Melbourne has stunned ladder-leaders Fremantle in an extraordinary thriller at the MCG on Saturday, winning by four points in what has been hailed as the game of the year. The Demons kicked four of the last five goals to overrun the Dockers, who had led by 15 points midway through the final quarter.
Melbourne's remarkable resurgence
Most pundits had Melbourne languishing this year, but new coach Steven King has reinvigorated the club with a free-flowing, attacking gameplan that is ideally suited to the MCG. The Demons' rapid ball movement against Fremantle was hypnotic to watch and is in complete contrast to former coach Simon Goodwin's rigid and risk-averse style.
Melbourne are now 10-1 at the MCG this year, a handy stat come finals. With the Demons in striking distance of the top four, they deserve to be spoken of as a bona fide premiership wildcard.
Key performers and turning points
Kysaiah Pickett (27 disposals, two goals) and Tom Sparrow (24 disposals, two goals) dominated the clearances and stoppages. Sparrow has been a revelation this season, thrust onto the ball with the departure of Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca.
The match had more momentum shifts, twists and plot turns than the film The Empire Strikes Back. Fremantle's Patrick Voss caused havoc up forward with four goals, while Melbourne's Harrison Petty nailed two of his three goals in the last quarter when the Demons appeared done and dusted.
Pressure and controversy
Melbourne's pulsating pressure was ruthless, leading to uncharacteristic mistakes from Fremantle defenders Jordan Clark and Matthew Johnson late in the game. The contest also featured a juicy bit of controversy: Bayley Fritsch's mark over the boundary line in the dying seconds looked to be closer to the Shane Warne Stand than inside the field of play.
But in the end, the Demons absorbed the finals-like intensity better than Fremantle. The Dockers, who seem unlikely to play at the MCG again this season unless they make the grand final, will be left with doubts about their ability to perform on the big stage.
