Demonland

The previous record was 1407 which was draft day in November 2012.

Also want to add that the site is running very smoothly considering the numbers. In the past the site would have ground to a halt. Your donations and subscriptions have helped in this regard.

Woohoo! I'm in New York and got up at 2:40am to watch using the AFL live overseas app which was crystal clear. Best $15 I've spent. Got to love the free hotel wifi too.

Cast your votes please.

Never in doubt?!

The suggestion by our Club President Glen Bartlett that there may be consideration given to changing the words of our Club theme song, "It's a Grand Old Flag" has raised eyebrows and received a mixed reception from club supporters. But what's in a club song? George on The Outer looks at this rather tuneful subject ... CLUB THEME SONGS AND THEIR ORIGINS by George on The Outer We all know our own Club theme song, but singing such a thing has not always been done. Over many, many years those songs have evolved, with the majority borrowed from other sources with the lyrics suitably adjusted. So where did they come from, and what insights into the team and its own history do they give? Richmond: http://youtu.be/LxMHbg3R00g http://youtu.be/5Cz92GzEt2I This clip explains a lot about Richmond supporters. Remember this when you next hear it! Especially the sexual overtone ... no, doesnt bear thinking about ... But the best version of their team song is this one: http://youtu.be/KBD49n36F9k Fremantle: http://youtu.be/pDsuU6v2gYE Original: http://youtu.be/E-qz4Icl3_Q Freo supporters should be serious vodka drinkers ... Melbourne: Original: http://youtu.be/GvdHKS-rskA Sorry for the American overtones ... Adelaide: http://youtu.be/otd-dfhzaEw Original: http://youtu.be/itUDOuFcWb4 and even more American overtones ... Essendon: http://youtu.be/AL0DRyhUt1c Original: http://youtu.be/MCN9KIPfMPE Visions of the prohibition era ... not much has changed at the Dons! Brisbane: http://youtu.be/i2OnZG6VnJk Original: http://youtu.be/4K1q9Ntcr5g There was something wrong with this played at the Grand Final in front of 100,000 Australians Collingwood: http://youtu.be/7lGXFVf7xKE Original: http://youtu.be/Zsbwba3dA70 Its bad enough listening to the original song they pinched but their supporters havent changed over the history of the club: http://www.convictcreations.com/football/collingwood.htm Geelong: http://youtu.be/akAkWj7kXt0 Surprisingly they tried this version in 1992, when they thought they would parody Pinball Wizard by the Who: http://youtu.be/oQFwnOIpej4 Original: http://youtu.be/Dk-g6tsbAhI you have to wait a bit for the chorus to recognise it ... Hawthorn: http://youtu.be/p2pumIAeS0c Original: http://youtu.be/StDpLge_ITM More Americanism, but gotta love Cagney! Carlton: http://youtu.be/JPpe2LVfgwo Original: http://youtu.be/n4NMnwrKwpk If you listen to the words it simply wouldnt be written today! The song was No. 21 on the White Star line orchestra play list when the Titanic went down. St.Kilda: http://youtu.be/--f9cjE9h4s Original: http://youtu.be/wyLjbMBpGDA Shortest lyrics of any club song. Satchmo is great regardless! Sydney: http://youtu.be/H1oQjBUeqAE Original: http://youtu.be/hSd_l508dwA What does shake down the thunder from the sky mean? West Coast: http://youtu.be/yr5vcF66lH8 Original: http://youtu.be/iVQPsro2p0A Why do all Mike Brady songs sound the same?...Very 80s Footscray: The song is based on an old sea shanty called Sons of the Sea Its such a catchy little number that no-one has recorded it. Port Adelaide: http://youtu.be/D2cUM71RA24 The original was penned local composers Quentin Eyers ( who plays in a Sikh band ) and Les Kaczmarek (the original bass player with Cold Chisel). Like the people who support the club, it is a shocker, and the alternative lyrics are probably more appropriate: We've got no Power at all Our ****s are so small Come on, Port Adelaide are wankers We are the Bogans from Port We're always in court It's true Port Adelaide tradition We'll never stop, stop, stop Growin our drug, drug crop There's history here in the making Port supporters are sad No-one knows who's their dad Paternity tests is ours for the taking With our drug network so strong We can't go wrong We're the Alberton crowd Port Adelaide proud And the losers are those Who've earned the right To wear the silver - teal And black and white And the Port supporters Oh so small True Ferals One and all Gold Coast: Original: http://youtu.be/qGPHbeNUDFg However I much prefer the Kazakhstan version ( rarely heard): http://youtu.be/GkVKyXDv81I GWS: http://youtu.be/epvc4wDWQCQ Put together by Harry Angus of The Cat Empire! But could he have recently attended a Jewish wedding when he composed this piece? http://youtu.be/-BMtlNLnXxI

We all know our own Club theme song, but singing such a thing has not always been done. Over many, many years those songs have evolved, with the majority borrowed from other sources with the lyrics suitably adjusted. So where did they come from, and what insights into the team and its own history do they give? Richmond: This clip explains a lot about Richmond supporters. Remember this when you next hear it! Especially the sexual overtone ... no, doesnt bear thinking about ... But the best version of their team song is this one: Fremantle: Original: Freo supporters should be serious vodka drinkers ... Melbourne: Original: Sorry for the American overtones ... Adelaide: Original: and even more American overtones ... Essendon: Original: Visions of the prohibition era ... not much has changed at the Dons! Brisbane: Original: There was something wrong with this played at the Grand Final in front of 100,000 Australians Collingwood: Original: Its bad enough listening to the original song they pinched but their supporters havent changed over the history of the club: http://www.convictcreations.com/football/collingwood.htm Geelong: Surprisingly they tried this version in 1992, when they thought they would parody Pinball Wizard by the Who: Original: you have to wait a bit for the chorus to recognise it ... Hawthorn: Original: More Americanism, but gotta love Cagney! Carlton: Original: If you listen to the words it simply wouldnt be written today! The song was No. 21 on the White Star line orchestra play list when the Titanic went down. St.Kilda: Original: Shortest lyrics of any club song. Satchmo is great regardless! Sydney: Original: What does shake down the thunder from the sky mean? West Coast: Original: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=iVQPsro2p0A Why do all Mike Brady songs sound the same?...Very 80s Footscray: The song is based on an old sea shanty called Sons of the Sea Its such a catchy little number that no-one has recorded it. Port Adelaide: The original was penned local composers Quentin Eyers ( who plays in a Sikh band ) and Les Kaczmarek (the original bass player with Cold Chisel). Like the people who support the club, it is a shocker, and the alternative lyrics are probably more appropriate: We've got no Power at all Our ****s are so small Come on, Port Adelaide are wankers We are the Bogans from Port We're always in court It's true Port Adelaide tradition We'll never stop, stop, stop Growin our drug, drug crop There's history here in the making Port supporters are sad No-one knows who's their dad Paternity tests is ours for the taking With our drug network so strong We can't go wrong We're the Alberton crowd Port Adelaide proud And the losers are those Who've earned the right To wear the silver - teal And black and white And the Port supporters Oh so small True Ferals One and all Gold Coast: Original: However I much prefer the Kazakhstan version ( rarely heard): GWS: Put together by Harry Angus of The Cat Empire! But could he have recently attended a Jewish wedding when he composed this piece?

