COOKED by The Oracle

Round 23 - North Melbourne v Melbourne
Saturday 24 August, 2.10pm AEST
Blundstone Arena, Hobart

Melbourne will head to the Apple Isle for their final game of 2019 against North Melbourne in Hobart.

Here are the key details for the clash. 

Game day timings

2.10pm: First bounce

As an interstate away game, Melbourne members cannot gain acccess to the match. 

General public tickets can be purchased via Ticketek

Public transport

Shuttle buses and ferries service Blundstone Arena. Find out more HERE.

Car parking

Limited parking is available at the venue. Find out more HERE.

All broadcast info in local times.

Melbourne: Foxtel – 2.00pm
Sydney: Foxtel – 2.00pm
Brisbane: Foxtel – 2.00pm
Adelaide:  Foxtel – 1.30pm
Perth: Foxtel – 12.00pm
Tasmania: Foxtel – 2.00pm
ACT: Foxtel – 2.00pm
NT: Foxtel – 1.30pm

For all other regions and radio info, refer to the AFL Broadcast Guide.

Mobile app

Live scores, stats and match highlights are available at the tap of a finger in the club's mobile app.

Download it for iOS or Android.

Social media

Match hashtag: #AFLNorthDees

Follow the club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live match coverage and a behind-the-scenes insight into match day.

In the final round of 2019, the Casey Demons will have byes in the VFL and VFLW.

 

COOKED by The Oracle

I can vividly remember when the Demons ventured onto Blundstone Arena for the first time in early 2016 only to lose to the Kangaroos by 20.11.131 to 21.10.136.   

 

Melbourne was then a team on the up and up: young, enthusiastic and bold. It gave up a huge quarter time deficit after kicking against a strong wind but made that up by half time and fell dramatically short after an exciting high scoring affair. 

 

The team lost no fans that day - they were willing to take the game on and attack the football and the goals as if their lives depended on performing to the best of their abilities. It was the sort of display that would ultimately lead them to a preliminary final in two and a half year’s time.   

 

In the meantime, they would suffer yet another narrow defeat (4 points) at Blundstone in 2017. This time, the loss was costly because it left them tantalisingly short of a finals berth but they persevered and improved in the following year and gave their long-suffering supporters great hopes for 2019.  

 

Now, after a year of sheer agony for the Melbourne Football Club and its supporters, the team returns to the same venue but the indications are that this time, the result will not be close. The circumstances have made North  the biggest certainties of the final round. 

 

That’s a strange thing to say given that two weeks ago the Kangaroos were held to a solitary goal by Geelong but the truth is that we know the Dees are done for the year. I attribute this to a poor preseason and a diabolical run of injuries that has sapped every ounce of confidence out of the playing group. We know that the on field and off field team that represents the club at the start of the 2020 season will be significantly different in its makeup to the one we have now.

 

It’s obvious that 5.00pm on Saturday can’t come quickly enough for a team that’s bereft of a functioning forward line that can’t kick straight (most of its tall key position forwards were out for the season several weeks ago) and a defence that was hacked apart much earlier in the year. The constant drain on resources has exposed the club’s player depth and ability. They fought a tough battle but in recent weeks they gradually slowed and began to stop chasing as they hit the wall.

 

They’re cooked.  

 

There’s nothing more that can be said for a team that played like a rabble on the Friday night stage last week other than that by playing outside the state down in Hobart, hopefully not many people will take notice as to how they are performing.

 

The most positive spin that I can put on things at the moment is this -> bring on 2020!

 

THE GAME

 

North Melbourne v Melbourne on Saturday 24 August, 2019 at Blundstone Arena, Hobart at 2.10pm    

 

HEAD TO HEAD    

 

Overall North Melbourne 81 wins Melbourne 84 wins 1 draw     

At the Blundstone Arena North Melbourne 2 wins Melbourne 0 wins     

Last five times North Melbourne 4 wins Melbourne 1 win   

The Coaches Shaw 0 wins Goodwin 0 wins   

 

MEDIA     

 

TV - Fox Footy Channel Live at 2.00pm  

RADIO -  TBA   

 

THE LAST TIME THEY MET 

 

Melbourne 18.15.123 defeated North Melbourne 13.8.86 at the MCG, Round 3, 2018   

 

Melbourne started slowly and gave North a handy start before reeling the opposition in and pushing away to a handy 37-point win that broke a string of 17 successive losses to the Kangaroos. Max Gawn was dominant with 50 hit outs to Todd Goldstein’s 15. The Demon goal kickers were Tom Bugg 4, Jeff Garlett and Dean Kent with 3 each - none of them will be playing this week.   

