Demonland

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

As you might be aware Demonland was able to snag two up and coming young guns to sponsor. We are proud to be Silver Sponsors of Jayden Hunt and Josh Wagner and we hope to remain their sponsor throughout their long careers. The club has informed me that there are still some great players available to sponsor at different levels and if you have any interest please contact Brooklyn with the Melbourne Experiences team (9652 1128). Players still available: GOLD SILVER BRONZE Matt Jones Max King Billy Stretch Dean Terlich Joel Smith Neville Jetta Mitch King Mitchell White Jake Spencer Liam Hulett Mitch King Mitch White Chris Dawes

2017 without a doubt.

Here is an article about the game mentioning the incident: http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/134305433

http://www.afl.com.au/brownlow-medal/predictor.workstation Maxy and Viney are in the top 4.

What I was trying to say was is our form really that impressive considering the draw we've had?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-05-11/draw-holds-no-favours-for-struggling-magpies Have we had the easiest draw from Rounds 1 to 7 and if so are you happy with 4 - 3? ROUND 1-7 ROUND 8-23 Rank Club Difficulty Club Difficulty 1 Brisbane Lions +137.6 North Melbourne +43.1 2 Hawthorn +95.0 Collingwood +30.9 3 Fremantle +77.0 Western Bulldogs +18.5 4 St Kilda +72.1 Fremantle +12.9 5 GWS +59.0 Sydney Swans +12.3 6 Essendon +46.7 Port Adelaide +8.5 7 Adelaide +30.9 Melbourne +5.7 8 Richmond +3.9 Carlton +5.0 9 Port Adelaide -33.0 Adelaide +3.1 10 Collingwood -36.6 Richmond +1.1 11 West Coast -36.6 Geelong -1.1 12 North Melbourne -39.6 Gold Coast -1.9 13 Gold Coast -53.0 Essendon -14.1 14 Geelong -53.4 Hawthorn -17.9 15 Sydney Swans -64.0 GWS -21.2 16 Western Bulldogs -65.0 West Coast -25.7 17 Carlton -70.4 St Kilda -28.1 18 Melbourne -70.6 Brisbane Lions -30.9

I often get asked how much it costs to run the site and it is not cheap. You might have noticed that we are no longer crashing on match days during our peak activity and that is because we doubled the specs of our server. The hosting cost approximately $170 a month and the message board software is approximately $500 a year. All up that's about $2500 a year and that does not count the time that I, Nasher and Whispering put in to the running of the site not to mention the moderators who do a thankless task. So if you would like to keep this site going and want to contribute see my post above for the options that suit you.

Thanks George. The 4 best ways you can support Demonland is by: 1. Taking out a Demonlnad Subscriptions which removes the Advertising from the site, 2. If you are already a subscriber or would like to make a smaller contribution then you can make a Donation 3. If you would like to get something more tangible for your money then you can purchase some Demonland Merchandise 4. Keep contributing.

It's hard to tell in text form but I'm hoping that the "there's no pressure on me to perform or anything like that" was said sarcastically.

