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Let's get behind Melksham: unforeseen-success-melksham-s-role-in-demons-rise “I actually didn’t come to Melbourne for finals and flags and stuff like that,” he said....“The club was struggling – or hadn’t had much success...“It’s been awesome.” While Melksham didn’t receive a premiership medallion in the Demons’ historic 2021 premiership, the role he played in getting the club there should never be underestimated. And seeing some of his best mates achieve the ultimate is something he is incredibly proud of. He has been very good for us, not great now but he was key when we needed some silk and experience while our now stars developed around him. And have now overtaken him. He should be praised for his role in their development and his role for us.

Apparently Bowey is singing the song on his own and looks upset and confused poor kid

Since Cairns we have 32 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses and a premiership!

Just a flat day that has been coming for a while. The key stats show Freo had all the run and energy. We had a flat period this time last year too, so no panic.

I don't want to see Weideman in a Melbourne jumper ever again.

We were comprehensively outplayed by a very good team, with one of our best and most crucial players injured in the first quarter, and his key lieutenant also playing hurt. If that's how we go down then so be it - I'd prefer that than being beaten by a pus side because of our own inaccuracy or something like that. It's why it's so important to break away and bank wins whenever you can, because there will be times when you can't. We had to taste defeat again eventually. Still tastes like poo; one serve of victory next week please.

Should be able to pick up who WCW is in the cheer squad .Female ,balding with a broken nail

Grow a pair mate that’s pathetic by you on Jacko & Rivers Wake up to yourself Pathetic supporter

This week my kids got selected to play Auskick at half time today! And I’ll be alongside them either as a goal umpire or ‘sign holder’ (whatever that means!). Not sure who’s more excited , me or the girls! CARNAMIGHTYDEES! 🤩🥰❤️💙

Not surprised one bit with the amount of premiership players missing. This loss has been brewing. We got absolutely obliterated in every aspect of today's game. There is no sugar coating this performance. 12 goals to 1 in the 2nd half is a concern moving forward. Where to start.. midfield was smashed today. Oliver tried hard but Jordon was the pick for me. Viney has no right foot and just sells teammates into trouble. Also wtf was up with Petracca? Forward line is a mess and have barely fired a shot this year. Our connection inside 50 is horrible and needs to be sorted asap as we start playing some hard games in the next few weeks. On a few individual performance. Weideman: Yeah nah he's crud. Here I was thinking he'll be hungry tonight and play like he's got a point to prove but nope, he's just crap player in general. Pack him up and just leave him at Casey. I'd rather get games into JVR or play Mitch Brown just to add a different element to our forward line. Luke Jackson: Going to be extremely harsh here but [censored] it. He's simply having an ordinary year. He's not a good tap ruckman at all and it's like Watching Mark Jamar all over again because he's first instinct is to always handball the [censored] pill. At one stage in the 3rd he won the ball in the centre and had clear space in front of him only to then turn back and handball it back Into congestion for a Freo turnover which resulted in goal. Watched him get easily pushed aside in a rucking contest against David Mundy which was embarrassing to see. If he wants to chase serious coin and head back home then no problems. Get a 1st rounder and use it on a gun midfielder or a forward. Melksham: Got gifted straight to 200 games. Now see ya mate. Stoked that's the last time we'll ever see him in a Melbourne jumper. Rivers: Has become a liability down back. Poorly skilled and his awareness and game sense is just not there. Either head back to Casey or rest him if his not 100%. Salem will take his spot thankfully when ready to go. Petracca: His form is a concern. He hasn't fired a shot for a few weeks now and it's affecting the team as well as our midfield set up. Honestly not sure what's up with him but if he was sick today then playing on isn't courageous mate, it's stupid. Rest him if we have too because we need him fit. All in all a disappointing game, but it's been brewing for a while now. Some of our top line players are out of form and it's showing now. Change needs to happen pretty quick because we have some big games coming up over the next few weeks.

One thought I had today was that these guys have nothing on Cam Pedersen in terms of physicality. Long live Pedo.

May a big in game loss but lets not forget Lingers. Badly missed today

...Technically 'Narrm' lost today. Go Melbourne Demons! The streak continues!

