Demonland

DEFYING HISTORY by Whispering Jack I was surprised to read that Melbourne started the week as a firm favourite to beat Port Adelaide in this Saturday's indigenous round game at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs. The Demons might have a slight edge on Port in terms of recent form but both clubs are close in ladder terms and are equally motivated to win in order to stay in touch with the top eight. While the Demons are nominally the home team, the visiting side is domiciled closer to its own home base, therefore having less travel to get to the venue and it also has history on its side. The Power have won at both of their meetings at this ground and beaten the Demons on all three occasions since Paul Roos became coach at Melbourne. In addition, despite its last start win at the MCG against the Brisbane Lions, the "home" team has such an abysmal record when starting as favourite that it cannot be said with confidence that it is a sure thing to beat a team containing the likes of Robbie Gray, Travis Boak, Brad Ebert, Hamish Hartlett, Chad Wingard and Ollie Wines. I heard somewhere that the latter player apparently originally wanted to be drafted to Melbourne to join his mate Jack Viney so every time he plays against them, he likes to really turn it on. The ruck battles will be interesting with the Demons holding the edge through 208cm Max Gawn who should be too good for the Port ruckmen although some are calling for the overworked Gawn to be rested in the light of the fact that Port have been relying on an undersized Jackson Trengove in that department. In recent weeks, Max has been pushed from pillar to post and double teamed in an attempt to rough him up. Last week, the umpires didn't seem to notice and the opposition will continue to try as long as they can get away with the tactic. Gawn doesn't need a rest - he needs assistance. The big man has been a vital cog in the team's resurgence and leaving him out of a game that's important as this one should not even be considered. Port Adelaide also goes into the game with the edge in experience which can be a double edged sword when both teams are traveling away from the comfort of their own home. It's always good to have cool, seasoned heads but the young Melbourne team these days (nine of its players last week had not played more than 20 AFL games) is so compelling and so full of enthusiasm when it gets going. Of course, that doesn't always help but I'm tipping Melbourne to defy history and win its first game ever at Traeger Park. THE GAME Melbourne v Port Adelaide on Saturday 28 May, 2015 at 1.10pm (AEST) at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 11 wins Port Adelaide 18 wins At TIO Traeger Park Melbourne 0 wins Port Adelaide 2 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 0 wins Port Adelaide 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Hinkley 3 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3 live at 2.00pm RADIO - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $1.70 Port Adelaide to win - $2.15 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 18.7.115 defeated Melbourne 8.6.54 Round 9 at TIO Traeger Park Melbourne started like a house on fire and held a four goal lead at one stage during the second quarter. At that point however, the house burned down. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Josh Wagner, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Tomas Bugg, Oscar McDonald, Colin Garland C: Billy Stretch, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince HF: Dean Kent, Jack Watts, Jeff Garlett F: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: James Harmes, Jayden Hunt, Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Newton EMG: Chris Dawes, Jack Grimes, Viv Michie IN: Neville Jetta, Dom Tyson OUT: Viv Michie (omitted), Clayton Oliver (quad) PORT ADELAIDE B: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Jack Hombsch, Jasper Pittard HB: Nathan Krakouer, Cam O'Shea, Matthew Broadbent C: Jared Polec, Ollie Wines, Brad Ebert HF: Jake Neade, Justin Westhoff, Hamish Hartlett F: Aaron Young, Charlie Dixon, Chad Wingard FOLL: Jackson Trengove, Travis Boak, Robbie Gray I/C: Karl Amon, Dougal Howard, Jarman Impey, Paul Stewart EMG: Brendon Ah Chee, Logan Austin, Sam Gray IN: Dougal Howard OUT: Tom Jonas (suspended)

I was surprised to read that Melbourne started the week as a firm favourite to beat Port Adelaide in this Saturday's indigenous round game at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs. The Demons might have a slight edge on Port in terms of recent form but both clubs are close in ladder terms and are equally motivated to win in order to stay in touch with the top eight. While the Demons are nominally the home team, the visiting side is domiciled closer to its own home base, therefore having less travel to get to the venue and it also has history on its side. The Power have won at both of their meetings at this ground and beaten the Demons on all three occasions since Paul Roos became coach at Melbourne. In addition, despite its last start win at the MCG against the Brisbane Lions, the "home" team has such an abysmal record when starting as favourite that it cannot be said with confidence that it is a sure thing to beat a team containing the likes of Robbie Gray, Travis Boak, Brad Ebert, Hamish Hartlett, Chad Wingard and Ollie Wines. I heard somewhere that the latter player apparently originally wanted to be drafted to Melbourne to join his mate Jack Viney so every time he plays against them, he likes to really turn it on. The ruck battles will be interesting with the Demons holding the edge through 208cm Max Gawn who should be too good for the Port ruckmen although some are calling for the overworked Gawn to be rested in the light of the fact that Port have been relying on an undersized Jackson Trengove in that department. In recent weeks, Max has been pushed from pillar to post and double teamed in an attempt to rough him up. Last week, the umpires didn't seem to notice and the opposition will continue to try as long as they can get away with the tactic. Gawn doesn't need a rest - he needs assistance. The big man has been a vital cog in the team's resurgence and leaving him out of a game that's important as this one should not even be considered. Port Adelaide also goes into the game with the edge in experience which can be a double edged sword when both teams are traveling away from the comfort of their own home. It's always good to have cool, seasoned heads but the young Melbourne team these days (nine of its players last week had not played more than 20 AFL games) is so compelling and so full of enthusiasm when it gets going. Of course, that doesn't always help but I'm tipping Melbourne to defy history and win its first game ever at Traeger Park. THE GAME Melbourne v Port Adelaide on Saturday 28 May, 2015 at 1.10pm (AEST) at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 11 wins Port Adelaide 18 wins At TIO Traeger Park Melbourne 0 wins Port Adelaide 2 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 0 wins Port Adelaide 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Hinkley 3 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3 live at 2.00pm RADIO - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $1.70 Port Adelaide to win - $2.15 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 18.7.115 defeated Melbourne 8.6.54 Round 9 at TIO Traeger Park Melbourne started like a house on fire and held a four goal lead at one stage during the second quarter. At that point however, the house burned down. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Josh Wagner, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Tomas Bugg, Oscar McDonald, Colin Garland C: Billy Stretch, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince HF: Dean Kent, Jack Watts, Jeff Garlett F: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: James Harmes, Jayden Hunt, Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Newton EMG: Chris Dawes, Jack Grimes, Viv Michie IN: Neville Jetta, Dom Tyson OUT: Viv Michie (omitted), Clayton Oliver (quad) PORT ADELAIDE B: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Jack Hombsch, Jasper Pittard HB: Nathan Krakouer, Cam O'Shea, Matthew Broadbent C: Jared Polec, Ollie Wines, Brad Ebert HF: Jake Neade, Justin Westhoff, Hamish Hartlett F: Aaron Young, Charlie Dixon, Chad Wingard FOLL: Jackson Trengove, Travis Boak, Robbie Gray I/C: Karl Amon, Dougal Howard, Jarman Impey, Paul Stewart EMG: Brendon Ah Chee, Logan Austin, Sam Gray IN: Dougal Howard OUT: Tom Jonas (suspended)

