Match

Gold Coast Suns vs Melbourne

Commentary / 12 May 2018

Pre Game

59:30
Welcome to Gabba for the Gold Coast Suns v Melbourne Round 8 clash.
59:33
Outs for Suns: J.Joyce, M.Spencer, M.Rosa
59:34
Ins for Suns: S.May, A.Hall, J.Leslie
59:35
Outs for Demons: J.Hunt
59:36
Ins for Demons: C.Salem
59:40
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
00:00
Gold Coast and Melbourne have met on ten occasions with the Demons prevailing seven times, including in the past four matches. Nathan Jones has polled a combined eight Brownlow Medal votes across the past four wins.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:31
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Martin)
00:59
Great start for Gold Coast with a goal kicked by Jack Martin within the first passage of play. He is ranked first for score involvements and second for goals at the Suns this season.
03:50
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jake Melksham)
05:04
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
05:39
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Angus Brayshaw)
07:05
Since Gold Coast snagged the early goal, Melbourne has controlled most of the play. The Demons have recorded the last nine forward 50 entries, with nine effective kicks in that time compared to just one by the Suns.
09:57
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Ben Ainsworth)
10:58
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
11:34
Melbourne has gone end-to-end following Ainsworth's miss and launched a goal from the kick in. This season the Demons average a score launched from 12.8 per cent of kick ins, the second best rate of any team in the league.
12:36
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
12:43
Melbourne has kicked its second goal in two minutes after Nathan Jones won the resulting centre bounce clearance. Jones is ranked second at the Demons with 12 this season prior to this match.
13:48
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Salem)
14:19
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Sam Day)
15:34
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Aaron Young)
15:59
The Suns are keeping in touch with paths to goal once inside forward 50 with four scores from five entries (80 per cent), well above their season average of 38 per cent (ranked last). The Demons have generated six scores from 13 entries (46 per cent).
17:06
Demons Interchange - Nathan Jones off due to the blood rule.
19:04
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Sam Day)
19:37
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Angus Brayshaw)
20:48
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
21:55
An errant kick from Jack Martin has handed possession to Melbourne within its forward 50 and has given Tom McDonald his second. Three of the Suns' 18 kicks within their defensive half have been clangers, compared to zero from 16 for the Demons.
23:51
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Martin)
24:15
Martin has atoned for his previous error by kicking his second for the quarter. The Gold Coast forward has been prominent this term, with six kicks, two contested marks and two goals.
24:51
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
25:15
As noted pre-game, Melbourne's dominance at the centre bounce looks like it may be a key factor. The Demons have won five centre bounce clearances (compared to one by the Suns), taking all five inside 50 and resulting in a score of 2.1 (13).
28:12
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Alex Sexton)
29:47
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Touk Miller)
31:43
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
31:53
The siren has just beaten Alex Sexton's shot at goal, denying Gold Coast a chance to level the scores at the main break. The Demons recorded 10 more forward 50 entries and five more marks inside that zone but only managed one extra goal for the quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:16
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
02:43
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (James Harmes)
03:36
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
04:13
Three behinds to Melbourne to start the second quarter and the Demons now have four goals from 13 shots, with eight behinds and a miss. The Demons have returned just 1.5 (11) from set shots.
08:58
Suns Interchange - Sam Day off due to the blood rule.
09:16
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Steven May)
09:20
Steven May makes it looks easy with a long goal from 55 metres following an intercept mark. Gold Coast has won eight forward half intercepts resulting in 13 points, while Melbourne has returned 10 points from 14 intercepts within its forward half.
11:58
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Alex Sexton)
12:32
Melbourne has had 74 per cent of the play this quarter within its forward half however it's Gold Coast with the two goals this term.
13:48
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Charlie Ballard)
15:45
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
17:03
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
18:02
Tom McDonald looks to be the spearhead for Melbourne today, with three goals from three shots to go with his five marks (two contested) and ten disposals. The Demon forward has kicked seven goals straight now in three games this year.
21:04
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
22:31
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Mitch Hannan)
24:07
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
24:22
That's now four goals from four shots for Tom McDonald (making it eight straight for the season). In the past ten minutes the Demons have won five more clearances and committed two fewer turnovers, recording all seven forward 50 entries.
28:52
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jake Melksham)
31:16
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Salem)
31:22
Melbourne (45) has been inside forward 50 on a staggering 26 more occasions than Gold Coast (19). The Demons have taken 12 marks inside 50, just behind their season complete game average of 13.4 per game.
32:22
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Alex Sexton)
32:29
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
32:39
Melbourne surrendered the lead during the quarter but take a 22-point lead to half time. The Demons have gone inside forward 50 on 45 occasions, the highest half time tally by the club on record and by any team since Adelaide in Round 10 2017.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:43
James Harmes and Clayton Oliver were prominent through the middle for Melbourne in the second quarter. Harmes recorded 14 disposals, four intercepts and six score involvements, while Oliver won five clearances, 11 disposals and laid four tackles.
