Demonland

What does a first game coach do when he finds his team down by four goals at quarter time at a hoodoo ground against a team it hasn't beaten in ten years after losing a backman to a shoulder injury and having an already depleted defence? Whatever it was that Simon Goodwin did or said at the quarter time break it was a different Melbourne side that came out following that first break. Maybe, it was the superior fitness of the Demons who seemed to have much more run in their legs in the hot, humid conditions inside Etihad Stadium (and why was the roof closed?) or maybe the new coach had learned a wealth of lessons from his mentor in Paul Roos and was now ready and up to the task on his first up assignment? Whatever it was, from the time when the second term began, it was the Demons who controlled the game and the Saints were no longer toying with their young opposition side. It was either a case of the Saints fluffing their interchanges or the Demons being much smarter but their only true ruck was in Hickey was hardly given a break in the first half. On the other hand, when Max Gawn went off for a rest and some attention to his back, Jack Watts took him on and remarkably more than held his own. By half time, Hickey was completely shot, and could barely raise a trot when he finally had to take a breather. That the Saints left Bruce, their backup ruck, sitting on the bench for just as equally long periods was baffling. Melbourne took advantage of St Kilda's failings and exploited them in the second quarter with the team stepping up a gear. The four goal deficit was wiped out in just eight minutes, and then the Demons piled on 11 goals to one in the second and third quarters to put the game beyond doubt. What was particularly heartening for the Demon faithful were the performances of Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Jayden Hunt and newbie Mitch Hannan. Opposition supporters can now be heard mouthing the familiar cry of "where did they get him from?" Importantly, all of these players have not just been selected, but have been developed so that when they get a senior spot, they are ready to go from the start. None more so an example in this match than Hannan, who had the crowd gaping in awe as he scooped a loose ball up one-handed, in front of goal and screwed it back through the big sticks like he was shelling peas! Oliver was simply a beast. It took a while to warm up but his output of 36 touches, 9 clearances and 14 contested possessions (75% of game time) is one not normally seen in a 19 year old in his second year player. Petracca with 23 touches including 11 contested and his ability to hold his feet in tight situations was something for which the Saints had no answer. Hogan has signaled his arrival for 2017 with three goals and four important contested marks. He is that forward target that the Demons have been looking for since the departure of David Neitz. But when looking at Hogan's performance, it is too easy to focus on him. There was a reason he was left one on one, and that was the work of Watts and Sam Weideman to drag their respective defenders far away. When the ball moved through the middle, the ball carrier was left with the vision of the best contested mark in the side playing alongside a reject from either Collingwood or Essendon. Again the coaching and development that provides this type of situation can easily go unnoticed. Down back Neville Jetta was the shining star. How often is he left one on one with an opponent either taller or stronger, and he still manages to nullify or comprehensively beat them? There is no doubt that he should be one of the first picked each week, so reliable is he. And he even chipped in with a goal of his own this week. And what about a mention for Max? Those 49 hitouts against a man who beat him twice last year was an emphatic way of saying “I am King ... now get out of my way!" Then there was Jordan Lewis with 32 touches, 9 of them contested for whom can only thank the Hawks for sending him our way. I should also make mention of Nathan Jones and his 35 touches and the list goes on and on. This was a game against a team which has finals aspirations. It was always a measure of where the Demons stood against the Saints in terms of their prospects for finals as well. That it was such an emphatic win reminds one of Guru Bob's biblical analogy: As Moses said when he parted the waters of the Red Sea: "That will give the side a lot of confidence." With a home game next week against the struggling Blues, the fans should be looking to end another hoodoo with yet another Good-win. Melbourne 2.3.15 9.4.58 15.7.97 18.12.120 St Kilda 6.2.38 7.8.50 9.9.63 13.12.90 Goals Melbourne Garlett Hogan 3 Hannan Petracca 2 Brayshaw Jetta Jones Neal-Bullen Stretch Vince Watts Weideman St Kilda Riewoldt 4 Gresham 3 Armitage Billings Bruce Dunstan Lonie Membrey Best Melbourne Oliver Lewis Gawn Jones Vince Hogan Jetta Garlett St Kilda Riewoldt Gresham Billings Steven Steele Changes Melbourne Nil St Kilda Jack Lonie replaced Paddy McCartin (hamstring tightness) in the selected side Injuries Melbourne Max Gawn (back tightness) Joel Smith (left shoulder) St Kilda Nick Riewoldt (knee) Reports Melbourne Nil St Kilda Nil Umpires Chamberlain Fleer Ryan Official crowd 36,249 at Etihad Stadium

