Demonland

Correct, in 1991.

It was a misty night in early September, 2006 when Melbourne last beat St. Kilda before 67,528 people who came to the MCG for an elimination final. The rain began to fall as half time began and those hearts that beat true for the Demons were downcast as their team, in arrears by 20 points (it could have been worse had they not scored the last goal of the second quarter), trudged slowly into the rooms. It would take a champion effort to turn things around. The effort came in the form of a sensational last half by the team led by youngster Brock McLean (in his 46th AFL game) who played the game of his short football lifetime up to that point. The deficit was reduced to nine points by the final change and a devastating last term saw Melbourne home by three goals. They lost ruckman Mark Jamar with a broken foot and Matthew Whelan to a shoulder injury and lost the Semi Final in Perth the following week but still finished in a higher position in 2006 than any of the other Victorian clubs. Since then the teams have met eight times and the result has always been the same - comprehensive victories for the Saints (the best effort was an 18 point margin last year) before ever dwindling numbers and an ever increasingly gloomy outlook for both clubs; in Melbourne's case it has touched on despair. It is not for the first or even the second time since that finals encounter - but the third - that Melbourne has found it necessary to play out a season with a caretaker coach. It is the fourth occasion in that time that the team has reached the halfway mark of the season with but a single victory to its name. Most at the club have had enough of this but the question still hangs in the air. Is there anything that can be done to turn things around? THE GAME St. Kilda v Melbourne at MCG Saturday 22nd June, 2013 at 4:40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall St. Kilda 85 wins Melbourne 118 wins 1 drawn At MCG St. Kilda 33 wins Melbourne 58 wins Since 2000 St. Kilda 10 wins Melbourne 9 wins The Coaches Watters 0 wins Craig 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel Live at 4.30pm RADIO ABC K Rock THE BETTING St. Kilda to win $1.13 Melbourne to win $6.00 THE LAST TIME THEY MET St. Kilda 16.11.107 defeated Melbourne 12.10.82, Round 20, 2012 at the MCG Sam Blease had a stand out game with five goals and helped the Demons come from a long way behind to give the Saints a minor scare before emerging winners by 25 points. There was some doubt earlier in the week as to whether Saints' small forward Stephen Milne would play because of alleged homophobic comments towards Heritier O'Brien of Collingwood. He made it and played but he's not so lucky this time around. 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 In Sam Fisher Justin Koschitzke Terry Milera Tom Simpkin Out Beau Maister (hamstring) Stephen Milne Ahmed Saad Josh Saunders 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 In Shannon Byrnes Mitch Clisby Dan Nicholson Jake Spencer Out Michael Evans (foot) Mark Jamar (toe) Jordie McKenzie (elbow) Luke Tapscott New Mitch Clisby (23, North Adelaide) TWILIGHT ZONE There's a game this Saturday scheduled to take place in a time nestled between day and night usually reserved for fixtures that aren't quite right. Like most matches between 16 and 17th placed teams it deserves its placement outside the normal hours for the game and indeed, until the events of last week, it would have attracted minor interest from those outside the group of avid fans of the respective clubs. The strange case of Stephen Milne and the charges of rape from nine years ago and the equally strange (on a different plane) case of Mark Neeld's dismissal have combined to ensure that there will be a substantial amount of public interest in this game. After all, the media ghouls have been feasting on the two stories for the entire week. The back story from the Milne affair is the alleged player revolt at St. Kilda in support of their teammate and the question marks against the entire culture of a club whose history of extracurricular party boy activities precedes it and has become the stuff of legend. How will they respond this week? There are a myriad of questions about Melbourne in the wake of Neeld's departure, mine being about the confidence of the playing group and whether the changes that are taking place both on and off the field under a quasi AFL regime will have a positive effect to their mindset. Do the players trust the people in charge? Selecting the winner remains easy on paper. You only have to look at each team's most recent performance. The Saints were genuinely unlucky not to bring home the four points against the Eagles in a pressure cooker game while the Demons could only maintain one quarter of pressure before the Magpies swamped them. While St. Kilda is missing personnel who have hurt Melbourne in the past - Hayes, Milne (always seems to kick the opening goal in these games), Meister etc. - the missing Demons are so important in terms of the strength and team depth that are so crucial in young, inexperienced sides. Ultimately, the difference between the two might be determined at the top of the class in terms of the two Saints celebrating their 250th games for they personify two of the main ingredients that the Demons lack. Nick Riewodlt is a true champion of the game, a key position player with a great engine and plenty of courage and Nick dal Santo is a clever and classy midfielder. Both can turn the course of games but their team won't need to change anything this week. I expect them to be far too strong. St. Kilda by 37 points.

