Demonland

Nathan Jones still has a big lead over Dom Tyson. 77. Nathan Jones 51. Dom Tyson 43. Lynden Dunn 27. Chris Dawes 26. Daniel Cross Bernie Vince Jack Viney 25. James Frawley 23. Tom McDonald 19. Matt Jones 17. Jack Watts 14. Jeremy Howe 11. Jack Grimes Cam Pedersen 10. Rohan Bail 6. Alexis Georgiou Jay Kennedy-Harris Jimmy Toumpas 4. Dean Terlich 3. Jack Trengove 2. Shannon Byrnes Mark Jamar Neville Jetta Jake Spencer

Thanks to those who have generously given. We appreciate every cent donated and are putting the proceeds towards sorting out our database and hosting issues. As many of you are aware we have had many outages over the past few months and the worse time for them to hit is post game when we want to vent or celebrate. In order to get to the bottom of all the issues it is taking time and man hours and now out of pocket expenses so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again to those who have contributed and to those than continue to and those who do in the future.

It's often a case of the frees not paid that kill us. The Bail one was a disgrace.

Just a reminder that Demonlanders can assist us whilst we try to work out these issues with our hosting company. The tech support to isolate and fix the issue is costing us so any assistance is greatly appreciated. You can take out a Demonland Subscription: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/subscriptions/ If you are already a subscriber you can donate here: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/donate/

Please welcome our (once) long suffering Adelaide correspondent ... PURPOSE by Mel Rundle I could see it coming but I never thought it would happen at this time and in this place in front of a massive home crowd at Adelaide Oval. Not in this city where Demon fans have waited for a decade and more to taste the fruits of victory - any victory. But it happened here and while the result was in doubt until seconds before the final siren blared it was the sweetest of wins, a three-pointer that resulted from a fantastic team effort based on hard work and commitment to the cause from a team that has copped its share of hard knocks in recent times. When Paul Roos was appointed to coach the club last September, the memory of Melbourne's most recent visit to this city less than a month earlier was still fresh in the mind. The 68-point debacle at AAMI Stadium in Round 22 was a common feature of the way the Demons went about things in 2013 and could be described in one word as "purposeless". Roos has instilled a sense of purpose into the team based on a strong desire to defend its position. They came out and after a minor hiccup when they let Patrick Dangerfield slip through for the opening goal of the game, they stunned the Crows, their large band of supporters and the football world with their desire and commitment for the football. They had two great leaders in Nathan Jones and Jack Grimes who led from the front all afternoon although the former was under a bit of a cloud (said to be a slight twinge during the warm up which he shrugged off with disdain). Grimes was magnificent in defence, providing the rebound and, in the end, a perfect game-saving spoil to prevent a late Dangerfield mark. He was aided and abetted by Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe and Neville Jetta playing his best game for the club in blanketing Eddie Betts. Then there was the enigmatic Lynden Dunn who has stepped up this year and is doing what all players must do - make a contribution every week. Melbourne sits last in the competition for scoring this year but it scored seven unanswered goals from early in the first quarter until late in the opening half and at one stage led by 36 points. It's forward line was led by Chris Dawes, as solid as a rock but he had lots of assistance and the heart was warmed by Jack Watts' composure in kicking a great goal and by the nippiness of smalls in Jack Viney and Jay Kennedy-Harris. Dom Tyson and Bernie Vince in his homecoming, were also important players. After the main break, the game changed and Adelaide came back. The team that was here last year would have crumbled and fallen away but Melbourne has a sense of purpose these days and it resolutely fought back hard and thanks to some accuracy in front of goal and a great pack mark from the Russian (another former local) they held sway. Despite the enormous pressure applied by the home team and the roar of 40,000 voices willing them on to win and even to influence the umpires to produce an uneven free kick count (and please don't get me started), they held firm. There is still an issue with scoring - the dividend from the last half was a mere 4.2 to 7.9. But that will come perhaps with one more tall forward or a ruckman who can kick goals while resting up there. The main thing for now is that the team is gaining increasing respect and a win such as this one in hostile territory will serve it well in the future as it welcomes in a brave new world for the Demon faithful. Melbourne 4.0.24 7.2.44 8.4.52 11.4.70 Adelaide 1.1.7 2.4.16 5.10.40 9.13.67 Goals Melbourne Dawes 3 Bail Jamar Jones Kennedy-Harris Salem Tyson Viney Watts Adelaide Dangerfield Jenkins Podsiadly 2 Crouch Petrenko Thompson Best Melbourne Dawes Vince Tyson Viney Kennedy-Harris Grimes Adelaide Dangerfield Jacobs Smith Sloane Thompson Laird Changes Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Injuries Melbourne Georgiou (concussion) Adelaide Lynch (concussion) Jaensch (heavy knock) Reports Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Umpires Donlon Chamberlain Bannister Attendance 44,216 at the Adelaide Oval