If you PM me I will give you an email address where you can send me the image you would like and I will make it smaller and upload it for you.

THE ALCHEMIST by Whispering Jack This week Melbourne faces Essendon for the second time since the February 7, 2013 media conference dubbed by former ASADA boss Richard Ings as the "blackest day in Australian sport". It is now widely acknowledged that the conference which suggested that there was rampant use in our sport, and in particular the country's two main football codes, of prohibited performance-enhancing substances known as peptides was a desperate ploy by the then government facing annihilation in the federal election due later in the year. Sixteen months later, the government agency charged with investigating the claims, the resource-stretched Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), has yet to issue its report and, other than one case where a rugby league player volunteered his guilt (and 10 months later still awaits his fate), there is little to show in terms of concrete action against the clubs and players allegedly involved. True, the leagues which run the two codes named have carried out their investigations and in the case of the AFL, it sanctioned Essendon and some employees on governance issues but the excruciatingly long wait for a final outcome, is taking its toll on all who are involved. The view with which I agree based on what I have heard and read about the Bombers' programme and the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) Code to which the AFL is a subscriber, is that ultimately some players from the Essendon Football Club will be penalised for their participation in a plan that went terribly wrong. The Bombers may well have undertaken the project to improve their playing group and its prospects of winning but it seems they might have employed alchemy instead of sports science. Clubs make mistakes. At the same time that Essendon engaged James Hird to take the helm as coach of their club, Melbourne employed Mark Neeld who came with excellent references and a significant role as an assistant to Mick Malthouse in Collingwood's 2010 premiership. Neeld saw the need to overhaul the Melbourne style of play and to bring it in line with the leading clubs, he sought to emphasise the defensive side of the game. He knew his list was brittle and not yet suited physically to the change in style and he didn't resort to the chemistry of the Bombers but instead tried to bring about the change naturally, a process which was going to take years and a measure of patience. In the interim however, he lacked the expertise and experience in the ways of dealing with such a list and was also burdened with a number of other issues during his brief term which he was unable to handle or to overcome. Neeld's failure was ultimately due to a different science to that which led to Hird's downfall*. He failed the simple basics of man management and ultimately this brought his term as coach to an abrupt end almost exactly twelve months ago. So the two clubs, Essendon and Melbourne, will lock horns at twilight on Sunday with different men at the helm, each charged with the mission of bringing renewed energy to his respective club by using a different brand of chemistry to that which was previously tried and which in each case proved to be an abject failure. This is the perfect prescription for an absorbing battle. * I use the word "downfall" which might sound a little strange given that he is currently advancing himself in his education somewhere in the French summer and earning $1m as part of his "punishment" in the peptides scandal but that is the way of the AFL in 2014. I don't believe that he will or should coach in 2015 or beyond for that matter, but of course, that's not my call. THE GAME Essendon v Melbourne at the MCG Sunday, 15 June, 2014 at 4.40pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Essendon 127 wins Melbourne 80 wins 2 draws At the MCG Essendon 64 wins Melbourne 44 wins 1 draw The last five years: Essendon 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Thompson 0 wins Roos 0 wins MEDIA Fox Footy Channel at 4.30pm (live) RADIO 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Essendon $1.35 to win Melbourne $3.25 to win THE LAST TIME THEY MET Essendon 28.16.184 defeated Melbourne 5.6.36 Round 2, 2013 at the MCG It was a disheartened and dispirited Melbourne team that put in a disgraceful and unacceptable performance for a match played so early in the season. THE TEAMS ESSENDON B: Jake Carlisle, Cale Hooker, Courtenay Dempsey HB: Michael Hibberd, Michael Hurley, Mark Baguley C: Brendon Goddard, Dyson Heppell, Jake Melksham HF: Zach Merrett, Joe Daniher, David Zaharakis F: Jason Winderlich, Patrick Ryder, Patrick Ambrose Foll: Tom Bellchambers, Heath Hocking, Brent Stanton I/C: Paul Chapman, Dustin Fletcher, Ben Howlett, David Myers EMG: Travis Colyer, Cory DellOlio, Elliott Kavanagh IN: Michael Hurley, Jason Winderlich OUT: Cory DellOlio, Jobe Watson (hip surgery) MELBOURNE B: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes C: Bernie Vince, Jack Viney, Daniel Cross HF: Nathan Jones, Chris Dawes, Rohan Bail F: Cam Pedersen, James Frawley, Jack Watts Foll: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Dean Kent, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley Christian Salem EMG: Max Gawn, Dean Kent, Dan Nicholson, Dean Terlich IN: Dean Kent, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley OUT: Max Gawn Jay Kennedy-Harris Dean Terlich SHOW-CAUSE In the days and weeks to come, "show-cause" will no doubt become a catchword in AFL circles but on Sunday, it will be up to Melbourne to show-cause to the football world as to why it deserves its respect and recognition. This is particularly so in light of two entirely unrelated matters - the team's last meeting against Essendon in round 2 of last year which resulted in an embarrassing 148-point slaughter that rocked the club to its very foundations and the team's three goal performance at its last start against Collingwood. I doubt that we are going to see Paul Roos address the team in the rooms before the game in the way that Mark Neeld did last year. Roos is too cool a customer for that. I don't expect his team to leak goals like a sieve at an average of seven goals per quarter either. Roos has tightened up the team's defensive structures this year but there are clear issues with his team's attacking side. Notwithstanding, it was an umpiring error that probably prevented his team from going into the final break last week on close to even terms. It is generally conceded that the umpire who disallowed Bernie Vinces goal late in the third quarter did so in error and the Pies were lucky that one or two other line ball decisions went their way but you're never going to win arguing the toss with umpires and, in the end, Collingwood won because it was the better side on the day but Melbourne proved it was at least a ten goal better side than last year. However, in this game, Melbourne needs to show far greater improvement than simply ten goals. The absence of Essendon's leader and major playmaker Tim Watson, will help but (and pardon me for saying this) the jury is definitely out on the effect of the Bombers' problems with ASADA. The dramatic events following the issue of show-cause notices could be a help or a hindrance and we won't know which way it will go until the first ball is bounced. In the past, this team has been galvanised by the difficult circumstances it has faced over the peptides scandal and it should be remembered that the round two triumph was only their second official game after the darkest day news broke and they won their first against the Crows with relative ease as well. Apart from knowing that Essendon is not going to crack easily under pressure, it also is experiencing winning form at the moment having lost just one game since Anzac Day and that was against the in-form Swans. They may not have been all that impressive at times but four out of five aint bad. They might have lost their skipper but they do have Michael Hurley and Jason Winderlich back in the side so it would be a fool who considers them ripe for the picking. Melbourne continues to be well served by its batch of 2014 newcomers and, despite Dom Tysons reduced output when tagged last week, the midfield led by Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince and Daniel Cross as the stopper is making heads turn. This game will be a close heart stopper and Im looking for Melbourne to convert a little better than it did last week. If it doesnt, we can expect a similar result.

