ELEVATOR DRIVER by Whispering Jack

June 15, 201411 yr

"Elevator Driver carry me please

Elevator Driver move

Elevator Driver carry me please

Elevator Driver move

Past the stories of confusion

To my penthouse of illusion,

Elevator Driver" ~ from the song by the Masters Apprentices

Teams, like colours, rise and ebb.

When Melbourne last faced Essendon it was a Saturday night at the MCG early last year and in an atmosphere of helpless desperation they surrendered to an opponent which had something to prove in the wake of the raging supplements scandal.

The mood of the supporters that night was one of anger and loss of hope as the Bombers treated their team to the tune of a 148-point crushing. Callers to late night talk back spoke in agonising terms of how their club and the players had betrayed them - so early in the season, the team was languishing deep in the basement.

A lot happened after that night but the pain would persist throughout a season that saw two coaches come and go with little to enthuse the faithful or give rise to any hope that the team could lift itself out of those depths.

The club needed something or at least someone to take control of its on field fortunes and to start a process whereby it could see some movement forward and upward.

Enter the elevator driver - Paul Roos.

He came to the club, rolled up his sleeves and began to work on its personnel, training and preparation, its tactics, strategy, its psychology and its culture and team philosophy. His advent has not come without controversy or criticism as was seen last week from the output of some of the more hysterical types in the media who were lashing the emphasis on defence which saw the team struggle to score goals in the final quarter and a half against Collingwood on Queens Birthday.

Never mind that playing ugly has already seen Roos coach such ducklings and transform them quickly into premiership Swans in another time.

Never mind that against Essendon, Roos' team was so defensive in mindset that it conceded 14 inside 50s before going into its own attacking circle and were goalless at quarter time - it's second consecutive term without a major score.

Never mind because the Demons plugged away, hustling and bustling and thanks to the sterling play of those defenders, led by Lynden Dunn, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta, Col Garland and co dominating in the opposition's half, they had stayed within striking distance.

Their efforts were reinforced by the efforts of Jordie McKenzie and Daniel Cross who had specific jobs to do, the Demon defence forced Essendon to butcher the ball under pressure, miss goals and targets and more importantly expend vital energy reserves in moving across the field to counter Melbourne's new found style.

And so despite falling behind by 33 points by early in the second half, Melbourne was able to lift its game to the top floor.

Inspired by the indefatigable leadership of Nathan Jones, the rising talents of Dom Tyson and Jack Viney, the experience and class of Bernie Vince and on a wave of power ruckwork from Mark Jamar, the turnaround came and the Demons struck the unsuspecting Bombers in the heart.

Taking over in the midfield, the opportunities started presenting to the forwards who all played their part and in the end, a couple of unlikely young heroes in Dean Kent and Christian Salem played their part in bringing down the Bombers and signalling another move upward for their club.

And you can put it all down to great team effort and another small triumph for the elevator operator.

Melbourne 0.3.3 3.3.21 7.6.48 12.6.78

Essendon 2.4.16 5.12.42 8.12.60 10.17.77

Goals

Melbourne Kent Frawley Pedersen Watts 2 Grimes N Jones Salem Vince

Essendon Zaharakis 4 Ambrose Chapman Daniher Goddard Merrett Ryder

Best

Melbourne Dunn N Jones Viney Pederson Jamar Tyson

Essendon Zaharakis Goddard Heppell Hibberd Carlisle Ambrose

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Essendon Fletcher replaced in the selected side by Kavanaugh