AFL LIVE: In-form Giants will jump into finals mix if they stop Demons in their tracks

We’ve got less than five minutes left in Q3 and the Giants have continued to build momentum, booting two consecutive goals - thanks to Harvey Thomas and Callum Brown.

Wait, Callum Brown goes again! The 25-year-old shoots the Sherrin into the sky, before it plummets perfectly for a goal.

Melbourne are looking very disorganised and are allowing the Giants to take uncontested marks.

Meanwhile, Harry Petty has been ruled out for the remainder of the match following the below incident.

The Giants will have to make do without Stephen Coniglio, after the veteran suffered an injury.

Moments later, Harvey Thomas boots truly to extend the Giants lead. The Dees will need to lift now to get back in this game.

Melbourne trail by 12 points at half-time, but the margin looked like it would be far worse as the Giants cut them up outside the contest for much of the second quarter.

Those late goals to Matthew Jefferson and livewire Latrelle Pickett kept the Demons in touch - and they could have been closer if Harvey Langford had made the most of a gilt-edged opportunity after a great attack on the Sherrin from Kade Chandler.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be concern in the Melbourne coaching team. GWS racked up uncontested marks for fun, and looked dangerous almost every time they went into attack.

Finn Callaghan, Harvey Thomas, ex-Demon Clayton Oliver, Jake Stringer, Toby Bedford and Lachie Ash are all making their mark for the Giants. On Melbourne’s side, Mihocek has three goals, Kozzy and Latrelle Pickett are wreaking havoc with limited touches, and Max Gawn, Jack Steele and Chandler were other good contributors in the opening half.

HT: GWS Giants 9.2 (56) lead Melbourne 6.8 (44)

This game is slowly slipping away from Melbourne.

The Demons managed to hit the scoreboard thanks to a boot from Body Mihocek, however the Giants quickly counter with one from Phoenix Gothard.

Jake Stringer boots another to take a 25-point lead.

Score: GWS 9.2 (56) leads Melbourne 4.7 (32)

Toby Greene takes a good mark inside 50 and boots truly to notch his second.

The skipper’s goal plus an earlier one from Harvey Thomas puts the Giants ahead by 19-points.

An entertaining opening quarter ends with the Giants hanging onto a two-point lead over Melbourne in Alice Springs despite a sensational late goal from Demons star Kozzy Pickett.

GWS started and finished the term well, but Melbourne generated more inside 50s (18-10) and scoring opportunities, in large part to their clearance dominance (11-5).

Max Gawn is already having a big impact in the ruck against Kieren Briggs, and Brody Mihocek helped himself to two goals, but the Dees will need to clamp down on Lachie Ash and Finn Callaghan, who have amassed 22 disposals between them.

Callaghan, who also kicked a goal, looks a potential match-winner today, so it will be interesting to see what Steven King decides to do.

Latrelle Pickett set up one of Mihocek’s goals, and could have two of his own after returning from a week off.

This is Melbourne’s 12th game at this venue, where they traditionally draw a crowd of between 5000 and 7000 footy followers.

The Demons have been coming here since 2014, only missing in the COVID-affected 2021 season.

The Giants were their opponent here in 2024, a thrilling affair the Giants won by two points.

Accuracy in front of goal was the deciding factor that day. The Giants kicked 7.5 (47), whereas the wasteful Dees finished with 5.15 (45).

Melurne’s record against all cers stands at four wins and seven losses.

A cruel bounce has denied Latrelle Pickett his first goal of the contest.

The Demons small forward broke clear with pace and snapped smartly at goal. It looked like the ball was heading straight through the big sticks, but it bounced sideways to deny Pickett. But he has been busy, the younger Pickett. That’s his second behind, and he set Mihocek up for the Dees’ first goal.

Brody Mihocek has another, which means the Demons have the lead … momentarily.

It’s a positive start for the strongly built forward, who crossed to Melbourne from Collingwood this season and is back in the team after a couple of weeks on the sidelines.

But the response from GWS is swift, with Aaron Cadman marking strongly and converting.

Melbourne 15 v GWS 18.

The Dees have given those parochial fans something to cheer about, and it was the returning duo of Latrelle Pickett and Brody Mihocek at the centre of their first goal.

After being dropped last game because of some undisciplined acts, Pickett unselfishly centred ball to a dangerous spot in front of goal, where he hit up Mihocek, who converted his simple opportunity.

Pickett kicked a point earlier, and Max Gawn has just added one as well, meaning the Demons now trail by just four points.

Melbourne 8 v GWS 12.