The Demons sealed their victory with a dominant second half, outscoring the Tigers 10 goals to none, resulting in a final score of 13.7 (85) to 5.12 (42) at a chilly MCG. Despite a tight first half with just a one-point difference at halftime, the new Tigers coach, Adem Yze, couldn’t secure the win against his former team, especially after Jacob Hopper’s hamstring injury forced him out of the game in the third quarter.
The initial stages of the match were marked by skill errors and nervousness from both teams, reflecting the pressure of the high-profile fixture. However, Melbourne found their footing in the third quarter, led by captain Max Gawn’s impressive performance with 23 disposals, 26 hitouts, and a goal.
Daniel Turner, playing just his fourth game and replacing the omitted Ben Brown, emerged as a key target in Melbourne’s attack, scoring three goals and showing growing confidence with each celebration. Although the Tigers controlled territory in the first quarter, their first goal didn’t come until late in the quarter from Mykelti Lefau, whose defensive efforts set up the scoring opportunity.
Despite Richmond’s decision to utilize dual rucks with Toby Nankervis and Sam Naismith, it was Mykelti Lefau who played a physical ruck role in attack, providing a different challenge for Melbourne’s Max Gawn to handle.
Facing a barrage of Richmond forward entries, Jake Lever stood out for Melbourne with 26 disposals, 11 marks, and 15 intercepts, consistently putting his body on the line. Steven May also contributed solidly in defense with 23 disposals and 12 marks.
Richmond managed to regain their intense pressure game that was successful against Sydney earlier in the season, disrupting Melbourne’s ball movement, especially in attack.
Marlion Pickett was assigned to limit the output of Melbourne’s Christian Petracca, while Kamdyn McIntosh served as the substitute. Hugo Ralphsmith and Sam Banks took on the wing duties, battling against Melbourne’s Ed Langdon and Caleb Windsor.
Although Pickett’s tagging efforts initially slowed Petracca down, it wasn’t enough to contain him for the entire game. Petracca finished with 23 disposals, six clearances, and a goal, despite the slow start.
