SLIDING DOORS MOMENT

Followers

August 4, 20205 yr

Dees pay high price for victory over Crows

Herald Sun, August 5

MELBOURNE got the 'W' last night with a 26-point win against the Crows at Adelaide Oval, but the win came at a cost.

The Demons are likely to be without captain Max Gawn for the next month, while star midfielder Christian Petracca came off late with soreness after a 24-disposal, three-goal best-on-ground display.

Gawn pulled up tight in the hamstring early in the first term and will now miss games against North Melbourne and Collingwood and key match-ups against fellow ruck stars Todd Goldstein and Brodie Grundy.

"It's a big blow for us," coach Simon Goodwin said. "We didn't see that coming. He was fine playing cards with Angus (Brayshaw) on the flight over here."

Asked why he had risked the AFL's No.1 ranked ruckman against the Crows, who have now lost their first 10 games, Goodwin said the shorter time frame between games was not an issue.

"Gawny said he was fine after training yesterday and we have a policy where we play our best team each week, regardless of how close the games are. It is what it is," he said.

Petracca had again played 90 per cent game time, resting up forward rather than the bench, as Goodwin looked for him to ice the game.

"He's a bit ginger and he'll miss the Roos game as well, but he should be right for the Pies," Goodwin said.

or:

Dees depth too good for Crows

Herald Sun, August 5

MELBOURNE got the 'W' last night with a 26-point win against the Crows at Adelaide Oval and must now find room for Max Gawn and two of its midfield stars for its clash with the Roos on Sunday .

The Dees decided to leave their skipper behind in Maroochydore, rather than risk him for the game against the winless Crows.

Young ruckman Luke Jackson shared the ruck duties with Adam Tomlinson and while the pair were beaten for hitouts by Reilly O'Brien, they combined for 8 clearances to offset the absence of Gawn.

The Demons also opted to rest Clayton Oliver and Angus Brayshaw against the Crows, but coach Simon Goodwin said the pair, who watched the game from the coaches box, will both return for the Roos clash.

Christian Petracca will firm in Brownlow betting after a 24-disposal, three goal game, while Aaron vandenBerg (12 tackles) and Nathan Jones (21 disposals) enjoyed time in the middle and helped set the win up.

The Demons also rotated forwards Bayley Fritsch and Jake Melksham through the middle.

Petracca's efforts were all the more impressive given he was rested for the entire last quarter,

"After our bad loss on a four-day turnaround against Port we realised we had to rest players in these unusual times and hopefully having our core midfield fresh for the game against North will help us in the long run," coach Simon Goodwin said.

"Gawny, Olly and Angus all wanted to play, but we just felt that we had to look at the big picture."

Quote

August 4, 20205 yr

I wouldn't rest both Brayshaw and Oliver. Rest one, give the other that additional responsibility.

Quote

August 4, 20205 yr

4 minutes ago, deanox said:

I wouldn't rest both Brayshaw and Oliver. Rest one, give the other that additional responsibility.

I thought they all had a rest last week - WTF

Quote

August 4, 20205 yr

So you think it's even remotely possible that an under siege coach would choose to rest Gawn and Oliver at the risk of losing his job, for the long term benefit of a team that almost certainly wont make finals anyway?

Hmmmmm.

Quote

August 4, 20205 yr

42 minutes ago, Deespicable said:

Dees pay high price for victory over Crows

Herald Sun, August 5

MELBOURNE got the 'W' last night with a 26-point win against the Crows at Adelaide Oval, but the win came at a cost.

The Demons are likely to be without captain Max Gawn for the next month, while star midfielder Christian Petracca came off late with soreness after a 24-disposal, three-goal best-on-ground display.

Gawn pulled up tight in the hamstring early in the first term and will now miss games against North Melbourne and Collingwood and key match-ups against fellow ruck stars Todd Goldstein and Brodie Grundy.

"It's a big blow for us," coach Simon Goodwin said. "We didn't see that coming. He was fine playing cards with Angus (Brayshaw) on the flight over here."

Asked why he had risked the AFL's No.1 ranked ruckman against the Crows, who have now lost their first 10 games, Goodwin said the shorter time frame between games was not an issue.

"Gawny said he was fine after training yesterday and we have a policy where we play our best team each week, regardless of how close the games are. It is what it is," he said.

Petracca had again played 90 per cent game time, resting up forward rather than the bench, as Goodwin looked for him to ice the game.

