Melbourne has flogged the Gold Coast by a whopping 69 points to record their fifth win of the season, and their fourth in five weeks.
James Harmes had the best game of his career, with 33 posessions, while Tom McDonald kicked five goals.
Melbourne’s midfield was full of contributors, and they dominated the territory battle all night.
Most impressive however was the Demons eight-goal final quarter, in which they well and truly buried their opposition to secure fifth place on the ladder.
After an inaccurate start, Charlie Spargo finished off a great passage of play, with Melbourne transitioning the ball from end-to-end with great skill, before Tom McDonald outmuscled Gold Coast captain Steven May with ease, as Melbourne made it back-to-back goals inside a minute.
It was the first of two goals Tom McDonald scored for the first quarter.
The play moved quickly in both directions, with an even spread of players in most parts of the ground.
Aaron Young out-positioned Jordan Lewis inside 50 and converted from the subsequent free kick, but in general the Suns had no aerial prowess inside their forward line.
When the Suns had success was when they lowered their eyes and aimed to use speed not strength, as shown when Aaron Hall pinpointed Jack Martin for his second goal.
One of the highlights of the game occurred instantly after, with a second goal from a centre clearance, as Alex Neal-Bullen burst off the back of the centre square, won possession, ran inside 50 and drilled an excellent goal.
The second quarter was marred by more inaccuracy, with Melbourne dominating general play and inside 50s, but lacking composure and class in the forward line, as several golden opportunities slipped through their fingers.
It was almost predictable then, that against the run of play, May’s attempt from long range was absolutely perfect, and halfway through the second quarter, brought the margin back to three points, before Alex Sexton put them in front.
Melbourne’s lack of both temperament and skill was highlighted as Alex Neal-Bullen marked 20 metres out on a simple angle, but played on, into pressure, and missed.
Fortunately for him, however, Tom McDonald scored his third following a mark from Jake Melksham, which handed Melbourne back the lead.
The Suns’ competitiveness was unquestionable, but as the half wore on it was clear that their midfield simply couldn’t match it with Melbourne’s.
Nathan Jones and Clayton Oliver both displayed polish but also grit, and the Demons opened up a 22-point lead at half time, including a fourth goal to Tom McDonald.
The other two goals were results of downfield and fifty metre penalties from senior big men May and Sam Day.
Melbourne had an astounding 45-20 inside 50s at that point, on their way to an equal all-time record 83.
Neal-Bullen and Day traded goals to start the third quarter, but Melbourne continued to dominate the inside 50s and at last it seemed they were able to make it count on the scoreboard.
Max Gawn kicked a clever goal as he seemed to be hurtling into the goalpost, before Tom McDonald found space inside 50 for his fifth goal, opening up a 36-point margin 10 minutes into the third quarter.
But the Suns responded admirably with a surge of their own.
Jack Martin soccered his third, Nick Holman scored a hard running goal at top speed, and then the recalled Aaron Hall brought the margin back to 18 points with a classy set shot.
The Suns’ ball movement looked as good as it had all night, largely thanks to May, whose strength over the ball allowed him time and again to break tackles out of the backline, affording his side the space they needed to find targets.
Yet the Demons managed to widen the gap again however, as Michael Hibberd and Spargo saw the lead back up to 30.
The Suns ran out of puff in the final quarter, and seldom found the ball beyond the defensive 50.
Melbourne put them to the sword, kicking six goals in a row, including a couple to Mitch Hannan, and a brilliant goal running out of congestion by Jesse Hogan.
The final margin was 69 points.
Melbourne now sit at 5-3 and will face a resurgent Carlton in some outstanding form, while Gold Coast’s early season momentum seems to have worn off: they are 3-5 with a date with Port Adelaide in China next week.
GOLD COAST 3.5 5.7 9.9 11.11 (77) MELBOURNE 4.5 8.11 13.17 21.20 (146)
GOALS
GOLD COAST Martin 4, Day 2, May, Young, Holman, Sexton, Hall
MELBOURNE McDonald 5, Hogan, Hannan 3, Spargo, Salem, Neal-Bullen 2, Gawn, Melksham, Hibberd, Brayshaw
BEST
GOLD COAST May, Martin, Hall, Scheer, Rischitelli
MELBOURNE Harmes, McDonald, Oliver, Jones, Hibberd, Gawn, Neal-Bullen
INJURIES
Gold Coast: Swallow (knee)
Melbourne: Nil
TALKING POINTS
1. INCONSISTENCY DEMONS PUT TO BED
Much has been made of Melbourne’s occasional lapses in concentration, wherein opposition teams have often kicked a bunch of goals in quick succession, and the young Dees have seemingly been unable to stem the tide.
However, this evening Gold Coast were very competitive for nearly three quarters, with solid intent around the contest, yet they never really got a sustained run-on.
Beating the sides they need to beat is an important part of Melbourne’s development, with losses to lower teams such as North Melbourne and Collingwood proving costly last season.
They would have to be happy that now they seem to have consistency on a week-to-week basis, but also, if today’s game was anything to go by, within games as well.
2. AN ALL-TIME RECORD GOES BEGGING... SORT OF
With ten minutes to play, Melbourne were 73 inside 50s strong, needing 11 to break the all-time record, and with a flood of momentum at their backs.
With three minutes to go, they had 10 of those 11, and had equalled the figure, but all of a sudden their midfield domination dissipated, and they failed to register another, only tying the stat.
Repeat inside 50s means a failure to convert from the previous entry, and so the stat is perhaps slightly more impressive than it would have been were it not for some inaccurate kicking throughout much of the game.
Still, there is no doubt Melbourne’s midfield, still missing Jack Viney, were mighty.
Extraordinarily, 20 players reached double figures in terms of possessions, while Charlie Spargo had nine and kicked two goals.
Additionally, 10 players made it to 20 touches, proving that they have an abundance of options, evident already in the fact that Jayden Hunt and Jeff Garlett were left out.
3. WEARY SUNS
They have yet to play a home game, they’re a young side, and the honeymoon period of playing under a new coach is well and truly over.
The Suns simply look cooked already.
They were workmanlike, and stuck with their opposition manfully for the best part of three quarters, but the last quarter was seriously ugly.
Fatigue can’t be an excuse, but the Suns were weak around the ball, too often trailing their opponents, lacked concentration and were no longer able to execute basic skills.
It will be all they can do to compete for four quarters against Port Adelaide in China next week, before a desperately needed week off.
Playing at home in the second half of the season will definitely help.
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