THE TURN by Whispering Jack It was a misty night in early September, 2006 when Melbourne last beat St. Kilda before 67,528 people who came to the MCG for an elimination final. The rain began to fall as half time began and those hearts that beat true for the Demons were downcast as their team, in arrears by 20 points (it could have been worse had they not scored the last goal of the second quarter), trudged slowly into the rooms. It would take a champion effort to turn things around. The effort came in the form of a sensational last half by the team led by youngster Brock McLean (in his 46th AFL game) who played the game of his short football lifetime up to that point. The deficit was reduced to nine points by the final change and a devastating last term saw Melbourne home by three goals. They lost ruckman Mark Jamar with a broken foot and Matthew Whelan to a shoulder injury and lost the Semi Final in Perth the following week but still finished in a higher position in 2006 than any of the other Victorian clubs. Since then the teams have met eight times and the result has always been the same - comprehensive victories for the Saints (the best effort was an 18 point margin last year) before ever dwindling numbers and an ever increasingly gloomy outlook for both clubs; in Melbourne's case it has touched on despair. It is not for the first or even the second time since that finals encounter - but the third - that Melbourne has found it necessary to play out a season with a caretaker coach. It is the fourth occasion in that time that the team has reached the halfway mark of the season with but a single victory to its name. Most at the club have had enough of this but the question still hangs in the air. Is there anything that can be done to turn things around? THE GAME St. Kilda v Melbourne at MCG Saturday 22nd June, 2013 at 4:40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall St. Kilda 85 wins Melbourne 118 wins 1 drawn At MCG St. Kilda 33 wins Melbourne 58 wins Since 2000 St. Kilda 10 wins Melbourne 9 wins The Coaches Watters 0 wins Craig 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel Live at 4.30pm RADIO ABC K Rock THE BETTING St. Kilda to win $1.13 Melbourne to win $6.00 THE LAST TIME THEY MET St. Kilda 16.11.107 defeated Melbourne 12.10.82, Round 20, 2012 at the MCG Sam Blease had a stand out game with five goals and helped the Demons come from a long way behind to give the Saints a minor scare before emerging winners by 25 points. There was some doubt earlier in the week as to whether Saints' small forward Stephen Milne would play because of alleged homophobic comments towards Heritier O'Brien of Collingwood. He made it and played but he's not so lucky this time around. 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 In Sam Fisher Justin Koschitzke Terry Milera Tom Simpkin Out Beau Maister (hamstring) Stephen Milne Ahmed Saad Josh Saunders 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 In Shannon Byrnes Mitch Clisby Dan Nicholson Jake Spencer Out Michael Evans (foot) Mark Jamar (toe) Jordie McKenzie (elbow) Luke Tapscott New Mitch Clisby (23, North Adelaide) TWILIGHT ZONE There's a game this Saturday scheduled to take place in a time nestled between day and night usually reserved for fixtures that aren't quite right. Like most matches between 16 and 17th placed teams it deserves its placement outside the normal hours for the game and indeed, until the events of last week, it would have attracted minor interest from those outside the group of avid fans of the respective clubs. The strange case of Stephen Milne and the charges of rape from nine years ago and the equally strange (on a different plane) case of Mark Neeld's dismissal have combined to ensure that there will be a substantial amount of public interest in this game. After all, the media ghouls have been feasting on the two stories for the entire week. The back story from the Milne affair is the alleged player revolt at St. Kilda in support of their teammate and the question marks against the entire culture of a club whose history of extracurricular party boy activities precedes it and has become the stuff of legend. How will they respond this week? There are a myriad of questions about Melbourne in the wake of Neeld's departure, mine being about the confidence of the playing group and whether the changes that are taking place both on and off the field under a quasi AFL regime will have a positive effect to their mindset. Do the players trust the people in charge? Selecting the winner remains easy on paper. You only have to look at each team's most recent performance. The Saints were genuinely unlucky not to bring home the four points against the Eagles in a pressure cooker game while the Demons could only maintain one quarter of pressure before the Magpies swamped them. While St. Kilda is missing personnel who have hurt Melbourne in the past - Hayes, Milne (always seems to kick the opening goal in these games), Meister etc. - the missing Demons are so important in terms of the strength and team depth that are so crucial in young, inexperienced sides. Ultimately, the difference between the two might be determined at the top of the class in terms of the two Saints celebrating their 250th games for they personify two of the main ingredients that the Demons lack. Nick Riewodlt is a true champion of the game, a key position player with a great engine and plenty of courage and Nick dal Santo is a clever and classy midfielder. Both can turn the course of games but their team won't need to change anything this week. I expect them to be far too strong. St. Kilda by 37 points.

