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 (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

MONEY CAN'T BUY ME LOVE

Demonland
in Match Reports

Featured Replies

Posted

MONEY CAN'T BUY ME LOVE by Mean Gene

Melbourne displayed great emotion when it monstered the young guns from Greater Western Sydney in their long-awaited clash at the MCG.

While the board, the football department and the players have long moved on from the departure at the end of 2011 of Tom Scully, the majority of the fans needed to vent at their former player who not only jumped ship for the money but also who many believe acted disrepectfully to the club in the way he and his connections dealt with his departure. The fans got what they wanted.

Like most of his fellow Giants, Scully started well enough. He was collecting his share of boos with every possession in the game's first 25 minutes as the Sydneysiders scored five of the game's first eight goals but then the wheels swiftly fell off as Melbourne went in for the kill. By game's end, they were no longer Giants and more in the nature of midgets in the presence of a superior opposition.

It was hard to believe that this was the same team that went to Geelong and stayed with the reigning premiers or was in with a chance late in the game last week against Richmond. For that matter, it's still hard to get the head around the fact that one of their number is really cashing in to the tune of $2 million for this season alone. 

Hard to fathom that from the 25 minute mark of the first term until the siren blared to end the third quarter, another team that had been pushed from pillar to post in the first nine rounds of the season and only won its first game a few weeks ago, could outscore an opponent by 15.8 to 1.1.

The fact is that money can't buy what that scoreline provided to the people who collectively make up the Melbourne Football Club. It could only happen with emotion, with integrity, with hard work and with some healthy improvement in every facet of the club over recent weeks. 

The hero of the early part of the game was Mitch Clark who was absolutely superb with four first goals before he came off with a foot injury and a knock to the head. At one stage, it would not have been unreasonable to expect him to finish with double figures. His departure allowed others to take over as forward targets, notably former defenders Jared Rivers and Colin Garland who finished with four and three goals respectively (although the former was already in the goals by the time Clark left the field).

Multiple goalkickers are always the heroes but it was another Demon who has stood consistently as a beacon among his teammates in Nathan Jones who ran all day to pick up 34 disposals and who led the way all day. So too did Mark Jamar in the ruck against a couple of the Giants big men in Brogan and Giles who might be unsung but have taken some significant scalps this year.

Speaking of unsung heroes Matthew Bate has been in football's no man's land for the past few years but he was superb against the Giants amassing 27 touches, seven marks and a super goal.

Then there were Melbourne's early draft picks in Jack Watts (27 touches), co-captains Jack Grimes and Jack Trengove, James Frawley and the much-maligned Colin Sylvia. All of them turned it on and showed their worth and the fact that they were deserving of their early draft slots. 

One should add some plaudits to Jordie McKenzie who quelled Scully's early start and put him out of the game. Similarly, Tom McDonald took the other GWS number one pick  Jonathon Patton to the cleaners in a true break out performance in defence.

The game could well turn out to be a turning point for the Melbourne Football Club and it was only fitting that former skipper James McDonald was on hand to watch his old club take its first steps towards future greatness. 

Perhaps I'm getting a bit carried away but it's been a while since the Demons had such a convincing victory but I suspect there will be many more against plastic franchises built on dollars yet lacking in the emotional aspects of the game that money can't buy, a principle no better exemplified than by the emotionless robot who got paid more than anyone else on the day.

 

Melbourne 6.1.37 11.4.70 18.8.116 20.15.135

GWS Giants 5.1.31 6.2.38 6.2.38 9.3.57

Goals

Melbourne Clark Rivers 4 Garland 3 Davey Sylvia 2 Blease, Bate Blease Howe Jamar Trengove

GWS Giants Cameron 3 Wilson 2 Adams Bugg Greene Patton

Best

Melbourne Jones Watts McDonald Bate Grimes Clark

GWS Giants Ward Adams Treloar Shiel Greene McDonald

Injuries

Melbourne Mitch Clark (foot)

GWS Giants Nil

Changes

Melbourne Rohan Bail (concussion) replaced in the selected side by Sam Blease.

GWS Giants Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

GWS Giants Nil

Umpires McBurney, Ryan, Hay

Crowd 20,070 at the MCG

 

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

Featured Content

  • 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.

      • Haha
    • 2 replies
    Demonland

  • AFLW REPORT: Collingwood

    Expectations of a comfortable win for Narrm at Victoria Park quickly evaporated as the match turned into a tense nail-biter. After a confident start by the Demons, the Pies piled on pressure and forced red and blue supporters to hold their collective breath until after the final siren. In a frenetic, physical contest, it was Captain Kate’s clutch last quarter goal and a missed shot from Collingwood’s Grace Campbell after the siren which sealed a thrilling 4-point win. Finally, Narrm supporters could breathe easy.

      • Haha
      • Thanks
    • 2 replies
    Demonland

  • CASEY: Williamstown

    The Casey Demons issued a strong statement to the remaining teams in the VFL race with a thumping 76-point victory in their Elimination Final against Williamstown. This was the sixth consecutive win for the Demons, who stormed into the finals from a long way back with scalps including two of the teams still in flag contention. Senior Coach Taylor Whitford would have been delighted with the manner in which his team opened its finals campaign with high impact after securing the lead early in the game when Jai Culley delivered a precise pass to a lead from Noah Yze, who scored his first of seven straight goals for the day. Yze kicked his second on the quarter time siren, by which time the Demons were already in control. The youngster repeated the dose in the second term as the Seagulls were reduced to mere

    • 0 replies
    Demonland

  • AFLW PREVIEW: Collingwood

    Narrm time isn’t a standard concept—it’s the time within the traditional lands of Narrm, the Woiwurrung name for Melbourne. Indigenous Round runs for rounds 3 and 4 and is a powerful platform to recognise the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in sport, community, and Australian culture. This week, suburban footy returns to the infamous Victoria Park as the mighty Narrm take on the Collingwood Magpies at 1:05pm Narrm time, Sunday 31 August. Come along if you can.

      • Love
      • Thanks
    • 9 replies
    Demonland

  • AFLW REPORT: St. Kilda

    The Dees demolished the Saints in a comprehensive 74-pointshellacking.  We filled our boots with percentage — now a whopping 520.7% — and sit atop the AFLW ladder. Melbourne’s game plan is on fire, and the competition is officially on notice.

      • Clap
      • Like
    • 4 replies
    Demonland

  • REPORT: Collingwood

    It was yet another disappointing outcome in a disappointing year, with Melbourne missing the finals for the second consecutive season. Indeed, it wasn’t even close, as the Demons' tally of seven wins was less than half the number required to rank among the top eight teams in the competition. When the dust of the game settled and supporters reflected on Melbourne's  six-point defeat at the hands of close game specialists Collingwood, Max Gawn's words about his team’s unfulfilled potential rang true … well, almost. 

    • 1 reply
    Demonland
View All

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.