JAKE Melksham has been voted in for kicking the second-best goal at Melbourne in 2018, converting a clutch fourth quarter monster against the run of play to help down the Hawks in the Semi Final.

With 12 minutes remaining, Hawthorn had drawn within two straight kicks and the Demons looked deflated.

But after a quick centre clearance, Melksham roved the ball cleanly and threw it onto his left boot, ultimately sending Melbourne through to a Preliminary Final.

“I dropped it a little bit funny,” Melksham told Melbourne Media.

“It wasn’t actually a perfectly rotating drop punt, so I sort of adjusted a little bit as I dropped it.

“When I kicked it, straight away I knew it felt really good and I could see where it was headed.

“Obviously for the time in the match, Hawthorn had a bit of a run on and we couldn’t clear the ball from our defensive 50 literally until they scored a goal – that was the only time we got it past half-way.

“So it felt really good when it went through and the importance of that time in the game, it put myself and I think most of us at ease to try to hang on.”

The 27-year-old has played 156 AFL matches, but he hasn’t faced a bigger moment than the one he found himself in on the half-forward flank at the City end of the MCG that Friday night.

“To that point in time that was the most important game I had ever played in in my career, so that’s certainly a goal I won’t forget,” Melksham said.

“It was really good to obviously kick the goal, but to put the pressure back onto Hawthorn as well.”

After Melbourne led by 32 points at the final change, the Hawks proceeded to kick three quick goals to start the last quarter, mounting the pressure back on the Demons.

“I can remember some of their players coming over to us after Isaac Smith kicked that goal to bring them within a few points,” Melksham said.

“They were trying to get into our heads and tell us we’ve been here before and lost those games.

“And to hit back straight after that centre bounce just felt that good, to keep them quiet.”