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CUPS by Meggs

Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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The Dogs reigned supreme in 2018 with an inaugural AFLW premiership cup and the Demons matched this feat by winning the cup as the Season 7 2022 champions.  

Meggs wasn’t born when the Doggies won their first men's VFL premiership cup against the Demons in 1954. Covid prevented many Demons fans from legally witnessing the victorious 2021 AFL Grand Final cup performance between the Demons and the Bulldogs, but we all grin when remembering those magnificent seven unanswered third quarter goals.  

The Demons' women return to the Whitten Oval this Saturday night to play the Western Bulldogs in the opening round of Season 2025 under lights.

This time the winner will hold the Hampson-Hardeman Cup, in honour of two women who were founders of the national women’s football competition.  

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Exhibition games were played in 2013-2016 between the Demons and the Bulldogs which were a precursor to formation of the AFLW league.

The original eight teams in 2017 have expanded to eighteen teams in 2025. So, after a decade of junior football, the pathway from Auskick to being drafted to an AFLW team has been fully formed.

Now a gripe. The AFLW scheduling is not ideal this week with the Demons men’s match finishing around 7pm at the MCG and the women’s match at Whitten Oval commencing at 7:35pm. Any travelling fan will likely miss the pre-game entertainment of Tigerlily and Nat Sax plus a planned celebration of the game’s pioneers.

The weather prediction is cold with some rain, but more exciting news is we have 3 debutants!

Molly O’Hehir (lightning quick tall back), Maggie Mahony(talented mid playing as a small forward) and Laela Ebert(skillful half back) have all been super impressive in pre-season and are ready to unleash their football superpowers on the AFLW stage.  Good luck girls!

Selection this week

With nine names on the official injury list, some supporters may despair thinking shades of Season 2024.   No need to panic (well not yet anyways).

Three players are listed as ‘Test’, with Kate Hore and Maeve Chaplin selected and Sinead Goldrick an emergency.

However, we will need to get used to being without our gun key defensive colossus, Tahlia Gillard, who is out for most of the 2025 Season.

Saraid ‘Raid’ Taylor steps up to mind the gorilla forwards and will have plenty of experienced support in Lampard, Chaplin, and young debutants O’Hehir and Ebert.

It’s great to see Blaithin Mackin named after injuring herself play Irish football and Lily Johnson will be pleased to be selected, needing to make the most of her opportunity.

Meggs view

The Demons were impressive with practice match wins against heavyweights Hawthorn and Adelaide.  Paxy Paxman is turning back time with her phenomenal preseason form and other standouts have been Eliza McNamara, Megan Fitzsimon and Eden Zanker.  

Meggs is bullish on our prospects this year and expects that the depth of our midfield talent and forward craft will be too strong for the Bulldogs on Saturday.  

Wet weather footy will require a different approach.  

The Bulldogs practice match form included an impressive 16-point win over the reigning premiers North Melbourne and a draw in Perth against West Coast Eagles.

The mighty Ellie Blackburn returns for the Bulldogs but new skip De Berry is out with a hamstring.  Ruck Alice Edmonds will challenge, and a number of fleetfooted youngsters will too.  Good luck to Bulldogs debutant Sarah Poustie, a helmeted tallish mid who’ll be wearing the number 1.

The Doggies are likely to struggle to hold the Demons from scoring this week.  Go Dees!

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If you're heading to Whitten Oval, rug up and get loud — the girls deserve a roaring start to Season 10!

Go Dees!

Melbourne to hold up the Hampson-Hardeman Cup after an 18 point win!

THE GAME

Round 1: Western Bulldogs v Melbourne Saturday 16 August 2025 at 7:35pm (Melbourne time) at Mission Whitten Oval, Melbourne – Wurundjeri/ Boon Wurrung

HEAD TO HEAD (including Exhibition matches)

Overall Melbourne 10 wins Western Bulldogs 4 wins

At Whitten Oval Melbourne 3 wins Western Bulldogs 3 wins

The Coaches Stinear 0 wins Hyatt 0 wins

 MEDIA

TV – 7, 7Plus, FOXTEL, Kayo.  

Mobile – AFL Live Official App

THE LAST TIME THEY MET Season 8 Round 3

Surfing the post Season 7 premiership high, Melbourne started 2023 on fire, breaking scoring records. Melbourne Coach Mick Stinear, while pleased with 12 goals and a win, was unhappy with the defensive lapses during the match.  

Hanksy and Eliza Mac were the dominant ball winners, while Paxy, Edo, Kate, Mitho, and ‘resting forward’ Maddie Gay all scored braces.

MELBOURNE 2.3 5.7 8.7 12.11 (83)

WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.2 3.3 6.5 6.5 (41)

GOALS
Melbourne: Gay 2, Mithen 2, Hore 2, Zanker 2, Paxman 2, Sherriff, Hanks
Western Bulldogs: Lamb 2, Berry, Wilcox, McLeod, McFarlane

BEST 
Melbourne: Hanks, McNamara, Hore, Pearce, Gay, Paxman
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn, Lynch, Lamb, Pritchard, Wilcox 

INJURIES 
Melbourne: Bannan (ankle), Gay (hip)
Western Bulldogs: Wilcox (knee) 

REPORTS 
Melbourne: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil

CROWD 1,457 at Casey Fields

Melbourne 12.11 (83) defeated Western Bulldogs 6.5 (41 at Casey Fields, 16 September 2023

THIS WEEK’S TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B: L. Ebert S. Taylor
HB: M. O’Hehir S. Lampard M. Chaplin
C: P. Paxman T. Hanks E. McNamara
HF: M. Mahony A. Bannan E. Zanker
F: K. Hore T. Harris
FOLL: L. Pearce O. Purcell S. Heath
I/C: B. Mackin G. Campbell L. Johnson M. Fitzsimon A. Pisano
EMG: R. Wotherspoon A. Dethridge S. Goldrick

WESTERN BULLDOGS

B: I. Grant L. Ahrens
HB: E. Georgostathis K. Kimber B. Gutknecht
C: R. Wilcox J. Fitzgerald J. Smith
HF: S. Hartwig E. McDonald E. Blackburn
F: L. Stephenson H. Woodley
FOLL: A. Edmonds D. Carruthers I. Pritchard
I/C: C. Buttifant E. Grigg E. Gavalas S. Poustie E. Bennetts
EMG: B. Barwick K. Hardingham A. McKee

Injury List: Round 1

Melbourne

Kate Hore - knee/ Test

Maeve Chaplin - hamstring / Test

Sinéad Goldrick - personal / Test

Georgia Gall - ankle/ 1 week

Denby Taylor - foot / 4 - 5 weeks

Gab Colvin - knee / 4 - 6 weeks

Tahlia Gillard - knee / 8 - 10 weeks

Grace Beasley - knee / 10 - 14 weeks

Jacinta Hose - knee/ inactive

Western Bulldogs

Isabelle Pritchard - knee / Test

Naomi Ferres - knee / Test

Mua Laloifi - knee / 2 - 4 weeks

De Berry - hamstring / 4  -5 weeks

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