Demonland

Can we find 6 players to give votes to?

This has already been discussed elsewhere. I'm closing this thread and trust that you will all now respect the fact that Clark is in fact suffering a serious illness.

Now that the Melbourne "bubble" has burst after that hammering it took from Fremantle last Sunday, the fans are wondering how the team will respond. Will the Demons come back from the thrashing in the same way that the young Western Bulldogs did in the aftermath of the 70 point debacle meted out by Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium in Round 3 or will they slip into their collective shells and allow their season to descend back into the mire they have inhabited for the best part of a decade? Well, the answer will be known as early as next Saturday night when Melbourne plays the shaky Sydney Swans at the MCG. I say "shaky" because after winning their first three games of the season, they have uncharacteristically lost successive games to in form clubs Fremantle and the Bulldogs. The Swans have travelled extensively so far this season and have also played games in heavy conditions such as last Saturday at the boggy SCG. They are a very good team that many believe to be strongly in contention for a top four berth and they are also vulnerable but it remains to be seen whether the Demons have the necessary ammunition to take advantage of that vulnerability given how their on ballers were taken apart by the Dockers and the Swans midfield division at full strength is only marginally less formidable. My final lament is that Paul Roos was a fantastic coach at the Sydney Swans and imbued that club with a great footy culture which one hopes will be emulated during his stay at Melbourne but I wish that some of the Swans players would only have followed the lead of the lads up at Gold Coast and gotten on the turps during the week. Instead, they have what is virtually a full list to select their team this week. THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney Swans at the MCG Saturday 9 May 2015 at 7.20p.m HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 92 wins Sydney Swans 109 wins 2 drawn At MCG Melbourne 49 wins Sydney Swans 41 wins 2 drawn Last 5 meetings Melbourne 0 wins Sydney Swans 4 wins 1 drawn The Coaches Roos 0 wins Longmire 1 win MEDIA TV - Channel 7 Fox Sports 3 at 7:00pm (live) RADIO - Triple M 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne $5.05 to win Sydney Swans $1.17 to win THE LAST TIME THEY MET Sydney Swans 9.15.69 defeated Melbourne 5.9.39 in Round 6, 2014 at the MCG. The Demons managed to hold Buddy Franklin in check although the Swans' star might have had his head elsewhere a day after stacking his girlfriend's car but the Sydney midfield was in control and gradually wore down and then overwhelmed the home side. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland Tom McDonald Jeremy Howe HB: Christian Salem Lynden Dunn Heritier Lumumba C: Jimmy Toumpas Bernie Vince Daniel Cross HF: Jeff Garlett Jesse Hogan Jay Kennedy-Harris F: Cameron Pedersen Chris Dawes Angus Brayshaw FOLL: Jake Spencer Nathan Jones Dom Tyson I/C: Ben Newton Billy Stretch Aaron Vandenberg Jack Watts EMG: Rohan Bail Jack Fitzpatrick Mark Jamar IN: Chris Dawes Jake Spencer Billy Stretch Jimmy Toumpas OUT: Jack Grimes Mark Jamar Jordie McKenzie Viv Michie (all omitted) NEW: Billy Stretch (Glenelg, SA) SYDNEY SWANS B: Nick Smith Ted Richards Rhyce Shaw HB: Jeremy Laidler Heath Grundy Lewis Jetta C: Jarrad McVeigh Josh P. Kennedy Dane Rampe HF: Gary Rohan Lance Franklin Dan Hannebery F: Luke Parker Kurt Tippett Sam Reid FOLL: Mike Pyke Kieren Jack Tom Mitchell I/C: Adam Goodes Isaac Heeney Jake Lloyd Ben McGlynn EMG: Craig Bird Harry Cunningham Dean Towers IN: Isaac Heeney Ben McGlynn Sam Reid ​OUT: Craig Bird Harry Cunningham Dean Towers In the competitive environment that is the AFL today, no game is an easy one but the Pink Lady game against the Sydney Swans is one of a trio of consecutive tough contests for the Melbourne Football Club. Fremantle, Sydney and Hawthorn are in most people's estimation the AFL's top four contenders for this year's flag - the other, Port Adelaide looms not all that far away either. As in most sports, an emerging competitor will get the most out of playing against stronger opponents and in this respect, the Demons have a lot to gain out of this three week run. Last week, Freo was too strong and there's no way you can take much home from an 11 goal pounding. True, Melbourne was once again poor in front of goals but the reality was that it was Fremantle's pressure that often caused the mistakes and the pressure was generated initially by that powerful on ball division. This week there will be no respite because, although the Swans might not have an Aaron Sandilands or a Nathan Fyfe, they're not all that far behind and of course, they have those twin towers in Franklin and Tippett to capitalise on a winning midfield. The Demons were down at the coal face last week with a significantly lower possession count in the middle of the ground suggesting they were well beaten at the stoppages and also around the ground where they were often outpaced. This week's team selection seems to be aimed at rectifying this. Mark Jamar's omission appears to be a combination of preservation of the team's leading ruckman and a reward for the boundless enthusiasm of Jake Spencer who has been out of the game for a full season after single handedly carrying the rucks in the early part of 2015. Chris Dawes was need to provide the foil for young Jesse Hogan, forced last week to do all the hard forward line work on his own. Billy Stretch and Jimmy Toumpas will add some run on the outside although I anticipate that Stretch will be eased into the game as a sub. There will be some great match ups in this game with Tom McDonald v Lance Franklin looming as a real beauty but Melbourne will have a tough task to win in enough positions to cause an upset and I think it will fall short. Sydney Swans by 25 points.