You can "win in round two" which hasn't happened since round two of 2005. WJ is writing his next match preview around this phenomenon.

iPhone dies note look met tofu.

Shame on you 115 No votes.

My heart was in my mouth when Gawn went off the ground today. We need a new poll so here goes. Should we take two Rucks to the dance?

Close but no ceegar.

Cast your votes please folks 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...

Game over - now to the post match

THE DROUGHT IS OVER by George on the Outer What does a first game coach do when he finds his team down by four goals at quarter time at a hoodoo ground against a team it hasn't beaten in ten years after losing a backman to a shoulder injury and having an already depleted defence? Whatever it was that Simon Goodwin did or said at the quarter time break it was a different Melbourne side that came out following that first break. Maybe, it was the superior fitness of the Demons who seemed to have much more run in their legs in the hot, humid conditions inside Etihad Stadium (and why was the roof closed?) or maybe the new coach had learned a wealth of lessons from his mentor in Paul Roos and was now ready and up to the task on his first up assignment? Whatever it was, from the time when the second term began, it was the Demons who controlled the game and the Saints were no longer toying with their young opposition side. It was either a case of the Saints fluffing their interchanges or the Demons being much smarter but their only true ruck was in Hickey was hardly given a break in the first half. On the other hand, when Max Gawn went off for a rest and some attention to his back, Jack Watts took him on and remarkably more than held his own. By half time, Hickey was completely shot, and could barely raise a trot when he finally had to take a breather. That the Saints left Bruce, their backup ruck, sitting on the bench for just as equally long periods was baffling. Melbourne took advantage of St Kilda's failings and exploited them in the second quarter with the team stepping up a gear. The four goal deficit was wiped out in just eight minutes, and then the Demons piled on 11 goals to one in the second and third quarters to put the game beyond doubt. What was particularly heartening for the Demon faithful were the performances of Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Jayden Hunt and newbie Mitch Hannan. Opposition supporters can now be heard mouthing the familiar cry of "where did they get him from?" Importantly, all of these players have not just been selected, but have been developed so that when they get a senior spot, they are ready to go from the start. None more so an example in this match than Hannan, who had the crowd gaping in awe as he scooped a loose ball up one-handed, in front of goal and screwed it back through the big sticks like he was shelling peas! Oliver was simply a beast. It took a while to warm up but his output of 36 touches, 9 clearances and 14 contested possessions (75% of game time) is one not normally seen in a 19 year old in his second year player. Petracca with 23 touches including 11 contested and his ability to hold his feet in tight situations was something for which the Saints had no answer. Hogan has signaled his arrival for 2017 with three goals and four important contested marks. He is that forward target that the Demons have been looking for since the departure of David Neitz. But when looking at Hogan's performance, it is too easy to focus on him. There was a reason he was left one on one, and that was the work of Watts and Sam Weideman to drag their respective defenders far away. When the ball moved through the middle, the ball carrier was left with the vision of the best contested mark in the side playing alongside a reject from either Collingwood or Essendon. Again the coaching and development that provides this type of situation can easily go unnoticed. Down back Neville Jetta was the shining star. How often is he left one on one with an opponent either taller or stronger, and he still manages to nullify or comprehensively beat them? There is no doubt that he should be one of the first picked each week, so reliable is he. And he even chipped in with a goal of his own this week. And what about a mention for Max? Those 49 hitouts against a man who beat him twice last year was an emphatic way of saying “I am King ... now get out of my way!" Then there was Jordan Lewis with 32 touches, 9 of them contested for whom can only thank the Hawks for sending him our way. I should also make mention of Nathan Jones and his 35 touches and the list goes on and on. This was a game against a team which has finals aspirations. It was always a measure of where the Demons stood against the Saints in terms of their prospects for finals as well. That it was such an emphatic win reminds one of Guru Bob's biblical analogy: As Moses said when he parted the waters of the Red Sea: "That will give the side a lot of confidence." With a home game next week against the struggling Blues, the fans should be looking to end another hoodoo with yet another Good-win. Melbourne 2.3.15 9.4.58 15.7.97 18.12.120 St Kilda 6.2.38 7.8.50 9.9.63 13.12.90 Goals Melbourne Garlett Hogan 3 Hannan Petracca 2 Brayshaw Jetta Jones Neal-Bullen Stretch Vince Watts Weideman St Kilda Riewoldt 4 Gresham 3 Armitage Billings Bruce Dunstan Lonie Membrey Best Melbourne Oliver Lewis Gawn Jones Vince Hogan Jetta Garlett St Kilda Riewoldt Gresham Billings Steven Steele Changes Melbourne Nil St Kilda Jack Lonie replaced Paddy McCartin (hamstring tightness) in the selected side Injuries Melbourne Max Gawn (back tightness) Joel Smith (left shoulder) St Kilda Nick Riewoldt (knee) Reports Melbourne Nil St Kilda Nil Umpires Chamberlain Fleer Ryan Official crowd 36,249 at Etihad Stadium

