MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM SELECTION - ROUND 10

[Demonland 73,140]

THE BOOK OF MELBON by The Oracle

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

[Pates 9,660]

Well somebody really enjoyed The Book of Mormon! 

And sadly quite accurate, definitely gonna have the "Spooky Melbon Hell Dream" tonight!

[Deeman 1,512]

Does Alice Springs have frogs?

[What 18,810]

29 degrees and zero rain forecast for Saturday.  This suits Gold Coast.  

[GCDee 3,199]

Ah great we are clear favourites...

4 goal loss.

[Die Hard Demon 1,224]

Melbourne by 40+ points. 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

Dwayne Russell said Melbourne would be kicking themselves that they've given up a clear home ground advantage by playing the Suns in neutral territory.

Well guess what Dwayne? We suck at our home ground. We don't have a home ground advantage at the moment.

If we're going to embarrass ourselves, I'd rather it be in the desert in front of 78 people.

We'll either win by over 40 or lose a cliff hanger by under a goal.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Everyone in the age has tipped us to win. 

That's 23 tippers.

Gold Coast really aren't that bad when on song and we can be really bad when we're not on song.

It's a flip of the coin match. 

Edited May 24, 2017 by stevethemanjordan

[praha 11,240]

IMO I think this will be our first "big" loss of the year. GC can be quite good as we've seen this year and they'll have had a nice break. I predict 3-4 changes on our end. Not just saying this because "it's Melbourne", rather just because I think GC will be due for a big win. I've actually tipped them by 43 points.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

I like our song more

[beelzebub 23,383]

27 minutes ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Everyone in the age has tipped us to win. 

We're doomed.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Lynch and Wright to kick 10 between them.

[What 18,810]

38 minutes ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Everyone in the age has tipped us to win. 

That's 23 tippers.

 

That is absurd that.  This is a 50/50 game and we are still inconsistent as hell.  And still missing Gawn and Hogan, not to mention Salem is out this week.

Also we have been killed by a number of tall forwards this season, and the Suns have Tom Lynch

Edited May 24, 2017 by Petraccattack

[Dee Zephyr 19,268]

"We are expecting Gold Coast's best."

Statement by Nathan Jones in an interview yesterday. I believe we heard this prior to the Hawks and Roos games and in both those games it was like we actually waited for quarter time to see what the opposition brings. 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

I think we're cooked if we lose this one. At the absolute minimum we'd have to go 8-4 after the bye to sneak into the finals.

Playing a fresh Gold Coast in 29 degree heat coming off a 6 day break is another example of lady luck not being on our side this year. Whether it be fixturing, injuries to us or lack of injuries to the opposition, fraudulent doctors reports impacting MRP results or countless other things,  it just feels as though nothing has gone our way this year.

Chris Scott made a great point last week in his after game presser. It's not who you play, it's when you play a certain side that can have a massive say on the outcome. For example it seems that apart from our Essendon and Adelaide wins, we seem to play the opposition at full strength. We played Hawthorn at full strength....2 weeks later Collingwood play them with 5 of their stars out.

Hopefully our luck will change after the break.  

 

 

[John Crow Batty 8,879]

13 minutes ago, Demon77 said:

"We are expecting Gold Coast's best."

Statement by Nathan Jones in an interview yesterday. I believe we heard this prior to the Hawks and Roos games and in both those games it was like we actually waited for quarter time to see what the opposition brings. 

I wonder if he said that about Adelaide?

[John Crow Batty 8,879]

14 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I think we're cooked if we lose this one. At the absolute minimum we'd have to go 8-4 after the bye to sneak into the finals.

Playing a fresh Gold Coast in 29 degree heat coming off a 6 day break is another example of lady luck not being on our side this year. Whether it be fixturing, injuries to us or lack of injuries to the opposition, fraudulent doctors reports impacting MRP results or countless other things,  it just feels as though nothing has gone our way this year.

Chris Scott made a great point last week in his after game presser. It's not who you play, it's when you play a certain side that can have a massive say on the outcome. For example it seems that apart from our Essendon and Adelaide wins, we seem to play the opposition at full strength. We played Hawthorn at full strength....2 weeks later Collingwood play them with 5 of their stars out.

Hopefully our luck will change after the break.  

 

 

We make our own luck. It is clear we concede the initiative to struggling sides all the time. No longer a matter of co-incidence.

[beelzebub 23,383]

1 hour ago, Demon77 said:

"We are expecting Gold Coast's best."

Statement by Nathan Jones in an interview yesterday. I believe we heard this prior to the Hawks and Roos games and in both those games it was like we actually waited for quarter time to see what the opposition brings. 

I think it would be best for the players and the club to just stfu from here on in and let the footy do the talking

[leave it to deever 17,517]

4 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

I think it would be best for the players and the club to just stfu from here on in and let the footy do the talking

You and a thousand others I reckon.

[ding 5,126]

27 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

I think it would be best for the players and the club to just stfu from here on in and let the footy do the talking

I say that every time someone from the club trots out the old "We are preparing for their best" BS.

How bout we just play OUR best and the result will take care of itself.

[DemonOX 8,800]

43 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

I think it would be best for the players and the club to just stfu from here on in and let the footy do the talking

Now there's a novel idea!

[binman 43,764]

3 hours ago, Die Hard Demon said:

Melbourne by 40+ points. 

Agree entirely. We will be simply too physical. The teams that beat us this year will be those who at a minimum can match out intensity at the ball. And i don't think the Suns can, even after rebounding from such a dismal performance against Port.  They won't hurt as much in the rucking area although their height up forward might. I predict a 51 point win

[Lord Travis 10,763]

We should beat them comfortably. Only factor may be that they've had a 14 day break and will be more use to 29 degree temperature than us. We may tire badly in that weather coming off a short break compared to them.

[ding 5,126]

1 minute ago, Lord Travis said:

We should beat them comfortably. Only factor may be that they've had a 14 day break and will be more use to 29 degree temperature than us. We may tire badly in that weather coming off a short break compared to them.

lol so we mightn't do it comfortably?

[DSP 1,488]

Which tall are we gonna play into form this week?

 

A loss here will be close to season ending for us. No excuses. A must win.

Edited May 25, 2017 by DSP