DELIVERANCE

DELIVERANCE by The Oracle

If there's one thing we should have all learned during the course of this season it's that when it comes to anything related to the Melbourne Football Club, there is absolutely nothing that we can take for granted.

During the four week period in which the Demons were battered from pillar to post by four of the AFL's top five, the conventional wisdom was that the final three games of the home and away season would bring relief and deliverance to a stunned Demon supporter group that was still coming to grips with the rapidity of the breakdown of their team's push towards a possible finals appearance and the events that led to the dismissal of coach Dean Bailey.

The theory that the club would make an easy return to the winner's list went out of the window early in last week's game against the Tigers when its resistance was so meek in the early going that it found itself more than four goals in arrears at the main break.

The Demons fought back to regain the lead and go into the final term eight points in front but they faltered at the end to lose by seven points and collapse to a season low 13th place on the ladder.

This week Melbourne welcomes the Gold Coast Suns to the MCG for the first time ever and the football public expects the young AFL newbies to crumble on football's biggest stage. Both sides have lost five games in a row and ironically, their last victories were achieved in the heat of the tropics in round 17. Melbourne beat Port Adelaide in the Darwin heat while Gold Coast shocked Richmond on hot and windy afternoon in Cairns. Tiger fans were literally crying their eyes out on talkback radio after the defeat. One of them even went so far as to destroy his entire family's membership cards in the micro wave. Two weeks later it was the turn of Demon fans after 186.

So can Melbourne make it back to the winner's list against the Suns?

Well, they better will because, if they don't, then thousands of microwaves will be moved into action and the atmosphere over this great city of ours will be filled with such a devastating carbon footprint of smouldering red and blue plastic that even Julia Gillard's new tax will never be able to recover the carbon credits lost on the day.

Melbourne players - for the sake of the country, this must not be allowed to happen!

THE GAME Melbourne v Gold Coast at the MCG Sunday 28 August 2011 at 2.10pm.

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 1 win Gold Coast 0 wins

MCG Melbourne 0 wins Gold Coast 0 wins

Since 2000 Melbourne 1 win Gold Coast 0 wins

The Coaches Viney 0 wins McKenna 0 wins

MEDIA

TV - Channel 7 at 3:00 pm (on delay)

Radio - 3AW Triple M K-Rock

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Melbourne 23.21.159 defeated Gold Coast 9.15.69 at the Gabba in Round 4, 2011

Brent Moloney was the hard body who gave Melbourne the momentum after some early stutters. He finished with 32 disposals and was the hero of the Demon victory. Although the team was in control by half time, it conceded the third quarter to the Suns to give them the first winning term in their history.

An eight goal final quarter quickly blotted out all memory of this aberration as the Dees coasted to a 16 goal victory.

THE BETTING

Melbourne $1.10 to win Gold Coast $6.75 to win

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

Backs Colin Garland James Frawley Clint Bartram

Half backs Luke Tapscott Jared Rivers Tom McDonald

Centreline Sam Blease Brent Moloney Jack Trengove

Half forwards Tom Scully Stef Martin Brad Green

Forwards Liam Jurrah Jack Watts Jamie Bennell

Followers Mark Jamar Neville Jetta Nathan Jones

Interchange Jeremy Howe Jordie McKenzieTom McNamara Cale Morton

Emergencies Jack Fitzpatrick Joel Macdonald Daniel Nicholson

In Neville Jetta Tom McDonald Tom McNamara LukeTapscott

Out Aaron Davey (suspended) Joel Macdonald Ricky Petterd (quadriceps) Colin Sylvia (suspended)

New Tom McDonald (North Ballarat Rebels)

GOLD COAST SUNS

Backs Seb Tape Rory Thompson Karmichael Hunt

Half backs Nathan Bock Jared Brennan Jarrod Harbrow

Centreline Matt Shaw David Swallow Dion Prestia

Half forwards Luke Russell Trent McKenzie Daniel Stanley

Forwards Tom Hickey Nathan Ablett Brandon Matera

Followers Zac Smith Gary Ablett Michael Rischitelli

Interchange (from) Harley Bennell Josh Caddy Jacob Gillbee Jack Hutchins Sam Iles Josh Toy Maverick Weller

Interchange Harley Bennell Josh Caddy Sam Iles Maverick Weller

Emergencies Jacob Gillbee Jack Hutchins Josh Toy

In Josh Caddy Sam Iles Brandon Matera Zac Smith

Out Joseph Daye Josh Fraser (illness) Steven May Joel Tippett

New Josh Caddy (Sandringham Dragons)

NO COASTING

So Melbourne's faint hopes of making the finals after a month of turbulence are now officially done and dusted. They were all but snuffed out when St. Kilda gave up the ghost in the final quarter at the SCG on Sunday and were buried completely at some stage during the Melbourne v Richmond game at the MCG later on that afternoon.

As for the Gold Coast, their maiden year in elite competition was never meant to be one in which the finals were part of the season's calculations. They have been looking towards 2012 and beyond for some time and one wonders whether the mystique of playing at the MCG will be enough to lift what appears to be a tiring young side.

The Coasters are up against it in this fixture.

Firstly, despite some barren seasons of late, Melbourne has been good in its recent games against clubs from interstate - they have won ten of their past eleven such matches.

On the other hand, McKenna's men haven't won a game in Victoria with victories coming in Adelaide, at the Gabba and in Cairns.

The Suns are also notoriously poor starters having lost 11 of their

last 12 first quarters often finding themselves several goals in arrears at the first change of many games.

The way I see it the Suns need Gary Ablett to play an absolute blinder rather than his usual common, ordinary, garden variety blinder. There isn't enough depth at the club to capitalise on Ablett's edge in skill and leadership although a good effort from Michael Rischitelli would be handy.

The Demons will get the edge through Mark Jamar in the ruck. If he can recapture some of his marking ability it will be all over. I expect the hard bodied Brent Moloney and Nathan Jones with the persistent Jordie McKenzie to seal the deal. Look out for Neville Jetta whose form at VFL level has been exemplary.

Melbourne by 29 points