Demonland

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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

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

It was one of the most satisfying wins in recent times because the team played good footy for most of the game. THE TEAMS RICHMOND B: Troy Chaplin, David Astbury, Alex Rance HB: Bachar Houli, Ben Lennon, Steven Morris C: Shaun Grigg, Daniel Jackson, Reece Conca HF: Dustin Martin, Ben Griffiths, Brett Deledio F: Shane Edwards, Jack Riewoldt, Ty Vickery FOLL: Shaun Hampson, Brandon Ellis, Trent Cotchin I/C: Nathan Foley, Sam Lloyd, Matt McDonough, Nick Vlastuin EMG: Jake Batchelor, Nathan Gordon, Ricky Petterd IN: Nathan Foley, Ben Griffiths, Ben Lennon OUT: Aaron Edwards (omitted), Nathan Gordon (omitted), Chris Newman (calf) NEW: Ben Lennon (Northern Knights) MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Colin Garland HB: Dean Terlich, Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes C: Bernie Vince, Jack Viney, Daniel Cross HF: Jack Watts, Max Gawn, Jeremy Howe F: Cam Pedersen, Chris Dawes, Rohan Bail FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Matt Jones, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Aidan Riley, Christian Salem EMG: Alex Georgiou, Jordie McKenzie, Jimmy Toumpas IN: Max Gawn, Aidan Riley OUT: Shannon Byrnes (foot), James Frawley (hamstring)

Toe injury. http://melbournefc.com.au/news/2015-04-20/frost-out-for-next-46-weeks