The stuff of which nightmares are made for Demon fans. This "home" game was played in Alice Springs which is a lot closer to Adelaide than Melbourne. The Demons were seemingly in control for most of the first half. They led by a couple of goals at quarter time, kicked away to lead by four midway through the second and then fell into the abyss. Port kicked six in a row before half time and won the game by 61 points. The Dees were woeful. MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Tom McDonald, Jack Grimes HB: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta C: Daniel Cross, Aaron vandenBerg, Heritier Lumumba HF: Rohan Bail, Cameron Pedersen, Jack Watts F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Jack Fitzpatrick FOLL: Jake Spencer, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Matt Jones, Jimmy Toumpas, Jack Viney EMG: Max Gawn, Ben Newton, Aidan Riley IN: Jack Viney, Neville Jetta OUT: Ben Newton (omitted), Aidan Riley (omitted) PORT ADELAIDE B: Jack Hombsch, Alipate Carlile, Jarman Impey HB: Nathan Krakouer, Tom Jonas, Jasper Pittard C: Matt White, Travis Boak, Brad Ebert HF: Robbie Gray, Justin Westhoff, Chad Wingard F: Karl Amon, Jay Schulz, Angus Monfries FOLL: Matthew Lobbe, Hamish Hartlett, Ollie Wines I/C: Matthew Broadbent, Tom Clurey, Sam Gray, Paul Stewart EMG: Andrew Moore, Cam O'Shea, Aaron Young IN: Matthew Broadbent, Tom Clurey, Paul Stewart OUT: Jackson Trengove (ankle), Patrick Ryder (Achilles), Kane Cornes (retired)

Not a great deal of change at the top of the leaderboard - 104. Jack Viney 56 Max Gawn 46 Nathan Jones 40 Dom Tyson Jack Watts 38 Bernie Vince 34 Ben Kennedy 30 Jesse Hogan 27 Neville Jetta 26 Tom McDonald 24 Tomas Bugg 22 Jeff Garlett 20 Billy Stretch 12 Clayton Oliver 11 Josh Wagner 10 Heritier Lumumba 9 Cam Pedersen 7 James Harmes 6 Christian Petracca 4 Dean Kent 3 Matt Jones 2 Jayden Hunt

After seven years in the wilderness, the Fans in the Outer may have reason to overcome their MFCSS (Melbourne Football Club Supporter Syndrome). A game against Brisbane who sat in 16th place with a solitary win for the season, against the Demons having four wins under their belt, and sitting just outside the 8 was a cause for angst. In the past going into the game as favourites, home at the MCG, on a fine day with nearly a full side to select from and wanting to stay in finals contention was a sure recipe for completely stuffing up the opportunity sitting before them. So to come out of the game with a ten goal win might finally see the end of the MFCSS, and a march toward something completely different from the last seven years of anguish. The match was previewed by an exhibition match between the Melbourne and Brisbane Lions’ women’s’ sides. It was a sheer delight to watch the skills of AFL on display without the rolling mauls and scrambling play and continuous ball-ups that blights the male version today. Make no mistake - the girls play it hard and tough as well, but if you want to see some real football talent on display, make sure you get along to the next game, and watch Daisy Pearce and her team in action. The girls set the tone for the day with an over 10 goal win of their own. The dominance of the MFC players was marked, and the game effectively was over by ¼ time. Let us see more of them in the coming years. Melbourne 6.4.40 8.5.53 10.7.67 14.7.91 Brisbane Lions 0.0.0 1.0.6 1.1.7 3.2.20 Goals Melbourne Cameron 6 Boyd 3 Eva Foley Kemp D Pearce L Pearce Brisbane Lions McCarthy 2 Law Best Melbourne Cameron Blackburn Hardiman Hosking Lockland D Pearce Boyd Brisbane Lions Hunt Virgo Zieke Anderson And now, onto the boys … like the girls, the direction of the game was set by quarter time, with the Demons putting through five majors and then another five to make it ten by half time. The Lions squandered chances in the third quarter with multiple set shots going wide of the mark. Strangely, the wind affected the kicking for goal for both sides, when the MCG is usually devoid of any real wind advantage. It just swirled around and was fluky, making the shots for goal a hit and miss scenario. Still, the Demons did it better and finished by nearly doubling the Lions score. It’s a long time since we have witnessed such high scores from Melbourne sides and it makes for some interesting exhibitions of football. With a last minute withdrawal of Dom Tyson, the midfield just wasn’t as dominant as it can be, and this demonstrates Tyson’s influence on the team’s performance this year. Without his partner in crime, Jack Viney was unusually quiet with only 19 touches (still can’t complain about that, can we?). But the slack was picked up by Christian Petracca and Billy Stretch. Billy ran riot on the flanks and had 31 touches. The old heads among the fan base will remember and be able to compare his skills with that of his father. If he keeps performing in this manner, we are in for some wonderful displays in the future. Max Gawn was targeted again this week, and got little help from the umpires as third man up and opposition rucks just jump into him while the first ruckman simply held onto him. He could barely walk at the end of the game, and next week it is essential that he get some relief from a second ruck. Jack Watts provided the relief this week, and did a simply superb job and the hit outs with eight of his own. It was a brilliant move by the coaches, and forced Watts into the game a lot more than he has been in the past couple of weeks. But he is not the solution, as Max needs help around the ground and shouldn’t have to run to each and every contest. We simply cannot afford from him to break down this season. The backline unfortunately leaked like a sieve again this week. The current game plan or failure to execute the game plan sees the opposition getting easy goals and marks from inside the defensive 50. Colin Garland provides a big body in contested situations but simply stands off or loses his man too easily. Viv Michie was horrible at HBF and only two possessions to half time hopefully has marked his cards for next week. There are too many pushing for senior selection to carry passengers. Oscar McDonald was way out of his depth this week, but he needs the experience for the future. We simply cannot afford too many NQR players against better opposition. Yes, a 10 goal win is something delightful after the years of pain we have suffered. Now if the side really wants to bury the MFCSS, a win in Alice Springs against a side, which like us is challenging for a finals spot and only one place below us on the ladder, is essential. Let’s do it! Melbourne 5.6.36 10.7.67 13.10.88 19.17.131 Brisbane Lions 2.3.15 5.5.35 6.10.46 9.14.68 Goals Melbourne Hogan 5 Harmes 4 Garlett 2 Jones Kennedy Kent Michie Newton Stretch Viney Watts Brisbane Lions Bell 3 Lester 2 Freeman Keays Taylor Zorko Best Melbourne Hogan Bugg Petracca Garlett Oliver Watts Brisbane Lions Zorko Robinson Bell Rich Changes Melbourne Tyson (ill) replaced by Newton Brisbane Lions Nil Injuries Melbourne Clayton Oliver (corked thigh) Brisbane Lions Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Nil Umpires Deboy Findlay Harris Official crowd 26,892 at the MCG

