Match

Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs

Commentary / 25 Sep 2021

Pre Game

00:00
According to the AFL Player Ratings impact measure, this game features five of the top midfielders in the league this season. Melbourne is represented by Clayton Oliver (17.2 points per game) and Christian Petracca (16.3), while Western Bulldogs feature Jackson Macrae (17.2), Marcus Bontempelli (16.9) and Tom Liberatore (16.7).

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
03:00
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
05:02
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Ben Brown)
05:20
Melbourne's ball use has been cleaner in early play, with 60 per cent of kicks effective and six marks taken. Western Bulldogs have only had 17 per cent kicking effectiveness in the opening minutes.
06:33
Christian Petracca kicks the first goal of the Grand Final, with a splendid pick up and goal off a step from 50 metres. All three of the Demons' scores have been launched from intercepts. This season Melbourne averages 77.2 intercepts per game, ranked first in the league.
07:51
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
09:39
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
10:08
A great start for Melbourne now being rewarded on the scoreboard. The Demons are averaging 112 metres gained per turnover, more than double the Bulldogs' at just 51 metres gained per turnover. Melbourne has also laid six tackles to Western Bulldogs' two.
13:34
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
14:05
Christian Salem has been prominent off half back for Melbourne, with three intercepts on his way to six disposals and three forward 50 entries. He has been involved in two of the Demons' five scoring possession chains.
16:07
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Roarke Smith)
17:04
Roarke Smith has delivered exactly what the Bulldogs needed with a piece of individual brilliance, following up his own marking contest. This is only Smith's third goal for the season and ninth of his 37-game career.
18:55
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
19:13
Melbourne has won six forward half intercepts and created scores from four of them, returning 2.2 (14) from these possession chains. This is almost already half of the 30.5 points the Demons average from forward half intercepts (ranked fourth in the league).
20:37
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Tim English)
21:46
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
22:29
Make that seven forward half intercepts for the Demons, now resulting in 3.2 (20). The Bulldogs have already committed seven clanger kicks inside their defensive half, nearing their full-match season average of 11.2 defensive half clanger kicks per game.
25:24
Heading into the Grand Final, Western Bulldogs had been the best first-quarter team in 2021, winning 20 of 25 opening terms and averaging an eight-point lead at quarter time (ranked first in the league). Melbourne was ranked third, winning 15 of 24 first quarters this season.
25:58
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Ben Brown)
28:17
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Ed Langdon)
30:16
Western Bulldogs committed eight kick clangers inside their defensive half to quarter time. The only occasion the Bulldogs have more in a quarter since 2016 was in the first quarter against the Demons in Round 11 2021.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:43
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Adam Treloar)
02:41
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
04:04
Consecutive forward 50 intercepts and snapped goals from Adam Treloar drags the Bulldogs right back into the game. This season, 21.4 per cent of the Bulldogs’ scores have been launched from forward 50 chains, the highest percentage in the league.
05:16
The follow-up centre clearance to Marcus Bontempelli results in the third snapped goal from general play to the Bulldogs in just over three minutes, and the first launched from centre clearances. These are the top two sides in creating scores from centre clearances this season.
06:34
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Bailey Smith)
08:05
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
11:42
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
12:07
Melbourne has taken five marks inside forward 50 to date, while Western Bulldogs are yet to take their first. The Demons have kicked 2.3 (15) from set shots while the Bulldogs are yet to score from that shot type.
13:26
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)
14:42
Backing into a contest, Marcus Bontempelli takes the Bulldogs' first mark inside 50 for the match and duly converts. Across this season, Western Bulldogs average 13.3 marks inside 50 per match, the highest tally in the league.
17:11
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Lachie Hunter)
17:17
Western Bulldogs now lead for the first time in the match after kicking five goals to one this quarter. This quarter, 70 per cent of the Bulldogs' kicks have been effective, up from just 55 per cent in the first term.
22:13
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
22:45
This term, Melbourne has owned 70 per cent time in forward half and has more double the forward 50 entries of Western Bulldogs. The Demons have managed just 1.4 (10) from these entries while the Bulldogs have kicked 5.1 (31) from their six entries.
23:08
Bulldogs Interchange - Easton Wood off due to an injury.
27:52
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Josh Schache)
29:40
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)
29:58
Captain Marcus Bontempelli has played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs' second-quarter comeback. The four-time All-Australian recorded a centre clearance, two intercepts, nine disposals, two forward 50 entries and five score involvements (including two goals).
31:11
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Lachie Hunter)
31:14
Western Bulldogs have both limited the damage and capitalised on opportunities at ground level inside each arc. Inside their defensive 50 they have won five more ground balls than the Demons, and inside their forward 50 they have won six additional ground balls.

