SNAPSHOT by Whispering Jack

[Demonland 73,140]

It was reported on the Demons website during the week that Melbourne coach Mark Neeld said that in last week's game against Carlton his team displayed a glimpse of its future.

Certainly, at times, there were snapshots of the way that were moving our football club forward absolutely no question, he said.

There was a snapshot there lets enjoy the journey and get on board with these young boys.

The boys who took the field on the weekend, Ive got a feeling that theyre going to be around for quite a while.

This comes on the back of a 61 point defeat in which Carlton doubled Melbourne's score and, apart from the first 8½ minutes, the Blues were well in control of the game.

The basis of the glimpse into future claim stems from the raw statistic of games played by the players making up the respective sides. Carlton not only doubled Melbourne's score but it also had almost double the number of games in its players' legs (more than double once Demon co-captain Jack Grimes broke his collarbone and had to be subbed off for first gamer Dean Kent). They fielded a team featuring 1109 games experience to the Blues 2165.

With eight players coming away from the game with 68 games in total, the lack of experience was plainly obvious and, while that group contained a couple of tall lads, the deficiency in size and physical strength was a clear factor that enabled Carlton to break away at any time it looked as if there was a remote threat to the five goal lead it had developed in a short time during the first quarter (and yet the lead was just a little over six goals at one stage early in the last).

The eight players and their games played were:

■ James Strauss (19)

■ Jake Spencer (17)

■ Michael Evans (8)

■ Max Gawn (7)

■ Matt Jones (6)

■ Dean Terlich (5)

■ Jack Viney (5)

■ Dean Kent (1)

Neeld, himself lacking in coaching experience with less than 30 games under his belt, has constantly raised the inexperience factor in explaining his team's slow development and poor results over his tenure but we live in times when immediate results are the order of the day and Ken Hinkley is showing him up over at Port Adelaide with a 5-1 win loss record at an equally inexperienced club.

On Sunday, the moment of truth will arrive. The Gold Coast Suns are also inexperienced although they do have the best player in the competition and a man whose skills and ability overshadow all else that will be on the field of play.

As a young coach Neeld has had to contend with far more than most would on entering this most demanding profession and although his toughest assignment has always been the need to turn around what for want of a better description has become a dysfunctional culture at the club after years of incompetence in the areas of recruiting, player development and coaching, he faces the prospect of being eaten up by the very same culture if his team is unable to match it with a team of equally experienced counterparts.

In the absence of Jack Grimes for several weeks due to his injury and in light of Jack Trengove's form slump, Nathan Jones has been given a co-captain's role. He has already shown great leadership without the captain tag and he has big shoulders. One hopes that he can continue to lead by the example of endeavour and strength he has routinely shown through the dark times, as otherwise, the critics will continue to harp on and call for his coach's head.

It doesn't seem to be fair that a coach should not be given time to see his plan through but thats the AFL for you. If Neelds team is unable to show some more concrete and definite signs of moving forward, the jungle drums will keep on beating and the calls for a replacement coach will continue to be heard more loudly. The snapshot of the future might be a very ugly one for the coach and his players a little after 7.00pm on Sunday.

THE GAME Melbourne v Gold Coast at the MCG Sunday 12 May 2013 at 4.40pm.

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 3 wins Gold Coast 0 wins

MCG Melbourne 2 wins Gold Coast 0 wins

Since 2000 Melbourne 3 wins Gold Coast 0 wins

The Coaches Neeld 1 win McKenna 0 wins

MEDIA

TV Fox Footy Channel (live)

Radio ABC

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Melbourne 16.12.108 defeated Gold Coast Suns 9.12.66 in round 19, 2012 at the MCG.

The Demons had a great opening term booting six unanswered goals and spent the rest of the time coasting to win by 42 points, Brad Green booted five goals and Jeremy Howe and Nathan Jones had field days against an opposition that only had two performers you know who and Harley Bennell.

