Blog log from R24 of 2023: Sydney vs Melbourne
Petracca misses a very high snap after a stoppage from deep in the pocket 20m out. (Q1 2:15)
McDonald kicks off the scoring with a behind from the pocket. (Q1 4:56)
McCartin starts a rebound from half back, Heeney speeds away from two Dees on outer wing and has McDonald over the back of May to mark 20m out on a slight angle for the first goal. (Q1 7:29)
Warner runs up the centre line and spots up Heeney’s lead in front of McVee 45m out in front. Heeney tugs the set shot way left. (Q1 10:17)
Wicks fends off and misses a screwing snap from a pack 20m out. (Q1 10:44)
Fritsch marks an Oliver kick in front of McCartin 45m out in front. Good to have him back, he steers through his first goal in a long time. (Q1 12:54)
Warner feeds Gulden who swerves through a nice finish from left to right off the left peg from 40m on a slight angle. (Q1 14:27)
Fritsch sails through his second set shot goal from the pocket. (Q1 19:59)
McDonald snaps very high and wide left from near the hotspot. (Q1 24:02)
Melksham marks next to the behind post and plays on for the goal to give Melbourne the lead for the first time. (Q1 25:50)
Parker marks with his left arm over Viney 35m out on the flank but misses. (Q1 28:50)
Bit of a wind going to the end Melbourne is kicking to in Q1. In recent times at Sydney that has meant kicking to the other end is difficult with the wind coming from the pocket. (Q1 30:02)
May roves a chaos ball at half back and chooses to fend, ump having none of that and pays Amartey the HTB free 40m out in front… which is sprayed wide right. (Q2 1:02)
Petracca roves at half forward, baulks into space past Cunningham and finds Rivers 25m out on a slight angle, he chips the set shot left. (Q2 2:32)
McCartin spoils a rebound kick down to Parker who feeds Mills for a snap on the turn from just inside 50m on a slight angle, that one sails through. (Q2 7:13)
Neal-Bullen spins in traffic in the centre for a nice pass to the outside for Hunter, who spots up a Smith lead to 45m on a slight angle. Smith doesn’t score. (Q2 9:45)
Bowey and Sparrow dive on the line to touch through a quick snap from McDonald from 30m. (Q2 11:25)
Melksham leaps in front of Blakey to clunk an Oliver speculator from the wing to the flank 45m out, strong dukes there. Milk steers through the professional finish. (Q2 13:45)
Petracca leaps over Sidebottom to mark a Neal-Bullen pass 40m out on the flank, his kick is pushed wide right for no score. (Q2 15:59)
May intercepts a Parker dump kick from a stoppage 45m out on the flank but also pushes it right. Wind blowing that way, no local feel for conditions by the Dees. (Q2 16:59)
Viney reefs out a handball behind a stoppage 40m out on a slight angle to Brayshaw who bounces through a goal, and he loves it! (Q2 21:58)
McDonald marks a Stephens speculator in front of a big pack 20m out on a slight angle just before the HT siren, he hits the post, crowd goes aww. (Q2 27:43)
Parker flies in to smother a Brayshaw snap from 20m, crumb comes back to Brayshaw who misses from the behind line. (Q3 0:52)
Wicks volleys a goal from the square after a scramble, albeit he also falls on his head in the process. (Q3 2:45)
McLean threads a set shot from the boundary 45m out to give Sydney an early lead in Q3! (Q3 3:56)
Mills marks in front of Rivers at CHF after the next bounce, he gives off to Gulden who swings through another long snap, Sydney building a lead now! (Q3 5:09)
Pickett misses from the pocket 15m out after good lead up work by Petracca. (Q3 7:16)
McLean marks a Stephens pass over May 45m out on the boundary on the other side, tougher shot from here with the wind blowing across him, shanks it near side left. (Q3 7:50)
Amartey marks a Blakey pass in front of Lever 30m out on the flank but misses everything. (Q3 9:40)
Gulden and Heeney try to rove a McLean contest in the square but too many Demons are playing goalkeeper, off bodies for a point. (Q3 10:47)
Parker is front and centre for a McDonald contest 35m out on the flank but his quick grubber skids wide left. (Q3 13:31)
Parker again takes a circus catch with the left hand from a Warner kick to 45m near the boundary. His kick is a shocker, eventually Melbourne rebounds. (Q3 14:49)
Warner marks on the wing and feigns a handball, Chandler on the mark pinged under the stand rule, red hot as the umps haven’t been paying those lately. Warner goals from 40m. (Q3 16:16)
Neal-Bullen curls a snap narrow from the pocket 25m out. (Q3 18:07)
Petracca rams through a big goal from the HFF after a stoppage, soldiers going down left and right for the Demons in Q3 but Trac is still fighting on. (Q3 26:46)
Petracca clears from a stoppage on the HFF towards the hotspot, Pickett can’t mark, Laurie roves and hits the post with a skidder. (Q3 28:49)
Pickett marks at the hotspot and chips the set shot just inside the right goalpost… or does he? Umpires have been trigger-happy on reviews this week, very much a goal. (Q3 31:16)
Petracca kicks OOTF from one HFF and then misses from half forward again inside a minute. (Q4 1:38)
Wicks tackles Neal-Bullen to prevent what looked a certain score after an Oliver chaos ball inside 50. (Q4 2:10)
Both sides playing for sheep stations, Sydney chasing a home final and Melbourne just hoping not to keep losing forwards. (Q4 2:55)
Fritsch somehow has space to mark a Neal-Bullen pass to 45m on a slight angle on a slow play, Blakey looking tired in back play. The set shot is good, Demons lead again! (Q4 3:54)
Joel Smith has the sit on Blakey and takes a screamer like Shaun Smith all those years ago but the ball is taken off him for a reversal, block by Van Rooyen, huge call! (Q4 6:22)
Langdon passes to Pickett 30m out deep in the pocket, drop punt looks great off the boot… just hits the post. (Q4 7:34)
Viney does a one-two with Laurie on the HFF and bombs towards the square… Van Rooyen marks on the fat side in front of McCartin for his first goal! Dees making a charge. (Q4 8:37)
Salem has done bugger all today but his smother on the HFF set up that humongous score. (Q4 9:09)
Fair bit of carnage out there, both teams going hell for leather in a finals-type atmosphere. (Q4 11:11)
Hayward drops a mark in a pack 20m out on a slight angle, keeps his feet to mop up but checksides wide off the right under pressure. (Q4 13:34)
Parker’s repeat inside 50 kick from the kick in is to Heeney who marks strongly in front of May 35m out in the pocket. Tough set shot, big pressure, Heeney hoofs it for no score. (Q4 14:24)
Hunter bounces a behind from the pocket after mopping up a paddle to grass by Viney. (Q4 16:49)
Pickett marks a Hunter pass in front of Lloyd 40m out near the boundary after link work by Petracca on members wing. Clock ticks towards 6:00 as Kosi lines up… OOTF. (Q4 18:35)
Fritsch gathers a bouncing centring ball by Chandler and snaps across the body from 35m, that one bounces through, just about the sealer! (Q4 20:35)
Fritsch receives outside a pack on the flank 40m out and screws through another sensational finish off the left, that was of the highest quality! (Q4 22:56)
Heeney marks a centring ball by Gulden to the hotspot, he hurries the set shot as there are only three minutes left… misses. (Q4 24:10)