Demonland

Early July last year and we were showing something under caretaker coach Neil Whatsisname. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Dean Terlich Half backs Tom McDonald James Frawley Mitch Clisby Centreline Matt Jones Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Dean Kent Chris Dawes David Rodan Forwards Jack Fitzpatrick Jack Watts Jeremy Howe Followers Max Gawn Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Shannon Byrnes Aaron Davey Daniel Nicholson Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies Cam Pedersen James Sellar James Strauss In Jack Grimes Out Sam Blease (ankle) SYDNEY SWANS Backs Nick Smith Ted Richards Dane Rampe Half backs Nick Malceski Heath Grundy Jarrad McVeigh Centreline Dan Hannebery Josh Kennedy Andrejs Everitt Half forwards Ben McGlynn Sam Reid Jude Bolton Forwards Mike Pyke KurtTippett Luke Parker Followers Shane Mumford Kieren Jack, Ryan O'Keefe Interchange Craig Bird Brandon Jack Jed Lamb Tom Mitchell Emergencies Tony Armstrong Mitch Morton Jesse White In Shane Mumford Sam Reid Out Xavier Richards (quad) Jesse White

Another stellar performance from Nathan Jones sees him streaking ahead of the field in the progressive voting. 66. Nathan Jones 42. Dom Tyson 26. Lynden Dunn 25. James Frawley 22. Daniel Cross 21. Tom McDonald 17. Jack Watts 16. Jack Viney 14. Jeremy Howe 12. Chris Dawes 10. Jack Grimes 8. Bernie Vince 6. Rohan Bail Alexis Georgiou Jimmy Toumpas 4. Matt Jones 3. Dean Terlich Jack Trengove 2. Shannon Byrnes Cam Pedersen Jake Spencer

Melbourne could easily have plucked this game out of the fire in the end although a victory would have been something it didn't deserve. The game certainly wasn't one of the classics - there were lots of errors on both sides and it was the Suns who made the least. The game's adjudicators made a few as well - the first was the video review of the Demons' first goal and the last were some doozies from the field umpires that included a gifted goal to Garry Ablett when Melbourne was coming hard in the last quarter. If that was a free then McCaffer of Collingwood would have given away 20 and not 5 when he tagged Trent Cotchin against the Tigers last week. One or two more puzzling decisions late in the game didn't help the cause either. But while Melbourne persisted and got to within 8 points in the end, it would have been daylight robbery had the Demons won despite out scoring the visitors in three of the game's quarters. The truth is that the home side was pitiful from the time Cam Pedersen scored his team's third goal to give it a 20 - 10 lead at 21 minutes into the opening term until it went into the sheds at half time trailling 28 - 48 and they were only so close because of the Suns' inaccuracy. Another truth is that for the better part of the day, too many Demons were insipid, second to the ball and often failed to make a contest. They failed to follow their leaders in Nathan Jones and Jack Grimes and some of them were still back in the days of poor decision making and putrid disposal of the last few years. Thanks to the skippers, Jack Viney and two forwards in Chris Dawes and James Frawley, they fought their way back into the game - something that would have been unlikely in the dark old days. Things would have been better had they been able to get some drive from the ruck or managed their kick outs from defence a little better but one hopes those things can be resolved at the selection table before next week's game against the Sydney Swans. As it was, we saw none of the defensive pressure that enabled last week's win over Carlton and too many players were content to lounge behind their opponents. Perhaps it was the relief of winning that game that took the edge off the players' hunger for the football. If that was the case they should take the lead from skipper Nathan Jones whose strength and courage throughout was no better exemplified by his goal of the day effort when he bulldozed through a pack and snapped a goal to breath life back into the game midway through the final term. Never mind that an umpire sucked the life out of it a few minutes later, it was an example for the entire team to follow and those who don't will not be there by season's end. Melbourne 3.2.20 4.4.28 6.10.46 11.12.78 Gold Coast Suns 2.7.19 6.12.48 8.17.65 11.20.86 Goals Melbourne Dawes Frawley 2 Evans Howe Jones Kennedy-Harris Pedersen Terlich Viney Gold Coast Suns Ablett Lynch Matera Swallow 2 Broughton Day Hall Best Melbourne Jones Viney Grimes Dawes Frawley Cross Gold Coast Suns Ablett Rischitelli OMeara Shaw Broughton Prestia Changes Melbourne Nil Gold Coast Suns Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Carlton Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Gold Coast Suns Nil Umpires Wenn, Armstrong, Leppard Attendance 17,243 at the MCG

