HELP by The Oracle

I don't think it's co-incidence that Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney this week joined Michael Voss in opposing AFL draft assistance for the Melbourne Football Club which has been struggling to be competitive on the field for years. Clubs like the Demons, the Bulldogs and the Lions, have had to battle in recent seasons to rebuild through drafts compromised by the introduction of Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney.

McCartney and Voss are also aware that a priority selection given to Melbourne in this year's draft would cause their clubs to each drop one place further down the picking order so there's an altruistic aspect to their opposition.

The Bulldogs finished in the top four as recently as 2010 while the Lions were finallists in 2009. Since then both clubs have headed south on the ladder but they haven't hit rock bottom like Melbourne. They ignore the fact that Melbourne's troubles have persisted longer and are far deeper in effect than those of their clubs. They ignore the fact that a weaker Melbourne can only damage the financial position of the AFL and the welfare of all clubs going into the future. The truth is that it makes sense to look after the weak.

In McCartney's case, with a list that has many players who are aging with limited time left in the game, it's not particularly forward-looking for him to shun the possibility of AFL assistance. His club already gets significant financial assistance and without the salary cap and the draft his club would be dead in the water. He might well require some additional draft assistance if he can't adequately fill the void that will occur at the Western Oval over the next year or two when the likes of Robert Murphy and co call it a day.

McCartney's little dig at this week's opponent might be strategic in the short term, but I see more hope for Melbourne in the future than for the Western Bulldogs.

Almost exactly two years ago, these clubs fought out a life and death game at Etihad Stadium. Back then, the window was closing for the under-performing Dogs at the end of the Rodney Eade era while the Demons were an outside chance of making the finals under Dean Bailey. It was a must win game for the up and down pretenders whose hopes were dashed by the pressure exerted by the Western Bulldogs' experience. The false dawn expired that day with an 11 goal defeat and was destroyed utterly four weeks later by a far bigger margin at Skilled Stadium. The team that had been wracked by "bruise-free" was about to be finished off by internal dissension and politics. It also wasn't good enough, fit enough or strong enough and while this was all recognised by Mark Neeld, the core issues were never fully addressed and the situation of the team worsened.

There's now yet another rebuild afoot at Melbourne where there does exist a well of as yet untapped talent which needs to be supplemented in the short term to maintain competitiveness while they develop. A mini draft along the lines of the GWS model would help without necessarily changing another club's draft position.

The first signs of an easing of the pressure were evident against St. Kilda under the stewardship of Neil Craig last week.However, given that the team is still bedeviled by injuries to so many important and key players, I can't see them beating the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, but irrespective of whether or not the Demons receive AFL draft assistance this year, I expect them to leap past this week's opposition in the near future, beyond which I wonder what Brendan McCartney will do if his club finds itself in need of help.

THE GAME

Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at MCG Saturday 29 June 2013 at 7.40pm (AEST)

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall: Melbourne 83 wins Western Bulldogs 71 wins 1 draw

At MCG: Melbourne 43 wins Western Bulldogs 26wins

Since 2000: Melbourne 10 wins Western Bulldogs 11 wins

The Coaches: Craig 0 wins McCartney 0 wins

MEDIA

TV Fox Sports 3

Radio SEN ABC

THE BETTING Melbourne to win $4.60 Western Bulldogs $1.20

LAST TIME THEY MET

Western Bulldogs 13.10.88 defeated Melbourne 9.13.67 at MCG in Round 4, 2012

The Dees were in it from go to whoa and might have been closer late in the game but for the demise of an in form Mitch Clark who went for a hanger and landed on his head. The Doggies managed to hold tight and run out winners by 21 points.

TEAMS

MELBOURNE

Backs Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Dean Terlich

Half backs Tom McDonald James Frawley Mitch Clisby

Centreline Jimmy Toumpas Jack Trengove Matt Jones

Half forwards Aaron Davey Chris Dawes Sam Blease

Forwards Jack Fitzpatrick Jack Watts David Rodan

Followers Max Gawn Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones

Interchange Shannon Byrnes Jeremy Howe Dean Kent Daniel Nicholson

Emergencies James Magner Cam Pedersen James Sellar

In Max Gawn James Frawley

Out Cam Pedersen Jake Spencer (suspended)

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Backs Jason Johannisen Jordan Roughead Nick Lower

Half backs Clay Smith Michael Talia Dale Morris

Centreline Jackson Macrae Adam Cooney Ryan Griffen

Half forwards Robert Murphy Jake Stringer Hunter

Forwards Tory Dickson Liam Jones Luke Dahlhaus

Followers Will Minson Matthew Boyd Tom Liberatore

Interchange Ayce Cordy Daniel Giansiracusa Nathan Hrovat Mitchell Wallis

Emergencies Dylan Addison Daniel Cross Tom Young

In Ayce Cordy Tory Dickson Mitchell Wallis

Out Goodes (wrist) Lukas Markovic Liam Picken

SISTER ACT by The Oracle

Its great that the AFL has got behind the women and for these ladies to be given the opportunity and even more special, for my sister to play in the red and blue is something thatll always sit pretty high in our memories of the Davey family.

By late Saturday night, it will have been a big weekend for the Davey family.

Alwyn Davey has already notched up a win with the Bombers over in Perth. Sister Bronwyn, will play in Melbournes inaugural womens team against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Saturday night and a win in that game should be a given with her family talent, the partipation of Demonlands own Jasmine Garner and the first ever AFL womens number 1 draft pick Daisy Pearce.

With that sort of quality, I expect the Demons to have little trouble in overcoming the dishlickers from out west.

Inaugural Womens Clash

Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs

Saturday 29 June 2013, 5:10pm

Venue: MCG

We saw some improvement last week and there's more to come with the return of James Frawley and Max Gawn.

I'm tipping a close, hard-fought struggle with the Bulldogs scraping home purely thanks to the superiority and experience of the likes of Boyd, Cooney, Griffin, Murphy and 2013 super sub Giansiracusa. Together, I expect these players to give the Dogs midfield dominance over Melbourne. That fleeting dominance will be gone soon and once that happens, their club will be desperate and in need of the help it now seeks to deny others.

Western Bulldogs by 21 points (but enjoy it while you can).