Australian Football

Match Report

With both sides out of finals contention, this match had little riding on it, but Melbourne and the Gold Coast Suns turned on a thrilling - albeit low-scoring - affair at the MCG which went right down to the wire. The result was in doubt until the last kick of the match, with the Suns' Tom Lynch having a shot after the final siren to steal victory. His kick, a difficult one from the boundary line about 50 metres out, fell just short and wide, giving the Demons victory by two points.

Gold Coast started brightly with Lynch marking and goaling in the second minute of the match. The Suns then dominated the next 20 minutes, and further majors from Jarrod Garlett and Nic Malceski saw them leading 3.3 to 0.3 before mark in the goal-square by Jack Watts saw him convert for Melbourne's first major to have the Demons within 12 points at the first change of ends.

When play resumed in the second quarter, Watts followed up with another mark and goal and the Demons were back within a goal and right in the match. Defences got on top over the next 10 minutes, neither side scoring a goal before Demon Chris Dawes broke the drought to put Melbourne in front for the first time in the match. Lynch's second returned the lead to the Suns at the 19-minute mark but the Demons dominated time on, with Aaron Vandenberg kicking two goals and Dean Kent one to see the home side ahead by an even two goals at the half.

The goals dried up for Melbourne in the third quarter, the Demons unable to manage more than four behinds until the last minute of the term. Their defence held up well, though, and the Suns could manage only two majors via Barndon Matera at the four-minute mark and Matt Shaw at the 18-minute mark, the latter goal levelling the scores. Behinds to Watts and Bernie Vince gave Melbourne a narrow two-point lead before Vandenberg's third goal just before the three-quarter time siren extended the margin to eight points at the last change.

Melbourne looked to be safe and heading for a comfortable victory, leading by 14 points after Christian Petracca marked and goaled at the three-minute mark of the final term but Gold Coast turned the match on its head over the next 10 minutes, with goals to Garlett, Matera and Jarrad Grant seeing the Suns grab a five-point lead at the 15-minute mark. They clung grimly to that lead for the next 12 minutes before Jack Watts managed to take a mark inside 50 and kick truly to return the Demons to a two-point lead. Melbourne looked like hanging on until an errant kick out of defence landed in the arms of Sun Lynch, whose dramatic post-siren shot fell short, the Demons hanging on for a thrilling win.

Dom Tyson played a great game for the winners, collecting 31 disposals and taking six marks, while Touk Miller stood out for Gold Coast, with nine tackles and 21 touches.

Melbourne will need to improve dramatically if it is to challenge Hawthorn at the MCG next Saturday, while the Suns face a huge task when they return home to Carrara to take on the rampaging GWS Giants on the same day.

GOALS
Melbourne:  Vandenberg, Watts 3; Dawes, Kent, Petracca
Gold Coast: Lynch, Garlett, Matera 2; Malceski, Shaw, Grant

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Melbourne: Tyson, Watts, Harmes, vandenBerg, O.McDonald, Gawn
Gold Coast: Miller, Rosa, Lynch, Harbrow, Shaw

BEST - THE AGE
Melbourne: Watts, Gawn, Tyson, Petracca, Jones, Vandenberg, N Jetta, O McDonald, T McDonald, Brayshaw
Gold Coast: Miller, Lynch, Sexton, Harbrow, Kolodjashnij, Rosa, Matera

INJURIES
Melbourne: Hogan (left knee)
Gold Coast: Shaw (left ankle)

UMPIRES: Fisher, Margetts, Foote

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Jason Dunstall, Danny Frawley, Cameron Mooney