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THE HOPE by The Oracle A new season always brings new hope in the continuing cycle of AFL football and for 2017, it would seem that Melbourne is one of the clubs, along with Saturday's opponent St Kilda that has been designated for improvement and a potential breakthrough into the top echelons of the competition. So intense has been the speculation and excitement surrounding the two clubs that we're hearing predictions of a sell out crowd at Etihad Stadium for the twilight event. The numbers might not end up being of Adele proportions but the very thought of a full stadium for such an event would hardly have been contemplated just a few years ago when both sides were AFL cellar dwellers. Remember, it was only a few seasons ago - 2014 in fact - that the Saints finished in last place and the Demons were second last. Thanks to James Frawley jumping ship to Hawthorn, the clubs shared the first three selections in that year's national draft. It's also worth reflecting on the fact that the team that finished next to last, and just ahead of those two, was Greater Western Sydney. Today the Giants are flag favourites whilst most of the pundits have St Kilda and Melbourne in the mix for finals berths. And so, one of the two major aspirants for the AFL's up and comer of the year award is going to be disappointed come Saturday night. The task of selecting which it will be is a difficult one because there is little current form that can be used as an indicator. The Saints finished 2016 full of running and overtook the Demons on the ladder standings late in the season to finish in 9th place with 12 wins, 10 losses, the same as flagging finalists North Melbourne but with an infer percentage of 95.7%. Had Melbourne won its last two games, it could well have made the finals but instead it hit the wall with an almighty bang, suffering a disastrous loss to lowly Carlton before capitulating at Simonds Stadium to Geelong by a massive 111 points. As a result, the Demons' finished 11th with a record of 10 wins and 12 losses and their percentage plummeted below the century mark to 97.6%. Both teams fielded strong teams throughout the pre-season and won two out of three JLT games. There wasn't much between them on their respective performances but in any event, you can't place too much store on the pre-season. Or can you? This all leaves me wondering how on earth is it possible to select a team to win that lost its last real game of football by more than eighteen goals against a side that it hadn't beaten for over a decade? I've found a way and will reveal all shortly. THE GAME St Kilda v Melbourne at Etihad Stadium Saturday 25 March 2017 at 4.40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall St Kilda 91 wins Melbourne 118 wins 1 drawn At Etihad St Kilda 8 wins Melbourne 3 wins Past five meetings St Kilda 5 wins Melbourne 0 wins The Coaches Richardson 0 wins Goodwin 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel, Live at 4.30pm RADIO - Triple M 3AW ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING St. Kilda to win - $1.83 to win Melbourne to win - $2.00 THE LAST TIME THEY MET St. Kilda 15.20.110 defeated Melbourne 11.8.74 in Round 17, 2016 at Etihad Stadium Melbourne dominated the first 1½ quarters but it was all St Kilda until the final break. The Demons surged in the last and got to within a goal but seemed unsettled when Jesse Hogan was controversially free kicked and reported after appearing to be pushed from behind. A goal at that time could easily have sustained his team's momentum but instead they faded in the face of the hard running, fast finishing Saints' surge. In the end the result actually flattered Melbourne because of their opponents' wayward