Melbourne have scored a 10-point win over Hawthorn in Friday night’s AFLX grand final at Etihad Stadium.
The Demons led by 22 points at halftime and held on for a 56-46 victory in front of 22,585 fans.
Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen and James Harmes all booted 10-pointers in the final, with Melksham outstanding throughout with a tournament-high five goals from outside the 40m arc.
“The important thing for us is it didn’t matter what we played or what the rules were, we just wanted to see some Melbourne footy the way that we play it,” Demons coach Craig Jennings said.
“I thought across the three games we really showed that.
“I was really pleased with the boys.”
The Demons recorded wins over Carlton and North Melbourne to book their place in the decider, while the Hawks defeated Essendon and St Kilda to progress.
“I think both sides fatigued a bit towards the end, which slowed the game down a bit and brought in a few more contests,” Hawthorn skipper Tim O’Brien said.
“We were able to have a bit more of a physical battle and that’s where the (extra) intensity came in.
“(But) it was more about having fun for us.”
Melbourne scored a comprehensive 82-54 win over the Blues in the first of six pool matches, their strategy of setting up shots at goal from outside the arc netting them seven 10-pointers.
Melksham led the charge for the Demons with three goals from outside the arc.
Hawthorn were happy to find marking targets inside the 40m in the second game against the Bombers and it proved equally effective, the Hawks prevailing 72-54.
Carlton departed the competition after a strong North Melbourne squad dealt them a 83-68 defeat.
The Roos’ total was the highest recorded after the first 14 matches of the abbreviated game, played by seven-a-side teams over 10-minute halves on a soccer-sized pitch.
North fielded the most-experienced side of the evening featuring Ben Cunnington, Jarrad Waite, Shaun Higgins and Jamie Macmillan.
The Bombers were eliminated when they suffered their second loss of the night, St Kilda recording a 52-37 win in their first game.
The Roos bowed out when the Demons scored a 70-46 win despite only scoring one 10-pointer, with Melksham again effective from long range.
The Saints and Hawks played off in the last pool game for the second spot in the grand final.
St Kilda led by 24 points at halftime but Hawthorn clicked into gear to score a 77-55 win.
Adelaide downed Geelong by eight points to win the inaugural AFLX grand final in Adelaide on Thursday night.
Grobelaar
Guest
It’s a bit like basketball and ping pong , but we need to give it time to be accepted.
Kangajets
Guest
Aligee Did u watch footy in the 1980s . The afl x does not resemble 80s footy at all . Nothing like it , clearly history of the 80s needs some more v h s recordings sent your way .
Kangajets
Guest
I’m a Multiple code fan and player etc here , so no need for fanboy finger pointing at me . The AFLx is terrible, it just is . Keep it on the oval rather then rectangle thanks Cheerio
dave
Guest
AFLX will be played during the pre finals bye next year.
Aligee
Guest
Yep, you make some good points
Mattyb
Guest
A Zooper Dooper ordinary game to watch but it looks like it would be fun to play. Worthwhile the AFL keep persuading the game for that reason,they just need to figure out the best way to market it. Could certainly see it being attractive for kids to play. Scoring seemed super boring,a bit like basketball in that regard. 3 pointers are exciting in basketball though,but the Zooper goals seem to easy. They could probably do away with the point posts which are a bit of a negative to our sport anyway.
Cat
Roar Guru
Maybe a Queensland side will want to win 4 ... XXXX
Aligee
Guest
You make some good points, I agree scoring is probably to easy, but it may evolve - let Ross Lyon at it :)
Cat
Roar Guru
Adelaide won the inaugural Adelaide AFLX GF. Melbourne won the inaugural Melbourne AFLX crown. Someone else will win the inaugural Sydney AFLX crown today. It's really not hard to understand. There are three different tournaments. Each has a winner. There are no more rounds or weeks to be played (at least this year).
Cat
Roar Guru
In its current form I do not think it works. There is a framework there that could work with some tweaks. Personally I think there are too few players on the ground, way too much open space and nary a contest to be seen. Try increasing sides to 9 or 10 on the ground at a time. The concept of the 10 point goal is okay but it is too easy. I'd move the goal posts closer together and narrow the goal face. Perhaps even make it that 10 point goals can only be kicked from a mark outside the 40 metre arc.
AxeMaster
Roar Rookie
Can't wait for the first team to win 3 AFL-X title's. This is what their trophy cabinet's gonna look like. XXX
Aligee
Guest
This game is not bash and crash, 20 players around the ball and endless stoppages, it is actually very similar to 1980's football
AxeMaster
Roar Rookie
Doesn't Hawthorn like to win real Premierships anyway?
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
Plenty of inaugurality to go around.
Nick
Guest
Okay headline reads "Demons beat Hawks to win inaugural AFLX crown" yet the last sentence has Adelaide winning inaugural AFLX grand final on Thursday. So as inaugural is the first in a series etc.. Demons cannot be the inaugural crown winners it has to be Adelaide. Was this game made up so every team can eventually say they have won a grand final? Although who really cares and seven should show the touch footy final,now that would be exciting.
AxeMaster
Roar Rookie
Classic...love it. Very funny JJ.
Aligee
Guest
Its sort of like soccer, free flowing but with more movement and played in the air and using all body parts and not discriminating, i would have thought soccer aficionados would love it! But yes zooper is corny, but that is just a name and not the nuts and bolts of the game.
Fadida
Guest
No, they'll see it as some sort of primary school made up game. Zoopers?
Aligee
Guest
There needs to be real incentive for the game to succeed domestically, fans are not enthused when they sense clubs are not taking it seriously. Whether the game succeeds at a domestic level is not a reason why it would fail internationally. People who have never seen the game before would view it completely differently to hardened traditionalists who have seen the game transform over a number of years. People who view the game for the first time would possibly see it as a fast moving, high scoring skillful game.
Aligee
Guest
yes but Jimmy, you could fit a 40 gallon drum in the boot of a P76