FOUNDATION

FOUNDATION by Whispering Jack

The theme of the night for Melbourne's Foundation Heroes dinner at the Myer Mural Hall was "triumph over adversity". Before we went into the hall, Sid Myer, a descendant of the store's founder told of its history, how it was conceived and built during the Great Depression and how the artist who lost the use of his right arm and had to relearn his art using the left, painted the dozen murals. The feat was given as an example of the night's theme as much as it is what the Melbourne Football Club is now facing in so many ways after a tumultuous fortnight that appears to have left a club divided.

I'm not sure of the details of the alleged problems and it was not said last night at any time by anybody that the club was not without them. However, it was indicated clearly by more than one person who spoke that those problems, perceived or otherwise, will be dealt with and that they are not insurmountable. If is also clear that nobody at the club is shirking away from the issues and, if the promise to deal with them is honoured, a much stronger club can and will emerge.

Garry Lyon summed up the strength of the club by pointing to how Ron Barassi showed that he cared for his former teammates Noel McMahon and Stuart Spencer as they came down the stairs into the Myer Mural Hall. He wanted to be sure these elder legends of the club could safely execute the set of stairs into the hall at the beginning of the function. Eleven club legends were introduced to the attendees.

Meanwhile, a twelfth legend lay in hospital after undergoing a life determining operation.

Most of us were there because we really do care for the club, although it is conceded that there are some who appear to gain some joy from the club's woes both on and off the field. There were enough mirrors at the Myer Mural Hall for such people to take, as we say in football parlance, a good look at themselves.

For the second day in a row, there was reason for optimism. On Wednesday, I attended a lunch at which the guest speaker was Bruce Hearnden-Mackinnon, author of the Liam Jurrah biography. Flanked by the subject of his book and his team mate Aaron Davey, he spoke passionately as he told the story of Liam's rise from a child of the desert to an AFL footballer. I won't give away the story but I will say it was a fascinating tale and while I've read only the opening chapters of the book to date, I'm finding it totally enthralling. A former board member at the club told me a pertinent story about Liam, that when he was asked if he had read the book yet, he replied that he hadn't, "because it's about me."

That in itself speaks volumes for the man and his cultural heritage. He is a team man in a team game and such unselfishness is not all that common in our sport. When it's there however, you know that there is hope for your team.

Further, Bruce paid tribute to the Melbourne Football Club Player Development Manager , Ian Flack for the role that he had in welcoming Liam to AFL football at a time when several other clubs failed to understand that which was necessary to help a gifted young indigenous footballer from a remote desert region make it in the sport at elite level. Bruce called Ian Flack a "hero". After the past ten days of mudslinging and bad publicity (some of it totally irresponsible) directed at the club, the comment made my day.

Moving forward to the Foundation Heroes dinner, it was certainly less upbeat than the same function a year earlier which wiped out the club's debt. The purpose of this dinner was to give the club room to pay its players the gap between the 92.5% of the salary cap currently paid and the 100% allowable which could be used as front end payments to assist in securing its young list and in keeping them together.

Well, the aim was achieved and $800,000.00 was raised. The good news was that the club has re-signed five players, including its outstanding young midfielder Jack Trengove on a contract extension until the end of the 2015 season. Other deals confirmed were with defender Luke Tapscott, ruckman Max Gawn and rookies Michael Evans and Daniel Nicholson.

The attendees at the function were also informed that a new sponsor is also about to ink a new deal with the club with a sponsorship likely to be worth more than any previous club sponsorship.

The club is securing its financial future and with many young men like Liam Jurrah and Jack Trengove, who put team above themselves, I sense change already and, while I don't necessary predict a win on the field this week, I won't rule out an upset either. The foundations have already been laid for the changes that are coming.

THE GAME

Melbourne v West Coast Eagles at Etihad Stadium - Sunday 14 August 2011 at 1:10pm (AEST)

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 15 wins West Coast Eagles 26 wins

At Etihad Stadium Melbourne 1 win West Coast Eagles 0 wins

Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins West Coast Eagles 10 wins

The Coaches Viney 0 wins Worsfold 0 wins

MEDIA

TV Fox Sports 1 at 1.00pm (live)

RADIO 1116SEN ABC774 3AW

THE BETTING

Melbourne to win $3.75 West Coast Eagles to win $1.25

LAST TIME THEY MET

West Coast Eagles 15.16.116 defeated Melbourne 6.16.52 at Paterson's Stadium Round 6, 2011

The Demons started slowly and just got worse. The effort was insipid. The team has this and lots more to atone for on Sunday.

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

Backs Luke Tapscott James Frawley Clint Bartram

Half backs Colin Garland Jared Rivers Joel Macdonald

Centreline Jack Trengove Lynden Dunn Aaron Davey

Half forwards Brad Green Jeremy Howe Tom Scully

Forwards Colin Sylvia Mark Jamar Jack Watts

Followers Stef Martin Brent Moloney Nathan Jones

Interchange Sam Blease Jordie McKenzie Cale Morton Ricky Petterd

Emergencies Max Gawn Tom McDonald Daniel Nicholson

In Sam Blease Mark Jamar Cale Morton Colin Sylvia

Out Matthew Bate Max Gawn Jordan Gysberts (scaphoid) James Strauss

WEST COAST EAGLES

Backs Will Schofield Eric Mackenzie Shannon Hurn

Half backs Scott Selwood Mitch Brown Ashley Smith

Centreline Andrew Embley Matthew Priddis Brad Ebert

Half forwards Andrew Gaff Josh Kennedy Mark Nicoski

Forwards Nic Naitanui Quinten Lynch Mark Le Cras

Followers Dean Cox Daniel Kerr Adam Selwood

Interchange Jack Darling Ashton Hams Patrick McGinnity Luke Shuey

Emergencies Bradd Dalziell Chris Masten Brad Sheppard

In Ashton Hams Josh Kennedy Eric Mackenzie

Out Darren Glass (soreness) Chris Masten Matthew Rosa (knee)

