Demonland

Demons Fans boo off team after Round 1 capitulation. A simply disgraceful team performance by the Melbourne Football club where they managed a solitary goal in a half of football, saw them rightly booed from the ground by their fans. And for all the apologists who say the team shouldnt be bagged ... that's rubbish! When a couple of first game 18 year olds show how to play a game of football, as an example, then players who had pulled on the jumper for 50 or 100 games should hang their heads in shame. Once again the supporters turned out in droves with over 20,000 paying their money and providing encouragement. For that they were treated disgracefully as they witnessed half-hearted efforts and lack of simply football smarts throughout the whole game. If it werent for the likes of Mitch Clark, Jack Grimes, Jack Viney and Nathan Jones the result would have been as one toothless Port supporter described after the match -Road Kill. How true that was! Port were prepared to run. Port were prepared to back up their team-mates and keep playing simple football. It was what we have come to know them as. It is their culture. Melbourne players in contrast played like a group of upper-class schoolboys. Avoiding the heavy contact, and hoping someone else will do the hard work, just to avoid getting the hands dirty. Simple tactics of manning up were either not followed or issued, as countless Port goals were slammed through with barely a Melbourne player in sight. Grimes tried hard to rally the troops with some genuine dash, and Blease added that which was missing for the first ¾ of the game. Clark played his heart out, but with no other assistance up forward his output was nullified. Viney will surely win the Rising Star award for this week with 22 disposals. And they were all hard fought and valuable. However, his long time friend Oliver Wines had an equally impressive debut for the Power. A sharp contrast with Col Sylvia (yet again) who simply refuses to cover his or any man, while he is all too happy to let others get the ball to him ... if he feels like it. The fans booed the team off at half-time and again at full time. They could see the sub-standard performance and the lack of effort being shunted out. Any supporter can stomach a team that is better than yours, but they certainly couldnt stomach what they saw today. Melbourne 3.1.19 7.2.44 7.3.45 8.6.54 Port Adelaide 5.3.33 11.6.72 16.13.109 19.19.133 Goals MelbourneClark Howe 2 Byrnes McKenzie Pedersen Viney Port Adelaide Schulz 4 Monfries Stewart 3 Hartlett 2 Cornes Heath Moore Pittard Westhoff Wingard Wines Best Melbourne Grimes Viney Clark N Jones M Jones Port Adelaide Hartlett Monfries Schulz Ebert Cornes Westhoff Injuries Melbourne Clark (ankle) Port Adelaide Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Substitions Melbourne Sam Blease replaced Mitch Clark (final quarter) Port Adelaide Kane Mitchell replaced Angus Monfries (final quarter) Umpires Farmer Ryan Pannell Crowd 22,924 at the MCG

CAN YOU HEAR THE DRUMS? by George on the Outer Demons Fans boo off team after Round 1 capitulation. A simply disgraceful team performance by the Melbourne Football club where they managed a solitary goal in a half of football, saw them rightly booed from the ground by their fans. And for all the apologists who say the team shouldnt be bagged ... that's rubbish! When a couple of first game 18 year olds show how to play a game of football, as an example, then players who had pulled on the jumper for 50 or 100 games should hang their heads in shame. Once again the supporters turned out in droves with over 20,000 paying their money and providing encouragement. For that they were treated disgracefully as they witnessed half-hearted efforts and lack of simply football smarts throughout the whole game. If it werent for the likes of Mitch Clark, Jack Grimes, Jack Viney and Nathan Jones the result would have been as one toothless Port supporter described after the match -Road Kill. How true that was! Port were prepared to run. Port were prepared to back up their team-mates and keep playing simple football. It was what we have come to know them as. It is their culture. Melbourne players in contrast played like a group of upper-class schoolboys. Avoiding the heavy contact, and hoping someone else will do the hard work, just to avoid getting the hands dirty. Simple tactics of manning up were either not followed or issued, as countless Port goals were slammed through with barely a Melbourne player in sight. Grimes tried hard to rally the troops with some genuine dash, and Blease added that which was missing for the first ¾ of the game. Clark played his heart out, but with no other assistance up forward his output was nullified. Viney will surely win the Rising Star award for this week with 22 disposals. And they were all hard fought and valuable. However, his long time friend Oliver Wines had an equally impressive debut for the Power. A sharp contrast with Col Sylvia (yet again) who simply refuses to cover his or any man, while he is all too happy to let others get the ball to him ... if he feels like it. The fans booed the team off at half-time and again at full time. They could see the sub-standard performance and the lack of effort being shunted out. Any supporter can stomach a team that is better than yours, but they certainly couldnt stomach what they saw today. Melbourne 3.1.19 7.2.44 7.3.45 8.6.54 Port Adelaide 5.3.33 11.6.72 16.13.109 19.19.133 Goals MelbourneClark Howe 2 Byrnes McKenzie Pedersen Viney Port Adelaide Schulz 4 Monfries Stewart 3 Hartlett 2 Cornes Heath Moore Pittard Westhoff Wingard Wines Best Melbourne Grimes Viney Clark N Jones M Jones Port Adelaide Hartlett Monfries Schulz Ebert Cornes Westhoff Injuries Melbourne Clark (ankle) Port Adelaide Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Substitions Melbourne Sam Blease replaced Mitch Clark (final quarter) Port Adelaide Kane Mitchell replaced Angus Monfries (final quarter) Umpires Farmer Ryan Pannell Crowd 22,924 at the MCG

