IT'S THE MIDFIELD STUPID by Whispering Jack

The AFL's JLT Series isn't all about winning games. There's no ladder or table to tell you where your team's at and there's no finals series or premiership cup for your captain or captains to hold up at the end of it all. In fact, it's nothing more than a glorified practice match schedule dressed up for television, running side by side with the women's competition and a handful of other sports that vie for our attention at this time of the year.

While it's always better to come out of it with a win or at least a decent performance (especially against the stronger sides) and without any serious injuries to your playing list, the series is really about testing out your players (especially your newcomers), your systems and style of play and preparing your team for the long arduous season ahead. In that regard, Melbourne fans could come away from the game at Whitten Oval knowing that most of the boxes were ticked (Josh Wagner's injury is said to be not as bad as it looked) and importantly, a very seriously good midfield is emerging - and we all know it's the midfield that underpins the success of a club.

The extra numbers that play in these games afforded new coach Simon Goodwin the opportunity to test forgotten man Jake Spencer in the ruck and give his All Australian Max Gawn an easier day at the office with less on ball work and more time up forward. That seemed to work and even if the plan won't always be adopted in the regular season, the option is always there. It's clear though that with no third men up Gawn is set to give his on ball division an armchair ride this season - and it will be a different, more varied and younger brigade this year than it was under Paul Roos and significantly better than the third world model that was in place when the list was in such poor shape five years and more ago.

Against the reigning premier on their home patch in their first post flag game, the Demons' rucks allowed the likes of Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Christian Salem to win more clearances, control of the ball in the middle and ultimately a winning edge in inside 50 numbers. Those players are all young and they have the experience of Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince and Hawthorn's gift to the club Jordan Lewis around with the luxury of having them patrol the half back line in games such as these. And there's a bit of run about the place with Jayden Hunt and Billy Stretch. 

The media pack were raving about Travis Cloke's impact on the Bulldogs and his supergoal was a ripper but it was Jesse Hogan who picked up four and took some great clunking marks to suggest he will improve his goal kicking record further in 2017. He had a great foil in Sam Weideman who, for the record, matched Cloke's haul and should have kicked at least one other after he marked strongly in the second quarter and missed a relatively easy shot. Tom Bugg was his usual pesky self and also bobbed around goal.

Another plus for the Demons was the first up appearance of Category B recruit Joel Smith who showed a great deal of promise, particularly early in the game. He definitely has the makings of a player.

If there was a downside, it was the two glaring lapses late in the second quarter and again late in the last when the team gave away goals too easily and allowed the Doggies back into the game both times. In a seven or eight minute period before half time, the intensity dropped, the defence went missing and a 22 point lead was squandered. Weideman's goal just before the siren to restore the lead to three points was all that enabled the team to go into the sheds at the break with their heads up high. 

A similar fade out occurred late in the game after the Dees had led by 25 points at one stage well beyond the halfway mark of the final term. The club could do with the steadiness of Nev Jetta and the rebounding work of Michael Hibberd in its defence to halt these lapses in games.

The signs are good after one practice match and next week's another game but what really impresses me is the fact that Melbourne is developing a strong young midfield engine room and that is where games are ultimately won and lost when premiership points and the big prizes are at stake.

Melbourne 0.4.2.26  0.8.3.51 0.12.5.77  0.14.8.92

Western Bulldogs 0.2.0.12  1.6.3.48 1.8.4.61 2.9.14.86

Nine pointers

Melbourne Nil

Western Bulldogs Cloke Johannissen

Goals

Melbourne Hogan 4 Weideman 2 Brayshaw Bugg Garlett Gawn Jones Neal-Bullen Petracca Viney

Western Bulldogs Dahlhaus Hunter 2 Cloke Dale Lynch Daniel McLean

Best

Melbourne Hogan Viney Lewis Salem Brayshaw Gawn O McDonald

Western Bulldogs Dahlhaus Liberatore Cloke Hunter McLean Johannisen

Injuries

Melbourne Wagner (dislocated fibula)

Western Bulldogs Roughead (right knee)

Reports Nil

Umpires Williamson Dalgleish Rosebury Margetts

Official crowd 7,581 at Whitten Oval