Thanks for rubbishing the hours of work I have put into it.

That's why we provide each poster with a little avatar. Can't see Jimmy in yours.

Demonland has had Jimmy on the banner for the past 3 years. I have the utmost respect for the guy and everything he did for the club on and off the field but the time is right to start making our own history and being at the lowest low is the right time to get up off the floor and move forward. We will never forget the past and the long list of champions.

Time to look forward.

According to his brother Mark Williams has the "fire in his belly" to take on the coaching job at the Dees http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/mark-williams-has-a-fire-in-his-belly-to-take-on-the-coaching-job-at-melbourne/story-fni5f91a-1226666437747

Guys, I've already finished the banner and there are no past players. We've done that and it's time to move forward. The banner is completed and a new player will be revealed each day leading up to the game against the Saints. i appreciate the suggestions but I can't please everyone. I also can't just change the banner every few days or weeks as it takes a bit of time to do.

Thanks. A new player will go up each day.All current day players. Enough looking back. It's time to look forward.

Unless they have since deleted their tweets I cannot find one tweet relating to the sacking of Mark Neeld by a current Melbourne player. Can anyone provide a link?

What did he say?

And here is a link to the story: St Kilda forward charged with rape

Beamer was in the middle on Lenny Hayes who took his pants down. The beginning of the end? Karma??? ST. KILDA Backs Jarryn Geary James Gwilt Tom Simpkin Half backs Sean Dempster Sam Fisher Sam Gilbert Centreline Farren Ray Lenny Hayes Brendon Goddard Half forwards Ahmed Saad Nick Riewoldt Nick Dal Santo Forwards Stephen Milne Justin Koschitzke Sam Dunell Followers Ben McEvoy David Armitage Leigh Montagna Interchange Jason Gram Clinton Jones Jack Steven Beau Wilkes Emergencies Jamie Cripps Tom Ledger Dean Polo In Beau Wilkes Out Dean Polo MELBOURNE Backs Joel Macdonald James Sellar Tom McDonald Half backs Lynden Dunn Matthew Bate Colin Garland Centreline Jack Trengove Brent Moloney Sam Blease Half forwards Neville Jetta Jared Rivers Rohan Bail Forwards Jeremy Howe Brad Green Colin Sylvia Followers Jake Spencer Jack Grimes Nathan Jones Interchange Jordie McKenzie James Magner James Strauss Luke Tapscott Emergencies Michael Evans Jack Fitzpatrick Jordan Gysberts In Matthew Bate Neville Jetta Jordie McKenzie Out James Frawley (quad) Jordan Gysberts Cale Morton (shoulder)

Continue the discussion here: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/34223-neeld-sacked-with-craig-as-interim/

No, let me do it.

Continue the discussion here: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/34223-neeld-sacked-with-craig-as-interim/

You can continue the discussion here: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/34223-neeld-sacked-with-craig-as-interim/

This thread is now closed comrades.