"This is the moment! This is the day, When I send all my doubts and demons On their way!" ~ THIS IS THE MOMENT (from the musical Jekyll and Hyde) Melbourne has been described as the Jekyll and Hyde of the AFL. As it attempts to clamber up from the basement of the competition where it has spent so many moments of despair, it continues to tantalise supporters with great highs only to disappoint them with unexpected lows. How can you explain its Round 2 performance against a lowly undermanned Essendon wedged in between games against two highly rated teams in GWS Giants and North Melbourne? The same question can be asked of the game against St Kilda just two weeks ago. You could put the inconsistency down to the fact that the team is one of the youngest in the competition and that's what you expect from inexperience. There's certainly some truth in that but there comes a time when even young sides must rise to the challenge and this week's game at the MCG against the Western Bulldogs is precisely that time. The Demons are in their own way tracking the Bulldogs of twelve months ago. At the start of 2015, they were a young team, unfashionable and not fancied to advance much, if at all, after a 7-15 record in the year before. Under new coach Luke Beveridge, they started well winning their first two games, got thumped by the Hawks and had a revelatory win in Sydney beating the Swans by four points in an unexpected result before losing to lowly St Kilda at Etihad Stadium after leading at one stage by 55 points. They went into a losing streak going down at the same venue against Fremantle and before losing to Melbourne at the MCG by 39 points in the equivalent round to this week's game. Going into their bye round in midseason they had five wins from ten matches before building up a head of steam to finish with fourteen wins – doubling their tally from 2014 and making the finals. I believe the Bullies had their moment in that game at the SCG when they beat Sydney away from home. I called it a revelation because of the nature of the win – a breakthrough against a leading team, one they were not expected to beat. Now, it’s Melbourne’s turn for their breakthrough. The time is right, they play a strong team that’s in good form but the Western Bulldogs have played all of their matches to date at Etihad Stadium. They have yet to travel interstate or to play on the big MCG which, despite the stands surrounding it, is still open to the elements. I sense they are vulnerable. And, this is the moment for Melbourne. THE GAME Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at The MCG Sunday 24 May 2016 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 85 Western Bulldogs 75 wins 1 draw At MCG: Melbourne 45 wins Western Bulldogs 27 wins Last Five Meetings: Melbourne 2 wins Western Bulldogs 3 wins The Coaches: Roos 1 win Beveridge 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3, Channel 7 live at 3.00pm Radio - Triple M, 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne $2.75 to win Western Bulldogs $1.45 to win THE LAST TIME THEY MET Western Bulldogs 24.9.153 defeated Melbourne 8.7.55 at Etihad Stadium, Round 20, 2015 The ruthless Bulldogs opened in blistering form to lead at the first break by 8.3.51 to 0.2.2 while Demons were virtually spectators as their opponents ran rings around them. Their first goal to Jeff Garlett was scored at the halfway mark of the second term, by which time they were more than 10 goals in arrears. Jesse Hogan scored a few goals, Tom McDonald worked hard in defence and Jack Watts player well but for the most part, the game was a train wreck for Melbourne. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg HB: Josh Wagner, Colin Garland, Jayden Hunt ? Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver HF: Jack Watts, Cameron Pedersen, Jeff Garlett F: James Harmes, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Viv Michie, Christian Petracca, Christian Salem, Billy Stretch EMG: Jack Grimes, Oscar McDonald, Alex Neal-Bullen IN: Christian Salem OUT: Dean Kent (back) WESTERN BULLDOGS B: Matthew Boyd, Fletcher Roberts, Dale Morris HB: Shane Biggs, Easton Wood, Jed Adcock ? Lachie Hunter, Thomas Liberatore, Tory Dickson HF: Liam Picken, Tom Campbell, Jack Stringer F: Luke Dahlhaus, Jack Redpath, Mitch Wallis FOLL: Jordan Roughead, Jackson Macrae, Marcus Bontempelli I/C: Bailey Dale, Caleb Daniel, Toby McLean, Bailey Williams EMG: Josh Dunkley, Mitch Honeychurch, Lin Jong, IN: Bailey Williams OUT: Marcus Adams (finger) SAM THE STATS MAN'S ROUND UP - 2016 TO DATE BRAYSHAW, Angus MFC 3 games, 3 goals, CSFC 2 games 2 goals - the young midfielder who had an exciting debut season has suffered a few knocks which have set back his progress this year. BUGG, Tomas MFC 7 games, 2 goals - the little "pest" has made a good start at the club with his hardnosed attitude. DAWES, Chris CSFC 1 game, 2 goals - has been hampered by a calf injury for some time and played his first game in the VFL last Sunday. DUNN, Lynden MFC 4 games, 1 goal, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - form in defence has been disappointing and was relegated to the VFL last week. FROST, Sam MFC 5 games, 4 goals, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - form as a forward has been up and