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Recent meetings between Melbourne and Carlton have developed a striking and somewhat familiar narrative, underscored by a series of closely contested encounters ultimately decided by narrow margins. The Blues have won out on each of the past four occasions:- • Saturday, 19 July 2025 (Round 20) – Carlton 12.6 (78) defeated Melbourne 10.10 (70) at the MCG (attendance: 40,869) • Thursday, 9 May 2024 (Round 10) – Carlton 12.5 (77) defeated Melbourne 11.10 (76) at the MCG (attendance: 58,472) • Friday, 15 September 2023 (Semi Final) – Carlton 11.7 (73) defeated Melbourne 9.17 (71) at the MCG (attendance: 96,412) • Saturday, 12 August 2023 (Round 22) – Carlton 9.6 (60) defeated Melbourne 8.8 (56) at the MCG (attendance: 68,577) Across these four matches, witnessed collectively by more than a quarter of a million pairs of eyes (give or take a few one-eyed fans), Carlton has emerged victorious by a combined margin of just 15 points. A consistent theme has been Melbourne’s inefficiency in front of goal contrasted with Carlton’s clinical finishing, often at decisive moments. This pattern has proven costly for the Demons, turning otherwise competitive performances into narrow defeats. I wish I knew what it is about Melbourne that turns an otherwise incompetent Carlton combination into a team with the freakish ability to slot through goals from every angle and any distance from goal on the one or two occasions in a season when they come across us? Turning to the present, both sides enter their upcoming clash at the MCG on Sunday afternoon with identical early-season records of one win and one loss. Carlton opened their campaign with a heavy defeat against Sydney before narrowly accounting for Richmond by four points in a performance that was far from convincing. Melbourne, by contrast, began strongly with a win over St Kilda but faltered on the road against Fremantle, where they conceded a seven-goal deficit by quarter time and were unable to recover despite a brief resurgence in the second quarter. With both teams seeking to build momentum and avoid slipping behind in the early stages of the season, this match presents a timely opportunity for redemption. Given the recent history between the two clubs, another tightly contested encounter looms, with execution - particularly in front of goal -once again expected to play a decisive role. Melbourne supporters should be under no illusions about where their team currently stands. After undergoing a much-needed overhaul - both structurally and culturally - the Demons are still a work in progress and not yet at the level of last week’s opposition who are eyeing a top four finish. This week presents a different challenge altogether, with the outcome likely to hinge on each side’s approach and, crucially, who can seize the early momentum. Melbourne’s slow starts this season have been a concern and this will be also the case against a Carlton side that has consistently begun games strongly. A good start is crucial here. The Demons will again rely on the elite service of Max Gawn, their star ruckman and skipper, who celebrates his 250th game this week, alongside veteran defender Tom McDonald, who is expected to provide valuable support in the ruck. However, Melbourne’s success will depend on more than just its key pillars. The team’s other match-winners must step up. Kysaiah “Kozzy” Pickett has had a relatively quiet start to the season by his standards, and the Demons will be looking to his speed, pressure, and creativity both in the middle of the ground and also, to spark their forward line. His ability to generate excitement and scoreboard impact could be crucial in helping Melbourne take early control and put pressure on a Carlton side that hasn’t covered the off-season loss of some of their star players, notably Curnow and De Koning and struggled to close out games, particularly in second halves. A return to home conditions, combined with the forecast milder weather, should suit Melbourne’s evolving, faster style of play. Carlton, by contrast, still appears reliant on a heavily contested approach - one that has served them well in their recent history but it may not be sufficient to contain Steven King’s new dynamic and transitional game plan. Melbourne will be confident of returning to the winners’ list if it can start strongly and sustain its intensity across four quarters. If that happens, it might not even be that close an encounter. Melbourne by 28 points. THE GAME Carlton v Melbourne at the MCG Sunday 29 March 2026 at 3.15pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Carlton 121 wins Melbourne 97 wins Drawn 2 At The MCG Carlton 54 wins Melbourne 56 wins Past five meetings Carlton 4 wins Melbourne 1 win The Coaches Voss 0 wins King 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Carlton 12.6.78 defeated Melbourne 10.10.70 in Round 19 2025 The Blues got the jump early and with their accuracy in front of goal and a break out performance from Ashton Moir, they were able to just hold out the Demons. THE TEAMS CARLTON B L. Young, J. Weitering, H. Dean HB O. Hollands, M. McGovern, O. Florent C M. Carroll, P. Cripps, C. Chesser HF W. Hayward, E. Hollands, Z. Williams F T. Byrne, H. McKay, B. Kemp FOLL M. Pittonet, J. Smith, S. Walsh I/C (from) B. Acres, B. Ainsworth, J. Boyd, L. Cowan, F. Evans, L. Fogarty, G. Hewett, H. O'Keeffe IN B. Acres, J. Boyd, T. Byrne, F. Evans OUT C. Lord (illness) MELBOURNE B H. Petty, J. Lever, C. Jiath HB B. Howes, T. McDonald, C. Salem C X. Lindsay, T. Sparrow, H. Langford HF K. Chandler, J. van Rooyen, H. Sharp F B. Fritsch, B. Mihocek, K. Pickett FOLL M. Gawn, C. Windsor, J. Steele I/C J. Culley, E. Langdon, L. Pickett, T. Rivers, K. Tholstrup EMG P. Cross, M. Heath, B. Laurie IN T. McDonald OUT D. Turner (hand) Injury List: Round 3 Aidan Johnson — knee / 1-2 weeks Daniel Turner — hand / 2-3 weeks Matthew Jefferson — foot / 2-4 weeks Luker Kentfield — knee / 2-4 weeks Shane McAdam — Achilles / 2-4 weeks Kalani White — glandular fever / 2-4 weeks Jake Bowey — foot / 6-8 weeks Tom Campbell — neck / TBC Jack Viney — Achilles / TBC

