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THE BEST TO LAST by Whispering Jack

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Whoever it was at the AFL who decided to arrange the fixture in such a way that the last game of the home and away season would be a game between the AFLs 15th and 17th placed teams was most likely on the same gear that set Essendon up for a fall this week over the supplements scandal.

This game should have been the jewel in the competitions crown a send-off to the season at twilight with darkening shadows suddenly illuminated by the switching on of lights and possibly a touch of fireworks. The game deserved a match up like Hawthorn v Sydney Swans or even the now dead rubber Essendon v Richmond. They should have left the best to last but instead theyre giving us a matchup between miserable Melbourne and its last victim, the Western Bulldogs.

And we long suffering Demon fans who have been waiting for the season to end quickly since halfway through the second quarter of round two, are made to suffer longer even than the fans of the drug cheats. Beamer would call it karma. I call it !

Nine weeks ago, when the Dees headed them by more than seven goals at the midpoint of the final quarter at the MCG, you might have thought the Bulldogs' fans would be approaching this fixture with a similar mindset.

Not so.

The Doggies have gone through something of an epiphany since that night. First, there was the stirring run of seven unanswered goals that nearly snatched the points from Melbourne. Then they just fell in against GWS at Skoda and they followed that with admirable losses against the Bombers and the Hawks. They beat West Coast at home, troubled the Swans and knocked off Carlton and Adelaide before coming from way back at the Gabba to almost take the points against the in form Lions.

Suddenly, the Bulldog coach Brendan McCartney is a genius and his team is a potential power house of the future.

I don't know about that but what I do know is that the form lines of Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs have diverged remarkably over the past two months as we've drifted aimlessly and without purpose towards the end of the line for 2013 and it doesn't bode well for its prospects of a win this week unless something dramatic occurs between now and the start of the game.

THE GAME

Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at Etihad Stadium Sunday 1 September 2013 at 4.40pm (AEST)

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall: Western Bulldogs 71 wins Melbourne 85 wins 1 draw

At Etihad Stadium: Western Bulldogs 6 wins Melbourne 6 wins

Since 2000: Western Bulldogs 11 wins Melbourne 11 wins

The Coaches: McCartney 0 wins Craig 1 win

MEDIA

TV - Fox Footy Channel Live at 4.30pm

Radio - 3AW SEN ABC

THE BETTING

Western Bulldogs $1.08 to win Melbourne $8.00 to win

LAST TIME THEY MET

Melbourne 15.13.103 defeated Western Bulldogs 15.10.100 at MCG in Round 14, 2013

The Demons controlled the game from early and led by 26 points at ½ time and 39 at ¾ time. Halfway through the final quarter the margin was up to 44 points at which time they put the cue in the rack allowing the fast-finishing Doggies to almost pull the game out of the fire.

The talls in the Demon forward line had a night out with Watts (4), Dawes (3), Howe and Fitzpatrick (2 each) were among the goalkickers.

TEAMS

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Backs Liam Picken Jordan Roughhead Dale Morris

Half backs Robert Murphy Tom Young Daniel Cross

Centreline Adam Cooney Tom Liberatore Matthew Boyd

Half forwards Daniel Giansiracusa Tom Campbell Nathan Hrovat

Forwards Luke Dahlhaus Tory Dickson Jarrad Grant

Followers Will Minson Mitch Wallis Ryan Griffin

Interchange (from) Mark Austin Lachie Hunter Liam Jones Koby Stevens Michael Talia Jason Tutt Easton Wood

In Adam Cooney Nathan Hrovat Liam Jones Michael Talia

Out Dylan Addison

MELBOURNE

Backs Lynden Dunn James Frawley Dean Terlich

Half backs Jack Grimes Tom McDonald Colin Garland

Centreline Jack Viney Jack Trengove Jimmy Toumpas

Half forwards Matt Jones Jack Watts Colin Sylvia

Forwards Dean Kent Chris Dawes Aaron Davey

Followers Jake Spencer Jordie McKenzie Nathan Jones

Interchange Max Gawn Jeremy Howe Neville Jetta Luke Tapscott

Emergencies Rohan Bail James Sellar Rory Taggert

In Max Gawn Neville Jetta

Out Cameron Pedersen David Rodan (knee)

TWO DAYS LATER ...

The news that Melbourne could be close to securing a long-term deal with former Sydney premiership coach Paul Roos came like a bolt out of the blue as the final round of the season was about to begin.

In quick time, the discussion about peptides, the WADA Code and Supreme Court writs was off the table and the focus turned to the real likelihood that the Demons had pulled off a major coup just when everyone was starting to believe the On the Couch co-host's 57 denials made so far this month about having any desire whatsoever to coach a team in the AFL next year.

In one day, the Melbourne community went from contemplating the future under the tutelage of a steady, safe but somewhat boring Rodney Eade to discovering that the said Rocket had given the idea the rocket. Then we heard that another prospect for the coaching gig in Mark "Choco" Williams had been interviewed by the coaching selection panel and that the single word description of how Port Adelaide's premiership coach came across was "interesting". That's code for it didn't turn out as well as expected by one or both sides or "no dice".

Then, just as we thought all was lost and were contemplating the appointment of some third or fourth choice stiff who would be greeted by irate fans threatening to burn down the northern stand, Roosy calmly and deliberately told a national television audience that he was a 50-50 chance of coaching the Demons next year. In football speak that's tantamount to him saying that he had already mapped out the preseason including trips to the Kokoda Track, Arizona and the South Pole, that the coach's desk was being prepared and polished and that the name P. Roos was already being stenciled on an office door at AAMI Park.

The big question from the perspective of someone previewing the game against the Bulldogs is how will the players react to the news? In fact, its the only question to ask about this flakey group of players that has rarely risen above mediocrity over the six months of the current playing season.

There's hardly a player in the team who will not be under the pump to perform knowing that they are playing for a place in the heart of the new coach if not for a position on next year's senior list and this is especially so in the case of out of contract players such as Colin Sylvia (also a free agent) and Jack Watts. Both have the opportunity to leave the club and sign on to play elsewhere in the pursuit of team success at other clubs - success that perhaps a week ago seemed so far out of sight for this club that it didn't matter.

Suddenly, things have changed dramatically and this fixture against the Western Bulldogs takes on some significance for the future of the 22 players who will run out onto a ground where team success has been rare in the past six seasons.

For the first time this year the light at the end of the tunnel is flickering at Melbourne and that's why I think they will walk off the ground having left the best for last.

I'm tipping Melbourne to farewell the old and welcome in the new by winning this otherwise meaningless fixture by 4 points.

 

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