JESSE Hogan has confirmed his status as Melbourne's man-most-likely with a crucial four-goal performance in the Demons' 24-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the MCG on Sunday.
The Demons dropped away sharply in a second half in which they managed just one goal, but hung on for a 8.12 (60) to 4.12 (36) win.
Justin Leppitsch Press Conference
In a scrappy, error-riddled contest that reflected the lowly ladder positions of the two sides, the Lions were held to their lowest first-half score of the season.
The visitors got off to a reasonable start and led when Dayne Zorko danced around a pack and slotted a goal nine minutes in, but that would be their only major in a listless half of footy.
Melbourne, so disappointing in last week's loss to injury-ravaged Essendon, was positively ferocious in comparison.
Bernie Vince and Jack Viney did the heavy lifting at the stoppages for the Demons, while Hogan was a powerful presence inside 50 with three goals in the first quarter.
Melbourne led by 26 points at quarter-time and, while the scoring slowed in the second term, they still looked on course for a handsome win, up by 38 points at the main break.
But as has so often been the case in recent years, the Demons went missing for a quarter.
Demons coach Paul Roos put the drop off down to "concentration errors".
"It was more our ball use. In the second half we had a lot of opportunities. Probably those concentration errors, I call them, with the players, the ones where we're out in open space and turn the ball over (cost us)," Roos said.
"They (the Lions) were always going to up the ante in the second half … we just couldn't keep the scoreboard ticking over – we were kicking points again – which doesn't help."
The Lions lost Pearce Hanley to a hamstring injury at half-time, but led by Dayne Beams and Zorko, they pushed back at Melbourne with an intensity that was sadly lacking before the break.
"We didn't look on top of the ground today at all, we were very reluctant runners today," Lions coach Justin Leppitsch lamented after the game.
"It's definitely the flattest we've played for four or five weeks,"
Goals to Mitch Robinson and Harris Andrews narrowed the gap and suddenly the Demons looked much less assured with the ball in hand.
Allen Christensen, one of few Lions of influence in the first half, brought the margin back to 20 points with the first goal of the final term, which might have which might have been enough to send Melbourne into complete meltdown in recent times.
But while it was far from convincing, Paul Roos's men held their nerve in the face of the challenge, with Hogan soothing frayed nerves with his fourth goal of the game.
"The [mark and goal] in the last quarter was really important, it gave our blokes a little bit of lift when he put the ball through," Roos said of Hogan.
"He's had a really good day."
MELBOURNE 5.4 7.7 7.10 8.12 (60)
BRISBANE LIONS 1.2 1.5 3.8 4.12 (36)
GOALS
Melbourne: Hogan 4, McDonald 2, Garlett 2
Brisbane Lions: Zorko, Robinson, Andrews, Christensen
BEST
Melbourne: Howe, Hogan, Viney, Cross, vandenBerg, N.Jones, Gawn
Brisbane Lions: Christensen, Zorko, Taylor, Beams, Andrews
INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
Brisbane Lions: Hanley (Hamstring)
SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Alex Neal-Bullen replaced Jay Kennedy-Harris in the third term
Brisbane Lions: James Aish replaced Pearce Hanley in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Bannister, Harris, McInerney
Official crowd: 25,149 at the MCG
