Jump to content

THE SPIRIT by The Oracle

Demonland
in Match Previews

Featured Replies

Posted

Is Melbourne regressing into the unreliable combination of its pre-Covid days when fans never quite knew what to expect from the team on any given day?
 
We are five matches into a new season and the Demons have produced outstanding performances in three matches coupled with two insipid displays, albeit marred by conditions and circumstances that were not ideal. However, any good team worth its salt, is expected to rise above adversity and Melbourne did not against Essendon last week in Adelaide.
 
The Demons have not yet lost the faith of the supporters but on Anzac Eve, at a time we traditionally associate with strong spirit, heroism, and the triumph of courage over adversity, they will be tested. There will be no room for them to shrug shoulders at the end of the night and claim that “this was not us”.
 
Certainly, Melbourne without its indefatigable skipper, was tested for yet another week by a team with two tall rucks who dominated in front of the goals in wild and woolly conditions with rain falling and the normally ever-reliable defence stretched in the absence of Jake Lever and Michael Hibberd to intercept the ball coming regularly out of the middle, particularly early when Clayton Oliver was well shackled.
 
But there was still something terribly wrong happening for the Demons in the first half against the Bombers. They give up the ascendancy in each of the opening terms, regained momentum, took control momentarily and gave it away again. On the second occasion, the Demons were outrun and outplayed after cockily wasting opportunities to increase their lead to something handy while a heavy downpour threatened.
 
The team that a week earlier were being vaunted for their newly found high scoring attacking style of play, spent fifty spiritless and goalless minutes under intimidation from a team that one week earlier, struggled to beat the lowly Giants on their home turf.
 
So, the question on every Demon fan’s lip as the Anzac Eve match approaches is simple - which Melbourne team is going to turn up on the night?
 
It will certainly be a different combination to the one that gathered round and spectated for so much of their game in Adelaide. The makeup of the team will necessarily change with players mooted to return from injury and others who have shown some form at the level below.
 
Melbourne can take solace from its midfield leaders who fought out the last game in the Anzac Spirit. That Oliver finished with more than 40 touches was testament to the will he showed and the example he brings to the team. Likewise Christian Petracca and Jack Viney who never gave in and gave their team a touch of respectability in the final term last week.
 
This still leaves Simon Goodwin with a massive repair job for this week against a team with troubles of its own. The Tigers’ form has been poor lately and they will miss Nankervis in the ruck and Lynch at full forward. Missing also will be some valuable foot soldiers in Broad, Short, Gibcus and Soldo.
 
But even if the memory of their recent premiership run is fading, they cannot be taken lightly and if the Demons do so, they will suddenly find themselves back in the pack with other contenders fighting for life and light years away from the premiership favouritism to which they only recently aspired.
 
I’m tipping them to win but only if they show some spirit this time. Otherwise, it will start getting close to the last chance saloon as far as their credibility as a football power is concerned.
 
Melbourne by 15 points.
 
THE GAME
 
Melbourne v Richmond on Monday 24 April 2023 at 7.25pm at the MCG
 
HEAD TO HEAD
 
Overall Melbourne 77 wins Richmond 107 wins Drawn 2
 
At MCG Melbourne 65 wins Richmond 72 wins Drawn 1
 
Past five meetings Melbourne 2 wins Richmond 3 wins
 
The Coaches Goodwin 2 wins Hardwick 4 wins
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
 
Melbourne 9.22.76 defeated Richmond 8.6.54
 
Clayton Oliver had 41 possessions in an outstanding display of midfield power. Max Gawn dominated the rucks and Ed Langdon was supreme on his wing. Despite all that, thanks to their appalling inaccuracy in front of goals the Demons scrambled their way to an unconvincing 22-point victory.
 
THE TEAMS 
 
MELBOURNE

B H. Petty S. May T. Rivers 
HB K. Chandler J. Lever E. Langdon 
C A. Brayshaw C. Oliver L. Hunter 
HF J. McVee B. Grundy A. Neal-Bullen 
F K. Pickett J. van Rooyen B. Fritsch 
FOLL M. Gawn J. Viney C. Petracca 
I/C J. Bowey M. Hibberd J.  Jordon T.  Sparrow SUB B. Laurie EMG L. Dunstan J. Schache D. Turner 

IN M. Gawn M. Hibberd B. Laurie J. Lever

OUT J. Melksham (omitted) T. McDonald (omitted) C. Spargo (concussion) A. Tomlinson (omitted)