THE BUBBLE by JVM Now that the Melbourne "bubble" has burst after that hammering it took from Fremantle last Sunday, the fans are wondering how the team will respond. Will the Demons come back from the thrashing in the same way that the young Western Bulldogs did in the aftermath of the 70 point debacle meted out by Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium in Round 3 or will they slip into their collective shells and allow their season to descend back into the mire they have inhabited for the best part of a decade? Well, the answer will be known as early as next Saturday night when Melbourne plays the shaky Sydney Swans at the MCG. I say "shaky" because after winning their first three games of the season, they have uncharacteristically lost successive games to in form clubs Fremantle and the Bulldogs. The Swans have travelled extensively so far this season and have also played games in heavy conditions such as last Saturday at the boggy SCG. They are a very good team that many believe to be strongly in contention for a top four berth and they are also vulnerable but it remains to be seen whether the Demons have the necessary ammunition to take advantage of that vulnerability given how their on ballers were taken apart by the Dockers and the Swans midfield division at full strength is only marginally less formidable. My final lament is that Paul Roos was a fantastic coach at the Sydney Swans and imbued that club with a great footy culture which one hopes will be emulated during his stay at Melbourne but I wish that some of the Swans players would only have followed the lead of the lads up at Gold Coast and gotten on the turps during the week. Instead, they have what is virtually a full list to select their team this week. THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney Swans at the MCG Saturday 9 May 2015 at 7.20p.m HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 92 wins Sydney Swans 109 wins 2 drawn At MCG Melbourne 49 wins Sydney Swans 41 wins 2 drawn Last 5 meetings Melbourne 0 wins Sydney Swans 4 wins 1 drawn The Coaches Roos 0 wins Longmire 1 win MEDIA TV - Channel 7 Fox Sports 3 at 7:00pm (live) RADIO - Triple M 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne $5.05 to win Sydney Swans $1.17 to win THE LAST TIME THEY MET Sydney Swans 9.15.69 defeated Melbourne 5.9.39 in Round 6, 2014 at the MCG. The Demons managed to hold Buddy Franklin in check although the Swans' star might have had his head elsewhere a day after stacking his girlfriend's car but the Sydney midfield was in control and gradually wore down and then overwhelmed the home side. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland Tom McDonald Jeremy Howe HB: Christian Salem Lynden Dunn Heritier Lumumba C: Jimmy Toumpas Bernie Vince Daniel Cross HF: Jeff Garlett Jesse Hogan Jay Kennedy-Harris F: Cameron Pedersen Chris Dawes Angus Brayshaw FOLL: Jake Spencer Nathan Jones Dom Tyson I/C: Ben Newton Billy Stretch Aaron Vandenberg Jack Watts EMG: Rohan Bail Jack Fitzpatrick Mark Jamar IN: Chris Dawes Jake Spencer Billy Stretch Jimmy Toumpas OUT: Jack Grimes Mark Jamar Jordie McKenzie Viv Michie (all omitted) NEW: Billy Stretch (Glenelg, SA) SYDNEY SWANS B: Nick Smith Ted Richards Rhyce Shaw HB: Jeremy Laidler Heath Grundy Lewis Jetta C: Jarrad McVeigh Josh P. Kennedy Dane Rampe HF: Gary Rohan Lance Franklin Dan Hannebery F: Luke Parker Kurt Tippett Sam Reid FOLL: Mike Pyke Kieren Jack Tom Mitchell I/C: Adam Goodes Isaac Heeney Jake Lloyd Ben McGlynn EMG: Craig Bird Harry Cunningham Dean Towers IN: Isaac Heeney Ben McGlynn Sam Reid ​OUT: Craig Bird Harry Cunningham Dean Towers In the competitive environment that is the AFL today, no game is an easy one but the Pink Lady game against the Sydney Swans is one of a trio of consecutive tough contests for the Melbourne Football Club. Fremantle, Sydney and Hawthorn are in most people's estimation the AFL's top four contenders for this year's flag - the other, Port Adelaide looms not all that far away either. As in most sports, an emerging competitor will get the most out of playing against stronger opponents and in this respect, the Demons have a lot to gain out of this three week run. Last week, Freo was too strong and there's no way you can take much home from an 11 goal pounding. True, Melbourne was once again poor in front of goals but the reality was that it was Fremantle's pressure that often caused the mistakes and the pressure was generated initially by that powerful on ball division. This week there will be no respite because, although the Swans might not have an Aaron Sandilands or a Nathan Fyfe, they're not all that far behind and of course, they have those twin towers in Franklin and Tippett to capitalise on a winning midfield. The Demons were down at the coal face last week with a significantly lower possession count in the middle of the ground suggesting they were well beaten at the stoppages and also around the ground where they were often outpaced. This week's team selection seems to be aimed at rectifying this. Mark Jamar's omission appears to be a combination of preservation of the team's leading ruckman and a reward for the boundless enthusiasm of Jake Spencer who has been out of the game for a full season after single handedly carrying the rucks in the early part of 2015. Chris Dawes was need to provide the foil for young Jesse Hogan, forced last week to do all the hard forward line work on his own. Billy Stretch and Jimmy Toumpas will add some run on the outside although I anticipate that Stretch will be eased into the game as a sub. There will be some great match ups in this game with Tom McDonald v Lance Franklin looming as a real beauty but Melbourne will have a tough task to win in enough positions to cause an upset and I think it will fall short. Sydney Swans by 25 points.

We didn't score much but by golly, we put up a fight. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Alex Georgiou, Lynden Dunn, Dean Terlich HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Jack Grimes C: Daniel Cross, Bernie Vince, Jack Watts HF: Matt Jones, Chris Dawes, Jack Viney F: Cam Pedersen, James Frawley, Rohan Bail FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Shannon Byrnes, Neville Jetta, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Christian Salem EMG: Mitch Clisby, Daniel Nicholson, Jake Spencer In: Shannon Byrnes, Mark Jamar, Christian Salem Out: Jake Spencer, Michael Evans, Jordie McKenzie New: Christian Salem (18, Sandringham Dragons) SYDNEY SWANS B: Nick Smith, Ted Richards, Dane Rampe HB: Nick Malceski, Heath Grundy, Rhyce Shaw C: Daniel Hannebery, Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh HF: Ben McGlynn, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Leroy Jetta F: Luke Parker, Lance Franklin, Adam Goodes FOLL: Mike Pyke, Kieren Jack, Harry Cunningham I/C: Craig Bird, Tom Derickx, Jeremy Laidler, Jake Lloyd EMG: Brandon Jack, Zak Jones, Sam Reid In: Adam Goodes Out: Brandon Jack

