Demonland

We had a team that looked like it came from the land of the giants but it did us no good ... MELBOURNE Backs Neville Jetta, James Frawley, Dean Terlich Half backs Jack Trengove, Tom McDonald, Colin Garland Centreline Michael Evans, Jack Grimes, Jack Viney Half forwards Matt Jones, Mitch Clark, Jeremy Howe Forwards Aaron Davey James Sellar Shannon Byrnes Followers Mark Jamar Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Rohan Bail Cam Pedersen Luke Tapscott Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies David Rodan Jake Spencer Jack Watts In Rohan Bail Michael Evans Neville Jetta Cam Pedersen Luke Tapscott Out Sam Blease Tom Gillies (groin) Daniel Nicholson David Rodan Jack Watts WEST COAST Backs Schofield Glass A Selwood Half backs Hurn Brown Waters Centreline Gaff Priddis Masten Half forwards Embley Kennedy Hams Forwards Darling Hill Le Cras Followers Cox S Selwood Shuey Interchange Butler Cripps Kerr Sinclair Emergencies Brennan Dalziell Wilson In Kerr Le Cras Out Dalziell Sheppard (shoulder)

If Roosy makes the cut he will have his own body. It was time to throw Neeld's decomposing body away as it was starting to stink up the joint.

The lot of a Melbourne supporter in the twenty-first century is difficult and harsh. We do it tough year by year as the fickle finger of fate finds new afflictions to endure. Take the year to date and last week's opening round game against St. Kilda in particular. The Saints have lost three or four of their most talented midfielders and the best of what remains of that division in David Armitage is well held by Bulldog recruit Daniel Cross (an underrated performance if there ever was one). Other newcomers to the club's midfield, Bernie Vince and Dom Tyson come into the side and immediately have an impact, Nathan Jones is as prolific as ever and Jack Watts plays what many have describe as his best game ever, mainly on the wing. The last four mentioned players all pick up at least 27 touches and are joined on that number by Jack Grimes. The club wins most of the statistical counts with the exception of free kicks and the all important one on the scoreboard. So what went wrong? Well, it doesn't help when you kick 10 consecutive behinds. And it doesn't help that you've been forced by concussion to bring on your substitute (changing on of your tallest players for the smallest), your key defender suffers a corkie cutting short his role of quelling the opposition's leader and most dangerous player opening up the possibility of a match winning three goal haul and best on ground performance. Meanwhile, at the other end of the ground ... Melbourne's own forward line ... well, um, let's just say there is no other ground. Just a Southern Hemisphere Bermuda Triangle containing the bulk of Melbourne's forward line and tall ruck strength, the problem is that they're not really out there in person and, like the immortal Clancy in Banjo Patterson's epic poem, we don't know where they are. No wonder the coach wants to do consign the scoreboard to the Bermuda Triangle where it can familiarise itself with those who would normally contribute to the score. After all, who needs a scoreboard when you can't even trouble the scorer? So, having lost to a team that rivals them for the title of the worst in the AFL, the Demons face stiffer competition on Sunday at twilight. I've heard it said that the fans of the West Coast Eagles are already queueing up for grand final tickets for this September in the wake of their big win over the media's love child, the Western Bulldogs whose game was putrid last week but somehow, they managed to attract little criticism for their first round fiasco. You can let them get carried away as far as I'm concerned. Melbourne is coming, ever so slowly and imperceptibly but it should've done better (read "finished ahead on the scoreboard") despite the missing tall forwards and ruckmen and a solid defender in Col Garland. Unfortunately, there are likely to be more entries into the Triangle this week including the 195cm Jack Watts who is poised to be this week's mystery injury of the week. Mind you, the Eagles have not been entirely comfortable in their recent history at the home of football. Apart from two wins against the Dees, they have won only once at the MCG since they won the 2006 premiership. Still, with all that's happened in the past month to Paul Roos' charges, I can't see much light at the end of the Demon tunnel - especially as they're definitely walking in the dark side of the road at the moment. THE GAME Melbourne v at West Coast MCG Sunday 30 March, 2014 at 3.20 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 15 wins West Coast 29 wins At MCG Melbourne 7 wins West Coast 8 wins Past five years Melbourne 2 wins West Coast 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Simpson 0 wins MEDIA TV - RADIO - THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $7.00 West Coast to win - $1.10 THE LAST TIME THEY MET West Coast 27.15.177 defeated Melbourne 13.5.83, Round 3, 2013 at the MCG A Melbourne team that was demoralised after two thrashings at the hands of Port Adelaide and Essendon in consecutive weeks made a good fist of things in the first half (they trailed by a mere ten points at the main break) but conceded 11.3 in the third term and went down in a screaming heap. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Lynden Dunn, James Frawley, Alex Georgiou HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Dean Terlich C: Jack Trengove, Dom Tyson, Daniel Cross HF: Jack Watts, Cam Pedersen, Jimmy Toumpas F: Jeremy Howe, Jack Fitzpatrick, Rohan Bail FOLL: Jake Spencer, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince I/C: Shannon Byrnes, Matt Jones, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Viv Michie EM: Sam Blease, Michael Evans, Dean Kent No change WEST COAST B: Jamie Bennell Darren Glass Mitch Brown HB: Shannon Hurn Eric Mackenzie Xavier Ellis C: Matt Rosa Matt Priddis Andrew Gaff HF: Jamie Cripps Josh Kennedy Chris Masten F: Mark LeCras Jack Darling Nic Naitanui FOLL: Dean Cox Scott Selwood Luke Shuey IC: Brad Sheppard, Callum Sinclair, Sharrod Wellingham, Elliot Yeo EM: Brant Colledge, Josh Hill, Scott Lycett In: Brad Sheppard Out: Dom Sheed SECOND THOUGHTS The old adage about winners being grinners was no better demonstrated than by St. Kilda in its win against Melbourne. The Saints and their supporters have spent the greater part of the week strutting around as if they dominated their opposition but truth be told, they should think a second time. Their team wasn't particularly all that flash; they lost the disposal count by 60 and trailed badly in the inside 50 count. The areas where they were big winners was in the free kick count and on a final scoreboard that reflected their greater efficiency in front of goal. This suggests that it was a game the Demons had for the keeping but we know they failed to capitalise on their more abundant opportunities in front of goal and were hampered by injuries incurred during the game which left them somewhat hobbled. The early subbing off of a concussed Jack Fitzpatrick was compounded by Tom McDonald's corkie which deteriorated as the game wore on leaving his opponent with the luxury of a free run to best on ground honours. This week, Melbourne takes an unchanged line up back to its home turf against a far more accomplished opponent - the Eagles outfit that demolished the Bulldogs last Sunday. The combination of Cox and Naitanui with the added tall man power of Callum Sinclair looks far too strong for Jake Spencer who only has Jack Fitzpatrick (if he plays) to back him up although Cam Petersen could fill in if things get desperate (actually, let's not kid ourselves, things already are desperate). After that the Dees must contend with a team which, on paper, demonstrates a superiority in virtually every part of the ground. This applies particularly in respect of the current main weakness - the decimated forward line against a class defence headed by Glass and McKenzie who are set for a field day. That in form Eagles half back line looks particularly ominous. Ironically, Melbourne is looking best served by its midfield which has undergone a massive boost through the off season recruiting campaign which brought Bernie Vince, Daniel Cross, Dom Tyson and Viv Michie into the ranks. The inclusion of Jack Watts into this part of the ground is, on early indications, proving a winner and then there is the continuing rise of the new skipper to the ranks of the elite. We shouldn't underestimate the recent elevation of Nathan Jones' game now that he has some better and more experienced players surrounding him in the midfield. His quality 38 possession game shows what the club had in this player over the past two seasons and his ascension into a share of the main leadership role is the icing on top. Jones could never have been expected to win a game off his own boot but there's now a chance with the current set up. It's a pity in the short term that there's so little back up in the ruck and the key forward positions. The indicators still point to an Eagle victory but if you go by history there is room for second thoughts. I remember an injury depleted Melbourne side travelling to Perth in the late 1990s that was given no hope of winning and turning it on against the odds to produce one of the club's most important victories of that era. More recently, in the equivalent round four years ago, the Demons came off a smashing in the season opener from Hawthorn to come within inches and a near mark in the MCG goalsquare in the dying seconds, of beating a Magpie team that would go on to win the flag that year. Many of us believe that Melbourne sunk itself last week because it failed to capitalise on its early ascendency over the Saints through poor kicking. It's a more difficult task but with the right attitude, the team can continue to demonstrate improvement and that's what I'm expecting. A win might be beyond them but if you believe the predictions of a massive loss of 2013 proportions is on the cards, I suggest you think twice. West Coast by 13 points.

