WASN'T THAT A TIME?

by J.V. McKay

A long, long time ago the strongest rivalry in our game was that which existed between Melbourne and Collingwood. For a decade between 1955 and 1964 there wasn't a hotter ticket in town than the one that got you into a game between the Demons and the Magpies. The newspapers would build it up as a gigantic clash between the silvertails and the working classes but it was much more than that. It was THE clash of traditional rivals and the crowds would come to their games in their droves.

All of those who are old enough to remember will nod their heads and agree, saying "wasn't that a time?"

If you're too young or just can't remember, consider this: -

The two rivals contested five grand finals during that decade including the one in 1956 when Melbourne beat Collingwood in front of a then record crowd of 115,802 to win the premiership flag for a second year in a row, they attracted a home and away record crowd of 99,346 on Queens Birthday, 1958. It's a record that still stands today. Between them, the two sides won 7 out of the 10 premierships on offer. They had some wonderful players too – men like Ron Barassi, Brian Dixon, Laurie Mithen and Frank "Bluey" Adams and Ian Ridley were the Demon heroes while Murray Weideman, Bill Twomey and Ray Gabelich were Magpie stars.

"Wasn't that a time?"

However, for the past four decades, the old rivalry has been overshadowed by others. Carlton and Richmond, Essendon and Hawthorn and more lately teams from the other states have taken the mantle. The crowds now flock to see other rivalries - even games in other codes. After all, the biggest crowd at the MCG so far this year was achieved when Australia played Greece in a "friendly" just the other week.

You can rest assured that nothing between Melbourne and Collingwood can ever be regarded as a "friendly". These two are traditional rivals from way back. They even played out a match for the premiership eighty years ago in 1926. That goes even further back than the rivalry of the other two traditional rivals who are meeting on the same date at the weekend, albeit across the world - Australia and Japan - but that's nothing compared to the emotion that Monday's clash at the MCG will evoke.

The two sides have certainly gone through a number of twists and turns since the last met each other at the MCG on Queens Birthday 2005. The Pies were struggling then although their recent form indicated some improvement. A win over the previously undefeated West Coast had inspired a new flicker of hope. A good first half that saw them ahead of Melbourne at the main break, saw that hope burn even brighter but Demon forward Adem Yze doused the flame and sent the Magpie Army packing. End of season for them.

The same Queens Birthday game also turned into a significant turning point in Melbourne's season. It's well documented how the Demons lost seven games in a row and found themselves out of the top eight until a couple of last gasp victories against the Cats and the Dogs an a narrow let off against the Bombers saw them across the line for another very brief appearance in the finals.

This year, the Magpies have gone through rejuvenation with a full list to choose from for most games and they now sit in third spot with eight wins, their only two losses being to the Eagles at Subiaco and to Adelaide in Round 1. Melbourne is in sixth place with six wins but their only defeat since Round 3 was also away to West Coast. These are the form teams of the competition.

Collingwood has lost a few with injury this week - Dane Swan (hamstring), Nick Maxwell (fractured leg), Blake Caracella (fractured vertebra) and Brody Holland (achilles). Fortunately, it has Tarrant and Thomas coming back this week. Melbourne has a reasonable deep injury list with Brent Moloney (groin), Paul Johnson (shoulder), Nathan Brown (hamstring), Clint Bizzell (leg) and Alistair Nicholson (foot) all out again this week and a cloud over the fitness of Matthew Whelan (hip/buttocks) while Brad Miller still has a week's suspension to serve.

The experts are all saying that Collingwood has had a charmed run, that they haven't beaten one of the stronger sides, that they haven't yet come up against a strong tough outfit, that their depth hasn't been tested. Well, perhaps this is the week when they will be tested. They are certainly coming up against a leading team that's in form. It's going to be a great contest.

