Melbourne’s 12-year finals drought is over after posting a pulsating 17-point win over West Coast.
The Eagles lost forward Jack Darling to concussion after just 10 minutes and his absence proved crucial as the Demons ran out 16.12 (108) to 14.7 (91) winners on a warm Perth day.
The Demons’ 13th win of the year – plus their percentage of 129.8 – means they’re locked in to play finals, barring a crazy set of margins in the final round.
Melbourne last played finals in 2006 and could even snare a top-four berth by beating GWS next week.
The victory also dispelled doubts about Melbourne’s ability to beat other finals-bound sides.
West Coast’s sixth loss means they need to defeat Brisbane at the Gabba next Sunday to secure a top-two berth. Another defeat would see them drop as low as fourth.
The ladder continues to take shape with some pivotal results around the league in round 22.
Sydney were widely thought to be slipping out of contention but are now a top-four chance.
Lance Franklin lifted them to a 20-point victory over GWS at Spotless Stadium, booting five goals and spearheading a second-half comeback .
His haul also moved him past AFL legend Leigh Matthews to eighth on the all-time goalkickers list.
Hawthorn maintained fourth spot after holding off an outstanding challenge from St Kilda to win by four points, setting up a massive clash next week with Sydney.
The Saints rallied from a week of intense scrutiny to nearly pull off one of the season’s biggest upsets.
Collingwood dealt Port Adelaide’s finals hopes a killer blow with a 51-point win at the MCG.
Magpies ruckman Brodie Grundy starred with 42 hitouts, 25 disposals and a goal.
Rampant Geelong moved a step closer to the top eight, kicking a record 23 unanswered goals on the way to a 133-point mauling of Fremantle.
Richmond dashed Essendon’s finals hopes and secured top spot on the ladder on Friday night with a hard-fought eight-point win.
But not all games had a bearing on the eight.
Brisbane squeezed past Gold Coast by four points in a fiery Queensland derby on Saturday.
The Western Bulldogs made it three in a row with a 10.6 (66) to 7.7 (49) victory over Carlton in Sunday’s early game.
