Melbourne has put last week’s late-game disaster behind them in spectacular fashion, steamrolling West Coast by 83 points at Marvel Stadium in their biggest win of the season.
Still carrying the weight of a horror fade-out to St Kilda, the Demons erupted after half-time with a 62-point third-quarter blitz, equal to their best-ever under Simon Goodwin, to run out 21.13 (139) to 8.8 (56) winners on Saturday.
MORE: AFL contenders and pretenders: Which teams will make an impact in finals?
Ruck maestro Max Gawn turned in a performance for the ages, collecting 21 disposals, eight marks and nine intercepts alongside 29 hit-outs in a show of dominance that had Gerard Healy remarking on Fox Footy: “Max thinks this is Christmas, he has both sides kicking it to him.”
A statement quarter from a side under pressure
The third term saw Melbourne flip the contest on its head, with their pressure and ball movement slicing through the Eagles.
Kysaiah Pickett came alive with five score involvements from just eight touches in the quarter, prompting Healy to praise the small forward’s influence: “I really did like Kozzy’s third quarter … he was pretty quiet in his first half but back to his best.”
MORE: AFL great names what forward mix Hawthorn should go with in run home
The leaders under the pump - Pickett, Gawn, Viney, Oliver, Petracca - stood tall, with Indigenous legend Eddie Betts summing it up: “It all started with Melbourne’s pressure... all the leaders we put heat on before the game got involved. It’s great to see.”
While bigger tests loom against the Bulldogs, Hawks and Magpies, Saturday’s emphatic response has reignited belief in the Dees’ ability to shape the finals picture, even if they won’t be part of it themselves.