This week Melbourne faces Essendon for the second time since the February 7, 2013 media conference dubbed by former ASADA boss Richard Ings as the "blackest day in Australian sport". It is now widely acknowledged that the conference which suggested that there was rampant use in our sport, and in particular the country's two main football codes, of prohibited performance-enhancing substances known as peptides was a desperate ploy by the then government facing annihilation in the federal election due later in the year. Sixteen months later, the government agency charged with investigating the claims, the resource-stretched Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), has yet to issue its report and, other than one case where a rugby league player volunteered his guilt (and 10 months later still awaits his fate), there is little to show in terms of concrete action against the clubs and players allegedly involved. True, the leagues which run the two codes named have carried out their investigations and in the case of the AFL, it sanctioned Essendon and some employees on governance issues but the excruciatingly long wait for a final outcome, is taking its toll on all who are involved. The view with which I agree based on what I have heard and read about the Bombers' programme and the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) Code to which the AFL is a subscriber, is that ultimately some players from the Essendon Football Club will be penalised for their participation in a plan that went terribly wrong. The Bombers may well have undertaken the project to improve their playing group and its prospects of winning but it seems they might have employed alchemy instead of sports science. Clubs make mistakes. At the same time that Essendon engaged James Hird to take the helm as coach of their club, Melbourne employed Mark Neeld who came with excellent references and a significant role as an assistant to Mick Malthouse in Collingwood's 2010 premiership. Neeld saw the need to overhaul the Melbourne style of play and to bring it in line with the leading clubs, he sought to emphasise the defensive side of the game. He knew his list was brittle and not yet suited physically to the change in style and he didn't resort to the chemistry of the Bombers but instead tried to bring about the change naturally, a process which was going to take years and a measure of patience. In the interim however, he lacked the expertise and experience in the ways of dealing with such a list and was also burdened with a number of other issues during his brief term which he was unable to handle or to overcome. Neeld's failure was ultimately due to a different science to that which led to Hird's downfall*. He failed the simple basics of man management and ultimately this brought his term as coach to an abrupt end almost exactly twelve months ago. So the two clubs, Essendon and Melbourne, will lock horns at twilight on Sunday with different men at the helm, each charged with the mission of bringing renewed energy to his respective club by using a different brand of chemistry to that which was previously tried and which in each case proved to be an abject failure. This is the perfect prescription for an absorbing battle. * I use the word "downfall" which might sound a little strange given that he is currently advancing himself in his education somewhere in the French summer and earning $1m as part of his "punishment" in the peptides scandal but that is the way of the AFL in 2014. I don't believe that he will or should coach in 2015 or beyond for that matter, but of course, that's not my call. THE GAME Essendon v Melbourne at the MCG Sunday, 15 June, 2014 at 4.40pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Essendon 127 wins Melbourne 80 wins 2 draws At the MCG Essendon 64 wins Melbourne 44 wins 1 draw The last five years: Essendon 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Thompson 0 wins Roos 0 wins MEDIA Fox Footy Channel at 4.30pm (live) RADIO 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Essendon $1.35 to win Melbourne $3.25 to win THE LAST TIME THEY MET Essendon 28.16.184 defeated Melbourne 5.6.36 Round 2, 2013 at the MCG It was a disheartened and dispirited Melbourne team that put in a disgraceful and unacceptable performance for a match played so early in the season. THE TEAMS ESSENDON B: Jake Carlisle, Cale Hooker, Courtenay Dempsey HB: Michael Hibberd, Michael Hurley, Mark Baguley C: Brendon Goddard, Dyson Heppell, Jake Melksham HF: Zach Merrett, Joe Daniher, David Zaharakis F: Jason Winderlich, Patrick Ryder, Patrick Ambrose Foll: Tom Bellchambers, Heath Hocking, Brent Stanton I/C: Paul Chapman, Dustin Fletcher, Ben Howlett, David Myers EMG: Travis Colyer, Cory DellOlio, Elliott Kavanagh IN: Michael Hurley, Jason Winderlich OUT: Cory DellOlio, Jobe Watson (hip surgery) MELBOURNE B: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes C: Bernie Vince, Jack Viney, Daniel Cross HF: Nathan Jones, Chris Dawes, Rohan Bail F: Cam Pedersen, James Frawley, Jack Watts Foll: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Dean Kent, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley Christian Salem EMG: Max Gawn, Dean Kent, Dan Nicholson, Dean Terlich IN: Dean Kent, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley OUT: Max Gawn, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Dean Terlich SHOW-CAUSE In the days and weeks to come, "show-cause" will no doubt become a catchword in AFL circles but on Sunday, it will be up to Melbourne to show-cause to the football world as to why it deserves its respect and recognition. This is particularly so in light of two entirely unrelated matters - the team's last meeting against Essendon in round 2 of last year which resulted in an embarrassing 148-point slaughter that rocked the club to its very foundations and the team's three goal performance at its last start against Collingwood. I doubt that we are going to see Paul Roos address the team in the rooms before the game in the way that Mark Neeld did last year. Roos is too cool a customer for that. I don't expect his team to leak goals like a sieve at an average of seven goals per quarter either. Roos has tightened up the team's defensive structures this year but there are clear issues with his team's attacking side. Notwithstanding, it was an umpiring error that probably prevented his team from going into the final break last week on close to even terms. It is generally conceded that the umpire who disallowed Bernie Vinces goal late in the third quarter did so in error and the Pies were lucky that one or two other line ball decisions went their way but you're never going to win arguing the toss with umpires and, in the end, Collingwood won because it was the better side on the day but Melbourne proved it was at least a ten goal better side than last year. However, in this game, Melbourne needs to show far greater improvement than simply ten goals. The absence of Essendon's leader and major playmaker Tim Watson, will help but (and pardon me for saying this) the jury is definitely out on the effect of the Bombers' problems with ASADA. The dramatic events following the issue of show-cause notices could be a help or a hindrance and we won't know which way it will go until the first ball is bounced. In the past, this team has been galvanised by the difficult circumstances it has faced over the peptides scandal and it should be remembered that the round two triumph was only their second official game after the darkest day news broke and they won their first against the Crows with relative ease as well. Apart from knowing that Essendon is not going to crack easily under pressure, it also is experiencing winning form at the moment having lost just one game since Anzac Day and that was against the in-form Swans. They may not have been all that impressive at times but four out of five aint bad. They might have lost their skipper but they do have Michael Hurley and Jason Winderlich back in the side so it would be a fool who considers them ripe for the picking. Melbourne continues to be well served by its batch of 2014 newcomers and, despite Dom Tysons reduced output when tagged last week, the midfield led by Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince and Daniel Cross as the stopper is making heads turn. This game will be a close heart stopper and Im looking for Melbourne to convert a little better than it did last week. If it doesnt, we can expect a similar result.

Apparently, the field umpire didn't see the play on from Jetta and recalled the ball. Surely, if that was the case then he should have consulted the other two umpires. I'm told they were also officiating and at the ground.

I've noticed this too the last few games at the G. I'm on 4G Telstra but when I am at the MCG I can barely get on the internet. I think they need a few extra cell towers in the area to cope with the load.

