: O'hAilpin, Treloar, Shiel, Greene, Scully, Davis, Gilham

COACHES' COMMENTS
Mark Neeld (Melb): We were confident of a competitive last quarter but you can't predict the scoreboard. They're a resilient bunch of young boys and we felt that in the last quarter the young boys kept going.

Kevin Sheedy (GWS): We played our just about best three quarters [of the season] in the first three quarters. That was our only positive really, out of the game. The last quarter was very disappointing. We just didn't have enough players get their hands on the footy.

SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Aaron Davey replaced Jack Viney in the third quarter
GWS: Anthony Miles replaced Nick Haynes at three-quarter time

REPORTS
Neville Jetta (Melbourne) reported for engaging in rough conduct on Lachie Whitfield (GWS)

UMPIRES: Bannister, Margetts, Harris