01:12
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tom McDonald)
01:59
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
02:25
Gold Coast's turnovers are starting to hurt the Suns on the scoreboard. From the Demons' last 12 intercepts they have managed to launch 4.2 (26) from the resulting possession chains.
03:24
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Sam Day)
04:04
Once cleared out of the middle, both teams have managed to find avenues to goal from the centre bounce. Five of the game's 15 goals have been launched directly from centre clearances, with two to the Suns and three by the Demons.
05:04
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Max Gawn)
05:42
Once again Max Gawn has shown why he is one of the most dominant ruckmen in the league. The Melbourne big man has won 11 hitouts to advantage (eight more than the entire Suns' ruck division), won two clearances and now has kicked a goal.
09:40
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
10:50
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
11:09
Tom McDonald now has five goals, matching his career best tally previously kicked in Round 14 2017 against West Coast. He has been targeted inside 50 by his team mates on eight occasions and has taken four resulting marks in that zone.
14:58
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Martin)
15:19
Three majors now for Jack Martin after a clever goal kicked off the ground. This is the fourth time he has converted from a kick off the ground from his 70 career goals.
16:45
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Nick Holman)
18:28
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Aaron Young)
19:57
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Mitch Hannan)
21:29
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Aaron Hall)
21:44
Gold Coast has cut the margin back to three goals after a solid ten minutes. In that period the Suns have launched three goals from their defensive half, averaging 211 metres gained per turnover compared to 79 metres gained per turnover for the Demons.
22:51
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Mitch Hannan)
25:51
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Michael Hibberd)
26:09
The Demons transitioned from defensive 50 to goal after Neville Jetta intercept mark. Melbourne has been able to convert 47 per cent of its possession chains starting inside defensive 50 into forward 50, well up on the league average of 20 per cent.
27:16
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
30:21
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
30:59
With their 61st forward 50 entry the Demons have pushed the lead out to five goals. Prior to this match, the most inside 50s Melbourne had previously had to three-quarter time since 1999 was 56 against Greater Western Sydney in Round 12 2013.
31:52
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (James Harmes)
33:03
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jake Melksham)
34:19
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
34:29
Melbourne has stretched the lead to 32 points at the final change after a tighter quarter. The Demons have entered forward 50 on 63 occasions, already above their season full game average (57.7) and the most by any team to three-quarter time this year.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
03:07
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Aaron Young)
04:05
Suns Interchange - David Swallow and is possibly out for the game.
05:18
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Mitch Hannan)
07:01
Melbourne's run and carry has been a feature of its play throughout the match. Salem's goal marks the Demon's seventh goal from general play, to go with eight behinds from this type. Gold Coast has kicked four goals and seven behinds from general play.
08:27
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Angus Brayshaw)
09:42
The Gold Coast back line is certainly being test in this match as the Demons have generated another nine forward 50 entries already this quarter, taking their match tally to 72. This is more than double the number of entries recorded by the Suns (35).
10:44
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Angus Brayshaw)
12:13
This is starting to look a little ugly now for Gold Coast, with Melbourne kicking the past five majors and 12 of the past 16. The Demons have taken 14 marks inside forward 50 compared to just three by the Suns.
13:43
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jesse Hogan)
14:06
It's taken until Melbourne's 17th goal for Jesse Hogan to hit the scoreboard, perhaps marking a strong team effort for the Demons. Melbourne has recorded the past 11 forward 50 entries and have kicked four goals in eight minutes.
15:11
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jake Melksham)
15:41
In the past ten minutes, Melbourne has won all eight clearances and in turn has set up all nine forward 50 entries. Four of the five goals by the Demons in this period have been launched from clearance wins.
17:58
Melbourne is now up to 80 forward 50 entries, easily a club record since records were first kept in 1999 (previous high was 77 against West Coast in Round 7 2000). The all-time record is 83 by North Melbourne against Greater Western Sydney in 2012.
20:06
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Sam Day)
22:16
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jesse Hogan)
22:22
Melbourne has kicked its 20th goal for the first time in a match since Round 7 2016, also against Gold Coast. The Demons have recorded 10 individual goal kickers, well up on their season average of 7.6 per game.
24:35
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jesse Hogan)
25:46
Three goals for the quarter to Hogan after the Demons again transition from defensive to forward 50. Both teams have managed this on 11 occasions, however it has taken Melbourne just 28 possession chain attempts compared to 60 attempts by Gold Coast.
26:41
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
27:30
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (James Harmes)
29:46
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Martin)
29:50
Jack Martin can hold his head high on a tough day for his team. He has matched his career-best of four goals, along with 15 kicks, five marks, two clearances and five intercepts. He has been involved in eight of the Suns' 22 scoring possession chains.
33:37
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
33:47
Melbourne has rounded out a comprehensive 69-point win with its highest scoring quarter of the year (51 points). The Demons entered forward 50 on 83 occasions for the game, matching the highest inside 50 tally by any team on record.