ROUND 20, Sunday, August 5, 3.20pm, Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns, MCG
First quarter: Melbourne 9.3 (57) to Gold Coast Suns 1.0 (6)
Melbourne produced a stunning opening term to lead by 51 points at quarter-time.
It was the best first quarter by a side this season. And it was the red and blue’s equal fourth highest opening term in VFL/AFL history, along with its 9.3 (57) booted against Richmond in round 19, 1988.
Melbourne got off to a flyer when it booted 3.1 to zip, before the Suns landed their only major for the term via Nick Holman at the 15-minute mark.
Alex Neal-Bullen, Clayton Oliver and Charlie Spargo all kicked two each by quarter-time, as Nathan Jones, Christian Petracca and Christian Salem opened their accounts.
Oliver was brilliant with 11 touches and Neal-Bullen had 10 disposals.
Second quarter: Melbourne 14.6 (90) to Gold Coast Suns 4.2 (26)
Melbourne continued its dominance, booting five of the opening six goals for the term to lead by 75 points at the 20-minute mark.
The Suns landed three majors for the term – all courtesy of Alex Sexton – and when he booted the last two goals of the quarter, including one after the half-time siren, the margin was 64 points at the long break.
James Harmes booted two for the term, while Jones added his second and Angus Brayshaw and Jesse Hogan kicked their first.
Oliver had 19 touches by half-time, while Salem and Jones had 16 each.
Touk Miller had the most for the Suns by half-time, with 12 disposals.
Third quarter: Melbourne 16.12 (108) to Gold Coast Suns 5.4 (34)
Goals were harder to come by in the third term, with just three added for the quarter.
Hogan added his second, as Jeff Garlett got on the board.
For the Suns, their only major came through Sexton, who continued to stand tall, with his fourth.
Melbourne led by 74 points at three quarter-time, but that lead could’ve been greater, had it not kicked six behinds for the term.
Oliver entered the final term with 24 touches to his name.
Final quarter: Melbourne 21.17 (143) d Gold Coast Suns 7.5 (47)
Sexton opened the last term with his fifth major, meaning he had kicked all but one of the Suns’ six goals at that stage of the match. But Melbourne soon took control again, kicking the next five in a row.
Harmes registered his third and Hogan secured back-to-back majors to finish with four goals. And when Garlett and Petracca managed their second each, the Demons led by a whopping 100 points.
But when Michael Rischitelli added Gold Coast’s second for the term, and its seventh for the match, in time-on, it helped reduce the final margin to 96 points.
Oliver finished with a game-high 31 disposals and Miller had 25 for the Suns.
The only sour point for the Demons was a shoulder injury to Joel Smith in the final term.