FLYING HIGH by JVM

If truth be known, the whole concept of a final eight is a futile exercise - a waste of time. The incidence of teams finishing anywhere between fifth and eighth progressing beyond the second week of the finals is not great and I don't believe that any team coming from below fifth has ever progressed far under the AFL's top eight system. I am rather bemused therefore, that there is still ongoing discussion about Melbourne making it all the way to the finals after what has happened in the past few weeks.

Actually, it would be downright embarrassing if the Demons made it into the finals because the insipid brand of football that we've seen from so many of its players during this period is simply not suggestive of a team deserving to be in the same company as the other contenders for the last place or two in the race for the finals.

Indeed, in the unlikely event of Melbourne making an appearance in the first week of the finals, there is every chance that we might witness a repeat of recent nightmares given the probable scenario of a first up September visit to Patterson's Curse Stadium and an obliteration by the Eagles on their home soil.

Fortunately for those who fear the consequences of such a trip out west, the word "unlikely" gets a very strong run in deliberations about Melbourne's finals chances. For the Demons to make it into the eight, they not only must win all four of their remaining matches, they also rely on some upsets to occur in games over which they have no control. The first problem they have in that regard is that upset wins have been remarkably thin on the ground lately. In fact, the concern has been more with the number and size of blow out losses rather than upset wins. Assuming they win those four last games, the Demons rely on Essendon or Sydney collapsing over the next month. The Bombers would have to lose two out of three while the Tigers would need to beat the Swans at the G on Sunday. I wouldn't bet the ranch on either of those things coming to pass.

Then there's the little matter of Melbourne emerging victorious over West Coast in their match-up at Etihad. The Dees couldn't achieve that outcome on their true home turf last year when the Eagles were wooden spooners. What chance now that they're really flying high?

There were few if any who would have called this game a win for the visitors before the season began. Most were predicting that Melbourne would be in line for a spot in the top eight while the Eagles were expected to finish somewhere near the bottom. The doomsayers were suggesting that right about now there might be news coming out of Subiaco that Worsfold was joining the ranks of sacked coaches. Instead, it's the Demons who are suffering and even the replacement of Dean Bailey by Todd Viney did little to prevent a thrashing last week from Carlton led by a rampant Chris Judd.

The Demons also need to overcome the memory of their last encounter with the Eagles when they extended their losing streak at Subiaco in an embarrassing display that saw them make only three inside 50 entries in the first term on the way to a complete and utter strangulation. We also saw the first major outward signs of cracks in the fabric of the team that ultimately led to the demise of the coach a fortnight ago. And speaking of losing streaks, there's Melbourne's appalling recent record at Etihad...

The good news is that the Demons are strengthened by the return of All Australian ruckman Mark Jamar and blond dynamo Colin Sylvia. The Demons need both players at their top and firing if they are to have any chance in this game. Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui overpowered the Demon rucks in their last encounter but this time Jamar will have Stef Martin to help him out. The interesting inclusion for mine is much maligned former Sandgroper Cale Morton who has been a shining light in the VFL in recent weeks. Here is a player who struggled for confidence under Bailey's coaching. Is it possible that, with a new role in the middle under a new mentor, we are going to finally see the blossoming of a player once destined to be a star? Certainly, the Demons need to find something extra in the middle if they are going to overcome the Eagles whose onballers, led by the resurgent Daniel Kerr.

Melbourne had problems last time in curbing West Coast's tall forwards and it wont be helped by the return of key forward Josh Kennedy after missing two games with an eye injury caused by team mate Cox. The Demons have prided themselves in recent times on having a strong defence and they must now produce the goods. The likes of James Frawley, Col Garland, Joel Macdonald, Clint Bartram and co have faced constant and intense pressure from powerful forward line combinations in the past month and this week will be no exception. They will need to be able to repel those attacks and run through the lines to give their team a chance of winning. The inclusion of a genuine speedster in Sam Blease who made a cameo debut on this ground as a substitute against the Bulldogs might help. The kid has worked hard to overcome a bad break in his foot two years ago and has little game time on debut. He deserves a much kinder break this time.

Another interesting aspect of this game will be the form of Melbourne's top two draft selections from two years ago. Tom Scully's decision to hold off his contract decision until the end of the season sits in direct contrast to Jack Trengove's show of support for the club in its moment of plight by extending his commitment by three years. They are different cats these two but what matters most in the immediate future is whether they can combine to help their team to finally win a game at the Docklands and put to an end a losing streak at the venue that stands at 11 games. The club never won a game at the Docklands under Bailey. Can its youth deliver Todd Viney something that has proven to be elusive since they beat the Western Bulldogs there in round 19, 2007?

The good news in this is that the Eagles form at this venue hasn't been all that great either. They've never beaten Melbourne there although the only time they met there was back in 2000 when Jeff White was in rare form.

I think the Demons will improve this week but they have yet to show the ability to put together four good quarters against the top sides and that will be their ultimate undoing.

West Coast to continue flying high and to put the final nail in the coffin of Melbourne's finals aspirations by 25 points.