"He's a bit ginger and he'll miss the Roos game as well, but he should be right for the Pies," Goodwin said.

or:

Dees depth too good for Crows

Herald Sun, August 5

MELBOURNE got the 'W' last night with a 26-point win against the Crows at Adelaide Oval and must now find room for Max Gawn and two of its midfield stars for its clash with the Roos on Sunday .

The Dees decided to leave their skipper behind in Maroochydore, rather than risk him for the game against the winless Crows.

Young ruckman Luke Jackson shared the ruck duties with Adam Tomlinson and while the pair were beaten for hitouts by Reilly O'Brien, they combined for 8 clearances to offset the absence of Gawn.

The Demons also opted to rest Clayton Oliver and Angus Brayshaw against the Crows, but coach Simon Goodwin said the pair, who watched the game from the coaches box, will both return for the Roos clash.

Christian Petracca will firm in Brownlow betting after a 24-disposal, three goal game, while Aaron vandenBerg (12 tackles) and Nathan Jones (21 disposals) enjoyed time in the middle and helped set the win up.

The Demons also rotated forwards Bayley Fritsch and Jake Melksham through the middle.

Petracca's efforts were all the more impressive given he was rested for the entire last quarter,

"After our bad loss on a four-day turnaround against Port we realised we had to rest players in these unusual times and hopefully having our core midfield fresh for the game against North will help us in the long run," coach Simon Goodwin said.

"Gawny, Olly and Angus all wanted to play, but we just felt that we had to look at the big picture."

Whatever you had for lunch please stop it is really upsetting your powers of reason.

Quote

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.

Reply to this topic...

Followers

Go to topic listing

NON-MFC: Round 01
NON-MFC: Round 01

With Opening Round done and dusted, Round 1 sees the full AFL competition finally swing into action for 2026. Discuss all the games this week that do not involve the Dees, share your tips, and let us know which results would suit Demons best.
- 6 replies
Demonland

1 hour ago1 hr
PODCAST: 2026 Season Preview
PODCAST: 2026 Season Preview

The boys previewed the 2026 Season sharing their early impressions of the new coach, the new players, observations from preseason training, and what they've made of the new game style. They also look ahead to the season with their predictions, the players they expect to rise, their expectations for the team, and what they see as a realistic pass mark for Melbourne in 2026.
- 14 replies
Demonland

Tuesday at 13:001 day
PREVIEW: St. Kilda
PREVIEW: St. Kilda

When the Demons blew their 46-point lead at Marvel Stadium in Round 20 last year, the fallout was enormous. Like an event straight out of a Shakespearean tragedy, Melbourne’s final-quarter collapse left fans reeling and the club grappling with the aftermath.
- 5 replies
Demonland

Tuesday at 11:571 day
PREGAME: St. Kilda
PREGAME: St. Kilda

With just over two weeks until their opening match of the 2026 AFL Premiership season, the Demons are already well on the path to redemption and have the Saints firmly in their sights ahead of their mid-March clash at the MCG. What do you think the team will look like when they run out on to the G?
- 407 replies
Demonland

Monday at 22:052 days
NON-MFC: 2026 Opening Round
NON-MFC: 2026 Opening Round

Finally the 2026 AFL Premiership Season is upon us. While Melbourne sits out Opening Round, there is still plenty of footy to enjoy with five non-MFC clashes to kick off the new season. It all begins on Thursday night with a blockbuster at the SCG as Sydney hosts Carlton in what should be a strong early test for both sides. On Friday night, Gold Coast gets its chance to open the season in front of a home crowd when the Suns and Christian Petracca take on Geelong at People First Stadium. Saturday features a double-header, starting in the afternoon with Greater Western Sydney and Clayton Oliver meeting the Hawks at Engie Stadium. That is followed on Saturday night by Brisbane Lions hosting the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba, with the Lions embarking on their campaign to win the Threepeat. Opening Round wraps up on Sunday night at the MCG, where St Kilda takes on Collingwood in the only game in town in the first week of the season. There is no shortage of storylines across the round, so discuss all the action from the non-MFC games of Opening Round.
- 557 replies
Demonland

March 3Mar 3
REPORT: Richmond
REPORT: Richmond

Mars is not usually a place known for lighting strikes but on Friday evening it happened twice in the vicinity of the stadium in Ballarat that carries the name and is a half completed building site with limited capacity for spectators.
- 4 replies
Demonland

February 27Feb 27