I could see it coming but I never thought it would happen at this time and in this place in front of a massive home crowd at Adelaide Oval. Not in this city where Demon fans have waited for a decade and more to taste the fruits of victory - any victory. But it happened here and while the result was in doubt until seconds before the final siren blared it was the sweetest of wins, a three-pointer that resulted from a fantastic team effort based on hard work and commitment to the cause from a team that has copped its share of hard knocks in recent times. When Paul Roos was appointed to coach the club last September, the memory of Melbourne's most recent visit to this city less than a month earlier was still fresh in the mind. The 68-point debacle at AAMI Stadium in Round 22 was a common feature of the way the Demons went about things in 2013 and could be described in one word as "purposeless". Roos has instilled a sense of purpose into the team based on a strong desire to defend its position. They came out and after a minor hiccup when they let Patrick Dangerfield slip through for the opening goal of the game, they stunned the Crows, their large band of supporters and the football world with their desire and commitment for the football. They had two great leaders in Nathan Jones and Jack Grimes who led from the front all afternoon although the former was under a bit of a cloud (said to be a slight twinge during the warm up which he shrugged off with disdain). Grimes was magnificent in defence, providing the rebound and, in the end, a perfect game-saving spoil to prevent a late Dangerfield mark. He was aided and abetted by Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe and Neville Jetta playing his best game for the club in blanketing Eddie Betts. Then there was the enigmatic Lynden Dunn who has stepped up this year and is doing what all players must do - make a contribution every week. Melbourne sits last in the competition for scoring this year but it scored seven unanswered goals from early in the first quarter until late in the opening half and at one stage led by 36 points. It's forward line was led by Chris Dawes, as solid as a rock but he had lots of assistance and the heart was warmed by Jack Watts' composure in kicking a great goal and by the nippiness of smalls in Jack Viney and Jay Kennedy-Harris. Dom Tyson and Bernie Vince in his homecoming, were also important players. After the main break, the game changed and Adelaide came back. The team that was here last year would have crumbled and fallen away but Melbourne has a sense of purpose these days and it resolutely fought back hard and thanks to some accuracy in front of goal and a great pack mark from the Russian (another former local) they held sway. Despite the enormous pressure applied by the home team and the roar of 40,000 voices willing them on to win and even to influence the umpires to produce an uneven free kick count (and please don't get me started), they held firm. There is still an issue with scoring - the dividend from the last half was a mere 4.2 to 7.9. But that will come perhaps with one more tall forward or a ruckman who can kick goals while resting up there. The main thing for now is that the team is gaining increasing respect and a win such as this one in hostile territory will serve it well in the future as it welcomes in a brave new world for the Demon faithful. Melbourne 4.0.24 7.2.44 8.4.52 11.4.70 Adelaide 1.1.7 2.4.16 5.10.40 9.13.67 Goals Melbourne Dawes 3 Bail Jamar N Jones Kennedy-Harris Salem Tyson Viney Watts Adelaide Dangerfield Jenkins Podsiadly 2 Crouch Petrenko Thompson Best Melbourne Dawes Vince Tyson Viney Kennedy-Harris Grimes Adelaide Dangerfield Jacobs Smith Sloane Thompson Laird Changes Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Injuries Melbourne Georgiou (concussion) Adelaide Lynch (concussion) Jaensch (heavy knock) Reports Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Umpires Donlon Chamberlain Bannister Attendance 44,216 at the Adelaide Oval

We now move to post game ...

Your votes please 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ... And don't forget the Jones Rule

Go for it!!!

Why was that not 50?

The commentators don't like us getting frees. Have no issues with soft Adelaide ones.

These umpires are disgraceful!

The Dawes free made up for it. A little.

Sitting in the stands last Saturday night at the MCG wasn't the most pleasant experience for those who go to the football to taste the aesthetics of the game. It wasn't the night for pretty football, for excitement and skills and we weren't witnessing a game made in heaven for either the participants or the viewers. We are, after all the Demons and you could be excused for thinking that this was a game that those unfortunate enough to make it to that place, would spend countless hours playing this game out in hell. When Paul Roos signed on to take over the mantle of coach of the Melbourne Football Club, he never promised anyone a rose garden and we should not expect overnight changes to make the team immediately perfect. As far back as 2005 when he was with the Sydney Swans, Roos' coaching style was criticised by the then AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou who described his negative, defensive game plan as "disgusting" and "ugly". Those remarks were made during a game against St. Kilda which the Swans lost by seven goals but they appeared to be a catalyst for the team from the harbour city as they marched on to win the flag later that year. Not only that, but history records that the Sydney Swans scored only 8.10.58 to beat the West Coast Eagles by four points in the grand final. When Roos was appointed coach last September, he said, "It's going to be a huge challenge, there's no doubt about that. "They're certainly not sugar-coating it - I know what I'm coming into. I know it's going to be a very difficult job. "I'm really looking forward to setting a direction for the players and the football club, and setting some really high standards." Paul Kelly once sang that from little things, big things grow and, back in those stands on Saturday night, it wasn't hard to notice that we were watching the very budding of those "little things". Sydney came out of the blocks and had two goals on the board within five minutes thanks to a lucky bounce that favoured Luke Parker followed by an even luckier free kick and goal to expensive import Buddy Franklin. Melbourne was denied such luck in the opening term but