Melbourne players mob Jesse Hogan after he kicked his first goal, a corker from deep in the pocket. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun
CAN you imagine the sense of relief when the guillotine jams inches short of your neck?
When all you hear is the dry click in the chamber instead of the bullet you expected?
Melbourne fans have lived that experience this week, fretting over their club's very existence until the tanking saga came to a comical, grinding halt.
Of course lightning rarely strikes twice, so it was too much to think the Demons could conjure a NAB Cup victory in their first hitout of the year.
Getty Images Source: Getty Images
But for Melbourne fans last night, there was not only cause for hope, there was reinforcement of what they would have lost had the tanking inquiry been quick and lethal.
Melbourne had the chance for a Jimmy Bartel-Joel Selwood style supergoal to snatch a win against North Melbourne when draftee Dean Kent marked 40m out with the Dees eight points down in the dying seconds of game one.
He failed to handball to a teammate outside 50, instead taking the six-point option.
But the short-term pain was quickly replaced by the dawning reality that draft stars Jack Viney, Jimmy Toumpas and Jesse Hogan will be immense for this club for the next 12-14 years.
It was that trio the Demons could have lost had tanking's smoking gun been quickly found, robbing Melbourne of its 2012 national draft picks.
Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: Herald Sun
The trio lit up Etihad Stadium in different ways. Viney had his nose in the trough as an inside midfielder, No.4 pick Toumpas kicked a polished goal and sparkling leading forward Hogan frustrating fans only in that he cannot play AFL until next year.
Melbourne still has plenty of issues that need addressing, including a disposal imbalance of minus 76 against their opponents in 80 minutes of footy.
The energy of that first game fell away against a polished Richmond side. But last night, as Jack Watts steadied the ship at centre half-back, Chris Dawes led to some clever spots and the Demons surged back against North, the first-game fight was just about enough.
It was that kind of night, with enough to like from all three clubs in the disjointed triple-header format where only the first game matches teams of equal levels of fatigue.
The night was alive until the final seconds, as Richmond's Shane Edwards failed with the triple-header's last possession to snatch back the lead against North Melbourne.
While Melbourne was dodging the tanking bullet, the Roos were forging ahead with key re-signings, and the hits kept coming last night.
Recruits Ben Jacobs and Jordan Gysberts showed plenty, Sam Wright and Shaun Atley look ready to step up again, and Majak Daw's continued highlights showed he has what it takes at this level.
His soaring defensive mark might have been the night's highlight, until in the second game he ran at Richmond's Steven Morris, left him reeling with a don't-argue, then goaled on the run from 30m.
North beat Melbourne without much impact from Drew Petrie or Brent Harvey and with Daniel Wells absent, then that trio stepped up in the win against Richmond.
The Tigers did just enough against Melbourne, and when they was 13 points up 17 minutes into the game against the Roos, they looked a good thing.
Soon they had lost the lead, but Dustin Martin looked trim, hungry and dangerous, and Jack Riewoldt, Trent Cotchin and Brett Deledio all took control at times.
Of perhaps more interest was first-round draft pick Nick Vlastuin's classy blind turn and attack on the footy, and Tyrone Vickery's encouraging return after a season ruined by shoulder issues.
The Tigers lost another close game, but on a night when the three games were decided by just 21 points, everyone went home happy.
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