PINK VOID

PINK VOID by Lucky Lucy

The most coveted fixture of the AFL calendar is the Friday night game which has in recent years become the competition's showcase. The clubs vie heavily for the honour, prestige, exposure and the big bucks that Friday night football can bring, especially if it's your home game.

Tomorrow night the Melbourne Football Club gets a rare opportunity to step up onto the big stage and it is doing so together with the Western Bulldogs in a classy fashion by giving something back to the community in the form of its support of Australians diagnosed with breast cancer through the Breast Cancer Network Australia when, for the first time in a number of years, thousands will stand together and create the Pink Lady before the game.

This was first done in 2005 before a Melbourne v Adelaide game and the clubs are filling in a "pink void" by reprising the event for which it is anticipated that up to 16,000 women and men (yes, men can also be directly affected by breast cancer) will take part on the MCG's hallowed turf.

According to Melbourne Football Club Director Karen Hayes, the Hayes said the purpose of the event is to build awareness and to demonstrate the support for women and families affected by breast cancer and to raise funds towards the network's ongoing resources.

Congratulations to both clubs on taking part in this worthwhile initiative and it is hoped that all football followers turn up to give their support and to be part of what will be a great evening.

The Demons will be getting into the spirit of the event by wearing pink and blue guernseys instead of the traditional red and blue and judging by the picture of Brent Moloney who modeled the uniform in the Herald Sun, the boys should go well in their new one off gear.

I hope a big crowd will join me out there tomorrow night.

THE GAME

Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at MCG – Friday 7 May 2010 at 7.40pm (AEST)

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 83 wins Western Bulldogs 68 wins

At MCG Melbourne 43 wins Western Bulldogs 24 wins

Since 2000: Melbourne 10 wins Western Bulldogs 8 wins

The Coaches: Bailey 0 wins Eade 3 wins

MEDIA

Channel 7 - Delayed Telecast from 8.30pm (AEST)

Radio ABC774 K-Rock SEN Triple M 3AW

THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.65 Western Bulldogs to win $1.28.

LAST TIME THEY MET Western Bulldogs 15.14.104 defeated Melbourne 15.7.97 in Round 8, 2009 at The MCG.

The Demons gave the Doggies a big fright and made all of the early running until Jason Akermanis, who had been quiet early, suddenly hit his straps and started kicking goals just before half time. Melbourne still held the lead at the main break (by three points) but the Western Bulldogs, with eyes firmly planted on a top four spot, were too good in the end and ran out 7 point winners.

Best players for Melbourne were Cale Morton, Brent Moloney and Matthew Bate.

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

Backs Cameron Bruce Matthew Warnock James Frawley

Half backs James McDonald Colin Garland Clint Bartram

Centreline Jack Trengove Jordie McKenzie Jared Rivers

Half forwards Brad Green Colin Sylvia Lynden Dunn

Forwards Nathan Jones Matthew Bate Aaron Davey

Followers Mark Jamar Jack Grimes Brent Moloney

Interchange Jamie Bennell Daniel Hughes Paul Johnson Tom Scully

Emergencies Neville Jetta Joel Macdonald Michael Newton

In Daniel Hughes Paul Johnson Jordie McKenzie

Out Joel Macdonald Stefan Martin Ricky Petterd (shoulder)

New Daniel Hughes (Sandringham 23 186cm 82kg)

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Backs Jarrod Harbrow Brian Lake Dale Morris

Half backs Ryan Hargrave Tom Williams Lindsay Gilbee

Centreline Ryan Griffen Daniel Cross Andrejs Everitt

Half forwards Robert Murphy Mitch Hahn Shaun Higgins

Forwards Daniel Giansiracusa Barry Hall Jason Akermanis

Followers Ben Hudson Matthew Boyd Adam Cooney

Interchange Dylan Addison Jarrad Grant Jordan Roughead Brennan Stack

Emergencies Josh Hill Will Minson Easton Wood

In Matthew Boyd Brennan Stack

Out Nathan Eagleton (leg) Brad Johnson (groin)<br style=""> <br style="">

WHATEVER IT TAKES by Whispering Jack

Friday night's game at the MCG promises to be an absorbing battle between two teams that allowed opportunity to go begging last week.