UNDESERVED by The Oracle Melbourne could easily have plucked this game out of the fire in the end although a victory would have been something it didn't deserve. The game certainly wasn't one of the classics - there were lots of errors on both sides and it was the Suns who made the least. The game's adjudicators made a few as well - the first was the video review of the Demons' first goal and the last were some doozies from the field umpires that included a gifted goal to Garry Ablett when Melbourne was coming hard in the last quarter. If that was a free then McCaffer of Collingwood would have given away 20 and not 5 when he tagged Trent Cotchin against the Tigers last week. One or two more puzzling decisions late in the game didn't help the cause either. But while Melbourne persisted and got to within 8 points in the end, it would have been daylight robbery had the Demons won despite out scoring the visitors in three of the game's quarters. The truth is that the home side was pitiful from the time Cam Pedersen scored his team's third goal to give it a 20 - 10 lead at 21 minutes into the opening term until it went into the sheds at half time trailling 28 - 48 and they were only so close because of the Suns' inaccuracy. Another truth is that for the better part of the day, too many Demons were insipid, second to the ball and often failed to make a contest. They failed to follow their leaders in Nathan Jones and Jack Grimes and some of them were still back in the days of poor decision making and putrid disposal of the last few years. Thanks to the skippers, Jack Viney and two forwards in Chris Dawes and James Frawley, they fought their way back into the game - something that would have been unlikely in the dark old days. Things would have been better had they been able to get some drive from the ruck or managed their kick outs from defence a little better but one hopes those things can be resolved at the selection table before next week's game against the Sydney Swans. As it was, we saw none of the defensive pressure that enabled last week's win over Carlton and too many players were content to lounge behind their opponents. Perhaps it was the relief of winning that game that took the edge off the players' hunger for the football. If that was the case they should take the lead from skipper Nathan Jones whose strength and courage throughout was no better exemplified by his goal of the day effort when he bulldozed through a pack and snapped a goal to breath life back into the game midway through the final term. Never mind that an umpire sucked the life out of it a few minutes later, it was an example for the entire team to follow and those who don't will not be there by season's end. Melbourne 3.2.20 4.4.28 6.10.46 11.12.78 Gold Coast Suns 2.7.19 6.12.48 8.17.65 11.20.86 Goals Melbourne Dawes Frawley 2 Evans Howe Jones Kennedy-Harris Pedersen Terlich Viney Gold Coast Suns Ablett Lynch Matera Swallow 2 Broughton Day Hall Best Melbourne Jones Viney Grimes Dawes Frawley Cross Gold Coast Suns Ablett Rischitelli OMeara Shaw Broughton Prestia Changes Melbourne Nil Gold Coast Suns Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Carlton Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Gold Coast Suns Nil Umpires Wenn, Armstrong, Leppard Attendance 17,243 at the MCG