DOLPHINS SMASHED by KC from Casey It's only round one but things look promising for the Casey Scorpions who are perched on top of both the Senior and Development League ladders after resounding victories over stand alone neighbour Frankston at Casey Fields. The elements were not conducive to attractive football with heavy rain and strong winds making life tough for the players for most of the day. In the main game, the Scorpions effectively killed the match with a dominant first term against the wind. Their defence was tight and strong, constantly frustrating the visitors who managed a mere two points for the quarter and were stunned by the ferocity of their hosts in the early going. Cam Pedersen turned their opening quarter into a nightmare with a long goal against the tide and they never recovered. When Casey's turn with the wind came, Aidan Riley had a purple patch with two early goals and, but for some poor kicking for goal, the massacre would have been complete by half time. As it was, the lead was insurmountable and, despite some improvement in the third term when the Dolphins kicked two late goals, they were swamped in the final term by a dominant but inaccurate foe. Viv Michie had an outstanding game with his 29 possessions and nine tackles and Rohan Bail was classy at times with three goals including a classic effort against the breeze in the third quarter when he ran the ball out of defence, through the centre, passed it forward and continued to run all the way into the square where he retrieved the ball in a pack for a snapped goal. Evan Panozza played a great skipper's game in defence and Jack Fitzpatrick was again outstanding down back with 22 touches and 11 marks. The rucks completely mauled Frankston with Jake Spencer and Max Gawn (71 hit outs between them) far too strong for their counterparts. Gawn was also good up forward but his kicking for goal let him down badly. With a dominant ruck it was little wonder that the midfield had a day out. Michie, Riley, Matt Jones, Jimmy Toumpas, Jordie McKenzie, Jack Grimes and Scorpion Mitch Gent who was out injured for most of last year all had plenty of the football. Billy Stretch looks a real prospect for the future. His run and carry into the forward fifty was exciting while lightly built Dingley recruit Luke Walmsley again showed his class. The end result in the wet conditions - a 13.19.91 to 5.9.39 - was a just reward despite the inaccuracy but the Scorpions' real test will be in the weeks to come starting with a big test at the Whitten Oval against the reigning premier Footscray in a game which starts at noon next Sunday. Casey Scorpions 1.2.8 6.11.47 8.12.60 13.21.99 Frankston 0.2.2 1.4.10 4.8.32 5.9.39 Goals Casey Scorpions Bail 3 Pedersen Riley 2 Harmes Terlich Scott Gent Smith Gawn Frankston Gardiner 2 Cavarra Irving Wood Casey Scorpions Michie Bail Gent Panozza Fitzpatrick McKenzie Frankston Wood Wilsen Foote Cavarra Pickess Hockey Match Statistics Rohan Bail 3 goals 1 behind 22 disposals 15 kicks 7 handballs 8 marks 4 tackles 1 hit outs 116 dream team points Jack Fitzpatrick 22 disposals 15 kicks 7 handballs 11 marks 93 dream team points Max Gawn 1 goal 5 behinds 17 disposals 11 kicks 6 handballs 8 marks 3 tackles 31 hit outs 118 dream team points Jack Grimes 3 behinds 20 disposals 15 kicks 5 handballs 9 marks 5 tackles 104 dream team points James Harmes 1 goal 11 disposals 7 kicks 4 handballs 0 marks 1 tackle 36 dream team points Matt Jones 1 behind 25 disposals 8 kicks 17 handballs 8 marks 3 tackles 93 team points Jordie McKenzie 26 disposals 13 kicks 13 handballs 3 marks 7 tackles 102 dream team points Viv Michie 29 disposals 13 kicks 16 handballs 6 marks 9 tackles 118 dream team points Cam Pedersen 2 goals 2 behinds 15 disposals 12 kicks 3 handballs 9 marks 5 tackles 4 hit outs 109 dream team points Aidan Riley 2 goals for 29 disposals 8 kicks 21 handballs 4 marks 3 tackles dream team 101 points Jake Spencer 1 behind 14 disposals 6 kicks 8 handballs 4 marks 6 tackles 40 hit outs dream 93 team points Billy Stretch 24 disposals 12 kicks 12 handballs 2 marks 2 tackles 71 dream team points Dean Terlich 1 goal 18 disposals 14 kicks 4 handballs 8 marks 4 tackles 80 dream team points Jimmy Toumpas 26 disposals 14 kicks 12 handballs 8 marks 3 tackles 99 dream team points The Scorpions Development League team established early control in trying conditions against the young Dolphins. The team has great depth although given the poor opposition, the game should not necessarily be taken as a pointer for the season ahead. 2015 AFL Victoria Development League Casey Scorpions 6.8.44 9.8.62 15.13.103 17.15.117 Frankston 1.0.6 2.2.14 2.2.14 2.3.15 Goals Casey Scorpions Waters 4 King 3 Moncrieff Morris Paredes 2 Battle Johnson Neal-Bullen White Best Casey Scorpions Gains Morris Thwaites King Corrigan Waters Frankston Tuddenham Bailey Valles Hammond Bastinac Halsall

Progressive totals after Round 3 and the T Mac juggernaut rolls on: 53. Tom McDonald 22. Jack Viney 17. Nathan Jones 16. Jesse Hogan Bernie Vince 11. Christian Salem 10. Colin Garland Neville Jetta 7. Daniel Cross 6. Jack Watts 5. Jeffrey Garlett 4. Mark Jamar Ben Newton 3. Aaron vandenBerg 2. Heritier Lubumba 1. Angus Brayshaw Colin Garland Lynden Dunn