Nathan Jones grabbed the maximum points against the Pies and has streaked ahead again. Progressive 127. Nathan Jones 100. Dom Tyson 72. Lynden Dunn 50. Daniel Cross 46. Jack Viney 39. Bernie Vince 33. Jack Watts 28. Matt Jones Cam Pedersen 27. Chris Dawes 25. James Frawley 24. Tom McDonald 17. Jeremy Howe 13. Jack Grimes Mark Jamar 11. Rohan Bail 8. Jay Kennedy-Harris 6. Alexis Georgiou Jimmy Toumpas 4. Dean Terlich 3. Neville Jetta Jack Trengove 2. Shannon Byrnes Jake Spencer 1. Max Gawn

We owe them big time! ESSENDON Backs Mark Baguley Jake Carlisle Dustin Fletcher Half backs Brendon Goddard Cale Hooker Brent Stanton Centreline Dyson Heppell Jobe Watson Alwyn Davey Half forwards Stewart Crameri Michael Hurley David Zaharakis Forwards Nick Kommer Patrick Ryder Jake Melksham Followers Tom Bellchambers Heath Hocking Courtenay Dempsey Interchange Michael Hibberd Ben Howlett Jackson Merrett David Myers Emergencies Will Hams David Hille Elliott Kavanagh MELBOURNE Backs Tom Gillies James Frawley Dean Terlich Half backs Jack Watts Tom McDonald Tom Garland Centreline Jack Grimes Jack Viney Matt Jones Half forwards Sam Blease James Sellar Jeremy Howe Forwards Colin Sylvia Mitch Clark Shannon Byrnes Followers Mark Jamar Jordie McKenzie Nathan Jones Interchange Aaron Davey Dan Nicholson Jimmy Toumpas Jack Trengove Emergencies Cameron Pedersen David Rodan Jake Spencer In Aaron Davey Tom McDonald Dean Terlich Jack Trengove Out Lynden Dunn (hamstring) Cameron Petersen David Rodan Luke Tapscott

DEE-DAY OR NO DEE-DAY by George on The Outer Seventy years since the Allies started the counter-attack against the might of Germany. Fifty years since the Demons won a Premiership … Was the Queen’s Birthday of 2014 going to be the beginning of something special, or just another re-run of the ordinary performances that have marked the past years encounters? With an earlygoal on the scoreboard courtesy of Nathan Jones within the first thorty seconds, the supporters could have been thinking that the something special was going to happen. The first salvo in a reversal of fortune just like what D-Day represented all those years ago? Sadly, the fans were to see only another two goals for their side in the remaining 99 or so minutes of the game. And the final score represented the lowest score the Demons had kicked against the Pies since 1960! One would have thought the ground was a mud heap, but it was exactly the opposite! The small consolation was that the Magpies themselves could only manage eight for the day. Twelve months ago, we would have been happy with that result. However, the expectations have been raised, and with 68,000 at the game to give the Demons the experience of big time football, there should have been more to show for the day. Still the Allied forces barely made it across the sand on the first day in France, but within months they were knocking at the door of Berlin. To hold a top four side to a paltry three goals to half time and eight goals in total was a sign of the change that has occurred at the club. But there is simply not enough true talent there to get the side across the line when needed. Like the game against Port Adelaide it was there to be won, but there was no-one to stand up and show the way. Yes we had plenty of contributors with the usual bevy of Jones, Vince, Cross, Jamar, Dawes, Dunn and Pedersen showing the way it needed to be done, but there are simply too many being dragged along for the ride. The likes of Watts, Bail, Salem, Gawn, Terlich, Howe and Frawley simply did not impact the game. Yes some of them had 20 touches, but did they really have any effect on the outcome? Sometimes the game is there to be won from a series of one-on-one contests, and to be successful it requires each and every player to do his part when it counts. Not just a contribution, but to make it count. It is also doubly hard for an up and coming team to overcome the sheer ineptitude of the umpiring department as witnessed today. Five free kicks to Melbourne in the whole game, two of which were out-on-the-full. Even 13 to Collingwood over the course of a game is insufficient. Is there any wonder that packs of players develop and is turning the game into a variation of Rugby Union? Why Vince was denied a goal after Jetta elected to play on from a mark was simply incomprehensible. There is no time on after a mark, and the player is perfectly entitled to play on. But then we would have to teach the umpires some simply rules of the game, and at the moment they are being taught incorrectly. When the fans are bombarded with written examples of the rules of the game prior to the match, it only highlights that something is seriously wrong. Pity is that the umpires weren’t the ones subject to the Power-point display pre-game, and not the fans who can read what is written down in the Rule book. Last year we would have been happy to see a competitive side this year. That we have! We are no longer blown away on the score-board, but until we learn and are capable of putting some score-board pressure on ourselves, then the results of the past two weeks will continue. If this was our Dee-day, then it is only the start. The darkest hours are surely behind us, but we need more small wins to be able to continue the fight ever upward. In this torrid run that we have against a series of the top sides, we are staying on the battlefield and are not being overrun. We can only bide our time, and wait for that final break-out which surely is coming … Melbourne 1.3.9 2.4.16 3.6.24 3.10.28 Collingwood 1.2.8 3.7.25 5.10.40 8.13.61 Goals Melbourne Howe N Jones Vince Collingwood Beams Cloke 2 Elliott Goldsack Macaffer Pendelbury Best Melbourne Cross N Jones Vince Pedersen Dunn Dawes Collingwood Young Macaffer Pendlebury Lumumba Seedsman Swan Injuries Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Collingwood Jesse White (finger) replaced in selected side by Brodie Grundy Reports Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Umpires Fisher, Kamolins, Findlay Crowd 66,124 at the MCG

Seventy years since the Allies started the counter-attack against the might of Germany. Fifty years since the Demons won a Premiership Was the Queens Birthday of 2014 going to be the beginning of something special, or just another re-run of the ordinary performances that have marked the past years encounters? With an earlygoal on the scoreboard courtesy of Nathan Jones within the first thorty seconds, the supporters could have been thinking that the something special was going to happen. The first salvo in a reversal of fortune just like what D-Day represented all those years ago? Sadly, the fans were to see only another two goals for their side in the remaining 99 or so minutes of the game. And the final score represented the lowest score the Demons had kicked against the Pies since 1960! One would have thought the ground was a mud heap, but it was exactly the opposite! The small consolation was that the Magpies themselves could only manage eight for the day. Twelve months ago, we would have been happy with that result. However, the expectations have been raised, and with 68,000 at the game to give the Demons the experience of big time football, there should have been more to show for the day. Still the Allied forces barely made it across the sand on the first day in France, but within months they were knocking at the door of Berlin. To hold a top four side to a paltry three goals to half time and eight goals in total was a sign of the change that has occurred at the club. But there is simply not enough true talent there to get the side across the line when needed. Like the game against Port Adelaide it was there to be won, but there was no-one to stand up and show the way. Yes we had plenty of contributors with the usual bevy of Jones, Vince, Cross, Jamar, Dawes, Dunn and Pedersen showing the way it needed to be done, but there are simply too many being dragged along for the ride. The likes of Watts, Bail, Salem, Gawn, Terlich, Howe and Frawley simply did not impact the game. Yes some of them had 20 touches, but did they really have any effect on the outcome? Sometimes the game is there to be won from a series of one-on-one contests, and to be successful it requires each and every player to do his part when it counts. Not just a contribution, but to make it count. It is also doubly hard for an up and coming team to overcome the sheer ineptitude of the umpiring department as witnessed today. Five free kicks to Melbourne in the whole game, two of which were out-on-the-full. Even 13 to Collingwood over the course of a game is insufficient. Is there any wonder that packs of players develop and is turning the game into a variation of Rugby Union? Why Vince was denied a goal after Jetta elected to play on from a mark was simply incomprehensible. There is no time on after a mark, and the player is perfectly entitled to play on. But then we would have to teach the umpires some simply rules of the game, and at the moment they are being taught incorrectly. When the fans are bombarded with written examples of the rules of the game prior to the match, it only highlights that something is seriously wrong. Pity is that the umpires werent the ones subject to the Power-point display pre-game, and not the fans who can read what is written down in the Rule book. Last year we would have been happy to see a competitive side this year. That we have! We are no longer blown away on the score-board, but until we learn and are capable of putting some score-board pressure on ourselves, then the results of the past two weeks will continue. If this was our Dee-day, then it is only the start. The darkest hours are surely behind us, but we need more small wins to be able to continue the fight ever upward. In this torrid run that we have against a series of the top sides, we are staying on the battlefield and are not being overrun. We can only bide our time, and wait for that final break-out which surely is coming Melbourne 1.3.9 2.4.16 3.6.24 3.10.28 Collingwood 1.2.8 3.7.25 5.10.40 8.13.61 Goals Melbourne Howe N Jones Vince Collingwood Beams Cloke 2 Elliott Goldsack Macaffer Pendelbury Best Melbourne Cross N Jones Vince Pedersen Dunn Dawes Collingwood Young Macaffer Pendlebury Lumumba Seedsman Swan Injuries Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Collingwood Jesse White (finger) replaced in selected side by Brodie Grundy Reports Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Umpires Fisher, Kamolins, Findlay Crowd 66,124 at the MCG

