The Swans came hard at the Dees in the third quarter and looked to have seized control of the game. Consistently on the back foot and with inside 50s raining down upon them, Melbourne looked close to being gone.
But close is not good enough in a game like this. And this Melbourne team is made of tougher stuff than anyone has given them credit for in 2023.
With Bayley Fritsch hobbled, Jake Melksham nursing an injured knee, and Max Gawn attempting to overcome a poke in the eye, the Dees had to do something as the third quarter edged closer to ending. And that’s exactly what they did.
Behind an inspired five minutes from Jack Viney and Christian Petracca, the contested footy wins of the Melbourne Football Club willed them back into the contest, and as the quarter entered red time, goals to Petracca and Kysaiah Pickett gave the group belief.
And it cast doubts into the minds of the Swans.
Sydney have not finished games well in 2023, and as the Dees closed the gap to four points at the last change, those whispering doubts became a roar.
Melbourne charged home in the last quarter, holding Sydney goalless and adding four of their own. Bayley Fritsch came back from the dead, whilst Petracca made John Longmire pay for not allocating a dedicated stopper onto him. In the end, the Dees got up on the road by 21 points – close to the perfect lead into the finals.
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