The Casey Scorpions leapt into second place on the VFL ladder after a resounding 33 point victory away from home against the Essendon VFL team. The Scorpions list was tested with the mounting number of injuries at Melbourne and for the first time this season they fielded a majority of VFL listed players after Cam Pedersen was withdrawn for AFL duties. Youngster Billy Stretch, who has impressed in his two games so far, also did not play. Into the team came Oscar McDonald and Alex Neal-Bullen for their first senior VFL games along with senior Casey men in assistant coach Shannon Byrnes and Will Petropoulos returning from a long stint off through injury. Kicking to the scoring end aided by a slight breeze, Casey attacked early with rookie James Harmes kicking two goals but the Bombers pulled back and it took two late goals to give the visitors the ascendency at the first break. The second quarter was a tight defensive struggle with skipper Evan Panozza and beanpole Jack Fitzpatrick holding the home side back on numerous occasions and but for some skill errors on the rebound, Casey could have been further in front than a mere 5 points at half time. With the breeze stiffening, the Scorpions put in a magnificent third quarter kicking 7 goals 5 behinds to 2 points to effectively ice the game. Midfielders Aidan Riley, Matt Jones, Rohan Bail and Mitch Gent were in total control with the support of Jake Spencer in the ruck giving the forwards, most notably Max Gawn and 23rd player Paul Pattinson multiple goal opportunities. The game was never in doubt but the visitors dropped down a gear in the latter part of the game to still run out convincing winners by 33 points. As for the two debutants to Casey senior ranks, Neal-Bullen was impressive with his hard at it style of play picking up 21 touches and effecting 8 tackles while McDonald put in a handy first up performance. Harmes was subdued after his early burst and managed only none disposals for the day. The Scorpions take on old rival Sandringham at Casey Fields in next Saturday's telecast match. The game starts at noon. 2015 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 6.5.41 13.10.88 16.11.107 Essendon VFL 3.3.21 5.6.36 5.8.38 10.14.74 Goals Casey Scorpions Gawn Pattison 3 Harmes Petropoulos Smith 2 Byrnes Hutchins Morris Muir Essendon VFL Hardingham 3 Edwards McLeod 2 Fantasia Long Schroder Best Casey Scorpions Riley Fitzpatrick M Jones Bail Panozza Gent Essendon VFL Hardingham Fantasia O'Brien Kavanagh Steinberg Ashby Match Statistics Rohan Bail 2 behinds 23 disposals 15 kicks 8 handballs 9 marks 4 tackles 107 dream team points Jack Fitzpatrick 24 disposals 15 kicks 9 handballs 12 marks 1 tackle 1 hit out 104 dream team points Max Gawn 3 goals 1 behind 12 disposals 10 kicks 2 handballs 11 marks 4 tackles 27 hit outs 128 dream team points James Harmes 2 goals 9 disposals 6 kicks 3 handballs 1 marks 3 tackles 48 dream team points Matt Jones 30 disposals 16 kicks 14 handballs 4 marks 5 tackles 107 dream team points Oscar McDonald 12 disposals 7 kicks 5 handballs 4 marks 1 tackle 48 dream team points Alex Neal-Bullen 1 behind 21 disposals 8 kicks 13 handballs 2 marks 8 tackles 88 dream team points Aidan Riley 23 disposals 5 kicks 18 handballs 2 marks 9 tackles 97 dream team points Jake Spencer 2 behinds 15 disposals 9 kicks 6 handballs 4 marks 3 tackles 21 hit outs 86 dream team points Dean Terlich 18 disposals 10 kicks 8 handballs 2 marks 2 tackles 54 dream team points Jimmy Toumpas 1 behind 19 disposals 12 kicks 7 handballs 5 marks 4 tackles 82 dream team points Mitch White 8 disposals 4 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 40 dream team points The Development League side had the bye.

SCORPIONS LEAP by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions leapt into second place on the VFL ladder after a resounding 33 point victory away from home against the Essendon VFL team. The Scorpions list was tested with the mounting number of injuries at Melbourne and for the first time this season they fielded a majority of VFL listed players after Cam Pedersen was withdrawn for AFL duties. Youngster Billy Stretch, who has impressed in his two games so far, also did not play. Into the team came Oscar McDonald and Alex Neal-Bullen for their first senior VFL games along with senior Casey men in assistant coach Shannon Byrnes and Will Petropoulos returning from a long stint off through injury. Kicking to the scoring end aided by a slight breeze, Casey attacked early with rookie James Harmes kicking two goals but the Bombers pulled back and it took two late goals to give the visitors the ascendency at the first break. The second quarter was a tight defensive struggle with skipper Evan Panozza and beanpole Jack Fitzpatrick holding the home side back on numerous occasions and but for some skill errors on the rebound, Casey could have been further in front than a mere 5 points at half time. With the breeze stiffening, the Scorpions put in a magnificent third quarter kicking 7 goals 5 behinds to 2 points to effectively ice the game. Midfielders Aidan Riley, Matt Jones, Rohan Bail and Mitch Gent were in total control with the support of Jake Spencer in the ruck giving the forwards, most notably Max Gawn and 23rd player Paul Pattinson multiple goal opportunities. The game was never in doubt but the visitors dropped down a gear in the latter part of the game to still run out convincing winners by 33 points. As for the two debutants to Casey senior ranks, Neal-Bullen was impressive with his hard at it style of play picking up 21 touches and effecting 8 tackles while McDonald put in a handy first up performance. Harmes was subdued after his early burst and managed only none disposals for the day. The Scorpions take on old rival Sandringham at Casey Fields in next Saturday's telecast match. The game starts at noon. 2015 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 6.5.41 13.10.88 16.11.107 Essendon VFL 3.3.21 5.6.36 5.8.38 10.14.74 Goals Casey Scorpions Gawn Pattison 3 Harmes Petropoulos Smith 2 Byrnes Hutchins Morris Muir Essendon VFL Hardingham 3 Edwards McLeod 2 Fantasia Long Schroder Best Casey Scorpions Riley Fitzpatrick M Jones Bail Panozza Gent Essendon VFL Hardingham Fantasia O'Brien Kavanagh Steinberg Ashby Match Statistics Rohan Bail 2 behinds 23 disposals 15 kicks 8 handballs 9 marks 4 tackles 107 dream team points Max Gawn 3 goals 1 behind 12 disposals 10 kicks 2 handballs 11 marks 4 tackles 27 hit outs 128 dream team points James Harmes 2 goals 9 disposals 6 kicks 3 handballs 1 marks 3 tackles 48 dream team points Matt Jones 30 disposals 16 kicks 14 handballs 4 marks 5 tackles 107 dream team points Oscar McDonald 12 disposals 7 kicks 5 handballs 4 marks 1 tackle 48 dream team points Alex Neal-Bullen 1 behind 21 disposals 8 kicks 13 handballs 2 marks 8 tackles 88 dream team points Aidan Riley 23 disposals 5 kicks 18 handballs 2 marks 9 tackles 97 dream team points Jake Spencer 2 behinds 15 disposals 9 kicks 6 handballs 4 marks 3 tackles 21 hit outs 86 dream team points Dean Terlich 18 disposals 10 kicks 8 handballs 2 marks 2 tackles 54 dream team points Jimmy Toumpas 1 behind 19 disposals 12 kicks 7 handballs 5 marks 4 tackles 82 dream team points Mitch White 8 disposals 4 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 40 dream team points The Development League side had the bye.