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Who are you tipping and what are the best results for the Demons?

I chuckled when I read that someone on Twitter called him Temu Brayden Maynard.

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afl.com.auCoaches' votes, R2: Harley one of four perfect 10s, Bont...The coaches' votes for the round two games are inFremantle v Melbourne10 Shai Bolton (FRE) 6 Andrew Brayshaw (FRE) 6 Max Gawn (MELB) 6 Josh Treacy (FRE) 1 Murphy Reid (FRE) 1 Isaiah Dudley (FRE) Hawthorn v Sydney9 Jai Newcombe (HAW) 7 Tom Barrass (HAW) 6 Dylan Moore (HAW) 6 Jack Gunston (HAW) 1 Jack Ginnivan (HAW) 1 Brodie Grundy (SYD) Adelaide v Western Bulldogs9 Marcus Bontempelli (WB) 8 Joel Freijah (WB) 5 Bailey Williams (WB) 4 Jordon Butts (ADEL) 2 Buku Khamis (WB) 2 Tom Liberatore (WB) Richmond v Gold Coast8 Bodhi Uwland (GCFC) 8 Ben King (GCFC) 8 Touk Miller (GCFC) 4 Sam Collins (GCFC) 2 Ethan Read (GCFC) Greater Western Sydney v St Kilda10 Callum Wilkie (STK) 6 Darcy Wilson (STK) 6 Jack Sinclair (STK) 4 Lachie Ash (GWS) 3 Clayton Oliver (GWS) 1 Ryan Angwin (GWS) Port Adelaide v Essendon10 Zak Butters (PORT) 8 Jason Horne-Francis (PORT) 6 Aliir Aliir (PORT) 2 Jase Burgoyne (PORT) 2 Joe Richards (PORT) 1 Nate Caddy (ESS) 1 Jordon Sweet (PORT) West Coast v North Melbourne10 Harley Reid (WCE) 6 Tristan Xerri (NMFC) 5 Nick Larkey (NMFC) 4 Reuben Ginbey (WCE) 2 Milan Murdock (WCE) 2 Elliot Yeo (WCE) 1 Jack Graham (WCE) LEADERBOARD20 Christian Petracca (GCFC) 19 Marcus Bontempelli (WB) 14 Nick Daicos (COLL) 14 Touk Miller (GCFC) 14 Jack Sinclair (STK) 13 Max Gawn (MELB) 13 Sam Walsh (CARL) 12 Tom Barrass (HAW) 12 Callum Wilkie (STK) 11 Ben King (GCFC)