it displayed some great resistance and aggression over the next fifteen minutes for a reward of a single goal to Shannon Byrnes while Jack Watts and Jeremy Howe dropped marks in front of goal that could have made a significant difference. They were made to pay when the Swans added two more in time on but the 4 - 1 goal scoreline was deceptively misleading. The game got uglier in the second quarter when the Demons scored the only goal for the term in a defensive slugfest but when was the last time that they kept a top four contender goalless for an entire quarter? So it went on, the Demons fought hard against the relentless strangulation of the Swans. Both teams played behind the ball, the visitors did it better and with the more skilled and experienced players, they ran out winners while the football world moaned at what it saw. They spoke in the end that Melbourne's average score for the season was its lowest since 1919, a winless wooden spoon season in the club's return after a three year recess during the First World War. But the Demons kept the Swans down to nine goals, a once unthinkable achievement and I suspect that we will soon see the silver lining to all of this. It might not be as dramatic as the rise to the top experienced by the Swans when their style was derided by Demetriou but I can see a continuation of the process to the point where one day a Melbourne side will strangle the life out of a good team with the dour, defensive style being introduced at present. And then, with the introduction of young, talented players like Christian Salem and a bit of height and strength up forward and down back, the ugly demon ducklings will soon be giving others hell. THE GAME Adelaide v Melbourne v at Adelaide Oval Saturday 3 May, 2014 at 4.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Adelaide 21 wins Melbourne 11 wins At Adelaide Oval Adelaide 0 wins Melbourne 0 wins Past five years Adelaide 4 wins Melbourne 1 win The Coaches Sanderson 0 wins Roos 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel @ 4.30pm (live) RADIO - Triple M SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Adelaide - $1.07 Melbourne to win - $9.00 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Adelaide 18.12.120 defeated Melbourne 7.10.52 Round 22, 2013 at AAMI Stadium Scott Thompson starred against his former club in a one team race from start to end that was a game best remembered for boring the living suitcases out of anyone who watched it. THE TEAMS Adelaide Crows B: Sam Shaw, Daniel Talia, Matthew Jaensch HB: Brodie Smith, Kyle Hartigan, Luke Brown C: Sam Kerridge, Patrick Dangerfield, David Mackay HF: Eddie Betts, James Podsiadly, Jared Petrenko F: Tom Lynch, Josh Jenkins, Matthew Wright FOLL: Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Rory Sloane I/C: Brent Reilly, Mitch Grigg, Rory Laird, Matt Crouch EMG: Brodie Martin, Andy Otten, Ben Rutten No Change Melbourne B: Tom McDonald, Lynden Dunn, Alex Georgiou HB: Jack Grimes, James Frawley, Dean Terlich C: Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince, Jack Watts HF: Rohan Bail, Cameron Pedersen, Matt Jones F: Jack Viney, Chris Dawes, Jeremy Howe FOLL: Mark Jamar, Daniel Cross, Nathan Jones I/C: Christian Salem, Neville Jetta, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Shannon Byrnes EMG: Mitchell Clisby, Max Gawn, Aidan Riley No Change It almost seems forever since a Melbourne team ventured across the South Australian border into Adelaide and returned home unscathed. In fact, it's been so long that I can't even recall a match preview of a Demons' game played over there that doesn't include a mention of the curse of the city of churches or the fact that it was way back in 2001 that Andrew Leoncelli accepted a David Schwartz knock on and kicked a last gasp goal to beat the Crows at Adelaide's Football Park. So there you go ... it's been mentioned but the ground more lately known as AAMI Stadium is no longer in commission as an AFL venue and this week's game is taking place at the Adelaide Oval and the home side has never beaten Melbourne there so let's just forget this 17 defeats in a row thing and concentrate on the game at hand. Young Adelaide star Patrick Dangerfield was asked earlier in the week why his team had made such a dramatic improvement after a poor start when it lost the opening three games of the season. His response was that the team was now sticking to the game plan and executing the plan better. He might also have added that they've also played much weaker opposition over the last these weeks than during the period in which they were losing but his point still holds good. It's all about staying the course. If there's one thing that we can expect from Melbourne coach Paul Roos it is that the style of game and the effort demanded of his players will remain constant in this phase of development. In the short term this means that supporters need to lower their expectations - there will be the odd win here or there (perhaps even a surprise), some fighting losses and the really tough days at the office when the team gets thrashed. We've seen it all already this year and there will be more but the course has been set and it's not likely that we'll see a departure for the sake of producing a high scoring quarter of pretty football here or there as you will see from some coaches. This is why it was so important for Melbourne to import the likes of Vince, Cross, Tyson, Georgiou and co who provide the extra depth and steel the club lacked in recent years. They are among the players expected to lift yet another notch if the team is to remain competitive against the surging Crows in front of their home crowd as they strive to emulate the top of the ladder local foe for home state popularity. Melbourne needs to get more drive from its ruck division. Mark Jamar will relish the fact that he now has a run under his belt but he needs to hit his onball brigade more often in the ruck duels and the team can't afford a repeat of Scott Thompson's midfield dominance from their last outing. It won't be an easy task keeping up with the Crows on their home turf but if the Demons stay the course, it could be an interesting evening. I think that in the end, Adelaide will have too much class and experience and therefore give ammunition for those who promote the curse of the city of churches but one day soon, all that talk will come to an end and, when the day comes, Melbourne will give them hell. But not this time ... Adelaide by 25 points.

