The Western Bulldogs have become the first side to advance to the 2018 AFLW Grand Final, after a goal from Brooke Lochland put the Dogs ahead of Melbourne by two points with just under a minute and a half left on the clock.
Blustery conditions at VU Whitten Oval made scoring difficult at the northern end of the ground, resulting in a seesawing affair which saw five lead changes throughout the course of the game.
Yet it wasn't all good news for the Dogs, with skipper Katie Brennan possibly in hot water after a sling tackle on Harriet Cordner, which may see her miss the Grand Final on Saturday.
Thanks to Brisbane's demolition of the Giants on Friday night, the Demons needed to overcome the Bulldogs and gain the four points in order to keep their Grand Final hopes alive.
Tight and contested football opened up proceedings in the first quarter, with both sides desperately vying for an early leg-up.
Melbourne powerhouse Richelle Cranston gave her side the first goal of the game midway through the quarter.
But even with the wind going their way, it was the only goal the Demons could muster as they went into quarter-time with a seven-point buffer.
The Dees' disappointment only deepened after the injury-riddled Sarah Lampard was taken from the field with a right knee issue, putting pressure on the Melbourne midfield who were already down a rotation.
Daisy Pearce and Karen Paxman were once again forced to rise to the occasion and absorb the extra workload, with the latter playing 100 per cent of game time.
With the Bulldogs scoreless and the wind blowing to their advantage in the second quarter, goals certainly would not go astray.
Majors to Deanna Berry, Emma Kearney and returning skipper Katie Brennan propelled the Bulldogs in front as the Bulldogs asserted their dominance with 11 inside 50s opposed to Melbourne's three.
Paxman somehow found a way to break past the Bulldogs' sturdy offensive, kicking a much-needed goal against the wind to bring the margin back to seven points at the conclusion of the first half.
A Grand Final position on the line, any mistake - particularly in the premiership quarter - had the potential to bring about disastrous consequences.
Hannah Scott was the first to crack, after she stepped outside the square following a kick-out, resulting in a goal to Katherine Smith who managed to weave her way through the heavy traffic to put the Demons one point in front.
The costly errors seemed to be contagious after Aliesha Newman hit the post from the goal square after a stunning three-bounce run down the ground with Scott - who ultimately rectified her previous wrongdoings after affecting the kick - hot on her heels the entire way.
Venting her frustration, Newman punched the goal post - an action which perfectly summarised Melbourne's entire quarter.
Although they'd kept the Bulldogs scoreless yet again, Melbourne were unable to establish a sizeable buffer with the strong wind blowing their way.
The Demons' exasperating 1.6 for the quarter put all sorts of pressure on them coming into the final term, and with only a five-point advantage, it was going something extraordinary to keep them in the race for a Grand Final position.
Monique Conti was awarded a dubious free kick in the goal square against Harriet Cordner for a high tackle, with the NAB Rising Star nominee just squeezing the ball through the goals with a mongrel kick.
The controversial call placed the Bulldogs in the lead once again by a solitary point, and with time running out, the Demons needed to defy the odds once more and kick a goal against the wind.
Kate Hore appeared to be Melbourne's saviour, who converted from a set shot 30m out and snatched the lead back from the resilient Bulldogs.
With seven minutes left on the clock, the Demons were unable to work the ball up to their forward line to kick the sealer, while the Dogs couldn't get a mark within their 50.
It looked like Melbourne might just hang on and make it through to the Grand Final.
But with 86 seconds left on the clock, disaster struck.
In what was quiet game for the AFLW leading goalkicker up until that point, Brooke Lochland found herself with the ball in hand as she wheeled around on her left and put the Bulldogs two points in front.
Whitten Oval erupted as the ball sailed through the goals, and Bulldog teammates flocked to the small forward with the Grand Final now within their reach.
The Demons gave it everything they had, but were unable to find the ball anywhere near their goal as the clock continued to count down the seconds before heartbreak would strike.
As the final siren sounded, tears streamed from players' eyes; some out of happiness, some out of sadness as the reality dawned upon them.
Melbourne will be nothing short of inconsolable following the narrow loss, yet again missing out on a Grand Final position by a matter of percentage for the second consecutive year.
The elated Bulldogs will face either Brisbane or Adelaide in the second AFLW Grand Final, depending on the result of tomorrow's clash between Collingwood and the Crows at Olympic Park.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.0 3.2 3.2 5.3 (33) MELBOURNE 1.1 2.1 3.7 4.7 (31)
GOALS Western Bulldogs: Kearney, Brennan, Berry, Lochland, Conti Melbourne: Cranston, Paxman, Smith, Hore
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Kearney, Bruton, Conti
Melbourne: Paxman, D. Pearce, Cranston
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