Demonland

OUTBOXED by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions' 2014 woes continued at home against reigning premiers, the Box Hill Hawks who dominated their round 11 encounter at Casey Fields for all but one quarter before crushing their lifeless hosts in the last to record an 85-point thrashing on the public stage in the VFL's televised match of the day. The match was in stark contrast to the previous encounter between these sides in the final home and away round of last season when they were battling for high stakes at the top of the ladder and an errant shot for goal by Dom Barry in the dying moments saw the Scorpions go down by 2 points at Box Hill City Oval, a result which consigned them to an opening finals game at the Cattery. This time, a far superior Box Hill took a stranglehold on the game early in the piece when it outscored Casey in the opening term despite kicking into the face of a strongish breeze. The home side lined up with fourteen Melbourne listed players but the Casey contingent was relatively inexperienced and missing Troy Davis, Mitch Gent, Will Petropoulos and promising youngster Ed Morris who returned from injury this week through the development league team. B: Welsh Georgiou Strauss HB: Nicholson Panozza Toumpas C: Byrnes Tapscott Barry HF: Blease Smith Harmes F: Best Fitzpatrick Kennedy-Harris FOLL: Gawn Michie Evans IC: Drew Page Rennie* Saunders Shiels * 23rd player Casey was on the back foot early and it was a bad sign that it could only penetrate the Box Hill defence twice in the opening term for goals to Smith and Fitzpatrick at the 17 and 19 minute mark respectively. The Hawks let them off the hook with their poor finishing in front of goal but such was their dominance that the game was virtually over at half time when they led by 38 points and the Scorps had managed to add another two measly points to their score. With Smith and Byrnes injured, it took quite an effort for Casey to fight its way back into the game but it did so in the third term on the back of strong work in the midfield from Michie and some hard efforts from Gawn in the ruck. At one stage the gap had been narrowed to 23 points before the visitors steadied with a late goal. In any event, the Scorpions of 2014 are not known for stirring final quarter comebacks, least of all against the wind and it was almost inevitable that they would finish again without a whimper. The Hawks simply ran away with a nine goal to nil final quarter to complete the humiliation and substantially boost their own percentage. It was hard to find any positives from the game other than the form of Michie (30 disposals) and the valiant defence of Georgiou and skipper Panozza and some running efforts from Blease who finished with 28 touches. In truth however, they were simply an inexperienced line up that was fighting an opponent in a different weight division. They face Williamstown next week at the same venue with very little about which to be enthused. 2014 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 2.0.12 2.2.14 6.6.42 6.8.44 Box Hill Hawks 3.4.22 7.10.52 10.11.71 19.15.129 Goals Casey Scorpions Fitzpatrick 2 Smith Evans Page Smith Toumpas Box Hill Hawks McEvoy 5 Cust 4 Kelly Willsmore 2 Grimley Hallahan Iles Langford O'Donnell Simpkin Best Casey Scorpions Michie Georgiou Barry Nicholson Blease Panozza Box Hill Hawks B McEvoy Lock Woodward Simpkin Cust Kelly The development league team fought hard against a team which thrashed it by a three figure margin a fortnight ago. 2014 AFL Victoria Development League Casey Scorpions 2.4.16 3.6.24 5.7.37 5.9.39 Box Hill Hawks 1.1.7 6.6.42 10.11.71 13.16.94 Goals Casey Scorpions Davidson Gawley Lang Rutherford Symons Box Hill Hawks McEvoy Papadopoulos Thompson 2 Bond Franetic Goodwin Murphy Northe Soccio Tobin Best Casey Scorpions Scott Rutherford Jackson West Waters Corrigan Box Hill Hawks Tobin Murphy Soccio Miles Andrews Thompson