You sad sack of a man, won 17 in a row, they caught us with 5-6 of our best out and you start slagging off our bright stars. I actually feel sorry for you….

Conceding 50 points in a quarter was really concerning

Freo did a Melbourne on us. They were excellent particularly in the third quarter. Superb midfield effort, tackling pressure, solid defensively and their forwards fired when needed. Deserving winners No shame losing today. Just wasn’t our day. Injuries finally caught up with us and our defence for once was off. Its been a brilliant run but it couldn’t last forever Let’s regroup and beat the Swans next week Go Dees

Fremantle's best is very good. They were two players off their best 22 and they played the best football they've played since 2015. We can't beat good sides, let alone sides flying like Fremantle today, when we had as much go wrong as we did today. No Salem, Langdon, McDonald or Harmes. No May after 15 minutes. If you were at the game you'll have seen Petracca was wholly devoid of energy. It doesn't surprise to hear Goodwin suggest he was sick. Petty was injured and popped painkillers to run out the game. And Lever's been carrying something for weeks. The replacements were almost all really poor. Melksham was just terrible, Dunstan not much better, Bedford isn't good or fit enough (not sure which) to play four quarters, and Weideman was both shocking and lacking in all confidence. We tried to cover Langdon with Spargo on a wing. It didn't work twice - it meant we were exposed on that wing, and we lacked Spargo's pressure inside 50. Brown had a nightmare but to be fair to him, we kept kicking the ball on his head and he was double-teamed for most of the game because we had no other marking options. And then our inaccuracy hit us again. Fritsch and Weideman missed shots they should have kicked and we honestly should have been 7 or 8 goals up at half time. Game could and I suspect would have played out much differently had Fritsch's set shot goal in the third restored a 6 or 7 goal margin, rather than a 3 goal margin. We still generated enough opportunity to keep ourselves in the game but when we needed a goal to get the crowd going and to give us some confidence, Trac missed his snap in the third and then Spargo missed his early fourth quarter shot. May going down is a disaster, compounded by Petty being injured (and I reckon Lever being injured too). And then double-compounded by having no McDonald who could have covered infinitely better than Weideman. We haven't missed Hibberd all year but we could have used his height today: Bowey, Rivers, Hunt and Brayshaw aren't tall enough to help cover tall forwards and it showed. We should see a handful of changes next week. There is a lot we need to improve to be sure of restoring our form.

Really don't like criticising Demon players but to be honest I would play Mitch Brown or even risk blooding JVR before ever playing Weid again.

Forgot what it feels like to lose. I don’t like it.

For weeks we have dump kicked into f50 and teams have waltzed it out, but our defence held strong. With May down that didn’t occur. Our game plan out of defence requires wingers pushing hard, with langers out and Gus at half back we had nothing. Trac is injured, no doubt, so either rest him or he needs to play more forward and actually kick goals, he has the major yips. Gawn doesn’t look Right, Jackson is losing money each game he plays, Bowey fumbled, Rivs hasn’t looked decent nearly all year. Melksham should retire. Brown, fritta and Weid/Tmac will never flourish with long dump kicks. Harmes has been missed. We rely on a good rotation of pressure forwards, Bedford and Melksham do not give that.

A terrible day from start to finish. Don’t want to panic but last year we didn’t lose to a single top 8 side. This year we’ve only played 2 really good sides and Freo has not just beat us, they smashed us. So disappointed in so many of our players. Trac was embarrassingly poor. If he’s injured to the point where he can’t chase he needs to have time off. Brown and Weideman a disaster today. Backline had a complete meltdown without May. Smashed in the air. Smashed at ground level. Really bad day.

So many thoughts. Not only was that a wake up call to the team, we supporters, and the media, it’s a huge reality check. That second half was nigh on uncompetitive. Common impartial sense tells me Premiership aspirants don’t give up 12 goals to 1 in a half of footy. Is it a complete aberration, or are there genuine premiership-killing problems ? We’ll find out, maybe even next week, but I can’t remember seeing a capitulation like that for a long time, and in my gut, it feels like there might be trouble ahead. I’m glad they don’t have to carry the unbeaten tag any more, but the way they shed it genuinely asks enormous questions.

