Demonland

6, 5 etc

Just stopping by for the schadenfreude.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE by Whispering Jack “You got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive E-lim-i-nate the negative And latch on to the affirmative Don't mess with Mr. In-Between” ~ Johnny Mercer The problem with Melbourne for far too long has been the fact that so many of its players are Mr. In-Betweens. They can turn up to games and occasionally they will put in a good one but they can’t be relied upon to consistently produce at the highest level. The fact that G Ablett and J Selwood can always be relied upon to perform at the pinnacle of their ability and that they did that to perfection last Sunday was the difference between the teams in a close fought three point game. That said, there was plenty to be positive about against a team that last year finished a game off being in a grand final. The game was often played at a frenetic pace and Melbourne held its own in the ruck and the midfield contests. Max Gawn was back to his All Australian best and it was unfortunate that he fluffed that shot for goal with a tired effort late in the game. The likes of Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver were superb and Nathan Jones gradually worked his way into the game. It was a pity that the selectors in their wisdom or otherwise saw fit to leave out Angus Brayshaw and Dom Tyson because neither of them are Mr. In-Betweens. Perhaps they simply were not quite well prepared enough to gain selection because otherwise, I thought they had done enough in the pre season to warrant selection. And there was simply not enough drive given by the defence (perhaps with the exception of Oscar McDonald) as they leaked like a sieve in the opening half to concede 80 points although they did tighten up to let through just 17 more in the second half. Pity the forwards simply couldn’t emulate their JLT Community Series efforts when they were all in the frame and we saw multiple goal kicking performances. Instead, a dividend of one goal from eight shots at goal in that final quarter simply wasn’t good enough. Despite all that, there were sufficient positives to accentuate. Despite the big numbers of Ablett and Selwood, the Demon midfield helped the team move the ball inside the 50 metre arc a staggering 64 times to 41 and that sort of dominance will normally win you games by big margins. And we know that the likes of Nev Jetta and Jake Lever will play better than they did against the Cats. So it’s onward to Saturday night in Brisbane where the Demons have rarely been sighted in the past few years. They have not met at the Gabba since the early days of the current decade but the intervening period is like light years for both clubs. Melbourne has reloaded with a maturing team with loads of talent while the Lions have been languishing in the early stages of a rebuild. However, the game will hardly be a cakewalk in the light of the Lions’ improvement. They have a young eager side that troubled Melbourne at their last meeting which happened just two or three games ago and late into the 2017 season. And they are playing at their home ground just as thousands of international visitors begin to descend to gather just down the road for one their region’s biggest sporting event for ages. Melbourne therefore must bring its best and brightest game to our northern state. That must be reflected in the team selected to run out onto the Gabba - a team without any Mr. In-Betweens. THE GAME Brisbane v Melbourne at The Gabba Saturday, 31 March, 2018 at 7.25pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Brisbane 20 wins, Melbourne 24 wins At The Gabba: Brisbane 13 wins, Melbourne 7 wins Last Five Meetings: Brisbane 2 wins, Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches: Fagan 0 wins, Goodwin 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3 live at 7.00pm Radio - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 16.8.104 defeated Brisbane 14.7.91 at the MCG, Round 22, 2017 It was close for the first three quarters but when James Harmes kicked truly with less than six minutes gone in the last, the Dees were headed for a place in the finals. Surely, against the lowly Lions and on their home turf, they were