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Rookie rampage sinks the Swans
SYDNEY: Rookie forward Allen
Jakovich spearheaded Melbourne's
surge back into the Australian Foot
ball League finals contention with a
dazzling eight-goal display against
Sydney at the Sydney Cricket
Ground.
The Demons set a club record
score against the Swans with their
26.21 (177) to 14.10 (94) win.
Playing in only his fourth senior
game, Jakovich, 23, equalled the best
ever goal-kicking display for Mel
bourne against the Swans which was
set by the legendary Norm Smith in
1938 and repeated by former Mel
bourne ruck-rover Gerard Healy in
1982 before he crossed to Sydney.
Jakovich's combination with
AUSSIE RULES
established full-forward Darren Ben
nett, who kicked seven goals, terror
ised the overworked Swans backline.
Melbourne bore little resemblance
to the side which had lost its five
previous games and fallen out of the
six.
The victory leaves the Demons in
eighth spot and just one win behind
sixth-placed North Melbourne.
With ruckman Jim Stynes domi
nating in the air and its fleet of run
ning players proving unstoppable on
the ground, Melbourne held all the
aces.
A goal by Stephen Tingav after the
siren following a SOm penalty award
ed to Melbourne, enabled the De
mons to eclipse their previous best
score of 173 against Sydney which
they set last year.
Melbourne's record winning mar
gin of 107 over Sydney, established in
1939, also looked set to fall when the
Demons led by 101 in the final term,
but a late rally spared Sydney's
blushes on that score.
The visitors led by margins of 19,
23 and 64 at the end of the first three
terms and Sydney provided reason
able resistance until late in the third
quarter.
, The rampant Demons kicked the
first six goals of the last quarter be
fore Sydney summoned up some ves
tiges of pride and earned a veneer of
respectablity.
Bennett finished with 7.3 and ac
cumulated nine marks and 12 kicks.
Former Woodville forward Jakov
ich, who leads the reserve grade goal
kickers with 60 majors from nine
games, booted 8.8 and gathered nine
marks and 20 kicks.
Born in Perth, Jakovich played in
South Australia and Darwin before
Melbourne picked him up in last No
vember's draft.
"In the past we have had problems
with both of them playing side by
side, but they played very, very well
together," Melbourne coach John
Northey said.
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