Melbourne have bounced again emphatically late on Monday evening to take down a valiant Richmond outfit.
Entering the competition as overwhelming favourites, the Dees had been mobbed within the opening half because the Tigers put them to the sword.
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Despite Richmond’s dominance on the competition they couldn’t pull far sufficient away because the Demons held on.
The Tigers went into the halftime break holding the 14-point benefit as footy followers watching on had been left to query Melbourne’s premiership credentials.
Those fears had been put to mattress within the second half as Melbourne lastly discovered their groove and acquired into gear.
A 4 purpose to 2 quarter was completely wrapped up when Clayton Oliver delivered on the three-quarter time siren to convey the margin again to inside two factors.
In the fourth quarter needing a solution in entrance of purpose, it was rookie Jacob Van Rooyen who stood tall and delivered for the Dees.
The teenager rose above the pack to drag down a monster mark to get the ball rolling and he wasn’t executed there.
Three contested marks inside 50 resulted in three fourth quarter objectives because the Demons flexed their muscle mass to run away with the sport.
The evening earlier than Anzac Day contest has turn into a key staple on the AFL calendar with Melbourne now saluting because the winners from the previous three contests.
Richmond veteran Jack Riewoldt led the cost for his facet in entrance of purpose, slotting 4 objectives with Noah Cumberland kicking three, all of which got here within the opening quarter.
New recruit Tim Taranto did all he might by way of the center of the bottom, ending the competition with a game-high 33 disposals.
But it was a surging Demons that ran excessive of them within the second half with the midfield battle being flipped on its head.
Ruck duo Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy put their stamp on the competition and fed star trio Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney.
The three mixed for 88 disposals and 14 disposals with Viney being named the winner of the Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes medal.
The win pushes Melbourne into second spot on the ladder, behind solely St Kilda.
Unfortunately for the Tigers they droop to sixteenth on the ladder, making it the bottom spot they’ve discovered themselves in on the ladder on the finish of a spherical since method again in spherical 14, 2014.
Riewoldt’s second purpose for the evening was the four-hundredth of his profession on the MCG, with the 34-year-old becoming a member of his former teammate Matthew Richardson (464) and Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd (461) in an elite membership.
The crowd of 83,985 was the second largest of the seven Anzac Day Eve clashes, simply shading the 85,657 who attended in 2017.
Maurice Rioli Jr limped off late within the last quarter with what seemed to be a hamstring damage in an extra damage fear for the Tigers.
– with Ed Bourke, NCA Newswire
Source: www.news.com.au
