SEARCHING by Whispering Jack

[Demonland 72,187]

The search to discover the real Melbourne continues. Most of the search centres on its forward line but there’s more to it than that.

The attack worked reasonably well for the first nine rounds despite the disruption of injuries to key position players. The Demons averaged 107 points per game to feature as the competition’s leading scorer, had a 7-2 win/loss record and were heading for a possible top two placing. But as wet weather and goal front inaccuracy bedeviled the team over rounds 10 to 16, that average plummeted dramatically to 64 points as they lost four out of six games by narrow margins — games that were eminently winnable and people were asking, “what is the real Melbourne?”

It was then that coach Simon Goodwin undertook a new tack, mixing things around in the midfield and up forward due in part to form and to necessity as a result injuries, notably to star players like Clayton Oliver and Bayley Fritsch. This involved some clever and inspired innovation. Brodie Grundy was sent to Casey to work on his forward craft, some of the team’s smaller forwards were also sent to the VFL, others were given more midfield minutes and Christian Petracca’s spent extra time up forward yielding four goals twice in a row.

In the three matches since, the team has started hitting the target more regularly, the average score surged upwards by 30 points, and the wins have come. But despite the improvement in forward connection, Goodwin is still searching.

"We are still not finished in what we are doing and we have got to find ways to continue to improve … ," he said after last week’s game.

One area where his team needs to improve is in bridling opposition run ons such as those we’ve seen recently from Geelong, GWS Giants, Brisbane and Adelaide. Stop these and the Demons will really be on their way.

And that brings us to this week’s game against Richmond which finished last week’s game against Hawthorn with six consecutive goals after they languished in the shadows of defeat shortly before three quarter time. The Tigers rose Phoenix-like from the dead to revive their finals hopes and with the new belief engendered by their last ditch win, they present danger to Melbourne if they can repeat that effort. As it is, they gave the Demons a hard time at their last encounter on Anzac Day Eve when under the coaching of Damien Hardwick who not long after, quit the club having lost the desire to continue in the job. His replacement, Andrew McQualter has them buzzing along nicely with the likes of Taranto, Bolton and Baker starring and Dustin Martin returning to his dangerous form of old.

The Demons will have to produce their very best in terms of applying maximum pressure for four quarters. They can’t afford a repeat of their recent final term fadeouts against the Cats and the Crows because the Tigers have come back from the dead in two of their last three games which is the reason why the sit outside the top eight on percentage only.

I’m backing Goodwin to succeed in his search for the answer to the puzzle. The Demons are due to perform for the full four quarters and to prove once again that they are the true masters of the MCG.

Melbourne by 55 points.

THE GAME

Richmond v Melbourne on Sunday 30 July 2023 at 3.20pm at the MCG

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Richmond 107 wins Melbourne 78 wins Drawn 2

At the MCG Richmond 72 wins Melbourne 66 wins Drawn 1

Past five meetings Richmond 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins

The Coaches McQualter 0 wins Goodwin 0 wins

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Melbourne 15.6.96 defeated Richmond 11.12.78 at the MCG, Round 6, 2023

The Demons looked sluggish on their return from the Gather Round in Adelaide. Richmond opened up a decent lead in the third term but thanks to the midfield brilliance of Jack Viney, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca, Melbourne was able to take control early in the final term to win by three goals.

THE TEAMS

RICHMOND 

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

No Change 

MELBOURNE

B T. Rivers, S. May, J. Lever
HB C. Salem A. Tomlinson J. Bowey
C L. Hunter J. Viney E. Langdon
HF K. Chandler J. Melksham J. Jordon
F A. Neal-Bullen J. Van Rooyen K. Pickett
FOLL M. Gawn A. Brayshaw C. Petracca
I/C J. Harmes J. McVee H. Petty T. Woewodin SUB J. Smith
EMG B. Grundy M. Hibberd C. Spargo

IN  J. Harmes H. Petty

OUT B. Brown (omitted) T. Sparrow

Injury List: Round 20

Harry Petty - Ribs  | Test
Clayton Oliver - Hamstring | 2 - 3 Weeks
Tom McDonald - Ankle | 2 - 3 Weeks
Kye Turner - Groin | 3 - 4 Weeks 
Bayley Fritsch - Foot | 4 - 5 Weeks
Daniel Turner - Hand | 4 - 5 Weeks
Blake Howes - Hand | Season