Jump to content

  • IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

    The Demonland Terms of Service, which you have all recently agreed to, strictly prohibit discussions of ongoing legal matters, whether criminal or civil. Please ensure that all discussions on this forum remain focused solely on on-field & football related topics.


Recommended Posts

Posted
The game may well have taken place a day short of ten weeks ago but the atmospherics surrounding Friday night’s match between Melbourne (then Narrm) and Fremantle are light years apart from those that prevailed when the teams last faced off the MCG in late autumn. On one hand, the Demons were in the midst of a 17 game winning spree that included a drought breaking premiership victory. On the other, the Dockers were coming off a six goal thrashing at Optus Stadium in teeming rain against a then struggling Collingwood (the winning margin wasn’t even close!). Narrm was considered a shoo in especially when the team was coasting with a lead of five goals in the shadows of half time.
 
Something must have occurred that upset the gods because they capitulated in the second half in a way not seen from the club for well over a year. Of course, it didn’t help to lose Steven May early and for Harry Petty to be off the ground injured for a significant period of time or that Christian Petracca wasn’t himself but the loss of key position strength both immediately before and during games and climactic late fade outs have been a pattern that has persisted ever since, leaving the Demons floundering and facing a possible fall from the top four as the final series approaches.
 
The outcome of this week’s game will depend very much on which Melbourne turns up for the game.
 
Will it be the team that dominated the first half at the MCG ten weeks ago or the one that’s faded in so many of its games ever since?
 
I’m mindful of the fact that this is Round 20 which is the very same round that proved to be the start of the club’s 17 game winning streak and I’m also mindful of the fact that a repeat of the in-game injury disasters of the horror stretch between Rounds 11 and 13 are unlikely, but I have some doubts.
 
Have the others worked the Demons out?
 
Can the tagging tactics employed against their midfield prevail?
 
Will they run out off puff at the end of the game?
 
Will the forward pressure that was such a force in blanketing opposition sides during the streak magically return?
 
Will the football gods give us a break?
 
What makes me a skeptic is the club’s conservative mindset that hasn’t seen any innovations to arrest the slide or change the pattern that we’re seeing. No new blood introduced to add a keen edge to a team that once defended every inch of ground with a pressure game that caused teams like the Bulldogs and the Cats to fold like a bad card hand. And the fact that we didn’t see a single tackle in the forward fifty suggests that the hunger that sustained the club for so long has been lost on the current team. That’s what makes this one the “hunger” game for the club.
 
I haven’t seen much evidence of hunger from the team for at least a month since they played the Brisbane Lions. I’m tipping Melbourne but only because I didn’t see much hunger from the Dockers last week either as they did just about everything they could to lose to Richmond.
 
The Dees are on their last chance to rediscover the taste for victory and I think that the bashing they received from media and fans after the fade out against the Bulldogs and the positive side of Angus Brayshaw’s re-signing for 6 years might be just the thing they need to get them through.
 
Melbourne by 1 point.
 
THE GAME
 
Fremantle v Melbourne on Friday 29 July 2022 at 8.10pm.
 
HEAD TO HEAD
 
Overall Fremantle 24 wins Melbourne 17 wins
At Optus Stadium Fremantle 0 wins Melbourne 0 wins
Last five meetings Fremantle 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins
The Coaches Longmuir 2 wins Goodwin 1 win
 
MEDIA
TV live and on demand on Kayo and live on Foxtel
Radio - check your local guides
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
 
Fremantle 14.10.94 defeated Narrm 7.14.56 at The MCG, Round 11, 2022
 
The Demons were bashed up badly in the second half when their defensive structure fell apart. Players were injured and sick and too much was left to too few.
 
THE TEAMS
 
MELBOURNE

B: J.Lever 8 H.Petty 35 T.Sparrow 32
HB: A.Neal-Bullen 30 S.May 1 M.Hibberd 14
C: A.Brayshaw 10 C.Oliver 13 E.Langdon 15
HF: C.Salem 3 K.Pickett 36 B.Fritsch 31
F: C.Spargo 9 S.Weideman 26 L.Jackson 6
Foll: M.Gawn 11 C.Petracca J.Viney 7
I/C: J.Hunt 29 J. Jordon 23 J. Melksham 18 T. Rivers 24
Sub: K.Chandler 37 Emerg: L.Dunstan 27 A. Tomlinson 20 J.Van Rooyen 21

In: K.Chandler J.Hunt J.Lever 

Out: T.Bedford (managed) J.Harmes (concussion) A.Tomlinson (omitted)

FREMANTLE 

B: Heath Chapman 27 B.Cox 36 J.Aish 11
HB: H.Young 26 A.Pearce 25 L.Ryan 13
C: J.Clark 6 A.Brayshaw 8 B.Acres 9
HF: L.Schultz 5 R.Lobb 37 L.Henry 23
F: M.Frederick 32 M.Taberner 20 M.Walters 10
Foll: S.Darcy 4 W.Brodie 17 C.Serong 3
I/C: G.Logue 2 T.Colyer 33 D.Mundy 16 B.Walker 31
Sub: B.Banfield 41 Emerg: M.Crowden 12 L.Meek 22 N.Wilson 14

