EMERGENCY by Whispering Jack

Posted May 14, 20232 yr

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