THE VOICE - THE PEOPLE SPEAK

THE VOICE - THE PEOPLE SPEAK by The People

This week's match preview comes from Demonlanders. Thanks to everyone who contributed. Interesting!

July 30th, 2011.

We journeyed down to Kardinia Park to take on the Geelong Football Club in the middle of winter with a team that had shown some signs of promise. We seemed to be developing as a team which was headed in the right direction, regardless of the inconsistency from week to week.

We turned up at Kardinia Park feeling as though we didn't really want to be there, as if we didn't believe we could win.

I felt that the match was something we needed to survive our way through and then move on to next week. This attitude and a ruthless Geelong team saw us torn to shreds, not only on the scoreboard but the loss ripped the fabric of the club apart and took a part of our dignity.

As we all know, Dean Bailey was sacked as the club tried to deal with it, but in reality we haven't been the same club since and we haven't fully gotten over it.

There's been a painful darkness lurking in the corners of our collective MFC psyche since that day.

There is only one way that the club can deal with what happened on that day last year, and sacking Dean Bailey or any other off field measures are completely insufficient.

We need to go back to Kardinia Park and retrieve our dignity. It won't come easily, but must be torn back from Geelong; we must fight to take it back, and we must win to take it back. We must be ruthless in attacking every contest with absolute and brutal desperation. We must gut run from start to finish. We must treat every goal not with joyous celebration but with a sober resolve to bounce the ball and do it again. We need to punish Geelong every time they make a mistake or hesitate.

This weekend is our opportunity to cast out the darkness, and we need to approach it head on, without compromise or excuse.

Let's go to Kardinia Park, and let's fight to win our dignity back.

Let's go to Kardinia Park together - MFC1858

THE GAME Geelong v Melbourne at Skilled Stadium on Saturday 5 May 2012 at 1.45pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Geelong 123 wins Melbourne 83 wins 2 draws

At Skilled Stadium Geelong 35 wins Melbourne 17 wins 1 draw

Since 2000 Geelong 13 wins Melbourne 6 wins 1 draw

The Coaches Scott 0 Neeld 0

MEDIA

TV Fox Footy Channel 1:30pm (LIVE) Delayed telecast - Channel 7 3:pm.

RADIO SEN Triple M

THE BETTING Geelong to win $1.03 Melbourne to win $12.00

LAST TIME THEY MET Geelong defeated Melbourne at Simmons Stadium in Round 19, 2011 (we all know what's happened and we need no further reminder)

THE TEAMS

GEELONG

Backs Matthew Scarlett Harry Taylor Josh Hunt

Half backs Corey Enright Tom Lonergan Andrew Mackie

Centreline James Kelly Allen Christensen Joel Corey

Half forwards Mitch Duncan James Podsiadly Steven Motlop

Forwards Steve Johnson Tom Hawkins Mitch Brown

Followers Trent West Jimmy Bartel Paul Chapman

Interchange Cameron Guthrie Joel Selwood Billie Smedts Jesse Stringer

Emergencies Shannon Byrnes Tom Gillies George Horlin-Smith

In Mitch Brown James Kelly

Out Taylor Hunt (soreness) Mathew Stokes (ankle)

MELBOURNE

Backs James Frawley Jared Rivers Clint Bartram

Half backs Tom McDonald Colin Garland Jack Grimes

Centreline Cale Morton Brent Moloney Jordie McKenzie

Half forwards Nathan Jones James Sellar Jeremy Howe

Forward Colin Sylvia Mitch Clark Aaron Davey

Followers Mark Jamar James Magner Jack Trengove

Interchange Rohan Bail Matthew Bate Lynden Dunn Luke Tapscott

Emergencies Jamie Bennell Joel Macdonald Ricky Petterd

In Mitch Clark James Frawley

Out Joel Macdonald Jack Watts

The Demons return this week to where it all began - or ended depending on your outlook.

A completely new coaching panel. A completely new game plan. A very different Demons outfit.

But no one who is a part of our great club can forget 186.

So what does this all equate too? The bottom line is who the hell knows.

The Demons looked like they have started to turn the corner a bit with the game plan and effort required but as we know all too well Melbourne is nothing if not sporadic.

I cannot see a win no matter how I look at the game but there are still many things that can be achieved out of this game.

For starters - a result that is far closer.

An effort and intensity level that matches or builds on last week.

An improvement in the execution of our game plan.

Beamer must atone (regardless of how crook he was last year). Our midfield must give our backmen a chance and our forwards a look at the ball more than 40 times.

Would it be folly to suggest this week that we adopt the old adage of everyone has one man for the day, regardless of where they play?

Trengove on Bartel

Jones on Chappy

Beamer on Selwood

Frawley/McDonald on Hawkins

Bartram on Stokes

Grimes on Christensen

Sylvia on Enright

Clark on Scarlett

Morton on Mackie

Watts on Corey

... and the list goes on.

If nothing else, our boys will learn the work rate of a champion team, but if every player is responsible for just one man of flesh and blood, whom they must make it their life's ambition for that day to beat, then maybe, just maybe the Demons can make a game of it! - Grandson of a Gun

Geelong is not playing the way they have in past years. Some of their wins have been unconvincing and they have lost twice to teams that failed to make last year's top eight. On the other hand, while Melbourne hasn't been all that flash, it isn't quite plumbing the depths of last year's devastating result at the Cattery. If the Dees can maintain their steady rate of improvement of the last couple of games then they might surprise the football world. Not necessarily with a win but with their best performance at this venue since the drawn game in 2006. - Demon Head

The Demons are heading to Simmons Stadium this weekend to take on last year's premiers.

It's a tough road trip for any side in the competition, let alone for the heavily scrutinised Demons who were pantsed by 186 points in the corresponding fixture in 2011.

Every player who gets an opportunity this week will be driven by the humiliation of last year. None more so than #22 who, in a year where he polled exceptionally well in the Brownlow, couldn't manage a single possession in a half of football. He and the others will be keen to atone for last year's effort.

If the 31 goal loss to Geelong was to have any silver lining, it is to be the subsequent introspection, and overhaul of the clubs footy department.

This fresh start and direction looks to have galvanised the club as a whole. Led by Mark Neeld the Demons are working on a game style and culture which is intended to get the Melbourne Football Club back towards being a quality, consistent AFL side.

Egos have been battered as home truths have been told, the leadership group has been overhauled.

Inconsistency from week to week and questionable endeavour will no longer be tolerated. Gone are the days of Melbourne playing top picks for the sake of development.

It's obvious to all that the transition from the past environment to the current one has not been an easy one for many of the players. 5 losses in 5 rounds has been a tough start to the season, especially with 3 of these losses coming against the lions, tigers and bulldogs. However the signs are starting improve as Neeld picks through the list to find a core group of players who will give their all in implementing his game style for four quarters.

A four quarter effort which will be required this weekend if the Demons are to be any match for the Cats at their home.

A competitive effort will also set the side up for the coming weeks where the Demons will play the majority of the form sides in the competition. A win during this period would do wonders for the confidence of the playing and coaching groups and set the side up for more victories in the second half of the year.

I think the Demons will show a lot of heart again this week but will be hurt on the scoreboard by a polished Geelong outfit.

Cats by 6 goals, 25 less than last year. - DemonWA