If you can't laugh at yourselves then who can you laugh at. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=553867591342220&set=vb.113208555377897&type=2&theater

PROGRESS VOTING ROUND 11 97. Nathan Jones 85. Colin Garland 74. Matt Jones 55. Jeremy Howe 42. Dean Terlich 40. James Frawley 39. Jack Viney 36. Colin Sylvia 26. Jack Grimes 24. Aaron Davey 23. Shannon Byrnes Michael Evans 16. Max Gawn 14. Chris Dawes 12. James Magner 11. Luke Tapscott 8. Mitch Clark Jack Trengove Jack Watts 6. Lynden Dunn Tom McDonald 5. Cam Pedersen 4. Jordie McKenzie 3. Mark Jamar Dean Kent 2. Rohan Bail David Rodan 1. Sam Blease

MELBOURNE'S GRAND FINAL ... or the last game of the season for a good number of players? What a simply pathetic display, yet again, by the group of players that turned out against Collingwood on the QB holiday? And it was a good holiday for a lot of them, as (yet again) they failed to put in any serious effort, and (yet again ) disgraced the history and pride of both the Club and its long suffering supporters. The Collingwood coach paternalistically alluded to the game being "Melbourne's Grand Final"; probably because there is little likelihood of seeing another one for most of our supporters, especially the older ones. But also we have become so irrelevant in the competition, that a single game is now seen as the pinnacle achievable for the club. How pathetic is that? How demoralizing? The only real connection is since the GF is the last game of the season, hopefully we have seen the last game for the season for the usual group of lazy culprits! When Col Garland busts his guts out (yet again) playing on Cloke, giving away height and weight and has to watch the half-hearted efforts of those up the field, it was no surprise that he finally lost it with them. It would have been good to be a fly on the wall in the rooms afterwards to hear the tongue lashing that some rightly deserved. Good to see Tommy Mac back and capably assisting him, but the shocker put in by Lynden Dunn with eight turnovers by foot alone, undid all the hard work of the backline. Not that the mids were any better, save for Terlich and Jones x2 (yet again). Sylvia returned to his usual form (yet again), picking up the easy outside kicks and not running and chasing. Jordie McKenzie has turned into a liability by refusing to kick the ball under any circumstances (yet again). And the coach must take some heat for putting Jeremy Howe in the middle. A plodding Magner would at least get his hand on the leather at some time, if he would only get the opportunity. But Jeremy, the forward who can mark, playing in the mid-field ... please spare me! Jack Watts is playing with the same level of interest as Buddy Franklin at Hawthorn. Unless someone kicks it down his throat, he simply will not go anywhere near the ball (yet again), or his opponent until they are 10 metres down the field and running away (yet again). Another 15 goal, or thereabouts loss (yet again) and the supporters can only look forward to the bye, because the team won't lose by 15 goals next week. One goal (yet again) in a half of football is simply disgraceful by any standards. This IS without any shadow of a doubt the worst team that has played for the MFC. At least in the terrible 80s we could go to see Robbie Flower show his wares, but even if the rest of the team were no good as footballers, they would try. Today the team's score was kicked by 3 players, none of who actually play in the forward line! If the MFC site puts up "5 things we have learnt" again this week (yet again) there should be a prosecution made by the ACCC for false advertising because it is patently clear that since Round 1 the players have learned absolutely and completely NOTHING. If the Club and the AFL are concerned about attendances at MFC games, they should now be terrified. There is no possibility that any self-respecting supporter can continue or even think about turning up to watch the gutless performances put on by this group (yet again). Grand Final game for Melbourne? Tell em you're dreaming ... it wasn't a game of a standard fit for suburban footy (yet again). Melbourne 1.5.11 1.7.13 3.9.27 5.9.39 Collingwood 1.6.12 7.11.53 12.15.87 17.20.122 Goals Melbourne Davey Trengove 2 Blease Collingwood Cloke Kennedy Martin 3 J Thomas 2 Didak Lynch Macaffer Pendlebury O'Brien Swan Best Melbourne Garland McDonald M Jones Terlich N Jones Collingwood Swan Ball Shaw Pendlebury J Thomas O'Brien Changes Melbourne Nil. Collingwood Elliott replaced by Oxley Injuries Melbourne Dawes (ankle) McKenzie (mouth) Collingwood Nil. Reports Melbourne Nil. Collingwood Nil. Umpires McBurney Margetts Kamolins Official crowd 50,835 at the MCG