DEE-DAY OR NO DEE-DAY by George on The Outer Seventy years since the Allies started the counter-attack against the might of Germany. Fifty years since the Demons won a Premiership Was the Queens Birthday of 2014 going to be the beginning of something special, or just another re-run of the ordinary performances that have marked the past years encounters? With an earlygoal on the scoreboard courtesy of Nathan Jones within the first thorty seconds, the supporters could have been thinking that the something special was going to happen. The first salvo in a reversal of fortune just like what D-Day represented all those years ago? Sadly, the fans were to see only another two goals for their side in the remaining 99 or so minutes of the game. And the final score represented the lowest score the Demons had kicked against the Pies since 1960! One would have thought the ground was a mud heap, but it was exactly the opposite! The small consolation was that the Magpies themselves could only manage eight for the day. Twelve months ago, we would have been happy with that result. However, the expectations have been raised, and with 68,000 at the game to give the Demons the experience of big time football, there should have been more to show for the day. Still the Allied forces barely made it across the sand on the first day in France, but within months they were knocking at the door of Berlin. To hold a top four side to a paltry three goals to half time and eight goals in total was a sign of the change that has occurred at the club. But there is simply not enough true talent there to get the side across the line when needed. Like the game against Port Adelaide it was there to be won, but there was no-one to stand up and show the way. Yes we had plenty of contributors with the usual bevy of Jones, Vince, Cross, Jamar, Dawes, Dunn and Pedersen showing the way it needed to be done, but there are simply too many being dragged along for the ride. The likes of Watts, Bail, Salem, Gawn, Terlich, Howe and Frawley simply did not impact the game. Yes some of them had 20 touches, but did they really have any effect on the outcome? Sometimes the game is there to be won from a series of one-on-one contests, and to be successful it requires each and every player to do his part when it counts. Not just a contribution, but to make it count. It is also doubly hard for an up and coming team to overcome the sheer ineptitude of the umpiring department as witnessed today. Five free kicks to Melbourne in the whole game, two of which were out-on-the-full. Even 13 to Collingwood over the course of a game is insufficient. Is there any wonder that packs of players develop and is turning the game into a variation of Rugby Union? Why Vince was denied a goal after Jetta elected to play on from a mark was simply incomprehensible. There is no time on after a mark, and the player is perfectly entitled to play on. But then we would have to teach the umpires some simply rules of the game, and at the moment they are being taught incorrectly. When the fans are bombarded with written examples of the rules of the game prior to the match, it only highlights that something is seriously wrong. Pity is that the umpires werent the ones subject to the Power-point display pre-game, and not the fans who can read what is written down in the Rule book. Last year we would have been happy to see a competitive side this year. That we have! We are no longer blown away on the score-board, but until we learn and are capable of putting some score-board pressure on ourselves, then the results of the past two weeks will continue. If this was our Dee-day, then it is only the start. The darkest hours are surely behind us, but we need more small wins to be able to continue the fight ever upward. In this torrid run that we have against a series of the top sides, we are staying on the battlefield and are not being overrun. We can only bide our time, and wait for that final break-out which surely is coming Melbourne 1.3.9 2.4.16 3.6.24 3.10.28 Collingwood 1.2.8 3.7.25 5.10.40 8.13.61 Goals Melbourne Howe N Jones Vince Collingwood Beams Cloke 2 Elliott Goldsack Macaffer Pendelbury Best Melbourne Cross N Jones Vince Pedersen Dunn Dawes Collingwood Young Macaffer Pendlebury Lumumba Seedsman Swan Injuries Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Collingwood Jesse White (finger) replaced in selected side by Brodie Grundy Reports Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Umpires Fisher, Kamolins, Findlay Crowd 66,124 at the MCG

