Demonland

Why was that not 50?

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

These umpires are disgraceful!

The Dawes free made up for it. A little.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.