THE GAME Melbourne v at West Coast MCG Sunday 30 March, 2014 at 3.20 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 15 wins West Coast 29 wins At MCG Melbourne 7 wins West Coast 8 wins Past five years Melbourne 2 wins West Coast 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Simpson 0 wins MEDIA TV - RADIO - THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $7.00 West Coast to win - $1.10 THE LAST TIME THEY MET West Coast 27.15.177 defeated Melbourne 13.5.83, Round 3, 2013 at the MCG A Melbourne team that was demoralised after two thrashings at the hands of Port Adelaide and Essendon in consecutive weeks made a good fist of things in the first half (they trailed by a mere ten points at the main break) but conceded 11.3 in the third term and went down in a screaming heap. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Lynden Dunn, James Frawley, Alex Georgiou HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Dean Terlich C: Jack Trengove, Dom Tyson, Daniel Cross HF: Jack Watts, Cam Pedersen, Jimmy Toumpas F: Jeremy Howe, Jack Fitzpatrick, Rohan Bail FOLL: Jake Spencer, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince I/C: Shannon Byrnes, Matt Jones, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Viv Michie EM: Sam Blease, Michael Evans, Dean Kent No change WEST COAST B: Jamie Bennell Darren Glass Mitch Brown HB: Shannon Hurn Eric Mackenzie Xavier Ellis C: Matt Rosa Matt Priddis Andrew Gaff HF: Jamie Cripps Josh Kennedy Chris Masten F: Mark LeCras Jack Darling Nic Naitanui FOLL: Dean Cox Scott Selwood Luke Shuey IC: Brad Sheppard, Callum Sinclair, Sharrod Wellingham, Elliot Yeo EM: Brant Colledge, Josh Hill, Scott Lycett In: Brad Sheppard Out: Dom Sheed SECOND THOUGHTS The old adage about winners being grinners was no better demonstrated than by St. Kilda in its win against Melbourne. The Saints and their supporters have spent the greater part of the week strutting around as if they dominated their opposition but truth be told, they should think a second time. Their team wasn't particularly all that flash; they lost the disposal count by 60 and trailed badly in the inside 50 count. The areas where they were big winners was in the free kick count and on a final scoreboard that reflected their greater efficiency in front of goal. This suggests that it was a game the Demons had for the keeping but we know they failed to capitalise on their more abundant opportunities in front of goal and were hampered by injuries incurred during the game which left them somewhat hobbled. The early subbing off of a concussed Jack Fitzpatrick was compounded by Tom McDonald's corkie which deteriorated as the game wore on leaving his opponent with the luxury of a free run to best on ground honours. This week, Melbourne takes an unchanged line up back to its home turf against a far more accomplished opponent - the Eagles outfit that demolished the Bulldogs last Sunday. The combination of Cox and Naitanui with the added tall man power of Callum Sinclair looks far too strong for Jake Spencer who only has Jack Fitzpatrick (if he plays) to back him up although Cam Petersen could fill in if things get desperate (actually, let's not kid ourselves, things already are desperate). After that the Dees must contend with a team which, on paper, demonstrates a superiority in virtually every part of the ground. This applies particularly in respect of the current main weakness - the decimated forward line against a class defence headed by Glass and McKenzie who are set for a field day. That in form Eagles half back line looks particularly ominous. Ironically, Melbourne is looking best served by its midfield which has undergone a massive boost through the off season recruiting campaign which brought Bernie Vince, Daniel Cross, Dom Tyson and Viv Michie into the ranks. The inclusion of Jack Watts into this part of the ground is, on early indications, proving a winner and then there is the continuing rise of the new skipper to the ranks of the elite. We shouldn't underestimate the recent elevation of Nathan Jones' game now that he has some better and more experienced players surrounding him in the midfield. His quality 38 possession game shows what the club had in this player over the past two seasons and his ascension into a share of the main leadership role is the icing on top. Jones could never have been expected to win a game off his own boot but there's now a chance with the current set up. It's a pity in the short term that there's so little back up in the ruck and the key forward positions. The indicators still point to an Eagle victory but if you go by history there is room for second thoughts. I remember an injury depleted Melbourne side travelling to Perth in the late 1990s that was given no hope of winning and turning it on against the odds to produce one of the club's most important victories of that era. More recently, in the equivalent round four years ago, the Demons came off a smashing in the season opener from Hawthorn to come within inches and a near mark in the MCG goalsquare in the dying seconds, of beating a Magpie team that would go on to win the flag that year. Many of us believe that Melbourne sunk itself last week because it failed to capitalise on its early ascendency over the Saints through poor kicking. It's a more difficult task but with the right attitude, the team can continue to demonstrate improvement and that's what I'm expecting. A win might be beyond them but if you believe the predictions of a massive loss of 2013 proportions is on the cards, I suggest you think twice. West Coast by 13 points.

THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD by Whispering Jack The lot of a Melbourne supporter in the twenty-first century is difficult and harsh. We do it tough year by year as the fickle finger of fate finds new afflictions to endure. Take the year to date and last week's opening round game against St. Kilda in particular. The Saints have lost three or four of their most talented midfielders and the best of what remains of that division in David Armitage is well held by Bulldog recruit Daniel Cross (an underrated performance if there ever was one). Other newcomers to the club's midfield, Bernie Vince and Dom Tyson come into the side and immediately have an impact, Nathan Jones is as prolific as ever and Jack Watts plays what many have describe as his best game ever, mainly on the wing. The last four mentioned players all pick up at least 27 touches and are joined on that number by Jack Grimes. The club wins most of the statistical counts with the exception of free kicks and the all important one on the scoreboard. So what went wrong? Well, it doesn't help when you kick 10 consecutive behinds. And it doesn't help that you've been forced by concussion to bring on your substitute (changing on of your tallest players for the smallest), your key defender suffers a corkie cutting short his role of quelling the opposition's leader and most dangerous player opening up the possibility of a match winning three goal haul and best on ground performance. Meanwhile, at the other end of the ground ... Melbourne's own forward line ... well, um, let's just say there is no other ground. Just a Southern Hemisphere Bermuda Triangle containing the bulk of Melbourne's forward line and tall ruck strength, the problem is that they're not really out there in person and, like the immortal Clancy in Banjo Patterson's epic poem, we don't know where they are. No wonder the coach wants to do consign the scoreboard to the Bermuda Triangle where it can familiarise itself with those who would normally contribute to the score. After all, who needs a scoreboard when you can't even trouble the scorer? So, having lost to a team that rivals them for the title of the worst in the AFL, the Demons face stiffer competition on Sunday at twilight. I've heard it said that the fans of the West Coast Eagles are already queueing up for grand final tickets for this September in the wake of their big win over the media's love child, the Western Bulldogs whose game was putrid last week but somehow, they managed to attract little criticism for their first round fiasco. You can let them get carried away as far as I'm concerned. Melbourne is coming, ever so slowly and imperceptibly but it should've done better (read "finished ahead on the scoreboard") despite the missing tall forwards and ruckmen and a solid defender in Col Garland. Unfortunately, there are likely to be more entries into the Triangle this week including the 195cm Jack Watts who is poised to be this week's mystery injury of the week. Mind you, the Eagles have not been entirely comfortable in their recent history at the home of football. Apart from two wins against the Dees, they have won only once at the MCG since they won the 2006 premiership. Still, with all that's happened in the past month to Paul Roos' charges, I can't see much light at the end of the Demon tunnel - especially as they're definitely walking in the dark side of the road at the moment.

