DEMONS TO PACK A PUNCH FOR PRIDE by Meggs

It’s AFLW Pride Week this round.  A celebration of people from all walks of life coming together, being respected, loved and accepted.  Since inception, the AFLW has been a benchmark when it comes to inclusivity and a safe workplace.  This legacy was a gift from the games’ founders of which Melbourne FC was proudly one.  Former Dee, T-Rex Cunningham, has designed this week’s Demons Pride guernsey, in recognition and support of the LGBTIQA+ community.  Tegan’s jumper design highlights the red and blue Melbourne colours within the symbolic rainbow motif plus adds 30 thumbprints representing each girl in our team, further highlighting inclusivity.  

 

Our game this week is against St Kilda at our fortress, Casey Fields.  The Saints have not started the season well with two heavy losses and a percentage of 36.3.  The Saints were well beaten by Richmond in round one.  No disgrace, as we now know that the Tiges are a much-improved outfit in 2022.  St Kilda were then beaten in round two by a Collingwood outfit missing superstars Davey and Molloy and made lots of errors resulting in turnovers.  

 

Confidence must be low at Linton Street and new Saints coach Nick Dal Santo has his work cut out.  The Saints AFLW Stats (sorted by career disposals) has at number one, Georgia Patrikios, who has not played a game due to her vaccination status, ex-Dees Cat Phillips at 3 and Bianca Jakobssen at 17 and new-Dee Ali Brown at 18.  Caitlin Greiser, the G-Train, who single-handedly sunk the Dees in Round 3 in 2020 at Linton Street, is a shadow of her former self this year.  So the Saints have list, talent and output issues this year and their young list will be tested by the Dees this week. 

 

Apart from the ex-Dees who you know, look out for tall Shierlaw and small Xenos up forward, mids Rosie Dillon and Tarni White and the hardworking ex-Blue Lucas-Rodd down back.

 

The Dees started the season as flag-favourites and have thus far vanquished both challengers.  Covid continues to play havoc with team selections but does provide opportunities for other players and has evidenced our excellent depth.  A nod to Todd and the recruiters.  

 

Loving our ruck team of Lauren and Caris with young Maggie improving with each week.  Our midfield group of Zanker, Gay, Paxy, Hanks, Mithen are the equal of any team and our key forwards including Harris, Hore and Pearce are genuine superstars of the game.  We have lots of run with Goldie, Heath, McNamara, Sheriff and Bannan and Libby Birch has been keeping her backline team under control down, mostly.  

These are must-win games but ones that Melbourne supporters often dread.  After two rounds we have the highest points for (100) and if our game style and attack on the footy is consistently applied we should expect a good win.  Please kick straight girls!  The weather is forecast to be mid-30’s sunny with light winds. 

 

Maximum rotations this week and Melbourne by 30 points

 

THE GAME

 

Melbourne v St Kilda at Casey Fields on Saturday 22 January 2022 at 3:10pm (AEDT)

 

HEAD TO HEAD

 

Overall St Kilda 1 win Melbourne 1 win  

At Casey Fields St Kilda 0 wins Melbourne 1 wins 

The Coaches Stinear 1 wins Dal Santo 0 wins

 

MEDIA

 

TV live and on demand on Channel 7, Foxfooty and Kayo. Check your local guides.

Radio - check your local guides.

 

THE LAST TIME THEY MET  

 

Melbourne 9.12 (66) defeated St Kilda 3.4 (22) at Casey Fields, Round 6, 2021

The previous week we had been flogged by Collingwood and the week prior to that we had kicked ourselves out of the game against the Bulldogs.  With the successive losses denting our 2021 finals aspirations, Demons Coach Mick Stinear crafted a number of key changes which proved masterful not only against the Saints but for the rest of the season.  These included moving Daisy Pearce from defence to a forward pocket role and Eden Zanker to play as a big-bodied midfielder.  Gay, Pearce and Zanker were best along with Paxman (24 touches) and Tyla Hanks (22 touches).  The Dees led all day and our home ground was starting to become a real fortress.

 

THE TEAMS

 

MELBOURNE

B: L.Birch 9 G.Colvin 32  
HB: S.Heath 30 S.Lampard 8 S.Goldrick 23
C: E.McNamara 22 T.Hanks 5 C.Sherriff 18
HF: T.Harris 7 K.Hore 10 J.Parry 19
F: D.Pearce - C 6 M.Fitzsimon 24
Foll: L.Pearce 15 E.Zanker 29 K.Paxman 4
I/C: B.Tarrant 20 M.Caris 21 E.West 11 A.Bannan 16 S.Scott 12  

Emerg: L.Magee 26 A.Brown 28  

IN Heath Lampard Scott Sherriff

 

OUT Brown (omitted) Magee (omitted) Mithen (AFL Protocol) Petrevski (omitted)

 

ST KILDA

B: T.Lucas-Rodd 18 R.Ott 20  
HB: B.Jakobsson 8 J.Van Dyk 36 H.Priest - C 14
C: M.McDonald 1 T.White 29 C.Phillips 35
HF: D.Guttridge 5 K.Shierlaw 12 R.Dillon 25
F: A.Richards 22 J.Vogt 10
Foll: L.Cutting 26 N.Xenos 27 T.Meyer 34
I/C: L.Burke 30 O.Vesely 23 A.Burke 3 R.Watt 7 I.Shannon 11  

Emerg: R.Saulitis 13 E.Friend 16  

IN: Meyer Richards Shannon Watt

 

OUT: Exon (injured) Greiser (omitted) Saulitis (omitted) Woodward (omitted)

Injury List: Round 3

Maeve Chaplin (AFL protocol) — available 
Tahliah Gillard (AFL protocol) — available 
Shelley Heath (AFL protocol) — available 
Maddie Gay (AFL protocol) — test 
Sarah Lampard (AFL protocol) — test 
Shelley Scott (AFL protocol) — test 
Casey Sherriff (AFL protocol) — test 
Olivia Purcell (knee) — 3-5 weeks 
Isabella Simmons (foot) — season