THE HOWE JONES INDEX by Mean Gene

After yet another torrid week in a difficult year for the Melbourne Football Club, the Demons stocks climbed and eventually hit the roof. It started before the game when it was announced that leadership group member Nathan Jones, a certainty to be club champion this year and high flying Jeremy Howe had both signed on for the next three years.

Then, when the team ran out onto the ground, the newly signed duo set the example for their team mates and they blew their opponents off the field. In that respect, they had set the Howe Jones Football Index and it was mostly upward and positive after their club had received a whacking in the media, most of it undeserved and some of it based on sheer malevolence from persons with an agenda against the club, its board and its officialdom.

In the early moments of the game we saw Howe, who is better known for his hangers, setting the example by shepherding perfectly for a team mate (he would keep the best of his highflying exploits for later in the game). Jones was burrowing into packs and laying tackles with as much, if not more, impact than his more celebrated chrome down counterpart from the opposition. Their example and the effect of their efforts told on the scoreboard as the team snuffed out the young Gold Coast Suns with six unanswered first quarter goals to take an unassailable forty point lead into the first break. It was a smashing of a first quarter and even the unlikely Jake Spencer joined in the festivities with his first ever AFL goal (in his first ever winning match after almost four seasons), albeit after a fifty metre penalty!

It's true that, after that first quarter, the plucky Gold Coast Suns with Gary Ablett Junior and Harley Bennell on fire, managed to limit Melbourne's ascendency even as its men were going down like flies, it was still a big win for the home side even if it couldn't shut up the critics in the media who made no concession whatsoever for the depleted nature of a team that went into the weekend with more than a third of its list, 16 players, unavailable.

Despite that fact, had they lost this match, it would have been odds on that those baying for blood last week would have been on automatic pilot droning on ad nauseum about the club's culture.

Make no mistake about it, this was no classic contest in the mould of Friday night's epic between Geelong and Hawthorn but, for the Melbourne faithful starved of success for so long, it was good to see their team lead from go to whoa for once. Brad Green shrugged off his horror start to the season and demonstrated that he had not lost his ability to snag the goals and Lynden Dunn played a sterling game in defence proving that forwards can move back without raising suspicious eyebrows. Colin Sylvia is also returning to the sort of form expected of him and his strong marking and contribution to the goal tally were welcome after some of his earlier disappointments. The skippers are also raising their own personal bars with every week and I expect that the real benefits of the brave decision to give such young men the responsibility of leadership will bring its own dividends in the years to come.

In the end, it was Howe again who soared over a pack and took his latest mark of the day for the highlights reel. The resulting goal saw the Howe Jones Football Index rise another notch.

Melbourne 6.6.42 10.7.67 13.8.86 16.12.108

Gold Coast 0.2.2 4.5.29 5.9.39 9.12.66

Goals

Melbourne Green 5 Blease Sylvia 2 Bail Howe Rivers Sellar Spencer Tapscott Trengove

Gold Coast Bennell 4 Ablett Brennan Lynch Rischitelli Russell

Best

Melbourne Howe Jones Green Grimes Dunn Sylvia

Gold Coast Bennell Ablett Harbrow Swallow Shaw

Injuries

Melbourne Morton (shoulder)

Gold Coast Hunt (shoulder) Prestia (hamstring) Rischitelli (knee) Russell (shoulder) Smith (ankle)

Changes

Melbourne McKenzie (knee) replaced in selected side by Magner

Gold Coast Stanley (shoulder) replaced in selected side by Weller

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Gold Coast Nil

Umpires Schmitt B Ryan H Ryan

Crowd 18,097 at MCG

My reaction to this is pretty much the same as it has been the last few weeks, because we've played the same way. The only variable is the quality of the opposition.

I'm grateful for the win. Still can't wait for this season to end.

What a disgraceful display of AFL footy that game was.

But finally the Spencil gets a win.

Melbourne dominated GCS in the first quarter and should've been in front even further! i felt GCS had the better of us after 1/2 time but they were extremely wasteful!

I will take any win at the moment. Go Dees

My hopes for gysberts have faded slightly

My hopes for gysberts have faded slightly

He's just far too skinny and probably still not fit.