GIVING HELL by Whispering Jack Sitting in the stands last Saturday night at the MCG wasn't the most pleasant experience for those who go to the football to taste the aesthetics of the game. It wasn't the night for pretty football, for excitement and skills and we weren't witnessing a game made in heaven for either the participants or the viewers. We are, after all the Demons and you could be excused for thinking that this was a game that those unfortunate enough to make it to that place, would spend countless hours playing this game out in hell. When Paul Roos signed on to take over the mantle of coach of the Melbourne Football Club, he never promised anyone a rose garden and we should not expect overnight changes to make the team immediately perfect. As far back as 2005 when he was with the Sydney Swans, Roos' coaching style was criticised by the then AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou who described his negative, defensive game plan as "disgusting" and "ugly". Those remarks were made during a game against St. Kilda which the Swans lost by seven goals but they appeared to be a catalyst for the team from the harbour city as they marched on to win the flag later that year. Not only that, but history records that the Sydney Swans scored only 8.10.58 to beat the West Coast Eagles by four points in the grand final. When Roos was appointed coach last September, he said, "It's going to be a huge challenge, there's no doubt about that. "They're certainly not sugar-coating it - I know what I'm coming into. I know it's going to be a very difficult job. "I'm really looking forward to setting a direction for the players and the football club, and setting some really high standards." Paul Kelly once sang that from little things, big things grow and, back in those stands on Saturday night, it wasn't hard to notice that we were watching the very budding of those "little things". Sydney came out of the blocks and had two goals on the board within five minutes thanks to a lucky bounce that favoured Luke Parker followed by an even luckier free kick and goal to expensive import Buddy Franklin. Melbourne was denied such luck in the opening term but it displayed some great resistance and aggression over the next fifteen minutes for a reward of a single goal to Shannon Byrnes while Jack Watts and Jeremy Howe dropped marks in front of goal that could have made a significant difference. They were made to pay when the Swans added two more in time on but the 4 - 1 goal scoreline was deceptively misleading. The game got uglier in the second quarter when the Demons scored the only goal for the term in a defensive slugfest but when was the last time that they kept a top four contender goalless for an entire quarter? So it went on, the Demons fought hard against the relentless strangulation of the Swans. Both teams played behind the ball, the visitors did it better and with the more skilled and experienced players, they ran out winners while the football world moaned at what it saw. They spoke in the end that Melbourne's average score for the season was its lowest since 1919, a winless wooden spoon season in the club's return after a three year recess during the First World War. But the Demons kept the Swans down to nine goals, a once unthinkable achievement and I suspect that we will soon see the silver lining to all of this. It might not be as dramatic as the rise to the top experienced by the Swans when their style was derided by Demetriou but I can see a continuation of the process to the point where one day a Melbourne side will strangle the life out of a good team with the dour, defensive style being introduced at present. And then, with the introduction of young, talented players like Christian Salem and a bit of height and strength up forward and down back, the ugly demon ducklings will soon be giving others hell. THE GAME Adelaide v Melbourne v at Adelaide Oval Saturday 3 May, 2014 at 4.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Adelaide 21 wins Melbourne 11 wins At Adelaide Oval Adelaide 0 wins Melbourne 0 wins Past five years Adelaide 4 wins Melbourne 1 wins The Coaches Sanderson 0 wins Roos 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel @ 4.30pm (live) RADIO - Triple M SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Adelaide - $1.07 Melbourne to win - $9.00 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Adelaide 18.12.120 defeated Melbourne 7.10.52 Round 22, 2013 at AAMI Stadium Scott Thompson starred against his former club in a one team race from start to end that was a game best remembered for boring the living suitcases out of anyone who watched it. THE TEAMS Adelaide Crows B: Sam Shaw, Daniel Talia, Matthew Jaensch HB: Brodie Smith, Kyle Hartigan, Luke Brown C: Sam Kerridge, Patrick Dangerfield, David Mackay HF: Eddie Betts, James Podsiadly, Jared Petrenko F: Tom Lynch, Josh Jenkins, Matthew Wright FOLL: Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Rory Sloane I/C: Brent Reilly, Mitch Grigg, Rory Laird, Matt Crouch EMG: Brodie Martin, Andy Otten, Ben Rutten No Change Melbourne B: Tom McDonald, Lynden Dunn, Alex Georgiou HB: Jack Grimes, James Frawley, Dean Terlich C: Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince, Jack Watts HF: Rohan Bail, Cameron Pedersen, Matt Jones F: Jack Viney, Chris Dawes, Jeremy Howe FOLL: Mark Jamar, Daniel Cross, Nathan Jones I/C: Christian Salem, Neville Jetta, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Shannon Byrnes EMG: Mitchell Clisby, Max Gawn, Aidan Riley No Change Preview It almost seems forever since a Melbourne team ventured across the South Australian border into Adelaide and returned home unscathed. In fact, it's been so long that I can't even recall a match preview of a Demons' game played over there that doesn't include a mention of the curse of the city of churches or the fact that it was way back in 2001 that Andrew Leoncelli accepted a David Schwartz knock on and kicked a last gasp goal to beat the Crows at Adelaide's Football Park. So there you go ... it's been mentioned but the ground more lately known as AAMI Stadium is no longer in commission as an AFL venue and this week's game is taking place at the Adelaide Oval and the home side has never beaten Melbourne there so let's just forget this 17 defeats in a row thing and concentrate on the game at hand. Young Adelaide star Patrick Dangerfield was asked earlier in the week why his team had made such a dramatic improvement after a poor start when it lost the opening three games of the season. His response was that the team was now sticking to the game plan and executing the plan better. He might also have added that they've also played much weaker opposition over the last these weeks than during the period in which they were losing but his point still holds good. It's all about staying the course. If there's one thing that we can expect from Melbourne coach Paul Roos it is that the style of game and the effort demanded of his players will remain constant in this phase of development. In the short term this means that supporters need to lower their expectations - there will be the odd win here or there (perhaps even a surprise), some fighting losses and the really tough days at the office when the team gets thrashed. We've seen it all already this year and there will be more but the course has been set and it's not likely that we'll see a departure for the sake of producing a high scoring quarter of pretty football here or there as you will see from some coaches. This is why it was so important for Melbourne to import the likes of Vince, Cross, Tyson, Georgiou and co who provide the extra depth and steel the club lacked in recent years. They are among the players expected to lift yet another notch if the team is to remain competitive against the surging Crows in front of their home crowd as they strive to emulate the top of the ladder local foe for home state popularity. Melbourne needs to get more drive from its ruck division. Mark Jamar will relish the fact that he now has a run under his belt but he needs to hit his onball brigade more often in the ruck duels and the team can't afford a repeat of Scott Thompson's midfield dominance from their last outing. It won't be an easy task keeping up with the Crows on their home turf but if the Demons stay the course, it could be an interesting evening. I think that in the end, Adelaide will have too much class and experience and therefore give ammunition for those who promote the curse of the city of churches but one day soon, all that talk will come to an end and, when the day comes, Melbourne will give them hell. But not this time ... Adelaide by 25 points.