If I have such powers then I really need to figure out how to use it for good instead of evil. Either that or work out a way to monetise it.

Thank you to the few people that donated last night and this morning. Cheers.

Ha ha ha. That wasn't the intention but I will claim it. I will be doing a slow reveal starting with the new backdrop. It's a work in progress at the moment and I haven't worked out all the players yet. Stay tuned .....

Thank you so much. Every donation/subscription is much appreciated.

I've decided to extend the sale for another week. It's your last chance to take out a 2014 Demonland subscription at 2013 prices. Click here to subscribe: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/subscriptions/

Can we keep things as close as possible to the topic please people?

Thanks to everybody for your contributions. As usual, we've selected three posts at random and tallied your votes. The result is that Jack Watts leads Nathan Jones who is going for a three-peat in 2014. 16. Jack Watts 14. Nathan Jones 10. Dom Tyson 8. Bernie Vince 7. Lynden Dunn 3. Matt Jones 3. Jack Trengove 2. Jimmy Toumpas Please note for future reference that you should always specify which Jones you are selecting if you pick those players to get votes.

THE BELL TOLLS by George on the Outer Who were those fat, bald blokes running around at half-time? What were they playing? The rules seemed to be if you cant kick it directly to one of your team-mates, then the opposition gets the ball. Well those same fat, bald blokes might just as well been playing in the main game, because the same theme was being followed. The clangers that were happening as both teams turned the ball over, and finally the winner of the game was the one who simply capitalized on the errors of the other. So it was the Saints who ran out winners, despite the Demons having just about more of every possible statistical measure ... more kicks, handballs, possessions, inside 50s etc. Now for a team that struggled to even get the ball inside 50 last season, this was a major step up, and to have a mid-field who can get the ball, there should be some sort of positives to draw from the game. But when opportunities are squandered and simply bald, fat bloke type kicking efforts see the ball whisked down the other end for yet another score, the bell will surely toll for some in the coming weeks! Sadly the early loss of Fitzpatrick, a calf injury to McDonald (and you have to wonder why on earth he was left on Riewoldt for another quarter and a bit when he obviously couldnt run) left the Demons without key forwards and backs. But then the Demons were already without key forwards and backs before the game had even started, so sadly we will see the same clanger kings getting another game next week, simply because there will be no-one else! While not a great fan of Jake Spencer, he certainly held his own against a rookie ruckman at the Saints, and managed to nullify the opposition both in the middle of the ground and around it. Surprisingly he had the endurance to remain in the battle wherever that was happening, and this was also a dramatic step-up from last season, when he would have been struggling for air, especially without any real assistance for the game. Tellingly, St.Kilda blew the game open with 3 goals in the 3rd quarter in the space of 5 minutes and even more tellingly, Jake was off the ground during that time taking a well earned 5 minute break. His replacement might as well have stayed in the forward line for all the value he provided. Like last season the Demon fans turned out, and by any measure outnumbered the Saints supporters at their home game. Well poor Peter Jackson wont be getting too many of those lost supporters to sign up when the same sort of trash is dished up by the same old sinners as they did last year. Yet again, a winnable position was thrown away. And against a team that was simply decimated with 7 players missing from their line-up last year. There was no hope to be gained from the game. This is a team that simply doesnt know how to win any more. The Bell tolls for some in the side, but even after one game the Bell tolls for the MFC as well. Another soul destroying outcome, and the prospect of meeting a full strength WCE next week ... rather than re-gaining lost members, there might be more joining them! Melbourne 2.2.14 2.10.22 4.11.35 6.15.51 St Kilda 1.3.9 4.5.29 8.6.54 10.8.68 Goals Melbourne Byrnes 2 Terlich Toumpas Tyson Vince St Kilda Riewoldt 3 Stanley 2 Armitage Geary Gwilt Saunders Templeton Best Melbourne N Jones Vince Spencer Watts Tyson Dunn St. Kilda Riewoldt Jones Ray Hickey Dunstan Curran Saunders Changes Melbourne Nil St Kilda Nil Injuries Melbourne Fitzpatrick (concussion) McDonald (corked thigh) St Kilda Jimmy Webster (groin) Substitutions Melbourne Jay Kennedy-Harris replaced Jack Fitzpatrick in the second quarter St Kilda Jack Billings replaced Jimmy Webster at three-quarter time Reports Melbourne Nil St Kilda Nil Umpires Scott Jeffery Chris Kamolins Heath Ryan Attendance 31,657 at Etihad Stadium.

