Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Demonland

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (â‹®) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

A BIT OF A MYSTERY

Featured Replies

Posted

A BIT OF A MYSTERY by Mean Gene

The game's over and it's 0 and 9 ... but it was still a bit of a mystery how it ended so badly.

For three quarters they actually put up a fight and, but for the circumstance of their lack of experience and their low levels of self-confidence, they might have been even closer than 16 points in arrears at the final break. At that time, the Demons had gone a long way to dispelling many of the accusations fired over recent weeks at the entire club from the top down and certainly at the playing group.

They opened up with the game's first two goals and three of the first four but after that, only three of seventeen and they finished with none of seven in the final term.

They led by a point at quarter time, having gifted two away with some poor disposal out of defence (an umpire gifted the other one). In much the same way as they did against Hawthorn a fortnight ago, they wasted their hard work in a few minutes early in the second quarter when they conceded three goals to the Blues. However, this time they would put up a much better fight and they held steady in the second half of the term. Indeed, a little bit more class in the on ball division and some better efficiency up forward might have seen them a lot closer at the main break.

The main problem was that they were being whacked at the stoppages but, at least there were some shining lights. James Frawley and Jared Rivers were holding things down in the backline and Jack Grimes was doing well. Rohan Bail, Sam Blease and Dan Nicholson all added some pace to the mix - a feature that has been missing at Melbourne for so long. Mitch Clark was scoring goals (he could so easily have had five by half time) and Nathan Jones added a touch of hardness along with Jordie McKenzie who was doing a good job in blanketing Chris Judd.

The dour struggle continued in the third and they again had their chances. At one stage late in the term, the inside 50 count was even but Carlton still managed an almost three goal buffer at the last change. In days gone past we might have even sensed the possibility of an upset in the offing but the troops looked a little tired as they went into the huddle.

So it was that the day was marred by a final quarter when they capitulated. Despite that, they finished with a mysterious and interesting statistic of having had the ball in their forward half for 52% of the game. And considering that the club was supposed to have acquired the cream of football's sports scientists at the end of last season, it's a mystery how the team fades out so badly at the end of games.

Melbourne 3.4.22 5.7.37 6.10.46 6.13.49

Carlton 3.3.21 7.8.50 8.14.62 15.17.107

Goals

Melbourne Clark 3 Blease Howe Jones

Carlton Betts 5 Robinson 3 Hampson Walker 2 Armfield Kreuzer Tuohy

Best

 Melbourne Jones Frawley Watts Bail Blease Clark McKenzie

Carlton Robinson McLean Betts Walker Scotland Curnow

Injuries

Melbourne Green (bruised lung)

Carlton Collins (jarred knee)

Changes

Melbourne Bartram (knee) replaced in selected side by Tapscott

Carlton Yarran (toe) replaced in selected side by Lucas

Henderson (hip) replaced in selected side by Bower

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Carlton Nil

Umpires Ryan Nicholls Fleer

Crowd 28,371 at MCG

 

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Featured Content

  • AFLW REPORT: Port Adelaide

    Well, that was a shock. The Demons 4-game unbeaten run came to a grinding halt in a tense, scrappy affair at the sunny, windy Alberton Oval, with the Power holding on for a 2-point win. The Dees had their chances—plenty of them—but couldn't convert when it mattered most. Port’s tackling pressure rattled the Dees, triggering a fumble frenzy and surprising lack of composure from seasoned players.

      • Thanks
    • 0 replies
  • Welcome to Demonland: Steven King

    The Melbourne Football Club has selected a new coach for the 2026 season appointing Geelong Football Club assistant coach Steven King to the head role.

      • Shocked
      • Thumb Down
      • Clap
      • Haha
      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 961 replies
  • AFLW PREVIEW: Port Adelaide

    The undefeated Demons venture across the continent to the spiritual home of the Port Adelaide Football Club on Saturday afternoon for the inaugural match for premiership points between these long-historied clubs. Alberton Oval will however, be a ground familiar to our players following a practice match there last year. We lost both the game and Liv Purcell, who missed 7 home and away matches after suffering facial fractures in the dying moments of the game.

      • Love
      • Thanks
    • 1 reply
  • AFLW REPORT: Richmond

    A glorious sunny afternoon with a typically strong Casey Fields breeze favouring the city end greeted this round four clash of the undefeated Narrm against the winless Tigers. Pre-match, the teams entered the ground through the Deearmy’s inclusive banner—"Narrm Football Weaving Communities Together and then Warumungu/Yawuru woman and Fox Boundary Rider, Megan Waters, gave the official acknowledgement of country. Any concerns that Collingwood’s strategy of last week to discombobulate the Dees would be replicated by Ryan Ferguson and his Tigers evaporated in the second quarter when Richmond failed to use the wind advantage and Narrm scored three unanswered goals. 

      • Clap
      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 4 replies
  • CASEY: Frankston

    The late-season run of Casey wins was broken in their first semifinal against Frankston in a heartbreaking end at Kinetic Stadium on Saturday night that in many respects reflected their entire season. When they were bad, they committed all of the football transgressions, including poor disposal, indiscipline, an inability to exert pressure, and some terrible decision-making, as exemplified by the period in the game when they conceded nine unanswered goals from early in the second quarter until halfway through the third term. You rarely win when you do this.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
  • AFLW PREVIEW: Richmond

    Round four kicks off early Saturday afternoon at Casey Fields, as the mighty Narrm host the winless Richmond Tigers in the second week of Indigenous Round celebrations. With ideal footy conditions forecast—20 degrees, overcast skies, and a gentle breeze — expect a fast-paced contest. Narrm enters with momentum and a dangerous forward line, while Richmond is still searching for its first win. With key injuries on both sides and pride on the line, this clash promises plenty.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 3 replies

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.