Australian Football

Match Report

Any doubts about the Melbourne Football Club moving towards a period of success were further dispelled at the MCG on the Queen's Birthday holiday with the Demons comprehensively outplaying Collingwood to record a 46-point win. It it the first time the Demons have won the traditional Queen's Birthday since 2007 and the first time since 1988 that Melbourne has beaten the Magpies twice in the same season since 1988, a year in which it made the Grand Final. 

Melbourne made the early running but couldn't make every post a winner, finishing with just 1.3 after a seven-minute period of dominance in which Collingwood did not score. The Pies were similarly wasteful when the tide turned, also scoring 1.3 to square the game midway through the first quarter but a goal too Brayden Maynard gave them a lead of that margin at the 17-minute mark. When Jesse White followed up with another goal three minutes later, the Pies led by 11 points, a margin which was extended to an even two goals at quarter time. 

The second quarter decided the match and it was Melbourne that took full control of it. After Jack Trengove kicked things off with a goal in the second minute, Travis Varcoe responded for the Magpies, to reestablish the two-goal break but from that point until half time, the Demons dominated. Collingwood failed to score for the rest of the term as Melbourne piled on a further six majors through Jesse Hogan (two), Christian Petracca, Max Gawn (two) and Kent to blow the game apart and lead by 26 points at the long break. 

Nathan Jones snuffed out any thought of a second-half turnaround with the first major of the third term, extending Melbourne's lead to 32 points. Goals proved hard to come by for the rest of the quarter, Collingwood scoring one through Levi Greenwood and the Demons getting one more via Hogan. At three-quarter time, it was Melbourne by 31. 

Brodie Grundy gave the Magpies brief hope with a goal after just 27 in the final quarter but the Demons put the result well and truly beyond doubt over the next 10 minutes with goals to Kent, Jack Watts, Ben Kennedy and Watts again as they charged to a 49-point lead. With the sting out of the game, each side added one further goal as Melbourne cruised to a 46-point victory.

Max Gawn took another step towards guanine stardom with a great performance for the Demons, picking up a personal best 27 possessions to go with his 31 hitouts. He also kicked three goals. For Collingwood, Adam Treloar (31 touches and two marks) played a fine match. 

Melbourne remain omen one game out of the eight and could put itself in genuine contention if it can overcome third-placed Sydney at the SCG next Sunday. Collingwood, which has slipped to 14th place on the back of the loss, will have a week off in round 13 and then return to the MCG on Friday week to take on the improving Fremantle. 

GOALS

Melbourne: Hogan, Kent, Gawn 3; Watts 2; Viney, Trengove, Petracca, N Jones, Kennedy
Collingwood: Cox 2; Maynard, White, Sidebottom, Varcoe, Greenwood, Grundy

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Melbourne: Gawn, Vince, N Jones, Kent, T McDonald, Tyson, Hogan, Bugg, Kennedy
Collingwood: Treloar, Pendlebury, Howe, De Goey, Varcoe

BEST - THE AGE
Melbourne: Vince, Gawn, Jones, Tyson, Kennedy, T. McDonald, Bugg
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Treloar, Howe, Reid, Varcoe

INJURIES
Melbourne: Vandenberg (nose)
Collingwood: J Frost (shoulder), Reid (left knee), Pendlebury (left ankle)

UMPIRES: Nicholls, Jeffery, Wallace

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Hamish McLachlan, Tim Watson, Andrew