Quarter 3

00:00
Melbourne has been the best third-quarter team in 2021, winning 19 of 24 third terms and averaging a 10.9 point margin in these periods (ranked first in the league). Western Bulldogs have a middling record, winning only nine of 25 third terms.
00:13
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
02:24
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Jason Johannisen)
02:48
A terrific smother by Bailey Williams has ended in a huge climb and goal to Jason Johannisen. The Bulldogs have now applied eight smothers to the Demons' five. The league average smothers per team across a whole match in the 2021 season is 8.9.
07:59
Adam Treloar has greatly lifted his output since quarter time. After just four ineffective kicks in the first quarter, the ex-Magpie has recorded 13 disposals, on top of three intercepts and a clearance, delivering inside 50 on two occasions and kicking two goals.
09:59
Melbourne took 20 more marks in the first quarter, seven more than the Bulldogs (13). Since the first change the Demons have managed just 11 marks, while the Bulldogs have taken 30 extra (41).
12:11
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)
12:25
The Bulldogs have owned territory and possession this quarter, enjoying 71 per cent time in forward half and an additional 30 per cent time in possession. They have now launched four of their nine goals from inside forward 50.
16:34
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
17:25
Melbourne (nine) has won six additional clearances than Western Bulldogs this quarter (three), with the latest to James Harmes setting up Bayley Fritsch.
17:49
Two in a minute to Bailey Fritsch and Melbourne has found the spark it was looking for. Fritsch has now kicked a game-high four goals, and has 57 goals across his 23 games for the season.
19:36
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
20:00
This game is back on a knife-edge after three goals from three successive forward 50 entries to Melbourne, the latter two launched from centre clearances. Prior to this flurry, the Demons had only managed one goal from their previous 22 inside 50s.
25:00
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Angus Brayshaw)
25:26
Melbourne reclaims the lead for the first time in the second half after a diving mark by Angus Brayshaw. In the past ten minutes the Demons have kicked 4.0 (24) to no score, averaging 28 metres gained per disposal compared to just 15 by the Bulldogs.
26:48
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
29:51
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
30:36
An exquisite dribbling checkside from Christian Petracca in the pocket has doubled Melbourne's lead in the shadows of the third quarter. He is one of only two players in the competition to average at least 25 disposals and more than one goal a game this year.
31:10
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom Sparrow)
32:20
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
33:06
Melbourne has launched four goals from each of its past four centre clearances, after managing none from its first seven. This season the Demons outscore their opposition by an average of 6.3 points per game launched from centre clearances (ranked first).
33:48
Jack Viney leads all players with ten clearances, including four won at the centre bounce. The Melbourne midfielder won the final two centre clearances of the third quarter in quick time, leading to the Demons' sixth and seventh goals of the quarter.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:04
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
03:01
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
03:46
Melbourne's weight of possession and ball movement has completely overwhelmed the Western Bulldogs' defensive structure. The Demons have kicked a staggering 9.1 (55) from their past 11 forward 50 entries.
03:56
Bailey Fritsch has kicked five goals in a grand final, equal to the highest tally by any player since Darren Jarman kicked seven in 1997. Only six other players have managed five goals in grand final since then.
04:11
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
06:45
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
08:09
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
08:31
It's an avalanche for the navy and blue as Alex Neal-Bullen joins the party, kicking the tenth successive goal for Melbourne. The Demons now have eight individual goal kickers, above their season average of 7.6 per game.
11:40
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ed Langdon)
14:21
Christian Petracca has had an immense impact on this grand final. The Demon midfielder has won seven intercepts and seven clearances, on his way to 36 disposals, 874 metres gained, ten forward 50 entries, 13 score involvements and two goals.
18:32
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
19:39
That's now ten goal kickers for Melbourne, and Christian Petracca is up to 894 metres gained and 14 score involvements. For reference, the highest tallies in these measures on record in grand finals is 865 metres gained (Johannisen in 2016) and 15 score involvements (Bartel and Stokes in 2007).
20:49
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Adam Treloar)
22:16
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Salem)
24:15
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Luke Jackson)
25:28
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
25:41
Since trailing by 19 points half way through the third quarter, Melbourne has kicked 14.4 (88) from 23 forward 50 entries to 1.1 (7) from 12 inside 50s. Christian Petracca has been involved in 12 of Melbourne's 18 scoring possession chains in that period.
27:10
Bulldogs Interchange - Taylor Duryea off due to the blood rule.
29:27
Bayley Fritsch is the first player to kick six goals in a grand final since Darren Jarman in 1997, and the first to kick six for Melbourne in a grand final since Jack Mueller in 1948 (in both original and replayed matches that season).
32:18
Melbourne's dominance from the centre bounce has been immense since facing a 19-point deficit. Before then the Demons had launched one point from seven centre clearances, but since that point they have launched 7.2 (44) from 11 centre clearances.
33:55
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
33:58
Melbourne has won its first VFL/AFL premiership in 57 years, with a 93-point turnaround after trailing by 19 points midway through the third term. The Demons kicked their biggest score in any match since 2018 to demolish the Bulldogs.