down. GARLAND, Colin MFC 3 games, 0 goals, CSFC 4 games, 1 goal - another defender who has not reached his previous high levels of performance. GARLETT, Jeffrey MFC 5 games, 11 goals - missed a couple of games with an ankle injury but always dangerous up forward. GAWN, Max MFC 7 games 7 goals - has come on in leaps and bounds and is on his way to becoming an elite ruckman. GRIMES, Jack CSFC 4 games 5 goals - playing with good form at Casey but seems to be on the outer at the club. HARMES, James MFC 7 games, 7 goals - utility player who is one of the big improvers at the club and had a breakout game last week against the Suns gaining a NAB Rising Star nomination. HOGAN, Jesse MFC 7 games, 17 goals - the next big thing in power forwards. Has had a few minor hiccups this year but have us a glimpse of the future with a 7 goal haul in a losing team against the Saints. HULETT, Liam CSFC 4 games, 8 goals - strong bodied youngster who is developing through the Scorpions. HUNT, Jayden MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CSFC 1 game, 1 goal - has grasped the opportunity after languishing on the club with a back injury in his first two seasons. Shows great dash. JETTA, Neville MFC 7 games, 0 goals - great application in the Demons' defence. JONES, Matthew MFC 4 games, 0 goals - had a good start to the season but suffered a setback with injury after four games. JONES, Nathan MFC 7 games, 4 goals - after last season's post season surgery, he is slowly returning to his best. KENNEDY, Ben MFC 7 games, 7 goals - settled in nicely as a goal kicking small forward. KENNEDY-HARRIS, Jay CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - broke down with a severe hamstring injury in Casey's first game and remains weeks away from a return. KENT, Dean MFC 7 games, 9 goals - has returned from his hamstring woes of last year to establish his place as a valuable member of the club's forward division. KING, Max ® CSFC 4 games, 4 goals - working on his development as a tall forward/ruckman at Casey. KING, Mitch CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - the big man broke down with an ACL injury early in his opening game down at Casey. LUMUMBA, Heritier MFC 5 games, 0 goals - had injury problems last year that resulted in post season surgery and has been hot and cold on return. McDONALD, Oscar MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CSFC 4 games, 0 goals - showed good pre season form but an ankle injury slowed him down. McDONALD, Tom MFC 7 games, 0 goals - has again had some strong performances in defence and is an important member of the team's defence. MELKSHAM, Jake - suspended as a result of the ASADA supplements investigation and CAS decision. MICHIE, Viv ® MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CSFC 4 games, 3 goals - some strong displays at Casey demanded an uplift from the rookie list but he has opposition for a midfield spot. NEAL-BULLEN, Alex CSFC 4 games, 3 goals - form at Casey has been good and he is knocking on the door to senior selection. NEWTON, Ben CSFC 4 games, 5 goals - coming back from a long injury lay off and is another midfielder pushing for promotion to the AFL. OLIVER, Clayton MFC 5 games, 3 goals, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - has had an enormous impact as a tough midfield clearance player. Won a NAB Rising Star nomination in his debut game. PEDERSEN, Cameron MFC 6 games, 5 goals, CSFC 1 game, 2 goals - relishing the role as forward/ruckman. PETRACCA, Christian MFC 2 games, 2 goals, CSFC 3 games, 3 goals - finally earned a game after recovering from last year's ACL and a broken toe in the middle of the preseason and is starting to live up to the hype. SALEM, Christian MFC 6 games, 1 goal - shows plenty of skill and class and will only get better. SMITH, Joel ® CSFC 3 games,1 goal - the young rookie has switched sports from basketball and is showing promising signs with the Casey Scorpions. SPENCER, Jake CSFC 2 games, 2 goals - returned to the VFL after a long layoff with a plantar fascia injury. STRETCH, Billy MFC 2 games, 1 goal, CSFC 2 games, 0 goals - improving youngster with pace and silky skills. TERLICH, Dean CSFC 5 games, 2 goals - has shown some good form at Casey but is well back in the queue for selection in his position. TRENGOVE, Jack - CSFC 5 games, 4 goals - putting his hand up for selection. TYSON, Dom MFC 7 games, 7 goals - showing glimpses of returning to the stellar form of his first season at the club. VANDENBERG, Aaron MFC 3 games, 3 goals - the big-bodied midfielder's progress has been stalled by a serious ankle injury. VINCE, Bernie MFC 6 games 5 goals - an important player in the Demon line up who recently re-signed in a great show of faith. VINEY, Jack MFC 7 games, 4 goals - tough, hard and rising towards elite. WAGNER, Josh ® 5 games, 0 goals - this year's revelation was uplifted from the rookie list and has displayed lots of composure in defence. WATTS, Jack MFC 7 games, 14 goals, CSFC - having his best season in the Demons' forward line. WEIDEMAN, Sam CSFC 4 games, 13 goals, has shown great potential and will be given time to develop in the VFL. A key forward with a big future. WHITE, Mitch ® CSFC 5 games, 2 goals - the young left footer is in the waiting room at Casey biding his time for his opportunity.

