SHELTER FROM THE STORM

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SHELTER FROM THE STORM by Whispering Jack

These past few days have been chaotic for sporting teams that bear the name of our city. Across the road and over the railway line from the MCG, where they used to set off fireworks when the team scored, there was a dark eerie silence. The ghosts were dancing in the place where the Storm had imploded a few days earlier under the weight of one of the nation's biggest ever sporting scandals but it was altogether different at the hub of sport where the team that carried such little expectation took further steps forward at the very beginning of its long journey. It must have been fate that had determined the point at which its promising future intersected and overtook a neighbour whose own tawdry conduct had just caused it to be stripped of a glorious past.

Melbourne 15.13.103 defeat Brisbane 7.11.53.

The Brisbane Lions and their twin key forwards have been running amok this season but they were brought down with a thud when David brandished his slingshot, aimed truly and decisively brought down the juggernaut.

From the opening bounce it was clear that the Demons were intent on applying pressure to the Brisbane attack with its heavy reliance on the scoring power of Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola. The signs were good as James Frawley and Matthew Warnock stood firm against their men, each of who managed to get away for one goal in the first term but that was it for Brown. Fevola's night was a little more productive but he had a fascinating duel all night with Warnock. Colin Garland, Jack Grimes and Joel Macdonald gave tremendous support in defence and the latter would have been a happy man to have shoved the indignity of his delisting back in his former coach's face.

In stark contrast to what was happening on the Brisbane forward line, Melbourne's goals came from numerous sources, a fact which would have pleased coach Dean Bailey no end.

After fluffing up his first attempt to goal, Ricky Petterd took a couple of special contested marks for two first quarter goals and the Demons were away to an 11 point lead at the break. He was to score no more goals for the night but he did attract heavy guard. Travis Johnstone was sent down back and he rekindled some memories of the Demon past not only with his flashy play but with that beard and the holy man look, he portrayed a reasonable facsimile of his former club chairman Joe Gutnick.

Meanwhile, sitting a few metres to my right and one row behind was the current chairman, Jimmy Stynes flanked by club legend Ron Barassi and CEO Cameron Schwab, all enjoying the proceedings as their team's resurgence unfolded in front of them. There was no time to reflect on past glories. They were viewing the future. It's coming soon!

With Petterd now somewhat subdued, others were allowed to take stage up forward to add to the goal tally and to keep the scoreboard ticking over for the night. Matthew Bate, Jack Trengove and Aaron Davey all took their turns to be dangerous up forward. Trengove was brilliant everywhere.

Mark Jamar dominated the rucks and Stefan Martin was proving his perfect foil. The experienced Lions midfield, led superbly by a silky smooth Simon Black, were still able to win more than their share of the clearances but skipper James McDonald, Brent Moloney and Nathan

Jones were strong in the clinches and the younger midfield brigade responded. Trengove, Tom Scully and Jordie McKenzie were all significant contributors. Cameron Bruce was everywhere. Colin Sylvia tackled hard and forcibly. Together, the Melbourne midfield broke the game wide open with five goals to one in the second quarter leaving the crowd of 36,396 in awe as the Demons took to the rooms at half time with a lead of six goals.

They stretched it by another goal early in the third term before the Lions started clawing their way back into the contest but the relentless pressure and strong tackling of the home side meant that any thought of a Brisbane comeback would be shortlived. It was Melbourne that finished full of running and kept what was considered as the competition's most potent attack goalless in the final quarter. As a light drizzle fell on the ground, the Demons peppered the goals and finished with a winning margin of 50 points or more for the second week running.

With final quarter goals to the team's oldest player in McDonald and its youngest in Scully, Melbourne made a stunning statement.

The team whose stormy pre season was so wracked with injuries and poor form that it was universally consigned by the pundits to the scrapheap for two, three, four and more years is on the move. What is now emerging is a combination of the old, the new and everything in

between coming together in a chaos made even more stunning by the fact that this is only the beginning.

Our storm is over.

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Melbourne 4.2.26 9.6.60 12.7.79 15.13.103

Brisbane 2.3.15 3.6.24 7.9.51 7.11.53

Goals

Melbourne Davey Petterd Sylvia Trengove 2 Bate Green Jamar Jones

McDonald McKenzie Scully

Brisbane Fevola 4 Brown Clark Drummond

Best

Melbourne Trengove Moloney Sylvia Bate McDonald Frawley

Brisbane Black Johnstone Rischitelli Leuenberger Staker Patfull

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Brisbane Merrett (hamstring)

Reports Nil

Changes

Melbourne Rohan Bail (quad) replaced by Stefan Martin

Brisbane Justin Sherman (corked thigh) by Albert Proud

Umpires Jennings Kennedy Wenn

Crowd 36,396 at the MCG

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