EMPTY by Whispering Jack

I had to look twice at the report in the Herald Sun headed "Footy fans blast MCC after being shut out".

I thought that was strange because when I arrived at around 4.30 pm the MCC staff member outside was on his hands and knees begging people to come inside to watch the game. Then, an hour or so later when Melbourne had failed to trouble the goal umpire officiating at its end with the task of waving two flags for a Demon goal, there was a rumour spreading around the ground that patrons were being locked in. Was it possible that the newspaper article was about a different game?

By today's standards the MCG was nearly empty for Melbourne's second "home" game of the season against Adelaide. So were the feelings inside the hearts of most Demon fans as they watched their team trudge off at half time with the scoreboard blinking "0.3.3" against its name.

The standard of football on display up to that time had been nothing short of appalling. Both teams were guilty but Melbourne was the major culprit. The Demons overused handball, kicked poorly and made some shocking decisions. That was in the pre game warm up. And it only got worse once play actually got under way.

Actually, Melbourne's first five minutes were reasonably good but for the fact that it failed to get a score on the board despite probably half a dozen fruitless forays deep into the forward line. Brad Miler set the scene with a miss from 25 metres that went out on the full. After that it was a bonanza for the Adelaide defence which outnumbered its opposition and always had an extra man in position to take the mark when the inevitable miskick came their way. The Demons simply couldn't penetrate the Crow's defensive zone and ultimately it was they who were able to break the flood, score a couple of goals in each of the first two quarters and take a stranglehold on the game.

The game was quite an eyesore and deserved the pathetic 14,129 crowd which paled in comparison to the previous day's attendance that was well in excess of 80,000 when Essendon and Collingwood strutted their stuff and gave them a tremendous spectacle to boot.

Sunday's game was something different; a bizarre chess match in which the pawns dominated a board that was almost totally bereft of the sleeker major pieces. The kings, queens, knights, bishops and rooks were missing from the park while the lesser men wandered aimlessly around.

For almost three quarters Adelaide dictated terms setting up ultra defensive zones and allowing Melbourne's ineptitude to do the rest.

What more can you expect when a key forward misses twice from 10 metres out, the second time with a poorly executed banana kick. Thankfully, Lynden Dunn went forward to kick his team's first goal midway through the third term but by then, some of his team's fans had already found a way out of the ground.

The Demons weren't all bad. Aaron Davey stood out with his clean disposal and his pace, Brent Moloney with his hard bodied work and the defenders were terrific, particularly James Frawley, Matty Warnock and Stefan Martin. A two minute lapse from that department early in the final quarter allowed Tippet in for two goals that effectively killed off the game but otherwise they remained on top in a battle of defences.

Late in the game when all was virtually lost, the Demons ditched the mad handball thing and started using the corridor, a tactic that gave them 8 goals in a quarter a week ago against Richmond.

Bingo!

Three goals and all of a sudden, they were only 15 points down with plenty of time to win. Adelaide simply tightened the screws and held off the Melbourne charge leaving fans with an empty feeling and wondering what might have happened had the selectors done the obvious in the first place and picked Robbo and Addam Maric (i.e. forward line players who can score goals) for this game.

Melbourne 0.1.1 0.3.3 1.6.12 4.10.34

Adelaide 2.4.16 4.6.30 5.7.37 7.9.51

Goals

Melbourne Dunn 2 McDonald McLean

Adelaide Tippett 2 Johncock McLeod Porplyzia Stevens Walker

Best

Melbourne Davey Moloney McLean Frawley Warnock Dunn

Adelaide Goodwin Bock Johncock Thompson Vince Tippett

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Adelaide Nil

Reports

Nil

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Adelaide Nil

Umpires Hendrie Armstrong Schmitt

Crowd 14,129 at the MCG

EMPTY by Whispering Jack

Three goals and all of a sudden, they were only 15 points down with plenty of time to win. Adelaide simply tightened the screws and held off the Melbourne charge leaving fans with an empty feeling and wondering what might have happened had the selectors done the obvious in the first place and picked Robbo and Addam Maric (i.e. forward line players who can score goals) for this game.

Good read and I like the conclusion. A couple of forwards who know how to kick goals would have been worth their weight in gold.

Robbo's five for Casey would have sealed his place and Addam Maric has been waiting in the wings for far too long this year!

Robbo's five for Casey would have sealed his place and Addam Maric has been waiting in the wings for far too long this year!

This guy has to play next week, give the team some spark up forward.

Second that.

This guy has to play next week, give the team some spark up forward.

I agree that Maric should come in but he needs to stamp an influence in the forward line straight away. He only scored goals (2) in one of 5 games he played last year, so hopefully he doesn't play up the ground more.

What role has he been playing at Casey?

I would have him ahead of at least a dozen of the 22 guys that were playing last week.

He is an elite user of the footy, and a freak around goals.

