SOMETHING IS HAPPENING HERE by Whispering Jack

One evening not all that long ago I was walking with a friend through the streets of our neighbourhood when we came upon a distinguished looking gentleman waiting for a relative to pick him up from a grandchild's school concert.

The man was Dr. Don Cordner, a member of Melbourne's great football family that dates back to the first decade of the 20th Century. A champion ruckman who played 166 games from 1941 to 1950, Don had done just about everything during his lifetime at Melbourne. He was a Brownlow Medallist (1946), a premiership captain (1948), a Victorian representative, an MFC Hall of Famer and Team of The Century Member and, later in life, he was president of the Melbourne Cricket Club (1985-92).

Don Cordner died on Wednesday morning at the age of 87 and today, the crowd at the MCG stood in silence for a minute before the Melbourne v Western Bulldogs game to honour his passing and his contribution to our great club and our great sport. After that, the twenty-two young men representing the football team he loved and wearing black armbands to remember him by put on a performance that might well be regarded in the future as a significant turning point in the fortunes of the Melbourne Football Club.

…

We stood talking under a streetlamp. The subject was our favourite football team, the one that his father, an uncle, he and three brothers and a nephew represented with great honour over a span of eight decades from 1903 when Harry Cordner played the first of his 11 games until 1987 when David Cordner played the last of his 53 games of an injury ravaged career with the club.

We discussed the Cordner dynasty and, in a way, you could feel that he rued the fact that it was now over. The father son rule would not assist any more even if there were some young budding Cordner champions about. But he was optimistic about the club's future and no doubt, he would have been tickled pink while he was still alive, that there was a symbolic reconciliation of the football and cricket clubs that he served with such distinction during his lifetime.

At the time we spoke, the Demons were going through a rough trot and playing some insipid football. Neale Daniher was on his way out as coach and a generational change was needed at the club. Don wasn't the type who would tolerate defeat but he was a realist and quite the diplomat. Still, he would never accept a team wearing the red and blue that wasn't prepared to "have a crack".

Melbourne did not win for Don Cordner today but it fell tantalisingly short of the mark and was beaten by a better side on the day. Yet, the team did what Don would have expected of them: they had a decent crack and, in doing so, they did him and themselves proud.

…

There's something happening here.

The Melbourne Football Club is about to waken from its long slumber. The generational change is happening ever so slowly but it's been discernible since the team began its long pre season in October last year. The signs of improvement have been everywhere although the progress has been frustrating and slow, made even more difficult to accept by dint of injuries to key players. However, the process continues and, if you'll pardon a metaphor that might not be all that popular with fans of the Dees, I think's it's about to snowball in the months ahead. It might not happen overnight (especially when one looks at the next two sets of opponents) but something is happening here.

Two weeks and two narrow defeats. One in Perth which has been a graveyard for recent Melbourne teams and now at home to the third placed Bulldogs which slaughtered them by an extra 15 goals in the corresponding game last year. And the Dogs would have been greatly relieved to secure the four premiership points after trailing by as much as 22 points early in the second term.

I'm not suggesting that the Demons were perfect. There were still some disastrous turnovers, lapses of concentration and errors of judgment, mainly from the inexperienced but some from the more seasoned players. But overall, they worked hard, ran and carried the ball well and tackled the game with enthusiasm and courage. Don Cordner would have enjoyed their approach even if they overdid the handball at times; even if they made the odd mistake because, for possibly the first time since that chance encounter in the streets near my home, Melbourne played out a game of quality to the end against a top line opponent without looking out of place or undermanned. For the first time in two or three years, the light at the end of the tunnel was coming into focus. They were a football team again!

All of that despite the absence of young emerging back men in Colin Garland, James Frawley and Jamie Bennell, experienced players in Brad Green, Jared Rivers, Paul Wheatley, half of the club's ruckmen, the exciting Austin Wonaeamirri and with the first three draft picks of 2008 (all top twenty) still in the warehouse.

So it's time for everybody to stop and look at what's going down.

…

There's improvement everywhere and for this coach Dean Bailey and the football department must take credit.

Melbourne's on ball brigade was on top in terms of winning the football even if they did not do so with the clinical efficiency of their opponents. Brock McLean, Brent Moloney and Cale Morton all figured highly in the possession count amassing more than 35 disposals apiece and the efficient Aaron Davey, while not accumulating the same amount of ball was deadly with his run, accuracy and creativity coming out of defence.

Morton's role was, to be sure, more of a defensive one but it would not be an understatement to say that he is on the way to elite status. Not far behind him is another young defender in Jack Grimes. Hard to believe that today was only his third game in this company. It's also hard to believe that the cobbled together defence was missing so many of its first up selections. Matthew Warnock and Stefan Martin continued to shine and to underline the potential of the defence. Matty Whelan was a welcome returnee and Kyle Cheney added to the tough veneer of the back line.

The forward line is looking much better, especially with Russell Robertson creating a target. Matthew Bate was strong there today and Addam Maric chipped in with a couple of crumbing goals. There were opportunities missed and the team still struggled and turned the ball over and squandered some simple opportunities in front of goal. A tall key marking option or two up there might not hurt but, in any event, the improvement can be seen in the way they managed to keep the ball in attack and create scoring opportunities.

While it's clear that Melbourne is improving as a side, a major deficiency today was in the ruck. Paul Johnson was excellent around the ground but can't single-handedly be expected to control the ruckwork against the combination of Hudson and Minson. In the end, the edge that the Bulldogs gained from winning the stoppages was probably the thing that got them home.

Which is ironical given that Don Cordner, the man who passed away during the week, was considered by some to have been one of the game's great ruckmen. The Demons could have done with someone of his ilk directing the traffic and they might have that someone in Jake Spencer who is coming back from injury and was sitting in the stands today. At 203cm, he's a player who is always prepared to have a crack and is willing to learn. His time will come.

So while Don Cordner will be sorely be missed by the Melbourne family, it's significant that with his passing, there's a new generation and a new spirit emerging at Melbourne. There's definitely something happening here.

Melbourne 5.2.32 10.3.63 11.4.70 15.7.97

Western Bulldogs 3.3.21 9.6.60 12.10.82 15.14.104

Goals

Melbourne Bate 4 Robertson 3 Maric 2 Davey Jones McLean Petterd Sylvia Valenti

Western Bulldogs Akermanis 4 Welsh 3 Gilbee 2 Addison Boyd Cooney Hahn Johnson Murphy

Best

Melbourne Moloney McLean Morton Bruce Grimes Davey Bate

Western Bulldogs Gilbee Akermanis Boyd Giansiracusa Welsh Morris

Injuries

Melbourne – nil

Western Bulldogs Murphy (hamstring)

Changes

Melbourne – nil

Western Bulldogs - Addison replaced Hargrave in the Western Bulldogs selected side

Reports

Melbourne – nil

Western Bulldogs - nil

Umpires Nicholls Hay McInerney

Crowd 28,279 at the MCG

In memory of Dr. Don Cordner (1922-2009)

Beautifully written WJ.

Hells