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WHAT ME WORRY? by Whispering Jack I was sitting at my desk on Tuesday afternoon and I tapped out the usual message that directs me to the footy news. The headline that flashed across the screen said "Trengove set to miss rest of 2014 season" and, given that the site was that of the Melbourne Football Club and the colours of the livery around the page were red and blue, I figured it couldn't be Port Adelaides Trengove and we had another player in trouble. The shocking depth and volume of mishaps that have afflicted the Melbourne Football Club in recent years have been so breathtaking in number that the loss for a season of another impressive young man barely touched the senses. In past times, the news would have created an enormous feeling of loss, panic and a touch of paranoia followed by anger but these days, it's no more than another sad footnote to a sorry chapter of events presumably conjured up by sadistic football gods determined to beat us senseless because we chose Melbourne as the team to support (or perhaps it's the Curse of the Red Fox*) The combination of all of those heavy blows that have rained down upon us has left no room for anger and while once, we might have adopted the style of Peter Finch in Network by getting out of our chairs, going to the window and shouting "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!", we now remain calm and dignified. I'm not mad any more. Yes, it is another crushing blow to a fine young man, but Jack Trengove will heal and he will come back. In some ways, I think it might be a relief to discover what suddenly and mysteriously caused him to lose the dynamism that had Matt Burgan likening him to Nathan Buckley in his 2009 AFL Phantom Draft ("Trengove has excellent speed, endurance and leadership. He can also play midfield, forward or back"). I now realise we need to accept that injury and other disappointments are mere setbacks that are part and parcel of the game that must be accepted in the same vein as the good things that happen - like winning the four points on offer from a side that won a final last year. Once we realise that and refuse to wallow in self pity about the disasters that befall us, then we can shrug off the curse and start to become winners once more. * THE CURSE OF THE RED FOX There's an excellent article in this week's Inside Football by Brett Anderson who is a Demon supporter and who attributes our woes to the sacking of Norm Smith in 1965. He maintains that this curse is real. And now Jack Trengove. No wonder we just shrug the news of his injury off without so much as a thought. THE GAME Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns at the MCG Sunday 20 April, 2014 at 3.20 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 3 wins Gold Coast Suns 2 wins At MCG Melbourne 2 wins Gold Coast Suns 1 win Past five years Melbourne 3 wins Gold Coast Suns 2 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins McKenna 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 & Fox Sports 3 @ 3.00pm (live) RADIO - Triple M, 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $3.75 Gold Coast Suns to win - $1.60 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Gold Coast Suns 13.12.90 defeated Melbourne 10.17.77 Round 20, 2013 at Metricon Stadium The Demons were in this game all the way thanks to Colin Garland and Jordie McKenzie giving Gary Ablett Junior a working over. However, others in the Suns' midfield stepped up. Jack Viney played the best game of his brief career and Nathan Jones worked his butt off. The game was Campbell Brown's last - he was suspended for a vicious kick at James Strauss then offended in the off season and was duly sacked by the Suns. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Alex Georgiou, Tom McDonald, Lynden Dunn HB: Dean Terlich, James Frawley, Jack Grimes C: Jack Viney, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince HF: Jack Watts, Cam Pedersen, Jordie McKenzie F: Jeremy Howe, Chris Dawes, Rohan Bail FOLL: Jake Spencer, Nathan Jones, Daniel Cross I/C: Jay Kennedy-Harris, Matt Jones, Neville Jetta, Michael Evans EMG: Shannon Byrnes, Jack Fitzpatrick, Jimmy Toumpas IN: Neville Jetta OUT: Dean Kent (calf) GOLD COAST SUNS B: Matthew Warnock, Steven May, Greg Broughton HB: Sean Lemmens, Rory Thompson, Trent McKenzie C: Matt Shaw, Gary Ablett, Jarrod Harbrow HF: Aaron Hall, Tom Lynch, Danny Stanley F: Luke Russell, Sam Day, Brandon Matera Fol: Tom Nicholls, Jaeger O'Meara, David Swallow I/C: Jack Hutchins, Kade Kolodjashnij, Michael Rischitelli, Dion Prestia EMG: Tom Murphy, Timmy Sumner, Jeremy Taylor IN: Brandon Matera Out: Clay Cameron (shoulder) OPENING DOORS It was only a matter of a few hours before the news of Jack Trengove's navicular bone fracture broke (pun not intended), that I wrote in response to a reference about Neville Jetta getting a run for Melbourne, "Unless another long term injury opportunity opens up Nev can't play until round 12 when we will automatically be able to elevate another rookie." I was clearly tempting fate and suffering from temporary amnesia about the Curse of the Red Fox and it took no time for that LTI to surface (really sorry Jack). It took not that much longer for Jetta's elevation onto the senior list and some more hours later he was in the squad of 25 to take on the Gold Coast Suns. He'll play on Sunday. Neville Jetta is a survivor. When chosen at 51 in the Watts/Naitanui draft at the end of 2008, he (along with Jaimie Bennell) joined the club's tight knit indigenous heroes in Matty Whelan, Aaron Davey and Austin Wonaemirri. Soon after they were joined by the enigmatic Liam Jurrah, literally plucked out of the desert of Central Australia via the next preseason draft. There was a promise of indigenous excitement and there were certainly some moments but one by one, they disappeared attended by fragments of tragedy, by sadness and by injury. At the end of last year they were all gone - Jetta, who suffered his share of injuries throughout his career and was thought to be lacking in pace, delisted in October after 41 AFL games. However, he managed to gain a reprieve in December via the rookie draft and immediately set about the process of rebuilding his career with a full preseason including some starring roles in his practice matches at Casey. These were followed by two outstanding performances with the Scorpions playing both forward and back (he was a major contributor in his team's opening round win over Essendon) and when the door closed on Jack Trengove's 2014 season, it opened for Jetta. Such is the changing face of the game. The same changes are in the air for Jetta's club. Despite losing two team leaders of who much was expected in 2014, the "Roosification" of the Demons is starting to take hold even if it's only happening in small steps. Suddenly, this week's game against the Gold Coast Suns takes on a completely different complexion. Whereas, the equivalent match up twelve months ago saw the fledgling AFL club come of age with a then record 10 goal victory, this time it's Melbourne that is threatening to break out of the shackles of mediocrity. The Suns are a much better team in their home state where they have played three of their four games and recorded their two wins to date but last week they were dismembered to the time of 99 points by the all conquering Hawks. Very few teams recover from such shattering defeats (and let's face it the current Hawthorn side will do that to most opponents) so it's incredible to consider that the bookies have the Suns as such a firm favourite to win. It must surely be the Ablett factor because his presence makes that midfield superior to that of the Demons but it also means that if he can be covered the game is eminently winnable. And Melbourne's midfield with the addition of Tyson, Vince and Cross and a fit hardnut in Jack Viney is an entirely different one to that which capitulated so easily last year. It's true that Melbourne still has lots to do to get up to par after so many seasons in the football wilderness. The team still ranks 17th in the competition for inside 50s this year at an average of 42.5 per game (compared to Gold Coast's eighth at 51.5) but that figure is coloured by the fact that until the recent forward line renovation which included Chris Dawes' return last week, the Demons weren't all that fully focussed or equipped to move the ball into attack despite the fact that they were getting greater use of the football. Further, Melbourne's disposal efficiency rate of 72.5 per cent (7th overall) eclipses that of the Suns who rank last at 66.2%. I expect Melbourne's home ground advantage, renewed confidence, rebuilt midfield, "Roosified" team structure and our cooler climate to cause Bluey's Suns to become unhinged enabling the door to open for yet another breakthrough after last week's win over Carlton. Melbourne by 30 points.