Who were those fat, bald blokes running around at half-time? What were they playing? The rules seemed to be if you cant kick it directly to one of your team-mates, then the opposition gets the ball. Well those same fat, bald blokes might just as well been playing in the main game, because the same theme was being followed. The clangers that were happening as both teams turned the ball over, and finally the winner of the game was the one who simply capitalized on the errors of the other. So it was the Saints who ran out winners, despite the Demons having just about more of every possible statistical measure ... more kicks, handballs, possessions, inside 50s etc. Now for a team that struggled to even get the ball inside 50 last season, this was a major step up, and to have a mid-field who can get the ball, there should be some sort of positives to draw from the game. But when opportunities are squandered and simply bald, fat bloke type kicking efforts see the ball whisked down the other end for yet another score, the bell will surely toll for some in the coming weeks! Sadly the early loss of Fitzpatrick, a calf injury to McDonald (and you have to wonder why on earth he was left on Riewoldt for another quarter and a bit when he obviously couldnt run) left the Demons without key forwards and backs. But then the Demons were already without key forwards and backs before the game had even started, so sadly we will see the same clanger kings getting another game next week, simply because there will be no-one else! While not a great fan of Jake Spencer, he certainly held his own against a rookie ruckman at the Saints, and managed to nullify the opposition both in the middle of the ground and around it. Surprisingly he had the endurance to remain in the battle wherever that was happening, and this was also a dramatic step-up from last season, when he would have been struggling for air, especially without any real assistance for the game. Tellingly, St.Kilda blew the game open with 3 goals in the 3rd quarter in the space of 5 minutes and even more tellingly, Jake was off the ground during that time taking a well earned 5 minute break. His replacement might as well have stayed in the forward line for all the value he provided. Like last season the Demon fans turned out, and by any measure outnumbered the Saints supporters at their home game. Well poor Peter Jackson wont be getting too many of those lost supporters to sign up when the same sort of trash is dished up by the same old sinners as they did last year. Yet again, a winnable position was thrown away. And against a team that was simply decimated with 7 players missing from their line-up last year. There was no hope to be gained from the game. This is a team that simply doesnt know how to win any more. The Bell tolls for some in the side, but even after one game the Bell tolls for the MFC as well. Another soul destroying outcome, and the prospect of meeting a full strength WCE next week ... rather than re-gaining lost members, there might be more joining them! Melbourne 2.2.14 2.10.22 4.11.35 6.15.51 St Kilda 1.3.9 4.5.29 8.6.54 10.8.68 Goals Melbourne Byrnes 2 Terlich Toumpas Tyson Vince St Kilda Riewoldt 3 Stanley 2 Armitage Geary Gwilt Saunders Templeton Best Melbourne N Jones Vince Spencer Watts Tyson Dunn St. Kilda Riewoldt Jones Ray Hickey Dunstan Curran Saunders Changes Melbourne Nil St Kilda Nil Injuries Melbourne Fitzpatrick (concussion) McDonald (corked thigh) St Kilda Jimmy Webster (groin) Substitutions Melbourne Jay Kennedy-Harris replaced Jack Fitzpatrick in the second quarter St Kilda Jack Billings replaced Jimmy Webster at three-quarter time Reports Melbourne Nil St Kilda Nil Umpires Scott Jeffery Chris Kamolins Heath Ryan Attendance 31,657 at Etihad Stadium.

Thanks. Thread locked.

One down ...

Cast your votes ... 6,5,4,3,2,1 ... thanks

Apparently Port had a kick for goal after the siren and kicked it out on the full.

Their report at halftime said "Blease providing plenty of dash on a wing. Gawn has a couple of majors and jake best good at half forward."

According to the Scorpions Facebook page:

Cast your minds back to the last time the teams met on 22 June last year when the Saints started overwhelming favourite at $1.13 to and vindicated that status. THE TEAMS ST. KILDA Backs Rhys Stanley James Gwilt Dylan Roberton Half backs Jarryn Geary Sam Fisher Jack Newnes Centreline David Armitage Sean Dempster Terry Milera Half forwards Nick Dal Santo Justin Koschitzke Clint Jones Forwards Trent Dennis-Lane Nick Riewoldt Jack Steven Followers Ben McEvoy Leigh Montagna Farren Ray Interchange Sam Dunell Seb Ross Tom Simpkin Jimmy Webster Emergencies Brodie Murdoch Ahmed Saad Arryn Siposs MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Dean Terlich Half backs Tom McDonald Cam Pedersen Mitch Clisby Centreline Jeremy Howe Jack Trengove Matt Jones Half forwards Aaron Davey Chris Dawes Sam Blease Forwards Shannon Byrnes Colin Sylvia David Rodan Followers Jake Spencer Jack Watts Nathan Jones Interchange Jack Fitzpatrick Dean Kent Daniel Nicholson Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies Max Gawn James Magner James Sellar

