With their season on the line, a narrow six-point victory against Brisbane has kept Melbourne's finals dreams alive, despite a final-quarter fright from the fierce Lions.
The Demons retain third position on the ladder, but now sit level with the Lions and Western Bulldogs on 12 points with two games to play for the season.
Melbourne were led by their skipper Daisy Pearce, who bounced back with a determined 23 touches following her quiet game against Collingwood last week.
From the opening minutes Pearce made her impact, snapping the first goal of the match from the back of a stoppage in what was incredibly her second ever goal at AFLW level.
With both teams well aware of the high stakes going into the game, the two premiership contenders were aggressive and relentless in what was a tough quarter of football.
Sabrina Frederick-Traub - while she didn't get much of the ball in the term - looked imposing around the contests for the Lions.
Yet the Lions were unable to hit the scoreboard for the entire quarter.
Pearce again consolidated the fact she is the clearance and stoppage queen of the AFLW, slotting her second in near-identical fashion to her first and giving the Demons a 15-point lead at quarter-time.
The Demons refused to relent their intense attack, and had it not been for their inaccuracy and solid defensive play from Brisbane's Kate Lutkins, the margin at the first change could have been far larger.
Pearce again exploded onto the scene at the start of the term, adding another clearance and inside 50 to her name, which ultimately resulted in a minor score.
Demon debutante Eden Zanker had two opportunities to extend the margin early in the piece, but narrowly missed on both occasions.
But it was also the Lions who were unable to capitalise.
Kaitlyn Ashmore's chance at a certain goal was blemished after she hit the post from the goal square, while Kate McCarthy sprayed a desperate shot on goal after a stunning run down the wing.
Brisbane's prayers finally were finally answered in the form of Frederick-Traub, who again utilised her unrivalled strength to best a two-on-one contest and boot Brisbane's first.
Their want for the ball was prominent, yet the Lions' quick ball movement and press down the ground left little time for anyone to get back to the forward line and score.
Brisbane couldn't match the midfield might of Pearce, Karen Paxman and Elise O'Dea, who had racked up a combined 42 touches at half-time.
Although dominating the inside 50 count 21-8, Melbourne's inaccurate score of 2.6 was still in reach for the longing Lions.
Come the third quarter, the Demons had ample chances to stretch the game out of the Lions' reach, yet a 0.4 start to the quarter coupled with another Frederick-Traub major brought the margin back to a single kick.
Ally Anderson and Lutkins combined in the defence to limit the Demon onslaught, but a rare lapse in their concentration opened the door for Tegan Cunningham to kick a major and push the lead back out to 12 points in the term's final stages.
The sheer desperation of both sides was evident, following a huge head clash between Nicole Hildebrand and Cunningham in the final moments of the quarter.
Their eyes solely on the football and minds only on their team, the two immediately went down after colliding and were promptly surrounded by trainers and physios.
With play halted, Cunningham and Hildebrand were helped off the field - their courageous efforts met with applause from the crowd.
The two were later seen on the bench in good spirits watching the rest of the game.
It turned out to be the spark the Lions needed going into the final quarter, with Brittany Gibson slotting the first and reducing the margin to a mere eight points.
Although Melbourne's Kate Hore fought back with a major of her own, Frederick-Traub again proved her dominance after rucking her own ball and booting her third in the goal square following a Melbourne kick-in infringement.
The Lions had all the momentum going their way against the stunned Demons, but two chances at goals went begging from Isabella Ayre, who missed one shot and was unable to work around the Melbourne defence 15m out from goal.
Despite their press, the Lions just couldn't convert that magical major to rule the Demons out of premiership contention.
With 30 seconds left on the clock, Emma Ziekle won a free kick for a high tackle but quickly palmed it off to Gibson, whose kick went straight up in the air.
The football still in their attacking 50, the siren sounded with Melbourne up by six points and Brisbane players up in arms after a holding the ball decision wasn't paid against Pearce in the game's final second.
One team ecstatic, the other heartbroken, yet the premiership window still remains open for both sides.
Now level in terms of points on the ladder, it will be a case of who can bolster their percentage the most as the Demons and Lions face off against the struggling Carlton and Collingwood respectively.
MELBOURNE 2.3 2.6 3.10 4.10 (34)
BRISBANE 0.0 1.1 2.2 4.4 (28)
GOALS Melbourne: D Pearce 2, Cunningham, Hore Brisbane: Frederick-Traub 3, Gibson
BEST
Melbourne: D. Pearce, Paxman, O'Dea
Brisbane: Lutkins, Frederick-Traub, Anderson
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