WHAT ME WORRY? by Whispering Jack I was sitting at my desk on Tuesday afternoon and I tapped out the usual message that directs me to the footy news. The headline that flashed across the screen said "Trengove set to miss rest of 2014 season" and, given that the site was that of the Melbourne Football Club and the colours of the livery around the page were red and blue, I figured it couldn't be Port Adelaides Trengove and we had another player in trouble. The shocking depth and volume of mishaps that have afflicted the Melbourne Football Club in recent years have been so breathtaking in number that the loss for a season of another impressive young man barely touched the senses. In past times, the news would have created an enormous feeling of loss, panic and a touch of paranoia followed by anger but these days, it's no more than another sad footnote to a sorry chapter of events presumably conjured up by sadistic football gods determined to beat us senseless because we chose Melbourne as the team to support (or perhaps it's the Curse of the Red Fox*) The combination of all of those heavy blows that have rained down upon us has left no room for anger and while once, we might have adopted the style of Peter Finch in Network by getting out of our chairs, going to the window and shouting "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!", we now remain calm and dignified. I'm not mad any more. Yes, it is another crushing blow to a fine young man, but Jack Trengove will heal and he will come back. In some ways, I think it might be a relief to discover what suddenly and mysteriously caused him to lose the dynamism that had Matt Burgan likening him to Nathan Buckley in his 2009 AFL Phantom Draft ("Trengove has excellent speed, endurance and leadership. He can also play midfield, forward or back"). I now realise we need to accept that injury and other disappointments are mere setbacks that are part and parcel of the game that must be accepted in the same vein as the good things that happen - like winning the four points on offer from a side that won a final last year. Once we realise that and refuse to wallow in self pity about the disasters that befall us, then we can shrug off the curse and start to become winners once more. * THE CURSE OF THE RED FOX There's an excellent article in this week's Inside Football by Brett Anderson who is a Demon supporter and who attributes our woes to the sacking of Norm Smith in 1965. He maintains that this curse is real. And now Jack Trengove. No wonder we just shrug the news of his injury off without so much as a thought. THE GAME Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns at the MCG Sunday 20 April, 2014 at 3.20 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 3 wins Gold Coast Suns 2 wins At MCG Melbourne 2 wins Gold Coast Suns 1 win Past five years Melbourne 3 wins Gold Coast Suns 2 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins McKenna 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 & Fox Sports 3 @ 3.00pm (live) RADIO - Triple M, 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $3.75 Gold Coast Suns to win - $1.60 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Gold Coast Suns 13.12.90 defeated Melbourne 10.17.77 Round 20, 2013 at Metricon Stadium The Demons were in this game all the way thanks to Colin Garland and Jordie McKenzie giving Gary Ablett Junior a working over. However, others in the Suns' midfield stepped up. Jack Viney played the best game of his brief career and Nathan Jones worked his butt off. The game was Campbell Brown's last - he was suspended for a vicious kick at James Strauss then offended in the off season and was duly sacked by the Suns. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Alex Georgiou, Tom McDonald, Lynden Dunn HB: Dean Terlich, James Frawley, Jack Grimes C: Jack Viney, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince HF: Jack Watts, Cam Pedersen, Jordie McKenzie F: Jeremy Howe, Chris Dawes, Rohan Bail FOLL: Jake Spencer, Nathan Jones, Daniel Cross I/C: Jay Kennedy-Harris, Matt Jones, Neville Jetta, Michael Evans EMG: Shannon Byrnes, Jack Fitzpatrick, Jimmy Toumpas IN: Neville Jetta OUT: Dean Kent (calf) GOLD COAST SUNS B: Matthew Warnock, Steven May, Greg Broughton HB: Sean Lemmens, Rory Thompson, Trent McKenzie C: Matt Shaw, Gary Ablett, Jarrod Harbrow HF: Aaron Hall, Tom Lynch, Danny Stanley F: Luke Russell, Sam Day, Brandon Matera Fol: Tom Nicholls, Jaeger O'Meara, David Swallow I/C: Jack Hutchins, Kade Kolodjashnij, Michael Rischitelli, Dion Prestia EMG: Tom Murphy, Timmy Sumner, Jeremy Taylor IN: Brandon Matera Out: Clay Cameron (shoulder) OPENING DOORS It was only a matter of a few hours before the news of Jack Trengove's navicular bone fracture broke (pun not intended), that I wrote in response to a reference about Neville Jetta getting a run for Melbourne, "Unless another long term injury opportunity opens up Nev can't play until round 12 when we will automatically be able to elevate another rookie." I was clearly tempting fate and suffering from temporary amnesia about the Curse of the Red Fox and it took no time for that LTI to surface (really sorry Jack). It took not that much longer for Jetta's elevation onto the senior list and some more hours later he was in the squad of 25 to take on the Gold Coast Suns. He'll play on Sunday. Neville Jetta is a survivor. When chosen at 51 in the Watts/Naitanui draft at the end of 2008, he (along with Jaimie Bennell) joined the club's tight knit indigenous heroes in Matty Whelan, Aaron Davey and Austin Wonaemirri. Soon after they were joined by the enigmatic Liam Jurrah, literally plucked out of the desert of Central Australia via the next preseason draft. There was a promise of indigenous excitement and there were certainly some moments but one by one, they disappeared attended by fragments of tragedy, by sadness and by injury. At the end of last year they were all gone - Jetta, who suffered his share of injuries throughout his career and was thought to be lacking in pace, delisted in October after 41 AFL games. However, he managed to gain a reprieve in December via the rookie draft and immediately set about the process of rebuilding his career with a full preseason including some starring roles in his practice matches at Casey. These were followed by two outstanding performances with the Scorpions playing both forward and back (he was a major contributor in his team's opening round win over Essendon) and when the door closed on Jack Trengove's 2014 season, it opened for Jetta. Such is the changing face of the game. The same changes are in the air for Jetta's club. Despite losing two team leaders of who much was expected in 2014, the "Roosification" of the Demons is starting to take hold even if it's only happening in small steps. Suddenly, this week's game against the Gold Coast Suns takes on a completely different complexion. Whereas, the equivalent match up twelve months ago saw the fledgling AFL club come of age with a then record 10 goal victory, this time it's Melbourne that is threatening to break out of the shackles of mediocrity. The Suns are a much better team in their home state where they have played three of their four games and recorded their two wins to date but last week they were dismembered to the time of 99 points by the all conquering Hawks. Very few teams recover from such shattering defeats (and let's face it the current Hawthorn side will do that to most opponents) so it's incredible to consider that the bookies have the Suns as such a firm favourite to win. It must surely be the Ablett factor because his presence makes that midfield superior to that of the Demons but it also means that if he can be covered the game is eminently winnable. And Melbourne's midfield with the addition of Tyson, Vince and Cross and a fit hardnut in Jack Viney is an entirely different one to that which capitulated so easily last year. It's true that Melbourne still has lots to do to get up to par after so many seasons in the football wilderness. The team still ranks 17th in the competition for inside 50s this year at an average of 42.5 per game (compared to Gold Coast's eighth at 51.5) but that figure is coloured by the fact that until the recent forward line renovation which included Chris Dawes' return last week, the Demons weren't all that fully focussed or equipped to move the ball into attack despite the fact that they were getting greater use of the football. Further, Melbourne's disposal efficiency rate of 72.5 per cent (7th overall) eclipses that of the Suns who rank last at 66.2%. I expect Melbourne's home ground advantage, renewed confidence, rebuilt midfield, "Roosified" team structure and our cooler climate to cause Bluey's Suns to become unhinged enabling the door to open for yet another breakthrough after last week's win over Carlton. Melbourne by 30 points.