I was reflecting recently about the impending arrival of the new AFL season and I came to the conclusion that it is fitting that the capital city of the Northern Territory, whose government is a relationship partner of the Melbourne Football Club, was named after English naturalist Charlie Darwin. Darwin, whose theory of evolution was expounded in On the Origin of Species described the process of natural selection as being a matter of the "survival of the fittest" and, as fate would have it, this is becoming a catch phrase that best sums up the early part of the AFL season still very much in its infancy. It's a phenomenon that happens often at this time of year when the teams are not all yet at the peak of their fitness. In the first game of the round last Friday night, Collingwood and Fremantle went hammer and tong in the opening quarter before the Dockers took control in the second and blew the Magpies off Etihad Stadium. The following afternoon and evening saw the two new franchise teams in action with the Giants sending shock waves through the competition disposing of their neighbours and one of the premiership favourites with a withering six goal onslaught in the final 15 minutes of the game. That night the Suns overcame the loss of two players in the first half by overpowering the Tigers and, as if that wasn't enough, Port Adelaide left Carlton literally breathless in its wake on Sunday night. Melbourne coach Paul Roos summed it up neatly when he said: "Hard-running teams I think teams are fitter going into this year than they have in the past few years they've now adjusted to three on the bench and theyre adjusting to 120 subs. Theyre probably the main things Ive noticed." From a technical point of view, it was Freo, coached by Roosy's former Fitzroy teammate in Ross Lyons which employed the forward press and zone to expose Collingwood in a clinical decimation that emphasised the importance of fitness and in particular, midfield grunt. So whilst many Melbourne supporters are crying over, as yet unspilt milk due to the absence due to injury of its three power forwards and a couple of ruckmen, they are overlooking the fact that when their team runs out on Saturday night to take on an equal injury-depleted St. Kilda at Etihad Stadium, they will do so with a substantial influx of midfielders who are fit and can run. Moreover, by adopting a conservative approach with his injured players, Roos and Dave Misson who have been reunited after their success at Sydney, are ensuring that the team is best placed to follow the trend of fitness first that has been so evident with all of the round's winning teams to date. That is not to say that the big men will not be missed up forward but we shouldn't forget that St. Kilda's defence is also very much depleted and it's midfield, without last year's best and fairest Jack Steven, Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna and in the wake of recent departures of Nick dal Santo and Ben McEvoy, is not what it used to be four or five years ago when that club came literally within centimetres of winning a premiership flag. I do think that while the first round is important to the club, Roos' main mission is not dependent on the result of this one game. The Melbourne team of the future will evolve in time and I expect that there will be plenty of highs and lows and lots of frustration over a journey that will take a while before a successful outcome for the club is achieved. I see a style based on defence but the skills and strength of the young team need to be worked on and that will not happen overnight. After all, it took a five year voyage on The Beagle before Charlie Darwin was able to produce his theory on natural selection. I'm not suggesting that Roos will take that long (after all, he's been given less than half the time) but his track record as a player and a coach suggests that any team with which he is involved will usually have the capacity to compete against and survive among the very fittest. THE GAME St. Kilda v Melbourne at Etihad Stadium Saturday 22 March, 2014 at 7.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall St. Kilda 86 wins Melbourne 118 wins 1 drawn At Etihad St. Kilda 4 wins Melbourne 3 wins Past five years St. Kilda 6 wins Melbourne 0 wins The Coaches Richardson 0 wins Roos 0 wins MEDIA TV - TBA RADIO - TBA THE BETTING St. Kilda to win - $2.35 Melbourne to win - $1.62 THE LAST TIME THEY MET St. Kilda 16.8.104 defeated Melbourne 10.9.69, Round 13, 2013 at Etihad Stadium The Saints were off to a flier in Neil Craig's first game as stand in coach for the Demons who made a reasonably promising fist of things after the first quarter break. Nathan Jones was Melbourne's best while the better players for the Saints that day - Montagna, Steven and Dal Santo - won't be taking the field on Saturday night. THE TEAMS ST. KILDA B: Sean Dempster, Luke Delaney, James Gwilt HB: Nathan Wright, Dylan Roberton, Jimmy Webster C: Jack Newnes, Luke Dunstan, Farren Ray HF: Clint Jones, Nick Riewoldt, Josh Saunders F: Rhys Stanley, Beau Maister, Eli Templeton FOLL: Tom Hickey, David Armitage, Shane Savage I/C: Jack Billings, Thomas Curren, Jarryn Geary, Sam Gilbert EMG: Trent Dennis-Lane Tom Lee Sebastian Ross NEW: Jack Billings (Oakleigh Chargers), Luke Delaney (North Melbourne), Luke Dunstan (Woodville-West Torrens), Shane Savage (Hawthorn), Eli Templeton (Burnie Dockers) MELBOURNE B: Dean Terlich, James Frawley, Jack Grimes HB: Lynden Dunn, Tom McDonald, Bernie Vince C: Jimmy Toumpas, Jack Watts, Dom Tyson HF: Rohan Bail, Jack Fitzpatrick, Daniel Cross F: Shannon Byrnes, Cam Pedersen, Jeremy Howe FOLL: Jake Spencer, Nathan Jones, Jack Trengove I/C: Viv Michie, Matt Jones, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Alex Georgiou EMG: Daniel Nicholson, Sam Blease, Michael Evans NEW: Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs), Alex Georgiou (Norwood), Jay Kennedy-Harris (Oakleigh Chargers), Viv Michie (Fremantle), Dom Tyson (Greater Western Sydney), Bernie Vince (Adelaide) LONG TIME BETWEEN DRINKS The memory of Melbourne's last victory over St. Kilda hasn't quite dimmed yet. It was an elimination final played at night at the MCG and Brock McLean played a starring role as light misty rain fell intermittently over the ground. He was going to be our next star but it didn't quite work out that way. Since then the two teams have met nine times in seven and a half seasons and on each occasion Melbourne has fallen. Not only that, but in a similar timespan the club has failed every time it has ventured to the Docklands. Sooner or later, the club has to drive the monkey from its back and this Saturday night presents the Demons with their best opportunity to atone for humiliation of those losses. If the Saints are looking forward into a distant horizon when they state they're aspiring to be premiers by the end of the decade then tomorrow will be nothing more than a first stepping stone into that brand new future but they are taking that step in the absence of many of their dwindling band of good footballers. Key midfielders Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna and Jack Steven, plus Sam Fisher and Adam Schneider are all among the missing while Sam Gilbert would have to be a doubtful starter given his interrupted pre season. So despite the fact that the Demons also go into the game with an undermanned forward line (with no Chris Dawes, Mitch Clark and Jesse Hogan) and last year's best defender Colin Garland out with an ankle injury, not to mention talls Mark Jamar and Max Gawn who are also unavailable, the bookies still rate them a chance. And so do I. I don't have the data available but it would not surprise me at all if the number of new players in a red and blue jumper (actually you can add a slab of white to that combination to ensure that there's a clash of colours with the host team) for the season opener against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night is higher than for any first round game in half a century - all the way back to the mid 1960s when the club was in rebuild mode at the end of the Norm Smith era. Paul Roos and the recruiting team have attacked the weakness in the club's midfielder by importing Daniel Cross, Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson and Viv Michie from other AFL clubs and have also added mature age defender Alex Georgiou and small forward Jay Kennedy-Harris to play their first AFL matches. That's a nice combination of a wealth of experience and some enthusiastic youth added to spice up the team against the ailing Saints but the most important additional element is the coach himself - an astute man with great knowledge, people skills and a mission to succeed which should turn football history on its head. Melbourne by 13 points.

