PERFECTION by Whispering Jack

I was thinking the other day about world affairs and politics and it occurred to me that, given the calibre of the major candidates in the coming elections for the president of the leading country of the so called "free world", we might be in a bit of trouble. Then I looked at who was leading the other "developed" nations across the western world, including our own, and a spot of panic set in. I understand completely that there are many countries across the globe that lack democratic values and are ruled by corrupt, incompetent or plain evil tyrants (and most of them will be on show over the coming weeks at the Olympic Games) but when the calibre of leadership in our democracies is weak and pathetic, I wonder whether mankind has lost its desire to achieve perfection.

Of course, philosophers will argue that the question of perfection concerns not whether man is perfect, but whether he should be perfect and if that is true, then how is perfection to be attained? 

I wonder about this in many spheres of life but last week at roughly 3.30pm last Sunday afternoon, as I sat in the stand at the MCG watching players committing the most basic skill errors such as miskicks and handballs to teammates with their backs to the play, I was confronted with the thought that perhaps the search for perfection in our game is beyond reach.

However, it was after the game, when I had time to collect my thoughts and notice who Melbourne was drawn to play against in six days’ time, that I changed my mind. If there is perfection in our game then the current Hawthorn team must be close. The Hawks have won the last three AFL premierships and they currently sit on top of the ladder, two games clear of their nearest rivals and well on their way to achieving a rare fourth successive premiership. I used to think that the Demons of the fifties and sixties were the perfect team but even they fell at the final hurdle in 1958 when their time came to emulate the Magpies' record from three decades earlier.

Melbourne's recent record against Hawthorn has been embarrassing. They haven't beaten them since Alistair Clarkson's early days of a decade ago when the young Hawks were like the Demons of today - inexperienced and wet behind the ears. Two months ago, an enthusiastic young Melbourne team took it right up to them for three quarters but they were overwhelmed in the final term. This week, they face a ruthless foe that has its eyes firmly set on winning the flag in September and it will give  others no favours in that quest. 

The Hawks' game against Carlton was by no means perfect but they were fielding a side that was nowhere near to their best. They are expected to bring in Cyril Rioli, Paul Puopolo and possibly Liam Shiels this week and against the tiring young Demons, I fear that we might finally see a team achieve perfection.

THE GAME

Melbourne v Hawthorn at the MCG Saturday 6 August 2016 at 2.10pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 74 wins Hawthorn 85 wins 

At MCG Melbourne 35 wins Hawthorn 44 wins

Last 5 meetings Melbourne 0 wins Hawthorn 5 wins

The Coaches Roos 0 wins Clarkson 3 wins

MEDIA

TV - Fox Sports 3 Live at 2.00pm

RADIO -   Triple M 3AW

THE BETTING

Melbourne $5.75 to win Hawthorn $1.14 to win 

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Hawthorn 11.16.82 defeated Melbourne 10.4.64 in Round 11, 2016 at the MCG

The Demons lasted for three quarters before the weight of experience and talent started taking its toll. The Hawks' 18 point win in the wet gloomy conditions was their 13th win in a row in a streak that goes all the way back to 2006.

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B: Sam Frost, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta 
HB: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Billy Stretch 
C: Christian Petracca, Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson 
HF: Jeff Garlett, Jack Watts, Clayton Oliver 
F: Sam Weideman, Cameron Pedersen, Dean Kent 
FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney 
I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Tomas Bugg, James Harmes, Aaron Vandenberg  
EMG: Colin Garland, Matt Jones

IN: Tomas Bugg, Clayton Oliver, Cameron Pedersen, Sam Weideman 

OUT: Chris Dawes (omitted), Jesse Hogan (knee), Matt Jones (omitted), Josh Wagner (omitted)

NEW: Sam Weideman

HAWTHORN

B: Taylor Duryea, Ben Stratton, Brendan Whitecross  
HB: Shaun Burgoyne, Josh Gibson, Grant Birchall 
C: Isaac Smith, Sam Mitchell, Bradley Hill 
HF: Luke Breust, Jack Gunston, Will Langford 
F: Tim O'Brien, Ben McEvoy, Cyril Rioli 
FOLL: Jonathon Ceglar, Jordan Lewis, Luke Hodge 
I/C: Kaiden Brand, Kurt Heatherley, Jonathan O'Rourke, James Sicily 
EMG: Blake Hardwick, Dallas Willsmore 

IN: Kurt Heatherley, Cyril Rioli

OUT: James Frawley (shoulder), Blake Hardwick (omitted)