Late last year - B: Dunn Frawley Garland HB: M. Jones McDonald Terlich C: Toumpas Jones Trengove HF: Kent Dawes Davey F: Howe Pedersen Tapscott Foll: Spencer Viney McKenzie Interchange Sylvia Watts Grimes: Rodan This is the first time we play them at Adelaide Oval. Hopefully, it will be better for us than the last dump they played at.

I've just put up a round up of articles on the game in our Casey section here. WJ will add the stats from the game when he receives them.

Casey's hopes for season 2014 took a big hit yesterday with a 10 goal defeat at home against Sandringham. This is how the defeat was seen on the net - Scorps lack sting in defeat ~ MFC website Zebras prevail over stingless Scorpions ~ Casey Scorpions website Zebras continue unbeaten start to season ~ Sandringham website The VFL website described it this way ~ 2014 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 0.0.0 1.4.10 3.7.25 5.9.39 Sandringham 3.4.22 7.4.46 13.7.85 14.13.97 Goals Casey Scorpions Best 2 Blease Davis Ferraro Sandringham Dennis-Lane 3 Dunell Weller 2 Acres Banfield Cook Markworth Milera Minchington Murdoch Best Casey Scorpions McKenzie Nicholson Gawn Panozza Riley Evans Sandringham Simpkin Markworth Roberton Dunell Cockie Acres 2014 AFL Victoria Development League Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 4.5.29 6.7.43 9.10.64 Sandringham 1.3.9 2.3.15 6.6.42 11.8.74 Goals Casey Scorpions Thwaites 3 Drew Rosier 2 Anderson Page Sandringham Beech McTaggart Ong White 2 Davis Hudghton Maitland Best Casey Scorpions Page Rosier Thwaites Anderson Waters Thomas Sandringham Verma Ong Graham Holmes White Maitland Statistics: Dom Barry 12 disposals 7 kicks 5 handballs 1 marks 3 tackles 43 Dream Team Points Sam Blease 1 goal 16 disposals 8 kicks 8 handballs 2 marks 5 tackles 69 Dream Team Points Mitch Clisby 18 disposals 13 kicks 5 handballs 5 marks 3 tackles 73 Dream Team Points Michael Evans 20 disposals 10 kicks 10 handballs 7 tackles 79 Dream Team Points Jack Fitzpatrick 15 disposals 9 kicks 6 handballs 5 marks 2 tackles 17 hit outs 76 Dream Team Points Colin Garland 5 disposals 5 kicks 3 marks 3 tackle 25 Dream Team Points [injured] Max Gawn 1 point 20 disposals 9 kicks 11 handballs 4 marks 4 tackles 44 hit outs 121 Dream Team Points James Harmes 10 disposals 5 kicks 5 handballs 3 marks 7 tackles 62 Dream Team Points[injured] Jayden Hunt 4 disposals 3 kicks 1 handballs 3 tackles 20 Dream Team Points Jordie McKenzie 29 disposals 14 kicks 15 handballs 11 tackles 1 hit out 122 Dream Team Points Dan Nicholson 23 disposals 14 kicks 9 handballs 5 marks 73 Dream Team Points Aidan Riley 18 disposals 5 kicks 13 handballs 1 mark 6 tackles 62 Dream Team Points James Strauss 14 disposals 5 kicks 9 handballs 3 marks 1 tackle 46 Dream Team Points Luke Tapscott 1 point 9 disposals 6 kicks 3 handballs 3 marks 6 tackles 52 Dream Team Points Jimmy Toumpas 2 behinds 16 disposals 11 kicks 5 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 62 Dream Team Points

Nathan Jones now well in front. 77. Nathan Jones 43. Lynden Dunm 42. Dom Tyson 26. Daniel Cross 25. James Frawley 23. Tom McDonald 17. Jack Watts 16. Matt Jones Bernie Vince Jack Viney 14. Jeremy Howe 12. Chris Dawes 11. Cam Pedersen 10. Jack Grimes 6. Rohan Bail Alexis Georgiou Jimmy Toumpas 3. Dean Terlich Jack Trengove 2. Shannon Byrnes Jake Spencer

The Age of Entitlement is Over ... …..so says Joe Hockey, the Federal Treasurer, and the same words may well be coming from Paul Roos the Melbourne Football Coach. For too long now, players have been selected to wear the Red and Blue on the basis of expectation, history or just plain “no one better”. The 5 goal loss against the Swans was hopefully the last vestige of the “Entitled to a game” group. Roos warned us to appraise the group after 5 games and while there has only been 1 win in that period for the fans, it has also been the same opportunity for him to appraise the group that he inherited. The ¾ time huddle conference between Jack Watts, Jeremy Howe and the coach will hopefully signal the end their sense of entitlement to a game next week. Neither of these players seems to understand that their performances are visible to all and sundry. Neither seems to appreciate that with today’s media capabilities: fans are able to compare their efforts to those in other sides constantly. And what they see they don’t like. Is it any wonder the Bronx cheers resounded around the M.C.G whenever they went near the ball? Contrast that with the huge cheer afforded Adam Goodes when he returned to the field after a 6 month hiatus. The Fans applauded his bravery and determination, not for what he did in this match, but for what he has done before. His is a positive reputation. It is not what a number of Melbourne players have to their name. The game itself was rather ugly. Perhaps that wasn’t unexpected with the styles already in place at Sydney and being developed at Melbourne. That the Demons were able to hold a top 4 side to a 5 goal victory is now seen as a positive, but given the disasters of last season as history, this would have turned into a 100+ point rout in 2013. There were small positives, although more than just a few small ones are needed to boost the hopes and morale of the still long suffering supporters. Cam Pedersen showed just what an AFL level footballer should be doing all game long. He was one of the few who ran to space and made opportunity for those up-field. Backing up in the ruck with a hit-out to advantage better than any ruckman on the day was an additional bonus. The return of Mark Jamar was a breath of fresh air. Again after a long lay-off he showed what a ruckman should be capable of with input around the ground, and not just standing in the centre circle and swatting at the ball. Chris Dawes was another who put in plenty, but had few opportunities to work with. Importantly, he is prepared to work. He stands the goal line on kick-outs, then runs to the first contest, then runs to the next, while others are rooted to the ground that they stood when setting the zone defence. If he only had some genuine assistance, the forward line pressure would produce results. Jones, both Nathan and Matt are setting the standard for mids at the club, ably assisted by Cross and Vince. It is the one area that Roos has bolstered positively, yet there still remains a fragility about the group, as too often the Sydney players freed the ball too easily in the pack situation. But then they are the masters of this. May 13th is Budget night and we will all witness the carnage that the end of the Age of Entitlement will bring. For those Melbourne players who haven’t been prepared to adopt the Roos mantra, the end of their own period of entitlement may well be sooner, and more final. Those that didn’t sign on when he coached Sydney didn’t come back. They didn’t win Premierships with un-committed players…. Melbourne 1.2.8 2.3.15 4.4.28 5.8.38 Sydney Swans 4.5.29 4.8.32 7.12.54 9.15 69 Goals Melbourne Byrnes Dawes M Jones Salem Tyson Sydney Jack 2 Cunningham Derickx Franklin Hannebery Kennedy McGlynn Parker Best Melbourne M. Jones N. Jones Vince Dunn Terlich McDonald Sydney Hannebery Kennedy Parker Jack Shaw Rampe Changes Melbourne Nil Sydney Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Sydney Franklin (knee) Jetta (calf) Reports Melbourne Nil Sydney Nil Umpires Margetts Ryan Mitchell Attendance 24,855 at the MCG (Congratulations to those that did turn up! Even the door officials have stopped checking the tickets of Melbourne supporters as they enter the Premium areas. They are obviously not prepared to turn ANYONE away who is that resilient, having paid or not!)