T Mac is taking everything before him in the progressive voting:- 80. Tom McDonald 33. Nathan Jones 27. Jesse Hogan 22. Bernie Vince Jack Viney 18. Jeffrey Garlett 17. Colin Garland 15. Angus Brayshaw Aaron vandenBerg 13. Daniel Cross Christian Salem 10. Neville Jetta 6. Jack Watts 4. Lynden Dunn Mark Jamar Viv Michie Ben Newton Cam Pedersen 2. Heritier Lubumba 1. Jack Grimes Dom Tyson

In the end it was a rout. The Dockers kicked more goals in the final quarter than the Demons kicked for the whole match and indeed in any of their four previous encounters. Fremantle won 18.10.118 to 6.14.50 and that score line really addresses the scoring efficiency of the ladder leaders who burst away with a four goal to nil lead by the eleven minute mark of the match. They maintained that position as the status quo until late in the third quarter and then ran away with the game with those seven unanswered final term goals. As predicted, they held the advantage in the ruck and on the ball and won in most positions. They were better at the stoppages, they were better in the air and on the ground and their ball use was far more efficient. And that was with their substitute on the ground for the second half in place of Matthew Pavlich and Michael Walters also injured, making the eventual winning margin of 68 points all the more impressive. Of course, Melbourne's ineptitude in front of goal after half-time was not helpful. The Demons had 11 shots (for one goal) to 14 (for 10) in that half of football and that result of itself pretty much summarizes the difference between a premiership contender and one that simply isn't ready to take on the big boys. Melbourne does have some promising players and Jesse Hogan is one of those who came back down to earth after the excitement of Anzac Eve. He tried hard and did some special things but he was taught a lesson by an experienced defender in Luke McPharlin who has been playing the game at this level since Hogan was in primary school. Hogan missed the presence of Chris Dawes to help out up forward. And when the team comes up against two monster ruckmen next time it would be helpful if Mark Jamar was given some more assistance in that area as well. Of course, with the injuries mounting on a weekly basis, the team's depth or lack thereof is being tested more and more. Tom McDonald continued his great season while Jeff Garlett worked hard for his three goals but should have kicked at least five. Melbourne 2.2.14 5.4.34 6.8.44 6.14.50 Fremantle 5.3.33 8.6.54 11.8.74 18.10.118 Goals Melbourne Garlett 3 Brayshaw Hogan vandenBerg Fremantle Mayne 4 Mundy Neale Pearce Suban Taberner 2 N Suban 2 De Boer Fyfe Hill Sandilands Best Melbourne T McDonald Garlett Brayshaw Dunn Garland Tyson Fremantle Mayne Fyffe Mundy Neale Barlow Hill Changes Melbourne Cam Pedersen replaced Chris Dawes (calf) in the selected side. Fremantle Nil Injuries Melbourne Salem (concussion) Fremantle Pavlich (concussion) Walters (concussion) Reports Melbourne Nil Fremantle Nil Umpires Ben Ryan Troy Pannell Robert OGorman Official Crowd 22,892 at MCG

and that's it for this thread folks - for further discussion, please go here

Your votes please.

BACK TO EARTH by The Oracle In the end it was a rout. The Dockers kicked more goals in the final quarter than the Demons kicked for the whole match and indeed in any of their four previous encounters. Fremantle won 18.10.118 to 6.14.50 and that score line really addresses the scoring efficiency of the ladder leaders who burst away with a four goal to nil lead by the eleven minute mark of the match. They maintained that position as the status quo until late in the third quarter and then ran away with the game with those seven unanswered final term goals. As predicted, they held the advantage in the ruck and on the ball and won in most positions. They were better at the stoppages, they were better in the air and on the ground and their ball use was far more efficient. And that was with their substitute on the ground for the second half in place of Matthew Pavlich and Michael Walters also injured, making the eventual winning margin of 68 points all the more impressive. Of course, Melbourne's ineptitude in front of goal after half-time was not helpful. The Demons had 11 shots (for one goal) to 14 (for 10) in that half of football and that result of itself pretty much summarizes the difference between a premiership contender and one that simply isn't ready to take on the big boys. Melbourne does have some promising players and Jesse Hogan is one of those who came back down to earth after the excitement of Anzac Eve. He tried hard and did some special things but he was taught a lesson by an experienced defender in Luke McPharlin who has been playing the game at this level since Hogan was in primary school. Hogan missed the presence of Chris Dawes to help out up forward. And when the team comes up against two monster ruckmen next time it would be helpful if Mark Jamar was given some more assistance in that area as well. Of course, with the injuries mounting on a weekly basis, the team's depth or lack thereof is being tested more and more. Tom McDonald continued his great season while Jeff Garlett worked hard for his three goals but should have kicked at least five. Melbourne 2.2.14 5.4.34 6.8.44 6.14.50 Fremantle 5.3.33 8.6.54 11.8.74 18.10.118 Goals Melbourne Garlett 3 Brayshaw Hogan vandenBerg Fremantle Mayne 4 Mundy Neale Pearce Suban Taberner 2 N Suban 2 De Boer Fyfe Hill Sandilands Best Melbourne T McDonald Garlett Brayshaw Dunn Garland Tyson Fremantle Mayne Fyffe Mundy Neale Barlow Hill Changes Melbourne Cam Pedersen replaced Chris Dawes (calf) in the selected side. Fremantle Nil Injuries Melbourne Salem (concussion) Fremantle Pavlich (concussion) Walters (concussion) Reports Melbourne Nil Fremantle Nil Umpires Ben Ryan Troy Pannell Robert OGorman Official Crowd 22,892 at MCG

