The Melbourne Demons are 1 crippled distant from a spot successful the expansive last aft thumping the Brisbane Lions by 33 points astatine Adelaide Oval tonight.
After a choky opening term, the Demons blitzed the Lions with a four-goal to 1 2nd 4th onslaught to instrumentality a 30-point pb astatine the main break.
Brisbane responded by keeping Melbourne scoreless successful the 3rd term, but the Demons inactive led by much than 3 goals to commencement the 4th quarter, and from determination they raced distant to assertion a 13.15 (93) to 9.6 (60) win.
The triumph puts this year's insignificant premiers into the preliminary final, which they most precocious reached backmost successful 2018, earlier missing retired connected finals shot implicit the pursuing 2 seasons.
Meanwhile, the Lions volition instrumentality connected the victor from tomorrow's clash betwixt the Western Bulldogs and Essendon successful adjacent week's semi-final.
Star midfielders Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca, racked up 33 and 30 disposals respectively, portion Bayley Fritsch kicked 4 goals.
For the Lions, 5 goals to Charlie Cameron was a affirmative show contempt the loss.
Brisbane aboriginal successful the lucifer were dealt a cruel stroke erstwhile guardant Dan McStay was near bloodied and forced retired of the match aft copping a genu to the face.
McStay's nighttime lasted conscionable 5 minutes aft taking connected an accidental genu to the look from teammate Nakia Cockatoo during a marking contest.
The Demons are successful the mediate of a 57-year drought, having not won the emblem since 1964.