Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
Demonland

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

POINT OF NO RETURN by the Oracle

Demonland
in Match Previews

Featured Replies

Conventional wisdom says that a club reaches the point of no return in the AFL competition if it has won less than four matches at the mid point of the season. 

What this means for Melbourne is that in order for it to remain in the race for a top-eight position, it must start winning games now. Moreover, It's not enough to win the next game but it must also start stringing wins together to make up for its deficit in both wins and percentage. 

With so much at stake there will be no excuses for another lacklustre performance of the sort displayed by the Demons in the first three quarters of their game at the MCG last Sunday against the GWS Giants. Injuries, you say? All clubs suffer injuries throughout a season but the strong can overcome that diversity and fight back against the tide. Collingwood suffered a suitcase load of them in 2018 and still came to within a sniff of taking off a premiership.

Melbourne’s immediate opponents are the Adelaide Crows at TIO Stadium in Darwin where the club has had mixed results in the past. It destroyed the Dockers there last year but succumbed to the Crows at that venue two years ago. 

We are likely to see a restructured lineup for this week’s game but Simon Goodwin needs to get far more out of his midfield than he had been getting over the past month or so. Adelaide itself has displayed some flakey form of its own but will be tough to beat at close to full strength. 

I’m reminded however, of that game at Adelaide Oval in 2017 when the Demons came from a fair way back and essentially reinvented themselves to win big against the then flag favourites. This is Goodwin’s old club and it will be his mission this week to overturn the conventional wisdom about his new club being totally cooked for the season and to come up with some magic and another reinvention into to kickstart its 2019 campaign and to avoid it reaching the point of no return.

Melbourne by 1 point

DISCUSSION

THE GAME  

Melbourne v Adelaide at TIO Stadium Darwin Saturday 1 June, 2019 at 7.40pm  

HEAD TO HEAD  

Overall - Melbourne 15 wins Adelaide 24 wins   

At TIO Stadium - Melbourne 0 wins Adelaide 1 win  

Past five me etings - Melbourne 3 wins Adelaide 2 wins   

The Coaches - Simon Goodwin 3 wins Don Pyke 1 win   

MEDIA  

TV - Channel 7 Fox Sports 3 Live at 7.30pm    

RADIO - Triple M SEN   

THE LAST TIME THEY MET  

Melbourne 13.12.90 defeated Adelaide 10.17.77 Round 19, 2018 at Adelaide Oval  

Melbourne started slowly in Jordan Lewis' 300th game before putting on the afterburners to take a comfortable 32 point lead at the final break. In the last quarter, the Crows were dominant in the wet conditions but they were unable to peg back the lead and failed by a margin of 13 points in the end. Clayton Oliver was the Demons’ best.

THE TEAMS  

Screenshot_2019-05-30 AFL Team Line Ups - AFL com au.png

MELBOURNE 

B Michael Hibberd Sam Frost Josh Wagner
HB Marty Hore Oscar McDonald Jayden Hunt
C Angus Brayshaw Jack Viney Oskar Baker
HF Nathan Jones Tom McDonald Christian Petracca
F Jeff Garlett Tim Smith James Harmes
FOLL Max Gawn Mitch Hannan Clayton Oliver
I/C Bayley Fritsch Christian Salem Charlie Spargo Billy Stretch 
EMG James Jordon Jay Kennedy Harris  Corey Wagner Sam Weideman

IN Mitch Hannan Michael Hibberd  Christian Salem

OUT Harrison Petty (knee)  Jay Lockhart (knee) Corey Wagner (omitted)

ADELAIDE CROWS

B Luke Brown Daniel Talia Kyle Hartigan
HB Brodie Smith Alex Keath Rory Laird
C Wayne Milera Brad Crouch Rory Atkins
HF Paul Seedsman Taylor Walker Tom Lynch
F Lachlan Murphy Josh Jenkins Eddie Betts
FOLL Reilly O'Brien Bryce Gibbs Rory Sloane
I/C Cameron Ellis-Yolmen Jordan Gallucci Hugh Greenwood  Jake Kelly 
EMG Elliott Himmelberg Chayce Jones Riley Knight David Mackay 

IN Bryce Gibbs Josh Jenkins Tom Lynch

OUT Elliott Himmelberg (omitted) Chayce Jones (omitted) Riley Knight (omitted) 

Injury/Suspension List: Round 11  

Nathan Jones (head) – available 
Christian Salem (concussion – available  Michael Hibberd (collarbone) – test 
Kade Kolodjashnij (concussion) – test 
Jake Lever (ankle ) – test 
Steven May (groin) – test 
Alex Neal-Bullen (concussion) – test 
Harry Petty (knee) – test 
Jordan Lewis (suspension) – 1 week  
Corey Maynard (concussion) – 1 week 
Joel Smith (groin) – 4-6 weeks 
Aaron vandenBerg (foot) – 4-6 weeks 
Jake Melksham (foot) – 5-6 weeks 
Neville Jetta (knee) – 6-8 weeks 
Guy Walker (shoulder) – indefinite 
Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season   

PreviewRd112019.png

 
Go to topic listing

Featured Content

  • THE STATS FILES: St. Kilda

    As part of the effort to trim the runtime of the regular podcast, we’ve been looking at which segments could be reshaped without losing what makes them valuable. One segment that naturally came into focus was Binman’s Stats Files. Not because it isn’t important; quite the opposite. It’s become such a substantial and much-loved part of the show that it deserves a little room to breathe.

    • 0 replies
    Demonland

  • PREGAME: Fremantle

    After a stunning victory over the Saints in the first round of the Season the Demons head over to Perth to take on the Dockers who choked in their first match against the Cats. Who comes in and who goes out?

      • Clap
      • Like
    • 120 replies
    Demonland

  • REPORT: St. Kilda

    One of the big stories of the AFL off-season was the spending spree of Melbourne’s Round 1 opponent, St Kilda. They splashed out heavily, first to retain Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera - the hero of last year’s epic come-from-behind miracle victory -turning him into a $2 million man. They then effectively took out an expensive overdraft to recruit a string of expensive players from other clubs. It was a risky investment strategy and, although it’s still early days, it certainly failed to pay off in Sunday’s season opener, with much of the glitter turning to fool’s gold.

    • 2 replies
    Demonland

  • POSTGAME: St. Kilda

    Never in doubt!!! In Steven King’s first game at the helm of the Melbourne Football Club, the Dees outlasted Saints in a wild, momentum-swinging thriller at the MCG, running out 13-point winners.

      • Clap
      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 494 replies
    Demonland

  • PODCAST: St. Kilda

    The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 16th March @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees stunning victory over the Saints at the MCG.
    Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.

      • Clap
      • Like
    • 32 replies
    Demonland

  • VOTES: St. Kilda

    Max Gawn is gunning for his 5th Demonland Player of the Year award after going back to back for the past two season. Your votes for the Dees thrilling win over the Saints at the MCG. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

      • Like
    • 70 replies
    Demonland
View All

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications
Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.