THE AGE OF ENTITLEMENT IS OVER by George on the Outer The Age of Entitlement is Over ... …..so says Joe Hockey, the Federal Treasurer, and the same words may well be coming from Paul Roos the Melbourne Football Coach. For too long now, players have been selected to wear the Red and Blue on the basis of expectation, history or just plain “no one better”. The 5 goal loss against the Swans was hopefully the last vestige of the “Entitled to a game” group. Roos warned us to appraise the group after 5 games and while there has only been 1 win in that period for the fans, it has also been the same opportunity for him to appraise the group that he inherited. The ¾ time huddle conference between Jack Watts, Jeremy Howe and the coach will hopefully signal the end their sense of entitlement to a game next week. Neither of these players seems to understand that their performances are visible to all and sundry. Neither seems to appreciate that with today’s media capabilities: fans are able to compare their efforts to those in other sides constantly. And what they see they don’t like. Is it any wonder the Bronx cheers resounded around the M.C.G whenever they went near the ball? Contrast that with the huge cheer afforded Adam Goodes when he returned to the field after a 6 month hiatus. The Fans applauded his bravery and determination, not for what he did in this match, but for what he has done before. His is a positive reputation. It is not what a number of Melbourne players have to their name. The game itself was rather ugly. Perhaps that wasn’t unexpected with the styles already in place at Sydney and being developed at Melbourne. That the Demons were able to hold a top 4 side to a 5 goal victory is now seen as a positive, but given the disasters of last season as history, this would have turned into a 100+ point rout in 2013. There were small positives, although more than just a few small ones are needed to boost the hopes and morale of the still long suffering supporters. Cam Pedersen showed just what an AFL level footballer should be doing all game long. He was one of the few who ran to space and made opportunity for those up-field. Backing up in the ruck with a hit-out to advantage better than any ruckman on the day was an additional bonus. The return of Mark Jamar was a breath of fresh air. Again after a long lay-off he showed what a ruckman should be capable of with input around the ground, and not just standing in the centre circle and swatting at the ball. Chris Dawes was another who put in plenty, but had few opportunities to work with. Importantly, he is prepared to work. He stands the goal line on kick-outs, then runs to the first contest, then runs to the next, while others are rooted to the ground that they stood when setting the zone defence. If he only had some genuine assistance, the forward line pressure would produce results. Jones, both Nathan and Matt are setting the standard for mids at the club, ably assisted by Cross and Vince. It is the one area that Roos has bolstered positively, yet there still remains a fragility about the group, as too often the Sydney players freed the ball too easily in the pack situation. But then they are the masters of this. May 13th is Budget night and we will all witness the carnage that the end of the Age of Entitlement will bring. For those Melbourne players who haven’t been prepared to adopt the Roos mantra, the end of their own period of entitlement may well be sooner, and more final. Those that didn’t sign on when he coached Sydney didn’t come back. They didn’t win Premierships with un-committed players…. Melbourne 1.2.8 2.3.15 4.4.28 5.8.38 Sydney Swans 4.5.29 4.8.32 7.12.54 [ ,: 9.15 (6 Goals Melbourne Byrnes Dawes M Jones Salem Tyson Sydney Jack 2 Cunningham Derickx Franklin Hannebery Kennedy McGlynn Parker Best Melbourne M. Jones N. Jones Vince Dunn Terlich McDonald Sydney Hannebery Kennedy Parker Jack Shaw Rampe Changes Melbourne Nil Sydney Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Sydney Franklin (knee) Jetta (calf) Reports Melbourne Nil Sydney Nil Umpires Margetts Ryan Mitchell Attendance 24,855 at the MCG (Congratulations to those that did turn up! Even the door officials have stopped checking the tickets of Melbourne supporters as they enter the Premium areas. They are obviously not prepared to turn ANYONE away who is that resilient, having paid or not!)

Your votes please 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ... The Jones Rule: Selections will not be considered if they nominate a player named Jones without providing the Christian name.