GASP by The Oracle Whilst it's true that Richmond was in red hot form coming off a 79-point shellacking of Brisbane a week earlier, this week's opponent is absolutely white hot having demolished all before it this season including the Swans last week after a withering opening half. Before that, Ross Lyon's charges had beaten Port Adelaide in the season opener, Geelong at Simonds Stadium and crushed the Eagles in the local derby. That's a pretty comprehensive record against solid opposition in three of last year's finalists. Melbourne's task this week looks even more daunting when one looks at its incredibly dismal recent record against Fremantle. There was a time not all that long ago, when these teams had a reasonably even record in games against each other but since their meeting at the G in mid-2011 when Melbourne demolished an injury-depleted opposition by 79 points, it's been a one way street in favour of the purple army with five consecutive routs, the closest game being a 34 point win to the Dockers at Etihad in 2012. Since then, the Dees' highest score in four matches has been ... wait for it ... 40 points. For the record, here is the list of the last four strangulations inflicted upon them by Freo, the last three while Lyon has been the coach: R16, 2014, Fremantle 15.7 (97) d Melbourne 4.10 (34) at TIO Stadium R21, 2013, Fremantle 20.13 (133) d Melbourne 5.8 (38) at the MCG R9, 2013, Fremantle 19.16 (130) d Melbourne 6.4 (40) at Subiaco Oval R23, 2012, Fremantle 14.17 (101) d Melbourne 5.10 (40) at Subiaco Oval That's an incredible average of 5 goals 8 behinds 38 points a game at three different venues against a team that boasts one of the biggest, strongest and best midfields in the game, to say nothing of its defence which kept last year's grand finallist, a team with Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett in its forward line, down to one goal in the first half last week. Gasp. THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at the MCG Sunday 3 May 2015 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 13 wins Fremantle 19 wins At MCG: Melbourne 7 wins Fremantle 5 wins Last Five meetings: Melbourne 0 wins Fremantle 5 wins The Coaches: Roos 0 wins Lyon 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel at 1:00pm (live) Radio - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne $4.85 to win Fremantle $1.15 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 15.7.97 defeated Melbourne 4.10.34 at TIO Stadium, Round 16, 2014 The Demons were at a low ebb in terms of confidence and self-belief and put in a shocker against the Dockers managing only a single goal in the opening half at TIO Stadium. Looking at the match stats, it was little wonder that the defeat was so comprehensive - Freo won the disposal count (392-315); marks (95-71) and inside 50s (60-32). TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe HB: Christian Salem, Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes C: Heritier Lumumba, Bernie Vince, Daniel Cross HF: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Jay Kennedy-Harris F: Jack Watts, Cameron Pedersen, Angus Brayshaw FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Jordie McKenzie, Viv Michie, Ben Newton, Aaron vandenBerg EMG: Aidan Riley, Jake Spencer, Billy Stretch IN: Jack Grimes, Jordie McKenzie, Cameron Pedersen OUT: Chris Dawes (calf), Neville Jetta (concussion), Dean Kent (hamstring) FREMANTLE B: Cameron Sutcliffe, Luke McPharlin, Lee Spurr HB: Garrick Ibbotson, Michael Johnson, Nick Suban C: Paul Duffield, Nat Fyfe, Matt de Boer HF: Danyle Pearce, Matthew Pavlich, Matt Taberner F: Zac Clarke, Chris Mayne, Michael Walters FOLL: Aaron Sandilands, David Mundy, Stephen Hill I/C (from): Hayden Ballantyne, Michael Barlow, Lachie Neale, Clancee Pearce EMG: Hayden Crozier, Jack Hannath, Tendai Mzungu IN: Hayden Ballantyne OUT: Tendai Mzungu This year the Fremantle Dockers have been the AFL's wrecking machine, taking all before them often with sneering contempt for any weakness in their opposition. Unlike, the dour Freo sides of recent years they have been far more attacking this year but nevertheless are fully capable of suffocating the opposition when necessary as the Swans found out in the first half last week. Freo has a midfield that is virtually peerless in the competition and they are certainly not dependent upon their superstar mid, Nat Fyfe. They have a combination of size and speed in Michael Barlow, Stephen Hill, David Mundy and Lachie Neale and the onballers get great service from their ruck division of Laurie Sandilands and Zac Clark. And that's not all, because they are great in all key positions as well as the flanks and wings. So what chance is there then for Melbourne this week as it comes of the Anzac Eve high and returns to its more familiar territory in terms of time slots of a Sunday afternoon? The Demons were solid in their last outing against Richmond but have been forced to make three changes due to injuries. The result is that despite having recruited well and with some promising youngsters finding their way in the game, they will have to produce a mighty effort to beat the top-of-the-ladder Dockers. I think it would be premature to expect them to win this week. Fremantle by 25 points.

Whilst it's true that Richmond was in red hot form coming off a 79-point shellacking of Brisbane a week earlier, this week's opponent is absolutely white hot having demolished all before it this season including the Swans last week after a withering opening half. Before that, Ross Lyon's charges had beaten Port Adelaide in the season opener, Geelong at Simonds Stadium and crushed the Eagles in the local derby. That's a pretty comprehensive record against solid opposition in three of last year's finalists. Melbourne's task this week looks even more daunting when one looks at its incredibly dismal recent record against Fremantle. There was a time not all that long ago, when these teams had a reasonably even record in games against each other but since their meeting at the G in mid-2011 when Melbourne demolished an injury-depleted opposition by 79 points, it's been a one way street in favour of the purple army with five consecutive routs, the closest game being a 34 point win to the Dockers at Etihad in 2012. Since then, the Dees' highest score in four matches has been ... wait for it ... 40 points. For the record, here is the list of the last four strangulations inflicted upon them by Freo, the last three while Lyon has been the coach: R16, 2014, Fremantle 15.7 (97) d Melbourne 4.10 (34) at TIO Stadium R21, 2013, Fremantle 20.13 (133) d Melbourne 5.8 (38) at the MCG R9, 2013, Fremantle 19.16 (130) d Melbourne 6.4 (40) at Subiaco Oval R23, 2012, Fremantle 14.17 (101) d Melbourne 5.10 (40) at Subiaco Oval That's an incredible average of 5 goals 8 behinds 38 points a game at three different venues against a team that boasts one of the biggest, strongest and best midfields in the game, to say nothing of its defence which kept last year's grand finallist, a team with Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett in its forward line, down to one goal in the first half last week. Gasp. THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at the MCG Sunday 3 May 2015 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 13 wins Fremantle 19 wins At MCG: Melbourne 7 wins Fremantle 5 wins Last Five meetings: Melbourne 0 wins Fremantle 5 wins The Coaches: Roos 0 wins Lyon 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel at 1:00pm (live) Radio - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne $4.85 to win Fremantle $1.15 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 15.7.97 defeated Melbourne 4.10.34 at TIO Stadium, Round 16, 2014 The Demons were at a low ebb in terms of confidence and self-belief and put in a shocker against the Dockers managing only a single goal in the opening half at TIO Stadium. Looking at the match stats, it was little wonder that the defeat was so comprehensive - Freo won the disposal count (392-315); marks (95-71) and inside 50s (60-32). TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe HB: Christian Salem, Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes C: Heritier Lumumba, Bernie Vince, Daniel Cross HF: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Jay Kennedy-Harris F: Jack Watts, Cameron Pedersen, Angus Brayshaw FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Jordie McKenzie, Viv Michie, Ben Newton, Aaron vandenBerg EMG: Aidan Riley, Jake Spencer, Billy Stretch IN: Jack Grimes, Jordie McKenzie, Cameron Pedersen OUT: Chris Dawes (calf), Neville Jetta (concussion), Dean Kent (hamstring) FREMANTLE B: Cameron Sutcliffe, Luke McPharlin, Lee Spurr HB: Garrick Ibbotson, Michael Johnson, Nick Suban C: Paul Duffield, Nat Fyfe, Matt de Boer HF: Danyle Pearce, Matthew Pavlich, Matt Taberner F: Zac Clarke, Chris Mayne, Michael Walters FOLL: Aaron Sandilands, David Mundy, Stephen Hill I/C (from): Hayden Ballantyne, Michael Barlow, Lachie Neale, Clancee Pearce EMG: Hayden Crozier, Jack Hannath, Tendai Mzungu IN: Hayden Ballantyne OUT: Tendai Mzungu This year the Fremantle Dockers have been the AFL's wrecking machine, taking all before them often with sneering contempt for any weakness in their opposition. Unlike, the dour Freo sides of recent years they have been far more attacking this year but nevertheless are fully capable of suffocating the opposition when necessary as the Swans found out in the first half last week. Freo has a midfield that is virtually peerless in the competition and they are certainly not dependent upon their superstar mid, Nat Fyfe. They have a combination of size and speed in Michael Barlow, Stephen Hill, David Mundy and Lachie Neale and the onballers get great service from their ruck division of Laurie Sandilands and Zac Clark. And that's not all, because they are great in all key positions as well as the flanks and wings. So what chance is there then for Melbourne this week as it comes of the Anzac Eve high and returns to its more familiar territory in terms of time slots of a Sunday afternoon? The Demons were solid in their last outing against Richmond but have been forced to make three changes due to injuries. The result is that despite having recruited well and with some promising youngsters finding their way in the game, they will have to produce a mighty effort to beat the top-of-the-ladder Dockers. I think it would be premature to expect them to win this week. Fremantle by 25 points.

