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NO FLIES by The Oracle

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Melbourne’s 2025 campaign kicks off at the home of football this Sunday afternoon against early competition leader, Greater Western Sydney in a game that promises to be a true crowd pleaser. 
 
The Giants’ form in their runaway victory against Collingwood has definitely created some headaches for Demon coach Simon Goodwin. They controlled the corridor against the Pies through a dominant midfield that was too quick for an aging opposition which had its prime mover shut down early and hobbling at the end of the game. GWS had so many options running into space on the forward line that they didn’t even need to rely on connecting with any marking forwards. Finn Callaghan and Josh Kelly were unstoppable and if the Giants are able to make room for the injured Tom Green coming into the side, we could witness a similar scenario to the one which 19,248 fans saw at Engie Stadium, Sydney.
 
Except that it’s not going to happen.
 
For starters, Melbourne’s coach won’t allow his team to be casually swatted into oblivion in the way Kent Kingsley dismissed a frustrated Craig (“Fly”) McRae and his charges. Goodwin is a different cat altogether compared to the Fly. He’s well prepared, has his charges ready and they won’t fail when the pressure is applied as happened when former Demon Toby Bedford got under McRae’s nose. Kingsley took one look in the Fly’s direction and meekly sat down while the Pies collapsed around him. By way of contrast, Goodwin has his team primed and pumped. They won’t shirk any issues after their disappointing 2024 season.
 
Melbourne certainly won’t be fielding an unfit, underprepared and slow-moving combination like the Collingwood side that was flattered by a practice match effort against a team of trainee footballers from Richmond. The Demons are fit and coming off a strong preparation, topped off by a high pressure four quarters in the West against the Dockers. 
 
And they have the advantage of playing on their home turf in a game that honours one of its all-time greats in Jimmy Stynes who epitomized resilience, courage and strength over his career at the club.
 
Stynes was the mentor of skipper and seven time All-Australian, Max Gawn # 11 who will lead his midfield and give it a huge advantage in what should be an absorbing battle. Gawn takes on a second string Giants ruck in the absence of Kieren Briggs. At his feet, he has his team’s premiership midfield heroes in Jack Viney, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver back together again at the opening bounce of the season as promised by President Brad Green at the club’s AGM in October. Together  they should provide plenty of competition to their opposite numbers in orange especially with backup midfielders in Trent Rivers and Ed Langdon adding to that mix. 
 
Melbourne has plenty of talent in defence with the old firm of Steven May, Jake Lever and Harrison Petty holding the key positions and Jake Bowey, Christian Salem and Caleb Windsor all primed to play their part of curbing the Giant small forwards who can move swiftly across the park.
 
An even more problematic task for the Demons might be that of putting together a winning score and it will need to be much better at converting than the miserable 31% of shots at goal it mustered at Mandurah. Of course, there will be less heat and less of the gusty winds that helped contribute to that debacle. Jacob van Rooyen has been declared fit and is just the right man to straighten up that forward line. The outcome of this game might well depend on whether the Dees can apply forward half pressure and keep the ball in dangerous places to enable them to score enough to win.
 
I’m going for the Demons because, with superstars Oliver and Petracca looking in shape, they are at least a goal better than the one that missed by 2 points against the Giants last year.

Melbourne to win by 4 points.
 
THE GAME
 
Melbourne v GWS Giants at the MCG, Sunday 16 March 2025 at 3:20pm
 
HEAD TO HEAD
 
Overall – Melbourne 9 wins GWS Giants 9 wins
At the MCG – Melbourne 5 wins GWS Giants 4 wins
Past five meetings – Melbourne 2 wins GWS Giants 3 wins  
The Coaches – Goodwin 0 wins Kingsley 2 wins
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
 
GWS Giants 13.7.85 defeated Melbourne 12.11.83 at the MCG, Round 20 2024
 
The Demons were up and about with a brilliant opening term against the Giants but eased up on the pressure valve for two and a half quarters before kicking the last four goals of the match to fall by a mere two points. Trent Rivers and Jack Viney worked hard all game for the Demons.
 
THE TEAMS   
 
MELBOURNE 

 

B H. Petty, S. May, C. Salem

HB B. Howes, J. Lever, J. Bowey 

C E. Langdon, C. Petracca, C. Windsor 

HF J. Viney, M. Jefferson, T. Sparrow

F B. Fritsch, J. Van Rooyen, K. Chandler

FOLL M. Gawn, C. Oliver, T. Rivers

I/C J. Henderson, A. Johnson, H. Langford, X. Lindsay, H. Sharp

EMG J. Billings, T. Campbell, T. McDonald

 

NEW J. Henderson, M. Jefferson, A. Johnson, H. Langford, X. Lindsay, H. Sharp

GWS GIANTS 

B C. Idun, S. Taylor, H. Himmelberg

HB L. Whitfield, J. Buckley, L. Ash

C J. Kelly, T. Green, S. Coniglio

HF X. O'Halloran, T. Greene, B. Daniels

F D. Jones, A. Cadman, M. Gruzewski

FOLL L. Keeffe, T. Bedford, F. Callaghan

I/C C. Brown, J. Leake, C. Stone, C. Ward, J. Wehr

EMG L. Aleer, C. Angove, O.  Hannaford

 

IN  T Green

 

OUT K. Briggs

Injury & Suspension List: Round 1

[player, injury or suspension, estimated return]

Jacob van Rooyen — back / available

Marty Hore — hand / test

Jake Melksham  — hamstring / 2 weeks

Kysaiah Pickett — suspended / 3 weeks

Judd McVee — hamstring / 3 - 4 weeks

Jai Culley — foot / 3 - 5 weeks

Koltyn Tholstrup  —  back / 4 - 5 weeks

Luker Kentfield — illness / 5 - 6 weeks

Shane McAdam — Achilles / next season

Andy Moniz-Wakefield — knee / next season

 

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