Melksham has played his last game. We got him to 200 and that’s enough. Weideman did more than Brown, which tells you how awful they both were. Brown has been putrid for 2 weeks now. Also our reliance on May is so evident. We fall apart with him. He is the glue that holds us together.

Marking the ball is one of the skills of playing footy. We were FLOGGED in the air. I would love to see the handball efficiency stats. Our handball skills and decision making were atrocious tonight. Weid, Brown, Melksham, Dunstan, Bowey, Petracca & Rivers had absolute howlers. Bowey consistently made poor decisions which was strange to see. Special mention to Lever. His playing on followed by decision making caused multiple turnovers or sent straight to the opposition. And if I saw the Freo man free at the back of the pack get a free handball one more time... aaaahhhggg!!! Having ranted all that (I had to get it off my chest), I see our best 22 producing much better than that.

I hope Bowey is ok ☹️

Of course the problem is; how could we ever hope to win any game with that spud Bowey?

I don't know about you lot, but I just feel privileged to be supporting this side. Absolutely amazing on all fronts.

Great interview with Kozzy in the HS today. I particularly loved this from Koz, and amazing to hear a young Indigenous man who has battled moving over to the other side of the country and losing his mum talk about 'facing your fears'. "The main struggle is moving away from home and if you want to make your dreams come true, you have to face your fears. I guess you just need to use the people around you to talk to. For me, that was one of the hardest things as well, moving away from home. But I’ve been lucky to have a lot of Indigenous people around me. ‘Wheels’ (Matt Whelan, the club’s Indigenous project officer) knows Uncle Byron well. If I am going through something, he tells uncle Byron. Wheels keeps me connected. He is basically like an uncle to me at the club and he is pretty important to us Indigenous players. With me being a (young) leader now, it is just about being a helping hand in the communities, which is important." Kysaiah Pickett opens up on the passing of his ‘old mum’, his culture and his sporting hero

Not sure what others thought but I also thought tonight was one of the best umpired games i have seen in ages. Only 27 frees in total...let the players decide the result. They didn't pay the incidental type of infringements that have no impact on the contest...which is exactly how it should be umpired.

Steven May played less than a quarter and finished with more possessions than Melksham and Weideman.

Melksham Langdon May Tomlinson Weid McDonald Dunstan harmes

Midfield need to hang their heads, their centre square work in the 2nd half was embarrassing. Ratten was 100% correct in his judgement of Dunstan. The definition of a plodder. Rivers had a really terrible game today and so did about 12 of his mates. Spargo ain't no winger. Brown and Weidman = giant fail. Coaches should be held to account as well. Freoh had a loose player defensive side of every stoppage and they kept getting clean clearances. Why we didn't go even numbers boggles my mind. All that optimism about the Melbourne system being unstoppable dissipated in a half of footy. Like all teams, it's clear that we are very reliant on our best players to be competitive.

You’re not even worth talking to, do you think that maybe he struggled a bit because the whole structure of the backline broke down with May subbed out before quarter time & Petty on one leg Great support for our 20 year olds from you

Congratulations to Melky who runs out for his 200th AFL game today. Thoroughly deserved, in his prime he was as good a HF connector as there was going around and always knew how to slot a long bomb or two, obviously as we've improved he's fallen away and he does lack in some areas but at his one wood, he's right near the pinnicle across the competition. All the best to him and hopefully we bring home a dub

i was one of those anti-milkshake haters during his first season with us but it was when he was shifted from half-back to half-forward that i became a HUGE fan - think it was defensive effort on jj in the game in which lever did his knee at the docklands carpark that made me admire his workrate, and the goal off two steps in the final vs hawthorn that made me love him hope he has a ripsnorter today

Excited to see us put another team of pretenders to the sword. Had a quick word to the big fella this morning and he tells me it's "...in the bag!"