I think John Burns used to post on Demonology and may have posted here in the past.

The Demons' second "home" game in Darwin was something of a disaster. The team was strangled by the Dockers defensive power and struggled to score all night. TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, James Frawley, Lynden Dunn HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe C: Jordie McKenzie, Bernie Vince, Jack Viney HF: Jack Watts, Cameron Pedersen, Matt Jones F: Rohan Bail, Chris Dawes, Max Gawn FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Dom Barry, Dean Kent, Christian Salem, Dean Terlich EMG: Alex Georgiou, Daniel Nicholson, Luke Tapscott IN: Tom McDonald, Jordie McKenzie OUT Neville Jetta (suspension), Daniel Nicholson (omitted) FREMANTLE B: Lee Spurr, Zac Dawson, Paul Duffield HB: Tendai Mzungu, Luke McPharlin, Garrick Ibbotson C: David Mundy, Ryan Crowley, Danyle Pearce HF: Cameron Sutcliffe, Chris Mayne, Colin Sylvia F: Hayden Ballantyne, Matthew Pavlich, Stephen Hill FOLL: Aaron Sandilands, Nat Fyfe, Nick Suban I/C: Michael Barlow, Zac Clarke, Anthony Morabito, Lachie Neale EMG: Hayden Crozier, Clancee Pearce, Tommy Sheridan IN: Luke McPharlin, Anthony Morabito OUT: Matt Taberner (hamstring), Clancee Pearce (omitted)

Scorps unable to halt premiers

KC from Casey was detained at work and couldn't make it to the game until half time. Thanks to the MFC website melbournefc.com.au, here's a report:- Scorps unable to halt premiers ... and for good measure Dogs too good Casey Scorpions 0.3.3 3.8.26 6.8.44 10.13.73 Footscray Bulldogs 3.4.22 6.4.40 13.6.84 15.7.97 Goals Casey Scorpions Pedersen 3 Hutchins 2 Bail Gent Harmes Morris Stretch Footscray Campbell Redpath 4 Hamilton 2 Buchanan Hunter Kelly Minson Russell Best Casey Scorpions Grimes Smith Pedersen Hutchins Spencer Riley Footscray Hunter Goodes Prudden Roberts Redpath Campbell Match Statistics Rohan Bail 1 goals 10 disposals 7 kicks 3 handballs 2 marks 2 tackles 44 dream team points Jack Fitzpatrick 8 disposals 3 kicks 5 handballs 3 marks 30 dream team points Max Gawn 7 disposals 1 kicks 6 handballs 3 tackles 26 hit outs 48 dream team points Jack Grimes 19 disposals 12 kicks 7 handballs 4 marks 9 tackles 97 dream team points James Harmes 1 goal 2 behinds 19 disposals 8 kicks 11 handballs 2 marks 6 tackles 78 dream team points Matt Jones 1 behind 19 disposals 10 kicks 9 handballs 4 marks 6 tackles 80 team points Jordie McKenzie 20 disposals 13 kicks 7 handballs 2 marks 5 tackles 66 dream team points Cam Pedersen 3 goals 13 disposals 6 kicks 7 handballs 5 marks 3 tackles 68 dream team points Aidan Riley 1 behind 23 disposals 5 kicks 18 handballs 3 marks 7 tackles 83 dream team points Jake Spencer 18 disposals 8 kicks 10 handballs 6 marks 2 tackles 28 hit outs dream 92 team points Billy Stretch 1 goal 1 behind 16 disposals 8 kicks 8 handballs 3 marks 7 tackles 82 dream team points Dean Terlich 15 disposals 13 kicks 2 handballs 2 marks 6 tackles 72 dream team points Jimmy Toumpas 1 behind 27 disposals 18 kicks 9 handballs 6 marks 6 tackles 109 dream team points The Development League team produced a magnificent 10 goal final quarter against Werribee on Saturday to win by 83 points. Casey Scorpions 4.1.25 8.4.52 11.7.73 21.8.134 Werribee 4.0.24 4.6.30 6.7.43 7.11.53 Goals Casey Scorpions Rennie 7 Page 3 Petropoulos King Plummer 2 Battle Fritsch Moncrieff Rosier Waters Werribee VanDenBerg 2 Brett Christensen Hussey O'Shea Redfern Best Casey Scorpions Rutherford Rennie Gains Petropoulos Keilty Fritsch Werribee Ferrari Holman Hussey Arnold Redfern Maddock

You can't keep a good man down and Nathan Jones is well and truly back in town but T Mac also scored and still has a good lead. Progressive voting: 62. Tom McDonald 33. Nathan Jones 26. Jesse Hogan 22. Bernie Vince Jack Viney 15. Aaron vandenBerg 13. Colin Garland Christian Salem 10. Neville Jetta 7. Daniel Cross 6. Jack Watts 5. Jeffrey Garlett 4. Mark Jamar Viv Michie Ben Newton 2. Angus Brayshaw Heritier Lubumba 1. Lynden Dunn Dom Tyson

When it comes to handballing we suffer from the following; handball too hard, handball too high, handball too low, handball to a stationary target. It's not as bad as it was a few years ago.

