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THE BUBBLE by JVM

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Now that the Melbourne "bubble" has burst after that hammering it took from Fremantle last Sunday, the fans are wondering how the team will respond.

Will the Demons come back from the thrashing in the same way that the young Western Bulldogs did in the aftermath of the 70 point debacle meted out by Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium in Round 3 or will they slip into their collective shells and allow their season to descend back into the mire they have inhabited for the best part of a decade?

Well, the answer will be known as early as next Saturday night when Melbourne plays the shaky Sydney Swans at the MCG. I say "shaky" because after winning their first three games of the season, they have uncharacteristically lost successive games to in form clubs Fremantle and the Bulldogs.

The Swans have travelled extensively so far this season and have also played games in heavy conditions such as last Saturday at the boggy SCG. They are a very good team that many believe to be strongly in contention for a top four berth and they are also vulnerable but it remains to be seen whether the Demons have the necessary ammunition to take advantage of that vulnerability given how their on ballers were taken apart by the Dockers and the Swans midfield division at full strength is only marginally less formidable.

My final lament is that Paul Roos was a fantastic coach at the Sydney Swans and imbued that club with a great footy culture which one hopes will be emulated during his stay at Melbourne but I wish that some of the Swans players would only have followed the lead of the lads up at Gold Coast and gotten on the turps during the week. Instead, they have what is virtually a full list to select their team this week.

THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney Swans at the MCG Saturday 9 May 2015 at 7.20p.m

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 92 wins Sydney Swans 109 wins 2 drawn

At MCG Melbourne 49 wins Sydney Swans 41 wins 2 drawn

Last 5 meetings Melbourne 0 wins Sydney Swans 4 wins 1 drawn

The Coaches Roos 0 wins Longmire 1 win

MEDIA

TV - Channel 7 Fox Sports 3 at 7:00pm (live)

RADIO - Triple M 3AW

THE BETTING

Melbourne $5.05 to win Sydney Swans $1.17 to win

THE LAST TIME THEY MET Sydney Swans 9.15.69 defeated Melbourne 5.9.39 in Round 6, 2014 at the MCG.

The Demons managed to hold Buddy Franklin in check although the Swans' star might have had his head elsewhere a day after stacking his girlfriend's car but the Sydney midfield was in control and gradually wore down and then overwhelmed the home side.

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B: Colin Garland Tom McDonald Jeremy Howe

HB: Christian Salem Lynden Dunn Heritier Lumumba

C: Jimmy Toumpas Bernie Vince Daniel Cross

HF: Jeff Garlett Jesse Hogan Jay Kennedy-Harris

F: Cameron Pedersen Chris Dawes Angus Brayshaw

FOLL: Jake Spencer Nathan Jones Dom Tyson

I/C: Ben Newton Billy Stretch Aaron Vandenberg Jack Watts

EMG: Rohan Bail Jack Fitzpatrick Mark Jamar

IN: Chris Dawes Jake Spencer Billy Stretch Jimmy Toumpas

OUT: Jack Grimes Mark Jamar Jordie McKenzie Viv Michie (all omitted)

NEW: Billy Stretch (Glenelg, SA)

SYDNEY SWANS

B: Nick Smith Ted Richards Rhyce Shaw

HB: Jeremy Laidler Heath Grundy Lewis Jetta

C: Jarrad McVeigh Josh P. Kennedy Dane Rampe

HF: Gary Rohan Lance Franklin Dan Hannebery

F: Luke Parker Kurt Tippett Sam Reid

FOLL: Mike Pyke Kieren Jack Tom Mitchell

I/C: Adam Goodes Isaac Heeney Jake Lloyd Ben McGlynn

EMG: Craig Bird Harry Cunningham Dean Towers

IN: Isaac Heeney Ben McGlynn Sam Reid

​OUT: Craig Bird Harry Cunningham Dean Towers

In the competitive environment that is the AFL today, no game is an easy one but the Pink Lady game against the Sydney Swans is one of a trio of consecutive tough contests for the Melbourne Football Club. Fremantle, Sydney and Hawthorn are in most people's estimation the AFL's top four contenders for this year's flag - the other, Port Adelaide looms not all that far away either.

As in most sports, an emerging competitor will get the most out of playing against stronger opponents and in this respect, the Demons have a lot to gain out of this three week run. Last week, Freo was too strong and there's no way you can take much home from an 11 goal pounding. True, Melbourne was once again poor in front of goals but the reality was that it was Fremantle's pressure that often caused the mistakes and the pressure was generated initially by that powerful on ball division.

This week there will be no respite because, although the Swans might not have an Aaron Sandilands or a Nathan Fyfe, they're not all that far behind and of course, they have those twin towers in Franklin and Tippett to capitalise on a winning midfield.

The Demons were down at the coal face last week with a significantly lower possession count in the middle of the ground suggesting they were well beaten at the stoppages and also around the ground where they were often outpaced. This week's team selection seems to be aimed at rectifying this.

Mark Jamar's omission appears to be a combination of preservation of the team's leading ruckman and a reward for the boundless enthusiasm of Jake Spencer who has been out of the game for a full season after single handedly carrying the rucks in the early part of 2015. Chris Dawes was need to provide the foil for young Jesse Hogan, forced last week to do all the hard forward line work on his own. Billy Stretch and Jimmy Toumpas will add some run on the outside although I anticipate that Stretch will be eased into the game as a sub.

There will be some great match ups in this game with Tom McDonald v Lance Franklin looming as a real beauty but Melbourne will have a tough task to win in enough positions to cause an upset and I think it will fall short.

Sydney Swans by 25 points.

 

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