THE SEVEN YEAR SWITCH by George on the Outer After seven years in the wilderness, the Fans in the Outer may have reason to overcome their MFCSS (Melbourne Football Club Supporter Syndrome). A game against Brisbane who sat in 16th place with a solitary win for the season, against the Demons having four wins under their belt, and sitting just outside the 8 was a cause for angst. In the past going into the game as favourites, home at the MCG, on a fine day with nearly a full side to select from and wanting to stay in finals contention was a sure recipe for completely stuffing up the opportunity sitting before them. So to come out of the game with a ten goal win might finally see the end of the MFCSS, and a march toward something completely different from the last seven years of anguish. The match was previewed by an exhibition match between the Melbourne and Brisbane Lions’ women’s’ sides. It was a sheer delight to watch the skills of AFL on display without the rolling mauls and scrambling play and continuous ball-ups that blights the male version today. Make no mistake - the girls play it hard and tough as well, but if you want to see some real football talent on display, make sure you get along to the next game, and watch Daisy Pearce and her team in action. The girls set the tone for the day with an over 10 goal win of their own. The dominance of the MFC players was marked, and the game effectively was over by ¼ time. Let us see more of them in the coming years. Melbourne 6.4.40 8.5.53 10.7.67 14.7.91 Brisbane Lions 0.0.0 1.0.6 1.1.7 3.2.20 Goals Melbourne Cameron 6 Boyd 3 Eva Foley Kemp D Pearce L Pearce Brisbane Lions McCarthy 2 Law Best Melbourne Cameron Blackburn Hardiman Hosking Lockland D Pearce Boyd Brisbane Lions Hunt Virgo Zieke Anderson And now, onto the boys … like the girls, the direction of the game was set by quarter time, with the Demons putting through five majors and then another five to make it ten by half time. The Lions squandered chances in the third quarter with multiple set shots going wide of the mark. Strangely, the wind affected the kicking for goal for both sides, when the MCG is usually devoid of any real wind advantage. It just swirled around and was fluky, making the shots for goal a hit and miss scenario. Still, the Demons did it better and finished by nearly doubling the Lions score. It’s a long time since we have witnessed such high scores from Melbourne sides and it makes for some interesting exhibitions of football. With a last minute withdrawal of Dom Tyson, the midfield just wasn’t as dominant as it can be, and this demonstrates Tyson’s influence on the team’s performance this year. Without his partner in crime, Jack Viney was unusually quiet with only 19 touches (still can’t complain about that, can we?). But the slack was picked up by Christian Petracca and Billy Stretch. Billy ran riot on the flanks and had 31 touches. The old heads among the fan base will remember and be able to compare his skills with that of his father. If he keeps performing in this manner, we are in for some wonderful displays in the future. Max Gawn was targeted again this week, and got little help from the umpires as third man up and opposition rucks just jump into him while the first ruckman simply held onto him. He could barely walk at the end of the game, and next week it is essential that he get some relief from a second ruck. Jack Watts provided the relief this week, and did a simply superb job and the hit outs with eight of his own. It was a brilliant move by the coaches, and forced Watts into the game a lot more than he has been in the past couple of weeks. But he is not the solution, as Max needs help around the ground and shouldn’t have to run to each and every contest. We simply cannot afford from him to break down this season. The backline unfortunately leaked like a sieve again this week. The current game plan or failure to execute the game plan sees the opposition getting easy goals and marks from inside the defensive 50. Colin Garland provides a big body in contested situations but simply stands off or loses his man too easily. Viv Michie was horrible at HBF and only two possessions to half time hopefully has marked his cards for next week. There are too many pushing for senior selection to carry passengers. Oscar McDonald was way out of his depth this week, but he needs the experience for the future. We simply cannot afford too many NQR players against better opposition. Yes, a 10 goal win is something delightful after the years of pain we have suffered. Now if the side really wants to bury the MFCSS, a win in Alice Springs against a side, which like us is challenging for a finals spot and only one place below us on the ladder, is essential. Let’s do it! Melbourne 5.6.36 10.7.67 13.10.88 19.17.131 Brisbane Lions 2.3.15 5.5.35 6.10.46 9.14.68 Goals Melbourne Hogan 5 Harmes 4 Garlett 2 Jones Kennedy Kent Michie Newton Stretch Viney Watts Brisbane Lions Bell 3 Lester 2 Freeman Keays Taylor Zorko Best Melbourne Hogan Bugg Petracca Garlett Oliver Watts Brisbane Lions Zorko Robinson Bell Rich Changes Melbourne Tyson (ill) replaced by Newton Brisbane Lions Nil Injuries Melbourne Clayton Oliver (corked thigh) Brisbane Lions Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Nil Umpires Deboy Findlay Harris Official crowd 26,892 at the MCG