capable of pushing a 32 point lead out to a 50 point win? No, not this team. They conceded four goals in a row and at one stage, led by just 7 points to cause a significant rise in the collective blood pressure of the Demon faithful and a week later they were unceremoniously dumped from the finals. THE TEAMS BRISBANE LIONS B: Nick Robertson, Josh Walker, Darcy Gardiner HB: Luke Hodge, Harris Andrews, Alex Witherden C: Lewis Taylor, Dayne Zorko, Ryan Lester HF: Cameron Rayner, Daniel McStay, Hugh McCluggage F: Allen Christensen, Eric Hipwood, Charlie Cameron Foll: Stefan Martin, Jarrod Berry, Dayne Beams I/C: Rohan Bewick, Cedric Cox, Rhys Mathieson, Sam Mayes Emg: Zac Bailey, Jake Barrett, Tom Cutler, Archie Smith IN: Rohan Bewick, Cedric Cox, Rhys Mathieson OUT: Tom Bell (omitted), Daniel Rich (ankle), Mitch Robinson (suspended) MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jordan Lewis, Jake Lever, Bernie Vince C: Jayden Hunt, Christian Salem, Nathan Jones HF: Christian Petracca, Cameron Pedersen, James Harmes F: Bayley Fritsch, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett Foll Max Gawn Clayton Oliver Alex Neal-Bullen I/C Dom Tyson Jake Melksham Tomas Bugg Josh Wagner Emg: Sam Frost, Dean Kent, Corey Maynard, Billy Stretch IN: Tomas Bugg, Dom Tyson OUT: Mitch Hannan (omitted), Corey Maynard (omitted) THE FULL FOUR QUARTERS In the wake of Melbourne’s narrow round one defeat, the media has highlighted the team’s tendency over the past two or three years to lose its way for short periods during games. It’s true that the Demons blew multiple opportunities to ice that game but the lapses have occurred too often and they happen at different times so we don’t quite know when they’re coming. Last week, it was the leaking of three goals after the 25 minute mark of the second quarter. In the club’s previous AFL rostered game in round 23 against Collingwood, it was in the first quarter and a week before that, it came in the last 20 minutes against the Lions at the MCG. And so on ... despite all of the improvements in personnel, there always remains a doubt as to Melbourne’s ability to play out 100 minutes of football. Is this a sign of mental fragility, a lack of fitness or maturity among the team, too many Mr. In-Betweens or is it something that just happens? We don’t really have the answer just yet but we might find out a little more about the Demons this week when they travel north to face a Brisbane side that also held its own for much of its own round one encounter, only to fade at the end. The Lions have been fortified by the recruitment of Charlie Cameron, Luke Hodge and young gun Cam Rayner and will be eager to take the points in the first home game for the season. Melbourne left things to far too few last week with just four players managing over 20 disposals and we will surely see better from the likes of Christian Salem, Nev Jetta, Alex Neal-Bullen and the forwards who failed to take advantage of 64 entries into the forward 50. They might be hard at it in the middle but they also need some more run on the outside where they were exposed by the Cats. There will also be great interest in the ruck duels where Max Gawn should be highly motivated to erase the memories of last week’s final moments. It won’t be easy because Stef Martin is a seasoned campaigner who will be equally eager to prove a point against his old side. In the end, it could actually come down to the team changes. Brisbane has lost players through injury and suspension while Melbourne looks a better side with the inclusion of Dom Tyson (who should never have missed last week). Tom Bugg is not in everyone’s best 22 but he has been sitting on the sidelines for months on end wondering if he will ever get the opportunity to atone for his brain fade against the Swans in July last year. He knows he has to grasp his chances now that he’s back in the side. And that’s the thing. The Richmond team that started its own journey towards fame and fortune twelve months ago, wasn’t really rated because it couldn’t perform with consistency for the full four quarters. At the time, they didn’t have an explanation but with, hard work and over time, they found the answer. Demons to bounce back, put in a full four quarter game and win by 28 points.

