OVERTURE

Tomorrow night against Collingwood, the Melbourne Football Club will celebrate a significant milestone in the career of the man who has been at its forefront as a leader for a decade - David Neitz plays his 300th game and in doing so creates yet another first for the Demons.

Neitz was born on January 22, 1975 in Ulverstone, Tasmania and first came to the club's attention as a fresh faced kid from Parkmore on the fringes of its then metropolitan zone and graduated through the ranks from the under 19's to the reserves and on to the senior team as an 18 year old under coach Neil Balme in the opening round of 1993 against Hawthorn. In those days he was a key position forward and in only his sixth senior game he booted six goals at full forward against Richmond. He received an AFL Rising Star nomination that year and made the Victorian State of Origin team ayear later. By now he was being played at cente half back and some of his early duels with Kangaroo forward Wayne Carey were legendary tussles between two of the leading young key position players in the game. In 1995 he was named All Australian centre half back, an honour he received again seven years later in 2002 but that time it was as a full forward.

Injuries to David Schwarz and Garry Lyon in 1996 forced Balme to move Neitz back to the forward line and he has more or less held down the full forward role for more than a decade. He was appointed vice captain to Todd Viney when Neale Daniher arrived at the club at the beginning of 1998 and was elevated to the captaincy for 2000. He led the team out in its last grand final against Essendon that year.

Neitz won the Coleman Medal in 2002 when he booted 82 goals to become the first Demon to head the competition's goal kicking table since Fred Fanning in 1947. He also won the club's Best and Fairest in 2002 and was named All Australian for a second time.

Neitz has continued to achieve milestones for the club breaking records for goals kicked, games played, length of team as club leader and now 300 games. Above all, he has been a champion sportsman, a great leader and a legend at the club. His heart beats true!




THE GAME

Collingwood v. Melbourne at the MCG - 17 August 2007 at 7.40pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Collingwood 136 wins Melbourne 79 wins 4 draws

At the G Collingwood 69 wins Melbourne 54 wins

Since 2000 Collingwood 3 wins Melbourne 5 wins

The Coaches McKenna 0 wins Riley 0 wins

MEDIA

TV Channel 7 at 8.30pm (delayed telecast)

RADIO 3AW MMM 774ABC SEN K-ROCK

THE BETTING

Collingwood to win $1.57 Melbourne to win $2.30

LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.16.94 defeated Collingwood 11.15.81, Round 11, 2007, at MCG.

A revitalised Melbourne, fresh from its ice breaking win over Adelaide, jumped Collingwood to hold a 27 point lead at the end of the opening stanza. That lead was gradually whittled away to just three points at the final break but thanks to some inspirational play from Russell Robertson (7 goals) and a triumphant return to form by Brock McLean, in his third game back from injury, the Demons regained control to cause a major upset.

THE TEAMS

COLLINGWOOD

Backs James Clement Shane Wakelin Tarkyn Lockyer
Half backs Heath Shaw Harry O’Brien Ben Johnson
Centreline Rhyce Shaw Scott Burns Ryan Cook
Half forwards Nick Maxwell Anthony Rocca Scott Pendlebury
Forwards Dale Thomas Travis Cloke Sean Rusling
Followers Guy Richards Shane O’Bree Leon Davis
Interchange Chris Bryan Alan Didak Paul Medhurst Dane Swan
Emergencies Simon Prestigiacomo Danny Stanley Sharrod Wellingham
In Alan Didak Scott Pendlebury Guy Richards Sean Rusling Shane Wakelin

Out Josh Fraser (ankle) Tyson Goldsack Paul Licuria Simon Prestigiacomo Alan Toovey

MELBOURNE

Backs Ben Holland Nathan Carroll Nathan Brown
Half backs Daniel Bell Ryan Ferguson Paul Wheatley
Centreline Matthew Bate James McDonald Travis Johnstone
Half forwards Brad Green Michael Newton Colin Sylvia
Forwards Byron Pickett David Neitz Russell Robertson
Followers Jeff White Lynden Dunn Nathan Jones
Interchange Jace Bode Aaron Davey Mark Jamar Brock McLean
Emergencies Simon Buckley Brad Miller Daniel Ward
In Matthew Bate Brock McLean
Out James Frawley (ankle) Brent Moloney (groin)

BEING THERE

There has been much discussion over the past week as to who is going turn up to the MCG for this game between old rivals Collingwood and Melbourne and Collingwood.

