MATT Burgan looks at the stories, stats and surprises in his weekly column.

Summary
Heartbreaking. That was Saturday night in a nutshell, for anyone who bleeds red and blue. It wasn’t 1987-like, when Gary Buckenara ended Melbourne’s dream in the preliminary final, putting Hawthorn into the Grand Final, with a goal after the siren. And while that story involved one Irish great – when the late Jimmy Stynes ran across the mark, giving Buckenara a then 15-metre penalty, putting him closer to goal – on this occasion, it was another Irishman, Zach Tuohy, who made his mark on the red and blue. Tuohy marked moments before the final siren to sink the Demons by two points in a thrilling encounter, for any football fan, except for the Melbourne faithful.

How’s stat?
Although Melbourne moved from sixth to seventh on the ladder, Geelong claimed the four points, but slipped out of the top eight, from seventh to eighth, highlighting the incredibly tight season that is the 2018 season.

The number
29 – points was Melbourne’s lead at the two-minute mark of the final quarter. But when Tom Hawkins kicked the Cats’ first major of the last term – his fourth overall and four for the period – it was the start of Geelong’s revival. In the end, Geelong kicked eight of the last 10 goals to seal the win.

Experience differential
Games: Geelong (2423) v Melbourne (2146)
Goals: Geelong (1975) v Melbourne (1360)
Average age: Geelong Cats (25 years, 316 days) v Melbourne (24 years, 339 days)

Did you know …
Melbourne is at the same stage as it was last season, sitting seventh with 10 wins and seven losses after 18 rounds. The major difference is in percentage. Last year, the Demons had 107.9, heading into round 19, while this year it has a superior percentage: 127.9.

3 votes: Clayton Oliver
Oliver was once again brilliant. He notched up a career-best 40 disposals, winning 13 by quarter-time. Continues to bely his age and games experience. One of the game’s best midfielders.  

2 votes: Tom McDonald
McDonald continued his outstanding season, kicking four goals and playing another key role for the Demons. McDonald has now booted 37 goals for the season.

1 vote: James Harmes
Harmes was outstanding for the Demons, playing on Joel Selwood and keeping him in check early on, before he shifted to Patrick Dangerfield. A fine run-with match.

Apologies to …
Christian Petracca, Jordan Lewis and Max Gawn, who all could’ve been among the votes.

Good to see …
It’s hard to find many positives after the loss, but when you consider Geelong has won 22 of its past 25 at its home ground, it was always going to be a tough encounter. To fall after the final siren, while shattering, reinforced how difficult a task it is to win at the Cattery.

Oppo’s best: Tom Hawkins
Took the best-on-ground honours after booting four of his seven goals in the final quarter, when he proved to be Geelong’s match-winner. Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Ablett were also critical in the Cats’ win.  

Photo of the day


Max Gawn celebrates a goal (Photo: Daniel Pockett)

Facebook post of the day

Instagram photo of the day

Happy 150th, Melks. #RaiseHell

A post shared by Melbourne Football Club (@melbournefc) on

Tweet of the day

Video of the day

In the mix
Melbourne had 10 players from its list not play in the AFL or VFL on the weekend and it’s unlikely that it will shrink too much this week. Still, Cam Pedersen, who was Casey’s best, will again be knocking on the door, along with Declan Keilty, who was an emergency in round 16. Tim Smith is another who impressed in Casey’s win.

Next round
Melbourne heads to Adelaide to take on the Crows at Adelaide Oval. It will be the second time the red and blue plays Adelaide this year, after thrashing the Crows by 91 points in Alice Springs (round 10). Melbourne has won two of its past three encounters at the venue, dropping one against Port Adelaide in round 14 by just 10 points. The Demons won’t fear playing at the ground, although it will be another genuine challenge. It’s a critical match in the context of Melbourne’s season, but if it can claim the four points, it should be a massive boost in the team’s confidence.

Pre-match


Hogan and Harmes arrive at the ground (Photo: Matt Goodrope)

Song to sum up the match

Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin

Simon Says …
“We came down here to win and we didn't. That's the reality of it. There's lots of things in the game, the little things become the moments and the moments become the big things. Ultimately when you go through a game like that, a lot of the little things add up.” – Simon Goodwin