THE UGLY, THE BAD AND THE GOOD

[Demonland 73,140]

THE UGLY, THE BAD AND THE GOOD by The Oracle

Quote from the coach at the end of the match:

"In this game, you have to learn how to handle failure and adversity if you're going to be any good. And we've got something to handle just at the moment.

"It will be our next challenge as a group, to regroup after that sort of performance. It was as bad as we've put on display for a long time."

He's talking about his team's ugly performance at the MCG but thankfully the speaker is Adelaide coach Neil Craig whose head is likely to be one of three or four on the media chopping block this week instead of Melbourne coach Dean Bailey who went through the wringer last week.

The Demons are sitting in seventh position on the AFL ladder with 3½ wins from six matches, a healthy percentage closing in on 120 after a thumping 96-point win over the Crows. However, in this caper, unless you have put the score on the board consistently over a long period, a record of three wins from your past four matches (two of them by 15 goals or more) all amounts to naught. Put in another inspid performance against North Melbourne next week and Caroline Wilson, every other panellist and half the supporter group will turn ugly and be after the coach's blood.

The bad, apart from the early injury to Jack Grimes, the handful of dropped marks in front of goal, the poor kicking for goal, the ordinary umpiring (I can say this after a 16 goal win without it sounding like sour grapes) was the dismal Adelaide side and the fact that many of the pundits are excusing the Crows because of their youth and inexperience as if the Demons aren't the most youthful and inexperienced side in the competition next to the Gold Coast Suns.

The bad was pointing out the Adelaide coaches failed to exploit all of the aspects of Melbourne's game that Alistair Clarkson and John Worsfold have done to perfection earlier in the season.

Which brings us to the good and you have to start with how the coach, the football department (including new football el supremo, guru and saviour Jimmy) and the players responded to last week's humiliation.

You have to hand it to the way Brad Green, Aaron Davey, Nathan Jones and ... yes Brent Moloney (with an amazing 19 clearances) came back to show leadership and add inspiration to the group. Beamer must be up there with Judd and Watson for early Brownlow favouritism!

And what about the way important players in James Frawley and Colin Sylvia overcame criticism over their recent poor form and how youngsters Jack Watts, Jack Trengove, Jordan Gysberts, Luke Tapscott, Rohan Bail and especially Addam Maric responded to the challenge and how Ricky Petterd came back from a stint at Casey with four goals?

The good was also the fact that Mark Jamar rucked all day and beat his counterparts hands down and, although not at the top of his game and inaccurate in front of goal, Liam Jurrah was always dangerous up forward and the fact that he kicked a miracle goal near the end after stealing the ball from an Adelaide defender.

Bailey's use of Clint Bartram who came to the club as a midfielder showed he could be flexible and that was good too! The move of Matthew Bate into defence for a while was also smart and creative.

And how good after last week was the record of 73 inside 50s?

However, as we know full well, the good can turn bad and ugly in a very short space of time.

The team needs to earn the trust of its supporters. I suspect that it wasn't just Mothers Day and the rain that kept the attendance down to under 20,000 when memberships number 35,000. Melbourne has a big challenge next week against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium against a team that thinks it owns us. A win in that sort of game can provide some legitimacy and respect to the team. Some of this was restored in the effort against Adelaide but greater consistency will remove the ugly stigma of the curse of Pattersons Stadium.

Melbourne 2.7.19 6.11.47 14.16.100 22.17.149

Adelaide 2.0.12 5.3.33 6.4.40 8.5.53

Goals

Melbourne Petterd Sylvia 4 Jurrah 3 Green Watts Wonaeamirri 2 Bartram Bate Dunn Jones Tapscott

Adelaide Tippett 3 Reilly 2 McKernan Thompson van Berlo

Best

Melbourne Moloney Sylvia Green Jones Petterd Frawley Maric Jamar

Adelaide Van Berlo Reilly Jaensch iSloane.

Injuries

Melbourne Grimes (ankle)

Adelaide Dangerfield (concussion) Thompson (calf) Wright (ankle)

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Adelaide Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Adelaide Nil

Umpires Stevic Jeffery Keating

Crowd 19,987 at the MCG