With the passing of the father of Magpie coach Mick Malthouse, there was some doubt and much speculation about who would take the reins with the black and white army for the big game. We were all hoping that someone like Joffa Corfe might get the job but the likely candidate all along was Guy McKenna. Then we heard that Robert De Niro was in town and that Eddie had extended a special invitation to Hollywood's "Raging Bull" perhaps in the hope that the American thespian might provide some inspiration for the crumbling Collingwood side.

On the other hand, it was encouraging to discover that former coach Neale Daniher would be nearby watching in support of his old mate Neita. A prominent Melbourne fan also made the suggestion, given that Bob Dylan was in town performing at nearby Rod Laver Arena, that he might crack it for an invite to sing "It's A Grand Old Flag" to the accompaniment of the Melbourne trumpeter who hasn't been seen or heard from for weeks on account of the fact that the Demons haven't played a home game at the G since that Queens Birthday match way back in June.

But the real question about who will turn up tomorrow night is which Melbourne will be back on the field of play this week? Will it be the committed group that came out last Saturday night or will it be the team of zombies that floundered in Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra in recent weeks?

Much the same can be said of Collingwood which has been in dreadful form lately after a strong start to the season. Fortunately for the Pies they have the benefits of the AFL's largesse when it comes to tailoring the perfect fixture on an annual basis so they will probably fall into the final eight ahead of other teams that are more deserving. However, that's life as they say in the classics!

Last week, Melbourne came out against a small and undermanned Bulldogs combination and monstered them with their toughness and relentless tackling. A similar approach against Collingwood tomorrow night should be enough to guarantee them a win. However, things don't always work out that way.

Looking at team selection one can’t help but feel that the tide is finally turning in the Demons’ favour because despite losing their now obligatory minimum of two players injured (this week Frawley and Moloney), they gain a handy pair in Matthew Bate and Brock McLean. On the other hand, Collingwood is suffering from instability and made five changes, four of them unforced. The forced change is significant with ruckman Josh Fraser out with an ankle injury. Licuria, Prestigiacomo, Goldsack and Toovey have been relieved of the duties in favour of some handy footballers in Didak, Pendlebury, Rusling, Wakelin and Richards. The problem is that some of these players haven’t experienced much top level football of late.

I expect the improving Daniel Bell to again provide Didak with a challenge that may well affect him as much as he did last time around when the Magpie forward was so upset that he found it necessary to seek refuge in the bottle and sanctuary among his friends in the Hell’s Angels. As for Richards, my Magpie friends have grave doubts about his capacity to win hit outs at Williamstown let alone against an in form Jeff White.

There will be some strong emotional factors at play when the teams run out tomorrow night. On the Melbourne side there's the emotion of the skipper's 300th game - the first Demon to break through the magical barrier. Despite the fact that Neitz has given the impression of a broken down old warrior in recent weeks, he's always a danger man in games like these and his ability to inspire team mates and bring them into the game cannot be underestimated. Add to the mix the fact that there are a number of players under the skipper (and possibly the great man himself) fighting for their careers and the Demons have a lot to gain from a good performance here.

Similarly, the Magpies know that a loss here could see them struggling to keep their heads above water in the final two rounds of the season given they play Sydney and Adelaide. If that's not enough, then the responsibility of doing it for Mick Malthouse in his present time of bereavement is not to be ignored.

Both sides therefore have the incentive to win but which will come out on top?

I'm inclined to go for the Demons in a close one. The Magpie rucks are struggling and their midfield was under the pump last week. The Demons have some imposing youngsters getting a kick in the middle these days and I fully expect Brock McLean to return to form and play a blinder against the old enemy. He will be well backed up by James McDonald and Nathan Jones.

The big clash for the evening however, could well be the rematch of the sleeping giants - Anthony Rocca and Ben Holland. If Dutchy can do the job again on Rocca, the Demons should win comfortably. But you can't keep a good, big man all the time and, on the assumption that this duel breaks even and that Neita can get a few on the Demons' forward line, I'll go for Melbourne by a bee's diaphragm - 1 point.

And Yibbida, Yibbida. That's all folks!!!