Why? He's still a member of the team.

I named my daughter Alexis after him.

A lot of water under the bridge since the two clubs met late last year on the Coast. The Suns were on the up and up and made no changes while the Dees were coming of a couple of big defeats including a debilitating 10 goal thumping from Carlton. Here are the teams from that clash:- GOLD COAST SUNS Backs Trent McKenzie Sam May Seb Tape Half forwards Greg Broughton Rory Thompson Luke Russell Centreline Harley Bennell Gary Ablett Jarrod Harbrow Half forwards Jaeger O'Meara Sam Day Aaron Hall Forwards Campbell Brown Charlie Dixon Nathan Bock Followers Daniel Gorringe Danny Stanley David Swallow Interchange Dion Prestia Andrew Sexton Matt Shaw Tim Sumner Emergencies Jackson Allen Andrew Boston Thomas Murphy No change MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Dean Terlich Half backs James Strauss Tom McDonald Mitch Clisby Centreline Jack Grimes Jack Viney Jordie McKenzie Half forwards Matt Jones Jack Watts Jack Trengove Forwards Dean Kent Jack Fitzpatrick Luke Tapscott Followers Jake Spencer Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Shannon Byrnes Aaron Davey Troy Davis Dan Nicholson Emergencies Sam Blease In Troy Davis Jordie McKenzie Dan Nicholson James Strauss Out Max Gawn Jeremy Howe (calf) Cam Pedersen Jimmy Toumpas

It takes a lot to keep a good man down and Nathan Jones and bounced back to re-take the lead after round 4. This is the progressive scoreboard (Rounds 1 to 4 inclusive):- 48. Nathan Jones 42. Dom Tyson 25. Lynden Dunn 21. Tom McDonald 17. James Frawley Jack Watts 14. Daniel Cross Jeremy Howe 9. Jack Grimes 8. Bernie Vince 6. Rohan Bail Alexis Georgiou Jimmy Toumpas 4. Matt Jones 3. Dean Terlich Jack Trengove 2. Shannon Byrnes Jake Spencer Jack Viney 1. Cam Pedersen

