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A snapshot of the first AFL preliminary final between Melbourne and Geelong at Optus Stadium.
SNAPSHOT OF THE FIRST AFL PRELIMINARY FINAL
* Result: Melbourne 19.11 (125) bt Geelong 6.6 (42) at Optus Stadium
* Key moment: Geelong still had a heartbeat at halftime when they trailed by 29 points. But when Max Gawn made it three goals in a row for Melbourne five minutes into the third term, it was game over. And what a goal it was. Showing rare agility for a 208cm ruckman, Gawn received a handball near the centre square, burst forward and kicked truly on the run from 55m out. The skipper helped himself to three more majors for the term, including a stellar, tight-angle snap from the pocket, to finish with five and have the Demons faithful chanting his name in appreciation.
* Key stat: Gawn's supreme performance put him in a rare club. He is just the fourth Melbourne captain to kick five or more goals in a VFL/AFL final, joining Robbie Flower, Garry Lyon and David Neitz.
* Injuries: Melbourne will sweat on the fitness of star defender Steven May, who was subbed out after halftime. May clutched at his right hamstring and left the ground after a first-quarter marking contest with Cats opponent Tom Hawkins. The All-Australian backman returned to play out the second term but was put on ice once Melbourne's victory was assured. Backline partner Jake Lever copped a knock to the shin in a collision with Esava Ratugolea but played out the game. Geelong's Gary Rohan was subbed out with a hamstring injury.
* What's next: At long last, Melbourne are through to the grand final once more. They will take on either Port Adelaide or the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium on September 25 as they look to win their first VFL/AFL premiership since 1964. For Geelong, it's another long off-season after again falling short in September. Since winning their last flag in 2011, they've played 22 finals and won just seven.