The Casey Scorpions will go into next week's break in top position on the ladder with the best percentage and a game clear of the rest of the pack after a strongly fought 7 point win over the highly fancied Box Hill Hawks at Casey Fields. Saturday's home game was the third night match of the season for the Casey Scorpions and with conditions perfect for football, the teams produced a cracking match for the ages with the lead changing often during the evening making excitement the order of the evening. High flying forward Tim Smith celebrated his selection in the VFL representative team to play the SANFL at Adelaide Oval next week with the opening goal of the match. The Scorps maintained the early ascendancy when Chris Dawes goaled at the 10 minute mark. However, from there it was all the Hawks who held a lead of 16 points in the shadows of quarter time until Dawes added another to his tally just before the siren sounded. After the first break, a Box Hill goal restored that 16 point margin in their favour but, as it had done a week ago against Sandringham, Casey then grabbed the momentum and kicked six of the next seven goals to head into the rooms at half time with a 16 point lead of their own. Conditions were perfect on the night and the Scorpions were winning in the ruck through Jake Spencer who was giving the likes of Jack Grimes, Jack Trengove and Christian Salem an armchair ride. The ascendency continued into the third term when Smith's third goal gave the home team a 24 point lead but the momentum turned again for the last 20 minutes of the quarter and Box Hill booted the next four goals to momentarily draw level. In a nerve wracking final quarter, the teams traded goals but the Scorpions were able to shut down the Hawks' dangerous forwards and were able to withstand the onslaught with Dawes' third goal in an impressive 22 disposal performance. Grimes had a tremendous game with his 35 touches as did his former co-captain Trengove. Defender Mitch White continued to impress with his strong play. Aside from Tim Smith, Angus Scott was the best of the Casey players wth 27 disposals. James Munro and Paul Pattison also made valuable contributions. Both teams are to be complemented for the high standard of the game. Most judges agreed at the end that it was one out of the box. The Scorpions are well placed for the remainder of the season and will relish the week's rest before fronting up to Port Melbourne in a fortnight's time. Casey Scorpions 3.1.19 9.4.58 10.9.69 12.11.83 Box Hill Hawks 4.5.29 6.6.42 10.8.68 11.10.76 Goals Casey Scorpions Dawes T Smith 3 Glen Hulett Max King Scott Spencer Terlich Box Hill Hawks Miles 4 Summers 2 Lawlor O'Rourke Schoenmakers Whitecross Willsmore Best Casey Scorpions Grimes Dawes T Smith White Scott Trengove Box Hill Hawks Miles Litherland O'Rourke Mirra Spangher Whitecross The Development League team conceded a start in the early game and in the end gave the Hawks a fright before a couple of late goals saw them lose what was a close game in the end. Casey Scorpions 2.0.12 5.0.30 7.4.46 10.5.65 Box Hill Hawks 5.1.31 7.3.45 9.7.61 11.11.77 Goals Casey Scorpions Baker Ferrera Wilson 2 Cox Damien Johnston Machaya Vander Haar Box Hill Hawks Hehir 4 Dimasi Surman 2 Smith Tobin Traynor Best Casey Scorpions McInerney Vander Haar Wyatt Daniel Johnston Gains Moncrieff Box Hill Hawks Switkowski Firns Dimasi Walker Kidd Hehir Statistics Chris Dawes 3 goals 2 behinds 22 disposals 12 kicks 10 handballs 5 marks 1 tackle 90 dream team points Sam Frost 14 disposals 10 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 3 tackles 62 dream team points Jack Grimes 35 disposals 16 kicks 19 handballs 7 marks 11 tackles dream 149 team points Liam Hulett 1 goal 1 behind 9 disposals 6 kicks 3 handballs 3 marks 1 tackle 41 dream team points Max King 1 goal 8 disposals 4 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 14 hit outs 58 dream team points Christian Salem 28 disposals 20 kicks 8 handballs 7 marks 3 tackles 106 dream team points Joel Smith 11 disposals 2 kicks 9 handballs 1 marks 4 tackles 43 dream team points Jake Spencer 1 goal 1 behind 8 disposals 3 kicks 5 handballs 7 tackles 32 hit outs 85 dream team points Dean Terlich 1 goal 3 behinds 15 disposals 11 kicks 4 handballs 5 marks 5 tackles 82 dream team points Jack Trengove 30 disposals 11 kicks 19 handballs 3 marks 5 tackles 98 dream team points Aaron vandenBerg 18 disposals 7 kicks 11 handballs 1 marks 6 tackles 1 hit out 63 dream team points Sam Weideman 4 disposals 3 kicks 1 handballs 2 marks 11 dream team points Mitch White 26 disposals 18 kicks 8 handballs 6 marks 4 tackles 103 dream team points

OUT OF THE BOX by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions will go into next week's break in top position on the ladder with the best percentage and a game clear of the rest of the pack after a strongly fought 7 point win over the highly fancied Box Hill Hawks at Casey Fields. Saturday's home game was the third night match of the season for the Casey Scorpions and with conditions perfect for football, the teams produced a cracking match for the ages with the lead changing often during the evening making excitement the order of the evening. High flying forward Tim Smith celebrated his selection in the VFL representative team to play the SANFL at Adelaide Oval next week with the opening goal of the match. The Scorps maintained the early ascendancy when Chris Dawes goaled at the 10 minute mark. However, from there it was all the Hawks who held a lead of 16 points in the shadows of quarter time until Dawes added another to his tally just before the siren sounded. After the first break, a Box Hill goal restored that 16 point margin in their favour but, as it had done a week ago against Sandringham, Casey then grabbed the momentum and kicked six of the next seven goals to head into the rooms at half time with a 16 point lead of their own. Conditions were perfect on the night and the Scorpions were winning in the ruck through Jake Spencer who was giving the likes of Jack Grimes, Jack Trengove and Christian Salem an armchair ride. The ascendency continued into the third term when Smith's third goal gave the home team a 24 point lead but the momentum turned again for the last 20 minutes of the quarter and Box Hill booted the next four goals to momentarily draw level. In a nerve wracking final quarter, the teams traded goals but the Scorpions were able to shut down the Hawks' dangerous forwards and were able to withstand the onslaught with Dawes' third goal in an impressive 22 disposal performance. Grimes had a tremendous game with his 35 touches as did his former co-captain Trengove. Defender Mitch White continued to impress with his strong play. Aside from Tim Smith, Angus Scott was the best of the Casey players wth 27 disposals. James Munro and Paul Pattison also made valuable contributions. Both teams are to be complemented for the high standard of the game. Most judges agreed at the end that it was one out of the box. The Scorpions are well placed for the remainder of the season and will relish the week's rest before fronting up to Port Melbourne in a fortnight's time. Casey Scorpions 3.1.19 9.4.58 10.9.69 12.11.83 Box Hill Hawks 4.5.29 6.6.42 10.8.68 11.10.76 Goals Casey Scorpions Dawes T Smith 3 Glen Hulett Max King Scott Spencer Terlich Box Hill Hawks Miles 4 Summers 2 Lawlor O'Rourke Schoenmakers Whitecross Willsmore Best Casey Scorpions Grimes Dawes T Smith White Scott Trengove Box Hill Hawks Miles Litherland O'Rourke Mirra Spangher Whitecross The Development League team conceded a start in the early game and in the end gave the Hawks a fright before a couple of late goals saw them lose what was a close game in the end. Casey Scorpions 2.0.12 5.0.30 7.4.46 10.5.65 Box Hill Hawks 5.1.31 7.3.45 9.7.61 11.11.77 Goals Casey Scorpions Baker Ferrera Wilson 2 Cox Damien Johnston Machaya Vander Haar Box Hill Hawks Hehir 4 Dimasi Surman 2 Smith Tobin Traynor Best Casey Scorpions McInerney Vander Haar Wyatt Daniel Johnston Gains Moncrieff Box Hill Hawks Switkowski Firns Dimasi Walker Kidd Hehir Statistics Chris Dawes 3 goals 2 behinds 22 disposals 12 kicks 10 handballs 5 marks 1 tackle 90 dream team points Sam Frost 14 disposals 10 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 3 tackles 62 dream team points Jack Grimes 35 disposals 16 kicks 19 handballs 7 marks 11 tackles dream 149 team points Liam Hulett 1 goal 1 behind 9 disposals 6 kicks 3 handballs 3 marks 1 tackle 41 dream team points Max King 1 goal 8 disposals 4 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 14 hit outs 58 dream team points Christian Salem 28 disposals 20 kicks 8 handballs 7 marks 3 tackles 106 dream team points Joel Smith 11 disposals 2 kicks 9 handballs 1 marks 4 tackles 43 dream team points Jake Spencer 1 goal 1 behind 8 disposals 3 kicks 5 handballs 7 tackles 32 hit outs 85 dream team points Dean Terlich 1 goal 3 behinds 15 disposals 11 kicks 4 handballs 5 marks 5 tackles 82 dream team points Jack Trengove 30 disposals 11 kicks 19 handballs 3 marks 5 tackles 98 dream team points Aaron vandenBerg 18 disposals 7 kicks 11 handballs 1 marks 6 tackles 1 hit out 63 dream team points Sam Weideman 4 disposals 3 kicks 1 handballs 2 marks 11 dream team points Mitch White 26 disposals 18 kicks 8 handballs 6 marks 4 tackles 103 dream team points

Ho hum ...

