Blog log from R20 of 2024: Melbourne vs Western Sydney

Viney’s chase causes Briggs to cough up a handball to Chandler 20m out but Briggs gets his fingers to the snap for a bpoint. (Q1 2:49)
Chandler gets another chance jinking inside onto his left from the pocket 20m out, he curls in the first goal of the night. (Q1 4:16)
Windsor tries his luck from the boundary off a step from 25m after receiving from Laurie outside a stoppage, but that one flies across the face to the left. (Q1 8:42)
Green roves a Riccardi kick to the hotspot and snaps the Giants’ opening goal. (Q1 9:43)
McVee is pinged for insufficient intent next to the behind post, his man Greene takes the free but hits the post. (Q1 14:48)
Laurie feeds Viney for a tumbling clearance from a ball up at CHF, Petty marks in front of Idun 35m out and delivers a nice set shot drop punt. (Q1 17:42)
Ash scrubs a clanger kick from half back straight to Langdon on his own in the centre, he hits the lead of Fritsch 40m out in front who converts. (Q1 20:20)
Pickett’s dive forces a kick clanger by Taylor straight to Melksham at half forward, he has Petty in the square who gives a Joe the Goose special to Langdon! (Q1 23:40)
Windsor misses on the run from 40m on the flank. (Q1 25:19)
Melksham leaps in front of a flat-footed Idun to mark 20m out on the flank, he curls in another one for the Demons. (Q1 28:19)
Buckley passes short to Bedford 45m out on a slight angle after Briggs forces a turnover on a Demon rebound. Snooze kicks the goal. (Q2 2:41)
Daniels roves a Moniz-Wakefield fumble and snaps another excellent finish from near CHF. (Q2 5:26)
Himmelberg is out of position and can’t prevent a long Petty kick from members wing to Fritsch 30m out on the flank. Fritta kicks straight for his second. (Q2 8:04)
After a scramble in the centre with big numbers, Ash sets up Bedford to pass short from CHF to McMullin 35m out in front who kicks straight. (Q2 10:56)
Thomas plays on to advantage after Cadman catches Lever HTB, Hogan is in the square waiting for a Joe the Goose but Thomas slams his kick into his body, what a calamity! (Q2 13:41)
Melbourne look like making GWS pay for that disaster but van Rooyen misses a snap from 35m on the flank. (Q2 14:42)
Riccardi volleys a crumb wide right in a battle with Laurie 20m out on a slight angle. (Q2 16:42)
Bedford sends a very high speculator up the flank to 25m, crumb from the Hogan contest flips over the back for Greene to rove ahead of Lever and run into the open goal. (Q2 18:27)
Repeat inside 50s piling up for GWS, May scrubs a dump kick from the last line straight to Briggs 35m out on a slight angle who misses across the face to the left. (Q2 20:42)
Hogan chips in front of his teammate Perryman to mark a centring ball by Daniels 40m out in the corridor, he boots his fiftieth goal of the season and first tonight. (Q2 25:42)
Langdon hits the lead of Pickett in front of Perryman 45m out near the boundary. Tough kick with a moist ball on a cold night… hits the far left post. (Q2 28:57)
Pickett misses from long range to kick off Q3 scoring. (Q3 1:36)
Melksham roves Taylor’s spoil and gives from the ground to Gawn who checksides the goal. (Q3 2:31)
Thomas passes to Greene to mark 45m out near the boundary on the end of a quick rebound around outer wing. Crowd hoots as he strides in then cheers as he shanks OOTF. (Q3 14:21)
GWS get a handball chain going through the centre but it breaks down when Callaghan gives to Briggs, high pressured kick flies wide left from 40m. (Q3 20:06)
Greene roves a ball up 30m out on a slight angle and drops the knees to draw a high contact free on Viney. Greene curls in the goal as the Demon fans boo. (Q3 21:11)
Daniels marks a Whitfield pass at half forward just about within range but makes a good decision to centre for Ward 40m out. Cement Head shoots for the lead… straight through! (Q3 23:21)
Idun tries to bounce a handball out of congestion at half back but only succeeds in feeding Viney who snaps the goal from 40m off the left! (Q3 25:46)
That snap needed an off-break to avoid the right post and got it. (Q3 26:16)
Hogan takes a pack mark from a long Thomas speculator from outer wing to 40m on a slight angle, leaping over Gawn sitting in the hole. He converts, GWS back in the lead. (Q3 28:11)
Whitfield encounter two Demons on members wing but wears contact to find Daniels on his own at half forward, quick long ball to Hogan who marks over McDonald for the goal from 20m. (Q4 2:13)
Daniels roves a Riccardi contest and slams through his second goal from 30m on the flank, the Giants making their move! (Q4 3:34)
Green it was with the centre clearance for that goal, roving Briggs’ tap. (Q4 4:05)
Briggs himself out of the next bounce, Daniels takes a contested grab outside CHF and goes quickly again to the top of the square for Hogan to mark for goal number four. (Q4 5:00)
McDonald intercepts on the HBF but Greene anticipates him playing on for the switch and smothers it to Hogan, then receives the Joe the Goose for another one for GWS! (Q4 7:16)
van Rooyen snaps a quality goal rucking a throw-in to 25m in the pocket. (Q4 12:12)
Bowey slides to touch through a Greene snap from 15m after a surge play up the corridor. (Q4 13:23)
Petty leaps in front of Taylor for a contested grab 40m out on a slight angle but he tugs the set shot narrow to the left. (Q4 18:15)
Viney releases Chandler to run to 45m out in the corridor and slot a quality left-foot snap to bring Melbourne back within striking distance. (Q4 20:35)
7:17 to go and three kicks in it. Melbourne haven’t looked like it at all since QT but they are still technically in the contest. (Q4 21:05)
May starts a rebound up the guts, chaotic and almost breaks down two or three times but eventually Pickett juggles the mark from a Laurie pass to 40m. Kozzie goals! (Q4 24:06)
4:44 to go and only two kicks in it now! Giants have to answer the challenge. (Q4 24:36)
Peatling has had his best senior game and he mows down Neal-Bullen trying to rebound through the centre, big play that one! (Q4 26:24)
Turner misses a pass to Pickett in the pocket, out for a throw in with just under 2:00 to play. Game on a knife edge. (Q4 28:02)
Briggs roves his own tap but wastes it OOTF, Chandler inboard to Rivers on the HFF, 1:30 as he surveys… (Q4 28:38)
Long ball to the square by Rivers results in a throw in, 1:22 to go, still two kicks in it. (Q4 28:38)
Gawn catches the ball out of ruck, spins and falls over but his spillage falls for Neal-Bullen who wobbles through the goal, 1:08 and two points the difference now! (Q4 29:34)
It’s a small crowd but they are going ape droppings before this bounce. (Q4 30:21)
Green hoofs it forward from the bounce, Lever spoils but a pack forms for a ball up 45m out, 55 seconds. (Q4 30:40)
McVee kicks to space at half back for Melbourne, another pack forms, 37 seconds at the ball up. (Q4 31:09)
Neal-Bullen’s clearance kick is touched so no mark to Chandler, ball up, 27 seconds. (Q4 31:24)
Peatling catches Windsor HTB, that will be the ball game and BOG for Peatling! (Q4 31:51)