"You got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive E-lim-i-nate the negative And latch on to the affirmative Don't mess with Mr. In-Between” ~ Johnny Mercer The problem with Melbourne for far too long has been the fact that so many of its players are Mr. In-Betweens. They can turn up to games and occasionally they will put in a good one but they can’t be relied upon to consistently produce at the highest level. The fact that G Ablett and J Selwood can always be relied upon to perform at the pinnacle of their ability and that they did that to perfection last Sunday was the difference between the teams in a close fought three point game. That said, there was plenty to be positive about against a team that last year finished a game off being in a grand final. The game was often played at a frenetic pace and Melbourne held its own in the ruck and the midfield contests. Max Gawn was back to his All Australian best and it was unfortunate that he fluffed that shot for goal with a tired effort late in the game. The likes of Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver were superb and Nathan Jones gradually worked his way into the game. It was a pity that the selectors in their wisdom or otherwise saw fit to leave out Angus Brayshaw and Dom Tyson because neither of them are Mr. In-Betweens. Perhaps they simply were not quite well prepared enough to gain selection because otherwise, I thought they had done enough in the pre season to warrant selection. And there was simply not enough drive given by the defence (perhaps with the exception of Oscar McDonald) as they leaked like a sieve in the opening half to concede 80 points although they did tighten up to let through just 17 more in the second half. Pity the forwards simply couldn’t emulate their JLT Community Series efforts when they were all in the frame and we saw multiple goal kicking performances. Instead, a dividend of one goal from eight shots at goal in that final quarter simply wasn’t good enough. Despite all that, there were sufficient positives to accentuate. Despite the big numbers of Ablett and Selwood, the Demon midfield helped the team move the ball inside the 50 metre arc a staggering 64 times to 41 and that sort of dominance will normally win you games by big margins. And we know that the likes of Nev Jetta and Jake Lever will play better than they did against the Cats. So it’s onward to Saturday night in Brisbane where the Demons have rarely been sighted in the past few years. They have not met at the Gabba since the early days of the current decade but the intervening period is like light years for both clubs. Melbourne has reloaded with a maturing team with loads of talent while the Lions have been languishing in the early stages of a rebuild. However, the game will hardly be a cakewalk in the light of the Lions’ improvement. They have a young eager side that troubled Melbourne at their last meeting which happened just two or three games ago and late into the 2017 season. And they are playing at their home ground just as thousands of international visitors begin to descend to gather just down the road for one their region’s biggest sporting event for ages. Melbourne therefore must bring its best and brightest game to our northern state. That must be reflected in the team selected to run out onto the Gabba - a team without any Mr. In-Betweens. THE GAME Brisbane v Melbourne at The Gabba Saturday, 31 March, 2018 at 7.25pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Brisbane 20 wins, Melbourne 24 wins At The Gabba: Brisbane 13 wins, Melbourne 7 wins Last Five Meetings: Brisbane 2 wins, Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches: Fagan 0 wins, Goodwin 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3 live at 7.00pm Radio - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 16.8.104 defeated Brisbane 14.7.91 at the MCG, Round 22, 2017 It was close for the first three quarters but when James Harmes kicked truly with less than six minutes gone in the last, the Dees were headed for a place in the finals. Surely, against the lowly Lions and on their home turf, they were capable of pushing a 32 point lead out to a 50 point win? No, not this