HOW WE MANUFACTURED A 72 POINT TURNAROUND WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

HOW WE MANUFACTURED A 72 POINT TURNAROUND WITHOUT REALLY TRYING by Whispering Jack

I have a confession to make. I didn't attend yesterday's game at the MCG between the Demons and the Hawks due to the fact that I was invited to a wedding and, as a consequence, I managed to watch the first half on Foxtel before heading off to the city at around the time the third quarter started.

As a consequence, I wasn't going to write the report on the match this week but due to the disappearance of the correspondent we had lined up to cover the game, I have been convinced by the powers that be that I should do a write up on what I saw and that would be "good enough". Apparently, this is because the team went out onto the ground at a little after 4.30 pm and an hour and a quarter later they went back into the rooms holding a 19 point lead and that was "good enough" too! Indeed, a few minutes before the half time siren blared, the lead was up to 27 points but we all knew that the Demons were very fortunate to hold a lead of any kind because, the Hawks were in front everywhere but on the scoreboard as a result of their inaccuracy in front of goals. They led the disposal count by 208 to 179, were ahead on clearances (18 to 16) and tackles (22 to 18), went inside 50 a whopping 33 times to 22 and had sixteen scoring shots (16-10) and trailed by 19 points.

Notwithstanding that, it must be said that Melbourne made the most of its opportunities in the first quarter when Hawthorn dominated the start for a meagre return of 1.5.11. The elusive Cyril Rioli was everywhere and the Hawks appeared in complete control in a reprise of so many poor starts from the Demons in recent years. However, this time they fought back and managed to briefly take the lead before a late goal to the Hawks just before quarter time, gave them a slender lead at the break. The highlight of the first quarter for me was Jack Watts' mark against three opponents deep in the forward line and his conversion for a goal. We had been waiting a long time for this first and he has come along slowly but hopefully, this was a glimpse of the future.

The Demons came out and played irresistible football in the second term. They methodically moved the ball forward, were patient and had the better of the tactical battles kicking the five unanswered goals including a couple to the captain and a brilliant snap on an angle from Jack Trengove. They looked fast and sharp and made the opposition look second rate but late in the quarter, took the foot off the pedal content to allow the clock to run out to half time. The tactic is acceptable I suppose but in a way, it represented a sea change which must have become a tidal wave after half time but, as I said above, I missed it and can only go by the scores and the statistics of the second half to understand what transpired during what must have been one of the club's darkest hours.

The best players awarded below were provided by somebody else but on what I saw Luke Tapscott carried on from where he left off last week. He's tough, makes good decisions and an excellent kick and I loved the way he was first on the scene to give his old school chum Trengove a pat on the bum after he kicked his goal in the second quarter. Colin Sylvia and Brent Moloney worked hard but the Dees really missed the likes of Tom Scully, Jordie McKenzie and Cale Morton even when they were travelling well before half time.

In the event, I drove off with my wife to the wedding reception just as the third quarter was starting. For some reason, I hate listening to the footy on the radio and driving at the same time so I tuned into to some music (from the early sixties to bring us some luck) and headed off to the city. We passed the MCG on our way in and I told the missus that I had been hoping to see Hawthorn supporters leaving the ground in the droves and was disappointed that there was not a single red faced brown and gold scarf wearing football fan in sight on Brunton Avenue. "Probably about five minutes too early," I remarked.

After I had safely parked the car, it was time to check the Footy Live iphone application and, when the score flashed on the screen, "Hawthorn 73 to Melbourne 57", you could have blown me over with a feather. Little did I know that there was more - and much worse - to come. When I got into the hall, one of the first people I noticed was Joeboy who hailed me with his usual greeting of three words. I won't repeat them but they are abbreviated as "WTF"! And it came to pass that the Hawks kicked 8.11.59 in a single quarter to 1.1.7 and then they romped home against what must have been a hapless Demon rabble. Not a single brown and gold scarf left the ground before the final siren but lots of red and blue ones surely did just that.

So how did the Demons blow a 27 point lead and finish 45 points in arrears in half a game? The title suggests they weren't really trying but I can't accept that. I've seen Dean Bailey suggesting that the Hawks were dominant, will beat just about every time in the competition and could become Collingwood's main challenger for the 2011 flag. The coach admitted after the game that he was totally unprepared for the Hawks' third-quarter onslaught but surely, it was a repeat of what took place a month earlier in the third quarter of the NAB Challenge game at Launceston. Then, as with yesterday, some of their youngsters like Suckling and Shiels, outshone ours. The team should have been better prepared for this.

There clearly are some problems at Melbourne which still must be looked upon as a developing team. The midfield is not winning enough clearances out of the ruck domination and the team seems to have a predictable approach to goals. Hawthorn led the possessions by 29 at half time and finished ahead by a whopping 453 to 309 which means Melbourne players got their hands on the ball a mere 130 times. The figures for the last half suggest that even the game against Gold Coast in a fortnight's time will prove a challenge.

Melbourne 3.1.19 8.2.50 9.3.57 12.5.77

Hawthorn 2.8.20 3.13.31 11.24.90 16.26.122

Goals

Melbourne Dunn Green Jurrah 2 Bennell Davey Jamar Petterd Trengove Watts

Hawthorn Burgoyne 4 Franklin Roughead Suckling 2 Bateman Bruce Ladson Osborne Rioli Shiels

Best

Melbourne Tapscott Sylvia Moloney Grimes

Hawthorn Rioli Suckling Mitchell Shiels Burgoyne Franklin Sewell

Injuries

Melbourne Garland (knee)

Hawthorn Renouf (shoulder)

Reports

Nil

Changes

Nil

Umpires Donlon Stewart Chamberlain

Crowd 49.905 at the MCG