I spent a bit of time over west in the past few weeks. My first post Covid trip. They're a weird mob over there, to be sure. I was chatting last Sat morning with the lady that ran the local cafe, out the side of a caravan parked near the beach, she had her Freo jumper on ready to go to the game. I said the Pies travel ok you know. She replied that her 11 yo daughter had told her that Freo were no good in the wet, as we knocked back a coffee watching a sea of storm clouds roll in. Mum, they need to turn the sprinklers on at training, she had apparently said that very morning. My response (after immediately txting a few mates back east to get onto Collingwood) was to tell her don't worry, you've got Melbourne next week! The look of utter despondence on her face......priceless. Go Dees by 25.

Today was as much about our holes across the ground and how poorly we played, as it was about how utterly awesome Freo were. They were scary good. Looked very Melbourne circa 2021 finals series. They're legit and are still very much a threat. People wrote them off after the last two weeks. Credit where it was due. My main concern today was just the overall disconnect in general play. Hospital handpasses casually to players directly under pressure. Poor aerial contest. Outmarked across the ground. Constant space between Melbourne and Freo players. They pulled off every trick they tried. We had nothing up our sleeve. We were a shadow of our best. But Freo were just awesome.

Now that we are out of that fantasyland some of you were living in - we can be beaten - we are a good team that can be great but we can’t replace our best players and when they are down or missing our role players need to be exceptional. Our fortunes rise and fall on the following being fit and in form; May, Lever, Salem, Oliver, Petracca, Gawn, Langdon, and Fritsch. When more than half are injured, missing or out of form - we are a massive chance to get beaten.

We are now the hunted and today showed we need to be better to stay ahead of the pack. I would like to think we will learn more from a loss than we have off late from scratchy wins. I need to remind everyone that it is the best team in September that wins a flag and like last year best to peak at the end of the season.Picket, Jackson, Jordon, Sparrow, Rivers and Bedford are only 3 seasons max into their careers and so far have exceeded expectations. The season is only half way.

Dearly missed our two most important players after Clarry today, in May and Langdon . Which made it very hard against another top 4 side. With Trac looking very flat like he was carrying something or had a bit of flu I don’t know, and Brown copping a bath two weeks in a row now , we were primed for a loss. Out marked all over the park we really need guys like Salem, TMac , Harmes , Langdon and May. Melksham , Dunstan and Weed ain’t the answer.

I don’t mind the loss, but I can’t stand the capitulation.

I also am a Weid fan, and love what he can bring but to be honest, his game tonight was indefensible. Just so physically weak and lacked effort. I don't remember him actually leading more than once when he took that great mark. Actually for many of the contests he might as well have not been there. TMac back in hopefully - if not - I would prefer JVR to be given a go. And BBB looked way out of sorts. Again, physically weak and unable to handle the physical hustle-and-bustle of the Freo defenders. But he has a LOT of credits in the bank so one bad game is no means for being dropped.

Genuinely thought we’d never lose again.

He was much better than Ben Brown

Not overly worried as long as there is a serious week on the training track That is the last game Weid should play this year (as a forward) He is just not up to it

Hell on earth

To put his Demon career in perspective: when he joined, Salem was in his second year, Brayshaw his first and, Petracca and Oliver had yet to play a game. He had to sit out 2016 but his impact after that is in the same category as Byrne, Vince, Cross and Lewis. They came at a time when we really needed their respective skills and experience. Without him would we have made the 2018 prelim which gave us the finals experience to 2021 success? He has done his job for the mfc and has earnt the right to celebrate his 200th game which haven't come easy. Listening to the interview shows his humility and how special this is for him and his family. Hope they all have a great day.

I see today going this way: freo bring manic pressure and two way running, which we match. they break first we come home over the top for a reasonable win. the game wont be won by the stars, but by the system and skills. Our pressure will eventually be too much. dees by 35

The game is still alive. If for instance, the tigers player was 50 metres out post siren and he kicked a ball right to the goal square and a swans player coat hangered a tigers player who was trying to shepherd it through the umpire can still award a free kick down field. The game ends when the umpires say it ends. Not when the siren has gone. Another example is when a free kick is awarded between quarters or after a goal is kicked and the clock has stopped. The clock not running is not relevant. Tonight was a 50 metre penalty every day of the week and twice on sundays. The umpires didnt know the rules, they even said in their justification ' he didnt know the siren had gone' . if that was the case, kicking the ball into the stands is a free kick and in this case a 50 metre penalty as a free kick was already awarded.