Qualifying Final, 2000
Melbourne vs Carlton
Sunday 13 August
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 75,570
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 3.4 | 6.4 | 8.5 | 15.6.96 |
| Carlton | 4.4 | 8.8 | 10.14 | 12.15.87 |
Melbourne win by 9 points
Goalkickers: Brad Green 4, Cameron Bruce 2, Stephen Powell 2, David Schwarz 2, Andrew Leoncelli 1, Anthony McDonald 1, David Neitz 1, Peter Walsh 1, Adem Yze 1
Best and Fairest
32 - Anthony Ingerson
30 - Brad Green
26 - Andrew Leoncelli
20.5 - Cameron Bruce
19.5 - Adem Yze
Milestones:
Nil
Melbourne's performance was much better than during their 98 point loss in Round 13, but they still looked dead and buried early in the last quarter. Despite losing two of their last three games Carlton started favourites and built a lead that stretched beyond five goals late in the third quarter before the Demons stormed home.
In the second quarter David Schwarz ran into an open goal and held the ball up to the crowd before putting his side a goal up. It seemed to rebound on him when the Blues kicked six of the next seven goals. Despite goals to James McDonald and Brad Green late in the third term, Carlton still held a handy 21 point lead and looked set to earn the week's rest before a Preliminary Final. Neale Daniher gave his troops a fearful spray at the last change, and they soon overran the more experience opposition. After being thrown forward in the second quarter when Jeff Farmer failed to fire, Green played the game of his young career with four goals, and was pivotal in the final term comeback along with fellow rookie Cameron Bruce. Farmer, Neitz, Woewodin and Schwarz were all down on their best but the comeback was driven by the team's younger players.
Green's goal a minute into the last quarter started the comeback, and when he got another two minutes later, the game was thrown wide open. A Bruce goal at the seven minute mark cut the gap to less than six points. Then the game was thrown into a nine minute stalemate until Adem Yze soccered a goal to give his side the lead. Green got his third, but just as it looked like Carlton had folded, they kicked two goals to retake the lead. Leoncelli and Bruce then replied, carrying the Demons over the line.
The cliffhanger win gave Melbourne a week off and a trip straight to the Preliminary Final. The importance of having avoided a loss in Round 22 and a match against Essendon was underlined when the Bombers demolished the Kangaroos by 125 points in the other Qualifying Final.
Discussing the comeback Neale Daniher said, "We needed to attack the game and our boys had enough petrol in the tank to do that".
Best were Adem Yze, Brad Green and Anthony McDonald.
Video
Media
Herald Sun - 14/08/2000
Herald Sun - 14/08/2000
SportsToday - 14/08/2000
Canberra Times - 14/08/2000
Canberra Times - 20/08/2000
Links
Blueseum match report