THIS IS THE MOMENT by Whispering Jack "This is the moment! This is the day, When I send all my doubts and demons On their way!" ~ THIS IS THE MOMENT (from the musical Jekyll and Hyde) Melbourne has been described as the Jekyll and Hyde of the AFL. As it attempts to clamber up from the basement of the competition where it has spent so many moments of despair, it continues to tantalise supporters with great highs only to disappoint them with unexpected lows. How can you explain its Round 2 performance against a lowly undermanned Essendon wedged in between games against two highly rated teams in GWS Giants and North Melbourne? The same question can be asked of the game against St Kilda just two weeks ago. You could put the inconsistency down to the fact that the team is one of the youngest in the competition and that's what you expect from inexperience. There's certainly some truth in that but there comes a time when even young sides must rise to the challenge and this week's game at the MCG against the Western Bulldogs is precisely that time. The Demons are in their own way tracking the Bulldogs of twelve months ago. At the start of 2015, they were a young team, unfashionable and not fancied to advance much, if at all, after a 7-15 record in the year before. Under new coach Luke Beveridge, they started well winning their first two games, got thumped by the Hawks and had a revelatory win in Sydney beating the Swans by four points in an unexpected result before losing to lowly St Kilda at Etihad Stadium after leading at one stage by 55 points. They went into a losing streak going down at the same venue against Fremantle and before losing to Melbourne at the MCG by 39 points in the equivalent round to this week's game. Going into their bye round in midseason they had five wins from ten matches before building up a head of steam to finish with fourteen wins – doubling their tally from 2014 and making the finals. I believe the Bullies had their moment in that game at the SCG when they beat Sydney away from home. I called it a revelation because of the nature of the win – a breakthrough against a leading team, one they were not expected to beat. Now, it’s Melbourne’s turn for their breakthrough. The time is right, they play a strong team that’s in good form but the Western Bulldogs have played all of their matches to date at Etihad Stadium. They have yet to travel interstate or to play on the big MCG which, despite the stands surrounding it, is still open to the elements. I sense they are vulnerable. And, this is the moment for Melbourne. THE GAME Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at The MCG Sunday 24 May 2015 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 85 Western Bulldogs 75 wins 1 draw At MCG: Melbourne 45 wins Western Bulldogs 27 wins Last Five Meetings: Melbourne 2 wins Western Bulldogs 3 wins The Coaches: Roos 1 win Beveridge 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3, Channel 7 live at 3.00pm Radio - Triple M, 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne $2.75 to win Western Bulldogs $1.45 to win THE LAST TIME THEY MET Western Bulldogs 24.9.153 defeated Melbourne 8.7.55 at Etihad Stadium, Round 20, 2015 The ruthless Bulldogs opened in blistering form to lead at the first break by 8.3.51 to 0.2.2 while Demons were virtually spectators as their opponents ran rings around them. Their first goal to Jeff Garlett was scored at the halfway mark of the second term, by which time they were more than 10 goals in arrears. Jesse Hogan scored a few goals, Tom McDonald worked hard in defence and Jack Watts player well but for the most part, the game was a train wreck for Melbourne. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Tomas BuggHB: Josh Wagner, Colin Garland, Jayden HuntC: Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson, Clayton OliverHF: Jack Watts, Cameron Pedersen, Jeff GarlettF: James Harmes, Jesse Hogan, Ben KennedyFOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack VineyI/C: Viv Michie, Christian Petracca, Christian Salem, Billy Stretch EMG: Jack Grimes, Oscar McDonald, Alex Neal-Bullen IN: Christian Salem OUT: Dean Kent (back) WESTERN BULLDOGS B: Matthew Boyd, Fletcher Roberts, Dale Morris HB: Shane Biggs, Easton Wood, Jed AdcockC: Lachie Hunter, Thomas Liberatore, Tory DicksonHF: Liam Picken, Tom Campbell, Jack StringerF: Luke Dahlhaus, Jack Redpath, Mitch WallisFOLL: Jordan Roughead, Jackson Macrae, Marcus Bontempelli I/C: Bailey Dale, Caleb Daniel, Toby McLean, Bailey Williams EMG: Josh Dunkley, Mitch Honeychurch, Lin Jong, IN: Bailey Williams OUT: Marcus Adams (finger) SAM THE STATS MAN'S ROUND UP - 2016 TO DATE BRAYSHAW, Angus MFC 3 games, 3 goals, CSFC 2 games 2 goals - the young midfielder who had an exciting debut season has suffered a few knocks which have set back his progress this year. BUGG, Tomas MFC 7 games, 2 goals - the little "pest" has made a good start at the club with his hardnosed attitude. DAWES, Chris CSFC 1 game, 2 goals - has been hampered by a calf injury for some time and played his first game in the VFL last Sunday. DUNN, Lynden MFC 4 games, 1 goal, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - form in defence has been disappointing and was relegated to the VFL last week. FROST, Sam MFC 5 games, 4 goals, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - form as a forward has been up and down. GARLAND, Colin