THE RIGHT RESULT by The Oracle Until this meeting, Melbourne had not tasted victory over Carlton since the infamous "Kreuzer Cup" affair in the final round of the 2007 season and to this day, I'm still not sure if that game was a victory (it must have been because the AFL which claims that "integrity" is one of its strong suits still records this sham of a farce as win for Melbourne). Anyway, we're in a new age now and neither of the protagonists has come out of that period in their respective histories with the fruits of their endeavours in list management, culture and team building. This game might have been billed by some as the "Wright Cup" but one can only hope that we go the right result this time. The start wasn't very promising and I recall sitting there cringing at about the five minute mark when the Blues already had two goals on the board while hardly a Demon player had touched the ball, let alone have the ball in attack or effect a score. As I uncupped my head from my hands, I thought I might capture this moment for posterity and this screenshot from my AFL IPhone App says it all:- Then something unusual happened and it was the turning point of the season. Instead of accepting the situation and fading away into complete insignificance as it did a fortnight ago against West Coast, Melbourne went into resistance mode and fought back. At the midpoint of the quarter, the sun suddenly burst through the clouds and the gloom and doom enveloping the MCG and the club to which the ground rightfully belongs lifted. From that time on, Melbourne turned a 12-point deficit into a shock 23-point win and pushed Mick Malthouse and his men into deep crisis. And after the game magnanimous Mick praised the victors and vainly tried to reassure what was left of the Carlton faithful that all was well in the world and that for seven years he has coached his teams into finals. Sorry, Mick but Demon fans know plenty about seven years of famine and we can see what's coming. The interesting thing about this game is that it was a mirror image of the team's season opener with the Blues bursting out of the blocks with two quick opening goals and the Dees fighting tooth and nail to get back into the game by quarter time. This time it was Carlton that suffered the early injury (and more of those came as the game wore on), Melbourne hit the front early in the second term (with a ripper of a goal from the skipper) and never looked back while the hapless Carlton kicked itself out of any chance of getting back into the game. As in the opening match of the season, it was the skipper of the winning team who shone like a beacon in gathering 28 disposals and, at the same time performing a near perfect blanket job on his Carlton counterpart Marc Murphy. It's high time that his (Jones, I mean) elite status is afforded due recognition and I hope the club starts pumping him up for All Australian status some time soon. Well, perhaps I'm being a tad premature but let's see how he fares against his fellow nude nut and opposition skipper next week. The game was certainly a scrappy affair with the odd highlight but this is the way of Paul Roos in the early stages of building a side. The presence of Chris Dawes and James Frawley up forward made a world of difference in that it gave the team some focus going forward. They picked up two goals each and were matched by the same number from Rohan Bail and Jack Watts who were both handy. The addition of Jordie McKenzie and Jack Viney gave Melbourne the advantage in close and Daniel Cross continues to provide inspiration to the younger Demons. Don't underestimate the role of Dom Tyson who was afforded the honour of being tagged in just his fourth game at the club, yet still made a meaningful contribution while his teammates were freed up to assist in the team effort. Despite holding a handy lead at the final break (considering it was a low scoring game), it took the Demons a long time to shake off the errant Blues to record their 12.9 (81) to 7.16 (58). A lot of that was also due to Jake Spencer's lion-hearted performance in the ruck after being towelled up last week by Shane Mumford. His part time assistant Cam Pedersen also defied the critics and plucked out the miracle goal that put the game beyond the opposition's reach. And so, the sum of all of our fears that the club would go through 2014 has been allayed and the monkey is now on someone else's back. The result result was achieved this time. Melbourne 3.2.20 6.7.43 10.8.68 12.9.81 Carlton 3.4.23 5.9.39 6.11.48 7.16.58 Goals Melbourne Bail Dawes Frawley Watts 2 Dunn N Jones Kennedy-Harris Pedersen Carlton Ellard Yarran 2 Casboult Henderson Murphy Best Melbourne N Jones Frawley McDonald Watts Grimes Bail Carlton Yarran Curnow Walker Gibbs Changes Melbourne Nil Carlton Mitch Robinson replaced by Nick Graham Injuries Melbourne Terlich (hamstring) Carlton Menzel (left thigh) Thomas (left shoulder) Jamison (shoulder) Reports Melbourne Nil Carlton Robert Warnock for striking Jake Spencer Umpires Jeff Dalgleish Jacob Mollison Andrew Mitchell Attendance 37,323 at the MCG

Please keep those votes rolling in folks. To answer a query from last week, when I post the progressive votes that means the totals for all rounds played so far in the season, not just the round currently played.

To the above posters, there's nothing wrong with the system. "Progressive" means after three rounds. Nathan Jones didn't poll a vote in round 3. He polled his votes in round 1 & 2. Thanks

Never in doubt

6 to Malthouse (only kidding but I can't wait to see his presser).

