BOLD by Whispering Jack

Simon Goodwin’s plan for his team’s opening clash at the MCG was a bold and ambitious one. In the end, it came agonisingly close to achieving a win against a leading contender for the 2025 premiership. 

In the normal course, a team that introduces five first gamers and one playing his first for the club would not be in the race, but Melbourne’s performance at the MCG yesterday was almost as close as 53 seconds and a straight kick away. In the final analysis, the result of the see saw game was determined by which player from the respective clubs managed to nail their team’s last shot at goal in the dying moments.

The five newbies who started the game all had an impact, four of them — Matthew Jefferson (two), Jack Henderson, Aidan Johnson and Harry Sharp, hit the goal kicking board — the former scoring in the first sixteen seconds (a record). The other, Xavier Lindsay was  outstanding on debut with his clean disposal of the football earning him 22 touches and accolades from all and sundry. The other debutant, Harvey Langford was the substitute, came on at the last break and was in the mix with five disposals in the final term. 

The bold plan won a big tick but it still relied on the team’s experienced hands to provide a winning dividend in wet conditions not conducive to big scoring from key forwards.

As expected, Max Gawn (46 hit outs, 24 disposals) and Jack Viney (27 possessions) led from the front and continued on with their leadership roles of the current era and were joined by the club’s rejuvenated midfield superstars Christian Petracca (27 touches and  four clearances) and Clayton Oliver (25 disposals and five clearances) showing they had mended their injury and off field woes of last year. 

Petracca was electric with his bursts out of the centre square into the 50 metre arc time and he was instrumental in the team’s scoring thrusts in each of the three opening quarters and his two team-lifters in the second term were outstanding. 

Melbourne moved out to a game high 17 point lead in the latter part of the third quarter by applying great pressure on the Giants in the midfield and had their chances to go further ahead before two of the opposing teams veterans in Toby Greene and Stephen Coniglio. Their composure in front of goal steadied the ship and helped the Giants to a third consecutive victory over the Demons by three points or less. The difference could well have been attributed to the fact that GWS had the benefit of participating in Round Zero.

It was a pity that the game was played in front of a paltry crowd of 23,278, a combination of fixturing against the Grand Prix, the inclement weather and the mid Sunday afternoon game time. Next week, the Demons return to the same time schedule with coach Goodwin hoping for a winning outcome for his bold plan.

MELBOURNE 2.2.14 5.4.34 10.6.66 11.8.74

GWS GIANTS 3.1.19 6.5.41 8.7.55 11.11.77

GOALS 

MELBOURNE Jefferson Petracca 2 Bowey Henderson Johnson Sharp Sparrow van Rooyen Windsor

GWS GIANTS Coniglio Greene 3 Cadman 2 Green Keefe Wehr

BEST

MELBOURNE Gawn Petracca Viney Salem Oliver Langdon

GWS GIANTS Coniglio Whitfield Greene Green Callaghan

LATE CHANGES

MELBOURNE Steven May replaced in the selected side by Tom McDonald

GWS GIANTS Nil

INJURED

MELBOURNE Nil

GWS GIANTS Daniels (hip)

REPORTS 

MELBOURNE Nil

GWS GIANTS Nil

SUBSTITUTIONS 

MELBOURNE Harvey Langford (replaced Blake Howes in the fourth quarter)

GWS GIANTS Max Gruzewski (replaced Brent Daniels in the third quarter)

UMPIRES Jeff Dalgleish, Matt Stevic, Brent Wallace, Matthew Young 

CROWD 23,278 at the MCG