2026 RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY LISTBRISBANE Zac Bailey GOLD COAST Ben King HAWTHORN Jarman Impey MELBOURNE Bayley Fritsch PORT ADELAIDE Zak Butters WEST COAST Bailey Williams 2026 UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENCY LIST*Denotes player is eligible for free agency after being previously delisted in their career. ^Denotes player is eligible for free agency after previously changing clubs as a free agent. ADELAIDE James Borlase* Jordon Butts Mitch Hinge* Chayce Jones Lachie Sholl Taylor Walker Tyler Welsh* BRISBANE Darragh Joyce* Ryan Lester Lincoln McCarthy Lachie Neale Dayne Zorko CARLTON Wade Derksen* Francis Evans* Nick Haynes^ Elijah Hollands* Mitch McGovern Nic Newman Zac Williams^ COLLINGWOOD Jack Crisp Jeremy Howe Tim Membrey^* Scott Pendlebury Steele Sidebottom ESSENDON Jade Gresham^ Matt Guelfi Liam McMahon* Jaxon Prior* Will Setterfield* FREMANTLE Bailey Banfield* Oscar McDonald* Sam Sturt Sam Switkowski Corey Wagner* GEELONG Jed Bews Mark Blicavs Patrick Dangerfield Jake Kolodjashnij Keighton Matofai-Forbes* Jack Martin* Mark O'Connor Rhys Stanley George Stevens* GOLD COAST Oscar Adams* Caleb Graham Nick Holman Ben Jepson* Lachie Weller Jarrod Witts GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY Kieren Briggs Stephen Coniglio Toby Greene Jayden Laverde* Jake Stringer* Conor Stone* HAWTHORN Jack Gunston Mitch Lewis Harry Morrison Flynn Perez* MELBOURNE Tom Campbell^ Kade Chandler Jai Culley* Tom McDonald Jake Melksham Christian Salem Tom Sparrow NORTH MELBOURNE Aidan Corr^ Luke McDonald Toby Pink* Bailey Scott PORT ADELAIDE Darcy Byrne-Jones Ollie Wines RICHMOND Nathan Broad Tom Lynch Dion Prestia ST KILDA Ryan Byrnes* Jack Carroll* Patrick Said* Liam Stocker* SYDNEY Joel Amartey Harry Cunningham Joel Hamling* Jake Lloyd Dane Rampe WEST COAST Tom Cole Jamie Cripps Matthew Flynn^ Harry Schoenberg* WESTERN BULLDOGS Oskar Baker* Lachie Bramble* Ryan Gardner* Buku Khamis Tom Liberatore Lachie McNeil*

I'm going to cut of the questions here. We already have a lot to unpack and talk about. Listen to the show LIVE tonight @ 8pm @ Demonland.com Download the Show tomorrow on your favourite Podcasting App.

AFL umpires have reportedly requested that Champion Data not publish specific details surrounding free kicks paid. Kane Cornes has detected that the free kicks awarded by specific match officials is no longer available on the stats portal. He wonders why the umpiring fraternity have asked for these statistics to be removed. “I love to keep the umpires accountable when it comes to which umpire has paid which free kick,” Cornes said on SEN’s Fireball. “I think that is very useful information. “You’ve got four umpires out there, I like to know that such and such umpire has paid 11 free kicks to North and three frees to West Coast, for example. “That information has always been readily available to those who have access to Champion Data stats. “I like seeing the breakdown of which umpire out there has paid a free kick to which team.” Cornes continued: “I can tell you now, that information is not available anymore. “Where has that info gone? Surely it’s pretty important stuff. “I reached out to Champion Data to find out where this information has gone. They said to me that the umpires got in contact with Champion and said we now do not need that information. “This is the greatest example of how soft we have become. You can’t have player weights in the Footy Record any more, the umpires now do not want to be, clearly, kept accountable for who has paid which free kick to which team. “How could this not be useful information for the umpires’ coach to go, ‘Hang on, see that free kick? You paid that to West Coast, we can now break down what’s gone on there and review that’. “They have got in touch with Champion Data. My suspicion would be that they’re too scared to be made accountable for this information, if there’s a lopsided free kick count and we want to keep them accountable. “That information is gone. I honestly cannot believe that the umpires would be that sensitive to not make that info available when the profession has never been more highly paid, when everyone else has never been more accountable. “We’ve spoken about under-fire coaches and players, but the umpires do not want have that accountability. I can’t believe it. “It needs to be investigated further as to who has made that decision and why this decision has been made. It’d got to be more than ‘this information isn’t necessary anymore’.” Co-host David King added: ”Who are you protecting the information from? It’s the fans’ game, isn’t it? “They’re just conversation points, they’re bullet points in our Monday discussions, and you’re just part of the cycle. “There’ll be good weeks and bad weeks but that’s the game.” King was also made aware of another statistic that is being kept from Champion Data users and it relates to the stand rule and 50-metre penalties paid. “At the start of the year when we were having the stand rule discussion, I wanted to know how many 50s were paid last year from a violation of the stand rule,” King said. “Not an outrageous request. “Do you think they would give me that information? ‘It’s not a Champion Data thing, it’s an AFL thing’ - they wouldn’t give it to us. “I just wanted to compare has it doubled, tripled, what’s happening with it? I want to use the facts and I can’t get them. “Who are we hiding that information and why?” Cornes said further: “Why are they the only people in the game who are protected from scrutiny? Why do they get protected so much? “I understand we want junior umpires coming through but they’ll come through. You get paid nearly $200,000 if you’re any good and you can work outside of that. “It’s a pretty good profession. You get to keep fit, you’re in a great game in a terrific industry. The young umpires will come through. “I don’t understand why they are immune from scrutiny and we can’t get information that is necessary to keep these people accountable for the fans and the game.”

