Round 21, 2005
Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs
Saturday, 20 August
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 32,621
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Melbourne | 4.2 | 8.5 | 11.8 | 16.13.109 |
| Western Bulldogs | 7.2 | 9.6 | 13.7 | 16.9.105 |
Melbourne win by 4 points
Goalkickers: Russell Robertson 6, Jeff White 2, Adem Yze 2, Steven Armstrong 1, Aaron Davey 1, Brad Green 1, Ben Holland 1, David Neitz 1, Guy Rigoni 1
Brownlow Votes:
1 - Jeff White
Milestones:
Nil
With mathematicians declaring that the Demons were still only a 30.57 per cent chance of making the finals - even after their one point win over Geelong the week before, they had a lot to prove on a Saturday night at the MCG.
The Bulldogs were also in the mix for the finals, and a win would put their fate in their own hands going into the last weekend of the season. A seven goal opening quarter by the Dogs gave them the advantage, and by three-quarter time they were still 11 points behind.
Melbourne only hit the lead in the last quarter after Jeff White received a controversial free kick from a boundary throw in during the last quarter and goalled from a difficult angle to put the Demons in front.
Aaron Davey hit the post late with a chance to seal the match, but Melbourne hung on to keep its season alive.
It left the Demons needing to beat Essendon a week later to qualify for the eight.
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Age 19/08/2005