The Casey Scorpions' 2014 woes continued at home against reigning premiers, the Box Hill Hawks who dominated their round 11 encounter at Casey Fields for all but one quarter before crushing their lifeless hosts in the last to record an 85-point thrashing on the public stage in the VFL's televised match of the day. The match was in stark contrast to the previous encounter between these sides in the final home and away round of last season when they were battling for high stakes at the top of the ladder and an errant shot for goal by Dom Barry in the dying moments saw the Scorpions go down by 2 points at Box Hill City Oval, a result which consigned them to an opening finals game at the Cattery. This time, a far superior Box Hill took a stranglehold on the game early in the piece when it outscored Casey in the opening term despite kicking into the face of a strongish breeze. The home side lined up with fourteen Melbourne listed players but the Casey contingent was relatively inexperienced and missing Troy Davis, Mitch Gent, Will Petropoulos and promising youngster Ed Morris who returned from injury this week through the development league team. B: Welsh Georgiou Strauss HB: Nicholson Panozza Toumpas C: Byrnes Tapscott Barry HF: Blease Smith Harmes F: Best Fitzpatrick Kennedy-Harris FOLL: Gawn Michie Evans IC: Drew Page Rennie* Saunders Shiels * 23rd player Casey was on the back foot early and it was a bad sign that it could only penetrate the Box Hill defence twice in the opening term for goals to Smith and Fitzpatrick at the 17 and 19 minute mark respectively. The Hawks let them off the hook with their poor finishing in front of goal but such was their dominance that the game was virtually over at half time when they led by 38 points and the Scorps had managed to add another two measly points to their score. With Smith and Byrnes injured, it took quite an effort for Casey to fight its way back into the game but it did so in the third term on the back of strong work in the midfield from Michie and some hard efforts from Gawn in the ruck. At one stage the gap had been narrowed to 23 points before the visitors steadied with a late goal. In any event, the Scorpions of 2014 are not known for stirring final quarter comebacks, least of all against the wind and it was almost inevitable that they would finish again without a whimper. The Hawks simply ran away with a nine goal to nil final quarter to complete the humiliation and substantially boost their own percentage. It was hard to find any positives from the game other than the form of Michie (30 disposals) and the valiant defence of Georgiou and skipper Panozza and some running efforts from Blease who finished with 28 touches. In truth however, they were simply an inexperienced line up that was fighting an opponent in a different weight division. They face Williamstown next week at the same venue with very little about which to be enthused. 2014 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 2.0.12 2.2.14 6.6.42 6.8.44 Box Hill Hawks 3.4.22 7.10.52 10.11.71 19.15.129 Goals Casey Scorpions Fitzpatrick 2 Smith Evans Page Smith Toumpas Box Hill Hawks McEvoy 5 Cust 4 Kelly Willsmore 2 Grimley Hallahan Iles Langford O'Donnell Simpkin Best Casey Scorpions Michie Georgiou Barry Nicholson Blease Panozza Box Hill Hawks B McEvoy Lock Woodward Simpkin Cust Kelly Match Statistics The match stats:- * Dom Barry 9 disposals 3 kicks 6 handballs 1 marks 2 tackles 30 Dream Team Points * Sam Blease 27 disposals 18 kicks 9 handballs 3 marks 83 Dream Team Points * Shannon Byrnes 2 disposals 2 handballs 4 Dream Team Points (injured) * Michael Evans 1 goal 1 behind 24 disposals 15 kicks 9 handballs 4 marks 3 tackles 90 Dream Team Points * Jack Fitzpatrick 2 goals 10 disposals 7 kicks 3 handballs 5 marks 2 tackles 12 hit outs Dream Team Points * Max Gawn 23 disposals 9 kicks 14 handballs 8 marks 3 tackles 52 hit outs 137 Dream Team Points * Alexis Georgiou 17 disposals 11 kicks 6 handballs 10 marks 1 tackles 78 Dream Team Points * James Harmes 1 behind 14 disposals 8 kicks 6 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 58 Dream Team Points * Jay Kennedy-Harris 1 behind 17 disposals 10 kicks 7 handballs 4 marks 3 tackles 64 Dream Team Points * Viv Michie 1 behind 32 disposals 23 kicks 9 handballs 7 marks 5 tackles 128 Dream Team Points * Dan Nicholson 25 disposals 15 kicks 10 handballs 9 marks 3 tackles 98 Dream Team Points * James Strauss 20 disposals 16 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 1 tackles 73 Dream Team Points * Luke Tapscott 22 disposals 12 kicks 10 handballs 3 marks 6 tackles 91 Dream Team Points * Jimmy Toumpas 1 goal 21 disposals 15 kicks 6 handballs 5 marks 6 tackles 100 Dream Team Points The development league team fought hard against a team which thrashed it by a three figure margin a fortnight ago. 2014 AFL Victoria Development League Casey Scorpions 2.4.16 3.6.24 5.7.37 5.9.39 Box Hill Hawks 1.1.7 6.6.42 10.11.71 13.16.94 Goals Casey Scorpions Davidson Gawley Lang Rutherford Symons Box Hill Hawks McEvoy Papadopoulos Thompson 2 Bond Franetic Goodwin Murphy Northe Soccio Tobin Best Casey Scorpions Scott Rutherford Jackson West Waters Corrigan Box Hill Hawks Tobin Murphy Soccio Miles Andrews Thompson