It's only round one but things look promising for the Casey Scorpions who are perched on top of both the Senior and Development League ladders after resounding victories over stand alone neighbour Frankston at Casey Fields. The elements were not conducive to attractive football with heavy rain and strong winds making life tough for the players for most of the day. In the main game, the Scorpions effectively killed the match with a dominant first term against the wind. Their defence was tight and strong, constantly frustrating the visitors who managed a mere two points for the quarter and were stunned by the ferocity of their hosts in the early going. Cam Pedersen turned their opening quarter into a nightmare with a long goal against the tide and they never recovered. When Casey's turn with the wind came, Aidan Riley had a purple patch with two early goals and, but for some poor kicking for goal, the massacre would have been complete by half time. As it was, the lead was insurmountable and, despite some improvement in the third term when the Dolphins kicked two late goals, they were swamped in the final term by a dominant but inaccurate foe. Viv Michie had an outstanding game with his 29 possessions and nine tackles and Rohan Bail was classy at times with three goals including a classic effort against the breeze in the third quarter when he ran the ball out of defence, through the centre, passed it forward and continued to run all the way into the square where he retrieved the ball in a pack for a snapped goal. Evan Panozza played a great skipper's game in defence and Jack Fitzpatrick was again outstanding down back with 22 touches and 11 marks. The rucks completely mauled Frankston with Jake Spencer and Max Gawn (71 hit outs between them) far too strong for their counterparts. Gawn was also good up forward but his kicking for goal let him down badly. With a dominant ruck it was little wonder that the midfield had a day out. Michie, Riley, Matt Jones, Jimmy Toumpas, Jordie McKenzie, Jack Grimes and Scorpion Mitch Gent who was out injured for most of last year all had plenty of the football. Billy Stretch looks a real prospect for the future. His run and carry into the forward fifty was exciting while lightly built Dingley recruit Luke Walmsley again showed his class. The end result in the wet conditions - a 13.19.91 to 5.9.39 - was a just reward despite the inaccuracy but the Scorpions' real test will be in the weeks to come starting with a big test at the Whitten Oval against the reigning premier Footscray in a game which starts at noon next Sunday. Casey Scorpions 1.2.8 6.11.47 8.12.60 13.21.99 Frankston 0.2.2 1.4.10 4.8.32 5.9.39 Goals Casey Scorpions Bail 3 Pedersen Riley 2 Harmes Terlich Scott Gent Smith Gawn Frankston Gardiner 2 Cavarra Irving Wood Casey Scorpions Michie Bail Gent Panozza Fitzpatrick McKenzie Frankston Wood Wilsen Foote Cavarra Pickess Hockey Match Statistics Rohan Bail 3 goals 1 behind 22 disposals 15 kicks 7 handballs 8 marks 4 tackles 1 hit outs 116 dream team points Jack Fitzpatrick 22 disposals 15 kicks 7 handballs 11 marks 93 dream team points Max Gawn 1 goal 5 behinds 17 disposals 11 kicks 6 handballs 8 marks 3 tackles 31 hit outs 118 dream team points Jack Grimes 3 behinds 20 disposals 15 kicks 5 handballs 9 marks 5 tackles 104 dream team points James Harmes 1 goal 11 disposals 7 kicks 4 handballs 0 marks 1 tackle 36 dream team points Matt Jones 1 behind 25 disposals 8 kicks 17 handballs 8 marks 3 tackles 93 team points Jordie McKenzie 26 disposals 13 kicks 13 handballs 3 marks 7 tackles 102 dream team points Viv Michie 29 disposals 13 kicks 16 handballs 6 marks 9 tackles 118 dream team points Cam Pedersen 2 goals 2 behinds 15 disposals 12 kicks 3 handballs 9 marks 5 tackles 4 hit outs 109 dream team points Aidan Riley 2 goals for 29 disposals 8 kicks 21 handballs 4 marks 3 tackles dream team 101 points Jake Spencer 1 behind 14 disposals 6 kicks 8 handballs 4 marks 6 tackles 40 hit outs dream 93 team points Billy Stretch 24 disposals 12 kicks 12 handballs 2 marks 2 tackles 71 dream team points Dean Terlich 1 goal 18 disposals 14 kicks 4 handballs 8 marks 4 tackles 80 dream team points Jimmy Toumpas 26 disposals 14 kicks 12 handballs 8 marks 3 tackles 99 dream team points The Scorpions Development League team established early control in trying conditions against the young Dolphins. The team has great depth although given the poor opposition, the game should not necessarily be taken as a pointer for the season ahead. 2015 AFL Victoria Development League Casey Scorpions 6.8.44 9.8.62 15.13.103 17.15.117 Frankston 1.0.6 2.2.14 2.2.14 2.3.15 Goals Casey Scorpions Waters 4 King 3 Moncrieff Morris Paredes 2 Battle Johnson Neal-Bullen White Best Casey Scorpions Gains Morris Thwaites King Corrigan Waters Frankston Tuddenham Bailey Valles Hammond Bastinac Halsall

I've loaded our Adelaide guest reporter Mel Rundle's match report both here and in the opening post to this thread.