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

This week sees the Demons face yet another club in crisis, one which has progressively over a number of years transferred its identity from becoming the Brisbane Lions at the turn of the century back into the Brisbane Bears. The irony of course is that while Melbourne has already had its share of contests against clubs in strife during the season, the club itself has lurched through the past decade as the epitome of a club in crisis. While we have watched the young Demon side show us some positive, exciting glimpses to hold out some promise that it will step out of the mire at some time very soon, it continues to give fans its moments of despair so that a home ground contest against an ailing Bears club that was thrashed a week ago by Collingwood at the Gabba can be looked upon them as problematic - even when they are raging favourites to win. The game looks winnable from every aspect. Max Gawn is coming along nicely in his rucking role and he continues to give teammates at his feet a good ride at stoppages. The Melbourne midfield is improving in quality and depth. For the first time in living memory the Dees were credited with employing an innovative tactic. The only problem is that the "Diamond Pattern" or "Diamond Defence" didn't quite work when employed against the Bulldogs and if it was employed when they played the Bombers and the Saints, then it was an abject failure. Hopefully, it will be a case of back to the drawing board this week when the team faces the Bears because it really can't afford to lose another game to a club in crisis. It's not that last week's loss to the Bulldogs was comparable to the losses to Essendon and St Kilda. The Doggies are a competent well drilled outfit that more the ball quickly with precision. They have managed to get themselves out of "crisis mode" in quick time and based upon what we saw last week, they are definite contenders this year. Many of us hoped that Melbourne would follow a similar path this year but unless it can shake off the inconsistent tag, it will languish between the middle and lower half of the table. Winning against Brisbane at home on Sunday will help but it will remain one small step in the process necessary to avert the next crisis. THE GAME Melbourne v Brisbane at MCG Sunday 22 May, 2016 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 22 wins Brisbane 20 wins At MCG: Melbourne 12 wins Brisbane 3 wins Last Five Meetings: Melbourne 1 win Brisbane 4 win The Coaches: Roos 1 win Leppitsch 1 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel live at 1.00pm Radio - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne $1.18 to win Brisbane $4.75 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 8.12.60 defeated Brisbane 4.12.36 at the MCG, Round 16, 2015. The Lions kicked only one goal for the entire first half while the Demons managed only one in the second half in a putrid skill free exhibition of ineptitude. Jesse Hogan was the shining light with four goals. TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Billy Stretch, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg HB: Josh Wagner, Colin Garland, Bernie Vince C: Clayton Oliver, Dom Tyson, Viv Michie HF: Dean Kent, Jack Watts, Jeff Garlett F: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: James Harmes, Jayden Hunt, Alex Neal-Bullen, Oscar McDonald EMG: Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes IN: Dean Kent, Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Newton, Oscar McDonald OUT: Neville Jetta (suspension), Cam Pedersen (illness), Christian Salem (omitted), Dom Tyson (illness) BRISBANE LIONS B: Ryan Harwood, Daniel Merrett, Jackson Paine HB: Daniel Rich, Daniel McStay, Sam Mayes C: Ryan Lester, Allen Christensen, Tom Bell HF: Pearce Hanley, Lewis Taylor, Nick Robertson F: Trent West, Josh Schache, Ryan Bastinac FOLL: Stefan Martin, Dayne Zorko, Mitch Robinson I/C: Billy Evans, Jonathan Freeman, Ben Keays, Rhys Mathieson EMG: Josh Clayton, Eric Hipwood, Jarrad Jansen IN: Billy Evans, Jonathan Freeman, Daniel McStay, Rhys Mathieson, Jackson Paine, Nick Robertson, Trent West OUT: Clay Beams (groin), Dayne Beams (knee), Rohan Bewick (groin), Darcy Gardiner (finger), Josh Green (omitted), Marco Paparone (omitted), Josh Walker (omitted) NEW: Rhys Mathieson (Geelong U18)

CRISIS? by the Oracle This week sees the Demons face yet another club in crisis, one which has progressively over a number of years transferred its identity from becoming the Brisbane Lions at the turn of the century back into the Brisbane Bears. The irony of course is that while Melbourne has already had its share of contests against clubs in strife during the season, the club itself has lurched through the past decade as the epitome of a club in crisis. While we have watched the young Demon side show us some positive, exciting glimpses to hold out some promise that it will step out of the mire at some time very soon, it continues to give fans its moments of despair so that a home ground contest against an ailing Bears club that was thrashed a week ago by Collingwood at the Gabba can be looked upon them as problematic - even when they are raging favourites to win. The game looks winnable from every aspect. Max Gawn is coming along nicely in his rucking role and he continues to give teammates at his feet a good ride at stoppages. The Melbourne midfield is improving in quality and depth. For the first time in living memory the Dees were credited with employing an innovative tactic. The only problem is that the "Diamond Pattern" or "Diamond Defence" didn't quite work when employed against the Bulldogs and if it was employed when they played the Bombers and the Saints, then it was an abject failure. Hopefully, it will be a case of back to the drawing board this week when the team faces the Bears because it really can't afford to lose another game to a club in crisis. It's not that last week's loss to the Bulldogs was comparable to the losses to Essendon and St Kilda. The Doggies are a competent well drilled outfit that more the ball quickly with precision. They have managed to get themselves out of "crisis mode" in quick time and based upon what we saw last week, they are definite contenders this year. Many of us hoped that Melbourne would follow a similar path this year but unless it can shake off the inconsistent tag, it will languish between the middle and lower half of the table. Winning against Brisbane at home on Sunday will help but it will remain one small step in the process necessary to avert the next crisis. THE GAME Melbourne v Brisbane at MCG Sunday 22 May, 2016 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 22 wins Brisbane 20 wins At MCG: Melbourne 12 wins Brisbane 3 wins Last Five Meetings: Melbourne 1 win Brisbane 4 win The Coaches: Roos 1 win Leppitsch 1 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel live at 1.00pm Radio - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne $1.18 to win Brisbane $4.75 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 8.12.60 defeated Brisbane 4.12.36 at the MCG, Round 16, 2015. The Lions kicked only one goal for the entire first half while the Demons managed only one in the second half in a putrid skill free exhibition of ineptitude. Jesse Hogan was the shining light with four goals. TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Billy Stretch, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg HB: Josh Wagner, Colin Garland, Bernie Vince C: Clayton Oliver, Dom Tyson, Viv Michie HF: Dean Kent, Jack Watts, Jeff Garlett F: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: James Harmes, Jayden Hunt, Alex Neal-Bullen, Oscar McDonald EMG: Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes, Ben Newton IN: Jack Grimes, Dean Kent, Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Newton, Oscar McDonald OUT: Neville Jetta (suspension), Cam Pedersen (illness), Christian Salem (omitted) BRISBANE LIONS B: Ryan Harwood, Daniel Merrett, Jackson Paine HB: Daniel Rich, Daniel McStay, Sam Mayes C: Ryan Lester, Allen Christensen, Tom Bell HF: Pearce Hanley, Lewis Taylor, Nick Robertson F: Trent West, Josh Schache, Ryan Bastinac FOLL: Stefan Martin, Dayne Zorko, Mitch Robinson I/C: Billy Evans, Jonathan Freeman, Ben Keays, Rhys Mathieson EMG: Josh Clayton, Eric Hipwood, Jarrad Jansen IN: Billy Evans, Jonathan Freeman, Daniel McStay, Rhys Mathieson, Jackson Paine, Nick Robertson, Trent West OUT: Clay Beams (groin), Dayne Beams (knee), Rohan Bewick (groin), Darcy Gardiner (finger), Josh Green (omitted), Marco Paparone (omitted), Josh Walker (omitted) NEW: Rhys Mathieson (Geelong U18)