With Carlton maintaining its losing streak of 12 straight losses against Hawthorn, the pressure is now on Melbourne to remove the miserable record that it has against North Melbourne of a similar 11 straight losses. The last time the Demons managed to overcome the Roos was way back in Round 20, 2006 when we defeated them in front of 29K at the MCG by 20.12 (132) to 12.10 (82). It was one of current skipper Nathan Jones' first games. That was certainly an eternity ago, and the memories of a Melbourne side kicking 132 points in any game has long since faded. The more recent memory is far, far more painful as North demolished the Demons less than twelve months ago - in Round 18, 2013. That result was Melbourne's second largest losing margin in a year that the club and its supporters would surely want to forget completely. Times are a little different nowadays. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 22nd June 2014 at MCG at 4.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 75 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 34 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel at 4:30pm (live) RADIO - 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.70 North Melbourne to win $1.28 LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 22.18.150 defeated Melbourne 4.4.28 at Etihad Stadium in Round 18, 2013 In modern day terms the Demons played like a lifeless pack of spuds (see also below) THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Jack Grimes C: Bernie Vince, Jack Viney, Daniel Cross HF: Rohan Bail, James Frawley, Cameron Pedersen F: Dean Kent, Chris Dawes, Jack Watts FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Matt Jones, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley, Christian Salem EMG: Sam Blease Dan Nicholson Dean Terlich NO CHANGE NORTH MELBOURNE B: Luke McDonald, Scott D Thompson, Lachlan Hansen HB: Shaun Atley, Michael Firrito, Aaron Mullett C: Sam Gibson, Andrew Swallow, Levi Greenwood HF: Nick Dal Santo, Robbie Tarrant, Brent Harvey F: Aaron Black, Drew Petrie, Lindsay Thomas FOLL: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Ben Cunnington I/C: Leigh Adams, Ryan Bastinac, Brad McKenzie, Robin Nahas EMG: Liam Anthony, Ben Brown, Trent Dumont IN: Brad McKenzie OUT: Liam Anthony It is interesting to contrast this with the side the Demons sent out onto the field that miserable day: B: Dunn Pedersen Tapscott HB: McDonald Frawley Clisby C: Viney Trengove Grimes HF: M Jones Watts Howe F: Davey Dawes Fitzpatrick FOLL : Gawn Sylvia N Jones I/C: Blease Byrnes Toumpas SUB: Kent What a vastly different side that will present for the Red and Blue this week, less than 12 months later. Not only do we find Paul Roos coaching the side, and rebuilding confidence following all those shattering years, but the line-up across every line has been altered. In some cases, we have the same players but their form is a striking improvement over what they were producing last year (Dunn, Pedersen). The painful outcome of last year looked like this: MELBOURNE 1.0 3.2 4.4 4.4 (28) NORTH MELBOURNE 3.5 6.9 14.12 22.18 (150) GOALS Melbourne: Tapscott Fitzpatrick Dawes Byrnes North Melbourne: Bastinac 4 Black 4 Wells 2 Adams 2 Cunnington 2 Petrie 2 Mullett 2 Goldstein 2 Harvey Ziebell BEST Melbourne: N.Jones (some things never change) Sylvia McDonald Gawn Dunn Toumpas North Melbourne: Goldstein Cunnington Harvey Hansen Thompson Bastinac Adams Ziebell With a heart stopper of a result against the Bombers and a build-up of faith among the players and the supporters as a result, a very, very different outcome can be expected. A 4.40pm start wont suit most supporters and North are notorious for low crowd numbers. However, the Demon army is rolling again. The last time they met a paltry 16K people turned up, but it was at Etihad stadium as well. This time its at the G and finally we have a team that we can be proud of, so far greater numbers should be on the agenda.

