{"id":72662,"date":"2026-08-15T14:05:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T14:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/72662\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T14:05:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T14:05:05","slug":"melbournes-top-four-charge-gathers-momentum-with-ruthless-port-adelaide-demolition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/72662\/","title":{"rendered":"Melbourne\u2019s top-four charge gathers momentum with ruthless Port Adelaide demolition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Melbourne\u2019s top-four hopes remain firmly alive after the Demons produced a ruthless 76-point demolition of Port Adelaide<\/a> at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night, winning 20.12 (132) to 8.8 (56) in a performance that underlined their growing attacking threat heading into the finals.<\/p>\n

The margin was impressive, but the manner of Melbourne\u2019s victory was even more significant. The Demons tore the game apart in the opening quarter, booting seven goals to one and immediately exposing Port Adelaide\u2019s inability to cope with their pressure, ball movement and forward-line efficiency. From there, Melbourne controlled the contest and never allowed the Power to build enough momentum to seriously challenge.<\/p>\n

The victory lifted Melbourne to 15-7, leaving the Demons only percentage behind fourth-placed Hawthorn with one round remaining. Hawthorn\u2019s draw with Collingwood has further intensified the battle for the top four, meaning Melbourne now has a genuine opportunity to secure the double chance if results fall its way in the final round.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect for Melbourne was the performance of its forward line. Kade Chandler<\/a> and Bayley Fritsch<\/a> both finished with four goals, giving the Demons multiple avenues to goal rather than relying on one dominant forward. Their ability to convert opportunities turned Melbourne\u2019s territorial advantage into scoreboard dominance and demonstrated the attacking potential the side will need once September arrives.<\/p>\n

Chandler\u2019s performance was particularly memorable as he celebrated his 100th AFL game with four goals. The milestone could hardly have been marked in better fashion, with the South Australian-born forward playing a major role in Melbourne\u2019s demolition of the Power.<\/p>\n

The result also showed how Melbourne\u2019s game has evolved under coach Steven King<\/a>. The Demons have traditionally been associated with contested football, stoppage dominance and defensive pressure, but there are increasing signs that their attacking game is becoming just as dangerous. Faster ball movement and greater involvement from their forwards allowed Melbourne to repeatedly exploit Port\u2019s defensive structure.<\/p>\n

Port Adelaide<\/a> did have some individual positives. Ruckman Jordon Sweet competed strongly against Max Gawn, recording 18 disposals and 25 hitouts while also kicking two goals. Gawn finished with 25 disposals and 22 hitouts, but Sweet\u2019s ability to challenge the Melbourne captain was one of the few areas where Port could claim an advantage.<\/p>\n

Mitch Georgiades also provided a bright spot for the Power, kicking four goals. His contribution ensured Port remained competitive on the scoreboard at times, but Melbourne\u2019s overall pressure and efficiency meant individual performances were not enough to change the direction of the contest.<\/p>\n

For Port Adelaide<\/a>, the defeat capped another difficult period. Coming off a 97-point loss to Sydney, the Power were again unable to sustain pressure against a side with genuine finals ambitions. The result leaves significant questions for the club about its midfield, defensive structure and ability to compete against the competition\u2019s better teams.<\/p>\n

Melbourne\u2019s only major concern from the night could come from the Match Review Officer. Forward Jacob van Rooyen caught Port defender Aliir Aliir high with a stray arm, an incident that could attract attention given the contact to the head. Aliir did not return to the match, adding another layer of concern for Melbourne as it waits to learn whether van Rooyen will face a suspension.<\/p>\n

That incident aside, the night belonged overwhelmingly to the Demons.<\/p>\n

Melbourne did not simply collect four valuable premiership points; it produced the type of dominant performance that can change perceptions heading into September. The Demons now have momentum, an increasingly dangerous forward line and a realistic path into the top four.<\/p>\n

With only one round remaining, the equation is simple: Melbourne has given itself a genuine chance of securing the double chance. More importantly, Saturday night\u2019s performance suggested that if the Demons can reproduce this level of pressure and scoring efficiency in the finals, they could enter September as a significantly more dangerous opponent than their ladder position alone suggests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Melbourne\u2019s top-four hopes remain firmly alive after the Demons produced a ruthless 76-point demolition of Port Adelaide at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72663,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[395,77,99799,1429,1437,262,524,576],"class_list":["post-72662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-adelaide","tag-adelaide","tag-afl","tag-afl-finals","tag-bayley-fritsch","tag-kade-chandler","tag-melbourne-demons","tag-port-adelaide","tag-steven-king"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}