Blog log from of 2024: Sydney vs Melbourne

Gawn kicks off the scoring with a miss from a ball up 10m out. (Q1 2:53)
Florent floats through the opening goal of the home & away season from half forward on the back of some early repeat inside 50s. (Q1 5:16)
Viney tumbles through a classic rover’s goal from a ball up near the hotspot for the Demons’ first. (Q1 7:17)
Spargo snaps across the face from the pocket 20m out after a feed out of a pack by Oliver. (Q1 9:16)
Trademark scything slither by the Lizard up members wing, breaks a tackle then Blakey passes inside 50 to Heeney 40m out on a slight angle. Heeney steers it straight through. (Q1 16:48)
Schache misses a snap from the HFF after the Dees win the next centre clearance. (Q1 18:30)
Chandler delivers a lovely long pass from members wing over Rampe to Fritsch in the pocket 25m out, he plays on and misses off the left. (Q1 21:39)
Papley has an empty forward 50 to kick into running from outer wing, he tries a skidder from near the point of the centre square… just avoids the right goalpost! (Q1 25:38)
Melbourne switches on a rebound started by Lever, it’s Lever himself who goes long inside 50 to the pocket for Schache 30m out who misses. (Q1 27:58)
Repeat inside 50s for Sydney, eventually McInerney roves his own contest to a Papley ball to the top of the square and goals under a Howes tackle. (Q2 6:47)
Neal-Bullen snaps off a step after roving Gawn at a stoppage 40m out on the flank, it lands behind the goal umpire for a goal. (Q2 13:21)
Ah, but a late review shows Gulden touched that snap off the boot so it’s only a point. (Q2 14:36)
Petracca hits the left goalpost with a snap from the HFF. Melbourne not doing much to gainsay a reputation for a great defence but a cod ordinary attack. (Q2 21:01)
McInerney coughs up a rebound ball under pressure, Windsor finds Langdon 40m out in front just before the HT siren. Dees need this goal… it’s good. (Q2 30:07)
Fritsch has two men on him but curls through a high quality left-foot snap from 30m on the flank after a contest, crumb and feed by Petracca against two on the HFF. (Q3 2:04)
Fox zooms onto the crumb from a long McDonald ball from the HFF to the top of the square but his left-foot snap across the body nicks the far right post. (Q3 4:26)
Hayward feeds Papley who snaps wide from near the hotspot across the body. (Q3 5:08)
A loose footy bounces off the boot of Gawn and OOTF 40m out for Sydney, McDonald takes the free, kick falls in the square… McLean marks on the chest in front of Gawn… miss! (Q3 10:09)
A rather soft 50m penalty for encroachment brings McLean from outer wing to 40m on a slight angle… this one for much further out is straight enough! (Q3 13:34)
McVee sharks a handball to Heeney from a pack on the wing, baulks clear and delivers a lovely pass to Fritsch at the hotspot for his second goal. (Q3 16:44)
Grundy feeds Amartey who snaps high and wobbly on the turn from 40m on the flank, drifts across the face. (Q3 18:32)
Fritsch snaps his third goal of Q3 playing on to advantage from a free against Rowbottom, Demons hit the lead! (Q3 19:16)
Heeney scrubs a kick to grass 20m out after a stoppage at half forward, Tomlinson and Lever bounce off each other going for it, McLean is out the back to accept the gift goal! (Q3 23:05)
Lloyd roves in the pocket and gives outside to Rowbottom who misses across the body from 25m. (Q3 24:19)
Viney fumbles trying to shark a Blakey handball just inside CHF but gets pushed in the back by Warner, obvious free even though the home fans chunter. Viney bangs it through! (Q3 27:50)
Rowbottom roves a McLean hotspot near the hotspot and misses to the right again with another snap across the body. (Q3 29:30)
Blakey sizzles a pass after receiving on outer wing, nothing McVee could do to stop Hayward marking 40m out on a slight angle. Hayward levers it through. (Q3 30:30)
Gulden tries to rove the next bounce but fumbles under a tackle, Petracca zips through at full tilt and rams through a huge goal from 35m! (Q3 32:02)
Blakey baulks three Demons scooting through the centre to break up the zone, eventually Hayward marks in the pocket, his set shot is poor for no score. (Q3 34:54)
Rivers kicks OOTF under pressure 40m out, McLean kicks a point after the 3QT siren. (Q3 36:14)
Papley bounces a handball out of a stoppage near the hotspot, it’s been a greasy footy in humid conditions and Gulden’s handle is not great, he wobbles a point off the left. (Q4 3:29)
Warner passes to Papley near the boundary 40m out, his set shot is off hands for a point. (Q4 4:12)
Grundy passes short to half forward, Warner roves and lets fly from 50m on a slight angle… did it nick the post on the way through? Review says no, goal. (Q4 5:42)
Viney gets caught HTB after the next bounce, Swans attack around outer side, chaotic but Hayward snaps another one after roving near the hotspot. Sydney almost home! (Q4 8:12)
Warner kicks very high inside 50 from a pack, Wicks beats McVee to mark on his chest 45m out in the corridor. He converts, looks like the Swans’ night. (Q4 10:52)
Warner roves and bombs long from outside CHF, ball drifts left for a behind. (Q4 12:35)
McDonald kicks to the top of the square, McVee in position but fluffs the contested mark, his opponent Fox soccers another one! This game is already over. (Q4 14:12)
Gulden fumbles at half back, Petracca sharks it and goes to the square, Van Rooyen drops it onto his shin and the ball goes through by accident, what’s the rule? It’s a lucky goal! (Q4 16:02)
Windsor dithers on the HBF and is mown down by Fox 35m out, who shanks OOTF. (Q4 20:07)
Heeney misses a flying snap from half forward. Dees not rebounding well, any hope of a late revival looking very remote. (Q4 21:44)
McDonald marks a Heeney long speculator untouched with May and Lever shouting at each other behind play, that’s a champagne footy goal from 20m. (Q4 25:43)
Petracca misses a tough left-foot snap from 25m on the flank. (Q4 30:06)
A lull as a streaker is escorted off the SCG. (Q4 30:13)
Lloyd is pinged for high contact on Fritsch who was bending down for a ground ball 25m out, crowd hoots but it was there. Fritsch gets goal number four in junk time. (Q4 33:13)