THE BUDGET BASH

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THE BUDGET BASH by The Oracle

When our Federal Treasurer brought down his budget during the week, he made a prediction that our economy would be in surplus by around 2012/2013, bringing that event forward by some two to three years on last year's forecast. While I must confess that my knowledge of economics is somewhat limited, on hearing that news, I suddenly felt a great deal of empathy with the Honourable Mr. Swan.

You see, since early in this football season I have been doing exactly the same thing as the Treasurer but, in my case, the subject is the Melbourne Football Club and the object of my prognostication is the time when the Demons will once again enjoy the glory days and challenge for a premiership.

A year ago, I would almost certainly have spoken about the year 2014 but from what the Melbourne Football Club has been doing over the past month, I can say with more than a bit of conviction that the good times are coming sooner rather than layer and that our day might very well come as early as 2012. That's about the same time as our economy will go into surplus so we'll be able to sing both "It's a Grand Old Flag" and "Happy Days are Here Again" together with gusto!

I maintain this despite the fact that Melbourne narrowly failed to overcome the Western Bulldogs in extraordinary circumstances last Friday night. They fell agonisingly short of victory after leading by nine points with four minutes left on the clock but found new ways to lose in a game where two favourable goal umpiring decisions were overruled, they were on the wrong end of some dodgy adjudication and fell victim to the AFL's version of wardrobe malfunction when, on two or three occasions, their players thought they were delivering the ball direct to teammates who weren't really there. Thanks to a ridiculous colour clash with the maggots they managed to open up a number of two on one contests between the umpires and the Dogs. No surprise as to who won them or why the Bullies snuck home by four points (I know the coming round is supposed to be dedicated to the appreciation of umpires but count me out - I haven't yet gotten over last week).

In spite of the rotten misfortune that befell the team last Friday night (and for the second time in little more than a month) you have to hand it to Dean Bailey and his boys. They are definitely big improvers and that improvement is now evident on a weekly basis. They need only to learn how to win the close ones and win away from home and they could even give the top four a big shake.

This week Melbourne is playing West Coast at the MCG and therefore it doesn't have to worry about the away from home factor. Nor will the attire of our friendly umpires be of concern because they will probably be wearing an innocuous colour like green. And the Demons must surely have run out of different new ways to lose games by now.

On that basis, the scoreboard should see them finishing with a surplus against the Eagles and, as any economist worth his salt will tell you, that result is fiscally solid and worth taking to the bank.

THE GAME Melbourne v West Coast Eagles at MCG Saturday 15 May 2010 at 2.10pm (AEST)

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 15 wins West Coast 24 wins

At the MCG Melbourne 7 wins West Coast 6 wins

Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins West Coast 8 wins

The Coaches Bailey 2 wins Worsfold 1 win

MEDIA

TV Fox Sports live at 2pm

Radio Triple M 3AW

THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.50 West Coast to win $2.60

LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 17.10.112 defeated West Coast 13.14 92 in Round 14, 2010 at the MCG.

The Demons arrested a bad slump with a shock win over a dazed Eagles combination that played as if it was suffering jet lag.

Remember Russell Robertson? He booted four goals that day. It was probably his last big game of a long an illustrious career forged upon jumping over other players' backs.

Young Jack Grimes played the first of what should be many blinders, Mark Jamar crushed a young Nick Naitanui and Liam Jurrah showed some of his goal kicking wizardry as the Demons won only their second game for the season.

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

Backs Jack Grimes Matthew Warnock Jared Rivers

Half backs Cameron Bruce James Frawley Colin Garland

Centreline James McDonald Jordie McKenzie Aaron Davey

Half forwards Jamie Bennell Matthew Bate Jack Watts

Forwards Nathan Jones Daniel Hughes Brad Green

Followers Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Tom Scully

Interchange Clint Bartram Paul Johnson Colin Sylvia Jack Trengove

Emergencies Lynden Dunn Neville Jetta Jake Spencer

In Jack Watts

Out Lynden Dunn

WEST COAST

Backs Will Schofield Darren Glass Beau Waters

Half backs Lewis Stevenson Eric MacKenzie Shannon Hurn

Centreline Matt Rosa Matt Priddis Brad Ebert

Half forwards Brad Sheppard Josh Kennedy Ashton Hams

Forwards Mark Nicoski Quinten Lynch Mark LeCras

Followers Dean Cox Adam Selwood Tom Swift

Interchange Patrick McGinnity Ben McKinley Nic Naitanui Scott Selwood

Emergencies Mitchell Brown Bradd Dalziell Ashley Hansen

In Scott Selwood

Out Bradd Dalziell

THE HOOPLA BEGINS

Well, it had to happen. The clash between 2008 Draft Pick 1 and 2008 Draft Pick 2 with 2009 Draft Picks 1 and 2 taking part in the same game. It's taken a while for the return of Jack Watts and doubtless, the media will be making a meal of the fact that Nick Naitanui but believe me, there is no doubt that Jack has earned his place as a Demon after five weeks as a Scorpion. Despite all the hoopla Watts is unlikely to be matched up on the Eagle big man but rather, he will be assuming a position left vacant by the departure almost two years to the day of David Neitz, the Coleman Medal winning club games record holder. He has big shoes to fill.

Watts comes into a side brim full of young talent, a side that is beginning to lift itself from the mire of underachievement that comes "winning" back-to-back wooden spoons in 2008/09. There were a number of constants during this bleak period, most of them completely negative but one positive in that time was the fact that Melbourne won both of its MCG matches against the West Coast.

In many ways, the Eagles are similar to the Demons in that they struggle away from their home territory. If they are to win this clash, their big hope is that their big men will dominate. Dean Cox, Naitanui, Quinten Lynch and Josh Kennedy all need to make major contributions to the cause.

Meanwhile the Demons are still recovering from last week's budget bashing preview against the Bulldogs. As the players trudged off the ground at the end of that tough rain soaked Friday night affair, their faces were covered with both disappointment and a steely determination not to allow the opportunity to win slip from their grasp again. Nobody could ever forget such a lesson over a span of a mere eight days.

Melbourne by 29 points.

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