Round 17, 2009
Melbourne vs Sydney
Sunday 26 July
Venue: Manuka Oval
Attendance: 7311
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 1.2 | 2.6 | 4.11 | 6.14.50 |
| Sydney | 3.4 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 10.8.68 |
Sydney win by 18 points
Goalkickers: Aaron Davey 1, Liam Jurrah 1, Brad Miller 1, Brent Moloney 1, Michael Newton 1, Matthew Whelan 1
Brownlow Votes:
Nil
Milestones:
First game
Jordie McKenzie
Statistical categories led:
Lowest score at Manuka Oval
Melbourne's last home game to be played in Canberra was greeted with indifference by locals and turned out to be a terrible game in its own right. With the Demons having made a number of enforced changes - losing key players like McLean, Frawley and Jamar - it was expected that the Swans would run riot at Manuka.
Early on it looked as if that would be the case when the Demons struggled to kick a goal in the first quarter, but their second half was such an improvement that only abysmal goalkicking was keeping them out of it. Even when the Swans kicked the first two goals of the final term and the game looked dead and buried Melbourne kept in the hunt.
When Matthew Whelan floated forward and kicked a set shot that put his forward line colleagues to shame the Demons were a chance but a late Swans goal put the game out of their reach and they left the capital empty handed.
Best were Moloney, Morton and Warnock.
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