Melbourne reach AFLW preliminary finals after 28-point comeback
Paxy Paxman kicked the decisive goal as the Demons beat Geelong by four points, with Chloe Scheer missing a late chance to win.
Melbourne have secured an AFLW preliminary final berth by overturning a 28-point deficit against Geelong, winning by four points in the competition’s biggest comeback.
Five unanswered goals brought the Demons back from their third-quarter deficit. Paxy Paxman snapped the goal that put Melbourne ahead with fewer than three minutes left, before Geelong’s Chloe Scheer missed a chance to reclaim the lead.
Scheer’s set shot was directly in front, 20m from goal, but went wide with fewer than 15 seconds to play. Melbourne now have a week off, while Geelong face a semi-final against either Sydney or the Western Bulldogs.
The Cats had scored the opening five goals, with Melbourne waiting until late in the second quarter for their first. Geelong held a 22-point half-time advantage and twice stretched the gap to 28 during the third term.
Melbourne narrowed the deficit to 12 points by three-quarter-time. Alyssa Bannan then scored twice early in the last quarter before Paxman’s decisive contribution. The Demons scored all three goals of the final term.
Liv Purcell helped drive Melbourne’s recovery and finished with 34 possessions, matching Geelong midfielder Georgia Prespakis. The match also marked Cats coach Mick Stinear’s first meeting with Melbourne since leaving the club after last season.