DAWN II by Whispering Jack The last time Paul Roos presided over a game between the teams whose names bear those of this country's two most populous cities, his team was badly mauled by the late Dean Bailey's Demons. That was four years ago when Tom Scully was a promising but relatively impoverished young player, Jack Trengove was fit, fast, could run all day and kick goals from outside 50 metres and Jordan Gysberts was not only on an AFL club list but also capable of picking up close to 30 touches of the footy every time he played. Luke Tapscott was the only constant then as now, being a regular name on the injured list. Well, I take a little poetic licence here and there (after all, Colin Sylvia was best on ground that day) but it's hard to believe that less than four years ago Melbourne opened the equivalent fixture to this week's game with an eight goal opening quarter, led by eight goals at the main break, kicked another eight in the third term and coasted to a 12 goal win. It was a new dawn for Melbourne and a swansong for Roos: his biggest loss at the helm as coach of Sydney and close to the end of his road as coach of a team he led to a long-awaited premiership in 2005. Who could have predicted the course of events that would lead to Roos' return as an AFL coach or that the once proud club which he now oversees would have undergone such an abject period of football poverty and total degradation? This Saturday night sees the two meeting again at the MCG. Both are currently outside the top eight after five rounds with Sydney, once a premiership fancy, seemingly resurrected after a surprise win over Fremantle at the last outing. The Swans go into the game as strong favourite to win but that is exactly what they were four years ago when the Demons stunned the football world with a performance that was so compelling that we marveled at what we believed was our new dawn. Could it happen again in two day's time? THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney Swans at the MCG Saturday 26 April, 2014 at 7.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 92 wins Sydney Swans 108 wins Drawn 2 At MCG Melbourne 49 wins Sydney Swans 40 wins Drawn 2 Past five years Melbourne 1 wins Sydney Swans 3 wins Drawn 1 The Coaches Roos 0 wins Longmire 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Footy Channel @ 7.30pm (live) RADIO - Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $8.00 Sydney Swans to win - $1.08 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Sydney Swans 16.20.116 defeated Melbourne 13.7.85 Round 15, 2013 at MCG Melbourne worked hard and were competitive against the reigning premiers who were off target. Dean Terlich put in a great game against his old club. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Alex Georgiou, Lynden Dunn, Dean Terlich HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Jack Grimes C: Daniel Cross, Bernie Vince, Jack Watts HF: Matt Jones, Chris Dawes, Jack Viney F: Cam Pedersen, James Frawley, Rohan Bail FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Shannon Byrnes, Neville Jetta, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Christian Salem EMG: Mitch Clisby, Daniel Nicholson, Jake Spencer In: Shannon Byrnes, Mark Jamar, Christian Salem Out: Jake Spencer, Michael Evans, Jordie McKenzie New: Christian Salem (18, Sandringham Dragons) SYDNEY SWANS B: Nick Smith, Ted Richards, Dane Rampe HB: Nick Malceski, Heath Grundy, Rhyce Shaw C: Daniel Hannebery, Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh HF: Ben McGlynn, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Leroy Jetta F: Luke Parker, Lance Franklin, Adam Goodes FOLL: Mike Pyke, Kieren Jack, Harry Cunningham I/C: Craig Bird, Tom Derickx, Jeremy Laidler, Jake Lloyd EMG: Brandon Jack, Zak Jones, Sam Reid In: Adam Goodes Out: Brandon Jack FROM A LYON TO A CHRISTIAN For the better part of a decade and a half from 1986 Garry Lyon wore the number three at Melbourne with distinction. It was no co-incidence that his arrival at the club, the last player from its country zone in the Goulburn Valley to be recruited, marked the beginning of the club's rise following more than two decades as the competition's cellar dweller after its golden era of the 1950s and 60s. Lyon's impact was immediate. He was Best First Year Player and kicked 26 goals in 20 games that year and after another 18 games in 1987, his club was witnessing a new dawn and on its way to its first finals series since 1964. Lyon would not take part in his club's three finals games that saw it desperately close to a grand final berth because he broke a leg in the final home and away game at Footscray. However, his career blossomed and he played in the grand final of the following year and rose to the rank of captain (1991-7). Along the way he won two club best and fairests (1990, 1994) represented his state on multiple occasions, topped the club goal kicking, gained All Australian honours in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and played 226 games and kicked 426 goals before a back injury ended his career in mid 1999. He reached the pinnacle of his career with a ten goal haul against Footscray in the 1994 Semi Final. He's now a media megastar and has helped the club out from time to time although his efforts with coaching selection and football department restructuring have not achieved the success we would have all wanted. His last official duty was carried out with reluctance but with the honour of helping out fellow club legend, the dying Jimmy Stynes, at the end of 2011. Others have worn the number 3 since (Clint Bizzell and Clint Bartram) and see here but on Saturday night the jumper fittingly will be passed on from Lyon to a Christian. It might be my eyesight but I reckon they have a similar look and certainly, despite his brief time at Melbourne, we've seen signs of the same silky skills in Christian Salem that Lyons displayed when he was one of the competition's leading forwards. Salem could well start as a forward on the MCG on Saturday night but he can play anywhere and is likely to end up in the midfield one day. Hopefully, his impact will be immediate (I'm not putting too much pressure on him, am I?), that we'll also see his time at the club bring another new dawn for the Demons and that he might even go one step further than the last custodian of the number three and also play in a winning grand final. It's been a long time coming - the last time we saw a Demon # 3 playing in a premiership was Peter Marquis in 1957. So down to the matter at hand and my preview of the game. It's just Melbourne's luck that the Sydney Swans returned to form on the eve of this game. They were struggling until they shocked Fremantle last week. Buddy Franklin was in the wars and looking a shadow of his former self but ever since he booted four goals against the Dockers he's been in smashing form both on and off the field. The Swans have responded to Melbourne going young with the selection of Salem by bringing old man Adam Goodes (Salem was 2 years old when Goodes was drafted) straight back into the team after a long lay off. Not for him is the need to play three games in the minor leagues to acclimatise like Mark Jamar. I don't expect Melbourne to be the pushover it once was. Since the advent of Paul Roos, the Demons defensive efforts have improved dramatically. However, despite some clever recruiting to shore up its previously third world midfield the Demons have only managed to go from Burkina Faso to Zimbabwe in terms of the all-important centre clearances, averaging just eight per game (still last) as against the Swans who are ranked sixth in the AFL (13). That situation might improve with Jamar back in the fold because the lion hearted Spencer struggled to get the ball into the hands of his on ballers in the opening five rounds. Melbourne's forward line has also languished this year but the recent revamp and inclusion of Chris Dawes and the move into attack of James Frawley seem to be working. There's a lot to be liked about the way Roos is working on improving the team but this week they face a tough opponent and as much as I'd like to tip a Demon boilover, I can't bring myself to tip a victory this week. I'm afraid we're still in the dark hour before dawn. Sydney by 27 points.

