Australian Football

Match Report

Any last remaining hope Melbourne had of making the finals for the first time since 2006 have all but disappeared after the Demons fell heartbreakingly short of the West Coast Eagles at Subiaco in Saturday's twilight game. In a tight and tough affair Melbourne led by a goal or less at each of the first three breaks but two early last-quarter goals from West Coast was enough to get the Eagles over the line in a low-scoring encounter on a wet Perth afternoon.

Melbourne was the dominant side for the first half of the first quarter, with the Demons restricting the Eagles to just one early behind to Elliot Yeo, while Jeff Garlett and Matt Jones kicked majors to give Melbourne a two-goal lead at the term's midway point. West Coast turned things around after that, first in general play and then on the scoreboard as goals to Matt Priddis and Liam Duggan brough the Eagles to within a point of Melbourne at the first break. 

Goals to Garlett and Chris Dawes saw the Demons break away to a 13-point lead in the first six minutes of the second quarter, but three in a row from the Eagles - one to Scott Lycett and two to Josh Kennedy - over the next 10 minutes saw West Coast go into time on with a lead of six points. Melbourne hit back late in the quarter, a goal to Christian Petracca levelling the scores and a pair of behinds giving the Demons a two-point three-quarter-time lead.

The first half of the third term followed a similar pattern to that of the first, with the Demons dominating. But while Melbourne again held the Eagles to a solitary behind for the first 15 minutes, the Demons wasted chances in front of goal, with Jesse Hogan, Jack Watts (twice) and Billy Stretch all missing. Garlett finally kicked truly to put the Demons two goals clear at the 16-minute mark, but the lead should have been greater. 

From that moment on until the end of the term, goals flowed freely, West Coast adding three via Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling and Jamie Cripps, while Melbourne registered two more through Chris Dawes and Dean Kent. When the three-quarter-time siren sounded, the Demons had won the quarter by four points and led by six.

Momentum was all with the Eagles in the early stages of the final quarter, with majors to Andrew Gaff and Josh Hill giving them a six-point lead after seven minutes. Melbourne worked its way back into the match in general play, but with both defences holding firm, neither side could find a goal. The Demons had a couple of scoring chances in the middle of the term, but a long shot from Kent sailed wide and a snap from Jack Watts soon after hit the post. They were to be Melbourne's last two scores, West Coast holding firm and adding a couple of behinds to hold on by six points in a thriller. 

Matt Priddis's Brownlow Medal form continues unabated, with the midfielder laying 15 tackles and gleaning 24 possessions against the Demons, who were well served as always by Nathan Jones, who had 34 touches and played eight tackles.

The win leaves the Eagles only half a percentage point out of the top four, with a match at the MCG against Collingwood on Saturday a big chance for them to claim a spot. Melbourne will host Gold Coast at the same venue the next day in search of its eighth win of the season. The Demons have not won eight matches in a season since 2011. 

GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 3; Priddis, Darling, Duggan, Lycett, Cripps, Gaff, Hill
Melbourne: Garlett 3; Dawes 2; M Jones, Petracca, Kent

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
West Coast: Priddis, Shuey, Gaff, Kennedy, Hurn, Lycett
Melbourne: N Jones, Tyson, Viney, Garlett, Kent, Gawn

BEST - WATODAY.COM.AU
West Coast: Priddis, Shuey, Gaff, McGovern, Lycett, Hurn
Melbourne: Tyson, N Jones, Viney, M Jones, Garlett, Petracca

INJURIES
West Coast: Nil
Melbourne: Jetta (left knee)

UMPIRES: Foot, Farmer, Hosking

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Adam Papalia, Dermott Brereton, Jonathan Brown, Cameron Mooney