As is the case most weeks, the outcome of the game will depend greatly on the centre clearances. A few years ago, Michael Malthouse used to attack Jeff White by double or triple teaming against him, often leaving Josh Fraser to ruck rove and win plenty of the ball around the ground. This time I think they are more likely to go head to head and each will also rely on his deputy to help out. Mark Jamar is an improver but needs to do more around the ground when he's on. Guy Richards is a hot and cold player who has been in reasonable form. The onballers will have an interesting tussle and I see Melbourne coming out on top here because of the depth of different types and styles beginning with the AFL's leading tackler James McDonald, the silky smooth Travis Johnstone, Cameron Bruce and Brad Green. The injured Brock McLean's replacement will come from Phil Read or Colin Sylvia - both are strong and hard in their attack on the ball. Throw Byron Pickett and Matthew Bate into the mix and you have a group that can match up favourably against Collingwood's Licuria, O'Bree, Didak, Lockyer, Burns and Davis. They will miss their Holland.

The pundits are saying that the Magpies will win because their defence is stronger than that of the Demons. I don't think the pundits have been looking all that closely at Melbourne's defence these days. Perhaps it's the belief that the Dees are missing names like Nicholson, Miller, Ferguson, Miller and co that causes them to underestimate their defensive stocks. They forget that Jared Rivers is an exceptional defensive talent, that Nathan Carroll has been as mean and nasty as a defender can be this year and that Benny Holland did a number on the G train last week. Daniel Bell is no slouch either and he might be given a big job in taking on Nathan Buckley. It will be a tough ask but I think the Melbourne defence can prevail.

At the other end of the ground Melbourne have plenty of forward aces. David Neitz probably won't have a day out as he did last week but we have Russell Robertson and Aaron Davey ready and primed to kick a few this week. And Adem Yze is still giving those Magpie fans nightmares.

At the time of writing there is a story going around whereby Mick Malthouse has let it slip that one or two more of his players might not saddle up on Monday due to injury. It’s probably just another ruse from the man who once announced to the world that "the ox is slow, but the earth is patient." I don’t know what that means and I’ll bet that Mick doesn’t either. Nor did Confucius. But if Micky thinks he can pull the wool over The Reverend’s eyes, then he’s got another thing coming.

That's why I'm tipping the Demons to win the match. Further I believe it will turn out to be a game worthy of the great rivalry of yesteryear. Given good weather, they'll do it in front of 90,000 fans. If the weather's bad, then the crowd might be down but the result will remain the same. Irrespective, there will be lots of thrills, spills and positive high scoring football. Fans can then go home and watch the other traditional rivals bore the pants off a few thousand spectators and fight out a nil all draw.

Melbourne by 12 points

Thank you very much.

MELBOURNE v COLLINGWOOD

Where & When: MCG, 2.10pm, Monday 12 June, 2006

TV & Radio: TV & RADIO: Channel Ten, 3AW, Triple-M, ABC Radio, NIRS

Head to Head: Played - 217, Melbourne 77, Collingwood 136, Drawn 4

Last time they met: Melbourne 17.15.117 defeated Collingwood 10.12.72 in Round 12, 2005, at MCG

The betting: Melbourne $2.10 Collingwood $1.68

The Teams:

MELBOURNE

B: C Johnson Carroll Holland

HB: Bartram Rivers Whelan

C: Johnstone McDonald Davey

HF: Robertson Dunn Yze

F: Bruce Neitz Pickett

FOLL: White Green Bate

I/C: Bell Godfrey Jamar Read

EM: Sylvia Ward Warnock

IN: Read

OUT: McLean (hamstring)

COLLINGWOOD

B: Johnson Prestigiacomo H Shaw

HB: Lonie Clement Morrison

C: Lockyer Burns Thomas

HF: Licuria Rocca Davis

F: Didak Tarrant Buckley

FOLL: Fraser O'Bree Pendlebury

I/C: T Cloke Iacobucci Rowe Wakelin

EM: J Cloke Davies Egan

IN: T Cloke Iacobucci Rowe Tarrant Thomas

OUT: Caracella (neck) Holland (achilles) Maxwell (leg) Richards Swan (hamstring)