ANOTHER BAD MEMORY TO ERASE by George on The Outer With Carlton maintaining its losing streak of 12 straight losses against Hawthorn, the pressure is now on Melbourne to remove the miserable record that it has against North Melbourne of a similar 11 straight losses. The last time the Demons managed to overcome the Roos was way back in Round 20, 2006 when we defeated them in front of 29K at the MCG by 20.12 (132) to 12.10 (82). It was one of current skipper Nathan Jones' first games. That was certainly an eternity ago, and the memories of a Melbourne side kicking 132 points in any game has long since faded. The more recent memory is far, far more painful as North demolished the Demons less than twelve months ago - in Round 18, 2013. That result was Melbourne's second largest losing margin in a year that the club and its supporters would surely want to forget completely. Times are a little different nowadays. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 22nd June 2014 at MCG at 4.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 75 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 34 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel at 4:30pm (live) RADIO - 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.70 North Melbourne to win $1.28 LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 22.18.150 defeated Melbourne 4.4.28 at Etihad Stadium in Round 18, 2013 In modern day terms the Demons played like a lifeless pack of spuds (see also below) THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Jack Grimes C: Bernie Vince, Jack Viney, Daniel Cross HF: Rohan Bail, James Frawley, Cameron Pedersen F: Dean Kent, Chris Dawes, Jack Watts FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Matt Jones, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley, Christian Salem EMG: Sam Blease Dan Nicholson Dean Terlich NO CHANGE NORTH MELBOURNE B: Luke McDonald, Scott D Thompson, Lachlan Hansen HB: Shaun Atley, Michael Firrito, Aaron Mullett C: Sam Gibson, Andrew Swallow, Levi Greenwood HF: Nick Dal Santo, Robbie Tarrant, Brent Harvey F: Aaron Black, Drew Petrie, Lindsay Thomas FOLL: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Ben Cunnington I/C: Leigh Adams, Ryan Bastinac, Brad McKenzie, Robin Nahas EMG: Liam Anthony, Ben Brown, Trent Dumont IN: Brad McKenzie OUT: Liam Anthony It is interesting to contrast this with the side the Demons sent out onto the field that miserable day: B: Dunn Pedersen Tapscott HB: McDonald Frawley Clisby C: Viney Trengove Grimes HF: M Jones Watts Howe F: Davey Dawes Fitzpatrick FOLL : Gawn Sylvia N Jones I/C: Blease Byrnes Toumpas SUB: Kent What a vastly different side that will present for the Red and Blue this week, less than 12 months later. Not only do we find Paul Roos coaching the side, and rebuilding confidence following all those shattering years, but the line-up across every line has been altered. In some cases, we have the same players but their form is a striking improvement over what they were producing last year (Dunn, Pedersen). The painful outcome of last year looked like this: MELBOURNE 1.0 3.2 4.4 4.4 (28) NORTH MELBOURNE 3.5 6.9 14.12 22.18 (150) GOALS Melbourne: Tapscott Fitzpatrick Dawes Byrnes North Melbourne: Bastinac 4 Black 4 Wells 2 Adams 2 Cunnington 2 Petrie 2 Mullett 2 Goldstein 2 Harvey Ziebell BEST Melbourne: N.Jones (some things never change) Sylvia McDonald Gawn Dunn Toumpas North Melbourne: Goldstein Cunnington Harvey Hansen Thompson Bastinac Adams Ziebell With a heart stopper of a result against the Bombers and a build-up of faith among the players and the supporters as a result, a very, very different outcome can be expected. A 4.40pm start wont suit most supporters and North are notorious for low crowd numbers. However, the Demon army is rolling again. The last time they met a paltry 16K people turned up, but it was at Etihad stadium as well. This time its at the G and finally we have a team that we can be proud of, so far greater numbers should be on the agenda.

