The GIANTS have broken the hearts of Melbourne fans with a three-point victory at the MCG on a wet and wild Sunday afternoon.
The Demons led for large portions of the match, but a goal by unlikely hero Lachlan Keeffe with less than a minute remaining gave the GIANTS the lead, silencing the crowd of 23,278.
With the Dees in front and the ball in their forward 50 as the clock kicked down, the GIANTS surged through the middle of the ground from a kick in, with some slick work in the wet from Finn Callaghan putting veteran Callan Ward in space.
Journeyman Keeffe, filling in for the injured Kieren Briggs, escaped from Dees skipper Max Gawn and snuck forward to take a crucial mark from Ward's kick before calmly slotting the winning goal with just 53 seconds remaining.
Keeffe had been well beaten by Gawn for much of the day, with the Demons skipper one of the best players on the ground.
GIANTS veterans Stephen Coniglio (three goals) and captain Toby Greene (three goals, 23 disposals) led the way, kicking three goals apiece to help seal the come-from-behind-win.
Despite the loss, the Demons will walk away with their heads held high having competed with one of the premiership favourites for the four quarters.
The home side, who in the past has had its scoring woes, had nine individual goal scorers, with Christian Petracca and debutant Matthew Jefferson leading the way with two apiece.
Jefferson was one of six new Demons to run out for their debut in the red and blue, joining their first-round picks from last year Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay as well as mature-aged recruits Aidan Johnson and Jack Henderson and former Lion Harry Sharp.
The GIANTS were the talk of the town last week following their 52-point thrashing of Collingwood in Opening Round, but it was Melbourne who came out looking more dangerous, kicking the first goal of the game inside 15 seconds through Jefferson.
Seven-time All Australian Gawn capitalised on his match up with Keeffe, with Melbourne dominating hit-outs throughout the day. But despite Gawn's ascendancy, the GIANTS won clearances by 13; Tom Green (nine clearances and 35 disposals) was outstanding in the middle in his first outing for the year after returning to the side following a calf strain.
The GIANTS lead at quarter-time and half-time, but at the start of the third quarter the Demons gained momentum, kicking three goals in four minutes to take back the lead with Caleb Windsor, Tom Sparrow and Jake Bowey all hitting the scoreboard.
It looked as though the Demons were going to run away with the victory, but the GIANTS lived up to their team song to "fight until the end." They eventually clawed their way back, slowly but surely reducing the margin with goals to their stars Green and Greene.
Melbourne fans' worst fears were realised when Keefe took the mark inside 50 in the final minute, kicking truly and giving the GIANTS their second win to start the season.
Keeffe's Winning Moment
It may not be your day, but it could be your moment and that could not be more true today for GIANTS ruckman Lachlan Keeffe. The 34-year-old was dominated by Melbourne captain Max Gawn all afternoon, with Gawn having 24 disposals and racking up 46 hit outs to Keeffe's 14 and Callum Brown's 11. But when it mattered, Keeffe stood up for his side to kick the winning goal and steal the win with 53 seconds left on the clock.
MELBOURNE 2.2 5.4 10.6 11.8 (74)
GIANTS 3.1 6.5 8.7 11.11 (77)
GOALS
Melbourne: Petracca 2, Jefferson 2, Henderson, Sharp, Windsor, Sparrow, Bowey, van Rooyen, Johnson
GIANTS: Coniglio 3, Greene 3, Cadman 2, Wehr, Green, Keeffe
BEST
Melbourne: Gawn, Petracca, Viney, Salem, Oliver, Langdon
GIANTS: Coniglio, Whitfield, Greene, Green, Callaghan
INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
GIANTS: Daniels (hip)
LATE CHANGES
Melbourne: Steven May replaced in the selected side by Tom McDonald.
GIANTS: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Harvey Langford (replaced Blake Howes in the fourth quarter)
GIANTS: Max Gruzewski (replaced Brent Daniels in the third quarter)
Crowd: 23,278 at MCG
