Melbourne is fearing the worst for Jake Melksham after the veteran AFL forward went down with a suspected ACL injury on the eve of the finals.
The 31-year-old stepped awkwardly on his left knee in an innocuous incident that involved no body contact from anyone else.
Melksham immediately took himself off the ground, limping towards the bench, and played no part in the remaining quarter and a half left in the game.
Analysis, local footy and the biggest moments, Seven and 7plus are the home of footy shows for every fan. Stream them all for free on 7plus >>
“Jake Melksham is not in a good way; they were trying to wave him off and get him off (the ground) very quickly,” Jude Bolton said.
As replays of the incident were shown, Brian Taylor added: “He’s tough as nails, but have a look at what happens here — and that’s got the classic knee ligament issue about it. I know that he is a tough, tough young man.
“It just looked awkward when he was coming off as well. I hope that’s not what it could be.”
Shaun Burgoyne thought it was curious, given how the injury occurred.
“Fingers crossed. There was no body weight pressure on him from an opponent. It just buckled inside, didn’t it?” Burgoyne said.
Demons coach Simon Goodwin was seen consoling Melksham on the bench, moments before the final siren.
Speaking after the game, Goodwin said: “We fear the worst but hope for the best. It’s looking like an ACL for Melky.”
The Demons otherwise surged into the finals with their seventh victory in eight matches as returning forward Bayley Fritsch fired in a 21-point triumph over Sydney at the SCG.
The Demons were sure of finishing fourth and facing Collingwood in a qualifying final before the first bounce but fine-tuned for September with an 11.11 (77) to 7.14 (56) win over the Swans on Sunday.
The Swans, needing a win to secure a sixth-placed finish and a home final, took a four-point lead into the last term but missed their chance as Fritsch sealed the result with three late goals.
The Demons (16-7) looked more settled near goal with Fritsch back in the side for the first time since breaking a foot in round 16, and the forward made an immediate impact with two early majors.
Fritsch looked sharp throughout and finished with five goals despite spending periods on the interchange bench receiving treatment on his foot before playing out the match.
Christian Petracca (29 disposals, one goal) helped spark the Demons in the second half, although he failed to make the most of several chances near goal, while Jack Viney (29) and Clayton Oliver (24) continued their strong form.
Key defenders Steven May and Jake Lever were also important as they controlled the backline even as the Swans tried to find avenues around them.
The Swans had the momentum in the third term and pulled away to a 17-point lead before Melbourne fought back with two late goals to stay in the contest before eventually overrunning the hosts.
Errol Gulden led the Sydney effort with 42 disposals and two stunning goals.
Co-captains Callum Mills (30, one) and Luke Parker (23) gave the Swans drive out of the middle along with Chad Warner (22), while retiring ruck Tom Hickey, playing his 150th match, engaged in a spirited running battle with Demons skipper Max Gawn.
The Swans (12-10-1) had their chances throughout but paid the price for misfiring near goal as Logan McDonald (1.3), Isaac Heeney and Parker (both 0.2) all missed gettable shots with game on the line.
Last year’s runners-up Sydney will now be on the road for an elimination final, with their opponents decided through the Carlton-GWS match later on Sunday.
– With AAP
If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your .
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.