kicking for goal. Nick Reiwoldt, as he often does, put in a blinder against Melbourne and another veteran Leigh Montagna was best on the ground. Jack Viney was head and shoulders above any other of his teammates on the day. THE TEAMS ST KILDA B: Jarryn Geary, Nathan J. Brown, Jimmy Webster HB: Jack Newnes, Jake Carlisle, Dylan Roberton C: Shane Savage, David Armitage, Nick Riewoldt HF: Luke Dunstan, Josh Bruce, Maverick Weller F: Jade Gresham, Tim Membrey, Nathan Wright FOLL: Tom Hickey, Jack Steele, Jack Steven I/C: Jack Billings, Sam Gilbert, Paddy McCartin, Sebastian Ross EMG: Blake Acres, Billy Longer, Jack Lonie NEW: Nathan Brown, Jake Carlisle, Jack Steele MELBOURNE B: Jayden Hunt, Tom McDonald, Joel Smith HB: Bernie Vince, Oscar McDonald, Jake Melksham C: Jordan Lewis, Jack Viney, Billy Stretch HF: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Angus Brayshaw F: Alex Neal-Bullen, Sam Weideman, Jeff Garlett FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver I/C: Neville Jetta, Christian Salem, Jack Watts, Mitch Hannan EMG: Tomas Bugg, James Harmes, Jake Spencer NEW: Mitch Hannan, Jordan Lewis, Jake Melksham, Joel Smith The teams are in and, in the case of St Kilda, there were no surprises. They have virtually their full squad in place with the exception of Leigh Montagna (who was their best player when the teams last met). The same cannot be said of Melbourne which goes into the game having a number of automatic or close to automatic selections out injured or not selected because they are underdone in terms of match preparation. These include the likes of Dom Tyson, Sam Frost, Dean Kent, Aaron vandenBerg and Bomber recruit Michael Hibberd. The selection of Jack Watts ended the media circus surrounding his less than impressive return from the break in the team's pre-season and the Dees gain some much needed experience and backbone in the form of Jordan Lewis from Hawthorn and Jake Melksham (Essendon). They have also included some X factor in the form of high flyer Mitch Hannan and former basketballer Joel Smith. Both could be regarded as surprise selections with Smith a last minute promotion from off the rookie list and Hannan from Footscray VFL having been unseen in the JLT rounds. With both teams now well advanced through their rebuilds, comparisons have been made in their development but the Saints have had the advantage in recent years of having an edge in the number of seasoned veterans when the teams met in the recent past. However, with the inclusion of Lewis, the Demons have gained a player on the field who has a wealth of experience playing in and leading winning teams; a factor that cannot be underestimated when the majority of those in the side are so youthful. He joins Nathan Jones and Bernie Vince as the elder statesmen in a team brimming with the excitement of youth but which has now had two or three seasons of grounding in their legs. The form in the pre-season of players like Jesse Hogan, Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Angus Brayshaw, Jayden Hunt, Christian Salem and young co-skipper Jack Viney was encouraging. Despite injuries in the backline, the club is still able to field a strong defence highlighting the team's improvement in depth. All Australian ruckman Max Gawn has been given a lighter run through the pre-season and is ready to take on the challenge against possibly the one ruckman against who he lowered his colours last year. And Jack Watts really has something to prove in this game and throughout the year. They say records are meant to be broken. In 2015, the Demons broke Geelong's long winning streak against them and in 2016 they did the same to Hawthorn. On Saturday, St Kilda's streak will go the same way. Melbourne by 28 points