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A PIE IN THE FACE FOR CASEY by Whispering Jack The pattern of squandering a handy lead before capitulating continued for the Casey Scorpions when they went down to Collingwood by six points in difficult conditions at Casey Fields on Saturday. Heavy rain met the teams at the start which caused a scrappy affair. The teams went goal for goal throughout most of the first half with a late goal to Dean Kent, his second for the game, giving the home side a 5 point lead at the main break. At that stage, Casey was leading in most of the key performance indicators with Jordie McKenzie picking up a swag of possessions out of the middle. After an early third quarter goal gave Collingwood back the lead, the Scorpions took full control of the game and when Kent kicked his third at the 16 minute mark, they held a 17 point lead. It was at this stage that the now familiar pattern took hold. There was a sudden drop in Casey's momentum and it was all Collingwood and they finally hit the lead at the 30 minute mark. A free kick to Pat Rosier on the siren gave Casey the lead at the final break. The Scorpions have had a three week break with a bye followed by the VFL representative game and despite Rohan Welsh's call to arms, they gave away two goals in quick succession early in the fourth. Despite an arm wrestle which saw them wrest the lead back with a Tim Smith goal from a difficult angle, the latter part of the quarter was played almost entirely in Collingwood's forward half and the Magpies broke through to lead by the 18 minute mark and held on without much trouble. The lack of urgency at the end when the game was in the balance was like a slap in the face to those who work hard at the club and to the hardy supporters who brave the elements to follow the team. Casey's cause was not helped when the prolific Jordie McKenzie was taken from the field after half time, presumably as he is needed for emergency duties at Melbourne. While many of them are young, there were too many AFL listed players not putting in for the full four quarters and the VFL contingent were weakened by the absence of Troy Davis, Mitch Gent, Nathan Page and Will Petropoulos leaving very few seasoned players or leaders to help skipper Evan Panozza. The club introduced two first gamers and several others have only played a handful of games. Debutant Matt Rennie kicked two goals. On a tough day for marking forwards, Casey really had very little up there and relied heavily on a solid performance from Kent. Aidan Riley and James Strauss were solid at times while Sam Blease gave good run out of defence. The defeat has left Casey at 3-5 and well off the pace in the race for the finals, facing a difficult trek to Eureka Stadium North Ballarat next Saturday. 2014 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 2.1.13 4.3.27 9.5.59 11.7.73 Collingwood 2.2.14 3.4.22 8.8.56 11.13.79 Goals Casey Scorpions Kent 3 Barry Rennie 2 Michie Rosier Smith Tapscott Collingwood Allan Reid Martin Suckling 2 Armstrong Ferguson Mooney Casey Scorpions Kent McKenzie Riley Strauss Smith Blease Collingwood Suckling Kennedy Williams Hellier Hudson Marsh Statistics Dom Barry 2 goals 13 disposals 8 kicks 5 handballs 2 marks 3 tackles 54 Dream Team Points Sam Blease 26 disposals 19 kicks 7 handballs 1 marks 3 tackles 86 Dream Team Points Michael Evans 16 disposals 12 kicks 4 handballs 8 tackles 67 Dream Team Points Jack Fitzpatrick 1 behind 10 disposals 6 kicks 4 handballs 1 mark 1 tackle 40 hit outs 71 Dream Team Points Alexis Georgiou 6 disposals 6 kicks 2 marks 3 tackles 35 Dream Team Points James Harmes 13 disposals 5 kicks 8 handballs 1 mark 3 tackles 33 Dream Team Points Dean Kent 3 goals 21 disposals 17 kicks 4 handballs 5 marks 3 tackles 1 hit out 103 Dream Team Points Jordie McKenzie 22 disposals 9 kicks 13 handballs 12 tackles 94 Dream Team Points Viv Michie 1 goal 1 behind 19 disposals 16 kicks 3 handballs 2 marks 5 tackles 87 Dream Team Points Dan Nicholson 14 disposals 10 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 6 tackles 46 Dream Team Points Aidan Riley 18 disposals 5 kicks 13 handballs 12 tackles 77 Dream Team Points James Strauss 1 behind 14 disposals 9 kicks 5 handballs 6 tackles 63 Dream Team Points Luke Tapscott 1 goal 12 disposals 9 kicks 3 handballs 2 marks 9 tackles 74 Dream Team Points Jimmy Toumpas 12 disposals 8 kicks 4 handballs 1 mark 4 tackles 45 Dream Team Points The Development Team was thrashed by the Box Hill Hawks. 2014 AFL Victoria Development League Casey Scorpions 1.1.7 3.3.21 4.4.28 7.4.46 Box Hill Hawks 8.5.53 12.10.82 18.12.120 22.16.148 Goals Casey Scorpions Del Papa 2 Wyatt 2 Corry Murray Shiels Box Hill Hawks Gordon 9 McEvoy 4 Tatupu 2 Cassidy Exon Franetic Northe O'Donnell Thompson Wood Best Casey Scorpions Paredes Shiels Corry Drew Welsh Wyatt Box Hill Hawks Gordon Wood Tobin Thompson O'Donnell Tatupu

The pattern of squandering a handy lead before capitulating continued for the Casey Scorpions when they went down to Collingwood by six points in difficult conditions at Casey Fields on Saturday. Heavy rain met the teams at the start which caused a scrappy affair. The teams went goal for goal throughout most of the first half with a late goal to Dean Kent, his second for the game, giving the home side a 5 point lead at the main break. At that stage, Casey was leading in most of the key performance indicators with Jordie McKenzie picking up a swag of possessions out of the middle. After an early third quarter goal gave Collingwood back the lead, the Scorpions took full control of the game and when Kent kicked his third at the 16 minute mark, they held a 17 point lead. It was at this stage that the now familiar pattern took hold. There was a sudden drop in Casey's momentum and it was all Collingwood and they finally hit the lead at the 30 minute mark. A free kick to Pat Rosier on the siren gave Casey the lead at the final break. The Scorpions have had a three week break with a bye followed by the VFL representative game and despite Rohan Welsh's call to arms, they gave away two goals in quick succession early in the fourth. Despite an arm wrestle which saw them wrest the lead back with a Tim Smith goal from a difficult angle, the latter part of the quarter was played almost entirely in Collingwood's forward half and the Magpies broke through to lead by the 18 minute mark and held on without much trouble. The lack of urgency at the end when the game was in the balance was like a slap in the face to those who work hard at the club and to the hardy supporters who brave the elements to follow the team. Casey's cause was not helped when the prolific Jordie McKenzie was taken from the field after half time, presumably as he is needed for emergency duties at Melbourne. While many of them are young, there were too many AFL listed players not putting in for the full four quarters and the VFL contingent were weakened by the absence of Troy Davis, Mitch Gent, Nathan Page and Will Petropoulos leaving very few seasoned players or leaders to help skipper Evan Panozza. The club introduced two first gamers and several others have only played a handful of games. Debutant Matt Rennie kicked two goals. On a tough day for marking forwards, Casey really had very little up there and relied heavily on a solid performance from Kent. Aidan Riley and James Strauss were solid at times while Sam Blease gave good run out of defence. The defeat has left Casey at 3-5 and well off the pace in the race for the finals, facing a difficult trek to Eureka Stadium North Ballarat next Saturday. 2014 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 2.1.13 4.3.27 9.5.59 11.7.73 Collingwood 2.2.14 3.4.22 8.8.56 11.13.79 Goals Casey Scorpions Kent 3 Barry Rennie 2 Michie Rosier Smith Tapscott Collingwood Allan Reid Martin Suckling 2 Armstrong Ferguson Mooney Casey Scorpions Kent McKenzie Riley Strauss Smith Blease Collingwood Suckling Kennedy Williams Hellier Hudson Marsh Statistics Dom Barry 2 goals 13 disposals 8 kicks 5 handballs 2 marks 3 tackles 54 Dream Team Points Sam Blease 26 disposals 19 kicks 7 handballs 1 marks 3 tackles 86 Dream Team Points Michael Evans 16 disposals 12 kicks 4 handballs 8 tackles 67 Dream Team Points Jack Fitzpatrick 1 behind 10 disposals 6 kicks 4 handballs 1 mark 1 tackle 40 hit outs 71 Dream Team Points Alexis Georgiou 6 disposals 6 kicks 2 marks 3 tackles 35 Dream Team Points James Harmes 13 disposals 5 kicks 8 handballs 1 mark 3 tackles 33 Dream Team Points Dean Kent 3 goals 21 disposals 17 kicks 4 handballs 5 marks 3 tackles 1 hit out 103 Dream Team Points Jordie McKenzie 22 disposals 9 kicks 13 handballs 12 tackles 94 Dream Team Points Viv Michie 1 goal 1 behind 19 disposals 16 kicks 3 handballs 2 marks 5 tackles 87 Dream Team Points Dan Nicholson 14 disposals 10 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 6 tackles 46 Dream Team Points Aidan Riley 18 disposals 5 kicks 13 handballs 12 tackles 77 Dream Team Points James Strauss 1 behind 14 disposals 9 kicks 5 handballs 6 tackles 63 Dream Team Points Luke Tapscott 1 goal 12 disposals 9 kicks 3 handballs 2 marks 9 tackles 74 Dream Team Points Jimmy Toumpas 12 disposals 8 kicks 4 handballs 1 mark 4 tackles 45 Dream Team Points The Development Team was thrashed by the Box Hill Hawks. 2014 AFL Victoria Development League Casey Scorpions 1.1.7 3.3.21 4.4.28 7.4.46 Box Hill Hawks 8.5.53 12.10.82 18.12.120 22.16.148 Goals Casey Scorpions Del Papa 2 Wyatt 2 Corry Murray Shiels Box Hill Hawks Gordon 9 McEvoy 4 Tatupu 2 Cassidy Exon Franetic Northe O'Donnell Thompson Wood Best Casey Scorpions Paredes Shiels Corry Drew Welsh Wyatt Box Hill Hawks Gordon Wood Tobin Thompson O'Donnell Tatupu

