Harrison Petty fires a broadside at chief antagonist Patrick Voss in a thrilling win by Melbourne Demons over Fremantle Dockers
Melbourne backed born-again forward Harrison Petty for his gleeful take-down of former tormentor Patrick Voss on an afternoon that the Demons announced themselves as a serious premiership threat.
Petty was a crucial key forward in the finals-like MCG clash, kicking three goals to help Melbourne down top-of-the-table Fremantle by four points – 17.11 (113) to 17.7 (109).
But it was after his first goal that he made his statement, rubbing his freshly shaved head in delight – an obvious broadside at Voss for his antagonistic treatment of Petty earlier this year.
Following that round-two match at Optus Stadium, Voss was charged with misconduct and fined $1500 for mocking Petty by rubbing the then defender’s hair and simulating a crying action.
It prompted the AFL to instruct umpires to start paying free kicks against players who rubbed the head of an opponent.
But there was no taunting Petty on Saturday. He was crucial in the Demons’ fighting win – they trailed by three points a half-time, eight points at three-quarter-time and fell 15 points in arrears during a tense final term.
Teammate Bailey Laurie, who kicked three valuable goals of his own, called Petty’s actions “awesome”.
“Last time, I think he got his head rubbed, so I mean, he’s probably got the laugh today. So I’m sure he’ll be pretty happy with that one,” Laurie told The Age.
Coach Steven King was also full of praise for Petty.
“I think it’s just him embracing who he is, being authentic. He’s on the big stage, you know,” King said.
“[There’s] nothing wrong with shaving your head. I think it looks great. It wasn’t something I was aware that was going to happen. But I think that just shows where Petts is at.
“He’s enjoying his footy. He’s proud of who he is, who he plays for, and yeah, it’s a good sign for him that he’s engaged in the game, and it means something to him.”
While Voss was at the opposite end of the ground to Petty, he was making a statement of a different kind.
The damaging Dockers forward kicked four straight goals for the match. His teammate Jye Amiss also booted five without registering a behind.
Their accuracy was unnerving for the Demons in an opening half that both sides piled on 21 goals between them in a mouth-watering shootout. At the long break, the Dockers led 11.2 to the Demons’ 10.5.
“I think Kingy said we were plus-20 something in contest, and there were periods of the game we played really well, but we knew they were kicking all these goals that were pretty good. Like, tip your hat to them,” Laurie said.
“But all the stats were saying that if we kept doing what we were doing, we’d be right there at the end, which we were.”
It was a game of fluctuating fortunes.
Fremantle kicked four of the first five goals, Melbourne answered with the next four, the Dockers hit back with three in succession, and then Melbourne clawed their way back with four in a row. All this before half-time.
Then the midfields took turns in sharing dominance.
For most of the afternoon it was hard to split All-Australian ruck contenders and 2021 premiership teammates Max Gawn (16 disposals and 33 hitouts) as he did battle with Luke Jackson (17 disposals and 26 hitouts).
“They’re both unique,” King said. “You could call both of them ‘unicorns’, I guess. Max has done things we haven’t seen. I think ‘Jacko’ now, the way he plays and follows up, he’s like an extra midfielder for them.
“I just think they’re both unbelievable footballers, and what a privilege it was to come here today to watch them both compete against each other.”
The indefatigable Gawn played out the final term without a break as he willed his team over the line – they did not hit the front until the 21-minute mark of the final term on the back of a Bayley Fritsch snap.
But the Dockers had their chances. Jordan Clark and Matthew Johnson spilled marks in the last minute, while the enigmatic Fritsch was paid a mark right on the boundary line in the dying seconds that could easily have been ruled out-on-the full, allowing the Dockers one last roll of the dice.
But none of that mattered to the Melbourne-dominated crowd of 40,938 who erupted in full voice as the final siren sounded.
As they belted out the theme song, Fritsch kicked a behind, bumping the final margin to four points and bringing his total for the game to 2.5.
Outside of Pickett, there were crucial bit-part players everywhere for the Demons who not only landed their biggest scalp of the season and improved their MCG record this year to 10-1, but have given themselves a chance at a top-four finish.
Tom Sparrow racked up 24 disposals and two goals, Koltyn Tholstrup blanketed the dangerous Murphy Reid, Harvey Langford took a mark-of-the-year contender, while hard-running wingman Harry Sharp managed three of his own, including a 60-metre bomb on the run from the boundary and a brilliant soccer goal in the pulsating final term.
“I was saying to some of the boys throughout the game, as a spectator, that would have been unbelievable game to watch,” Laurie said.
“To play my part in that was nice. It was very satisfying. We’re a special group, and anything’s possible.”
King agreed, beaming with pride after winning a game at the MCG with a finals-like intensity against a team they rated as “the best team in it”.
“I think for us it was a scalp we needed to take,” he said. “We needed to signify to the opposition that we’re here. We’re not just shooting to play a final. We want to make it count.”
