HELL'S HOLIDAY

by Whispering Jack

Hell took a holiday and the Melbourne Football Club put on a better face both on and off the field on the long weekend.

The club's 150th Anniversary Heroes function on Saturday night was quite brilliant and the team's performance on Monday was more than just competitive against the old enemy in Collingwood which has been in full flight recently with an aggregate winning margin of 186 points against the two most recent premiership teams.

The day also produced an announcement from President Paul Gardner that he would stand down at the club's next board meeting and all this is happening with announcements pending on the club's tenure of its new training bases at both the old Olympic Park precinct and at Casey Fields and of the proposed new alliance with the Casey Scorpions. That's all politics and stuff for another day.

Those who are critical of the young Demon side for seemingly needing the inspiration of a special event like the David Neitz retirement match or the Queens Birthday blockbuster should think again. As I have maintained for most of this year, the club is in transition in many different ways. On the field it has a young team that has lost countless years of experience in a short space of time and always translates into inconsistency of performance - from week to week and from within the games themselves.

What's important for Melbourne is that it continues to gain something every week and for a noticeble improvement to be discerned in its overall performance over time. I think it's safe to say however, that the nasty comparisons comparisons being made in some circles with the dying Fitzroy Football Club are somewhat exaggerated and more than a little mischievous.

The Demons certainly came out breathing fire in front of an attendance of 79,337 (in AFL adjusted terms*) and surprised Collingwood with its opening aggression, much of it supplied by solid midfielder Brent Moloney supported by Brock McLean and Nathan Jones whose strong play allowed the home side to take a five-point lead at the first break.

The Magpies had the edge in experience, pace and skill and exploited Melbourne's weak links but simply could not shake off the persistent Demons whose young defence was headed by AFL near novices Colin Garland and Matthew Warnock who are improving in leaps and bounds in their key defensive positions. They are adaptable and are fast enought to take on the opposition's smaller forwards and with an extra tall mobile defender to help out against the big guns this could become a very tight unit indeed.

At half time, Collingwood held a lead of seven points and halfway through the third quarter there was still only a kick in the game. However, the Demons started missing their shots for goal and the Pies were nailing theirs and as a result, Melbourne started falling off the pace. Brad Green uncharacteristically missed a couple of easy ones at vital stages and finally found the mark right on the three quarter time siren to reduce the margin to 23 points.

As often happens in these circumstances, Collingwood's goals in the second half of the third term were absolute blinders - one bounced through from 65 metres out, another was from an impossible angle and then there was the one kicked by Tarkyn Lockyer while lying on his back and being tackled by two defenders.

Melbourne never gave up at any time and was still in with a chance when it trailled by 15 points after a couple of misses from Adem Yze, who otherwise had one of his better games, and some rushed behinds. To underline their class, the Magpies pushed forward with a brilliant run from Dale Thomas that ended up in a goal to give the Pies a 21 point victory.

Melbourne's effort to finish with one scoring shot less than Collingwood was commendable in light of the recent results of both clubs but their respective efforts in front of goal highlighted the difference between the teams. The Demons really had no focal point in front of goal and when it had forward opportunities, some poor kicking for goal held back its chances of scoring a major upset. The tone was set early when youngster Cale Morton fluffed some shots. Normally a long accurate kick, the youngster allowed the occasion to get the better of him. He is learning.

However, the more experienced Colin Sylvia, Green and Yze all had no excuses and will have to do much better next time.

Promoted rookie Austin Wonaeamirri continues to be a revelation and is well on the way to becoming the club's leading goal kicker. He will kick more goals if the club can develop a tall full forward and not rely on him to contest his marks against opposition key defenders.

The Demons ultimately succumbed for the simple reason that Collingwood was the better team but if coach Dean Bailey can mould a semblance of a forward line in much the same way that he is building its defence and develop a midfield confident of itself enough to show the flair of some of their Magpie counterparts, then things will continue to get better and better.

Melbourne 4.1.25 7.4.46 11.9.75 13.17.95

Collingwood 3.2.20 8.5.53 15.8.98 17.14.116

Goals

Melbourne Sylvia Wonaeamirri 3 Green Yze 2 Dunn Jones McLean

Collingwood Davis Didak Lockyer H Shaw 2 Brown Cox Fraser Johnson Medhurst O'Brien SwanThomas Wellingham

Best

Melbourne McLean Jones Garland Warnock Dunn Yze Bruce

Collingwood Burns Didak Lockyer Maxwell O'Brien Bryan

Injuries

Melbourne Rivers (groin) Moloney (shoulder)

Replaced

Collingwood Rocca (ankle) Pendlebury (back) replaced in selected side by Cox Cook

Reports Nil

Umpires Vozzo Farmer Meredith

Official crowd 59,548 at the MCG

[AFL adjusted crowd * 79,337 (adjusted by the same percentage increase as the real crowd number at Carrara in a recent game was calculated)].