UNDER THE BRIDGE

by JVM

In a time and a place where our reservoirs contain less than 30% of their capacity it's strange to be talking about water that flowing under bridges. However, in order to highlight what's happened in the past twelve months, that is exactly what I am about to do and, in order to achieve this, I am adopting a slight change to the usual format for this week's preview of the encounter between Richmond and Melbourne.

LAST TIME THEY MET Richmond 18.16.124 d Melbourne 11.9.75 Round 12, 2007 at the MCG

The Tigers ran out onto the Melbourne Cricket Ground as rank underdogs against the Demons who were in the midst of a mini revival having just beaten finals contenders Adelaide and Collingwood at this venue. Richmond had not won a game in the first half of the season although it was unlucky to have shared the points with Brisbane a few weeks earlier. Nothing however, could prepare the crowd of 46,161 for what was to come that Friday evening (the game was played in the days when the AFL scheduled Melbourne games at times other than Sunday afternoons).

The Tigers smashed Melbourne in the place where it matters at the MCG (and most other grounds) – the centre - and with Matthew Richardson in strong marking form and Nathan Brown making an inspired return after a long injury lay off, they romped to a 25 point lead at quarter time and continued to serve out the medicine in the second term so that they led by an embarrassing (at least for the Demons) 12.8.80 to 2.4.16 at the main break. Melbourne rallied slightly in the second half but still conceded the Tigers their first win for 2007 by a margin of 49 points.

Melbourne coach Neale Daniher told the media afterwards that it was an "embarrassing and insipid effort" and he vowed his side would respond to the defeat but he was never able to honour that promise – a week later his position as coach was terminated.

So where was I?

Discussing water under bridges!

Right.

The changes at the Melbourne Football Club over the last 12 months have been massive and reflect one of the most turbulent periods in a recent history of turbulent periods. There are very few among those in the service of the club at this point of its 150th year who were around the place at the same point in its 149th year. The chairman, most board members, the CEO, the coach, his stand in and most of his assistants, the football manager and many of the staff have all departed.

From this weekend onwards, the club is showing a brand new face and its new leader has promised a radical new facelift for the Demons and even proposed a youth-themed round from 2009.

This marks a departure from the good old days when you could walk into the dusty old Melbourne Football Club offices in Jolimont and all you would see around you was dad's army. They were all dull, colourless, boring and appeared to have been around since Methuselah was a child.

In more recent times, being at the club has been like entering a revolving door - in one day, out the other.

Today, we welcome a new slimline, modern 21st century version Melbourne Football Club with Jimmy Stynes at the helm. Out with the old, in with the new. The trumpets and the bagpipes (no offence meant to the Alexander family) are about to be replaced with heavy metal instrumentation and other stuff beyond the computer age with even a touch of the Wiggles.

If the plan succeeds, we won't be sleeping under the bridge any more, we'll be back living in the lap of luxury but there is one small symbolic act which this fan wants Jimmy and his crew to take as the first measure in the tough task they face in cementing the club's place in the competition and achieving its revival.

Please, please give us back the Demon and the spirit that it once represented!

THE GAME Richmond v. Melbourne at Telstra Dome – 15 June 2008 at 4.40pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Richmond 96 wins Melbourne 75 wins 2 draws

At Telstra Dome Richmond 0 wins Melbourne 1 win

Since 2000 Richmond 7 wins Melbourne 5 wins

The Coaches Wallace 0 wins Bailey 0 wins

MEDIA

TV Fox Sports 1 at 4.30pm (live telecast)

RADIO 774 ABC SEN

THE BETTING Richmond to win $1.33 Melbourne to win $3.15

THE TEAMS

RICHMOND

Backs Chris Newman Luke McGuane Graham Polak

Half backs Jordan McMahon Kelvin Moore Daniel Jackson

Centreline Matthew Richardson Shane Tuck Matt White

Half forwards Mitch Morton Jack Riewoldt Richard Tambling

Forwards Adam Pattison Nathan Brown Trent Cotchin

Followers Troy Simmonds Brett Deledio Nathan Foley

Interchange (from) Joel Bowden Chris Hyde Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls Jay Schulz

