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TURNAROUND by Meggs

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Following successive comprehensive defeats by fellow Top Four heavyweights the Demons play down a division this Sunday against the highly promising Cats.  
 
Strangely, no games against the Cats for five seasons and now we play them twice in one season.  
 
With the blueprint on how to defeat the Dees available on the dark web the real question is, will we crumble again under the finals pressure cooker or will we rediscover our #DemonSpirit and execute a turnaround?
 
Make no mistake this semi-final against Geelong is an enormous challenge.  
 
In Round 5 at Mordor, they stayed in the contest for three quarters but ultimately it was our record breaking forward efficiency that won the evening.
 
Our high scoring has vanished these past two weeks, kicking only 9 and 28 points respectively.  
 
Against Top Eight teams this year our record is not so strong with a percentage of 98% whereas it’s 323% against the bottom eight teams.
 
The weather forecast looks good for Sunday, 24 degrees and sunny. So, come along to IKON if you can and support our wonderful team.  
Noting there are a couple of milestones this week to celebrate:
 
Midfield dynamo Liv Purcell’s plays her 50th game (including 19 games with Geelong), and Mick Stinear is coaching his 75th game.   
 
Good luck to the milestoners on Sunday.
 
Selection this week 
 
Eliza West is back to boost our contested midfield pressure while Georgia Cambell is omitted.
 
Rhi Watt, Charlotte Wilson and Sammie Johnson are named as emergencies.
 
Geelong has lost goalkicking dynamo Chloe Sheer to a collarbone injury.
 
Our opponents, Geelong
 
The Cats have a strong engine room led by league stars in Georgie Prespakis and Nina Morrison. Support comes from 3-time best and fairest winner Amy McDonald, Zali Frizwell, and Mikayla Bowen.  
 
Meg McDonald leads the Cats’ defence along with former Dee Chantel Emonson, Claudia Gunjaca a strong intercept mark, Becky Webster, and Georgie Rankin.  
 
Ex Dee Jacqui Parry is having her best season up forward with 13 goals and 46 marks. It’s nice to see Shelley Scott back playing against her old team but the loss of Scheer will weaken their forward line.
 
The danger player is tall athletic Irishwoman Aishling Moloney.  She was on fire last time we played kicking 3 goals and will no doubt be a handful for Birch and Gillard again.  
 
Expect their coach Dan Lowther to have extra pressure planned for our stars Kate Hore and Tyla Hanks.  He has two ready-made terrorisers to unleash in Darcy Moloney and Rachel Kearns.
 
Meggs view
 
Supporters’ confidence is understandably low following the recent defeats.  
 
There have been external comments about the Dees having illnesses last week so let’s hope we are fully fit and ready to give it red hot go on Sunday.  
 
Meggs is confident that we will bounce back and see an even team contribution. In leading goalkickers Hore, Zanker, Bannan, Harris and others we have the firepower to win.  
 
Our defence with Tahlia Gillard, Libby Birch and Goldrick is solid, and our engine room led by Liv Purcell, Tyla Hanks and Loz Pearce is a real strength.  
 
Reducing the impact of Prespakis and Ash Moloney is a key to winning.  
 
All of our players must win or at least halve the one-v-one contests, its finals footy.
 
We are looking for more energy and physical pressure this week, a rediscovery of our trademark run and carry game and hoping our all-conquering forward line stars get their mojo back.
 
Go Dees!
 
Melbourne to win by 7 points
THE GAME
 
Melbourne v Geelong at IKON Park, on Sunday 19 November 2023 at 3:05pm (Melbourne time)
HEAD TO HEAD
 
Overall Melbourne 1 win Geelong 0 wins
At IKON Park Melbourne 1 win Geelong 0 wins
(Against others - 
Melbourne 7 wins 1 loss 
Geelong 2 wins 1 loss
The Coaches Stinear 1 win Lowther 0 wins
MEDIA
 
TV – 7 mate, Fox Footy, Kayo
Mobile – AFL Live Official App
Radio – ABC, AFL Nation, Tagalog FIL
THE LAST TIME THEY MET  (Season 8, Round 5)
 
MELBOURNE 2.1.13 5.4.34 7.5.47 11.8.74
 
GEELONG 1.0.6 2.0.12 4.1.25 4.1.25

 
GOALS
 
MELBOURNE Hore 4 Paxman Zanker 2 Gay Hanks Mithen
 
GEELONG A. Moloney 3 Morrison

 
BEST
 
MELBOURNE Hore Purcell Paxman West Gillard Hanks
 
GEELONG Morrison A. Moloney A. McDonald Prespakis Webster
 
INJURIES
 
MELBOURNE Nil
 

GEELONG Nil

 
CROWD 4,312 at GMHBA Stadium
 
The Dees proved once again that they were the team to beat in Season 8 running away with a comfortable 49-point win.
It was an intense battle and Geelong challenged us. Nina Morrisson was best with a game-high 30 possessions while Irish sensation Aishling Maloney was dominant everywhere and kicked three goals.
Liv Purcell, with her typical ferocious play, contested strongly and was well supported by vice captain Tyla Hanks, Lily Mithen, Paxy, and Westy.
 
Kate Hore had a fantastic game kicking four goals and our efficiency in the forward half was brilliant and the reason why we kicked away to win by so much.
 
Mick Stinear said it was an even battle, the contest felt much tighter than the final result.
THE TEAMS
 
MELBOURNE
 
B L. Birch T. Gillard
HB S. Goldrick M. Gay S. Heath
C B. Mackin T. Hanks A. Mackin
HF M. Fitzsimon P. Paxman E. Zanker
F K. Hore T. Harris
FOLL L. Pearce O. Purcell L. Mithen
I/C A. Bannan M. Chaplin E. McNamara J. Ivey E. West EMG S. Johnson R. Watt C. Wilson
 
IN E. West
 

OUT G. Campbell (omitted)
 
Milestones Olivia Purcell (50 games), Mick Stinear (75 games coached)
GEELONG
 
B C. Emonson C. Guniaca
HB R. Webster M. McDonald G. Rankin
C M. Bowen G. Prespakis N. Morrison
HF R. Garing J. Parry K. Surman
F S. Scott A. Moloney
FOLL E. Hoare A. McDonald J. Crockett-Grills
I/C K. Darby G. Featherston Z. Friswell R. Kearns D. Moloney EMG M. Bragg A. Kennedy B. Plummer 
 
IN K. Darby G. Featherston 

OUT M. Bragg (omitted) C. Scheer (collarbone)
 
Injury List: Semi Final
 
Rhi Watt - Concussion | Test
Gaby Golvin - Achilles | 1-2 weeks
Sarah Lampard - Wrist | 2 Weeks
Casey Sherriff - Arm | Season
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