Blog log from R8 of 2024: Melbourne vs Geelong

Windsor lopes through a stoppage and hits Fritsch with a lovely kick 35m out from goal. He jogs in and opens the night with the first goal of the game! (Q1 1:59)
Blicavs reads the ball well through the middle of the ground, and dumps a ball inside 50 to Stanley who drops what he should have taken. Stengle gathers and snaps it through! (Q1 3:47)
Stanley infringes on Van Rooyen and as such a Cameron mark is overturned to a free kick 50m out on a slight angle. JVR hooks it to the right for a behind though (Q1 6:57)
Rivers hacks a wild kick out on the full in defence, allowing Tuohy a set shot chance in the pocket. He opts for a banana kick, but can’t bring it back enough for a point (Q1 8:03)
Cameron slides in to take a mark on the forward flank, he kicks straight, but through to the right for a point (Q1 9:59)
Geelong surge down the far wing through Holmes and Tuohy, who then puts the ball out in front of Dempsey to mark in the pocket. He goes the drop punt and bends the ball through! (Q1 12:09)
Melbourne work the ball across their forward half until the hole opens up and Petty charges into it to mark a Rivers kick. He eases in and salutes from 30m out! (Q1 14:39)
Geelong spread on their forward flank as Holmes finds Guthrie who then rewards the lead of Dempsey who marks in a similar spot. Again he goes for the drop punt, for a point. (Q1 18:42)
Neal-Bullen kicks to the pack inside 50, it goes through Gawn and goes to ground where Pickett pops up and dashes through to steal the ball from Guthrie and snatch a goal! (Q1 22:35)
Windsor finds a moment in a forward contest to get a snap away, but it’s touched off the boot and sails through for a behind regardless (Q1 27:12)
Oliver is pinged HTB by Bruhn who lines up from just outside 50. His kick is tapped back in play off the line, but is then rushed over. (Q1 28:58)
Gawn outpoints De Koning in a forward contest in the pocket, but his kick slides to the right for a point (Q2 4:43)
Tuohy spots Close in space on the flank who marks and then quickly squares it up to Stengle who takes his time with the kick before blasting it out on the full! (Q2 8:43)
Fritsch puts the bodywork onto Atkins and takes a nice mark from a Petracca kick. He lines up for goal from 35m out, but hits the post (Q2 10:25)
Pickett is called to play on from a set shot outside 50, his kick is hooked left for a behind (Q2 12:28)
Woewoedin and Billings link up, with the latter lining up for goal from 45m out on an angle. His kick is shanked and slides past the point post for no score. (Q2 16:11)
Bowes feeds a handball to Duncan on the run, he kicks from near 50m out, but his offline for a point (Q2 17:20)
Stewart takes a brave mark and wins a 50m penalty against Fritsch. He jogs to half forward and kicks to the chest of Hawkins on the lead. The veteran wastes the chance for a point. (Q2 18:41)
Petty and Windsor combine to go inside 50 and find Van Rooyen who marks 30m out from goal. He too slides his kick off target for another behind (Q2 20:05)
McVee is unlucky to toe poke the ball out of bounds on the full in the back pocket for Melbourne. Bruhn is the beneficiary but he too cannot kick a goal from the pocket. (Q2 22:44)
Petty dances and weaves through several Geelong defenders to get a snap away, but it bounces through for a point (Q3 1:18)
Petracca gets a snap away after a forward stoppage but his kick flies high and through for a point (Q3 2:17)
Petracca gets another chance at goal, this time from the flank, but again his kick flies wide for yet another behind (Q3 3:01)
Melbourne work it across their forward line until Chandler presents as an option with a nice lead. He kicks true and we finally have another goal kick in this game!!! (Q3 6:00)
Dempsey feeds a handball to Stengle who dodges around the Dees defence, he tries for the right boot, but then switches onto his left and curls through a great goal in the pocket! (Q3 8:45)
Billings kicks a wide ball in front of Langdon who takes a sliding mark on the flank. He spears the ball through the big sticks and we now have a shootout on our hands! (Q3 11:45)
Blicavs has the ball just outside 50 but gives of to Cam Guthrie who kicks wide to Ollie Henry 45m out from goal. No problems with the set shot there! (Q3 14:58)
Clark marks and gives off to Holmes on the run who darts inside 50 and kicks a lovely goal with a classy finish! (Q3 16:45)
However, the Holmes goal has been turned over after one of the mandatory reviews before the next centre bounce. Touched on the line by May. (Q3 17:45)
Jack Henry drops a mark after a light Pickett touch late, and the umpire calls for play on. The ball gets down to Windsor who then makes a meal of the set shot for a point (Q3 19:44)
Repeat inside 50’s for Melbourne, as we get another behind, though this one is rushed. (Q3 19:59)
Pickett marks the ball in an acre of space through the middle of the ground. He takes a bounce and runs to 50m out before kicking for goal, but his kick is off to the left. (Q3 21:42)
Geelong counter punch down the wing, chaining up handballs inside 50. Rohan sends a long handpass down to Henry in the pocket who stops and props, snapping it through! (Q3 22:16)
Miers flicks a nice handpass off to Clark who takes a step and kicks for goal from 45m out, Blicavs shepherds it through and Jhye Clark kicks his first AFL goal! Cats in front! (Q3 29:16)
Miers puts a lovely sidestep on at half forward to chip a short pass to Bowes 40m out. He kicks from a decent angle, and his kick sticks to the right for a behind (Q3 30:45)
Gawn take a strong mark just outside 50, the space opens up on his right so he wheels around and launches a bomb from 55 out! It sails through and Melbourne retake the lead! (3 Qtr Time)
Windsor handballs to the run of Petracca who streams through the middle of the ground and hits up Fritsch with a nice kick. Fritsch slots his second and the lead extends to 10! (3 Qtr Time)
A slick move along the wing by Holmes sees Stengle with ball in hand on the flank. He runs inside 50 before squaring it up to Ollie Henry, who hits back with a goal! (Q4 9:25)
Cameron marks 70m out from goal and sends a low dart inside 50 to Close who marks 35m out. Close converts and the Cats are back in front! (Q4 12:17)
Pickett sends the ball inside 50 to Van Rooyen who can’t quite take the mark, ball goes to ground and Pickett runs through, able to find some space and snap through a goal! (Q4 14:44)
Duncan kicks a ball OOTF from a set shot (Q4 16:20)
Windsor closes down on Atkins with a brilliant lunging tackle in the forward pocket. The kid with ice in his veins kicks true and the goal umpire does not move! Demons by 10! (Q4 19:27)
Hawkins stays low after a forward contest and swings around to hit Cameron with a nice kick. Cameron kicks from 30m out on a slight angle, and shanks it badly for a point (Q4 21:39)
Cameron marks 60m out from goal and tries to find Hawkins with the kick, but he can’t take the mark. Zach Guthrie dashes through to gather and pinch a rare goal! (Q4 24:07)
Petracca kicks in front of Fritsch as the ball wobbles into the pocket. The ball stops just inside play and Fritsch is able to scoop it up, and dribble it through! What is that!! (Q4 27:27)
Miers gets ball in hand at half forward and scans inside 50 for an option. He finds Cameron with a kick who marks 35m out dead in front of goal. He sprays the kick left for a point (Q4 29:26)