Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
Demonland

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

EMERGENCY by Whispering Jack

Demonland
in Match Reports

Featured Replies

Posted
The Hawks recognised our emergency workers and volunteers at half time on Saturday night against the Demons and it was just as well because they were in the midst of a major emergency of their own at the time.
 
The MCG scoreboard had Melbourne 8.6.54 to Hawthorn 1.3.9, a lead that should have been far greater than 45 points bar for a different anomaly that occurred in each of the first two quarters.
 
The first anomaly was errant goal kicking. The pressure metre for the Demons was on high early in the game but their usually exemplary kicking for goal by this year’s standards, was way off the mark as they banged on five behinds in the opening ten minutes. Indeed, they had nine inside 50s before Charlie Spargo marked his return to the team with their opening goal for the match. Thereafter, they straightened up and the goals flowed with four more added as the team greeted the first break with just a solitary point against.
 
They added a further goal early in the second term before conceding the only goal of the half at which time the second anomaly started creeping into their game. In the words of 200-gamer Steven May who was leading their rock solid defence, they played “Hollywood football” — a form of the game whereby players try to be far too cute, such as when May himself ran to take a hand pass from Christian Petracca but his kick for goal went out on the full (yes, it was a milestone game but …).
 
So, the Dees came off the ground with a 45-point lead at half time leaving the Hawks in the hands of the good folk in emergency services while one can surmise that coach Simon Goodwin was giving his charges a little bake for their shenanigans. 
 
One player who could have been spared that was Harry Petty who was best on ground to that time with six strong marks and two goals. But he had a problem in the form of a bruised foot and was subbed off during the break. Officially, the injury is not considered a problem which means he’s in doubt for Friday night’s blockbuster in Adelaide.
 
Whatever it was that was administered to them by the emergency folk, the Hawks came out in the third term, full of energy. It was their turn to exert the pressure. They won all the clearances, forced errors and kicked three goals in three minutes that restarted proceedings. 
 
The Demons had become sloppy with their play and momentarily lost momentum but they took a deep breath and accepted the challenge with goals to Clayton Oliver and Ed Langdon. Hawthorn kept coming but Melbourne had the answers and by the end of the term was still in full control with a 35-point lead which it stretched to percentage boosting 54 points victory at the finish.
 
The Demons are developing a very special attacking division that relies not on any one individual but rather, on spreading the load among many. This week, twelve players shared the goalkicking spoils for their fourth win in a row. Every time, they have had at least ten different goalkickers for the match.
 
As has often been the case in the past, it was their champion midfielders Clayton Oliver (34 disposals), Jack Viney (31) and Christian Petracca (30) who were instrumental in the win. The Demons more than doubled the Hawks’ score, won the inside 50 count by 66 to 41, out marked them 105 to 71, won the hit outs 38 to 23, and the contested possessions 147 to 135. 
 
Of some possible concern, considering it was a spanking, was the fact that they finished with only six more disposals and one more clearance than the Hawks. The question is: does this indicate that the Demons failed to make the most of their opportunities, is it the result of the fact that Goodwin is still experimenting with personnel and structure or are we simply asking too much of a team that, after all is said and done, currently sits on top of the table?
 
Whatever the case, as the quality of opposition rises in the coming few weeks heading into the bye, the Demons will have to lift their intensity and work rate even further. When they transform into Narrm and take on Yartapuulti on Friday night for the first game of the two weeks of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, things promise to become really interesting.
 
MELBOURNE 5.5.35 8.6.54 11.10.76 15.13.103
 
HAWTHORN 0.1.1 1.3.9 6.5.41 7.7.49
 
GOALS
 
MELBOURNE Fritsch Petty Spargo 2 Gawn Grundy Langdon Oliver Pickett Rivers Sparrow van Rooyen Viney 
 
HAWTHORN Breust Butler Lewis Mackenzie Meek Newcombe Weddle
 
BEST 
 
MELBOURNE Viney Petracca Rivers Oliver Neal-Bullen Brayshaw
 
HAWTHORN Sicily Day Newcombe Hardwick Nash Mitchell
 
LATE CHANGES
 
MELBOURNE Nil
 
HAWTHORN N Reeves replaced in selected side by J Koschitzke
 
INJURIES
 
MELBOURNE C Petracca (foot) H Petty (bruised foot)
 
HAWTHORN J Blanck (corked thigh) C Jiath (leg)
 
REPORTS
 
MELBOURNE Nil
 
HAWTHORN Nil 
 
SUBSTITUTIONS
 
MELBOURNE J Jordon (replaced H Petty at half-time)
 
HAWTHORN L Bramble (replaced J Blanck in the second quarter)
 
UMPIRES Hayden Gavine Alex Whetton Eleni Tee Nicholas McGinness  
 
CROWD 39,818 at The MCG 
ReportRd092023.png
    • Like 1
    • Thanks 3
     
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • CASEY: Williamstown

      The Casey Demons issued a strong statement to the remaining teams in the VFL race with a thumping 76-point victory in their Elimination Final against Williamstown. This was the sixth consecutive win for the Demons, who stormed into the finals from a long way back with scalps including two of the teams still in flag contention. Senior Coach Taylor Whitford would have been delighted with the manner in which his team opened its finals campaign with high impact after securing the lead early in the game when Jai Culley delivered a precise pass to a lead from Noah Yze, who scored his first of seven straight goals for the day. Yze kicked his second on the quarter time siren, by which time the Demons were already in control. The youngster repeated the dose in the second term as the Seagulls were reduced to mere

        • Thanks
      • 0 replies
      Demonland

    • AFLW PREVIEW: Collingwood

      Narrm time isn’t a standard concept—it’s the time within the traditional lands of Narrm, the Woiwurrung name for Melbourne. Indigenous Round runs for rounds 3 and 4 and is a powerful platform to recognise the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in sport, community, and Australian culture. This week, suburban footy returns to the infamous Victoria Park as the mighty Narrm take on the Collingwood Magpies at 1:05pm Narrm time, Sunday 31 August. Come along if you can.

        • Thumb Down
        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 9 replies
      Demonland

    • AFLW REPORT: St. Kilda

      The Dees demolished the Saints in a comprehensive 74-pointshellacking.  We filled our boots with percentage — now a whopping 520.7% — and sit atop the AFLW ladder. Melbourne’s game plan is on fire, and the competition is officially on notice.

        • Clap
        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 4 replies
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Collingwood

      It was yet another disappointing outcome in a disappointing year, with Melbourne missing the finals for the second consecutive season. Indeed, it wasn’t even close, as the Demons' tally of seven wins was less than half the number required to rank among the top eight teams in the competition. When the dust of the game settled and supporters reflected on Melbourne's  six-point defeat at the hands of close game specialists Collingwood, Max Gawn's words about his team’s unfulfilled potential rang true … well, almost. 

        • Thanks
      • 1 reply
      Demonland

    • POSTGAME: Collingwood

      Thank god this season is over. Bring on 2026.

        • Clap
        • Like
      • 379 replies
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Collingwood

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 25th August @ 8:00pm. Join Binman & I as we dissect the Dees disappointing loss to the Collingwood. 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. Thank you to every body that has contributed to the Podcast this year in the form of questions, comments and calls.

        • Thanks
      • 29 replies
      Demonland
    View All

    Configure browser push notifications
    Chrome (Android)
    1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
    2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
    3. Adjust your preference.
    Chrome (Desktop)
    1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
    2. Select Site settings.
    3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.