Last week we turned around a 148 point loss into a 1 point win against Essendon. This week the turnaround needed is a mere 122 points to tie the game and 123 for a 1 point win. MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Cameron Pedersen Dean Terlich Half backs Tom McDonald James Frawley Mitchell Clisby Centreline Jack Viney Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Shannon Byrnes Jack Watts Jeremy Howe Forwards Aaron Davey Chris Dawes Jack Fitzpatrick Followers Max Gawn Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Sam Blease Matt Jones Dean Kent Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies Daniel Nicholson Jake Spencer Luke Tapscott NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Lachlan Hansen Scott Thompson Cameron Delaney Half backs Aaron Mullett Nathan Grima Taylor Hine Centreline Daniel Wells Sam Gibson Shaun Atley Half forwards Ben Cunnington Drew Petrie Brent Harvey Forwards Aaron Black Robbie Tarrant Lindsay Thomas Followers Todd Goldstein Andrew Swallow Jack Ziebell Interchange Leigh Adams Ryan Bastinac Jamie Macmillan Brad McKenzie Emergencies Luke Delaney Ben Jacobs Sam Wright

ELEVATOR DRIVER by Whispering Jack "Elevator Driver carry me please Elevator Driver move Elevator Driver carry me please Elevator Driver move Past the stories of confusion To my penthouse of illusion, Elevator Driver" ~ from the song by the Masters Apprentices Teams, like colours, rise and ebb. When Melbourne last faced Essendon it was a Saturday night at the MCG early last year and in an atmosphere of helpless desperation they surrendered to an opponent which had something to prove in the wake of the raging supplements scandal. The mood of the supporters that night was one of anger and loss of hope as the Bombers treated their team to the tune of a 148-point crushing. Callers to late night talk back spoke in agonising terms of how their club and the players had betrayed them - so early in the season, the team was languishing deep in the basement. A lot happened after that night but the pain would persist throughout a season that saw two coaches come and go with little to enthuse the faithful or give rise to any hope that the team could lift itself out of those depths. The club needed something or at least someone to take control of its on field fortunes and to start a process whereby it could see some movement forward and upward. Enter the elevator driver - Paul Roos. He came to the club, rolled up his sleeves and began to work on its personnel, training and preparation, its tactics, strategy, its psychology and its culture and team philosophy. His advent has not come without controversy or criticism as was seen last week from the output of some of the more hysterical types in the media who were lashing the emphasis on defence which saw the team struggle to score goals in the final quarter and a half against Collingwood on Queens Birthday. Never mind that playing ugly has already seen Roos coach such ducklings and transform them quickly into premiership Swans in another time. Never mind that against Essendon, Roos' team was so defensive in mindset that it conceded 14 inside 50s before going into its own attacking circle and were goalless at quarter time - it's second consecutive term without a major score. Never mind because the Demons plugged away, hustling and bustling and thanks to the sterling play of those defenders, led by Lynden Dunn, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta, Col Garland and co dominating in the opposition's half, they had stayed within striking distance. Their efforts were reinforced by the efforts of Jordie McKenzie and Daniel Cross who had specific jobs to do, the Demon defence forced Essendon to butcher the ball under pressure, miss goals and targets and more importantly expend vital energy reserves in moving across the field to counter Melbourne's new found style. And so despite falling behind by 33 points by early in the second half, Melbourne was able to lift its game to the top floor. Inspired by the indefatigable leadership of Nathan Jones, the rising talents of Dom Tyson and Jack Viney, the experience and class of Bernie Vince and on a wave of power ruckwork from Mark Jamar, the turnaround came and the Demons struck the unsuspecting Bombers in the heart. Taking over in the midfield, the opportunities started presenting to the forwards who all played their part and in the end, a couple of unlikely young heroes in Dean Kent and Christian Salem played their part in bringing down the Bombers and signalling another move upward for their club. And you can put it all down to great team effort and another small triumph for the elevator operator. Melbourne 0.3.3 3.3.21 7.6.48 12.6.78 Essendon 2.4.16 5.12.42 8.12.60 10.17.77 Goals Melbourne Kent Frawley Pedersen Watts 2 Grimes N Jones Salem Vince Essendon Zaharakis 4 Ambrose Chapman Daniher Goddard Merrett Ryder Best Melbourne Dunn N Jones Viney Pederson Jamar Tyson Essendon Zaharakis Goddard Heppell Hibberd Carlisle Ambrose Changes Melbourne Nil Essendon Fletcher replaced in the selected side by Kavanaugh Injuries Melbourne Nil Essendon Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Essendon Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Essendon Nil Umpires Justin Schmitt Troy Pannell Brendan Hosking Crowd 44,622 at the MCG In memory of Jim Keays an Australian master musician and a Demon fan who passed away last week at far too young an age

