MATCH REPORT - Round 7

[Demonland 66,837]

NO MACCAS FOR YOU by George on the Outer

As you make your way to Metricon Stadium in Carrara, you can be forgiven for wondering, “what have we gotten ourselves into here?”

There isn’t an AFL venue in the country that requires you to take a bus to get there (solely), while enjoying the scenery of cows grazing in the paddocks surrounding it. The upside was the Demons absolutely produced a type of football on Saturday evening that hadn’t been seen by their fans for over 10 years ... and with a result to match.

It wasn’t all that pretty in the first quarter with a four goal to one deficit at one stage. Things were beginning to look very similar to the way the St.Kilda game was played out a week earlier.  Gaping holes in defence and opposition forwards having free reign to go and do as they pleased and this, despite an overwhelming dominance on the statistics. The Demons were simply unable to produce anything to reflect that on the scoreboard.

The second quarter was somewhat similar; the way in which goals were constructed was nothing too convincing.  Against more serious opposition, we would have been opened up like a can of sardines, but even at that stage we were starting to see that Gold Coast was not all that good and the demoralising defeat against Geelong was obviously lurking at the back of the player’s minds.

Then their worst of their nightmares came to fruition.  Firstly, in the form of Max Gawn, who simply took the game and the result by the scruff of the neck.  He completely took over in the ruck contests and Currie didn’t know what hit him.  Max then continued the same way around the ground and found himself kicking clutch goals, roving to his own hit-outs and bullocking his way and the team toward victory.  

And when he lifted, then so did others.  Nathan Jones played probably his best game for the year, and was back to the form and toughness around the ball that he is known for.  But in this game he had two bulldozers behind him in the form of Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver.  
We all know what Viney is like, but this was also a game where Oliver stamped his authority around the ball.  At one point he crunched two Gold Coast players in heavy tackles in quick succession. The second on Sexton unfortunately saw him off the ground with a forearm injury but it didn’t stop Oliver who simply kept going at the ball until he won it.

The Demon fans who were there (and there were plenty of them - I estimate that nearly 50% of the crowd were Demons supporters) witnessed Oliver's A grade vision and ability to find the free man in tight situations.  As well as this trio of D9 tractors progressively working over the opposition, Dom Tyson came out with his best game of the year as well and provided that extra bit of class around the ball.  

Nine goals in the 3rd quarter followed by another seven in the final term came from 25 shots on goal in a half of football.  It had the supporters and the statisticians looking through the record books, but sadly it was on the back of a flimsy, flaky Gold Coast Suns side.  While Lynch, Presia and Saad provided some highlights, there was little substance throughout the rest of the side.  

Gary Ablett Junior is a mere shadow of his best, as he was caught time and time again by the younger players, and pounded by Viney whenever he came into the middle.  When you find him playing a majority of the game off Half-back, it is a good indication he is not fully fit or capable anymore.  

We continued to see the emergence of Jayden Hunt and Josh Wagner.  Sure they make mistakes as young players, but they also have that enthusiasm and fire of youth behind them.  

To reintroduce some of the more “experienced” players back into the side is going to be difficult, because they are more than fulfilling their role and have a much brighter upside.  Hunt in particular, when he lights up the afterburners is exciting to watch, and forwards eyes glint when he is free and in the open.  

Unfortunately, the forwards took little advantage of the massacre taking place up the field. Jesse Hogan with a solitary goal was down from last week's efforts, although he was double-teamed for the whole night.  Jack Watts is rapidly facing another cross-road as he has “reverted to type” in the past three weeks.  We are seeing the lack of effort when needed and it is easy to cover up in a 12 goal winning side.  It won’t be in a closer contest.  

Viv Michie likewise was exposed by the difference between AFL level and that he has seen at Casey.  With only 5 kicks and a total of 13 touches with some diabolical errors, in a dominant side doesn’t bode well for his future, especially when logical replacements like Jack Trengove, Alex Neal-Bullen and other continue to press their case week after week.

Finally, while the Demon fans went home (on the bus) singing the club song, the Gold Coast fans went home early and unhappy.  Not that they care one iota about the result because the football game is only secondary to them.  No, it’s all about turning up to watch bands playing before and after the game….eating fairy floss….drinking copious volumes of Bundaberg … playing schoolyard games of kick the footy … and drinking copious volumes of Bundaberg ...

But worst of all was they didn’t get their free Big Mac!  Yes, that’s what all Gold Coast fans can look forward to, if their team wins a game.  So, no Macca’s for them, and the way they are playing there might be plenty of starving Suns' fans in the coming season.

Oh well, there is always plenty of Bundy!

POSTSCRIPT

If the AFL think that this Gold Coast experiment is going to work they are sadly mistaken.  Anyone who lives on the Coast needs a car to get to the game, because there is really no public transport.  Metricon Stadium is miles out the back of civilization and there is no viable car parking at the ground!  So you go by bus.  The AFL are dreaming if they think families are going to drive to a bus stop miles from the stadium and then do the same on the way home.  

This was a home game for them and there were just as many Demon fans at the game.  And only 12,780 made it through the gate on a perfect Queensland night.  

Their round 20 home game against GWS will set new records for lowest attendance without a doubt.

Melbourne 2.3.15 8.7.55 17.11.113   24.16.160

Gold Coast Suns 4.2.26 8.2.50. 11.3.69 14.3.87

Goals

Melbourne Garlett Harmes Pedersen 3 Gawn Jones Kennedy Petracca Viney 2 Hogan Kent Stretch Tyson Vince

Gold Coast Suns Lynch 4 Ablett Garlett Wright 2 Currie Grant Hall MacPherson

Best

Melbourne Gawn Viney Jones Harmes Vince Oliver Bugg

Gold Coast Suns Lynch Day Saad Miller Harbrow

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Gold Coast Suns Nil

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Gold Coast Suns Rosa (hamstring), Sexton (forearm)

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Gold Coast Suns Nil

Umpires Harris, Stephens, Schmitt

Official crowd 12,780 at Metricon Stadium