MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM SELECTION - Round 20

[Demonland 66,672]

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)

[John Crow Batty 8,328]

Nothing lasts for ever and that includes perfection but in this scenario one can argue convincingly  that perfection has longevity.

Edited August 3, 2016 by america de cali

[McQueen 17,864]

I have this feeling that if Hogan doesn't get up and misses this game, we will win.

[chook fowler 18,452]

6 minutes ago, McQueen said:

I have this feeling that if Hogan doesn't get up and misses this game, we will win.

Please explain

[MO FINE 147]

Just now, chook fowler said:

Please explain

Geelong v Melbourne 2015

[McQueen 17,864]

Just now, chook fowler said:

Please explain

Probably based it on the Geelong scalp at Kardinia park last year, chook.

No Hogan then.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,588]

 37 disposals, 22 contested, 8 tackles and 11 clearances.

That sounds to me like the sort of player we need in the side against Hawthorn.

[Mickey 4,238]

9 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

 37 disposals, 22 contested, 8 tackles and 11 clearances.

That sounds to me like the sort of player we need in the side against Hawthorn.

Clarry Choo Choo!!

[Satyriconhome 10,010]

35 minutes ago, MO FINE said:

Geelong v Melbourne 2015

Your avatar has me confused, you have a misspelt member of, a picture of another member of, and the surname of the third member of the 3 Stooges

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Just quietly, how ridiculous is it that this is our last home game and our final three games are away games.

[Satyriconhome 10,010]

1 minute ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Just quietly, how ridiculous is it that this is our last home game and our final three games are away games.

One of them only means walking to the other end of the G, unless you are MCC of course

[dazzledavey36 49,555]

Just pencil this a Hawthorn win and move on to next week please.

Melbourne beating Hawthorn is something that will probably never happen in my lifetime..

#equalrights

 

[Bitter but optimistic 21,560]

35 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

Your avatar has me confused, you have a misspelt member of, a picture of another member of, and the surname of the third member of the 3 Stooges

FFS Saty !!! It's his avatar - he can do what the [censored] he likes with it!!

[Ricky P 757]

We tend to play better the week after playing poorly. And I don't reckon Hawthorn are as good as they used to be. 

Reckon we're a sneaky chance.

[P-man 13,285]

If you can park the fact it is Hawthorn, they really haven't played ominous Hawthorn type footy for most of the year. 

It is an unimpressive string of results for a team sitting in top position. Less than one goal victories over the Dogs, Saints, Crows and Swans, with the Saints and Swans games in particular being decided by highly contentious umpiring decisions

The only teams they've smacked have been the insipid ones. The Giants spanked them. Carlton gave them a scare last week,

With our yo yo form, we are a silly chance.

[mdemon 266]

Given the accepted inevitability regarding the result, is this a good week to decisively 'rest' the younger guys who have started to look a bit fatigued (Hunt, Harmes, Hogan, Wagner, OMac, Brayshaw, Pettacca, Stretch) regardless of current form and replace them with the 'old hands' (Trengove, BKen, Grimes, Michie, Newton, Pedersen, Garland, Dunn) so that they can have one last crack at defeating Goliath?

Sure, they will predictably fail but then we can replace them with the younger, freshened up, guys to have a red hot go against Port at Adelaide Oval (where, for some inexplicable reason, we seem to go OK).

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

In a complete reversal of last weeks match, young Demon star Jack (we always knew it) Watts, takes a match saving mark in defense at one end of the ground and minutes later kicks the winning goal after the siren at the other.............. weeks later after a non stop run of wins, Melbourne make the 8 by replacing Hawthorn who are stripped of all season premiership points after being found guilty of paying money to umpires for many years......

[DubDee 21,520]

Wtf is wrong with me? I think we have a chance. 

My god it would be sweet. 

The Hawks' arrogance could be there downfall 

[Winners at last 4,907]

It will be carnage.

[McQueen 17,864]

8 minutes ago, bingers said:

It will be carnage.

Dee's by ten goals??

[Ethan Tremblay 28,640]

1 hour ago, DubDee said:

Wtf is wrong with me? I think we have a chance. 

My god it would be sweet. 

The Hawks' arrogance could be there downfall 

They're like a big turd that won't flush.

The only solution is poking it with a wire coat hanger that's been slightly warped. Perhaps the players should arm themselves with coat hangers.

Edited August 3, 2016 by Ethan Tremblay

[Wilbur 447]

11 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

They're like a big turd that won't flush.

The only solution is poking it with a wire coat hanger that's been slightly warped. Perhaps the players should arm themselves with coat hangers.

Thanks for sharing that wonderful image/story with us ?

[Ricky P 757]

1 hour ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

They're like a big turd that won't flush.

Haha that is an amazingly good description of Hawthorn.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,588]

If there was one thing about last week's agonising win, was that we didn't lack effort and intensity.  We just made a lot of stupid decisions and skill errors with the ball, a lack of confidence from successive losses perhaps?

I'm hoping that if we can cut that crap out of our game, then perhaps we can put in a competitive effort and then, you never know.  I don't have as much confidence in beating Hawthorn this time as I did earlier in the season, but would love to be surprised.

Wonder if it could be worth playing Jack Grimes in a negating role on Mitchell?  I do think we need a few bigger battle hardened bodies and some desperation against this mob.

[JV7 2,339]

I had a feeling we'd push west coast...

I had a feeling we'd struggle against gold coast 

I have a feeling we'll push the Hawks.

9 wins on the trot their due for a loss, 2 wins clear on top, one eye on september, playing a side they've bullied for 10 years- complacency sets in... All points to a Dees win. I thought at the start of the year we'd beat them once, we got close last time.. Saturday's the day.

Edited August 3, 2016 by JV7