 

THE TEAMS     

 

 

 

Injury List - Round 23  

 

Max Gawn (hamstring) – available  

Jordan Lewis (shin) – available  

Oscar McDonald (ankle) – we’ll get back to you soon 

Harrison Petty (groin) – my people will call your people  

Tom Sparrow (knee) – 1 week 

Kade Chandler (finger) – season 

Jeff Garlett (shoulder) – season 

Mitch Hannan (groin) – season 

Neville Jetta (knee) - season 

Kade Kolodjashnij (head) – season 

Steven May (hamstring) – season 

Tom McDonald (knee) – season 

Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season 

Joel Smith (groin) – season 

Tim Smith (foot) – season 

Aaron vandenBerg (foot) – season 

Sam Weideman (jaw) – season 

Guy Walker (shoulder) – indefinite   

After seeing May do his hammy after a bout of tightness it would be crazy to risk Max after his hammy tightness last week. Let him go into the break with a clean bill of health. Every single time this year we have rolled the dice its turned out crap. Hamstring tightness is its way of telling you it tired and needs a break. Throw the gauntlet down to Pruessy and challenge him against his old team.

thanks christ this season is finished in 2 days

I hope Brown kicks 0.7 and loses the coleman

Any reason we’ve been sent to this dump of a ground in 3 of the last 4 seasons?

Well thank god this rabble of a season is over. I don't have foxtel and would usually go to watch it somewhere but not bothering. Seriously lets just hope we get through the game with no serious injuries. 

I have no idea what to expect but I reckon the boys will just want this to be over. 

Its been a long hard and cold winter. Look forward to the preseason. It cannot come quick enough.

Omg. End of a horrible year. Cannot end quick enough. That’s very very sad for a game and team that I Love and are a big part of my life. 

  On 21/08/2019 at 23:56, Demonland said:

Injury List - Round 23  

 

Max Gawn (hamstring) – available  

Jordan Lewis (shin) – available  

Oscar McDonald (ankle) – we’ll get back to you soon 

Harrison Petty (groin) – my people will call your people  

Tom Sparrow (knee) – 1 week 

Kade Chandler (finger) – season 

Jeff Garlett (shoulder) – season 

Mitch Hannan (groin) – season 

Neville Jetta (knee) - season 

Kade Kolodjashnij (head) – season 

Steven May (hamstring) – season 

Tom McDonald (knee) – season 

Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season 

Joel Smith (groin) – season 

Tim Smith (foot) – season 

Aaron vandenBerg (foot) – season 

Sam Weideman (jaw) – season 

Guy Walker (shoulder) – indefinite   

So Tom Saprrow is only out for one more week and not the rest of the season. That's a bit of good news.

Sensible changes (although there won’t be too much care). 

Would love to see us surprise everyone and win this game, but I’m not holding my breath. 

  On 22/08/2019 at 08:45, titan_uranus said:

Sensible changes (although there won’t be too much care). 

Would love to see us surprise everyone and win this game, but I’m not holding my breath. 

A very wise move!

16 injuries. 

Tom Sparrow ready for next week. !!

surely romance warranted Lockhart selection as he deserves promotion and is a Tassie boy. Opportunity missed to get some local tassie support. He gives a truckload more than the little Spargo boy imo. 

  On 22/08/2019 at 08:44, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

So Tom Saprrow is only out for one more week and not the rest of the season. That's a bit of good news.

All appendages crossed for Casey.

  On 22/08/2019 at 09:24, Demonland said:

All appendages crossed for Casey.

Good point. I hadn't thought of that (metaphorically puts head between legs and leaves the room).