"Elevator Driver carry me please Elevator Driver move Elevator Driver carry me please Elevator Driver move Past the stories of confusion To my penthouse of illusion, Elevator Driver" ~ from the song by the Masters Apprentices Teams, like colours, rise and ebb. When Melbourne last faced Essendon it was a Saturday night at the MCG early last year and in an atmosphere of helpless desperation they surrendered to an opponent which had something to prove in the wake of the raging supplements scandal. The mood of the supporters that night was one of anger and loss of hope as the Bombers treated their team to the tune of a 148-point crushing. Callers to late night talk back spoke in agonising terms of how their club and the players had betrayed them - so early in the season, the team was languishing deep in the basement. A lot happened after that night but the pain would persist throughout a season that saw two coaches come and go with little to enthuse the faithful or give rise to any hope that the team could lift itself out of those depths. The club needed something or at least someone to take control of its on field fortunes and to start a process whereby it could see some movement forward and upward. Enter the elevator driver - Paul Roos. He came to the club, rolled up his sleeves and began to work on its personnel, training and preparation, its tactics, strategy, its psychology and its culture and team philosophy. His advent has not come without controversy or criticism as was seen last week from the output of some of the more hysterical types in the media who were lashing the emphasis on defence which saw the team struggle to score goals in the final quarter and a half against Collingwood on Queens Birthday. Never mind that playing ugly has already seen Roos coach such ducklings and transform them quickly into premiership Swans in another time. Never mind that against Essendon, Roos' team was so defensive in mindset that it conceded 14 inside 50s before going into its own attacking circle and were goalless at quarter time - it's second consecutive term without a major score. Never mind because the Demons plugged away, hustling and bustling and thanks to the sterling play of those defenders, led by Lynden Dunn, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta, Col Garland and co dominating in the opposition's half, they had stayed within striking distance. Their efforts were reinforced by the efforts of Jordie McKenzie and Daniel Cross who had specific jobs to do, the Demon defence forced Essendon to butcher the ball under pressure, miss goals and targets and more importantly expend vital energy reserves in moving across the field to counter Melbourne's new found style. And so despite falling behind by 33 points by early in the second half, Melbourne was able to lift its game to the top floor. Inspired by the indefatigable leadership of Nathan Jones, the rising talents of Dom Tyson and Jack Viney, the experience and class of Bernie Vince and on a wave of power ruckwork from Mark Jamar, the turnaround came and the Demons struck the unsuspecting Bombers in the heart. Taking over in the midfield, the opportunities started presenting to the forwards who all played their part and in the end, a couple of unlikely young heroes in Dean Kent and Christian Salem played their part in bringing down the Bombers and signalling another move upward for their club. And you can put it all down to great team effort and another small triumph for the elevator operator. Melbourne 0.3.3 3.3.21 7.6.48 12.6.78 Essendon 2.4.16 5.12.42 8.12.60 10.17.77 Goals Melbourne Kent Frawley Pedersen Watts 2 Grimes N Jones Salem Vince Essendon Zaharakis 4 Ambrose Chapman Daniher Goddard Merrett Ryder Best Melbourne Dunn N Jones Viney Pederson Jamar Tyson Essendon Zaharakis Goddard Heppell Hibberd Carlisle Ambrose Changes Melbourne Nil Essendon Fletcher replaced in the selected side by Kavanaugh Injuries Melbourne Nil Essendon Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Essendon Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Essendon Nil Umpires Justin Schmitt Troy Pannell Brendan Hosking Crowd 44,622 at the MCG In memory of Jim Keays an Australian master musician and a Demon fan who passed away last week at far too young an age