DAWN II by Whispering Jack The last time Paul Roos presided over a game between the teams whose names bear those of this country's two most populous cities, his team was badly mauled by the late Dean Bailey's Demons. That was four years ago when Tom Scully was a promising but relatively impoverished young player, Jack Trengove was fit, fast, could run all day and kick goals from outside 50 metres and Jordan Gysberts was not only on an AFL club list but also capable of picking up close to 30 touches of the footy every time he played. Luke Tapscott was the only constant then as now, being a regular name on the injured list. Well, I take a little poetic licence here and there (after all, Colin Sylvia was best on ground that day) but it's hard to believe that less than four years ago Melbourne opened the equivalent fixture to this week's game with an eight goal opening quarter, led by eight goals at the main break, kicked another eight in the third term and coasted to a 12 goal win. It was a new dawn for Melbourne and a swansong for Roos: his biggest loss at the helm as coach of Sydney and close to the end of his road as coach of a team he led to a long-awaited premiership in 2005. Who could have predicted the course of events that would lead to Roos' return as an AFL coach or that the once proud club which he now oversees would have undergone such an abject period of football poverty and total degradation? This Saturday night sees the two meeting again at the MCG. Both are currently outside the top eight after five rounds with Sydney, once a premiership fancy, seemingly resurrected after a surprise win over Fremantle at the last outing. The Swans go into the game as strong favourite to win but that is exactly what they were four years ago when the Demons stunned the football world with a performance that was so compelling that we marveled at what we believed was our new dawn. Could it happen again in two day's time? THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney Swans at the MCG Saturday 26 April, 2014 at 7.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 92 wins Sydney Swans 108 wins Drawn 2 At MCG Melbourne 49 wins Sydney Swans 40 wins Drawn 2 Past five years Melbourne 1 wins Sydney Swans 3 wins Drawn 1 The Coaches Roos 0 wins Longmire 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Footy Channel @ 7.30pm (live) RADIO - Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $8.00 Sydney Swans to win - $1.08 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Sydney Swans 16.20.116 defeated Melbourne 13.7.85 Round 15, 2013 at MCG Melbourne worked hard and were competitive against the reigning premiers who were off target. Dean Terlich put in a great game against his old club. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Alex Georgiou, Lynden Dunn, Dean Terlich HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Jack Grimes C: Daniel Cross, Bernie Vince, Jack Watts HF: Matt Jones, Chris Dawes, Jack Viney F: Cam Pedersen, James Frawley, Rohan Bail FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Shannon Byrnes, Neville Jetta, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Christian Salem EMG: Mitch Clisby, Daniel Nicholson, Jake Spencer In: Shannon Byrnes, Mark Jamar, Christian Salem Out: Jake Spencer, Michael Evans, Jordie McKenzie New: Christian Salem (18, Sandringham Dragons) SYDNEY SWANS B: Nick Smith, Ted Richards, Dane Rampe HB: Nick Malceski, Heath Grundy, Rhyce Shaw C: Daniel Hannebery, Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh HF: Ben McGlynn, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Leroy Jetta F: Luke Parker, Lance Franklin, Adam Goodes FOLL: Mike Pyke, Kieren Jack, Harry Cunningham I/C: Craig Bird, Tom Derickx, Jeremy Laidler, Jake Lloyd EMG: Brandon Jack, Zak Jones, Sam Reid In: Adam Goodes Out: Brandon Jack FROM A LYON TO A CHRISTIAN For the better part of a decade and a half from 1986 Garry Lyon wore the number three at Melbourne with distinction. It was no co-incidence that his arrival at the club, the last player from its country zone in the Goulburn Valley to be recruited, marked the beginning of the club's rise following more than two decades as the competition's cellar dweller after its golden era of the 1950s and 60s. Lyon's impact was immediate. He was Best First Year Player and kicked 26 goals in 20 games that year and after another 18 games in 1987, his club was witnessing a new dawn and on its way to its first finals series since 1964. Lyon would not take part in his club's three finals games that saw it desperately close to a grand final berth because he broke a leg in the final home and away game at Footscray. However, his career blossomed and he played in the grand final of the following year and rose to the rank of captain (1991-7). Along the way he won two club best and fairests (1990, 1994) represented his state on multiple occasions, topped the club goal kicking, gained All Australian honours in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and played 226 games and kicked 426 goals before a back injury ended his career in mid 1999. He reached the pinnacle of his career with a ten goal haul against Footscray in the 1994 Semi Final. He's now a media megastar and has helped the club out from time to time although his efforts with coaching selection and football department restructuring have not achieved the success we would have all wanted. His last official duty was carried out with reluctance but with the honour of helping out fellow club legend, the dying Jimmy Stynes, at the end of 2011. Others have worn the number 3 since (Clint Bizzell and Clint Bartram) and see here but on Saturday night the jumper fittingly will be passed on from Lyon to a Christian. It might be my eyesight but I reckon they have a similar look and certainly, despite his brief time at Melbourne, we've seen signs of the same silky skills in Christian Salem that Lyons displayed when he was one of the competition's leading forwards. Salem could well start as a forward on the MCG on Saturday night but he can play anywhere and is likely to end up in the midfield one day. Hopefully, his impact will be immediate (I'm not putting too much pressure on him, am I?), that we'll also see his time at the club bring another new dawn for the Demons and that he might even go one step further than the last custodian of the number three and also play in a winning grand final. It's been a long time coming - the last time we saw a Demon # 3 playing in a premiership was Peter Marquis in 1957. So down to the matter at hand and my preview of the game. It's just Melbourne's luck that the Sydney Swans returned to form on the eve of this game. They were struggling until they shocked Fremantle last week. Buddy Franklin was in the wars and looking a shadow of his former self but ever since he booted four goals against the Dockers he's been in smashing form both on and off the field. The Swans have responded to Melbourne going young with the selection of Salem by bringing old man Adam Goodes (Salem was 2 years old when Goodes was drafted) straight back into the team after a long lay off. Not for him is the need to play three games in the minor leagues to acclimatise like Mark Jamar. I don't expect Melbourne to be the pushover it once was. Since the advent of Paul Roos, the Demons defensive efforts have improved dramatically. However, despite some clever recruiting to shore up its previously third world midfield the Demons have only managed to go from Burkina Faso to Zimbabwe in terms of the all-important centre clearances, averaging just eight per game (still last) as against the Swans who are ranked sixth in the AFL (13). That situation might improve with Jamar back in the fold because the lion hearted Spencer struggled to get the ball into the hands of his on ballers in the opening five rounds. Melbourne's forward line has also languished this year but the recent revamp and inclusion of Chris Dawes and the move into attack of James Frawley seem to be working. There's a lot to be liked about the way Roos is working on improving the team but this week they face a tough opponent and as much as I'd like to tip a Demon boilover, I can't bring myself to tip a victory this week. I'm afraid we're still in the dark hour before dawn. Sydney by 27 points.

Dees name new leaders as Jamar return looms All 3 are very welcome additions.