THE BETTING

Melbourne $2.10 to win Gold Coast $1.77 to win

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

Backs Lynden Dunn James Frawley Dean Terlich
Half backs Daniel Nicholson Tom McDonald Colin Garland
Centreline Rohan Bail Jack Viney Matthew Jones
Half forwards Jeremy Howe Chris Dawes Colin Sylvia
Forwards Luke Tapscott Max Gawn Shannon Byrnes
Followers Jake Spencer Michael Evans Nathan Jones
Interchange Dean Kent Jordie McKenzie James Strauss James Sellar
Emergencies Aaron Davey Troy Davis David Rodan

In Chris Dawes James Sellar

Out Jack Grimes (collar bone) Jack Trengove (calf)

GOLD COAST SUNS

Backs Trent McKenzie Tom Murphy Sam Day
Half backs David Swallow Rory Thompson Broughton
Centreline Matthew Shaw Gary Ablett Harbrow
Half forwards: Harley Bennell Tom Lynch Jesse Lonergan
Forwards Brandon Matera Steven May Aaron Hall
Followers Zac Smith Jaeger OMeara Dion Prestia
Interchange Jarrod Brennan Campbell Brown Jack Hutchins Danny Stanley
Emergencies Clay Cameron Luke Russell Tim Sumner

In Campbell Brown Jack Hutchins Steven May

Out Charlie Dixon (ankle) Karmichael Hunt (hamstring) Michael Rischitelli

BLUEY'S BLOOPER

Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna is fortunate he's coaching where he's so far out of the public gaze that he doesn't have to put up with eagle-eyed critics who dwell on his every word looking for inconsistencies to justify why he should be sacked.

Earlier this week, he was quoted in the Herald Sun as saying it was unlikely that Campbell Brown would be rushed back into the Suns' line-up now that his six match suspension had come to an end. Bluey said his team was already carrying a few bodies struggling to get through a full game and to bring Brown straight back for the clash with Melbourne might be "a risk too far".

When Brown was selected on Thursday might, there was a suggestion on the Courier Mail website that he was included to rough up the young Demons but that story has mysteriously disappeared and in it's place is one that says Brown's inclusion was "to shock underperforming pair Brandon Matera and Aaron Hall into action".

Make of this what you will but it seems to me that the Suns' coach is in a state of panic and is already waving the white flag. His team had the opportunity of a lifetime to knock off the injury-riddled Dockers on their own home turf last week but they were brushed off like flies. Now, he has completely compromised his principles and resorted to the desperate act of picking a veteran coming off no match practice to throw his weight around.

That's the attitude of a loser who must be dreading the thought of losing the one ace he has up his sleeve in the form of Gary Ablett Junior without who his team might as well not turn up on Sunday evening against the Demons.

Ablett has been under an injury cloud for several weeks and my mail is that he's been close to being rested for a mystery ailment. It's likely that he will come up against an in form Lynden Dunn, who despite the distraction of having a mum who rings up talk back radio, has returned from injury in ripping form. After a top game on comeback as a defender in the VFL, he took Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd apart last week, keeping him down to just 13 touches and drastically limiting his effectiveness around the ground (pity about the rest of the Blues' midfield). Dunn has shown he has the mongrel to take on his second Brownlow Medal winning opponent in consecutive weeks and if he succeeds there will be plenty of people, including the bookies, with egg on their faces this week.

I can't for the life of me work out why people are throwing their money away by betting against Melbourne on the strength of the omission through injury of the co-captains. Jack Grimes was always going to be an "out" and Jack Trengove contributed only six touches against Carlton. Meanwhile, the Suns have lost their top goalkicker Dixon, one of the few matchwinners in their history in Hunt and Michael Rischitelli who was dropped but has always proved a bit of a thorn in the side for the Demons.

Melbourne gains Chris Dawes to add to its forward line where it was undermanned badly last week and James Sellar as a back up who performed well there in the pre season.

This is a perfect opportunity for the team to reload on confidence and I'm looking for some break out performances from players like James Strauss and Luke Tapscott who are ready to step up a notch.

Melbourne by 55 points.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

The Demons vs The Suns Round 7, 2013 – Team Stats

Total Games Played

Demons - 1,097
Suns – 1,325

Games Average
Demons - 50
Suns – 60

Height Average
Demons - 187.7cm
Suns – 187.8cm

Weight Average
Demons - 88.7kg
Suns – 87.4kg

Age Average
Demons - 23.5
Power – 22.9

Number of players by category

0-49 Games
Demons - 14/19.5 (number of players/average games played)
Power - 16/27.9

50-99 Games
Demons - 3/72.3
Power - 1/73.0

100+ Games
Demons – 5/121.4
Power – 5/161.0

Stats courtesy of footywire.com

Edited May 11, 2013 by Rusty Nails

[hells bells 2,023]

Far more confident than I jack...