Game over - POSTMATCH DISCUSSION

MELBOURNE'S GRAND FINAL ... or the last game of the season for a good number of players? by George on the Outer What a simply pathetic display, yet again, by the group of players that turned out against Collingwood on the QB holiday? And it was a good holiday for a lot of them, as (yet again) they failed to put in any serious effort, and (yet again ) disgraced the history and pride of both the Club and its long suffering supporters. The Collingwood coach paternalistically alluded to the game being "Melbourne's Grand Final"; probably because there is little likelihood of seeing another one for most of our supporters, especially the older ones. But also we have become so irrelevant in the competition, that a single game is now seen as the pinnacle achievable for the club. How pathetic is that? How demoralizing? The only real connection is since the GF is the last game of the season, hopefully we have seen the last game for the season for the usual group of lazy culprits! When Col Garland busts his guts out (yet again) playing on Cloke, giving away height and weight and has to watch the half-hearted efforts of those up the field, it was no surprise that he finally lost it with them. It would have been good to be a fly on the wall in the rooms afterwards to hear the tongue lashing that some rightly deserved. Good to see Tommy Mac back and capably assisting him, but the shocker put in by Lynden Dunn with eight turnovers by foot alone, undid all the hard work of the backline. Not that the mids were any better, save for Terlich and Jones x2 (yet again). Sylvia returned to his usual form (yet again), picking up the easy outside kicks and not running and chasing. Jordie McKenzie has turned into a liability by refusing to kick the ball under any circumstances (yet again). And the coach must take some heat for putting Jeremy Howe in the middle. A plodding Magner would at least get his hand on the leather at some time, if he would only get the opportunity. But Jeremy, the forward who can mark, playing in the mid-field ... please spare me! Jack Watts is playing with the same level of interest as Buddy Franklin at Hawthorn. Unless someone kicks it down his throat, he simply will not go anywhere near the ball (yet again), or his opponent until they are 10 metres down the field and running away (yet again). Another 15 goal, or thereabouts loss (yet again) and the supporters can only look forward to the bye, because the team won't lose by 15 goals next week. One goal (yet again) in a half of football is simply disgraceful by any standards. This IS without any shadow of a doubt the worst team that has played for the MFC. At least in the terrible 80s we could go to see Robbie Flower show his wares, but even if the rest of the team were no good as footballers, they would try. Today the team's score was kicked by 3 players, none of who actually play in the forward line! If the MFC site puts up "5 things we have learnt" again this week (yet again) there should be a prosecution made by the ACCC for false advertising because it is patently clear that since Round 1 the players have learned absolutely and completely NOTHING. If the Club and the AFL are concerned about attendances at MFC games, they should now be terrified. There is no possibility that any self-respecting supporter can continue or even think about turning up to watch the gutless performances put on by this group (yet again). Grand Final game for Melbourne? Tell em you're dreaming ... it wasn't a game of a standard fit for suburban footy (yet again). Melbourne 1.5.11 1.7.13 3.9.27 5.9.39 Collingwood 1.6.12 7.11.53 12.15.87 17.20.122 Goals Melbourne Davey Trengove 2 Blease Collingwood Cloke Kennedy Martin 3 J Thomas 2 Didak Lynch Macaffer Pendlebury O'Brien Swan Best Melbourne Garland McDonald M Jones Terlich N Jones Collingwood Swan Ball Shaw Pendlebury J Thomas O'Brien Changes Melbourne Nil. Collingwood Elliott replaced by Oxley Injuries Melbourne Dawes (ankle) McKenzie (mouth) Collingwood Nil. Reports Melbourne Nil. Collingwood Nil. Umpires McBurney Margetts Kamolins Official crowd 50,835 at the MCG