Smashed us. CARLTON Backs Chris Yarran Michael Jamison Lachlan Henderson Half backs Zach Tuohy Dennis Armfield White Centreline Kane Lucas Mitch Robinson Kade Simpson Half forwards Chris Judd Andrew Walker Jeff Garlett Forwards Ed Curnow Shaun Hampson Jarrad Waite Followers Robert Warnock Marc Murphy Brock McLean Interchange Eddie Betts Jaryd Cachia David Ellard Heath Scotland Emergencies Tom Bell Sam Rowe In Jaryd Cachia David Ellard Jarrad Waite Out Andrew Carazzo Bryce Gibbs (hamstring) Sam Rowe MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn James Frawley Dean Terlich Half backs Jack Grimes Tom McDonald Colin Garland Centreline Jack Trengove Jack Viney Matt Jones Half forwards Jeremy Howe Colin Sylvia Dean Kent Forwards Rohan Bail Max Gawn Shannon Byrnes Followers Jake Spencer Jordie McKenzie Nathan Jones Interchange Michael Evans Daniel Nicholson James Strauss Luke Tapscott Emergencies Sam Blease Aaron Davey Cameron Pedersen In Lynden Dunn Dean Kent Daniel Nicholson Jake Spencer James Strauss Jack Viney Out Sam Blease Aaron Davey Mark Jamar (groin) Cameron Pedersen David Rodan Jack Watts (hamstring) New Dean Kent (Perth)

Many years ago (in fact somewhere in the 1980's) I tried to imagine what football would be like in the future. At the time, I was into reading science fiction by writers such as Isaac Asimov and his work led me to think that perhaps the sport might develop to a stage where it was played by robots rather than human beings: by machines programmed to play in the manner in which their inventors designed them to perform. Naturally, the designers with the greatest amount of financial backing would produce the best performed teams. In this world of robotic footballers, there would be no room for emotions or feelings because such things would likely distract from the prime objective of performing at the optimum and winning the contest. The modern footballer might not yet be a machine made of metal with computer chip brains but we've seen this week an example of how one of them with human frailties and unable to cope with the pressures of the system has been forced out of the game. It's difficult to imagine that one so tall in stature, so big and so strong and so almost able to leap tall buildings in a single bound could be forced out of sport by an illness that we once believed could never afflict a footballer at this elite level. That Mitch Clark has been able to understand his ailment and knows it can be treated is promising and inspires hope that his future away from the game will bring him happiness and contentment in a place beyond blue. In his own words, "I am very grateful for everything Melbourne has done for me. I will always consider myself a Melbourne player and a Melbourne person." And all Melbourne people will continue to stand behind Mitch as he moves on to the next stages of his rehabilitation. Beyond that, it's hard to look at the coming week when the remaining robots in the team do battle with a like group of battered warriors who are in similarly poor shape. This week's opposition head robot organised a meeting of his fellows and as a result the rusty, creaking joints have been oiled and a promise was made of greater commitment and a better result. Against this, we look at Melbourne and wonder what can Paul Roos do with his own charges to raise them a notch or two given than one of the big men upon whose broad shoulders was carried the promise of improvement has gone and most of the others remain out of commission for the time being. There was a time in the pre robot era of football, when it was possible to rouse a team that was down in morale by addressing issues such as pride in the colours and appealing for a concerted effort and an aggressive approach. We live in the age of professionalism and robotics; when doing it for the club, for the supporters, for yourself or even for a comrade in difficult straits is an anachronism that involves digging into the depths of an individual's emotions. But in this day and age, that can no longer be done because the microchip that carries the meme of emotion in the head of the player has been removed from the programme. THE GAME Carlton v Melbourne at MCG Saturday, April 12, 1.45pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Carlton 115 wins Melbourne 88 wins Drawn 2 At MCG Carlton 48 wins Melbourne 48 wins Past five years Carlton 5 wins Melbourne 0 wins The Coaches Malthouse 0 wins Roos 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel at 1.00 pm (live) RADIO - MMM 3AW THE BETTING Carlton to win - $1.10 Melbourne to win - $7.00 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Carlton 18.13 (121) d Melbourne 8.12 (60) at the MCG Round 6, 2013 Carlton won by 61 points against an insipid Melbourne combination for who the season had already ended at around a quarter of the way in. Dejavu anyone? THE TEAMS CARLTON B: Andrew Walker, Michael Jamison, Zach Tuohy HB: Andrejs Everitt, Sam Rowe, Dylan Buckley C: Kade Simpson, Ed Curnow, Dale Thomas HF: David Ellard, Levi Casboult, Bryce Gibbs F: Chris Yarran, Lachie Henderson, Mitch Robinson FOLL: Robert Warnock, Patrick Cripps, Marc Murphy I/C: Andrew Carrazzo, Kane Lucas, Troy Menzel, Heath Scotland EM: Tom Bell, Nick Graham, Matthew Watson IN: Levi Casboult, Patrick Cripps, Kane Lucas, Heath Scotland OUT Tom Bell, Jeff Garlett, Jarrad Waite, Simon White MELBOURNE B: Alex Georgiou, James Frawley, Lynden Dunn HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Dean Terlich C: Jack Watts, Bernie Vince, Daniel Cross HF: Jordie McKenzie, Cameron Pedersen, Jack Viney F: Jeremy Howe, Chris Dawes, Rohan Bail FOLL: Jake Spencer, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Dean Kent, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Michael Evans, Matt Jones EMG: Jack Trengove, Shannon Byrnes, Daniel Nicholson IN: Chris Dawes, Jordie McKenzie OUT: Shannon Byrnes, Jack Fitzpatrick MICK, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? Mick Malthouse. What have you done? I was sitting at home fully resigned to the fact that the Demons would falter again this week against the Blues as they have done against moderate opposition in St. Kilda in Round 1 and GWS Giants in Round 3 (I'm trying to erase entirely the painful fiasco of the West Coast game from the memory banks). Damn you Malthouse but by dropping two of your players who frighten me the most out of your crumbling football team, you've raised in me the faintest glimmer of hope that Melbourne might cause an upset and possibly win this week. I speak now of Jarrad Waite and Jeff Garlett, two of the Blues' most problematic thorns in Melbourne's side apart from Chris Judd who always destroys the Dees and mysteriously appears from nowhere when it comes to playing them (but looks like missing out this week). When the teams met last year, Waite put on a blinder kicking two goals on his way to snaring a Brownlow vote while Garlett was irrepressible with four goals which added to Melbourne's heartbreak because while the Demons struggled up forward the Blues' goalsneak simply couldn't miss. I still have nightmares about Garlett in the first game post 186 running 100 metres along the wing with one bounce while mesmerised umpires watched on unable to blow the whistle as another Carlton goal was set up. Now, without those two and rocked by controversy over its cantankerous coach who is almost universally disliked by the football world (and we wonder about his own charges given their performances of late), Carlton is in the sort of form that produces statistics like these weekly averages:- Disposals (319) - ranked 18 in the AFL Handballs (131) - ranked 18 in the AFL Effective kicks (114) - ranked 18 in the AFL Handball receives (99) - ranked 18 in the AFL Uncontested possessions (182) - ranked 18 in the AFL. They're that bad that there's a chance that they might make us look half presentable. With Chris Dawes returning to hopefully straighten up the forward line, the Demons might even record a season high total of eight goals which under the predicted weather conditions and based on the morale of the opposition might even be a winning score. Who knows? Melbourne by 1 point.

