AFL 2022 round 15 LIVE as it happened: Melbourne Demons send message, thumping Brisbane Lions at MCG

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AFL 2022 round 15 LIVE as it happened: Melbourne Demons send message, thumping Brisbane Lions at MCG

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Signing off

Thanks for following tonight’s blog.

It’s a massive win to the Demons, who bounce back after three losses in a row.

We’ll be back tomorrow night, when the Eagles and Bombers do battle. Good night.

Match report: Hell and back: Demons rediscover fire to crush Lions

By Peter Ryan

Melbourne are back, dispensing of the Brisbane Lions with ease to show their best is good enough to push towards back-to-back premierships.

Trailing by a goal midway through the second quarter, the real Demons awoke from hibernation to bury the Lions’ hopes of winning at the MCG for the first time since 2014 into the hallowed turf.

Luke Jackson celebrates a goal for the Demons.

Luke Jackson celebrates a goal for the Demons.Credit: Getty Images

Melbourne’s midfield thrashed the Lions during the term as Jack Viney joined forces with the ever-reliable Clayton Oliver to bring an end to the slump. The pair combined for 14 contested possessions in the quarter as the Demons kicked five unanswered goals; in that time Lions gun Lachie Neale won just one.

The return of Steven May in defence made an obvious difference to the premiers’ confidence, with the midfield pushing hard into their front half of the ground when they won clearances knowing they could trust what lay behind them.

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James Harmes speaks post-match

James Harmes spoke with Seven post-match.

Q: James Harmes, try to find the biggest positive from the meeting with Simon Goodwin.

A: It was just good to get back on the winner’s list. We struggled for a couple of weeks to play our role and get the win. To get back on the winner’s list is good. I felt like it was an even performance from everyone. So yeah, it was great.

Speaking of the role - the role you did tonight, especially after quarter time on Lachie Neale, we try to pretend like we know how to play on him, we even tried to do a package before the game. You played on him. How do you take someone like Lachie Neale on?

Lachie is a great player. Played on him a couple of times now. Try to keep it simple, nullify him at stoppage then try and work off him. He gets the ball a lot. If I can get to him around the contest, and hopefully beat him [that’s the plan].

Out of Harmes’ way: James Harmes brushes aside Deven Robertson.

Out of Harmes’ way: James Harmes brushes aside Deven Robertson.Credit: Getty Images

At what stage did you actually think that goal was going?

When I kicked it, I thought it might be a chance and just snuck over the line. So, I was lucky enough to kick that one.

And with Maxy out, did the midfield group talk or do anything different with Luke Jackson being in there predominantly as the ruckman? Did you have a conversation before the game about where to set up?

We watched a lot of vision of what Brisbane do, and we knew what they were going to do. We had a plan going into it, and I thought we executed it really well and big Luke Jackson was great for us. I don’t know what he had, but I think he is 10 tackles or something like, he’s almost like an extra midfielder for us around the ground. So it was great to see him have such a big game and obviously Maxy going down was pretty tough, but he lifted for us.

Brisbane started well. They looked like they had the game on the terms they wanted. What was the message?

We just wanted to get to playing our best defensive quarter. I think we did that. I think we kept them to maybe one goal, I can’t even remember what it was. But we kept them to...tried to get the ball in our half and lock it in.

Toby Bedford normally sits on the bench then has to do 8 kms at the end of it. Tonight a couple of goals, a dozen touches. Great to see him make the most of his moments.

He was a young kid who came in pretty raw. He has thespeed and the talent. Now he is reaping the rewards to kick a nice few goals. We love having them in the side.

You have some big and powerful units there at the Dees. Do you give Jack Viney a wide berth when he is doing tackling practise? He speared a couple of blokes tonight.

Vines is next level. We love what he does for the team. Got the other two guns in there then Vines is unbelievable what he does. He brings pressure and his attack on the ball is unbelievable.

Have you felt like the weight has been on the back? It looked like you had real enjoyment at the end.

I guess before the bye we were probably just going through the motions a little bit, and the energy is back, it’s unbelievable. The boys, to our credit, we played our roles tonight, and we got the win and, yeah, there’s definitely a massive energy about us at the moment, and hopefully, we can keep that rolling in for the rest of the year.

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Could Gawn return next week?

Is Brisbane’s MCG record going to stop them in September?

The Lions have now lost their 10th game in a row at the MCG.

Tonight they lost by 64 points. When they last played here, in round one, 2020, they lost by 23 points.

The Lions last won at the MCG in 2014. So, how big an issue is this for Brisbane heading towards September?

It didn’t stop them winning contested possessions or clearances, but did the size of the ground play into their head?

Dees sing the song

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Highlight: Jackson goal

One of the goals late in the match, from Luke Jackson.

Steven May speaks post-match

Steven May has spoken with Channel Seven after the Demons’ win.

Q: He is back. How good is it to be back on the winner’s list as well?

A: Unreal. Been pretty hard to be just watching for the last four weeks. Top of the table clash, you know, it was pretty nerve racking coming into the game, but I was glad we put in our best performance and got a good win.

Melbourne back on top as they returned from the bye in the mood to answer any critics

Melbourne back on top as they returned from the bye in the mood to answer any criticsCredit: Getty Images

Q: The best defence versus the best attack coming in. What’s it like playing alongside Jake Lever? He was unbelieve in the air.

A: We’ve been trying to get Jake going. He’s been working so hard. He is a pure professional. He’s been doing everything right, it just hasn’t been going his way. So proud of him tonight. Knowing he’s roaming around, and I can lock down the big forward, and he comes across, it’s such a luxury.

Q: Goody mentioned during the week that potentially the role execution had been lacking oval the last three or four weeks but I get collectively as a group you can say that everybody played their role tonight?

A: From the midfield, going forward, our forwards putting on pressure, finishing their work. We still kicked 21 points, probably something to work out. But our back six and seven improved. We had a pretty dodgy first quarter, but we kept them to a good score in, a very attacking side.

Q: Jacko [Luke Jackson], I just spoke to him, in the absence of Gawny. The midfield group, they had 50-odd contested possessions alone. You must be really proud of how they cracked in?

A: Luke was pretty nervous, shouldering the number one ruck role this week. Max has been such a warrior for the club. Jacko was a bit nervous but once the ball bounced I thought he was really good and Sam Weideman gave him a good chop-out and let our bulls go to work.

Q: Great to see you back.

FT: Demons 117, Lions 53

That’s it, full-time at the MCG.

The Demons are back, snapping a three-game losing streak to thrash the Brisbane Lions. It was their best performance of the season by far.

They dominated in all facets, particularly in contested ball. They also punished the Lions on turnover, and racked up a record number of ground-ball gets in their forward half.

Viney was excellent in the Dees’ win.

Viney was excellent in the Dees’ win.Credit: Getty Images

Jack Viney was outstanding. He had 34 dispoals, eight clearances, seven tackles and eight score involvements.

“It was just a terrific team performance,” Viney told Seven post-match.

“It’s been a rough couple of weeks. A few losses in a row, so [we were] really looking for a response from the group and I thought it was a terrific team game tonight. Just went back to the process, went back to role, team first, and it was a terrific game, and super proud of all the boys.”

FT: Dees 16.21 (117), Lions 7.11 (53)

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Hipwood kicks consolation goal

A nice long goal from Eric Hipwood is merely a consolation.

Bailey Fritsch has responded at the other end. It’s his third goal of the night.

This has been a domination from the Demons. They have not looked this dangerous all year.

Dees 16.21 (117), Lions 7.10 (52)

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