Demonland

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There was a match simulation arranged between Casey and the Essendon Reserves which was won by the Bombers. VFL Match Simulation Report Taking part in the hit-out were: 16. Bailey Laurie 19. Xavier Taylor 20. Tom Matthews 21. Matthew Jefferson 24. Trent Rivers 26. Jed Adams 27. Max Heath 34. Kalani White 38. Oscar Berry 39. Ricky Mentha Jnr 40. Riley Onley 42. Aidan Johnson 43. Jack Henderson 44. Luker Kentfield 45. Andy Moniz-Wakefield I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of these players are in the Melbourne team vs Brisbane next week.

Max well in front with Kozzy and Jack polling well. 82. Max Gawn 55. Kysaiah Pickett 54. Jack Steele 17. Tom Sparrow 16. Jacob van Rooyen 14. Christian Salem 13. Jake Lever 9. Bayley Fritsch Koltyn Tholstrup 8. Jai Culley Ed Langdon 7. Harvey Langford 5. Jake Melksham Trent Rivers 4. Kade Chandler Brody Mihocek 3. Daniel Turner 1. Harrison Petty Harry Sharp

Melbourne’s much vaunted finishing power evaporated at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon, exposed for the third time in four years by its Essendon Gather Round hoodoo. The word "hoodoo" is probably not enough to express the correct sentiment of the disaster that unfolded after the Demons’ pulsating victory last week against the Suns. The opportunity was there for the taking to start the season at 4-1 amid the exciting game style being instilled by new coach Steven King and it was also Jake Melksham's 250th AFL game, presenting the chance of honouring a remarkable teammate who a week earlier had been the spearhead of one of the team’s most famous recent victories. Despite an injury to Melksham who hobbled off with discomfort in his ankle but returned to the field, and a tentative error-riddled start to the match which saw the Bombers holding a narrow quarter time lead, the Demons burst into action with the usual suspects leading the offensive: Max Gawn dominating the ruck and kicking a rover’s goal out of a pack, Jack Steele getting the ball out of the middle and Kozzy Pickett being himself with a chase down tackle of Isaac Kako as he was running towards goal, following that up by brilliantly anticipating the play to mark and goal moments later. It was all Melbourne which held a 19-point lead with the half time break looming, and the opportunity was there to crush Essendon’s sagging confidence and take a stranglehold on the match. Suddenly however, it all changed with a massive momentum switch that turned the game on its head. You can put it down to a number of factors. Bomber coach Brad Scott had cleverly worked out a plan to counter the Demons’ spread and fast movement of the football by changing tempo to slow the play. This move elicited no corresponding response and it enabled his team to kick two late goals to reduce the deficit to a single goal at half time. It was a tactic that proved decisive in the end as Scott and his team persisted with it in the second half to telling effect with Essendon kicking six goals to one in the third quarter as Melbourne simply capitulated. It wasn’t just a case of Scott outcoaching King. The change in the mood of the game was accompanied by the flagging of spirit and strength by the Demons. King blamed it on lethargy: "We certainly didn't look as sharp as last week. That's probably happened a couple of times now in the five weeks in where we just haven't looked as sharp," King said. The Demons' struggles were exacerbated by a slow and top-heavy defence, in stark contrast to its counterpart at the other end of the ground. Christian Salem's ankle injury didn't help, nor did the fixturing of the AFL's feeder competition, which likely ruled out smaller defender Andy Moniz-Wakefield, who could have been a handy option for adding pressure and grit as well as run out of defence. Ultimately, the Demons' mids and forwards reverted to old habits, allowing the Bombers to kick 13 of the game’s last 15 goals and break their AFL losing streak as well as retain a strong grip on their Gather Round hoodoo over the Demons. MELBOURNE 3.1.19 8.2.50 9.5.59 10.8.68 ESSENDON 3.5.23 6.8.44 12.9.81 17.11.113 GOALS MELBOURNE K Pickett 2 Chandler Fritsch Gawn Langford Mihocek L Pickett Sharp Sparrow ESSENDON Caddy Duursma Edwards Kako May 2 Day-Wicks Durham Gresham Merrett Roberts Tsatas Wright BEST MELBOURNE K Pickett Steele Gawn Langford Sparrow Lever ESSENDON Roberts Parish Kako Merrett Langford Farrow INJURIES MELBOURNE Christian Salem (ankle) ESSENDON Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil ESSENDON Nil UMPIRES Nicholas Jankovskis Mathew Nicholls Peter Bailes Jordan Fry CROWD 38,006 at Adelaide Oval

Rhetorical question; Can my MFCSS ever be fully cured?

Who comes in and who goes out?

From knocking off a Premiership contender to getting embarrassed by the winless Bombers who were on a 17 game losing streak .... Welcome Back MFCSS.

Captain Max Gawn has built a commanding lead in the Demonland Player of the Year Award from Kozzy Pickett & Jack Steele followed by Jacob van Rooyen and Tom Sparrow. Your votes please from the loss to the Bombers. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

It's Game Day and the Demons are in Adelaide for Gather Round to take on the winless Bombers who are on a 17 game losing streak. What do you want to see from the Dees today?

not sure why the YouTube version didn’t update. It takes the feed from the podcast feed. I don’t upload anything separately to YouTube. It has corrected on all other feeds; Apple, Spotify etc. Take a listen to the last few minutes that is missing on those platforms. There are links on nearly every page on Demonland.