team. They conceded four goals in a row and at one stage, led by just 7 points to cause a significant rise in the collective blood pressure of the Demon faithful and a week later they were unceremoniously dumped from the finals. THE TEAMS BRISBANE LIONS B: Nick Robertson, Josh Walker, Darcy Gardiner HB: Luke Hodge, Harris Andrews, Alex Witherden C: Lewis Taylor, Dayne Zorko, Ryan Lester HF: Cameron Rayner, Daniel McStay, Hugh McCluggage F: Allen Christensen, Eric Hipwood, Charlie Cameron Foll: Stefan Martin, Jarrod Berry, Dayne Beams I/C: Rohan Bewick, Cedric Cox, Rhys Mathieson, Sam Mayes Emg: Zac Bailey, Jake Barrett, Tom Cutler, Archie Smith IN: Rohan Bewick, Cedric Cox, Rhys Mathieson OUT: Tom Bell (omitted), Daniel Rich (ankle), Mitch Robinson (suspended) MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jordan Lewis, Jake Lever, Bernie Vince C: Jayden Hunt, Christian Salem, Nathan Jones HF: Christian Petracca, Cameron Pedersen, James Harmes F: Bayley Fritsch, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett Foll Max Gawn Clayton Oliver Alex Neal-Bullen I/C Dom Tyson Jake Melksham Tomas Bugg Josh Wagner Emg: Sam Frost, Dean Kent, Corey Maynard, Billy Stretch IN: Tomas Bugg, Dom Tyson OUT: Mitch Hannan (omitted), Corey Maynard (omitted) THE FULL FOUR QUARTERS In the wake of Melbourne’s narrow round one defeat, the media has highlighted the team’s tendency over the past two or three years to lose its way for short periods during games. It’s true that the Demons blew multiple opportunities to ice that game but the lapses have occurred too often and they happen at different times so we don’t quite know when they’re coming. Last week, it was the leaking of three goals after the 25 minute mark of the second quarter. In the club’s previous AFL rostered game in round 23 against Collingwood, it was in the first quarter and a week before that, it came in the last 20 minutes against the Lions at the MCG. And so on ... despite all of the improvements in personnel, there always remains a doubt as to Melbourne’s ability to play out 100 minutes of football. Is this a sign of mental fragility, a lack of fitness or maturity among the team, too many Mr. In-Betweens or is it something that just happens? We don’t really have the answer just yet but we might find out a little more about the Demons this week when they travel north to face a Brisbane side that also held its own for much of its own round one encounter, only to fade at the end. The Lions have been fortified by the recruitment of Charlie Cameron, Luke Hodge and young gun Cam Rayner and will be eager to take the points in the first home game for the season. Melbourne left things to far too few last week with just four players managing over 20 disposals and we will surely see better from the likes of Christian Salem, Nev Jetta, Alex Neal-Bullen and the forwards who failed to take advantage of 64 entries into the forward 50. They might be hard at it in the middle but they also need some more run on the outside where they were exposed by the Cats. There will also be great interest in the ruck duels where Max Gawn should be highly motivated to erase the memories of last week’s final moments. It won’t be easy because Stef Martin is a seasoned campaigner who will be equally eager to prove a point against his old side. In the end, it could actually come down to the team changes. Brisbane has lost players through injury and suspension while Melbourne looks a better side with the inclusion of Dom Tyson (who should never have missed last week). Tom Bugg is not in everyone’s best 22 but he has been sitting on the sidelines for months on end wondering if he will ever get the opportunity to atone for his brain fade against the Swans in July last year. He knows he has to grasp his chances now that he’s back in the side. And that’s the thing. The Richmond team that started its own journey towards fame and fortune twelve months ago, wasn’t really rated because it couldn’t perform with consistency for the full four quarters. At the time, they didn’t have an explanation but with, hard work and over time, they found the answer. Demons to bounce back, put in a full four quarter game and win by 28 points.

