Melbourne are headed for a semi-final with Hawthorn after breaking a longstanding finals drought and eliminating Geelong from September on Friday night.
In the club’s first final since 2006, the Demons outplayed the Cats in every area of the game, with only poor conversion limiting the scoreboard damage.
Sam Weideman, James Harmes and Angus Brayshaw were the best three players on the ground, as Melbourne’s younger players tore apart the veterans of Geelong in their first ever final.
Weideman in particular was extremely impressive in just his 18th game, finishing with 24 disposals, seven marks and three goals. The 21-year-old has been good since replacing injured Jesse Hogan in the senior team.
The contest was done in the first quarter, where Melbourne kicked five goals to nil and left the Cats shellshocked and licking their wounds.
From Geelong’s perspective, the reality of their situation has become abundantly clear.
No player stood out for the club and the Cats simply cannot keep up with the top six or seven clubs in the competition.
The future of Gary Ablett may be up in the air, as he played a particularly careful game and was extremely upset come the final siren, while a few other players may have their future discussed.
The short-term future for Melbourne, however, is full of excitement and anxiety. They now face the Hawks next Friday night for a shot at a preliminary final spot, which will be a fantastic achievement for either team.
We’re taking a look at one player from each team that needs to make a difference this week, starting with the ANZAC Day games.
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