MFC 3 games, 0 goals, CSFC 4 games, 1 goal - another defender who has not reached his previous high levels of performance. GARLETT, Jeffrey MFC 5 games, 11 goals - missed a couple of games with an ankle injury but always dangerous up forward. GAWN, Max MFC 7 games 7 goals - has come on in leaps and bounds and is on his way to becoming an elite ruckman. GRIMES, Jack CSFC 4 games 5 goals - playing with good form at Casey but seems to be on the outer at the club. HARMES, James MFC 7 games, 7 goals - utility player who is one of the big improvers at the club and had a breakout game last week against the Suns gaining a NAB Rising Star nomination. HOGAN, Jesse MFC 7 games, 17 goals - the next big thing in power forwards. Has had a few minor hiccups this year but have us a glimpse of the future with a 7 goal haul in a losing team against the Saints. HULETT, Liam CSFC 4 games, 8 goals - strong bodied youngster who is developing through the Scorpions. HUNT, Jayden MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CSFC 1 game, 1 goal - has grasped the opportunity after languishing on the club with a back injury in his first two seasons. Shows great dash. JETTA, Neville MFC 7 games, 0 goals - great application in the Demons' defence. JONES, Matthew MFC 4 games, 0 goals - had a good start to the season but suffered a setback with injury after four games. JONES, Nathan MFC 7 games, 4 goals - after last season's post season surgery, he is slowly returning to his best. KENNEDY, Ben MFC 7 games, 7 goals - settled in nicely as a goal kicking small forward. KENNEDY-HARRIS, Jay CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - broke down with a severe hamstring injury in Casey's first game and remains weeks away from a return. KENT, Dean MFC 7 games, 9 goals - has returned from his hamstring woes of last year to establish his place as a valuable member of the club's forward division. KING, Max ® CSFC 4 games, 4 goals - working on his development as a tall forward/ruckman at Casey. KING, Mitch CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - the big man broke down with an ACL injury early in his opening game down at Casey. LUMUMBA, Heritier MFC 5 games, 0 goals - had injury problems last year that resulted in post season surgery and has been hot and cold on return. McDONALD, Oscar MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CSFC 4 games, 0 goals - showed good pre season form but an ankle injury slowed him down. McDONALD, Tom MFC 7 games, 0 goals - has again had some strong performances in defence and is an important member of the team's defence. MELKSHAM, Jake - suspended as a result of the ASADA supplements investigation and CAS decision. MICHIE, Viv ® MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CSFC 4 games, 3 goals - some strong displays at Casey demanded an uplift from the rookie list but he has opposition for a midfield spot. NEAL-BULLEN, Alex CSFC 4 games, 3 goals - form at Casey has been good and he is knocking on the door to senior selection. NEWTON, Ben CSFC 4 games, 5 goals - coming back from a long injury lay off and is another midfielder pushing for promotion to the AFL. OLIVER, Clayton MFC 5 games, 3 goals, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - has had an enormous impact as a tough midfield clearance player. Won a NAB Rising Star nomination in his debut game. PEDERSEN, Cameron MFC 6 games, 5 goals, CSFC 1 game, 2 goals - relishing the role as forward/ruckman. PETRACCA, Christian MFC 2 games, 2 goals, CSFC 3 games, 3 goals - finally earned a game after recovering from last year's ACL and a broken toe in the middle of the preseason and is starting to live up to the hype. SALEM, Christian MFC 6 games, 1 goal - shows plenty of skill and class and will only get better. SMITH, Joel ® CSFC 3 games,1 goal - the young rookie has switched sports from basketball and is showing promising signs with the Casey Scorpions. SPENCER, Jake CSFC 2 games, 2 goals - returned to the VFL after a long layoff with a plantar fascia injury. STRETCH, Billy MFC 2 games, 1 goal, CSFC 2 games, 0 goals - improving youngster with pace and silky skills. TERLICH, Dean CSFC 5 games, 2 goals - has shown some good form at Casey but is well back in the queue for selection in his position. TRENGOVE, Jack - CSFC 5 games, 4 goals - putting his hand up for selection. TYSON, Dom MFC 7 games, 7 goals - showing glimpses of returning to the stellar form of his first season at the club. VANDENBERG, Aaron MFC 3 games, 3 goals - the big-bodied midfielder's progress has been stalled by a serious ankle injury. VINCE, Bernie MFC 6 games 5 goals - an important player in the Demon line up who recently re-signed in a great show of faith. VINEY, Jack MFC 7 games, 4 goals - tough, hard and rising towards elite. WAGNER, Josh ® 5 games, 0 goals - this year's revelation was uplifted from the rookie list and has displayed lots of composure in defence. WATTS, Jack MFC 7 games, 14 goals, CSFC - having his best season in the Demons' forward line. WEIDEMAN, Sam CSFC 4 games, 13 goals, has shown great potential and will be given time to develop in the VFL. A key forward with a big future. WHITE, Mitch ® CSFC 5 games, 2 goals - the young left footer is in the waiting room at Casey biding his time for his opportunity.

I played from Under 9s until Under 19s. Most of my footy was played on the bench, forward pocket and wing.