The Casey Scorpions ventured out to the Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Saturday afternoon and survived a horror opening quarter when they trailed badly to turn things around completely when their turn came with the wind in the second term and then controlled the game in the final half to record a 31 point victory in a great finish. The game was only minutes old when Angus Brayshaw suffered yet another knock to the head causing his removal from the game as a precaution. At the same time the home team was scoring goal after goal to lead by 5.1.31 to 0.0.0 with the first term barely halfway through. Forward Liam Hulett stemmed the flow temporarily with his team's first goal but the Zebras' onslaught continued to the bell when they led by 35 points. As often happens in such cases, the home side managed to boot the first when their turn came against the wind and the Casey Scorpions were staring at a deficit of 41 points. However, that was the point in time when the game was turned on its head. With big Jake Spencer taking control in the ruck and Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Newton and Jack Trengove dominating on the ball scored 5 goals in the space of 10 minutes to get themselves back in the game. A pleasing feature for the alignment was that the players scoring at the end of the onslaught during this period were Casey-listed players James Munro, Tim Smith, Ed Morris and Paul Pattison. One has to question how the VFL representative squad selectors failed to pick a Casey player given the form of Munro and Smith (2 goals each in the second term) or skipper Jack Hutchins for that matter. Late in the second quarter Spencer booted a long goal to put the Scorps in front and the star of the game Neal-Bullen who finished with 39 touches goaled to make the difference 11 points in favour of the visitors after a nine goal quarter. If the second quarter heoics were not enough, then it was in the third that the game was won as Casey outscored Sandy against the wind to increase its lead to three goals. Late in the game, Chris Dawes and Sam Weideman got into the goals and at one stage the lead was up to 42 points before a couple of late goals to the Zebras made the result more respectable for them. The Scorpions are on top of the ladder and face a big challenge from the Box Hill Hawks smarting from their first loss for the season. The game will be played at Casey Fields on Saturday night. Casey Scorpions 1.4.10 10.8.69 15.12.102 19.19.133 Sandringham 7.3.45 9.3.57 13.6.84 16.6.102 Goals Casey Scorpions Munro T Smith 3 Dawes Hulett Morris Weideman 2 Briggs Neal-Bullen Pattison Spencer Trengove Sandringham Dennis-Lane Shenton 3 Kreymborg McCartin 2 Cook Longer McKenzie Minchington Saunders White Best Casey Scorpions Neal-Bullen Munro Newton T Smith Hutchins White Sandringham Lee McKenzie Wright White Curren Shenton The Development League team led at half time but failed to respond to the challenge in the final term and went down by 48 points. Casey Scorpions 1.0.6 3.4.22 5.7.37 7.12.54 Sandringham 2.5.17 2.6.18 7.8.50 15.12.102 Goals Casey Scorpions Vander Haar 3 Baker Cotte Gordon Hannon Sandringham Ong 3 Cameron Payne Wilkins 2 Coates Fisscher Fox Lloyd Best Casey Scorpions Muir D Collis Vander Haar Gains McInerney Gordon Sandringham Ong Hayes Wilkins Kelso Thompson Wallace Statistics Angus Brayshaw 1 disposal 1 handball 1 tackle 6 dream team points (injured) Chris Dawes 2 goals 3 behinds disposals 12 kicks 1 handballs 8 marks 1 tackle 79 dream team points Lynden Dunn 1 behind 28 disposals 18 kicks 10 handballs 6 marks 4 tackles 103 dream team points Sam Frost 5 disposals 1 kicks 4 handballs 2 tackles 20 dream team points Liam Hulett 2 goals 2 behinds 9 disposals 8 kicks 1 handballs 3 marks 50 dream team points Max King 1 behind 6 disposals 1 kick 5 handballs 1 mark 2 tackles 10 hit outs 35 dream team points Oscar McDonald 18 disposals 10 kicks 8 handballs 4 marks 59 dream team points Alex Neal-Bullen 1 goals 39 disposals 18 kicks 21 handballs 3 marks 1 tackle 112 dream team points Ben Newton 2 behinds 32 disposals 14 kicks 18 handballs 6 marks 18 tackles 1 hit out 172 dream team points Joel Smith 10 disposals 1 kick 9 handballs 1 mark 2 tackles 29 dream team points Jake Spencer 1 goals 14 disposals 7 kicks 7 handballs 1 mark 5 tackles 40 hit outs 105 dream team points Dean Terlich 25 disposals 14 kicks 11 handballs 3 marks 8 tackles 100 dream team points Jack Trengove 1 goal 29 disposals 9 kicks 20 handballs 3 marks 6 tackles 1 hit out 92 dream team points Sam Weideman 2 goals 1 behind 10 disposals 3 kicks 7 handballs 3 marks 1 tackle 46 dream team points Mitch White 17 disposals 8 kicks 9 handballs 2 marks 7 tackles 70 dream team points

