Jump to content

MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM SELECTION - Round 10


Demonland

Recommended Posts

THE BEAST by Whispering Jack

This weekend the football world will recognise the man who was the last coach to take the Demons to a finals appearance (not to mention a win over Collingwood on Queens Birthday) with the Big Freeze at the "G" event to raise awareness of and funds for a cure for motor neurone disease, an affliction which Neale Daniher suffers. The cause is a worthy one and the clubs involved in this weekend's blockbuster game are to be commended for throwing their efforts behind the objective of finding a cure for the "beast".

And when the game begins and hopefully a massive sum has been raised for MND research, the fans of this club which Daniher coached to finals appearances and one grand final for almost a decade can be a part of the search to cure their own club's "beast", an affliction that has wracked the club since his last days at the helm.

Since Daniher's departure, the club has been in a constant cycle of disastrous and failed attempts to rebuild with few glimpses of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Even with the arrival of new coach Paul Roos and the advent of some bright young talent, the ride continues to be a bumpy one as attested by the season's record to date of three wins and six defeats and a poor percentage. The anomaly is that five of those losses have been against clubs that occupy the top eight and the other was against a team that came within a whisker of making last year's grand final. One of the wins was over a current top eight side; another against a team just outside. In a competition where the fixture is engineered to give the lower sides a decent draw, Melbourne has played only once against a club occupying the current bottom seven spots on the ladder. The Demons can't even win the luck of the draw because this week they're up against fourth placed Collingwood.

They are also a team that shows all of the signs of a young team with some promise, exhibiting growing pains and carrying baggage from its unsuccessful recent past. One of those signs is inconsistency. The gap between the team's best and its worst is a gaping chasm and one has no clue as to which side of its persona will emerge at the long weekend.

That is the nature of the Beast.

THE GAME

Melbourne v Collingwood at MCG Monday 8 June 2015 at 3.20pm (AEST)

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 79 wins Collingwood 145 wins 5 drawn

At the MCG Melbourne 59 wins Collingwood 78 wins 3 drawn

Last Five Meetings Melbourne 0 wins Collingwood 4 wins 1 drawn

The Coaches: Roos 0 wins Buckley 1 win

MEDIA

TV Channel 7 Fox Footy Channel (Live at 3.00pm)

Radio Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand

THE BETTING

Melbourne $ 3.55 to win Collingwood $1.30 to win

LAST TIME THEY MET

Collingwood 8.13.61 defeated Melbourne 3.10.28 at MCG in Round 12, 2014

Melbourne lost by only 33 points but it was an excruciatingly painful game to watch. The Demons kicked a goal in the first minute and only two more for the afternoon in a defensive slog but were well in the game until late in the third quarter when an umpiring slip and some skill errors gave the Pies the upper hand. In spite of all that, honours for best on the ground went to Demon Bernie Vince.

TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B: Colin Garland, Tom McDonald, Jack Fitzpatrick

HB: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta

C: Daniel Cross, Aaron vandenBerg, Heritier Lumumba

HF: Ben Newton, Cam Pedersen, Jack Viney

F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Aidan Riley

FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince

I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Matt Jones, Jimmy Toumpas, Jack Watts

EMG: Jack Grimes, Viv Michie, Jake Spencer

IN: Max Gawn, Ben Newton, Aidan Riley

OUT: Rohan Bail, Jack Grimes, Jake Spencer (all omitted)

COLLINGWOOD

B: Tom Langdon, Nathan Brown, Marley Williams

HB: Alan Toovey, Jack Frost, Tyson Goldsack

C: Travis Varcoe, Dane Swan, Paul Seedsman

HF: Jamie Elliott, Jesse White, Steele Sidebottom

F: Alex Fasolo, Travis Cloke, Jarryd Blair

FOLL: Brodie Grundy, Jack Crisp, Scott Pendlebury

I/C: Tim Broomhead, Jordan De Goey, Adam Oxley, Jarrod Witts

EMG: Sam Dwyer, Ben Kennedy, Brayden Maynard

IN: Tim Broomhead

OUT: Taylor Adams (toe)

Neale Daniher spoke to the Melbourne players again this week.

Perhaps there's not a lot of logic behind what I'm about to suggest but I believe that the last time Daniher spoke to this group, they got up and played possibly their best game of the season against the Western Bulldogs and on that basis, I'm giving them the nod to break an eight year old streak and win a Queens Birthday clash against Collingwood.

Last week, in the absence of a rev from the Rev, Melbourne demonstrated its inconsistency and its brittleness by turning a comfortable four goal lead halfway through the second quarter into a ten goal defeat against a previously flailing Port Adelaide. There's little doubt that such form has a lot to do with what's going on in the collective heads of the group and Neale Daniher's courage and example over the past year during his battle with MND is enough to spur those with doubts in their minds about their ability to succeed in this sport.

And for this reason, I believe that the Melbourne Football Club will join American Pharoah, the Aussie Test Cricket Team, Serena Williams, the Casey Scorpions and Barcelona (remind me about their colours) in their triumph over the Beast this week.

Melbourne by 17 points.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last years queens birthday was the most boring match of AFL football I have ever watched. Let's hope this one will be a bit more entertaining

It had better be because we are in danger of losing the date if we continually put up boring one sided competitions.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

aww c'mon guys ...this is our "grand final" after all...we'll be up for it !!! :roos:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Riley and Gawn named in the starting 18, I like that

Hoping the bench is Toumpas, Grimes, Michie and Brayshaw

I think they'll pick Watts over Grimes, although it could go either way.