The Western Bulldogs had St. Kilda on the ropes with ten minutes to go in what was a dull and dour affair considering the fact that both were top four aspirants. They allowed the game to fall out of their grasp in a game where neither side scored 50 points but the victors managed to boot three goals in the last six or seven minutes of play. It was the lowest scoring game ever at the Docklands and was roundly criticised as a spectacle. The Dogs lost an ugly game in an ugly sort of way and, in doing so, the early season premiership favourites lost their place in the top eight.

As a result of the Bulldogs' last minute collapse at the hands of the Saints, the Demons had a chance to fill the void and grab that position from their paws. It would have been an unlikely scenario at the beginning of the season but they were favourites against the Kanngaroos after beating Adelaide, Richmond and the Brisbane Lions in consecutive weeks. Melbourne's 50-point win over the then undefeated Lions was probably their finest moment since winning an elimination final in 2006. They were on their way back and a victory would have been the first time in Dean Bailey's 50 game coaching career that his team would have occupied a position in the top half of the ladder. However, it was not to be.

Melbourne didn't play ugly. It just played poorly in the first half allowing North Melbourne to dictate the terms by applying pressure and forcing them to make basic errors. They reverted to their nice flowing game in the third quarter in a six goal comeback but there were too many errors made at the end and the Kangaroos prevailed.

Tomorrow, Melbourne simply cannot allow the Western Bulldogs to dictate terms, whether it be by sheer pressure or by negative tactics. The Demons will need to try to replicate the way they went about their games against Richmond and the Lions. Brad Green made it clear in the media that Bailey wants the side to take the game on by launching "an all-out attack on the Western Bulldogs". To my mind I don't care whether a team plays ugly or nice as long as it does whatever it takes to achieve the best possible result and usually that means to win. The Demons don't have the equipment to take on a team of that calibre in an ultra-defensive slug fest so the philosophy of taking a game on does have its appeal.

Green believes that the game will be fast with both teams playing "quick, attacking footy ... it's going to be exciting," he told afl.com.au.

That's certainly what Melbourne did in the main when it went through that mini winning streak but some subtle changes to the team's make up as a result of the last minute withdrawals by injured players in the last two weeks altered the team's make up.

Although Rohan Bail and Jordie McKenzie are both young and inexperienced, the team lost a lot of run when they were replaced by taller men in Stef Martin and Jared Rivers in consecutive weeks. The loss for what in all likelihood will be the remainder of the season of busy forward Ricky Petterd, with a shoulder injury will not help matters.

The selectors appear to have addressed matters reasonably well by including McKenzie, Paul Johnson (in for his first game this year) and newcomer Daniel Hughes who started out as a rookie way back in 2006. It's a tribute to his persistence that he's made it this far and, in a way, I liken him to those recruits from the VFL like Fremantle's Michael Barlow and Alex Silvagni and Geelong's JamesPodsiadly who had to earn their stripes the hard way. Like Petterd, Hughes is not tall for a key forward but plays tall and can take a good grab. He has improved his ground play enormously since starting at the club and it will be interesting to see how he goes on debut.

Given that Green indicated that he expects the team to play attractive attacking football, it's interesting that the most interesting match ups will centre on the team's defence and, in particular, who will take on Barry Hall. I think Matthew Warnock will take on Hall, leaving James Frawley to look after Mitch Hahn with Colin Garland and Rivers on hand just in case.

I'm going to go out on a limb and tip the Dees by a narrow margin for no other reason than that they are back on the MCG under lights and, no disrespect to the Dishlickers who are a good side down on their luck but it's about time the home team shone on the Friday night stage. The last time, they had that honour was on a drizzly August night in 2008 when the Cats destroyed them to the tune of 116 points. I reckon they've improved by 20 goals since then!

My prediction: The Dees to be in the pink tomorrow night.

Melbourne by 4 points.

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