Nathan Jones is our leader and favourite to make it a threepeat with Dom Tyson and Lynden Dunn making up the places. When will someone in the media start talking Dunn up as a potential All Australian? 139. Nathan Jones 106. Dom Tyson 90. Lynden Dunn 50. Daniel Cross 49. Jack Viney 39. Bernie Vince 33. Jack Watts 29. James Frawley 28. Matt Jones Cam Pedersen 27. Chris Dawes 24. Tom McDonald 17. Jeremy Howe 15. Mark Jamar 14. Jack Grimes 11. Rohan Bail 8. Jay Kennedy-Harris Jordie McKenzie 7. Neville Jetta 6. Alexis Georgiou Jimmy Toumpas 5. Dean Kent 4. Dean Terlich 3. Jack Trengove 2. Shannon Byrnes Jake Spencer 1. Max Gawn

REPEAT PERFORMANCE by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions travelled to wet and windy Eureka Oval, North Ballarat and repeated their now familiar pattern of taking control of a game in its early stages and then letting it slip out of their grasp without so much of a whimper in the final quarter. The rain was teeming down when the game began and it was the Scorpions who dominated the opening quarter and slipped to a four goal lead at the first break. They continued on their merry way in the second term when they held a five goal lead in the shadows of half time but it was then that, against the run of play, the home team managed to score two late quarter goals to ease some of the pressure - goals that were to later prove so vital to the final outcome. But with the rain falling heavily, it was difficult to contemplate anything other than a Scorpions victory on the way the game had been played out in the first half. They handled the conditions much better and had winners all over the ground with the likes of Sam Blease, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Viv Michie and Luke Tapscott full of run and relishing the greasy conditions. The rain continued to fall but scoring was tough for the early part of the second half and when Kennedy-Harris drew first blood with Casey's ninth goal, they led by 23 points. A dour struggle ensued with the home side slowly grasping the momentum but even then, the game was a slog and the Scorpions maintained a two goal margin at three quarter time. The final quarter was a nightmare for the visitors who capitulated without much of a fight. It was an all too familiar scenario with the Roosters constantly attacking and, but for some fighting defensive efforts from skipper Evan Panozza and Alexis Georgiou down back it could have been a far worse result. They couldn't stem the tide and North Ballarat's 4.10 to 0.2 for the quarter indicated its dominance at the end. Casey has been criticised for these lapses and it would be easy to lay into the team and its coaches for these poor second halves but it should be remembered that the team is inexperienced and lacking in strong experienced types to complement its AFL affiliated players. This week Alex Saunders and Daniel Welsh made their debuts joining two others who did so last week. A number of other Casey listed players have yet to reach double figures. The weight of that lack of experience took its toll in the tough conditions which prevailed at Eureka Oval and resulted in a 20-point defeat for the Scorpions. Things will not be any easier for them next Saturday when they take on Box Hill at home in the ABC telecast match of the round. 2014 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 8.5.53 9.7.61 9.9.63 North Ballarat 1.3.9 5.5.35 7.7.49 11.17.83 Goals Casey Scorpions Best Blease Fitzpatrick Harmes Kennedy-Harris Page Smith Tapscott Toumpas North Ballarat Couch McKenzie 2 George Horbury Jacobs Keeble Staley Tate Wallace Best Casey Scorpions Georgiou Michie Toumpas Tapscott Blease Davis North Ballarat Rippon Dumont Peters Couch Horbury McKenzie