I've loaded Whispering Jack's match report on the opening post as well as in the Demonland match report section here

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This is in many ways the story of the Melbourne Football Club which has lurched from failure to failure in the quest to resurrect itself over the past decade. Last night we saw a touch of sanity return to herald the dawn of a new era as almost every cog in the Paul Roos machine worked bravely to undermine Richmond's hopes and to inspire an upset 32-point victory on the hallowed turf of the MCG as the football world honoured bravery in a different time and a different part of the world. To be clear, the Demons won this game because, on a night that required a hard, tough, relentless brand of football they were harder, tougher and more relentless than the Tigers. They bored in for the ball, they tackled and hustled and wanted to win more than the enemy and when the rain came in the third quarter, they redoubled their efforts under the leadership and the example of their hard nosed captain. Nathan Jones is not your handsome and elegant leader in the mould of his counterpart but as usual, he was both fearless and fearsome and he broke the spirit of the Tigers crashing through packs with team lifting efforts such as his inspirational goal at the nineteen minute mark of the third quarter which snuffed out the opposition resistance for the night. There was no repetition of the past when he was often forced to do it all on his own. Last night Jones was not alone - he had an entire battalion fighting with him tooth and nail. Many of his foot soldiers were new to the campaign at the club, introduced in the short space of time that Roos has been at the helm. The 58,175 people at the MCG were awed by the performance of a player in only his fourth AFL game who is surely the most exciting young key forward in the game. From his first contest in early proceedings, Jesse Hogan brushed aside a seasoned opponent in Alex Rance and strode with confidence on the stage bustling and crashing through packs and putting the fear of god through the minds of anyone in his vicinity who wore the yellow and black. He capped off the game with a big contested pack mark in the last quarter, following it up with a straight shot from the boundary and the celebrations were on for young and old. Other youngsters making their marks in the early days of their careers are Christian Salem and Angus Brayshaw while another fourth gamer in mature recruit Aaron vandenBerg tackled and harassed the Tigers in the best game of his short career. Viv Michie also had a stunning breakout game after coming on midway through the second term and picking up 19 touches and Ben Newton made a solid if not spectacular contribution. Everywhere you looked, there were new age Demons introduced under the Roos regime causing havoc. Bernie Vince took a second scalp in successive weeks, Dom Tyson linked up beautifully, Daniel Cross put in his usual workmanlike effort, Jeff Garlett and Jay Kennedy-Harris were crumbing and running all over the forward fifty and beyond and Heritier Lumumba was sheer excitement wherever he roamed the ground. A couple of big men in Mark Jamar and Chris Dawes were also very handy on the night and of course, when you keep your opposition down to just six goals (and that was just about unthinkable two years ago) then kudos must go to your defence. Tom McDonald did the job on Jack Riewoldt and he had great support from Col Garland, Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Salem and, until enervated by his suspected hamstring injury, Nev Jetta, another player whose career has been revived in the past year or so. So the resurrection continues in much the same way as it does in nations after wars end, slowly and stolidly until the work is completed and one day you suddenly wake up fully restored. Melbourne 4.2.26 6.5.41 10.9.69 12.11.83 Richmond 3.5.23 5.9.39 6.13.49 6.15.51 Goals Melbourne Dawes Garlett Hogan 2 Brayshaw N Jones Kennedy-Harris vandenBerg Vince Watts Richmond Edwards 2 Arnot Gordon Griffiths Hunt Best Melbourne N Jones Hogan Vandenberg T McDonald Vince Tyson Richmond Edwards Miles Ellis Maric Cotchin Vlastuin Changes Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Injuries Melbourne Jetta (concussion) Kent (hamstring) Richmond Drummond (knee) Griffiths (calf) Substitutions Melbourne Viv Michie replaced Dean Kent in the second quarter Richmond Matt McDonough replaced Nathan Drummond in the second quarter Reports Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Umpires Scott Jeffery Luke Farmer David Harris Official crowd 58,175 at the MCG Demons defeat Tigers in the wet FOOTNOTE: I have no inclination to comment on the standard of officiating but think it would be remiss to omit this photograph of the little fella that sat quietly behind me for much of the game and then escorted the umpires home after it was all over.

RESURRECTION by Whispering Jack Albert Einstein once defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This is in many ways the story of the Melbourne Football Club which has lurched from failure to failure in the quest to resurrect itself over the past decade. Last night we saw a touch of sanity return to herald the dawn of a new era as almost every cog in the Paul Roos machine worked bravely to undermine Richmond's hopes and to inspire an upset 32-point victory on the hallowed turf of the MCG as the football world honoured bravery in a different time and a different part of the world. To be clear, the Demons won this game because, on a night that required a hard, tough, relentless brand of football they were harder, tougher and more relentless than the Tigers. They bored in for the ball, they tackled and hustled and wanted to win more than the enemy and when the rain came in the third quarter, they redoubled their efforts under the leadership and the example of their hard nosed captain. Nathan Jones is not your handsome and elegant leader in the mould of his counterpart but as usual, he was both fearless and fearsome and he broke the spirit of the Tigers crashing through packs with team lifting efforts such as his inspirational goal at the nineteen minute mark of the third quarter which snuffed out the opposition resistance for the night. There was no repetition of the past when he was often forced to do it all on his own. Last night Jones was not alone - he had an entire battalion fighting with him tooth and nail. Many of his foot soldiers were new to the campaign at the club, introduced in the short space of time that Roos has been at the helm. The 58,175 people at the MCG were awed by the performance of a player in only his fourth AFL game who is surely the most exciting young key forward in the game. From his first contest in early proceedings, Jesse Hogan brushed aside a seasoned opponent in Alex Rance and strode with confidence on the stage bustling and crashing through packs and putting the fear of god through the minds of anyone in his vicinity who wore the yellow and black. He capped off the game with a big contested pack mark in the last quarter, following it up with a straight shot from the boundary and the celebrations were on for young and old. Other youngsters making their marks in the early days of their careers are Christian Salem and Angus Brayshaw while another fourth gamer in mature recruit Aaron vandenBerg tackled and harassed the Tigers in the best game of his short career. Viv Michie also had a stunning breakout game after coming on midway through the second term and picking up 19 touches and Ben Newton made a solid if not spectacular contribution. Everywhere you looked, there were new age Demons introduced under the Roos regime causing havoc. Bernie Vince took a second scalp in successive weeks, Dom Tyson linked up beautifully, Daniel Cross put in his usual workmanlike effort, Jeff Garlett and Jay Kennedy-Harris were crumbing and running all over the forward fifty and beyond and Heritier Lumumba was sheer excitement wherever he roamed the ground. A couple of big men in Mark Jamar and Chris Dawes were also very handy on the night and of course, when you keep your opposition down to just six goals (and that was just about unthinkable two years ago) then kudos must go to your defence. Tom McDonald did the job on Jack Riewoldt and he had great support from Col Garland, Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Salem and, until enervated by his suspected hamstring injury, Nev Jetta, another player whose career has been revived in the past year or so. So the resurrection continues in much the same way as it does in nations after wars end, slowly and stolidly until the work is completed and one day you suddenly wake up fully restored. Melbourne 4.2.26 6.5.41 10.9.69 12.11.83 Richmond3.5.23 5.9.39 6.13.49 6.15.51 Goals Melbourne Dawes Garlett Hogan 2 Brayshaw N Jones Kennedy-Harris vandenBerg Vince Watts Richmond Edwards 2 Arnot Gordon Griffiths Hunt Best Melbourne N Jones Hogan Vandenberg T McDonald Vince Tyson Richmond Edwards Miles Ellis Maric Cotchin Vlastuin Changes Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Injuries Melbourne Jetta (concussion) Kent (hamstring) Richmond Drummond (knee) Griffiths (calf) Substitutions Melbourne Viv Michie replaced Dean Kent in the second quarter Richmond Matt McDonough replaced Nathan Drummond in the second quarter Reports Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Umpires Scott Jeffery Luke Farmer David Harris Official crowd 58,175 at the MCG Demons defeat Tigers in the wet FOOTNOTE: I have no inclination to comment on the standard of officiating but think it would be remiss to omit this photograph of the little fella that sat quietly behind me for much of the game and then escorted the umpires home after it was all over.