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MELBOURNE is pleased to announce Melbourne Airport Parking as an official partner. The new partnership will provide players and staff access to ‘at terminal’ and valet parking, reducing travel times for interstate games. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-03-27/club-lands-melbourne-airport-as-partner

I'm interstate and have the flu but I'll soldier on. Join @grapeviney and I LIVE at 8:30pm. Listen and Chat: http://demonland.com/podcast Don't have the equipment to take calls tonight. Sorry.

6 to 8 is the new 4 to 6.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-27/kane-cornes-team-of-the-week-r1-who-makes-the-cut

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/03/26/plough-outlines-why-demons-lost/ We handball too much. “I think Melbourne could have won the game by three or four goals, and not waited for the Max Gawn kick,” Wallace told SEN’s KB and The Doc. “The top-three possession winners for Melbourne don’t kick the ball enough. “They over hand pass the ball and don’t kick it enough." Do you agree?

This was probably the game that cost Melbourne its first finals appearance in more than a decade, highlighted by the team’s inability to put away lowly opposition. MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jordan Lewis, Tom McDonald, Jayden Hunt C: Dom Tyson, Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver HF: Alex Neal-Bullen, Jesse Hogan, Christian Petracca F: Jeff Garlett, Cam Pedersen, James Harmes FOLL: Max Gawn, Bernie Vince, Jake Melksham I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Mitch Hannan, Billy Stretch, Josh Wagner EMG: Ben Kennedy, Corey Maynard, Sam Weideman IN: Jesse Hogan, Billy Stretch OUT: Jack Viney (foot) Sam Weideman (omitted) BRISBANE LIONS B: Daniel McStay, Harris Andrews, Daniel Rich HB: Darcy Gardiner, Josh Walker, Sam Mayes C: Hugh McCluggage, Dayne Zorko, Ryan Bastinac HF: Lewis Taylor, Michael Close, Claye Beams F: Ryan Lester, Eric Hipwood, Jake Barrett FOLL: Stefan Martin, Tom Rockliff, Dayne Beams I/C: Jacob Allison, Rhys Mathieson, Nick Robertson, Alex Witherden EMG: Tom Cutler, Ben Keays, Sam Skinner IN: Alex Witherden OUT: Cedric Cox (omitted)

Tracc is the early leader ... 17. Christian Petracca 14. Max Gawn 13. Clayton OIiver 9. Jesse Hogan 7. Nathan Jones 1. James Harmes Oscar McDonald Bernie Vince

Rethink some life decisions.

Jack Watts can pinch hit in the ruck. I bet he thought his back up rucking days were over.

After the 2017 finale to the season, where the Demons were denied a finals spot by ½ a percent, surely the message about those little efforts in a game which affect the final outcome should have been learned. Yet again, the Demons failed at the final hurdle, and it wasn’t that a Max Gawn shot on goal cost the game, but when those chances are given to a player, it can mean the difference between winning and losing ... or missing the finals by ½ a per cent. And there were others in the game who stuffed up opportunities that would have broken Geelong’s back and they too fluffed those chances. Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen and Corey Maynard all produced some shockers at critical times, and the overall situation wasn’t helped by the sheer lack of output from too many in the side. Mitch Hannan with only 9 touches, Salem with 12, ANB with 13 simply wasn’t good enough when playing through the mid-field, and each and every one of these will come under scrutiny for their places next week, especially since the likes of Dom Tyson, Sam Frost, Tom Bugg and Angus Brayshaw stand match ready. The real positive to come out of this game was that Geelong (even without Dangerfield) were and probably still are a top 4 side. That is the standard that the Demons have to aspire to, and they took it up to the Cats the whole game. Virtually all statistics, but for uncontested marks were nearly identical, yet this stat showed the willingness of the Geelong players to run to position and offer an option. Equally troubling was the lack of willingness to “man up” in those one on one situations, and the Melbourne players too often let their direct opponent run into that space, without being right on their shoulder. The other troubling problem was the lack of forward pressure from the small forwards. Geelong were always playing one extra deep in defence and often up to three extras behind the ball. The likes of Jeff Garlett, James Harmes and need to tackle and harass, Garlett with a solitary tackle and Hannan with 2. Harmes had 4, but most of his efforts were broken. As well they didn’t provide the ground-level support to Hogan who was a first rate target and brought the ball to ground, only to find no Melbourne forward at his feet. With three goals to his name after being double-teamed for much of the game, this was a courageous outcome from him. First gamer Bailey Fritsch showed more than enough in his debut with his strong aerial capabilities and willingness to compete. And down back Jordan Lewis and Bernie Vince held the fortress time and time again with 17 and 24 touches each, and Lewis having 10 contested possessions. Most will overlook Oscar McDonald’s efforts, but his direct opponent in Tom Hawkins finished the day with a solitary behind! Next week is an away game against a young Brisbane side. To avoid a repeat of 2017, this is a side that not only needs to be beaten, but beaten by a large margin, to ensure the percentage boost necessary to put the Demons in a good place come year end, when a spot on the ladder can be made or lost by a goal here or there……or ½ of one %! Melbourne 6.1.37 8.5.53 12.9.81 13.16.94 Geelong 5.3.33 12.8.80 13.10.88 14.13.97 Goals Melbourne Hogan 3 Neal-Bullen Pedersen 2 Fritsch Garlett Gawn Hannan Oliver Petracca Geelong Menzel 4 Parfitt 2 Ablett Fogarty C Guthrie Kelly Murdoch Parsons Ratugolea Smith Best Melbourne Petracca Gawn Oliver Jones Hogan Lewis Geelong Selwood Ablett Menzel Duncan Parfitt Kelly Injuries Melbourne Nil Geelong Taylor (foot), Stewart (ankle) C Guthrie (groin) Reports Nil Umpires Stevic, Deboy, Gavine Official crowd 54,112 at the MCG