Fine with the other 3, and I expect Michie to be the sub.

Bail out is a good move. Obviously Fitzy or Gawn won't play, I expect Spencer to hold his position.

Gawn & Fitz are named in the 18, with Spencer on the extended bench.

Edited by Seraph
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No Dawes, interesting. Colliingwood are a pretty small lineup, surely we won't play all of Spencer, Gawn, Fitzpatrick,

Edited by leucopogon
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No Dawes, interesting.

Still injured.

Edited by Deeoldfart
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Tyson has been named in the VFL after missing a couple of matches with a knee injury - the match committee is hoping for him to gain a good run, so he can use that heading into the next few weeks and the rest of the season. Matt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Demonland Forums  

  • Match Previews, Reports & Articles  

    REDLEG PRIDE by Meggs

    Hump day mid-week footy at the Redlegs home ground is a great opportunity to build on our recent improved competitiveness playing in the red and blue.   The jumper has a few other colours this week with the rainbow Pride flag flying this round to celebrate people from all walks of life coming together, being accepted. AFLW has been a benchmark when it comes to inclusivity and a safe workplace.  The team will run out in a specially designed guernsey for this game and also the following week

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    AFLW Melbourne Demons

    REDEEMING by Meggs

    It was such a balmy spring evening for this mid-week BNCA Pink Lady match at our favourite venue Ikon Park between two teams that had not won a game since round one.   After last week’s insipid bombing, the DeeArmy banner correctly deemanded that our players ‘go in hard, go in strong, go in fighting’, and girl they sure did!   The first quarter goals by Alyssa Bannan and Alyssia Pisano were simply stunning, and it was 4 goals to nil by half-time.   Kudos to Mick Stinear.

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    AFLW Melbourne Demons

    REDEEM by Meggs

    How will Mick Stinear and his dwindling list of fit and available Demons respond to last week’s 65-point capitulation to the Bombers, the team’s biggest loss in history?   As a minimum he will expect genuine effort from all of his players when Melbourne takes on the GWS Giants at Ikon Park this Thursday.  Happily, the ground remains a favourite Melbourne venue of players and spectators alike and will provide an opportunity for the Demons to redeem themselves. Injuries to star play

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    AFLW Melbourne Demons

    EASYBEATS by Meggs

    A beautiful sunny Friday afternoon, with a light breeze and a strong Windy Hill crowd set the scene, inviting one team to seize the day and take the important four points on offer. For the Demons it was not a good Friday, easily beaten by an all-time largest losing margin of 65 points.   Essendon threw themselves into action today, winning most of the contests and had three early goals with Daria Bannister on fire.  In contrast the Demons were dropping marks, hesitant in close and comm

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    AFLW Melbourne Demons 9

    DEFUSE THE BOMBERS by Meggs

    Last Saturday’s crushing loss to Fremantle, after being three goals ahead at three quarter time, should be motivation enough to bounce back for this very winnable Round 5 clash at Windy Hill. A first-time venue for the Melbourne AFLW team, this should be a familiar suburban, windy, footy environment for the players.   Essendon were brave and competitive last week against ladder leader Adelaide at Sturt’s home ground. A familiar name, Maddison Gay, was the Bombers best player with

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    AFLW Melbourne Demons 33

    BLOW THE SIREN by Meggs

    Fremantle hosted the Demons on a sunny 20-degree Saturdayafternoon winning the toss and electing to defend in the first quarter against the 3-goal breeze favouring the Parry Street end. There was method here, as this would give the comeback queens, the Dockers, last use of the breeze. The Melbourne Coach had promised an improved performance, and we did start better than previous weeks, winning the ball out of the middle, using the breeze advantage and connecting to the forwards. 

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    AFLW Melbourne Demons

    GETAWAY by Meggs

    Calling all fit players. Expect every available Melbourne player to board the Virgin cross-continent flight to Perth for this Round 4 clash on Saturday afternoon at Fremantle Oval. It promises to be keenly contested, though Fremantle is the bookies clear favourite.  If we lose, finals could be remoter than Rottnest Island especially following on from the Dees 50-point dismantlement by North Melbourne last Sunday.  There are 8 remaining matches, over the next 7 weeks.  To Meggs’

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    AFLW Melbourne Demons

    DRUBBING by Meggs

    With Casey Fields basking in sunshine, an enthusiastic throng of young Demons fans formed a guard of honour for the evergreen and much admired 75-gamer Paxy Paxman. As the home team ran out to play, Paxy’s banner promised that the Demons would bounce back from last week’s loss to Brisbane and reign supreme.   Disappointingly, the Kangaroos dominated the match to win by 50 points, but our Paxy certainly did her bit.  She was clearly our best player, sweeping well in defence.

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    AFLW Melbourne Demons 4

    GARNER STRENGTH by Meggs

    In keeping with our tough draw theme, Week 3 sees Melbourne take on flag favourites, North Melbourne, at Casey Fields this Sunday at 1:05pm.  The weather forecast looks dry, a coolish 14 degrees and will be characteristically gusty.  Remember when Casey Fields was considered our fortress?  The Demons have lost two of their past three matches at the Field of Dreams, so opposition teams commute down the Princes Highway with more optimism these days.  The Dees held the highe

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    AFLW Melbourne Demons 1
  • Tell a friend

    Love Demonland? Tell a friend!

×
×
  • Create New...