Jump to content

  • IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

    The Demonland Terms of Service, which you have all recently agreed to, strictly prohibit discussions of ongoing legal matters, whether criminal or civil. Please ensure that all discussions on this forum remain focused solely on on-field & football related topics.


Recommended Posts

Posted

Hello!

This is the story about a bunch of nice guys who, at one stage, believed they were destined to do something incredible.

When the Demons comfortably beat the Latter Day Saints in the opening round of the 2017 season it was a case of brimming wide toothy smiles from all of the Melbourne players and their supporters. 

We were in for a great season and it didn't matter that one team member was injured in the early stages of the first game or that one of the better players was reported as a result of a stupid indiscretion. The team was young, happy, healthy and most of all they BELIEVED ... and all was well and good. The Book of Melbon was about to be spread across every corner of the world.

In the weeks to follow the team was taken to dark places. More of those smiling players were injured or suspended. The promise of paradise inspired by the historical figure of their long gone ancient coach Norman Smith evaporated into thin air. The team faced its own demons in the guise of an inability to cope with expectation that comes with a team on the rise. They had to find a way to address and overcome their inconsistencies, to find the courage to take control of the situation, to "Man Up".

The AFL's Mission Control sent the Demons to Alice Springs in the red centre of the country to convert the locals and to make them love the game of Australian Rules but the population there already had problems of their own. 

Meanwhile, those smiling young boys from Melbon had to confront another enemy, one that had recently been on a sojourn to another continent where they were battered from pillar to post and were now on a mission of revenge. To their sheer amazement the Demons and their fans discovered the local bookies had installed them as outright favourite to win their forthcoming confrontation with the Gold Coast Suns. Panic immediately set in and the nightmare began once again in the form of the "Spooky Melbon Hell Dream".

This incredible saga has a dramatic twist and I'll be back after interval (team selection) to tell the rest of the story ... 

THE GAME

Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns at Traeger Park, Alice Springs Saturday 27 May, 2017 at 4.40pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall - Melbourne 6 wins Gold Coast Suns 3 wins 

At Traeger Park - Melbourne 0 wins Gold Coast Suns 0 wins 

Past five matches - Melbourne 3 wins Gold Coast Suns 2 wins

The Coaches -  Goodwin 0 wins Eade 0 wins

MEDIA

TV - Fox Footy Channel - Live at 4.30pm

RADIO - Triple M SEN ABC ABC Grandstand

THE BETTING

Melbourne to win - $1.45 Gold Coast Suns to win - $2.75

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Melbourne 9.12.66 defeated Gold Coast Suns 9.10.64 at MCG Round 19, 2016

After handing out a thrashing to the Suns on their home turf earlier in the season, the Demons started as white hot favourite to repeat the dose on the MCG. Predictably, their inconsistency shone through and it was only the heroism of a smiling Jack Watts that saw the team home by a narrow two point margin at the end of the day.

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B: Jayden Hunt, Sam Frost, Neville Jetta 
HB: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis 
C: Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver, Bernie Vince 
HF: Jeff Garlett, Cameron Pedersen, James Harmes 
F: Tomas Bugg, Christian Petracca, Mitch Hannan 
FOLL: Tom McDonald, Dom Tyson, Jack Viney 
I/C: Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen, Josh Wagner, Jack Watts
EMG: Dean Kent, Christian Salem, Sam Weideman 

IN: James Harmes, Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen 

OUT: Dean Kent (omitted), Christian Salem (suspended), Sam Weideman (omitted) 

GOLD COAST

B: Jesse Joyce, Jack Leslie, Jarrod Harbrow
HB: Sean Lemmens, Steven May, Adam Saad
C: Alex Sexton, Will Brodie, David Swallow
HF: Jarryd Lyons, Tom J. Lynch, Touk Miller
F: Brandon Matera, Peter Wright, Jack Martin
FOLL: Jarrod Witts, Aaron Hall, Michael Barlow
I/C:  Brayden Fiorini, Pearce Hanley, Kade Kolodjashnij, Brad Scheer
EMG: Keegan Brooksby, Matt Shaw, Mackenzie Willis 

IN: Will Brodie, Pearce Hanley, David Swallow, 
OUT: Gary Ablett (shoulder), Jack Bowes (illness), Keegan Brooksby (omitted) 

The writing was on the wall the moment the non-selection of Gary Ablett Junior was confirmed. It was bad enough that the Demons were starting as favourites but the loss of the great man immediately put the focus on Rodney Eade's future as coach. Suddenly, it was a game that had enormous importance for the Gold Coast Suns - perform or become the laughing stock of the competition. A team of duds with no fight left in them  

Earlier in the season, there were a few other teams performing like duds with no fight in them. Fremantle, Hawthorn and North Melbourne are their names and the one thing they have in common is that each of them took control of Melbourne at one stage in their recent contests which they narrowly won. They resurrected the careers of their respective coaches.

The nice, toothy-smiling Demons have a habit of performing such good deeds for others and in the nation's red centre, they will continue their mission to nowhere if they play as they did against that trio. 