BEYOND BLUES by Whispering Jack Many years ago (in fact somewhere in the 1980's) I tried to imagine what football would be like in the future. At the time, I was into reading science fiction by writers such as Isaac Asimov and his work led me to think that perhaps the sport might develop to a stage where it was played by robots rather than human beings: by machines programmed to play in the manner in which their inventors designed them to perform. Naturally, the designers with the greatest amount of financial backing would produce the best performed teams. In this world of robotic footballers, there would be no room for emotions or feelings because such things would likely distract from the prime objective of performing at the optimum and winning the contest. The modern footballer might not yet be a machine made of metal with computer chip brains but we've seen this week an example of how one of them with human frailties and unable to cope with the pressures of the system has been forced out of the game. It's difficult to imagine that one so tall in stature, so big and so strong and so almost able to leap tall buildings in a single bound could be forced out of sport by an illness that we once believed could never afflict a footballer at this elite level. That Mitch Clark has been able to understand his ailment and knows it can be treated is promising and inspires hope that his future away from the game will bring him happiness and contentment in a place beyond blue. In his own words, "I am very grateful for everything Melbourne has done for me. I will always consider myself a Melbourne player and a Melbourne person." And all Melbourne people will continue to stand behind Mitch as he moves on to the next stages of his rehabilitation. Beyond that, it's hard to look at the coming week when the remaining robots in the team do battle with a like group of battered warriors who are in similarly poor shape. This week's opposition head robot organised a meeting of his fellows and as a result the rusty, creaking joints have been oiled and a promise was made of greater commitment and a better result. Against this, we look at Melbourne and wonder what can Paul Roos do with his own charges to raise them a notch or two given than one of the big men upon whose broad shoulders was carried the promise of improvement has gone and most of the others remain out of commission for the time being. There was a time in the pre robot era of football, when it was possible to rouse a team that was down in morale by addressing issues such as pride in the colours and appealing for a concerted effort and an aggressive approach. We live in the age of professionalism and robotics; when doing it for the club, for the supporters, for yourself or even for a comrade in difficult straits is an anachronism that involves digging into the depths of an individual's emotions. But in this day and age, that can no longer be done because the microchip that carries the meme of emotion in the head of the player has been removed from the programme.

And this thread has now run its course. There is another thread regarding Mitch's announcement this afternoon confirming his retirement. Please post on that with sensitivity to his circumstances.

Melbourne defender James Frawley puts $800,000 bounty on his head to switch clubs

Scorps Survive at Windy Hill

Here is match report from the Scorpions website: Scorps Survive at Windy Hill