KICKING SAND AT THE COAST

<!--fonto:Verdana--><span style="font-family:Verdana"><!--/fonto--><b>KICKING SAND AT THE COAST</b> by Delusional Dave from Dianella

The travelling Demons embark this week on their second road trip of the season. This time they cross the continent and their destination is the Western Australian capital city of Perth where they take on one-time rivals the West Coast Eagles.

Yes, once they were rivals and those expatriate Melbournians who live out in the west and follow the Demons witnesses some exciting battles between their old home town team and the new local addition to what was becoming a national competition.

Those were the early days when they met each other regularly in finals, when the Jakovich brothers featured on the football stage and when men wearing white shoes were the captains of the nation's industry.

But those days are now long gone as the two clubs struggle in football's cellar. Having finished last and second last in 2008 the two seem destined for the scrap heap again this year but they also have some company in the form of the dismal Dockers, the troubled Tigers and the ailing Kangaroos.

And with quite a few clubs already facing some form of strife at this stage of the year, Sunday's game presents these clubs with the perfect opportunity for a morale boosting win for their supporters and a chance to rise above the mire.

With the game being played at Subiaco it's the home side that will start out as favourite. After all, they have beaten two teams regarded much more highly at this ground already this year but they let themselves down last week with some atrocious kicking for goal against Freo.

Melbourne has been plucky against good opposition in the past fortnight but it struggles to kick goals and I can't remember the last time the Demons won on any foreign soil let alone at Subiaco my memory doesn't go back as far as Round 11, 2004).

The trouble with the boys in the red and the blue is that when they cross the Victorian border they become like one of those 90 pound skinny weaklings who have sand kicked in their faces by the bullies at the beach.

But whilst all this might point us in the direction of a West Coast victory a little voice inside my head says this week will be different. Something is telling me that Melbourne is about to emerge from its shell; the ugly duckling is awakening.

<b>THE GAME</b> West Coast v Melbourne at Subiaco – Sunday 10 May 2009 at 4.40pm (AEST)

<b>HEAD TO HEAD</b>

Overall: West Coast 23 wins Melbourne 14 wins

At Subiaco West Coast 10 wins Melbourne 5 wins

Since 2000: West Coast 7 wins Melbourne 6 wins

The Coaches: Worsfold 0 wins Bailey 1 win

<b>MEDIA</b>

TV Fox Sports 1 - Live from 4.30pm (AEST)

Radio ABC774 SEN

<b>THE BETTING</b> West Coast to win $1.18 Melbourne to win $4.50

<b>LAST TIME THEY MET</b> Melbourne 11.13.79 d West Coast 5.15.45 in Round 20, 2008 at the MCG

Here's the scenario:

West Coast had just beaten Essendon at Subiaco to record its fourth win of the season. Another victory would have deprived the Eagles of the chance to gain a priority pick in the upcoming draft and would also have denied them eligibility for a first round priority in 2009 given their final two matches were against Hawthorn and Geelong respectively.

Melbourne was at the bottom of the ladder with a paltry two wins and a percentage hovering around 60%.

Result: Surprise, surprise. The Eagles came over and played as if the who team was collectively suffering from the symptoms of swine flu and Melbourne easily won an historic match by 34 points.

After the game AFL chief reiterated his claim that AFL clubs don't tank just as a cluster of pigs was seen circling the MCG and scaring off the seagulls.

<b>THE TEAMS

WEST COAST</b>

Backs David Wirrpanda Darren Glass Mark Nicoski

Half backs Shannon Hurn Eric Mackenzie Adam Selwood

Centreline Matt Rosa Daniel Kerr Andrew Embley

Half forwards Adam Cockie Josh Kennedy Sam Butler

Forwards Mark LeCras Quinten Lynch Ben McKinley

Followers Dean Cox Matt Priddis Chris Masten

Interchange (from)<b> </b>Mitch Brown Adam Hunter Brett Jones Jamie McNamara Will Schofield Scott Selwood Matt Spangher

In<b> </b>Josh Kennedy Jamie McNamara Will Schofield Scott Selwood Matt Spangher

Out Ashley Hansen Brent Staker (hand)

<b>MELBOURNE</b>

Backs James Frawley Matthew Warnock Ricky Petterd

Half backs Cameron Bruce Jared Rivers Aaron Davey

Centreline Clint Bartram Colin Sylvia Brock McLean

Half forwards Cale Morton Lynden Dunn Russell Robertson

Forwards Brad Miller Stefan Martin Matthew Bate

Followers Paul Johnson Brent Moloney James McDonald

Interchange (from) Jamie Bennell Kyle Cheney Jack Grimes Neville Jetta Nathan Jones Addam Maric Michael Newton

In Kyle Cheney Jack Grimes Neville Jetta Michael Newton

Out John Meesen (foot)

<b>THE LINE IN THE SAND

</b>

So where was I?

That's right. I was going on about the 90 pound skinny weaklings getting sand kicked in their faces and this is where I will draw on some recent football history to help guide the Demons onward to better things.

I look back now on the early days of Alastair Clarkson’s coaching career when the Hawks were regularly beaten up by most sides not only on the scoreboard but also physically. Then one day, someone at the club called Dermott thought it might be a good idea for the Hawks to hit back; to draw a line in the sand and to say "we've had enough of the humiliation."

Skipper Richie Vandenberg, Campbell Brown and several others made their stand against Essendon and showed so much vigour that they were given a rest from the game courtesy of the AFL Tribunal. The Bombers who were winning the game well, went on to win by more and the whole exercise appeared to be one of futility on the day.

Many Hawk supporters however, point to the incident as one that was a turning point in their team's history. The next time they played Essendon, they lost again but it was only by a narrow margin. The Bombers have not beaten the Hawks since.

Now, I'm not advocating that Melbourne has to start a fight and risk the wrath of the Match Review Panel, Tribunal, Appeals Court and the Supreme Court to win some respect but you can draw the line in the sand by having a red hot dip and by performing consistently wherever the game might be played.

There's absolutely no reason why the Melbourne team which disposed of West Coast with great ease back in August last year, can't repeat the dose again this weekend at Subiaco. People point to the ruck dominance of Dean Cox against the Dees' dwindling number of ruckmen but I don't buy that. Cox played against them last year and Paul Johnson has all the incentive in the world to shine against his old club.

Besides, Melbourne's midfield simply shrugged off the brilliance of Big Cox when they last met and players like Cameron Bruce, Cale Morton and Colin Sylvia blew the Eagles away. They're all back again this year and so are Brock McLean, Brent Moloney and Nathan Jones. On top of that Aaron Davey is in brilliant form with his accurate disposal all around the ground.

And if you can't beat a team that needs to play a Cockie, then you're sure in trouble.

In summary then, I select Melbourne to win by 25 points by drawing the line in the sand in kicking it in the face of West Coast. <!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->