HORROR START, GREAT FINISH by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions ventured out to the Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Saturday afternoon and survived a horror opening quarter when they trailed badly to turn things around completely when their turn came with the wind in the second term and then controlled the game in the final half to record a 31 point victory in a great finish. The game was only minutes old when Angus Brayshaw suffered yet another knock to the head causing his removal from the game as a precaution. At the same time the home team was scoring goal after goal to lead by 5.1.31 to 0.0.0 with the first term barely halfway through. Forward Liam Hulett stemmed the flow temporarily with his team's first goal but the Zebras' onslaught continued to the bell when they led by 35 points. As often happens in such cases, the home side managed to boot the first when their turn came against the wind and the Casey Scorpions were staring at a deficit of 41 points. However, that was the point in time when the game was turned on its head. With big Jake Spencer taking control in the ruck and Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Newton and Jack Trengove dominating on the ball scored 5 goals in the space of 10 minutes to get themselves back in the game. A pleasing feature for the alignment was that the players scoring at the end of the onslaught during this period were Casey-listed players James Munro, Tim Smith, Ed Morris and Paul Pattison. One has to question how the VFL representative squad selectors failed to pick a Casey player given the form of Munro and Smith (2 goals each in the second term) or skipper Jack Hutchins for that matter. Late in the second quarter Spencer booted a long goal to put the Scorps in front and the star of the game Neal-Bullen who finished with 39 touches goaled to make the difference 11 points in favour of the visitors after a nine goal quarter. If the second quarter heoics were not enough, then it was in the third that the game was won as Casey outscored Sandy against the wind to increase its lead to three goals. Late in the game, Chris Dawes and Sam Weideman got into the goals and at one stage the lead was up to 42 points before a couple of late goals to the Zebras made the result more respectable for them. The Scorpions are on top of the ladder and face a big challenge from the Box Hill Hawks smarting from their first loss for the season. The game will be played at Casey Fields on Saturday night. Casey Scorpions 1.4.10 10.8.69 15.12.102 19.19.133 Sandringham 7.3.45 9.3.57 13.6.84 16.6.102 Goals Casey Scorpions Munro T Smith 3 Dawes Hulett Morris Weideman 2 Briggs Neal-Bullen Pattison Spencer Trengove Sandringham Dennis-Lane Shenton 3 Kreymborg McCartin 2 Cook Longer McKenzie Minchington Saunders White Best Casey Scorpions Neal-Bullen Munro Newton T Smith Hutchins White Sandringham Lee McKenzie Wright White Curren Shenton The Development League team led at half time but failed to respond to the challenge in the final term and went down by 48 points. Casey Scorpions 1.0.6 3.4.22 5.7.37 7.12.54 Sandringham 2.5.17 2.6.18 7.8.50 15.12.102 Goals Casey Scorpions Vander Haar 3 Baker Cotte Gordon Hannon Sandringham Ong 3 Cameron Payne Wilkins 2 Coates Fisscher Fox Lloyd Best Casey Scorpions Muir D Collis Vander Haar Gains McInerney Gordon Sandringham Ong Hayes Wilkins Kelso Thompson Wallace Statistics Angus Brayshaw 1 disposal 1 handball 1 tackle 6 dream team points (injured) Chris Dawes 2 goals 3 behinds disposals 12 kicks 1 handballs 8 marks 1 tackle 79 dream team points Lynden Dunn 1 behind 28 disposals 18 kicks 10 handballs 6 marks 4 tackles 103 dream team points Sam Frost 5 disposals 1 kicks 4 handballs 2 tackles 20 dream team points Liam Hulett 2 goals 2 behinds 9 disposals 8 kicks 1 handballs 3 marks 50 dream team points Max King 1 behind 6 disposals 1 kick 5 handballs 1 mark 2 tackles 10 hit outs 35 dream team points Oscar McDonald 18 disposals 10 kicks 8 handballs 4 marks 59 dream team points Alex Neal-Bullen 1 goals 39 disposals 18 kicks 21 handballs 3 marks 1 tackle 112 dream team points Ben Newton 2 behinds 32 disposals 14 kicks 18 handballs 6 marks 18 tackles 1 hit out 172 dream team points Joel Smith 10 disposals 1 kick 9 handballs 1 mark 2 tackles 29 dream team points Jake Spencer 1 goals 14 disposals 7 kicks 7 handballs 1 mark 5 tackles 40 hit outs 105 dream team points Dean Terlich 25 disposals 14 kicks 11 handballs 3 marks 8 tackles 100 dream team points Jack Trengove 1 goal 29 disposals 9 kicks 20 handballs 3 marks 6 tackles 1 hit out 92 dream team points Sam Weideman 2 goals 1 behind 10 disposals 3 kicks 7 handballs 3 marks 1 tackle 46 dream team points Mitch White 17 disposals 8 kicks 9 handballs 2 marks 7 tackles 70 dream team points

The most boring win of the year. MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Billy Stretch C: Daniel Cross, Bernie Vince, Heritier Lumumba HF: Aaron vandenBerg, Chris Dawes, Jeff Garlett F: Angus Brayshaw, Jesse Hogan, Jack Watts Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: James Harmes, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Alex Neal-Bullen, Dom Tyson EMG: Jack Grimes, Mark Jamar, Aidan Riley No change BRISBANE LIONS B: Justin Clarke, Daniel Merrett, Harris Andrews HB: Daniel Rich, Marco Paparone, Sam Mayes C: Dayne Zorko, Dayne Beams, Lewis Taylor HF: Jack Redden, Daniel McStay, Allen Christensen F: Stefan Martin, Brent Staker, Jed Adcock Foll: Matthew Leuenberger, Tom Rockliff, Pearce Hanley I/C: James Aish, Ryan Harwood, Nick Robertson, Mitch Robinson EMG: Hugh Beasley, Rohan Bewick, Mitch Golby IN: Ryan Harwood, Stefan Martin, Mitch Robinson OUT: Rohan Bewick (omitted), Jordon Bourke (omitted), Darcy Gardiner (shoulder)

Jack keeps on keeping on ... Progressive: 104 Jack Viney 56 Max Gawn 44 Nathan Jones 40 Dom Tyson 39 Jack Watts 37 Bernie Vince 34 Ben Kennedy 27 Neville Jetta 26 Tom McDonald 19 Jesse Hogan 15 Jeff Garlett 11 Clayton Oliver Josh Wagner 10 Heritier Lumumba 9 Cam Pedersen 7 Tom Bugg 6. Billy Stretch 4 James Harmes Dean Kent 3 Matt Jones 2 Jayden Hunt