Dunn deal with Dees for three years

THE SCORE by Whispering Jack Ten years ago Aaron Davey was drafted as a rookie by the Melbourne Football Club. He was a revelation instantly with his blistering pace - a feature not only of the attacking side of his game but, with his ability to run down opponents, he became a formidable weapon for his team in defending from the forward line. Over time, injuries took their toll on his body but he still had a glittering career at the club which included a "Bluey" Truscott Medal in 2009. In a fashion, it was Davey who was the prototype player for the way in which the game evolved over the past decade with the demand for almost all players to have the capacity to run both ways and moreover, do it all day, albeit that the effort required in achieving this outcome makes rest and rotation of players necessary. Players with Davey's speed only but without the endurance, soon were forced to play lesser roles within a team structure or were superceded altogether. The relevance of this in the context of the Queens Birthday fixture between Melbourne and Collingwood is that a decade ago it was the Magpies who were in the doldrums while the Demons were up near the top of the tree (they reached first place at the end of round 18, 2004) and the situation reversed itself very quickly over the course of the next few years. There are a number of reasons why the teams changed places including financial stability, good management and recruiting but on the field, it was mainly Collingwood's ability to adapt in style and then to take the lead over the rest of the competition with its hard running midfield which resulted in a premiership in 2010 and regular top four placings in other years. The record shows that Melbourne has languished behind the pack for far too long but this year, the changes to the defensive side of the team style introduced by new coach Paul Roos are starting to reap rewards. The flow of goals against has been stemmed and we are no longer seeing massive opposition scores on a weekly basis. Leaving aside the round 2 game against the Eagles (hopefully, an aberration) the team's percentage would now be sitting at around 90 compared to just over 50 last year. The challenge is for the team to maintain its new found defensive intensity while at the same time develop more potency when going into attack. Against the top team last week, Melbourne gathered 421 disposals to 364 but they translated into only 43 inside 50s against 60. You can maintain defensive pressure for only so long but, in the end, you need to include scoreboard pressure as well. When Melbourne successfully manages the next step, it will be able to take its place with the likes of Collingwood in the AFL scheme of things. THE GAME Melbourne v Collingwood at MCG Monday 9 June 2014 at 3.20pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 79 wins Collingwood 144 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Melbourne 59 wins Collingwood 77 wins 3 drawn Last Five Years Melbourne 0 wins Collingwood 4 wins 1 drawn The Coaches: Roos 0 wins Buckley 0 wins MEDIA TV Channel 7 Fox Footy Channel (Live at 3.00pm) Radio Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne $4.20 to win Collingwood $1.22 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Collingwood 17.20.122 defeated Melbourne 5.9.39 at MCG in Round 11, 2013 The Demons opened up brightly enough and kept up with the Pies until the first break but when the pressure was applied, the team collapsed without so much as a whimper in the game that spelled the end of coach Mark Neeld. Aaron Davey kicked his team's first and last goal for the game. Ironically, neither of the team's other goalkickers from that day (Trengove 2, Blease 1) will be out there on Monday afternoon. TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe C: Daniel Cross, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince HF: Rohan Bail, James Frawley, Matt Jones F: Cam Pedersen, Chris Dawes, Jack Watts FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Max Gawn, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Christian Salem, Dean Terlich EMG: Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley, Jimmy Toumpas IN: Chris Dawes OUT: Jimmy Toumpas COLLINGWOOD B: Tom Langdon, Jack Frost, Alan Toovey HB: Marley Williams, Lachlan Keeffe, Tyson Goldsack C: Dane Swan, Brent Macaffer, Heritier Lumumba HF: Alex Fasolo, Jesse White, Jarryd Blair F: Luke Ball, Travis Cloke, Jamie Elliott FOLL: Jarrod Witts, Dayne Beams, Scott Pendlebury I/C: Sam Dwyer, Paul Seedsman, Josh Thomas, Clinton Young EMG: Taylor Adams, Tim Broomhead, Brodie Grundy, IN: Luke Ball, Sam Dwyer, Dane Swan OUT: Taylor Adams, Nick Maxwell (calf), Steele Sidebottom (suspension) The status of Melbourne's traditional rivalry with Collingwood has taken a battering lately and certainly its performances over the past three years have not helped it in maintaining its hold on the Queens Birthday blockbuster. The Demons haven't won against the Magpies since they surprised them in the 2007 encounter. They also drew in the 2010 Queens Birthday match up (although died in the wool Collingwood fanatics insist that their wayward kicking cost them 2 premiership points that day). Since that day, the best effort we've seen is a 42 point loss in 2012 sandwiched in between 88 points (2011) and 83 points (last year). And though this day is potentially the biggest revenue earner of the year for the club, the crowds have been dwindling in direct proportion to its fortunes on the field. This makes the 2014 version a vital one for the Melbourne Football Club. There has been a substantial amount of discussion about the club's improvement this year but 3 wins out of 10 is nothing to write home about. The danger for the team now is that it will be content to rely on the recent spate of positive publicity about its mini-resurgence and rest on its laurels, rather than make a concerted effort to rise out of the bottom six. A win against a top four contender would certainly give momentum to that resurgence and Melbourne ceryainly blew its chances against Port Adelaide last week; to concede the first 26 points and the last 25 and be in arrears by only 20 at the final siren suggests that it had its chances. To take the next step, it needs to apply itself for 100% (or close to that figure) of the time against whatever opposition it comes against. Collingwood, with its outstanding midfield has dominated Melbourne in the engine room in their recent meetings but the Demons' rise in this division has narrowed the gap between the two teams. Mark Jamar leads the way with his return to close to his All Australian form of 2010 and the well documented inclusions that are the product of the pre season recruiting campaign should ensure that the on ball duels between the teams will be competitive. Melbourne's defence is performing well beyond expectations even with the move of James Frawley to attack and this week, the return of Chris Dawes to face his old club could give it an edge in the key forward area. I'm tipping a cliffhanger with Collingwood's big game experience to give it the edge in a close game worthy of an expected crowd of 75-80 thousand.