In: R.Lobb

Out: N.Fyfe (hamstring)

Injury List: Round 20
 
Jake Lever - Shoulder | Available 
Joel Smith - Ankle | Available
Ben Brown - Knee | 1 Week
Deakyn Smith - Jaw | 1 Week
Fraser Rosman - Hamstring | 4-6 Weeks
Tom McDonald - Foot | 6-7 Weeks
PreviewRd202022.png
  • Like 1

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Demonland Forums  

  • Match Previews, Reports & Articles  

    TRAINING: Wednesday 12th February 2025

    Demonland Trackwatchers braved the scorching morning heat to bring you the following observations of Wednesday's preseason training session from Gosch's Paddock. HARVEY WALLBANGER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Absent: Salem, Windsor (word is a foot rash going around), Viney, Bowey and Kentfield Train ons: Roy George, no Culley today. Firstly the bad news - McVee went down late, which does look like a bad hammy - towards the end of match sim, as he kicked the ball. Had to

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    MATCH SIM: Friday 7th February 2025

    Demonland Trackwatcher Gator ventured down the freeway to bring you his observations from Friday morning's Match Simulation out at Casey Fields. Rehab: Jake Lever and Charlie Spargo running laps.  Lever was running short distances at a fast click as well as having kick to kick with a trainer. He seems unimpeded. Christian Petracca, Kade Chandler, Shane McAdam and Tom Fullarton doing non-contact kicking and handball drills on the adjacent oval.  All moving freely at pace.  I didn’

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 2

    TRAINING: Wednesday 5th February 2025

    Demonland Trackwatchers were out in force as the Demons returned to Gosch's Paddock for preseason training on Wednesday morning. GHOSTWRITER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Kozzie a no show. Tommy Sparrow was here last week in civvies and wearing sunnies. He didn’t train. Today he’s training but he’s wearing goggles so he’s likely got an eye injury. There’s a drill where Selwyn literally lies on top of Tracc, a trainer dribbles the ball towards them and Tracc has to g

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS: 2024

    Whichever way you look at it, the Melbourne Football Club’s 2024 season can only be characterized as the year of its fall from grace. Whispering Jack looks back at the season from hell that was. After its 2021 benchmark premiership triumph, the men’s team still managed top four finishes in the next two seasons but straight sets finals losses consigned them to sixth place in both years. The big fall came in 2024 with a collapse into the bottom six and a 14th placing. At Casey, the 2022 VFL p

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Special Features

    MATCH SIM: Friday 31st January 2025

    Veteran Demonland Trackwatcher Picket Fence ventured down to Casey Fields to bring you his observations from Friday's Match Simulation. Greetings Demonlanders, beautiful Day at training and the boys were hard at it, here is my report. NO SHOWS: Luker Kentfield (recovering from pneumonia in WA), also not sure I noticed Melky (Hamstring) or Will Verrall?? MODIFIED DUTIES (No Contact): Sparrow, McVee (foot), Tracc (ribs), Chandler, (AC Joint), Fullarton Noticeable events (I’ll s

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 2

    TRAINING: Wednesday 29th January 2025

    A number of Demonland Trackwatchers swooped on Gosch's Paddock to bring you their observations from this morning's Preseason Training Session. DEMON JACK'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Beautiful morning at Gosch's Paddock. Very healthy crowd so far.  REHAB: Fullerton, Spargo, Tholstrup, McVee Viney running laps. EDIT: JV looks to be back with the main group. Trac, Sparrow, Chandler and Verrell also training away from the main group. Currently kicking to each other ins

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 1

    TRAINING: Wednesday 22nd January 2025

    Demonland Trackwatchers were out in force for training at Gosch's Paddock on Wednesday morning for the MFC's School Holidays Open Training Session. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS REHAB: TMac, Chandler, McVee, Tholstrup, Brown, Spargo Brown might have passed his fitness test as he’s back out with the main group.  Sparrow not present. Kozzy not present either.  Mini Rehab group has broken off from the match sim (contact) group: Max, Trac, Lever, Fullarton

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    TRAINING: Monday 20th January 2025

    Demonland Trackwatcher Gator attended training out at Casey Fields to bring you the following observations from Preseason Training. GATOR'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS There were 5 in the main rehab group, namely Gawn, Petracca, Fullarton, Woewodin and Lever.  Laurie was running laps by himself, as was Jefferson.  Chandler, as has been reported, had his arm in a sling.  Lindsay did a bit of lap running later on. Some of the ''rehab 5'' participated in non contact drills and b

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    TRAINING: Wednesday 15th January 2025

    There were a number of Demonland Trackwatchers at Gosch's Paddock this morning to bring you their observations from Preseason Training. KEV MARTIN'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS They were going hard at each other. The sims were in two 15 minute blocks. The second block finished a few minutes early, they gathered and had another 7 minutes at it. I think they were asked to compete, as they would play against an opposition. There was plenty of niggle, between some of them. At the end o

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports
  • Tell a friend

    Love Demonland? Tell a friend!
×
×
  • Create New...