It seems strong winds from the NW are forecast for game day. If the Roos win the toss and kick towards the beach end then we can all leave at quarter time and go to Preachers on Knopwood Street for some quality craft beer. 

Edited August 22, 20195 yr by Rab D Nesbitt

So Thompson and Lewis's last games. Usually when a player retires the other team will line up and applaud him off. anyway not really an issue, I reckon Jordan will just want to get off quickly and probably thinking I didn't think my final season would end like this.

16 and rain on saturday. Brilliant. Preuss will go well in the wet. Maybe Gawn is having a last minute test. 

Meh

2020 for me

Lots of discussion still going on on Demonland but sadly no one cares about team selection or this game. 

North will roll us and Ben Brown will get 10 plus. I expect someone like Mason Wood will also kick a bag. 

This year cannot end quick enough. 

Edited August 22, 20195 yr by Kelpien

  On 22/08/2019 at 09:00, spirit of norm smith said:

surely romance warranted Lockhart selection as he deserves promotion and is a Tassie boy. Opportunity missed to get some local tassie support. He gives a truckload more than the little Spargo boy imo. 

Both changes welcome. That is the team we should have had last week. Then throw in Lockhart for Spargo and it would look like we're fair dinkum, romance or not. I hope Spargo proves me wrong.

So I guess OMac and Petty are still injured. I'm surprised we can field a team. I hope we're not playing anyone with a hint of an injury that could be exacerbated by playing. Not that we'd EVER do something like that in a meaningless game. 

Can we forfeit this one or enact a mercy rule?

  On 22/08/2019 at 09:53, dees189227 said:

16 and rain on saturday. Brilliant. Preuss will go well in the wet. Maybe Gawn is having a last minute test. 

If we are smart they will rest Gawn and just play the big P regardless dees. 

Absolutely nothing to be gained risking our only A grade player in a nothing match and everything to lose.

  On 22/08/2019 at 02:59, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Any reason we’ve been sent to this dump of a ground in 3 of the last 4 seasons?

Probably the same as playing at Geelong all the time.

We could almost play our injury list as a separate team.  Our forward line still looks too short, and with only Frosty as the tall in the back half things look dire.  He has to play on Crusty McFlopper, and Hore on Naughton.  Preuss to go head to head with Goldy almost all day, with Max working forward as the target.  I would love to see some structure around the contest (been waiting 22 weeks) and two way running.  

we have to keep Norf from getting a run on.  IF we can block them up and not allow fast movement into the f50, we have a chance.  Our midfield defence needs to be much better for this to happen.  If they get heaps of uncontested marks we will lose badly.  If we can win the contested ball and the clearances we have a slim chance (..of butchering the i50 delivery...)

Not a game for the ages, by any stretch.  Please give us some dignity, if not hope.  No one ion their right mind expects a result.

 

  On 22/08/2019 at 21:49, pitmaster said:

Both changes welcome. That is the team we should have had last week. Then throw in Lockhart for Spargo and it would look like we're fair dinkum, romance or not. I hope Spargo proves me wrong.

Don't hold ur breath!!

  On 23/08/2019 at 00:18, buck_nekkid said:

We could almost play our injury list as a separate team.  Our forward line still looks too short, and with only Frosty as the tall in the back half things look dire.  He has to play on Crusty McFlopper, and Hore on Naughton.  Preuss to go head to head with Goldy almost all day, with Max working forward as the target.  I would love to see some structure around the contest (been waiting 22 weeks) and two way running.  

we have to keep Norf from getting a run on.  IF we can block them up and not allow fast movement into the f50, we have a chance.  Our midfield defence needs to be much better for this to happen.  If they get heaps of uncontested marks we will lose badly.  If we can win the contested ball and the clearances we have a slim chance (..of butchering the i50 delivery...)

Not a game for the ages, by any stretch.  Please give us some dignity, if not hope.  No one ion their right mind expects a result.

 

Call me crazy, but I expect a result.

Interesting that Keilty is an emergency. Should Max not play, which has to be a possibility, I'd expect Keilty to come in for what I assume will be his last game. If that's the case, good luck to him.