Put your votes in after the final siren sounds. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Thanks

GHOSTS OF THE PAST by The Oracle Melbourne and Richmond are seeking to take ownership of the Anzac Day eve time slot but the clubs that had arguably the two longest football dynasties of the post war years each have a lot of work to do if they want their meetings to attain blockbuster status. The Tigers at least have been visible on the Friday night stage from time to time but for the Demons, it's almost two years since they graced an AFL venue on a Friday night. The reason the AFL gives for this apparent aberration is Melbourne's poor form but that excuse doesn't really hold because Carlton is a regular feature on the Friday night scene despite recent inferior form to that of Richmond and barely superior to Melbourne. Still, the fact remains that the Demons and the Tigers are burdened by their own ghosts of the past. They meet at the MCG on Friday night with long histories of modest achievement over the past thirty years. It's a long time since either won a finals match and while the Tigers have made it to the top eight twice in a row, they have not been particularly impressive in reaching that status. So far this year, neither team has set the world on fire with all their victories recorded against others who are currently winless. On paper, the Tigers look the winners. They demolished a rudderless Brisbane team that gave up without a yelp (and certainly not a roar) and they have the midfield weapons that could overpower the Demons in a similar fashion to how the Giants and the Crows have managed to fight back against them after poor starts in the past two games. Melbourne simply cannot afford to lose this game and Friday night will therefore be a true test of this team. THE GAME Richmond v Melbourne on Friday 24 April 2015 at 7.50pm at the MCG HEAD TO HEAD Overall Richmond 103 wins Melbourne 73 wins Drawn 2 At MCG Richmond 68 wins Melbourne 61 wins Drawn 1 Past five meetings Richmond 4 wins Melbourne 1 win The Coaches Hardwick 0 wins Roos 1 win MEDIA TV - Channel 7 and Fox Footy Channel at 7.30pm (live) Radio - Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Richmond to win - $1.30 Melbourne to win - $3.50 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 14.7.91 defeated Richmond 9.20.74 Round 9, 2014 at the MCG Nathan Jones and Jack Watts were the heroes for Melbourne and while it was lucky to strike an inaccurate Richmond on this occasion, the team took advantage of its good fortune and powered home to a well fought win. THE TEAMS RICHMOND B: David Astbury, Jake Batchelor, Alex Rance HB: Bachar Houli, Nick Vlastuin, Nathan Drummond C: Brandon Ellis, Trent Cotchin, Kamdyn McIntosh HF: Steven Morris, Shane Edwards, Anthony Miles F: Jack Riewoldt, Ben Griffiths, Sam Lloyd FOLL: Ivan Maric, Dustin Martin, Taylor Hunt I/C: Matt Arnot, Nathan Gordon, Shaun Grigg, Matt McDonough EMG: Todd Elton, Ben Lennon, Ty Vickery IN: Matt Arnot, Nathan Drummond, Matt McDonough OUT: Chris Knights (hamstring), Troy Chaplin (calf), Chris Newman (back) NEW: Nathan Drummond MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Christian Salem C: Daniel Cross, Nathan Jones, Heritier Lumumba HF: Ben Newton, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett F: Dean Kent, Chris Dawes, Jack Watts FOLL: Mark Jamar, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Viv Michie, Aaron vandenBerg EMG: Jack Grimes, Cameron Pedersen, Jimmy Toumpas IN: Viv Michie OUT: Sam Frost (injured) Almost every preview of every game played at this level starts with the adage about the result being determined by the outcome of the midfield contests and for years it has been said that Melbourne is in the third world when it comes to its on ball division. A large measure of this is due to to its monumental recruiting and player development failures over the past decade and this was clearly recognised Paul Roos when he assumed the coaching reins. It shouldn't be underestimated that almost the totality of the club's recruiting since the end of the 2013 season has been aimed at improving the club's midfield stocks and a look at the side for the vital round four match bears this out. Moreover, it's clearly evident that over the past 25 matches, Melbourne's output in terms of winning contested possessions has Melbourne improved dramatically and, in this game - the club's first on a Friday night under Roos - provides it with the opportunity to show the football world in its main showcase time slot that it has the team to provide a contest not only in the midfield but all over the ground. The key contest will no doubt be the one between the two skippers. Hard nosed Nathan Jones hasn't been at his dominant best yet this season and he faces a big challenge against the talented and skillful Trent Cotchin but in a sign of the times, Jones no longer has to be THE dominant on baller because he has so much more support in this area and all over the ground than he did, say two years ago. He now has Bernie Vince and Dom Tyson. He has the enigmatic Heritier Lumumba, the young Angus Brayshaw, the canny Daniel Cross and the unknown warriors Ben Newton and Aaron vandenBerg all floating around to provide support and variety. The ruck duels should also be pivotal with Mark Jamar and Ivan Maric in good form. Whichever of these two gets on top and wins possession around the ground will go a long way to determining the dominance of his team's midfield. The contest between Tom McDonald and Jack Riewoldt should also be worth watching as well as the battle in Melbourne's forward line where Jesse Hogan is quickly catching the eye for his tireless running and strength in the marking contests. If he and Jeff Garlett can capitalise on the improvement in supply to the forward line and find their targets going goal wards, the Demons could win their first Friday night game in several years and start their movement out of the ghostly time slots they usually occupy on most weekends during the football season. Melbourne by 15 points