I fear that this is what will happen if they're not quite switched on again.

James Harmes, Jake Melksham and Alex Neal-Bullen all return to the team this week to offset Ablett's surprise injury omission. In the bizarre world that is AFL football today, I'm fully expecting Ablett's replacement to rise to the occasion and two-metre Peter and Tom Lynch to celebrate a birthday.

Gold Coast Suns to win by 1 point

  • Like 1

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Demonland Forums  

  • Match Previews, Reports & Articles  

    MATCH SIM: Friday 7th February 2025

    Demonland Trackwatcher Gator ventured down the freeway to bring you his observations from Friday morning's Match Simulation out at Casey Fields. Rehab: Jake Lever and Charlie Spargo running laps.  Lever was running short distances at a fast click as well as having kick to kick with a trainer. He seems unimpeded. Christian Petracca, Kade Chandler, Shane McAdam and Tom Fullarton doing non-contact kicking and handball drills on the adjacent oval.  All moving freely at pace.  I didn’

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 2

    TRAINING: Wednesday 5th February 2025

    Demonland Trackwatchers were out in force as the Demons returned to Gosch's Paddock for preseason training on Wednesday morning. GHOSTWRITER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Kozzie a no show. Tommy Sparrow was here last week in civvies and wearing sunnies. He didn’t train. Today he’s training but he’s wearing goggles so he’s likely got an eye injury. There’s a drill where Selwyn literally lies on top of Tracc, a trainer dribbles the ball towards them and Tracc has to g

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS: 2024

    Whichever way you look at it, the Melbourne Football Club’s 2024 season can only be characterized as the year of its fall from grace. Whispering Jack looks back at the season from hell that was. After its 2021 benchmark premiership triumph, the men’s team still managed top four finishes in the next two seasons but straight sets finals losses consigned them to sixth place in both years. The big fall came in 2024 with a collapse into the bottom six and a 14th placing. At Casey, the 2022 VFL p

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Special Features

    MATCH SIM: Friday 31st January 2025

    Veteran Demonland Trackwatcher Picket Fence ventured down to Casey Fields to bring you his observations from Friday's Match Simulation. Greetings Demonlanders, beautiful Day at training and the boys were hard at it, here is my report. NO SHOWS: Luker Kentfield (recovering from pneumonia in WA), also not sure I noticed Melky (Hamstring) or Will Verrall?? MODIFIED DUTIES (No Contact): Sparrow, McVee (foot), Tracc (ribs), Chandler, (AC Joint), Fullarton Noticeable events (I’ll s

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 2

    TRAINING: Wednesday 29th January 2025

    A number of Demonland Trackwatchers swooped on Gosch's Paddock to bring you their observations from this morning's Preseason Training Session. DEMON JACK'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Beautiful morning at Gosch's Paddock. Very healthy crowd so far.  REHAB: Fullerton, Spargo, Tholstrup, McVee Viney running laps. EDIT: JV looks to be back with the main group. Trac, Sparrow, Chandler and Verrell also training away from the main group. Currently kicking to each other ins

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 1

    TRAINING: Wednesday 22nd January 2025

    Demonland Trackwatchers were out in force for training at Gosch's Paddock on Wednesday morning for the MFC's School Holidays Open Training Session. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS REHAB: TMac, Chandler, McVee, Tholstrup, Brown, Spargo Brown might have passed his fitness test as he’s back out with the main group.  Sparrow not present. Kozzy not present either.  Mini Rehab group has broken off from the match sim (contact) group: Max, Trac, Lever, Fullarton

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    TRAINING: Monday 20th January 2025

    Demonland Trackwatcher Gator attended training out at Casey Fields to bring you the following observations from Preseason Training. GATOR'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS There were 5 in the main rehab group, namely Gawn, Petracca, Fullarton, Woewodin and Lever.  Laurie was running laps by himself, as was Jefferson.  Chandler, as has been reported, had his arm in a sling.  Lindsay did a bit of lap running later on. Some of the ''rehab 5'' participated in non contact drills and b

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    TRAINING: Wednesday 15th January 2025

    There were a number of Demonland Trackwatchers at Gosch's Paddock this morning to bring you their observations from Preseason Training. KEV MARTIN'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS They were going hard at each other. The sims were in two 15 minute blocks. The second block finished a few minutes early, they gathered and had another 7 minutes at it. I think they were asked to compete, as they would play against an opposition. There was plenty of niggle, between some of them. At the end o

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    TRAINING: Monday 13th January 2025

    Better late than never … and quite frankly, there’s very little to report other than that training took place at Casey Fields this morning, that Tracc was there nursing his rib injury and that some photographs are on the club’s social media including this one of Clarrie in Raging Bull stance that gives rise for confidence. The other news is that the club has a new train on player in 185cm Dandenong Stingrays midfielder Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (love the hyphenated name which is just so fitti

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports
  • Tell a friend

    Love Demonland? Tell a friend!
×
×
  • Create New...