Can you pick 6 players?

Any updates?

EXPERIMENT by KC from Casey The final practice match before the start of the season proper was a time for experimentation as the Scorpions took on the Hawks at Casey Fields. As was obvious from results of other games across the country in both AFL and VFL, the results of these games can be misleading and mean little in terms of the real season ahead. Casey fielded a list of 27 players but used a substitute system and changed four of its players at half time while a few of the Demon listed players were still finding their feet after injury interrupted pre seasons. The result was a team that lacked height around the ground, particularly in the forward line where Box Hill's height and marking power combined with Casey's shocking inaccuracy in front of goal conspired to give the visitors an easy victory in the end. The game started in conditions that were perfect for football with a light breeze and the cloud cover keeping things cool. Casey dominated proceedings for most of the opening term with James Magner and Tom Couch racking up the possessions on the ball but, for all their troubles, they managed a solitary goal and held a mere 10 point lead at quarter time. For the second week in a row, it took little time for the visiting side to turn things around. Two goals in a minute, one from a dubious free kick, saw Box Hill in front. Another free and fifty metre penalty saw them move to an 8 point lead before Casey regrouped and fought back to level the score but a couple of late goals gave the Hawks a comfortable 14 point buffer at half time. The breeze had picked up during the afternoon and Casey dominated the third term kicking to the southern end but, as with the opening stanza, the Scorpions were woefully inaccurate in front of goal and, as often happens, the Hawks goaled late in the term against the run of play in one of their rare forays forward. With Max Gawn off for the day during the latter stages of the final quarter and Cranbourne ruck recruit Michael Boland "subbed" off at the main break, the bigger, stronger Box Hill rucks and key position players took complete control of the game and romped home by 31 points. Dean Terlich and Tom McDonald were the day's two most prominent Demon players to put their hands up for AFL selection while 18 year old Ben Kearns from the Gippsland Power via Churchill, in his first senior game was dangerous around the goals and looks to be a player of the future. Casey Scorpions 1.5.11 2.8.20 3.16.34 4.17.41 Box Hill Hawks 0.1.1 5.4.34 6.6.42 10.12.72 Stats: Magner 36,Terlich 33, Couch 29, Davis 27, Clisby 23, Evans 22, J.Tynan 21, Barry 18. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Dom Barry - worked hard for 18 disposals and showed some innate natural skills. Needs to build his body to be right for AFL football. Mitch Clisby - good run out of defence and clean with his disposal. Thomas Couch - got a lot of the football but not always effective. Troy Davis - some great defensive efforts and is improving his disposal and decision making. Michael Evans - worked hard in bursts but we need to seem him use his pace and skills a lot more. Max Gawn - had about 2½ quarters before he came off. Started tentatively at his first ruck contest but was soon into it although a little trusty. Given that it was his first outing since late 2011 and he had little assistance in the ruck it was a positive start for him. Neville Jetta - showed great determination in defence and would be handy with the Demons. Dean Kent - a solid game from the youngster who will play in the AFL this season. James Magner - picked up 36 possessions in a quality game in the midfield. Tom McDonald - showed that he's ready to return to the AFL after that ankle injury. Good run out of defence. James Strauss - a quiet day but very effective with his disposal. Rory Taggert - tried up forward early with limited effect. Better when he played downfield. Dean Terlich - played a strong game as an attacking defender. Got a lot of the football and moved it well. Really put his hand up for selection against Essendon next week. Jack Trengove - a quiet day but seemed to be gaining confidence and touch the further the game went. Josh Tynan - worked hard in defence and looks to be an improver on last year.