Emergencies Shane Edwards Dean Polo Alex Rance

In Chris Hyde Daniel Jackson Mitch Morton Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls Jack Riewoldt

Out Shane Edwards (omitted) Jake King (hamstring) Kayne Pettifer (omitted) Will Thursfield (hamstring) Greg Tivendale

MELBOURNE

Backs James McDonald Colin Garland Matthew Warnock

Half backs Brad Green Paul Wheatley Cameron Bruce

Centreline Colin Sylvia Brock McLean Lynden Dunn

Half forwards Jace Bode James Frawley Clint Bartram

Forwards Paul Johnson Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri

Followers Jeff White Chris Johnson Nathan Jones

Interchange Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Cale Morton Adem Yze

Emergencies Nathan Carroll Mark Jamar Matthew Whelan

In Aaron Davey James Frawley Chris Johnson

Out Daniel Bell (omitted) Brent Moloney (shoulder) Jared Rivers (groin)

Umpires TBA

WHY?

So the Demons and the Tigers renew their acquaintanceship after almost 12 months; again in the round that marks the start of the second half of the season in a fixture that strangely takes place at the Telstra Dome and not the MCG which is home to both clubs. Go figure?

Most of the experts are tipping a Richmond victory and that's also what the bookies are telling us but I have to question popular wisdom here and ask the question "why?"

After all, the Tigers are coming off a thrashing in Sydney a fortnight ago when the home side booted the first 11 goals. After a good start last week they suffered a 50-point loss at the MCG against Adelaide. On top of that, they've made changes galore to their line up and have lost a couple of handy defenders in Will Thursfield and Jake King who will miss with hamstring injuries.

The Demons certainly had a bad one at Telstra Dome against the Saints the other week but that game was sandwiched in between two more than competitive hit outs against form teams in Hawthorn and Collingwood. More importantly, the Dees would have to be on a massive high this week following the takeover of the Jimmy Stynes ticket in what was a bloodless coup and was generally well received as a positive for the club.

The game should produce its share of interesting match ups but I think Melbourne will prevail in the midfield where Brock McLean is starting to hit his straps after coming to terms with the fact that he is now the main man in the middle and will regularly face a tag every time he takes the field. If my memory serves me well, McLean was the stand in rotating skipper for the equivalent game against Richmond last year and put in a poor performance - one for which he will be determined to atone. He should get Shane Tuck this week and I expect him to win hands down this time. He also has some good foils in the on ball mix to help him out despite the loss of Brent Moloney for the remainder of the season.

Without King, the Tigers will be troubled to cover the double trouble speed duo of Aaron Davey and Austin Wonaeamirri who can be deadly in front of the goals. I strongly believe that Davey's absence last week meant the difference between winning and losing. In any event, Richmond doesn't have the manpower with sufficient pace to hold both of these human dynamos!

And don't be fooled by the way the selectors have lined the team up for this week. I really can't see Jace Bode, James Frawley and Clint Bartram taking places across the half forward line at the start of the game.

Jeff White facing off against Troy Simmonds should be a good battle – one, which I expect the old master to win narrowly in what could well be their last encounter. White's ruck partner Paul Johnson is improving from week to week and he should tip the balance in Melbourne's favour.

Throughout the years the Demons have struggled to curb one Richmond player on a regular basis and I have a feeling that they will give the job of stopping Matthew Richardson to a young man who has played only a handful of games but is rising in reputation faster than a speeding bullet – Colin Garland. The youngster has all of the athletic attributes necessary to go with the old Tiger and is more than capable of adding him to his list of recent scalps.

Taking into account all of the above, I simply cannot understand why the Tigers go into the game as such strong favourites. The only thing they have going for them is the fact that they are coming off an eight day break compared to the Demons who played last Monday. However, they don't enjoy any home ground advantage while the Demons don't have to wear that execrable away strip and they do have their mojo back – a grinning Irishman who came halfway across the world and won a Brownlow Medal and who will greet his old/new side as they return to winner's circle this Sunday evening.

Melbourne by 35 points!