bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

MELBOURNE produced amazing accuracy to down Sydney yesterday by 46 points and snatch a berth in the finals series.

 Melbourne's accuracy rates with the all-time great VFL/AFL straight-kicking records, such as Essendon's 28.6 in the 1984 preliminary final against Collingwood and Essendon's 29.7 against South Melbourne in 1950.

 After surviving a gritty Sydney first half, which left the Demons only 14 points ahead at the long break, Melbourne recorded a seven-goal-to-three third quarter to take control and win 27.5 (167) to 18.13 (121).

 The win lifted Melbourne from ninth on the AFL ladder to seventh, leaving Collingwood eighth and having to travel to Perth for a sudden-death encounter with the Eagles.

 A loss to the Swans would have left Melbourne out in the cold, but the Demons played some brilliant attacking football as they consigned Sydney to a third consecutive wooden spoon.

 From the 29th minute of the first quarter until 18 minutes into the third the Demons did not miss in front of goal.

 The goal avalanche came mainly from David Schwarz who kicked 9.0 and Martin Pike who finished with 5.0, including three goals in the first eight minutes of the second quarter, in which he booted four altogether.

 Sydney coach Ron Barassi was pleased with his side's first half, but extremely disappointed with the second half.

 He said the Swans would look to make further improvement next season after winning four games this year compared with last year's one.

 Meanwhile, a wild all-in brawl after the half-time siren, which coincided with two West Coast players being stretchered from Subiaco Oval, failed to slow the Eagles' juggernaut which rolled to a relentless 71-point win over Footscray.

 The 17.15 (117) to 6.10 (46) win regained top spot for the Eagles and sent the Bulldogs tumbling from third to fifth spot in the final eight.

 A free-swinging fracas erupted on the siren after rugged Footscray defender Steve Wallis cleaned up Eagles half-forward Brett Heady with an apparently legitimate shirt-front.

 As Heady was stretchered from the oval, virtually every player became embroiled in a punching, wrestling brawl that left Eagles forward Peter Sumich unconscious outside the boundary line. Umpires let the melee continue for several minutes and no reports had been filed immediately after the game.

 Out-of-form Collingwood have drawn the shortest straw of the finals schedule, having to travel to Perth next Sunday to take on top side West Coast in the fourth qualifying final.

   Next weekend's draw announced by the AFL last night is: Saturday - North Melbourne v Hawthorn, Waverley Park, 2.30 pm (second qualifying); Geelong v Footscray, MCG, 7.45 pm (first qualifying final). Sunday - Carlton v Melbourne, MCG, 2.10 pm (third qualifying final); West Coast v Collingwood, WACA, 4.45 pm (AEST) (fourth qualifying final).



Straight-shooting Melbourne charge into finals series