THE PEOPLE SPEAK by the Demonland Crew

We asked the fans on Demonland to help with the final match preview for the year. The quantity might not have been great but it's the quality that counts. Thanks folks and thanks to those who contributed to this section during the year. 

Demon Head "Whatever the result on Sunday, Demon fans will be left wondering whether their glass is half full or half empty after season 2016.

On the one hand, they have seen the improvement and development from a young side growing in stature and reaching the double figure mark in wins for the first time in a decade.

On the other hand, they will look upon the opportunities lost in terms of the four games against fellow bottom six teams from last year squandered - Essendon, St Kilda (twice) and Carlton. These were all winnable games where they team performed abysmally, which were marked by turnovers, poor decision making and woeful disposal. Turn those games around and you make the finals.

Against Geelong at Geelong, a game that means a hell of a lot less to Melbourne than the Carlton (a team which had lost nine in a row) at the MCG of  last week, I wonder which Demon team will come out?"

dpositive "Melbourne Football Club has little to play for this year after succumbing to the Blues last week.

However they have everything to play for, for next year. The progress of the team has been obvious and the high point with wins over Hawthorn and Port show that there is a nucleus of performance that can generated into something more meaningful. Will the young and emerging players benefit from another exposure at AFL level, for that is all it will be exposure. Victory will have little reward and loss will have further depletion of spirit. Or does the club concentrate its efforts on  Casey  and provide the club with a greater chance to enjoy the sweetness of success.

A positive finish to what has been another frustrating year would provide some solace to the many weary Demon supporters who will continue to follow the club.

Whoever takes the field against Geelong should know exactly what they are playing for, its not the present it is most assuredly the future. In some cases it will be their individual future but it is most certainly the future of this club which is poised on the brink of something. Supporters hope that something is success and will hope to see that manifested with a hard fought win or loss, a blow out after the disappointment of last week is just not acceptable. The club must select the team that will match up and play against a team that is assured of finals participation, they must match them and their clubmates must see them match them. They must see them apply every fibre of their being to match them and they must see them leave the field exhausted. The memory of other matches must be erased and a new standard set, one that will reignite that candle of hope that was snuffed out so easily last week, and burn into a fire of rage for next season. "

krazyjay "A season of ups and downs again for the diehard Dees supporters, albeit with more ups than downs, could well be remembered as the one that got away.  With everything to play for in the penultimate round the players just didn't give a yelp and looked like rabbits trapped in the headlines ... I mean headlights.  

A young group, lacking in the leadership that can only come from being winners, have tried hard all year and given their supporters moments of hope and belief with the odd WTF thrown in every couple of weeks.

With a solid victory, against a Carlton side that most predicted would happen, this young side would have gone into the final round down at the Cattery oozing a confidence that had not been imagined some 23 weeks earlier.  Although some may argue that a side that lost to Essendrug in 2016 is no side that deserves to be playing come September.

After all is said and done this young side with potential dripping from every orifice will go into their last game of the year with an "I don't care" attitude (in a good way) that could shock the club right down to its foundations.  Run, dash, carry and ferociousness will be plentiful.  Followed by poor handballs and simple skill errors that give this match the potential of being one of two things.... An absolute ripper where a young up and coming side with nothing to lose come out and make a statement that tells the competition they better get ready for the next 10 years because you all 'bout to dance with the devil .... Or ... A bully beats down on a scrawny school kid who thinks just because he has new shoes that he is entitled to strut around the playground like he is the ducks nuts.

Here's hoping for the former!

Dees by 31"

THE GAME

Geelong v Melbourne at Simonds Stadium on Saturday 27 August 2016 at 1.45pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Geelong 126 wins Melbourne 84 wins 2 draws

At Simonds Stadium Geelong 37 wins Melbourne 18 wins 1 draw

The last five meetings Geelong 4 wins Melbourne 1 win

The Coaches Scott 1 Roos 1

MEDIA

TV - Fox Footy Channel Live at 1.30pm, Channel 7 delayed at 3.00pm

RADIO - Triple M 3AW

THE BETTING

Geelong to win $1.15 Melbourne to win $5.50

LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 18.5.113 defeated Geelong 13.11.89 at Simonds Stadium in Round 12, 2015

In a shock result, Melbourne with Max Gawn dominating the ruck duels and marking everywhere on the ground, beat Geelong by four goals at the Cattery. Bernie Vince (38 disposals) and Nathan Jones (35) starred.

THE TEAMS

GEELONG

B: Jake Kolodjashnij, Tom Lonergan, Andrew Mackie
HB: Corey Enright, Harry Taylor, Mark Blicavs
C: Cameron Guthrie, Joel Selwood, Scott Selwood
HF: Jimmy Bartel, Rhys Stanley, Mitch Duncan
F: Steven Motlop, Tom Hawkins, Lincoln McCarthy
FOLL: Zac Smith Patrick Dangerfield Sam Menegola
I/C: Josh Caddy, Josh Cowan, Daniel Menzel, Tom Ruggles
EMG: Jed Bews, Shane Kersten, Darcy Lang

IN: Jimmy Bartel, Josh Caddy, Daniel Menzel

OUT: Shane Kersten (omitted), Lachie Henderson (knee), Darcy Lang (omitted)

MELBOURNE

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

IN: Jeff Garlett, James Harmes, Christian Salem, 

OUT: Viv Michie (omitted), Alex Neal-Bullen (omitted), Clayton Oliver (omitted)