The Casey Scorpions travelled to wet and windy Eureka Oval, North Ballarat and repeated their now familiar pattern of taking control of a game in its early stages and then letting it slip out of their grasp without so much of a whimper in the final quarter. The rain was teeming down when the game began and it was the Scorpions who dominated the opening quarter and slipped to a four goal lead at the first break. They continued on their merry way in the second term when they held a five goal lead in the shadows of half time but it was then that, against the run of play, the home team managed to score two late quarter goals to ease some of the pressure - goals that were to later prove so vital to the final outcome. But with the rain falling heavily, it was difficult to contemplate anything other than a Scorpions victory on the way the game had been played out in the first half. They handled the conditions much better and had winners all over the ground with the likes of Sam Blease, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Viv Michie and Luke Tapscott full of run and relishing the greasy conditions. The rain continued to fall but scoring was tough for the early part of the second half and when Kennedy-Harris drew first blood with Casey's ninth goal, they led by 23 points. A dour struggle ensued with the home side slowly grasping the momentum but even then, the game was a slog and the Scorpions maintained a two goal margin at three quarter time. The final quarter was a nightmare for the visitors who capitulated without much of a fight. It was an all too familiar scenario with the Roosters constantly attacking and, but for some fighting defensive efforts from skipper Evan Panozza and Alexis Georgiou down back it could have been a far worse result. They couldn't stem the tide and North Ballarat's 4.10 to 0.2 for the quarter indicated its dominance at the end. Casey has been criticised for these lapses and it would be easy to lay into the team and its coaches for these poor second halves but it should be remembered that the team is inexperienced and lacking in strong experienced types to complement its AFL affiliated players. This week Alex Saunders and Daniel Welsh made their debuts joining two others who did so last week. A number of other Casey listed players have yet to reach double figures. The weight of that lack of experience took its toll in the tough conditions which prevailed at Eureka Oval and resulted in a 20-point defeat for the Scorpions. Things will not be any easier for them next Saturday when they take on Box Hill at home in the ABC telecast match of the round. 2014 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 8.5.53 9.7.61 9.9.63 North Ballarat 1.3.9 5.5.35 7.7.49 11.17.83 Goals Casey Scorpions Best Blease Fitzpatrick Harmes Kennedy-Harris Page Smith Tapscott Toumpas North Ballarat Couch McKenzie 2 George Horbury Jacobs Keeble Staley Tate Wallace Best Casey Scorpions Georgiou Michie Toumpas Tapscott Blease Davis North Ballarat Rippon Dumont Peters Couch Horbury McKenzie Statistics Dom Barry 14 disposals 11 kicks 3 handballs 3 marks 6 tackles 72 Dream Team Points Sam Blease 1 goal 29 disposals 22 kicks 7 handballs 2 marks 2 tackles 94 Dream Team Points Jack Fitzpatrick 1 goal 6 disposals 3 kicks 3 handballs 2 marks 4 tackles 17 hit outs 60 Dream Team Points Max Gawn 16 disposals 6 kicks 10 handballs 5 marks 2 tackles 63 hit outs 124 Dream Team Points Alexis Georgiou 15 disposals 9 kicks 6 handballs 2 marks 43 Dream Team Points James Harmes 1 goal 18 disposals 6 kicks 12 handballs 1 marks 4 tackles 67 Dream Team Points Jay Kennedy-Harris 1 goal 18 disposals 13 kicks 5 handballs 2 marks 7 tackles 86 Dream Team Points Viv Michie 23 disposals 16 kicks 7 handballs 3 marks 6 tackles 93 Dream Team Points James Strauss 15 disposals 12 kicks 3 handballs 3 marks 4 tackles 68 Dream Team Points Luke Tapscott 1 goal 1 behind 24 disposals 21 kicks 3 handballs 6 marks 5 tackles 1 hit out 114 Dream Team Points Dean Terlich 16 disposals 11 kicks 5 handballs 4 marks 5 tackles 76 Dream Team Points Jimmy Toumpas 1 goal 1 behind 26 disposals 20 kicks 6 handballs 8 marks 4 tackles 120 Dream Team Points

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

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

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

Cast your votes please.

Never in doubt?!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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