Come gather round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You'll be drenched to the bone If your time to you is worth savin' And you better start swimmin' Or you'll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin' - Bob Dylan It was none other than the renowned poet and thinker Bob Dylan who, more than six decades ago, captured the inevitability of change. While his words were not written with football in mind, they feel particularly apt for the current trajectory of the Melbourne Football Club. Not long ago, the narrative surrounding Melbourne was steeped in pessimism. There was some concern among the pundits (and even some fans) that the club would arrive at the AFL’s Gather Round still winless, vulnerable to a familiar adversary in the Essendon Football Club, and facing significant scrutiny from an ever-critical media on a national stage. Things have changed. Essendon has historically held the upper hand over Melbourne in Adelaide, but recent form suggests a notable shift might be coming. Since the start of the season, Melbourne has responded strongly, winning three of its past four matches at the MCG, with the only blimp being that Round 2 loss in the heat out West. Then followed some standout performances capped off with an emphatic upset over the Gold Coast Suns - a feat that not only surprised many observers and earned the team an A+ report card, but also signalled the rediscovering of identity, purpose and a sense of fun. The report card outlined a commanding performance underpinned by authority at the contest. Melbourne recorded a + 14 differential in inside 50s, + 11 in clearances, and dominated centre clearances 18–9. Their + 22 advantage in contested possessions, combined with cleaner ball use and a stronger defensive effort, reflected a side fully engaged in the physical demands of the contest. Key figures drove the performance. Captain Max Gawn (who leads all comers in the AFLCA's Champion Player of the Year Award), was influential as always in the ruck, while Kysaiah Pickett provided energy and impact. Alongside them, Jack Steele contributed strongly, highlighting the leaders in a midfield group capable of matching the competition’s best. The rest followed with a tremendous team effort. With that momentum, Melbourne now heads across the South Australian border for AFL Gather Round, a showcase weekend of football that blends elite football with a festival atmosphere. On paper, they face an Essendon side facing a record losing streak, but the matchup is far from straightforward. Recent history offers a clear caution. In 2023, Melbourne entered a similar contest as favourite, only to be comprehensively beaten in the rain after a competitive opening term. Last year, Essendon again controlled proceedings with its then skipper Zach Merrett starring, securing a decisive victory before more than 45,000 fans at Adelaide Oval. Those performances underscored Melbourne’s vulnerability when intensity and focus wavered. There are also signs of resilience within the Bomber ranks. Despite a difficult start to the season, their response last week - inspired by Merrett to recover from a weak opening quarter to challenge the ladder leaders across the remaining three, suggests a side capable of competitiveness. From a broader perspective, Melbourne’s evolution under its new coach is becoming increasingly evident. The team is playing with greater freedom, sharper ball movement, and a renewed appetite for contest. This stylistic shift has been central to its recent improvement and, if maintained, it positions the Demons strongly in this match up. Ultimately, while Melbourne enters as the deserved favourite, complacency remains the primary risk. If it can replicate the intensity and execution shown in recent weeks, it should hold the edge. Prediction: Melbourne by 33 points. THE GAME Essendon v Melbourne at Adelaide Oval Sunday 12 April 2026 at 1.15pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Essendon 132 wins Melbourne 87 wins 2 draws At Adelaide Oval Essendon 2 wins Melbourne 0 wins The last five meetings Essendon 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Scott 0 wins King 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Essendon 15.6.96 defeated Melbourne 8.9.57 at Adelaide Oval Round 5 2025 The Demons had yet to break the ice, and the Bombers were not faring much better, but they maintained control early and ultimately secured a convincing victory. The only notable resistance came when Melbourne scored four consecutive goals in the third quarter to narrow the deficit to 11 points in an error-ridden game; but they faltered against an accurate team that sensed victory and tasted blood with a dominant final quarter. THE TEAMS ESSENDON B J. Ridley, B. McKay, A. McGrath HB A. Roberts, Z. Reid, J. Farrow C X. Duursma, J. Caldwell, A. Day-Wicks HF S. Durham, N. Caddy, K. Langford F I. Kako, P. Wright, A. May FOLL L. Blakiston, D. Parish, Z. Merrett I/C T. Edwards, J. Gresham, J. Prior, S. Robey, E. Tsatas EMG N. Cox, S. El-Hawli, Z. Johnson IN N. Caddy, J. Ridley, S. Robey, E. Tsatas OUT S. El-Hawli (omitted), M. Guelfi (omitted), Z. Johnson (omitted), A. Perkins (omitted) MELBOURNE B H. Petty, J. Lever, C. Salem HB C. Windsor, T. McDonald, B. Howes C H. Langford, J. Steele, X. Lindsay HF B. Fritsch, J. van Rooyen, K. Chandler F J. Melksham, B. Mihocek, K. Pickett FOLL M. Gawn, E. Langdon, T. Sparrow I/C J. Culley, L. Pickett,K. Tholstrup, D. Turner, H. Sharp EMG M. Heath, J. Henderson, B. Laurie IN B. Fritsch OUT B. Laurie (omitted) Injury List: Round 5 Kalani White — glandular fever / available Bayley Fritsch — foot / Test Changkuoth Jiath — calf / 2-3 weeks Shane McAdam — Achilles / 2-3 weeks Patrick Cross — thumb / 3-4 weeks Jake Bowey — foot / 4-5 weeks Tom Campbell — neck / TBC Jack Viney — Achilles / TBC

So weird. It was have been some issue when the file uploaded because the source file on my computer has the entire show. I have reuploaded the podcast and the whole file is there now.

This weeks Stats Files (and the next couple of weeks) packaged in the main podcast while I'm away.

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