MELBOURNE has fallen agonisingly short of its first win of the season, storming back against the Kangaroos with a seven-goals-to-two final quarter only to fall short by just one point.
The final score at the MCG saw the Kangaroos up 10.19 (79) to 11.12 (78).
Matt Campbell put the Roos up by 35 points early in the last term before the defiant Demons came storming back to take the lead when Nathan Jones goaled after 25 minutes.
However, a behind to Corey Jones and a goal to Andrew Swallow was enough to see the Kangaroos to their sixth win in a row.
Cameron Bruce (36 disposals) was the architect of the late charge with 12 possessions in the last quarter, while skipper David Neitz kicked three of his four goals in the term.
It took a while for the teams to sort themselves out as the first quarter progressed with plenty of stoppages before Russell Robertson, playing his first game since suffering a knee injury in round two, finally broke the stalemate with the first goal of the day.
That sparked the Roos into action, however, and Corey Jones gave Clint Bizzell the slip to boot two goals in a minute. Neitz goaled from close range to put his side back in front, but the Kangaroos finished the term off strongly and should have been further in front after Leigh Brown and Lindsay Thomas missed gettable shots at goal.
The second quarter began in the same fashion as the first with both sides struggling for clean takeaways around the many stoppages. Grant had been well held by Brad Green, but he pounced on a turnover to run inside 50 and slot a nice goal seven minutes in to extend the lead.
Melbourne missed a couple of shots at the other end and Grant made them pay with his fourth goal of the term coming after a frustrated Green had a holding free paid against him.
Bruce converted after receiving a nice handball from youngster Ricky Petterd and Robertson goaled after the siren from out near the boundary line to keep the Demons in the hunt at 17 points down.
A game that hadn’t been very fluent nearly ground to a complete halt in the third quarter with neither side able to find a reliable avenue to goal. Grant added his fifth goal 12 minutes in, but that was the only major scored in the term.
The Roos were wasteful going forward, scoring 1.7, but Neitz and co found themselves in heavy blue-and-white traffic every time the ball entered the Melbourne forward 50 and managed just two points to trail by 28 points at the last change.
Campbell made Melbourne’s task that much harder when he scored the first goal of the last quarter, but Brad Green did well to catch Drew Petrie holding the ball and goal from the resulting free kick.
It was the spark the Demons needed and when Neitz kicked successive goals and Robertson ran out from the boundary to convert, the margin was back to two goals.
Bruce sliced the deficit in half and Neitz then drew the sides level before Jones did his part, but the valiant effort fell desperately short as young Swallow kicked the goal of his short career.
KANGAROOS 3.5 7.7 8.14 10.19 (79)MELBOURNE 2.4 4.8 4.10 11.12 (78)
GOALSKangaroos: S Grant 5, C Jones 2, M Campbell, A Swallow, L Thomas. Melbourne: D Neitz 4 R Robertson 3 C Bruce 2 B Green N Jones.
BESTKangaroos: B Harvey, A Swallow, S Grant, A Simpson, B Rawlings, D HarrisMelbourne: C Bruce, C Bizzell, N Carroll, N Brown, J McDonald, N Jones.
INJURIESKangaroos: Nil. Melbourne: M Bate (hamstring) replaced in selected side by N Brown, A Yze (groin) replaced in selected side by B McLean.
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: S McLaren C Kamolins T Pannell.
Official crowd: 30,662 at MCG.
