Match

Melbourne vs GWS Giants

Commentary / 16 Mar 2025

Pre Game

00:00
GWS Giants are averaging 104.8 points in Round 1 matches over the last eight seasons – ranked No.1 in the AFL.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:16
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Matthew Jefferson)
00:24
Matthew Jefferson kicks his first career goal with his first kick. This goal was launched from a centre bounce, in which Melbourne scored the fourth-fewest points from this source in 2024.
02:00
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tom Sparrow)
03:07
The first two centre clearances go the way of the Demons. Melbourne ranked sixteenth for centre clearance differential in 2024.
04:19
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
04:59
Aaron Cadman kicks off the scoring for the GIANTS with a goal from defensive midfield. The GIANTS only averaged 16.1 points launched from this zone in 2024 - ranked fifteenth last season.
09:28
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
09:35
Melbourne has had five of the first seven inside 50s, although the GIANTS have been clinical in scoring from both of the entries. The GIANTS ranked third for goals per inside percentage last season.
12:47
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Tom Green)
16:02
The GIANTS have kicked three in a row, with two of their goals coming from stoppages. They were only able to score from 24.9% of their clearances last season - ranked outside the top 10.
19:06
The GIANTS are trying to get the ball moving, playing on from 29% of their marks. On the flip side, the Demons have only played on from 6% of their marks.
20:41
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
23:14
Jack Henderson becomes the second player for Melbourne to score his first career goal with his first kick. This goal was launched from an intercept in which the Demons scored the third-fewest amount of points from in 2024.
26:21
Ed Langdon has been lively early, collecting a game-high nine disposals (100% efficiency), five marks and 185 metres gained.
30:41
The GIANTS have had a clear motive to move the ball by hand, having a kick-to-handball ratio of 0.98, as well as gaining 153 more metres from handball receives in comparison to the Demons.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:07
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Harry Sharp)
01:54
The pressure has been evident in the contest, with the match pressure factor being 189. The AFL average pressure factor in 2024 was 181.
04:51
The Demons are leading the contested possession count by six, but are trailing the groundball ledger by four. Melbourne won the contested possession counts by 1.6 and lost the groundball gets count by 1.3 last season.
06:46
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
07:31
Christian Petracca slots a goal to get Melbourne back in front. This goal was launched from the attacking midfield, in which 31.6% of Melbourne's scores came from last season - the fourth-most in 2024.
08:28
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
11:41
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
13:38
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Josh Kelly)
14:27
Finn Callaghan has been lethal thus far, collecting a game-high 16 disposals and 284 metres gained, as well as two clearances and four contested possessions.
16:50
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harry Sharp)
17:12
Clayton Oliver averaged 23.2 disposals, 11.2 contested possessions, 4.4 clearances, and 4.0 tackles last season – his fewest in each stat since 2016. Today he has collected a game-high six contested possessions thus far.
18:19
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
18:47
The Demons have had the last three inside 50s and have scored goals on two of those occasions. All three of their goals this term have been from open play, which Melbourne scored the six-fewest goals from in 2024.
21:50
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
22:07
The GIANTS have scored eight points from their attacking midfield this term. They averaged 26.6 points launched from this zone in 2024 - ranked fifth.
24:29
GIANTS Interchange - Brent Daniels off due to an injury.
26:26
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Aidan Johnson)
27:44
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Stephen Coniglio)
27:51
Melbourne is up 15-9 in contested possessions in the last 10 minutes of the match, but is losing this stat in their defensive 50 - a zone where they historically have the advantage.
29:39
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
31:17
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Xavier O'Halloran)
34:26
The Demons have owned the ball, having 44 more disposals, 27 more marks and 433 more metres gained from those marks in comparison to the GIANTS.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:18
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Caleb Windsor)
00:33
GIANTS Interchange - Brent Daniels and is possibly out for the game.
01:31
Melbourne wastes no time, scoring the first two majors of the second half from centre clearances. They have now scored 4.2 (26) from centre clearances - their third-most since the start of 2024.
04:01
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jake Bowey)
05:06
Three goals on the trot for the Demons within the first 10 minutes of the third term. They only achieved this once last season.
08:37
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Stephen Coniglio)
10:31
Max Gawn has been on top in the ruck battle against Lachlan Keeffe, winning the hitouts by 17 and the hitouts-to-advantage by eight, as well as the Demons scoring three more goals from clearance when these two have been ruck opponents.
13:15
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
13:53
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
14:10
Four goals from six entries this quarter from Melbourne gets the lead out to 11 points. The Demons have retained 83% of their entries in comparison to the GIANTS' 43% this quarter.
20:48
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Aidan Johnson)
21:00
Aidan Johnson slots his first career goal to stretch the lead out to a game-high 17 points. His pressure has been evident this term, laying a quarter-high three tackles and applying an equal-quarter-high six pressure acts.
25:10
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
25:56
It has been tough for both teams to move the ball from the back half, with Melbourne having just one of their 12 chains from this zone end up inside 50 this quarter, as well as the GIANTS having two of their 13 ending up inside 50.
26:16
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Stephen Coniglio)
31:31
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
33:58
The GIANTS struggled to move the ball out of their defensive half, with 62% of the term being spent in this zone as well as them generating two inside 50s from 23 defensive half chains.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:05
Jake Lever is averaging 11.4 intercept possessions against the Giants since 2021 – ranked No.1 in the AFL. He has had nine today with only Harrison Petty having more for the Demons (11).
01:31
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Tom Green)
02:09
Tom Green has had an impressive return to the side, collecting 25 disposals, of which eight were won in a contested manner, as well as 14 pressure acts and seven score involvements.
06:58
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Matthew Jefferson)
07:04
The inside 50 count for the term sits at 7-2 in favour of the GIANTS, although both teams have scored one goal.
09:05
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Finn Callaghan)
10:16
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
12:06
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Jacob Wehr)
12:42
Despite the wet conditions, the GIANTS are still trying to move the ball with hands having a kick-to-handball ratio of 1.41 compared to Melbourne's 3.57.
15:47
An outstanding quarter from Toby Greene as he gets the GIANTS back within a goal. He has had a quarter-high eight disposals, five contested possessions and 199 metres gained.
20:10
The GIANTS have won their last two games against Melbourne by a margin of two points. Currently, the Demons lead by two points.
22:01
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
23:00
The GIANTS won the post-clearance disposal count by 30.6 per game last year – ranked No.1. They trail this by 16 today.
24:58
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
25:59
Finn Callaghan had 33 disposals, and a career-high 730 metres gained on the weekend. He also booted two goals and was involved in a career-high 12 scoring chains. He has had 29 disposals and 593 metres gained today.
28:08
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Aidan Johnson)
29:13
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Lachlan Keeffe)
30:00
A late goal from Lachlan Keeffe gets the GIANTS up late. The Demons will need to score a goal in red time to win the match, in which they ranked sixth for scores after the 20th minute of four quarters last season.
31:35
A disappointing end for the Demons as they led for large parts of the day. They were on top in the contest, winning the contested possession count by 16 and were able to effectively move the ball through marks, taking 28 more than the GIANTS. Despite trailing the clearance count by 13, they outscored the GIANTS by 18 points from this source.