My first thought when the final siren sounded was that although Melbourne beat Adelaide by four points in the corresponding game last year and lost by four goals this time, the Demons have actually improved over the past twelve months. After all, the Crows are a much more settled team this year under new coach Phil Walsh, they are in good form, are at top strength and the conditions and the umpiring suited them perfectly. With a partisan crowd of 43,713 roaring them on they took their chances and did enough to make the most of these advantages. They took control of the game early in the third quarter and ended up winners by 25 points. The margin however, did not do justice to the application and intensity that, for the most part, the Melbourne players put into this match. Unfortunately for them, the accuracy in front of goal which defined last year's win (11 goals from 15 shots) deserted them this time, particularly early on when they missed two sitters in their blistering opening quarter. At one stage during the term, they had notched up 11 inside 50s to 2; they had their chances but failed to take them and then let the Crows in for three late goals so that the game was very much in the balance at the first break instead of tightly in their grip. The status quo remained in the second quarter with the arm wrestle highlighted by the even battle in the ruck between Mark Jamar and Sam Jacobs with the Adelaide midfield just taking the honours. Jeremy Howe capably assisted Tom McDonald in defence and produced a trade mark "hanger" in the second quarter. Perhaps the result was dictated during the week when former Demon Scott Thompson was selected for his first game of the season and Brodie Smith recovered from a hamstring incurred last week to gain selection while Melbourne's Jack Viney was ruled out with a leg fracture. Thompson played a leading role in the midfield while Smith was handy kicking the crucial goal that opened the second half. With Tom McDonald doing a good job on Tex Walker and Bernie Vince nullifying Paddy Dangerfield, the Crows really needed that pair to get them back on top after the early Demon onslaught. Despite their hard work down the ground, the visitors struggled to put the score on the board with Jesse Hogan and Jeff Garlett each kicking two goals but missing an equal number of simple shots at goal which could have made all the difference in the end. A special mention must be made of the hard effort put on by Neville Jetta who often doesn't get enough credit. He did a great job in nullifying one of the competition's best goal sneaks in Eddie Betts for much of the game. The three quarter time all in brawl wasn't enough to inspire the young Melbourne team to turn the game around. Instead, it was some slick work from Walker that resulted in the all important first goal of the final term that gave his team enough of a buffer to stave off a challenge that never really came because the Demons lacked the finishing skills that so often make the difference between winning and losing matches. With both sides having 20 shots on goal for the match, it was clear how the Demons had blown their chances this time around. Yet when compared with the performances against Adelaide of both North Melbourne and Collingwood in the opening rounds, there is a lot for Paul Roos to work on this season. With the midfield improving (there's still more room for improvement there) and the defence now becoming a strength, the disappointment was the failure of last year's hero Chris Dawes, to impose himself on the game. Perhaps Roos needs to look at his forward structure to improve his team's chances of success in the future? Melbourne 3.4.22 4.6.30 6.9.45 7.13.55 Adelaide 3.1.19 5.3.33 9.4.58 12.8.80 Goals Melbourne Garlett Hogan 2 N Jones Kent Newton Adelaide Walker Ellis-Yolmen 2 Betts Brown Cameron Jenkins Lynch Mackay Smith Best Melbourne T McDonald N Jones Howe Vince Cross Vandenberg Adelaide Sloane Douglas Thompson Talia Mackay Ellis-Yoleman Changes Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Injuries Melbourne Sam Frost (foot) Adelaide Nil Substitutions Melbourne Angus Brayshaw replaced Sam Frost (left foot) in the second quarter. Matthew Wright replaced Charlie Cameron at three quarter time. Adelaide Reports Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Umpires Simon Meredith Dean Margetts Nicholas Foot Official crowd 43,713 at Adelaide Oval

