RISING IN THE WEST

[Demonland 70,328]

by Delusional Dave from Dianella

The kick from Matthew Bate early in the game bounced tantalisingly right in front of the goal and veered laterally until it finally went through for a point. Minutes later a fluffed kick in was gleefully accepted for a West Coast goal. Within a minute during the second term, two key Melbourne defenders, Frawley and Rivers were taken from the ground injured not to return for the day. Such was the lot facing a young Demon side lacking in experience and already short in manpower courtesy of an already injury-ravaged season.

The home side also had its share of woes including the loss of playmaker Kerr to a groin injury but he was being well covered at the time by Clint Bartram. The Eagles' kicking for goal was also appalling (they had 30 shots including 4 posters against 17) but they were also the beneficiaries of some incredible gifts through turnovers, many of which came under little pressure if any.

Melbourne again gave away the start to the Eagles who burst through for a goal in the first 15 seconds. Not quite the world record pace of young Ablett a week earlier but enough to enable the home side to hold the ascendency in the early going despite the fact that it was the Dees who attacked incessantly but lacked the polish, the finishing skills and the marking power up forward to convert.

The Demons made their first big move for the day in the second quarter after conceding an early goal and falling behind by 16 points. With the team full of running and Aaron Davey, Nathan Jones, Brent Moloney and Cale Morton all at the top of their game, they constantly found Brad Miller who converted three times in a few minutes and suddenly they were threatening to break the game open. However, the Eagles were given respite with those two injuries that unsettled the Demon defence and they regained the initiative and took a four-point lead into the main break.

Melbourne re-took control after half time with Jones in sparkling form and the team full of running, breaking through the Eagles' defensive zones and finding Russell Robertson on numerous occasions to push its way ahead by 11 points. It could have been more but for the fact that a couple of Robbo's shots at goal were marginally outside his range.

It took some sloppy play from Melbourne to let the home side back in the game against the run of play and from a dubious free kick but the Eagles took advantage with four goals in the blink of an eye before three quarter time. Suddenly, they had a 15-point lead and, with the home crowd urging them on, they were a safe bet to win on the trot.

However, the Demons never gave up and managed to remain in the contest with their persistence. Two late goals to Ricky Petterd even had them in with a chance but the Eagles managed to hold on to win by eight points. Special kudos to Paul Johnson for his lone hand effort in the ruck against the game's best in Dean Cox and the emerging Jamie Bennell who showed his class for all to see.

The end result whilst still a defeat, was the closest Melbourne has come to beating the Eagles at this venue in seven years and surely underlines the team's improvement. To come here without arguably its best player in Brad Green, minus three injured ruckmen, its best crumbing forward and to lose two key defenders when its most promising backman is virtually out for the season with a stress fracture and experienced defenders are still injured or going through rehab and playing at a lower level is a fair achievement.

There's no question that if the Demons can continue to improve at this rate and avoid any more injuries, they will disappoint those who think that the club's only aim in this season should be to bank some more early draft picks.

Melbourne 1.1.7 7.3.45 10.3.63 13.4.82

West Coast 2.4.16 7.7.49 11.12.78 12.18.90

Goals

Melbourne Miller 3 Maric Petterd Robertson 2 Bartram Bate Bruce Jones

West Coast Le Cras 4 Hunter 2 Cockie Cox McKinley McNamara Masten A Selwood

Best

Melbourne Jones Morton Davey Moloney Bennell Miller

West Coast Le Cras Cox Selwood Embley Kennedy Wirrpanda Glass

Injuries

Melbourne Rivers (ankle) Frawley (groin)

West Coast Kerr (groin)

Reports Nil

Changes

Melbourne Nil

West Coast Matt Priddis (thigh) replaced in selected side by Will Schofield Eric Mackenzie (calf) replaced in selected side by Scott Selwood

Umpires Margetts Dalgleish Schmitt

Crowd 35,209 at Subiaco Oval