First quarter: Gold Coast Suns 4.2 (26) to Melbourne 2.3 (15)
 
Gold Coast had the edge in the first term, booting four goals to two.
 
Debutant Darcy McPherson kicked the first goal of the match, before Jeff Garlett answered for Melbourne with a fantastic snap from the boundary.
 
The Suns booted the next three in a row to claim an 18-point lead, before ruckman Max Gawn kicked the red and blue’s second just before quarter-time.
 
At the first change, Gold Coast led by 11 points.
 
James Harmes had a remarkable 14 disposals in the first term.

Second quarter: Melbourne 8.7 (55) to Gold Coast Suns 8.2 (50)
 
Melbourne upped the ante in the second term, booting six goals to four.
 
The Demons started strongly, with three of the first four goals. And when Billy Stretch kicked truly, the Dees hit the front for the first time.
 
Although the Suns hit back with three in succession, Melbourne answered again with another three consecutive majors.
 
Dean Kent kicked the last goal of the term to put Melbourne back in front by five points at half-time.
 
Jesse Hogan, Dom Tyson, Nathan Jones and Gawn, who added his second, were the other Melbourne goalkickers for the quarter.

Third quarter: Melbourne 17.11 (113) to Gold Coast Suns 11.3 (69)
 
With the game in the balance at half-time, Melbourne turned it on with a brilliant third term, booting nine goals to three.
 
Jack Viney started the run, when he kicked the first two goals in three minutes.
 
By the 10-minute mark, Melbourne had booted five goals to zip, after Jones, Harmes and Bernie Vince added majors.
 
Daniel Currie booted Gold Coast’s first major at the 12-minute mark, but when Ben Kennedy hit back with two in a row and Harmes landed his second for the term, Melbourne was well and truly in control.  
 
The red and blue led by 50 points after Garlett booted his second, but two goals in time-on from Gold Coast’s Peter Wright brought the three quarter-time margin back to 44 points.

Final quarter: Melbourne 24.16 (160) d Gold Coast Suns 14.3 (87)
 
Although Gary Ablett kicked the first goal of the final term, Melbourne dominated the rest of the quarter, booting seven goals to three to set up an outstanding victory.
 
Cameron Pedersen had a fantastic term, kicking three goals, and Christian Petracca also kicked his first AFL goal – and then immediately backed it up with his second.
 
Harmes became the first Demon to kick three for the night and Garlett joined that tally later in the term.
 
Melbourne’s seven were all in a row, which meant it led by a whopping 83 points at the 25-minute mark, before Ablett landed his second in time-on and Aaron Hall kicked the last goal of the match.
 
In the end, the red and blue won by 73 points.