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THE GAME St. Kilda v Melbourne at Etihad Stadium Saturday 22 March, 2014 at 7.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall St. Kilda 86 wins Melbourne 118 wins 1 drawn At Etihad St. Kilda 4 wins Melbourne 3 wins Past five years St. Kilda 6 wins Melbourne 0 wins The Coaches Richardson 0 wins Roos 0 wins MEDIA TV - TBA RADIO - TBA THE BETTING St. Kilda to win - $2.35 Melbourne to win - $1.62 THE LAST TIME THEY MET St. Kilda 16.8.104 defeated Melbourne 10.9.69, Round 13, 2013 at Etihad Stadium The Saints were off to a flier in Neil Craig's first game as stand in coach for the Demons who made a reasonably promising fist of things after the first quarter break. Nathan Jones was Melbourne's best while the better players for the Saints that day - Montagna, Steven and Dal Santo - won't be taking the field on Saturday night. THE TEAMS ST. KILDA B: Sean Dempster, Luke Delaney, James Gwilt HB: Nathan Wright, Dylan Roberton, Jimmy Webster C: Jack Newnes, Luke Dunstan, Farren Ray HF: Clint Jones, Nick Riewoldt, Josh Saunders F: Rhys Stanley, Beau Maister, Eli Templeton FOLL: Tom Hickey, David Armitage, Shane Savage I/C: Jack Billings, Thomas Curren, Jarryn Geary, Sam Gilbert EMG: Trent Dennis-Lane Tom Lee Sebastian Ross NEW: Jack Billings (Oakleigh Chargers), Luke Delaney (North Melbourne), Luke Dunstan (Woodville-West Torrens), Shane Savage (Hawthorn), Eli Templeton (Burnie Dockers) MELBOURNE B: Dean Terlich, James Frawley, Jack Grimes HB: Lynden Dunn, Tom McDonald, Bernie Vince C: Jimmy Toumpas, Jack Watts, Dom Tyson HF: Rohan Bail, Jack Fitzpatrick, Daniel Cross F: Shannon Byrnes, Cam Pedersen, Jeremy Howe FOLL: Jake Spencer, Nathan Jones, Jack Trengove I/C: Viv Michie, Matt Jones, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Alex Georgiou EMG: Daniel Nicholson, Sam Blease, Michael Evans NEW: Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs), Alex Georgiou (Norwood), Jay Kennedy-Harris (Oakleigh Chargers), Viv Michie (Fremantle), Dom Tyson (Greater Western Sydney), Bernie Vince (Adelaide) LONG TIME BETWEEN DRINKS The memory of Melbourne's last victory over St. Kilda hasn't quite dimmed yet. It was an elimination final played at night at the MCG and Brock McLean played a starring role as light misty rain fell intermittently over the ground. He was going to be our next star but it didn't quite work out that way. Since then the two teams have met nine times in seven and a half seasons and on each occasion Melbourne has fallen. Not only that, but in a similar timespan the club has failed every time it has ventured to the Docklands. Sooner or later, the club has to drive the monkey from its back and this Saturday night presents the Demons with their best opportunity to atone for humiliation of those losses. If the Saints are looking forward into a distant horizon when they state they're aspiring to be premiers by the end of the decade then tomorrow will be nothing more than a first stepping stone into that brand new future but they are taking that step in the absence of many of their dwindling band of good footballers. Key midfielders Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna and Jack Steven, plus Sam Fisher and Adam Schneider are all among the missing while Sam Gilbert would have to be a doubtful starter given his interrupted pre season. So despite the fact that the Demons also go into the game with an undermanned forward line (with no Chris Dawes, Mitch Clark and Jesse Hogan) and last year's best defender Colin Garland out with an ankle injury, not to mention talls Mark Jamar and Max Gawn who are also unavailable, the bookies still rate them a chance. And so do I. I don't have the data available but it would not surprise me at all if the number of new players in a red and blue jumper (actually you can add a slab of white to that combination to ensure that there's a clash of colours with the host team) for the season opener against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night is higher than for any first round game in half a century - all the way back to the mid 1960s when the club was in rebuild mode at the end of the Norm Smith era. Paul Roos and the recruiting team have attacked the weakness in the club's midfielder by importing Daniel Cross, Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson and Viv Michie from other AFL clubs and have also added mature age defender Alex Georgiou and small forward Jay Kennedy-Harris to play their first AFL matches. That's a nice combination of a wealth of experience and some enthusiastic youth added to spice up the team against the ailing Saints but the most important additional element is the coach himself - an astute man with great knowledge, people skills and a mission to succeed which should turn football history on its head. Melbourne by 13 points.