Melbourne’s early surge of optimism came crashing back to reality in its clash with Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. Just six days after unveiling its fun-filled, attack-minded style against the Saints, the Demons were met by a Dockers outfit determined to shut it down with a blend of speed, pressure, and physicality. As it had in the opening-round against Geelong, Fremantle exploded out of the blocks with relentless early pressure and rapid ball movement in a dominant opening stanza in which it piled on goal after goal to seize control of the contest. Those within the Melbourne camp who are more measured in their expectations understand that the attacking transformation being implemented by Steven King will not come without challenges. A six day turnaround, a long trip across the Nullarbor, and hot conditions in Perth presented a less-than-ideal scenario for a developing side. When key defender Daniel Turner - who had begun impressively - was forced from the game early with a hand injury, the task became even more difficult. Suddenly undermanned in the height department down back, the Demons were left to contend with a potent Fremantle forward line featuring Josh Treacy, Patrick Voss, and a rotating Luke Jackson and the runners around them. The Dockers capitalised fully. With Max Gawn resting on the bench, they slammed on three quick goals, while Andrew Brayshaw was prolific, finding the ball at will, and Shai Bolton’s electric running cut the game open. By quarter time, Fremantle had surged to a commanding 40-point lead. To Melbourne’s credit, it prevented the margin from blowing out even further, eventually going down by 48 points. However, unlike the cohesive team performance seen against the Saints, this effort was more fragmented. A spirited second-quarter burst of four unanswered goals in the opening 25 minutes briefly reduced the margin to 20 points. Yet this surge was driven more by individual effort than collective cohesion. After Kozzy Pickett’s clever crumbing goal at the 25-minute mark, some costly turnovers crept back into Melbourne’s game, allowing Fremantle to regain momentum with two late goals before half time. Any hope of a revival was extinguished in a devastating third term. Fremantle broke the game wide open with seven goals, as their runners and small forwards took complete control, stretching the lead to 67 points by the final change. With the intensity gone from the contest, Melbourne scored the first three goals of the last quarter as the game petered out. While they could claim two quarters on the scoreboard, it offered little consolation in the broader context of the match. Max Gawn once again led from the front, producing a superb performance with 23 disposals, 11 marks, and 28 hit-outs. The pressure of the game and the early loss of Turner often forced him down back and he ended the game as the holder of the record for the most intercept marks in a single game by a ruck - eight - a record he previously shared with two others. Gawn’s leadership was evident throughout, even as frustration occasionally surfaced. Jack Steele provided Gawn with strong leadership support and ha team-high 31 disposals and nine clearances, while experienced campaigners Christian Salem (26 disposals, eight rebounds) and Ed Langdon (22 disposals, two goals) contributed solidly. However, Melbourne needed more from the emerging group that was so influential the previous week: the collective lift never materialised with the one exception being Koltyn Tholstrup, who was tasked with nullifying Caleb Serong and he performed admirably, limiting the impact of one of the competition’s most dangerous midfielders for a second time. The Demons now turn their attention to Round Three and a meeting with Carlton, who have won the past four encounters between the sides by an aggregate of just 15 points. Breaking that streak would provide a timely boost - and perhaps restore some of the fun and excitement that flickered just one week ago. MELBOURNE 1.1.7 5.4.34 6.6.42 10.10.70 FREMANTLE 7.7.49 9.11.65 16.13.109 17.16.118 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch Langdon Sharp 2 Chandler Mihocek K Pickett Sparrow FREMANTLE Treacy 4 Dudley 3 Bolton Reid 2 Brayshaw Jackson Johnson Serong Switkowski Voss BEST MELBOURNE Steele Gawn Salem Tholstrup Langdon Rivers FREMANTLE Bolton Treacy Brayshaw Dudley Pearce Ryan LATE CHANGES MELBOURNE Nil FREMANTLE Brandon Walker (soreness) replaced in the selected side by Luke Ryan INJURIES MELBOURNE Daniel Turner (hand) FREMANTLE Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil FREMANTLE Nil UMPIRES Daniel Johanson John Howorth Nathan Williamson Brent Wallace. CROWD 44,736 at Optus Stadium

