AFL Grand Final: Melbourne win first AFL premiership for 57 years in Bulldogs thrashing

Kieran Francis

AFL Grand Final: Melbourne win first AFL premiership for 57 years in Bulldogs thrashing image

Melbourne have won their first AFL premiership in 57 years with an extraordinary second half onslaught to beat the Western Bulldogs by 74 points at Optus Stadium in Perth.

The Demons were challenged in the second quarter and trailed by as much as 19 points in the third term before kicking 15 of the next 16 goals to record their biggest ever Grand Final win.

Christian Petracca was the dominant player on the ground, picking up 40 possessions, two goals and nine clearances in an incredible performance.

In the Demons' attack, Bailey Fritsch kicked six goals, while Ben Brown chipped in with three majors and Tom McDonald got two.

For the Bulldogs, skipper Marcus Bontempelli was his team's best player with three goals and 25 possessions, while Adam Treloar also snared three majors.

Melbourne started the better of the two teams with Christian Petracca kicking the first goal of the game with a magnificent finish from one step on 50.

When Bailey Fritsch marked on the goal-line and converted from point-blank range, it was clear the Demons were on in the opening stages of the game.

A magnificent effort from Roarke Smith earned the Bulldogs first goal mid-way through the term after making a contest in the air, before gathering the ball out the back for the easy goal.

But the Bulldogs' resistance was short-lived with two errors from defender Bailey Williams costing the team goals late on in the first term.

Williams turned the ball over under pressure from Kysaiah Pickett, allowing Charlie Spargo to run in and kick an easy goal.

And then moments later, Williams dropped an easy mark, with Fritsch gathering the ball to snap the Demons' fourth goal to earn a 21-point lead at quarter-time.

However, the Bulldogs regrouped at the first break and led by Treloar and Bontempelli mounted a spirited fight back throughout the second quarter.

Treloar snapped two goals in the opening five minutes of the period to get the Bulldogs up and running as they finally began to challenge the Demons.

The former Collingwood midfielder then won a centre clearance to drive the Bulldogs forward, with Aaron Naughton gathering the ball and snapping his team's third consecutive goal to cut the margin to four points. 

A steadying mark and goal to Ben Brown allowed the Demons some breathing room once again but up stepped Bontempelli after having a quiet start to the match.

The Bulldogs skipper kicked two goals after taking huge marks either side of a Lachie Hunter major that put their team in front for the first time, with the underdogs holding an eight-point lead at half-time.

Melbourne has been the best third quarter team in the AFL this season but it was the Bulldogs who continued to put their foot on the pedal.

Jason Johannisen took a spectacular pack on the behind line to kick the Bulldogs' first goal of the quarter, and when Bontempelli kicked his third for the game via a snap, they led by 19 points early in the term.

But the Demons showed incredible resilience to mount a fight-back and kick the next 12 majors in an absolutely extraordinary performance.

With Petracca and Clayton Oliver leading the way at the coalface, Ben Brown reduced the margin to one-point with a major from a mark, before Angus Brayshaw put Melbourne back in front again with a superb mark and finish.

It looked like the match was squaring up for a tight last quarter until Melbourne kicked three goals in the final two minutes of the third term to deal a crushing blow to the Bulldogs.

Goals to Petracca, Tom Sparrow and Oliver drove a dagger into Bulldogs hearts, setting up a 24-point lead at three-quarter time.

It was a Demons procession in the last quarter, as Ben Brown and Bailey Fritsch kicked the first two goals early to effectively seal the premiership.

The Melbourne avalanche continued with seven of the next eight goals as Demons celebrated their first AFL premiership since 1964.

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.