NATURAL SELECTION by Whispering Jack I was reflecting recently about the impending arrival of the new AFL season and I came to the conclusion that it is fitting that the capital city of the Northern Territory, whose government is a relationship partner of the Melbourne Football Club, was named after English naturalist Charlie Darwin. Darwin, whose theory of evolution was expounded in On the Origin of Species described the process of natural selection as being a matter of the "survival of the fittest" and, as fate would have it, this is becoming a catch phrase that best sums up the early part of the AFL season still very much in its infancy. It's a phenomenon that happens often at this time of year when the teams are not all yet at the peak of their fitness. In the first game of the round last Friday night, Collingwood and Fremantle went hammer and tong in the opening quarter before the Dockers took control in the second and blew the Magpies off Etihad Stadium. The following afternoon and evening saw the two new franchise teams in action with the Giants sending shock waves through the competition disposing of their neighbours and one of the premiership favourites with a withering six goal onslaught in the final 15 minutes of the game. That night the Suns overcame the loss of two players in the first half by overpowering the Tigers and, as if that wasn't enough, Port Adelaide left Carlton literally breathless in its wake on Sunday night. Melbourne coach Paul Roos summed it up neatly when he said: "Hard-running teams I think teams are fitter going into this year than they have in the past few years they've now adjusted to three on the bench and theyre adjusting to 120 subs. Theyre probably the main things Ive noticed." From a technical point of view, it was Freo, coached by Roosy's former Fitzroy teammate in Ross Lyons which employed the forward press and zone to expose Collingwood in a clinical decimation that emphasised the importance of fitness and in particular, midfield grunt. So whilst many Melbourne supporters are crying over, as yet unspilt milk due to the absence due to injury of its three power forwards and a couple of ruckmen, they are overlooking the fact that when their team runs out on Saturday night to take on an equal injury-depleted St. Kilda at Etihad Stadium, they will do so with a substantial influx of midfielders who are fit and can run. Moreover, by adopting a conservative approach with his injured players, Roos and Dave Misson who have been reunited after their success at Sydney, are ensuring that the team is best placed to follow the trend of fitness first that has been so evident with all of the round's winning teams to date. That is not to say that the big men will not be missed up forward but we shouldn't forget that St. Kilda's defence is also very much depleted and it's midfield, without last year's best and fairest Jack Steven, Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna and in the wake of recent departures of Nick dal Santo and Ben McEvoy, is not what it used to be four or five years ago when that club came literally within centimetres of winning a premiership flag. I do think that while the first round is important to the club, Roos' main mission is not dependent on the result of this one game. The Melbourne team of the future will evolve in time and I expect that there will be plenty of highs and lows and lots of frustration over a journey that will take a while before a successful outcome for the club is achieved. I see a style based on defence but the skills and strength of the young team need to be worked on and that will not happen overnight. After all, it took a five year voyage on The Beagle before Charlie Darwin was able to produce his theory on natural selection. I'm not suggesting that Roos will take that long (after all, he's been given less than half the time) but his track record as a player and a coach suggests that any team with which he is involved will usually have the capacity to compete against and survive among the very fittest.