A SLEEP AT THE G OR ASLEEP AT THE G by George on the Outer On 26 May 2016, the Melbourne City Mission is running its annual sleep at the G to aid the homeless. This is all in a very good cause so it seems that the Melbourne players apparently thought they would start a little earlier than most in their game against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday. And in exactly the same manner as happened in their game against St Kilda just two weeks ago, the coaching staff thought they would take a quiet nap behind the wheel as well. Ten minutes into the game it was obvious to Blind Freddy that the zone defence wasn’t working again. Once again the Western Bulldog players were gifted uncontested marks inside their forward 50, or even worse, as happened on multiple times during the game, they managed to score from inside the goal-square without a Melbourne player in sight. If Neville Jetta is forced to contest marks against Jack Redpath then something is seriously wrong with the way the side is being selected and sets up. It clearly isn’t working, and if it isn’t working then something needs to be done about it!!! It took until half way through the final quarter before an additional player was dropped into the backline but by then the game was well and truly over. This was yet another game where the club had an opportunity to stamp its authority on the competition, and it was fluffed. Yes, the Western Bulldogs are a good side; they have players who are prepared to run, and run to space. Players who are prepared to work and their team set up is excellent. However, it is simple, and as we allowed Morris and Boyd to control proceedings from the half-back line, we were never going to win. It took until the final quarter to work out that we had to kick over the top of their defensive wall, and only then did Watts and Hogan finally get their hands on the ball and their names on the scoreboard. The Dogs have also mastered the art of throwing the ball, as it was plain for the 39K people to see at the game over and over again. The Adelaide coaching panel was absolutely right about the quality of umpiring at their game against the Dogs last week, and it was repeated again with us as the victim this week. In contrast we had too many passengers who were simply not getting enough of the ball or getting involved in the play. Even though he kicked two goals, Jeff Garlett has to do much, much more than the nine touches he managed in 100 minutes of football. He has to play defensive and stop the ball re-bounding out to allow the opposition to set up another attack. Again this week our forward line was over-crowded. We do not need three talls in there getting in the way of Hogan. We also don’t need three others filling up even more space. We need the players where the ball is, not playing into the oppositions plans. Naturally, Jack Viney and Dom Tyson continued their fine form and provided some measure of strength around the ball. But they were not enough to counter the skill and ability of Bontempelli and their fleet of running mosquitoes like Daniel, Liberatore and Dahlhaus. Our younger players suffered and it is probably time for a rest for them in this long season. Jayden Hunt, Josh Wagner and James Harmes were well off the pace and even though they performed when necessary, they just couldn’t get themselves involved like previous weeks. Likewise, Viv Michie is taking up valuable space in the seniors with another underwhelming performance as a mid. Our season is now on the line with four other sides sitting on 16 points. A win next week against Brisbane is essential, a loss is the end of any hope of improvement, as we face a harder draw in the second half of the season. The coaching staff need to wake up and make the necessary changes both on the field and at the selection panel, before the season is written off. Melbourne 2.2.14 5.5.35 7.9.51 12.10.82 Western Bulldogs 5.5.35 8.9.57 12.10.82 17.12.114 Goals Melbourne Watts 3 Garlett Kennedy 2 Hogan McDonald Oliver Petracca Viney Western Bulldogs Stringer 5 Redpath 3 Dickson Picken 2 Dale Hunter Liberatore McLean Wallis Best Melbourne Viney Tyson Stretch Kennedy McDonald Jetta Western Bulldogs Bontempelli Liberatore Hunter Dahlhaus Boyd Picken Stringer Changes Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Stringer (corked calf) Roberts (head) Roughead (shoulder) Reports Melbourne Bernie Vince reported for rough conduct Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Schmitt Findlay Wallace Official crowd 39,921 at the MCG

On 26 May 2016, the Melbourne City Mission is running its annual sleep at the G to aid the homeless. This is all in a very good cause so it seems that the Melbourne players apparently thought they would start a little earlier than most in their game against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday. And in exactly the same manner as happened in their game against St Kilda just two weeks ago, the coaching staff thought they would take a quiet nap behind the wheel as well. Ten minutes into the game it was obvious to Blind Freddy that the zone defence wasn’t working again. Once again the Western Bulldog players were gifted uncontested marks inside their forward 50, or even worse, as happened on multiple times during the game, they managed to score from inside the goal-square without a Melbourne player in sight. If Neville Jetta is forced to contest marks against Jack Redpath then something is seriously wrong with the way the side is being selected and sets up. It clearly isn’t working, and if it isn’t working then something needs to be done about it!!! It took until half way through the final quarter before an additional player was dropped into the backline but by then the game was well and truly over. This was yet another game where the club had an opportunity to stamp its authority on the competition, and it was fluffed. Yes, the Western Bulldogs are a good side; they have players who are prepared to run, and run to space. Players who are prepared to work and their team set up is excellent. However, it is simple, and as we allowed Morris and Boyd to control proceedings from the half-back line, we were never going to win. It took until the final quarter to work out that we had to kick over the top of their defensive wall, and only then did Watts and Hogan finally get their hands on the ball and their names on the scoreboard. The Dogs have also mastered the art of throwing the ball, as it was plain for the 39K people to see at the game over and over again. The Adelaide coaching panel was absolutely right about the quality of umpiring at their game against the Dogs last week, and it was repeated again with us as the victim this week. In contrast we had too many passengers who were simply not getting enough of the ball or getting involved in the play. Even though he kicked two goals, Jeff Garlett has to do much, much more than the nine touches he managed in 100 minutes of football. He has to play defensive and stop the ball re-bounding out to allow the opposition to set up another attack. Again this week our forward line was over-crowded. We do not need three talls in there getting in the way of Hogan. We also don’t need three others filling up even more space. We need the players where the ball is, not playing into the oppositions plans. Naturally, Jack Viney and Dom Tyson continued their fine form and provided some measure of strength around the ball. But they were not enough to counter the skill and ability of Bontempelli and their fleet of running mosquitoes like Daniel, Liberatore and Dahlhaus. Our younger players suffered and it is probably time for a rest for them in this long season. Jayden Hunt, Josh Wagner and James Harmes were well off the pace and even though they performed when necessary, they just couldn’t get themselves involved like previous weeks. Likewise, Viv Michie is taking up valuable space in the seniors with another underwhelming performance as a mid. Our season is now on the line with four other sides sitting on 16 points. A win next week against Brisbane is essential, a loss is the end of any hope of improvement, as we face a harder draw in the second half of the season. The coaching staff need to wake up and make the necessary changes both on the field and at the selection panel, before the season is written off. Melbourne 2.2.14 5.5.35 7.9.51 12.10.82 Western Bulldogs 5.5.35 8.9.57 12.10.82 17.12.114 Goals Melbourne Watts 3 Garlett Kennedy 2 Hogan McDonald Oliver Petracca Viney Western Bulldogs Stringer 5 Redpath 3 Dickson Picken 2 Dale Hunter Liberatore McLean Wallis Best Melbourne Viney Tyson Stretch Kennedy McDonald Jetta Western Bulldogs Bontempelli Liberatore Hunter Dahlhaus Boyd Picken Stringer Changes Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Stringer (corked calf) Roberts (head) Roughead (shoulder) Reports Melbourne Bernie Vince reported for rough conduct Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Schmitt Findlay Wallace Official crowd 39,921 at the MCG

Cast your votes please ...

Not quite the moment

This is great news for Demonland's Sponsorship. Now let's get Wagner permanently off the Rookie a list.

Fixed

I wouldn't mind adding to this collection soon.

This information is from last year: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/experiences/player-sponsors