ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST by George On The Outer

The 2014 Demons have just let another winnable game slip by, and their chances of showing some real outcome from the work put in just bit the dust.

Again!

Like the St.Kilda game and maybe the game against Gold Coast, this was one which was 100% within reach of a positive result. Just that little more was needed. It didn't take too much to work out that it would come down to the wire, even in the first quarter.

Yet, once again we were let down by the passengers in the side, and the half-hearted efforts again from the usual offenders. Not that these failures were in the last ten minutes of the game, the opportunities to do something which would change the result happened in all the previous quarters. And once again, do these people REALLY think the fans don't notice, when they are on full public display, and in full view of the circumstances?

There will have been much written about Byrnes on the Demonland site yet again, but how he gets a game week in and out is simply beyond comprehension. Especially, when slightly flawed, unwilling or underdone players have to put in the hard yards at Casey before they qualify for a recall.

We dare not speak of the umpires..they didn't affect the overall result. But the sheer lack of control and willingness to pay free kicks when they were blatently obvious was a real blight on the game. Not a single holding the ball (incorrect disposal) call was made all night. Even the Jack Watts call was called a throw. And don't get me started about how Dean Terlich could be taken from the ground with concussion, having spent five minutes lying prostrate on the ground, and was not awarded a whistle in his favour. It is even more reprehensible that these flannelled fools continued on, while a player was in serious trouble, and the ball was not in play!

It's about time the umpire's director stopped assuming that NOT making a call is a good thing. It is exactly why we see rolling mauls in our game, and a good reason why people will stop coming. A visitor to the game would have been mistaken for thinking they had arrived at the wrong stadium, as Storm were playing just across the road at the same time.

The positives:

There certainly were some. Mark Jamar was simply magnificent against the bigger bodied Will Minson. He got no assistance from the umpires ( sorry had to mention them again) as Minson infringed at every centre bounce, either across the line or jumping into Mark. Without him the situation would have been a lot worse, considering the higher quality mid-field that the Dogs had available.

Dom Tyson was another standout, and showed everyone who thought recruiting him to be a risky option as totally wrong. With only 30 games under his belt, he will be a serious long-term asset to the team.

Chris Dawes once again showed the value of the big body up forward. Not just for his marking capabilities, but his ability to generate an opportunity because he attacks the ball when it is in his area. Sadly others could learn from this approach, as standing around the edges of packs hoping someone else can do the hard yards is not a winning football formula.

Daniel Cross was another who put in a magnificent performance against his old side. And he was ably assisted by the young and now famous Jack Viney. Again, we are developing a good solid base of capable mids, and taking the pressure off Nathan Jones.

Yes we fluffed another chance. With just a LITTLE more effort from some ( just some), the team could have doubled its number of wins for the season, and indeed that of the 2013 season! Thats what is so frustrating for the fans in the Outer. We can see the chances, we can see what is being squandered. The season will not get easier, as we now enter the harder phase both physicall and with the draw. There will be less to build on, so we should have built early.

Melbourne 2.2.14 5.5.35 10.6.66{b] 12.11.83

Western Bulldogs 3.2.20 5.7.37 9.7.61 15.9.99

Goals

Melbourne Frawley Kennedy-Harris Tyson 2 Cross Dawes Jamar Pedersen Salem Vince

Western Bulldogs Crameri 4 Williams 3 Liberatore Tutt 2 Cooney Giansiracusa Griffen Minson.

Best

Melbourne Cross, Tyson, Vince, N.Jones, McDonald, Viney,

Western Bulldogs Liberatore Griffen Crameri Cooney Williams Dahlhaus Wood Johannissen

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Western Bulldogs Nil

Injuries

Melbourne Frawley (right thigh), Terlich (concussion)

Western Bulldogs Dickson (left shoulder), Williams (right calf)

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Western Bulldogs Nil

Umpires Fleer Stevic Stevens

Attendance 36,326 at the MCG.