A match-saving tackle on Lions’ star Will Ashcroft from Melbourne champion Max Gawn has enabled Melbourne to remain unbeaten at the MCG in 2026 as they hung on to a two-point win over the Lions in Lachie Neale’s 300th match.
Gawn stopped Ashcroft in his tracks as he burst from a stoppage to put the Lions deep into attack as they attempted to steal the match after falling 16 points behind with less than five minutes remaining.
The Demons would have been unlucky to lose after a brilliant 11-goal second half only dampened by a concerning incident involving defender Harrison Petty that saw him ruled out with delayed concussion.
Kade Chandler was the other hero with two quick goals in the final quarter stretching their lead to 16 points after the Lions had regained the lead soon after the final break after giving up a 16-point half-time lead.
The Demons had exploded in the third quarter with six goals, as they took every chance inside 50 kicking accurately to hurt the Lions on the scoreboard. At one point they had kicked 10 goals straight from set shots via marks inside 50. They finished with 12 goals straight from 12 set shots.
It had turned the MCG into mini-Dublin as Irish music was played after every goal and the crowd launched into a jig. The Lions were under enormous pressure, particularly after milestone man Josh Dunkley and teammate Hugh McCluggage missed two gettable set shots for goal.
But the Lions have not won back-to-back flags by giving up, and they kicked the final goal of the quarter after Petty kicked the ball straight to Will Ashcroft. As Ashcroft lined up Petty became distressed and wobbly on his feet without an obvious reason.
His teammate Blake Howes assisted him as Petty tried to steady himself before kneeling on the ground to wait for a doctor. He was assisted from the ground and taken down the steps to the rooms. He was immediately ruled out with the Demons saying he had delayed concussion.
When Harvey Langford, however, put the Demons 16 points in front after receiving a dubious free kick, they looked home, but they kept coming with a Logan Morris goal immediately followed by one of the goals of the year by Charlie Cameron straight from a centre clearance. Cam Rayner had a chance to put them in front with a tough set shot just seconds later but pushed it wide.
The new Melbourne are high scoring and great to watch. Harry Sharp’s first goal would have been ‘play of the day’ on the ABC’s old footy show Winners. The sequence started with a three-bounce run down the outer wing before a handball to Jacob van Rooyen who gave the football to Kysaiah Pickett who centred his kick to Sharp.
The passage was an example of the way Melbourne likes to play under Steven King. They use forward handballs to race the ball down the ground. The handling of the ball at pace is risky, but it is also difficult for the opposition to counter when executed well.
The style recalls elements of the way Geelong played when King was their ruck as they flick the ball around, but the Demons do not yet have enough experience to know when to go quick and when to steady.
By contrast, the competition’s best team have refined their ball movement over seven consecutive finals’ series. They either build the ball up with patient short kicks and smart switches or quickly transition from defence to attack when they intercept the ball anywhere forward of halfback. They scored 38 points from turnover
At attacking stoppages they fan out like a rugby line before having a shot at goal.
But by the slimmest of margins, the Demons prevailed over the Lions to take an important four points after their loss to Essendon. They are suddenly a finals chance.
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