JESSE Hogan has confirmed his status as Melbourne'sman-most-likely with a crucial four-goal performance in the Demons' 24-pointwin over the Brisbane Lions at the MCG on Sunday.
The Demons dropped away sharply in a second half in which theymanaged just one goal, but hung on for a 8.12 (60) to 4.12 (36) win.
In a scrappy, error-riddled contest that reflected the lowlyladder positions of the two sides, the Lions were held to their lowestfirst-half score of the season.
The visitors got off to a reasonable start and led when DayneZorko danced around a pack and slotted a goal nine minutes in, but that wouldbe their only major in a listless half of footy.
Melbourne, so disappointing in last week's loss toinjury-ravaged Essendon, was positively ferocious in comparison.
Bernie Vince and Jack Viney did the heavy lifting at thestoppages for the Demons, while Hogan was a powerful presence inside 50 withthree goals in the first quarter.
Melbourne led by 26 points at quarter-time and, while thescoring slowed in the second term, they still looked on course for a handsomewin, up by 38 points at the main break.
But as has so often been the case in recent years, the Demonswent missing for a quarter.
Demons coach Paul Roos put the drop off down to "concentrationerrors".
"It was more our ball use. In the second half we had a lotof opportunities. Probably those concentration errors, I call them, with theplayers, the ones where we're out in open space and turn the ball over (costus)," Roos said.
"They (the Lions) were always going to up the ante in thesecond half … we just couldn't keep the scoreboard ticking over – we werekicking points again – which doesn't help."
The Lions lost Pearce Hanley to a hamstring injury at half-time,but led by Dayne Beams and Zorko, they pushed back at Melbourne with anintensity that was sadly lacking before the break.
"We didn't look on top of the ground today at all, we werevery reluctant runners today," Lions coach Justin Leppitsch lamented afterthe game.
"It's definitely the flattest we've played for four or fiveweeks,"
Goals to Mitch Robinson and Harris Andrews narrowed the gap andsuddenly the Demons looked much less assured with the ball in hand.
Allen Christensen, one of few Lions of influence in the firsthalf, brought the margin back to 20 points with the first goal of the finalterm, which might have which might have been enough to send Melbourne intocomplete meltdown in recent times.
But while it was far from convincing, Paul Roos's men held theirnerve in the face of the challenge, with Hogan soothing frayed nerves with hisfourth goal of the game.
"The [mark and goal] in the last quarter was reallyimportant, it gave our blokes a little bit of lift when he put the ballthrough," Roos said of Hogan.
"He's had a really good day."
MELBOURNE 5.4 7.7 7.10 8.12 (60)
BRISBANE LIONS 1.2 1.5 3.8 4.12 (36)
GOALS
Melbourne: Hogan 4, McDonald 2, Garlett 2
Brisbane Lions: Zorko, Robinson, Andrews,Christensen
BEST
Melbourne: Howe, Hogan, Viney, Cross, vandenBerg, N.Jones, Gawn
Brisbane Lions: Christensen, Zorko, Taylor, Beams,Andrews
INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
Brisbane Lions: Hanley (hamstring)
SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Alex Neal-Bullen replaced Jay Kennedy-Harris in the third term
Brisbane Lions: James Aish replaced Pearce Hanley in thethird quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Bannister, Harris, McInerney
Official crowd: 25,149 at the MCG