Time to move across to post match discussion

LOST CHANCES by Mel Rundle My first thought when the final siren sounded was that although Melbourne beat Adelaide by four points in the corresponding game last year and lost by four goals this time, the Demons have actually improved over the past twelve months. After all, the Crows are a much more settled team this year under new coach Phil Walsh, they are in good form, are at top strength and the conditions and the umpiring suited them perfectly. With a partisan crowd of 43,713 roaring them on they took their chances and did enough to make the most of these advantages. They took control of the game early in the third quarter and ended up winners by 25 points. The margin however, did not do justice to the application and intensity that, for the most part, the Melbourne players put into this match. Unfortunately for them, the accuracy in front of goal which defined last year's win (11 goals from 15 shots) deserted them this time, particularly early on when they missed two sitters in their blistering opening quarter. At one stage during the term, they had notched up 11 inside 50s to 2; they had their chances but failed to take them and then let the Crows in for three late goals so that the game was very much in the balance at the first break instead of tightly in their grip. The status quo remained in the second quarter with the arm wrestle highlighted by the even battle in the ruck between Mark Jamar and Sam Jacobs with the Adelaide midfield just taking the honours. Jeremy Howe capably assisted Tom McDonald in defence and produced a trade mark "hanger" in the second quarter. Perhaps the result was dictated during the week when former Demon Scott Thompson was selected for his first game of the season and Brodie Smith recovered from a hamstring incurred last week to gain selection while Melbourne's Jack Viney was ruled out with a leg fracture. Thompson played a leading role in the midfield while Smith was handy kicking the crucial goal that opened the second half. With Tom McDonald doing a good job on Tex Walker and Bernie Vince nullifying Paddy Dangerfield, the Crows really needed that pair to get them back on top after the early Demon onslaught. Despite their hard work down the ground, the visitors struggled to put the score on the board with Jesse Hogan and Jeff Garlett each kicking two goals but missing an equal number of simple shots at goal which could have made all the difference in the end. A special mention must be made of the hard effort put on by Neville Jetta who often doesn't get enough credit. He did a great job in nullifying one of the competition's best goal sneaks in Eddie Betts for much of the game. The three quarter time all in brawl wasn't enough to inspire the young Melbourne team to turn the game around. Instead, it was some slick work from Walker that resulted in the all important first goal of the final term that gave his team enough of a buffer to stave off a challenge that never really came because the Demons lacked the finishing skills that so often make the difference between winning and losing matches. With both sides having 20 shots on goal for the match, it was clear how the Demons had blown their chances this time around. Yet when compared with the performances against Adelaide of both North Melbourne and Collingwood in the opening rounds, there is a lot for Paul Roos to work on this season. With the midfield improving (there's still more room for improvement there) and the defence now becoming a strength, the disappointment was the failure of last year's hero Chris Dawes, to impose himself on the game. Perhaps Roos needs to look at his forward structure to improve his team's chances of success in the future? Melbourne 3.4.22 4.6.30 6.9.45 7.13.55 Adelaide 3.1.19 5.3.33 9.4.58 12.8.80 Goals MelbourneGarlett Hogan 2 Jones Kent Newton Adelaide Walker Ellis-Yolmen 2 Betts Brown Cameron Jenkins Lynch Mackay Smith Best Melbourne T McDonald N Jones Howe Vince Cross Vandenberg Adelaide Sloane Douglas Thompson Talia Mackay Ellis-Yoleman Changes Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Injuries Melbourne Sam Frost (foot) Adelaide Nil Substitutions Melbourne Angus Brayshaw replaced Sam Frost (left foot) in the second quarter. Matthew Wright replaced Charlie Cameron at three quarter time. Adelaide Reports Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Umpires Simon Meredith Dean Margetts Nicholas Foot Official crowd 43,713 at Adelaide Oval