I thought it was ok in that at times we were able to kick to and hit up the uncontested player. the lack of pressure was telling.

The highlights for me for us were the performances of Jones, Green, Sylvia, Howe, McDonald, Grimes, Trengove and Blease. Strauss looks like he can kick too.

The low points for me was probably Bail's continual choosing to kick for a goal rather than pass of to other free forwards. You normally dont back yourself when you keep missing and Green was free...

After quarter time we won 66 to 64. Hardly convincing.

Pathetic when they had two players unable to take the field PLUS Rischitelli and Hunt were heavily injured and virtually ineffective.

Don't get carried away with this win. There were some good signs but we played like crap after quarter time. Not sure what the rotations were - where can I find that??

Gysberts had no impact.

At least we seem to have overcome our sleepy first quarters, now if we can just get to the other 3....

Walls giving the votes

Bennell (GC) 3

Ablett 2 votes

Green 1 vote

What a joke he is. They were good but when does a losing side get the best two players??

Jeremy Howe, I cant remember any other forward for us or any other club ever who can constantly take speckies like this guy.....averaging about 2 or 3 a game..... worth going to the footy just to watch him.

He just hates the Dees like Denham and a few others.

BTW - its official almost - Primus gawn!!

What I like about Howe is that over the course of the year he has continued to do what he does best - take good contested marks - some amazing ones, but he has also improved the other sides of his game - his disposal and his decision making under pressure. He's a quality player.

Gysberts had no impact.

Be fair - had some major injuries.

I, too, am concerned by his lack of size but he has sustained a broken ankle and a broken jaw.

He must play all the remaining games and start eating plenty of steaks around Chrissy time.

Walls giving the votes

Bennell (GC) 3

Ablett 2 votes

Green 1 vote

What a joke he is. They were good but when does a losing side get the best two players??

I only listened on radio, but it sounded like Ablett was dominant early (and not surprisingly, given the quizzical decision to put Morton on him), but faded dramatically when Magner came on.

No argument over Harley for BOG, but you usually have to pretty special to feature in the best in a losing side.

Walls giving the votes

Bennell (GC) 3

Ablett 2 votes

Green 1 vote

What a joke he is. They were good but when does a losing side get the best two players??

Why the hell would you take football advice from a wall?

I only listened on radio, but it sounded like Ablett was dominant early (and not surprisingly, given the quizzical decision to put Morton on him), but faded dramatically when Magner came on.

No argument over Harley for BOG, but you usually have to pretty special to feature in the best in a losing side.

Neeld had to see whether Morton has the hunger and discipline to play AFL footy at the MFC.

Unfortunately, Morton got injured - his days could be numbered.

Take the four points, but a very disappointing second half. That was not a four quarter performance despite that assertion from the commentators and Neeld himself.

Highlights for me:

Bennell and Ablett for GC. Abletts A grade class, Bennell will be the same soon.

Tom McDonald (a rare highlight this year) and Nathan Jones.

Green's 4 goals were a nice touch but its his final year iMO. Great servant of MFC but its over and I hope he enjoyed the easy pickings.

The poor quality of the opposition makes it hard to enthuse about much else. Terrible standard of football

Neeld had to see whether Morton has the hunger and discipline to play AFL footy at the MFC.

Unfortunately, Morton got injured - his days could be numbered.

More like trying to give him some currency on the trade table.

Edited August 5, 201212 yr by Norm Smith's Curse

Highlights for me:

Bennell and Ablett for GC. Abletts A grade class, Bennell will be the same soon.

Tom McDonald (a rare highlight this year) and Nathan Jones.

Green's 4 goals were a nice touch but its his final year iMO. Great servant of MFC but its over and I hope he enjoyed the easy pickings.

The poor quality of the opposition makes it hard to enthuse about much else. Terrible standard of football

pretty sure Green got 5 and I think he'll stay.

Walls giving the votes

Bennell (GC) 3

Ablett 2 votes

Green 1 vote

What a joke he is. They were good but when does a losing side get the best two players??

Yes. Ablett and Bennell were head and shoulders above anyone else on the ground. Shows how much the other players provided to GC.