Being wasted at Casey.

I will tell you this now - once he gsts back in the MFC team, he will never play another game in the seconds again.

I would have him ahead of at least a dozen of the 22 guys that were playing last week.

He is an elite user of the footy, and a freak around goals.

Being wasted at Casey.

I sill tell you this now - once he gsts back in the MFC team, he will never play another game in the seconds again.

IIRC Maric was one of our better players when we played Geelong last year at Skilled as well.

I think we all want to see Maric run out for the Dees Y_M.

Bring on "[censored]'!

IIRC Maric was one of our better players when we played Geelong last year at Skilled as well.

I think we all want to see Maric run out for the Dees Y_M.

Pretty sure Maric did't play at Skilled last year. That was in Rnd 3 i think,Maric didn't debut until later in the year.

Pretty sure Maric did't play at Skilled last year. That was in Rnd 3 i think,Maric didn't debut until later in the year.

Maybe it was a pre-season game, either that or have had 1 too many amber ales. There was definitely a youngster who was hitting up targets against the cats early in the year who stood out. Perhaps it was Aussie but you'd think I could differentiate the two - oh well.

___________________

Edit: pretty sure now it was a NAB cup game: Saturday 16 February, 2008 where we didn't lose by that much. Either way it isn't really important just a nostalgia reference really.

Maybe it was a pre-season game, either that or have had 1 too many amber ales. There was definitely a youngster who was hitting up targets against the cats early in the year who stood out. Perhaps it was Aussie but you'd think I could differentiate the two - oh well.

Yea, it was the pre season game at Skilled where we got smashed and Garland kicked a super goal.

Maric debuted in Round 17 V North.

Bring on "[censored]'!

I prefer to call him 'Boobs'.

But hey, whatever works.

Either way, he should be playing this week.

Yea, it was the pre season game at Skilled where we got smashed and Garland kicked a super goal.

Maric debuted in Round 17 V North.

I don't think we were smashed. We were beaten easily in all the other games but I think Geelong beat us by about 5 or 6 goals which (given where we were at) wasn't too bad. Maric definitely looked good in that game too.

I agree that Maric should come in but he needs to stamp an influence in the forward line straight away. He only scored goals (2) in one of 5 games he played last year, so hopefully he doesn't play up the ground more.

I don't doubt him and the influence he might have within the forward line. But at his age why must he need to stamp his influence straight away having only played a handful of games in an ever changing side?

We have the priviledge of playing Geelong twice last year, I believe.

The game he did very well in was the round 19 horror, our only friday night, clashing with the Olympic opening ceremony, in utterly miserable conditions.

We we're killed, but Maric was a clear winner on the day. We didn't have any other's that I can recall immediately. Whelan was good, actually.

It sure does speak volumes that he stiil up when all around him was a wasteland.

The game he did very well in was the round 19 horror, our only friday night, clashing with the Olympic opening ceremony, in utterly miserable conditions.

Happy friggin Birthday to us.

We really are like the poor red-headed step-son that nobody likes. Worst.Birthday.Ever!

Everyone seems to love maric. Ill judge him when he strings a few AFL games together.

Everyone seems to love maric. Ill judge him when he strings a few AFL games together.

Thank you, been trying to say that for last week or so, yes he is a good young player, but needs to string consistent performances together at AFL level.

If he does play, everybody needs to remember 18-19 yrs old, less than 10 AFL games,, a small forward, going in against the best team at the moment..........hopefully after a few games......he won't be the candidate for the vitriol normally reserved for Newton and Bate

IN: MARRIC

OUT: BATE

I'm wanting maric and have wanted to see him for some time. i hope he gets a go this week. Not sure what else he has to do to get a damn game.

I don't doubt him and the influence he might have within the forward line. But at his age why must he need to stamp his influence straight away having only played a handful of games in an ever changing side?

Agreed, we can't expect to much of a kid whose only just out of high school and played 5 games. I'd like to see him play the Stephen Powell type role for Melbourne in years to come. Mainly playing off a forward flank but rotating into the midfield also. Kick about 30 odd goals a year. In the short term they just need to play him and get some game time into him to help him develope. I rate him ahead of at least half a dozen of the guys in the team at the moment.

IN: Maric

OUT: Jetta.

I think we have seen a bit of Martin, Aussie and now Jetta and Bennell these guys our late picks, rookie and preseason pick. We are want to see the 6 players that we picked in the last 2 drafts play. Really we have only seen Morton and I think that is why everyone wants to see more of Maric and in a week Grimes will be the one we all want in, mid year it will be Watts then Strauss/Blease. These are meant to be the quality picks that we had we want to see if they can play.

Bate will not get dropped. Newton is gone for sure.

Good read and I like the conclusion. A couple of forwards who know how to kick goals would have been worth their weight in gold.

I agree about Robbo and Maric. Vital for the club to score more goals.