½ PER CENT DEMONS by George on the Outer After the 2017 finale to the season, where the Demons were denied a finals spot by ½ a percent, surely the message about those little efforts in a game which affect the final outcome should have been learned. Yet again, the Demons failed at the final hurdle, and it wasn’t that a Max Gawn shot on goal cost the game, but when those chances are given to a player, it can mean the difference between winning and losing ... or missing the finals by ½ a per cent. And there were others in the game who stuffed up opportunities that would have broken Geelong’s back and they too fluffed those chances. Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen and Corey Maynard all produced some shockers at critical times, and the overall situation wasn’t helped by the sheer lack of output from too many in the side. Mitch Hannan with only 9 touches, Salem with 12, ANB with 13 simply wasn’t good enough when playing through the mid-field, and each and every one of these will come under scrutiny for their places next week, especially since the likes of Dom Tyson, Sam Frost, Tom Bugg and Angus Brayshaw stand match ready. The real positive to come out of this game was that Geelong (even without Dangerfield) were and probably still are a top 4 side. That is the standard that the Demons have to aspire to, and they took it up to the Cats the whole game. Virtually all statistics, but for uncontested marks were nearly identical, yet this stat showed the willingness of the Geelong players to run to position and offer an option. Equally troubling was the lack of willingness to “man up” in those one on one situations, and the Melbourne players too often let their direct opponent run into that space, without being right on their shoulder. The other troubling problem was the lack of forward pressure from the small forwards. Geelong were always playing one extra deep in defence and often up to three extras behind the ball. The likes of Jeff Garlett, James Harmes and need to tackle and harass, Garlett with a solitary tackle and Hannan with 2. Harmes had 4, but most of his efforts were broken. As well they didn’t provide the ground-level support to Hogan who was a first rate target and brought the ball to ground, only to find no Melbourne forward at his feet. With three goals to his name after being double-teamed for much of the game, this was a courageous outcome from him. First gamer Bailey Fritsch showed more than enough in his debut with his strong aerial capabilities and willingness to compete. And down back Jordan Lewis and Bernie Vince held the fortress time and time again with 17 and 24 touches each, and Lewis having 10 contested possessions. Most will overlook Oscar McDonald’s efforts, but his direct opponent in Tom Hawkins finished the day with a solitary behind! Next week is an away game against a young Brisbane side. To avoid a repeat of 2017, this is a side that not only needs to be beaten, but beaten by a large margin, to ensure the percentage boost necessary to put the Demons in a good place come year end, when a spot on the ladder can be made or lost by a goal here or there……or ½ of one %! Melbourne 6.1.37 8.5.53 12.9.81 13.16.94 Geelong 5.3.33 12.8.80 13.10.88 14.13.97 Goals Melbourne Hogan 3 Neal-Bullen Pedersen 2 Fritsch Garlett Gawn Hannan Oliver Petracca Geelong Menzel 4 Parfitt 2 Ablett Fogarty C Guthrie Kelly Murdoch Parsons Ratugolea Smith Best Melbourne Petracca Gawn Oliver Jones Hogan Lewis Geelong Selwood Ablett Menzel Duncan Parfitt Kelly Injuries Melbourne Nil Geelong Taylor (foot), Stewart (ankle) C Guthrie (groin) Reports Nil Umpires Stevic, Deboy, Gavine Official crowd 54,112 at the MCG

Fox Footy have ripped off the 3 word analysis.