Ten years ago Aaron Davey was drafted as a rookie by the Melbourne Football Club. He was a revelation instantly with his blistering pace - a feature not only of the attacking side of his game but, with his ability to run down opponents, he became a formidable weapon for his team in defending from the forward line. Over time, injuries took their toll on his body but he still had a glittering career at the club which included a "Bluey" Truscott Medal in 2009. In a fashion, it was Davey who was the prototype player for the way in which the game evolved over the past decade with the demand for almost all players to have the capacity to run both ways and moreover, do it all day, albeit that the effort required in achieving this outcome makes rest and rotation of players necessary. Players with Davey's speed only but without the endurance, soon were forced to play lesser roles within a team structure or were superceded altogether. The relevance of this in the context of the Queens Birthday fixture between Melbourne and Collingwood is that a decade ago it was the Magpies who were in the doldrums while the Demons were up near the top of the tree (they reached first place at the end of round 18, 2004) and the situation reversed itself very quickly over the course of the next few years. There are a number of reasons why the teams changed places including financial stability, good management and recruiting but on the field, it was mainly Collingwood's ability to adapt in style and then to take the lead over the rest of the competition with its hard running midfield which resulted in a premiership in 2010 and regular top four placings in other years. The record shows that Melbourne has languished behind the pack for far too long but this year, the changes to the defensive side of the team style introduced by new coach Paul Roos are starting to reap rewards. The flow of goals against has been stemmed and we are no longer seeing massive opposition scores on a weekly basis. Leaving aside the round 2 game against the Eagles (hopefully, an aberration) the team's percentage would now be sitting at around 90 compared to just over 50 last year. The challenge is for the team to maintain its new found defensive intensity while at the same time develop more potency when going into attack. Against the top team last week, Melbourne gathered 421 disposals to 364 but they translated into only 43 inside 50s against 60. You can maintain defensive pressure for only so long but, in the end, you need to include scoreboard pressure as well. When Melbourne successfully manages the next step, it will be able to take its place with the likes of Collingwood in the AFL scheme of things. THE GAME Melbourne v Collingwood at MCG Monday 9 June 2014 at 3.20pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 79 wins Collingwood 144 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Melbourne 59 wins Collingwood 77 wins 3 drawn Last Five Years Melbourne 0 wins Collingwood 4 wins 1 drawn The Coaches: Roos 0 wins Buckley 0 wins MEDIA TV Channel 7 Fox Footy Channel (Live at 3.00pm) Radio Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne $4.20 to win Collingwood $1.22 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Collingwood 17.20.122 defeated Melbourne 5.9.39 at MCG in Round 11, 2013 The Demons opened up brightly enough and kept up with the Pies until the first break but when the pressure was applied, the team collapsed without so much as a whimper in the game that spelled the end of coach Mark Neeld. Aaron Davey kicked his team's first and last goal for the game. Ironically, neither of the team's other goalkickers from that day (Trengove 2, Blease 1) will be out there on Monday afternoon. TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe C: Daniel Cross, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince HF: Rohan Bail, James Frawley, Matt Jones F: Cam Pedersen, Chris Dawes, Jack Watts FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Max Gawn, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Christian Salem, Dean Terlich EMG: Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley, Jimmy Toumpas IN: Chris Dawes OUT: Jimmy Toumpas COLLINGWOOD B: Tom Langdon, Jack Frost, Alan Toovey HB: Marley Williams, Lachlan Keeffe, Tyson Goldsack C: Dane Swan, Brent Macaffer, Heritier Lumumba HF: Alex Fasolo, Jesse White, Jarryd Blair F: Luke Ball, Travis Cloke, Jamie Elliott FOLL: Jarrod Witts, Dayne Beams, Scott Pendlebury I/C: Sam Dwyer, Paul Seedsman, Josh Thomas, Clinton Young EMG: Taylor Adams, Tim Broomhead, Brodie Grundy, IN: Luke Ball, Sam Dwyer, Dane Swan OUT: Taylor Adams, Nick Maxwell (calf), Steele Sidebottom (suspension) The status of Melbourne's traditional rivalry with Collingwood has taken a battering lately and certainly its performances over the past three years have not helped it in maintaining its hold on the Queens Birthday blockbuster. The Demons haven't won against the Magpies since they surprised them in the 2007 encounter. They also drew in the 2010 Queens Birthday match up (although died in the wool Collingwood fanatics insist that their wayward kicking cost them 2 premiership points that day). Since that day, the best effort we've seen is a 42 point loss in 2012 sandwiched in between 88 points (2011) and 83 points (last year). And though this day is potentially the biggest revenue earner of the year for the club, the crowds have been dwindling in direct proportion to its fortunes on the field. This makes the 2014 version a vital one for the Melbourne Football Club. There has been a substantial amount of discussion about the club's improvement this year but 3 wins out of 10 is nothing to write home about. The danger for the team now is that it will be content to rely on the recent spate of positive publicity about its mini-resurgence and rest on its laurels, rather than make a concerted effort to rise out of the bottom six. A win against a top four contender would certainly give momentum to that resurgence and Melbourne ceryainly blew its chances against Port Adelaide last week; to concede the first 26 points and the last 25 and be in arrears by only 20 at the final siren suggests that it had its chances. To take the next step, it needs to apply itself for 100% (or close to that figure) of the time against whatever opposition it comes against. Collingwood, with its outstanding midfield has dominated Melbourne in the engine room in their recent meetings but the Demons' rise in this division has narrowed the gap between the two teams. Mark Jamar leads the way with his return to close to his All Australian form of 2010 and the well documented inclusions that are the product of the pre season recruiting campaign should ensure that the on ball duels between the teams will be competitive. Melbourne's defence is performing well beyond expectations even with the move of James Frawley to attack and this week, the return of Chris Dawes to face his old club could give it an edge in the key forward area. I'm tipping a cliffhanger with Collingwood's big game experience to give it the edge in a close game worthy of an expected crowd of 75-80 thousand.

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It would be fair to say that there have been a number of changes in the past twelve months. For starters, Collingwood's O'Brien is now Lumumba and Melbourne changed its coach MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Cameron Pedersen Dean Terlich Half backs Colin Garland Tom McDonald Sam Blease Centreline Jack Trengove Colin Sylvia Michael Evans Half forwards Jeremy Howe Jack Fitzpatrick Jack Watts Forwards David Rodan Chris Dawes Aaron Davey Followers Mark Jamar Matt Jones Nathan Jones Interchange Dean Kent Jordie McKenzie Luke Tapscott Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies Rohan Bail Max Gawn James Sellar In Sam Blease Max Gawn Tom McDonald Colin Sylvia Out Rohan Bail James Frawley (hamstring) Joel Macdonald (foot) James Strauss COLLINGWOOD Backs Nathan Brown Ben Reid Heritier O'Brien Half backs Heath Shaw Nick Maxwell Marley Williams Centreline Steele Sidebottom Brent Macaffer Luke Ball Half forwards Jamie Elliott Quinten Lynch Dane Swan Forwards Ben Kennedy Travis Cloke Alan Didak Followers Darren Jolly Scott Pendlebury Jarryd Blair Interchange Josh Thomas Ben Sinclair Kyle Martin Paul Seedsman Emergencies Martin Clarke Jackson Paine Adam Oxley In Travis Cloke Ben Sinclair Out Martin Clarke Andrew Krakouer