Down by an even goal with less than a minute on the clock, Melbourne somehow managed to leave the Gold Coast with four premiership points. After four quarters in a seesawing affair, Tom McDonald scuffed one into the post to give the Demons a dramatic one-point win. That followed the Suns taking the lead through a Nick Holman goal with 49 seconds on the clock. MORE: WATCH: Michael HIbberd suffers suspected broken collarbone in brutal bump Melbourne defender Marty Hore got the visitors one back in quick time to give them a sniff before McDonald soccered through the match-winner with a second to spare. Questions will be asked of the Suns' set up at the final centre bounce of the match, with James Harmes finding himself unmarked streaming into the 50. Harmes' kick skewed off the side of his boot but looked like falling to McDonald at the top of the square, though the big man fumbled the grab but just beat his opponents to the loose ball. Check out the incredible final minutes here. Is this the best finish of the 2019 season so far? Enjoy an incredible Last Two Minutes between the Suns and the Demons, thanks to @AAMI.#AFLSunsDees pic.twitter.com/qihCvWHKV9 — AFL (@AFL) May 11, 2019 The fact they were able to get the win will ease some of the frustration Simon Goodwin must have felt watching the match. Melbourne's forward structure and quality of entries were again an issue, with the Dees far exceeding their opponents in inside 50s, though only scoring on one in every three. The win brings up the Dees' third win of the season and second on the trot, drawing them level on points with the Suns.<doc-sep>Tom McDonald has emerged from a form slump to keep Melbourne’s season alive in an extraordinary finish at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night. You had to see it to believe it. Gold Coast led by six points with 49 seconds left on the clock after Nick Holman kicked the Suns’ third goal in a row, before mature-age recruit Marty Hore slotted a goal on the run from 50 metres to level the score with 18 seconds to play. Then in a frantic finish to what had been an otherwise lacklustre affair, James Harmes sprayed a shot on goal from 30 metres out with seven seconds to play, McDonald spilt the mark he should have taken before kicking the ball off the ground and into the post with one second left on the clock. Tom McDonald celebrates after kicking the winning point. Source: Getty Images “That was pretty incredible,” McDonald said on Fox Footy after the one-point win. “I haven’t seen one like that for a long time. “It was pretty embarrassing to drop the mark, and the kick, I didn’t hit it real clean but it counts.” It was far from convincing, but it was enough to keep Melbourne supporters off the slopes at Mt Buller for a little bit longer this winter. What a difference one second makes. McDonald was the man of the moment, putting a poor start to the season behind him by kicking the game winning point after doubling his 2019 goal tally by kicking three goals. The 26-year-old was locked in an enthralling battle with Gold Coast recruit Sam Collins, who continued his stellar rise out of the VFL and back into the AFL, limiting McDonald for large parts of the game — except when it mattered most. Simon Goodwin’s men have now turned a 1-5 start into a far more respectable 3-5 after back-to-back one kick wins. They are far from out of the woods yet, but they can dare to dream. Although they face West Coast in Perth, Greater Western Sydney, Adelaide and Collingwood over the next month. Jarrod Witts is tackled by Nathan Jones and Clayton Oliver. Source: Getty Images BANGED UP DEES Simon Goodwin is already missing star defenders Steven May and Jake Lever. Now he might be missing Jordan Lewis and Michael Hibberd after the pair were injured on Saturday night. Gold Coast skipper David Swallow cleaned up Hibberd with a big bump, leaving the All-Australian with a collarbone injury, while Lewis limped off with a foot injury. Mobile forward Jake Melksham also injured his foot in the last quarter ANOTHER CAPTAIN’S KNOCK David Swallow may play off-Broadway for the smallest club in the AFL, but he is emerging as one of the more influential captains in the competition. Just like Carlton co-captain Patrick Cripps, Swallow has the ability to carry his team through his commitment to the cause. Swallow was enormous on Saturday night, amassing 35 disposals, 22 contested possessions and 12 clearances to continue his brilliant start to 2019. Darcy Macpherson starred for the Suns on Saturday night. Source: Getty Images YOUNG SUN FIRES Darcy Macpherson missed almost all of last year after breaking his leg in Round 5, but he couldn’t be missed on Saturday. The small midfielder produced his best performance yet, setting a new personal best for disposals by early in the third quarter, before finishing with 27 disposals, 14 contested possessions and eight tackles. With ball magnet Brayden Fiorini missing due to a knee injury, Macpherson showed he has plenty to offer in Stuart Dew’s engine room going forward. The match starts at 4.35pm EST from Metricon Stadium. Get the ultimate AFL experience on your phone with the new FOX FOOTY App. Download it NOW for FREE on iOS and Android! Follow Round 8 of the 2019 AFL season in our live blog below. IF YOU CAN’T SEE IT, TAP HERE!<doc-sep>
Where and when: Metricon Stadium, Saturday, May 11, 4.35pm AEST Last time they met: MCG, round 20, 2018: Melbourne 21.17 (143) d Gold Coast 7.5 (47). It was one-way traffic from the first bounce with the finals-bound Demons kicking nine goals to one in the opening quarter and never being challenged. Jesse Hogan kicked four goals and Clayton Oliver had 31 touches and two goals for the winners, while Alex Sexton kicked five goals for a Suns team missing leaders Tom Lynch, Steven May and David Swallow among many others. TV, radio and online: Click here for broadcast guide What it means for Gold Coast: The warm and fuzzy feeling around the Suns after three straight wins earlier in the season is starting to wear off. After being soundly beaten by Adelaide and Brisbane they showed plenty of spirit to scare West Coast at the weekend and will want a similar showing in front of the home fans on Saturday. What it means for Melbourne: Following a horror start to the year the Demons stopped the rot with a narrow win over Hawthorn and would see this match as an opportunity to build on that and continue reviving their season. How Gold Coast wins: At their best – like the second half against West Coast – the Suns have been a hard team to beat at the contest and one that rebounds well from half-back. Beat Melbourne in tight and then be prepared to take the game on and play more directly. How Melbourne wins: Even though they've been well below their 2018 form, the Demons have to win the ball in tight. These teams play a similar contested game, but Melbourne have bigger and stronger bodies around the contest. Gold Coast can also be pressured into errors if the intensity is up. The stat: Melbourne generates the third most inside 50s of any team in the competition – trailing only Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs - yet is ranked 17th for total points scored. The team sitting on the bottom for points scored? Gold Coast. The match-up: Max Gawn v Jarrod Witts The battle of the ruck giants is an obvious one for teams that play such a contested game. Gawn (112) has the most hitouts to advantage of any ruckman in the competition, but Witts is also having a terrific under-the-radar season, ranked second in that category with 82. It's a big week for: Simon Goodwin. The relief in defeating the Hawks last Saturday was there for all to see, but a loss against the Suns would heap the scrutiny back on Melbourne's coach. Goodwin and co-captain Nathan Jones after the narrow win over the Hawks. Picture: AFL Photos Big call: Neither team to top 70 points Prediction: Demons by 11 points