RICHMOND

B N. Balta D. Grimes T. Young
HB L. Baker N. Vlastuin D. Rioli
C K. McIntosh T. Taranto M.  Pickett
HF M. Rioli D. Martin R. Mansell
F B. Miller N. Cumberland J. Riewoldt
FOLL S. Ryan S. Bolton J. Hopper
I/C J. Clarke T. Cotchin D. Prestia J. Short T. Sonsie SUB H. Ralphsmith EMG J. Bauer J. Ross T. Sonsie

IN J. Short 

OUT T. Sonsie (omitted)
 
Injury List: Round 6

Ben Brown - Back  | Test
Max Gawn - Knee  | Test
Michael Hibberd - Achilles | Test
Jake Lever - Ankle  | Test
Charlie Spargo - Concussion | TBC
Kye Turner - Groin | TBC
Joel Smith - Thumb | 1 Week
Christian Salem - Knee | 2 - 4 Weeks
Will Verrall - Pelvis  | 8 - 9 Weeks

ReportRd062023.png

    • Like 2
    • Clap 1
     
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • PREVIEW: Gold Coast

      The Gold Coast Suns find themselves outside of the top eight for the first time since Round 1 with pressure is mounting on the entire organisation. Their coach Damien Hardwick expressed his frustration at his team’s condition last week by making a middle-finger gesture on television that earned him a fine for his troubles. He showed his desperation by claiming that Fox should pick up the tab.  There’s little doubt the Suns have shown improvement in 2025, and their position on the ladder is influenced to some extent by having played fewer games than their rivals for a playoff role at the end of the season, courtesy of the disruption caused by Cyclone Alfred in March.  However, they are following the same trajectory that hindered the club in past years whenever they appeared to be nearing their potential. As a consequence, that Hardwick gesture should be considered as more than a mere behavioral lapse. It’s a distress signal that does not bode well for the Queenslanders. While the Suns are eager to remain in contention with the top eight, Melbourne faces its own crisis, which is similarly deep-seated but in a much different way. After recovering from a disappointing start to the season and nearing a return to respectability among its peer clubs, the Demons have experienced a decline in status, driven by the fact that while their form has been reasonable (see their performance against the ladder leader in the Kings Birthday match), their conversion in front of goal is poor enough to rank last in the competition. Furthermore, their opponents find them exceptionally easy to score against. As a result, they have effectively eliminated themselves from the finals race and are again positioned to finish in the bottom half of the ladder.

      • 3 replies
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 15

      As the Demons head into their Bye Round, it's time to turn our attention to the other matches being played. Which teams are you tipping this week? And which results would be most favourable for the Demons if we can manage to turn our season around? Follow all the non-Melbourne games here and join the conversation as the ladder continues to take shape.

      • 276 replies
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Port Adelaide

      Of course, it’s not the backline, you might argue and you would probably be right. It’s the boot studder (do they still have them?), the midfield, the recruiting staff, the forward line, the kicking coach, the Board, the interchange bench, the supporters, the folk at Casey, the head coach and the club psychologist  It’s all of them and all of us for having expectations that were sufficiently high to have believed three weeks ago that a restoration of the Melbourne team to a position where we might still be in contention for a finals berth when the time for the midseason bye arrived. Now let’s look at what happened over the period of time since Melbourne overwhelmed the Sydney Swans at the MCG in late May when it kicked 8.2 to 5.3 in the final quarter (and that was after scoring 3.8 to two straight goals in the second term). 

      • 3 replies
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Essendon

      Casey’s unbeaten run was extended for at least another fortnight after the Demons overran a persistent Essendon line up by 29 points at ETU Stadium in Port Melbourne last night. After conceding the first goal of the evening, Casey went on a scoring spree from about ten minutes in, with five unanswered majors with its fleet of midsized runners headed by the much improved Paddy Cross who kicked two in quick succession and livewire Ricky Mentha who also kicked an early goal. Leading the charge was recruit of the year, Riley Bonner while Bailey Laurie continued his impressive vein of form. With Tom Campbell missing from the lineup, Will Verrall stepped up to the plate demonstrating his improvement under the veteran ruckman’s tutelage. The Demons were looking comfortable for much of the second quarter and held a 25-point lead until the Bombers struck back with two goals in the shadows of half time. On the other side of the main break their revival continued with first three goals of the half. Harry Sharp, who had been quiet scrambled in the Demons’ first score of the third term to bring the margin back to a single point at the 17 minute mark and the game became an arm-wrestle for the remainder of the quarter and into the final moments of the last.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Gold Coast

      The Demons have the Bye next week but then are on the road once again when they come up against the Gold Coast Suns on the Gold Coast in what could be a last ditch effort to salvage their season. Who comes in and who comes out?

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 155 replies
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Port Adelaide

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 16th June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees disappointing loss to the Power.
      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.
      Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

        • Haha
      • 33 replies
      Demonland
    View All