EVERY MAN AND HIS BULLDOG

by JVM

Even before Melbourne's pathetic capitulation to Hawthorn last Sunday evening, the experts were lining up with their own two bobs' worth to explain everything there is to know about its current malaise.

And, as if to justify their "expert" credentials, every man and his Bulldog claimed to have the intimate background knowledge, the authentic reason for the decline of the Demons in the public's lowly perception about the club and his own remedy. The common view among most was that not only was Melbourne the red hot favourite for this season's wooden spoon, it was now THE prime candidate for shipment up to the Gold Coast, the western suburbs of Sydney and if that wasn't an option, they were being consigned to play some of their home games among the cow pats and the market gardens in the wilds of Casey Fields in Cranbourne.

There were all manner of explanations for the club's problems, some of them close to the mark but others were quite exotic. The problem was, according to one scribe, the proclivity of some players to drunkenness and unruliness. Others said the club lacked of brand identity and needed a new jumper - as if the Demons don't know who they are and what they stand for! Well, perhaps they don’t these days?

One or two commentators even came up with the view that the team was so poor because the players were no good. Fancy that?

So this week Melbourne confronts the Western Bulldogs and there are people going around thinking that the club's season is over already; that there is no chance that it can win a chook raffle let alone a game of AFL football. That view is based on a shoddy pre season and an uncomfortably poor first up display against the Hawks who were brim full of confidence and had a tall key forward who could do no wrong. Some people were even saying they hadn't seen a poorer performance from the boys in the red and blue ever in their lifetimes.

Now that's a stretch because those people either have a poor memory or weren't around last year for the Richmond v Melbourne game of Round 12. In my estimation, the Demons were just as bad, if not worse, that day as they were last Sunday. We know that this was the game that virtually saw off Neale Daniher's coaching career at the club but a week later in his final game at the helm, Melbourne came just three seconds shy of a stunning turnaround victory against the Bombers at Telstra Dome. And the following week they tasted victory against Carlton! Not long after that they faced off against Saturday's opponent, the Western Bulldogs whose confidence was also at a low ebb and yet, nobody expected Melbourne to win.

The fact that the Demons won so handsomely against the Bulldogs in Round 19 of 2007 means nothing in this new season but it does go to show how important confidence can be in this game of ours. In that game, it was the Doggies who were low on confidence and they struggled to match it with the Demons. Rodney Eade's team copped some monumental floggings late in the season so it might be a tad early to measure the significance of their late charge to victory at home against the Crows last Sunday.

Certainly that was a better performance than that produced by the Demons later that afternoon but this week Melbourne will field a different tem to the one that fell in such a heap last week. The entire club including its supporters have been the butt of ridicule and disdain and there are questions that need to be answered by the Melbourne playing group. As always in these situations they relate to its resolve, its spirit and its will to win.

THE GAME Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at MCG Saturday 29 March 2008 at 2.10pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 83 wins Western Bulldogs 65 wins

At the MCG Melbourne 43 wins Western Bulldogs 22 wins

Since 2000 Melbourne 10 wins Western Bulldogs 5 wins

The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Eade 0 wins

MEDIA

TV Channel 10 (delayed telecast starting at 3pm)

RADIO 3AW 774ABC MMM

THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.00 Western Bulldogs to win $1.33

LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 19.15.129 d Western Bulldogs 12.15.87 Round 19, 2007, at Telstra Dome.

The Bulldogs were raging favourites despite the fact that they were going through a form slump. The Demons were in an even deeper trough and had nothing to play for but a priority draft pick. That they ultimately failed in achieving that simply task was due in part to the fact that they dominated this game from start to finish. Nathan Jones played a blinder in the midfield and the likes of Holland, Robertson and Davey found the goals enough times for their team to finish seven goals up when the final siren blew.

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B Paul Wheatley Nathan Carroll Colin Garland

HB Clint Bartram Daniel Bell Simon Buckley

C Brad Green Brock McLean Cale Morton

HF Cameron Bruce Brad Miller Lynden Dunn

F Michael Newton David Neitz Russell Robertson

Foll Jeff White James McDonald Nathan Jones

I/C Isaac Weetra Colin Sylvia Aaron Davey Paul Johnson

Emerg Ben Holland Ricky Petterd Brent Moloney

In Bartram Dunn Sylvia

Out Brent Moloney Ricky Petterd Adem Yze

WESTERN BULLDOGS

B Dale Morris Lindsay Gilbee Brian Lake

HB Ryan Griffen Cameron Wight Ryan Hargrave

C Nathan Eagleton Scott West Daniel Cross

HF Robert Murphy Mitch Hahn Brad Johnson

F Jason Akermanis Will Minson Scott Welsh

Foll Ben Hudson Matthew Boyd Adam Cooney

I/C Josh Hill Shaun Higgins Daniel Giansiracusa Dylan Addison

Emerg Tim Callan Stephen Tiller Peter Street

No change

Field umpires: Farmer Kamolins Ryan

THE STAGGERS

When the teams last met, the Demons were going through their worst run with injury in recent memory. I wrote at the time that the club was like a boxer who has already been knocked down twice and is staggering on the ropes waiting for the bell to ring and put an end to proceedings. That's not an option at this time of the year. We are still in the month of March and there is time to control those staggers, to straighten up and throw some more punches.

This week, we see some new firepower with which to throw those extra punches and we know that there are a number of players in the side who will be out to redeem themselves. Some will be playing for their careers over the coming few weeks. One of the club's veterans in Adem Yze has already paid the price for last week’s performance and others in the club's 30-year plus age group know that they must perform if they don’t wish to join him at Sandringham.

Two other players dropped along with Yze are Ricky Petterd and midfielder Brent Moloney. The latter might be a surprise but the club had to do something about its lack of pace in the sense of the ability to run and in the actual movement of the football – an area where it was completely shown up against the Hawks. Their replacements are Colin Sylvia returning from a one-match suspension imposed by the leadership group and Lynden Dunn (who kicked five goals at Sandringham last week) and Clint Bartram after an absence of exactly one whole season.

These changes should give the team added mobility but the club also failed last week in its key forward and key back positions. Clearly, the club did not believe that its best defender Jared Rivers was ready to play yet on return from a groin injury that restricted him to three games last year or that another tall option, James Frawley, was ready for the rigours of senior AFL football. Or perhaps it was the belief that the problem in this area might go away by itself because the Bulldogs don't have as many taller options as the Hawks.

I think Melbourne's selectors have only gotten it half right and that they have taken too safe an approach to team selection. There should have been at least two more changes to a line up that received a 104-point mauling in the opening game of the season. There are still too many "comfort zone" players in a side whose major problem has been that it was allowed for too long to remain in that self-same comfort zone.

At least the Demons will be exposed to a team whose veterans like Brad Johnson and Scott West know how to lead by example. Johnson played his 300th AFL game last week and, at times, was not at his best. He never stopped trying however, and ended the game a hero with three late goals that helped the bulldogs over the line.

Let’s hope that James McDonald can do likewise for the Demons in his 200th game this Saturday!

Unfortunately, hope is not enough to win games these days and I expect the Bulldogs with their superior pace, commitment and confidence to score an easy victory against a team that still has the staggers. The only good news for the Demons is that come the end of Round 2, they will still only be one game (and a truckload of percentage) out of the eight with still plenty of time for a revival – even though that might be against all the odds.

And because the Demons got their team selection half right, I'm tipping that they will halve their losing margin from last week. Western Bulldogs by 55 points.