- Demons had lost first five games of the season
- Pressure was mounting on coach Goodwin
- Big move paid off as Demons held off fast-finishing Dockers
Melbourne have relieved pressure on coach Simon Goodwin by hanging on for a thrilling 10-point win against Fremantle that ends an agonising wait for their first victory of 2025.
Goodwin’s decision to push Harrison Petty to the forward line despite critical injuries at the back was a gamble that paid dividends as the Demons finally got on the board for the 2025 season.
Entering Saturday’s match at the MCG with a dismal 0-5 record, the Demons dramatically turned their fortunes around with a style of play rarely seen from them over the past 12 months.
Melbourne had kicked 12.2 by halftime – equalling their highest score of the year, which came back in round one in a narrow defeat to GWS.
But the Demons’ attacking surge slowed after the main break, as a game-high lead of 29 points was whittled back to six with seven minutes remaining.
Harrison Petty celebrates a goal after moving from the backs to the forward line for the must-win clash
The gamble from under-fire coach Simon Goodwin paid off as the Demons held off the Dockers in a thriller
Melbourne youngster Harvey Langford calmly snapped a settling goal, a minute after Fremantle star Shai Bolton made a mess of a long-range set shot that would have levelled the scores.
Captain Max Gawn had some huge moments late to ensure Melbourne hung on to win 16.11 (107) to 14.13 (97) in front of 25,202 fans.
Following Carlton’s two straight victories, Melbourne inherited the mantle of the team under the most pressure after four consecutive poor performances.
But the Demons started the match like it was the 2021 premiership-winning side, not the team that had been belted by North Melbourne, Gold Coast and Geelong.
Melbourne’s premiership stars all raised their output, but it was Kysaiah Pickett who set the tone with an electrifying display against a club he could possibly be playing for next season.
Starting in the midfield, Pickett pushed forward with devastating impact to boot four first-half goals and finished with five.
When streaming in to slot his fifth goal, the pacy Pickett turned around and showed the ball to hapless Fremantle defender Josh Draper.
Even with fellow key defenders Steven May and Jake Lever out injured, Harrison Petty played forward and slotted three goals before the main break and finished with four.
Bolton, who had just one possession in the first quarter, showed his class with three goals, including a goal of the year contender, to be Fremantle’s most damaging player.
Experienced Dockers midfielder Jaeger O’Meara failed to take any part in the final quarter after pulling up sore late in the third term.
Melbourne face Richmond and West Coast – the AFL’s two bottom teams – in the next two weeks, giving them an opportunity to build on the momentum of this victory.
Fremantle return home to Optus Stadium for an Anzac Day battle with Adelaide on Friday.