No surprise here - 33. Max Gawn 24. Jack Steele 16. Jacob van Rooyen 11. Christian Salem 8. Jai Culley Ed Langdon Kysaiah Pickett 7. Koltyn Tholstrup 5. Trent Rivers 4. Brody Mihocek 1. Jake Lever Harrison Petty

The Casey Demons faced a tough first up task taking on reigning VFL premiers Footscray at Mission Whitten Oval. The Bulldogs, who unfurled their premiership flag pre-game, had 15 AFL-listed players and their top VFL talent available, setting them up for their 15th consecutive win. The younger Demons stayed competitive for more than half the game but eventually tired against the experienced Bulldogs, who had stronger legs and more purpose in their attack on the football. The game was played in near-perfect conditions with the young squad, many of them playing together for the first time, showing great enthusiasm, particularly in the early going. The teams traded points in the first half of the opening term before Footscray took control, threatening to blow the game open as they burst to a lead of 22 points before Paddy Cross booted truly with a free taken after the quarter time siren. Footscray looked like breaking away again early in the second quarter but Casey regrouped and twice fought back to take the lead. Jesse Craven was the catalyst with two quick goals that helped generate the comeback. The Bulldogs were held back by their inaccuracy in front of goal but their midfield dominance and their three goals to one in the time-on period saw them take an eight point lead into the main break. Casey's recent acquisition from the Dockers via Box Hill, Ethan Stanley, kicked the first goal of the second half, cutting the lead to two points. But that was the last piece of resistance that the Demons could muster. Led by Will Lewis's third quarter goal-kicking masterclass and the dominance around the ground of seasoned veterans in Adam Treloar, Nick Coffield, Lachie McNeil, and Jack Billings, the Bulldogs pounced and finally stormed home to win by 43 points. For the Demons, Max Heath was dominant in the ruck. He collected 17 disposals to go with 36 hitouts and seven clearances and he also added a goal early in the final term. Andy Moniz-Wakefield, playing his first game after missing all of last season after ACL surgery was among the Demons' busiest with 30 disposals going at an outstanding 90% disposal efficiency. Jack Henderson also did well with 18 touches in his comeback game after an injury affected summer. Jed Adams and Oscar Berry were both put under the pump in defence and showed promise of better things to come. Melbourne’s top 2025 draft pick Xavier Taylor showed composure in a defence under pressure and finished with 16 disposals and eight marks. Fellow draftee Tom Matthews started slowly but worked himself into the game and looks to be an exciting prospect, kicking a nice goal late in the game. Both will benefit from their first official hit out in the colours after being given limited preseason game time. Casey’s only true battle hardened veteran Jake Melksham managed one a signal goal after spending some time in the hands of the trainers with what appeared to be a knee concern. Co-captain Riley Bonner was the best of the Casey contingent. He was a strong contributor around the ground with 32 disposals and nine inside 50s. A number of new faces brought into the team by former Gippsland Power coach Rhett McLennan who took the reins for the first time. Teenager Luke Cheffers was the most prominent among them while former Docker Stanley had an impact after half time with two goals. The 43-point loss was a disappointing outcome. The Demons took a hit, but at least they have the Bulldogs behind them. The bye might be a blessing in disguise, giving them time to regroup. Facing the toughest opponent early on means it's potentially smoother sailing ahead. CASEY DEMONS 2.2.14 7.4.46 10.7.67 13.8.86 FOOTSCRAY 4.6.30 7.12.54 14.17.101 19.21.135 GOALS CASEY DEMONS Cross Pipicelli Stanley 2 Bonner Cheffers Cross D’Angelo Heath Laurie Matthews Melksham FOOTSCRAY Lewis 6 Billings Jones McNeil Smith 2 Craig-Peters Crofts Dolan Kennedy Saunders BEST CASEY DEMONS Heath Moniz-Wakefield Bonner Taylor Cross Mentha Jr FOOTSCRAY Treloar Coffield Lewis Orgill McNeil Dolan

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The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 23rd March @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees dismal loss to the Dockers in Perth. Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. PLEASE TRY TO KEEP THE QUESTIONS/COMMENTS TO ONE SPECIFIC TOPIC/PLAYER IN ORDER TO MAKE THE PREPARATION FOR THE PODCAST EASIER. Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

The Demons return to the MCG next week and will be looking to atone for a dismal performance in Perth as they take on the under the pump Blues. Who comes in and who goes out for our Round 3 match against the Carlton?

Coming off Back to Back Demonland Player of the Year Award wins Captain Max Gawn is already in the lead followed by Jacob van Rooyen, Jai Culley, Kozzy Pickett & Jack Steele. Your votes please. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.