The final practice match before the start of the season proper was a time for experimentation as the Scorpions took on the Hawks at Casey Fields. As was obvious from results of other games across the country in both AFL and VFL, the results of these games can be misleading and mean little in terms of the real season ahead. Casey fielded a list of 27 players but used a substitute system and changed four of its players at half time while a few of the Demon listed players were still finding their feet after injury interrupted pre seasons. The result was a team that lacked height around the ground, particularly in the forward line where Box Hill's height and marking power combined with Casey's shocking inaccuracy in front of goal conspired to give the visitors an easy victory in the end. The game started in conditions that were perfect for football with a light breeze and the cloud cover keeping things cool. Casey dominated proceedings for most of the opening term with James Magner and Tom Couch racking up the possessions on the ball but, for all their troubles, they managed a solitary goal and held a mere 10 point lead at quarter time. For the second week in a row, it took little time for the visiting side to turn things around. Two goals in a minute, one from a dubious free kick, saw Box Hill in front. Another free and fifty metre penalty saw them move to an 8 point lead before Casey regrouped and fought back to level the score but a couple of late goals gave the Hawks a comfortable 14 point buffer at half time. The breeze had picked up during the afternoon and Casey dominated the third term kicking to the southern end but, as with the opening stanza, the Scorpions were woefully inaccurate in front of goal and, as often happens, the Hawks goaled late in the term against the run of play in one of their rare forays forward. With Max Gawn off for the day during the latter stages of the final quarter and Cranbourne ruck recruit Michael Boland "subbed" off at the main break, the bigger, stronger Box Hill rucks and key position players took complete control of the game and romped home by 31 points. Dean Terlich and Tom McDonald were the day's two most prominent Demon players to put their hands up for AFL selection while 18 year old Ben Kearns from the Gippsland Power via Churchill, in his first senior game was dangerous around the goals and looks to be a player of the future. Casey Scorpions 1.5.11 2.8.20 3.16.34 4.17.41 Box Hill Hawks 0.1.1 5.4.34 6.6.42 10.12.72 Stats: Magner 36,Terlich 33, Couch 29, Davis 27, Clisby 23, Evans 22, J.Tynan 21, Barry 18. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Dom Barry - worked hard for 18 disposals and showed some innate natural skills. Needs to build his body to be right for AFL football. Mitch Clisby - good run out of defence and clean with his disposal. Thomas Couch - got a lot of the football but not always effective. Troy Davis - some great defensive efforts and is improving his disposal and decision making. Michael Evans - worked hard in bursts but we need to seem him use his pace and skills a lot more. Max Gawn - had about 2½ quarters before he came off. Started tentatively at his first ruck contest but was soon into it although a little trusty. Given that it was his first outing since late 2011 and he had little assistance in the ruck it was a positive start for him. Neville Jetta - showed great determination in defence and would be handy with the Demons. Dean Kent - a solid game from the youngster who will play in the AFL this season. James Magner - picked up 36 possessions in a quality game in the midfield. Tom McDonald - showed that he's ready to return to the AFL after that ankle injury. Good run out of defence. James Strauss - a quiet day but very effective with his disposal. Rory Taggert - tried up forward early with limited effect. Better when he played downfield. Dean Terlich - played a strong game as an attacking defender. Got a lot of the football and moved it well. Really put his hand up for selection against Essendon next week. Jack Trengove - a quiet day but seemed to be gaining confidence and touch the further the game went. Josh Tynan - worked hard in defence and looks to be an improver on last year.

Well ... since it's now officially GAME DAY, I propose the discussion should now move on to the GAME DAY THREAD!

I'm not sure what is happening with your phone. Others with the same phone and OS are not experiencing any issues. Without access to the phone for testing there is nothing else I can do except offer you a full refund. Let me know how you would like to proceed? I apologise for the inconvenience.

He was listed at the time as being an indigenous Australian but we'll get down to checking and correcting that at some stage.Winder if he was related to Usain Bolt?

WJ's complete preview has been loaded onto the opening post. No surprise about his prediction.

A good story and glad to oblige ... DOG FINALLY HAS HIS DAY

I just heard Mick Malthouse say that about Carlton but he didn't convince me.

1921 by Whispering Jack The selection of eight players in Melbourne's squad for Sunday's game against Port Adelaide recalls the season opener for 1921 when Harry Bruce, Harry Coy, Joe Flanagan, Clarrie Lethlean, John Lord, Enos Thomas, Ted Thomas and Percy Tulloh and captain coach Percy Wilson who had crossed from Collingwood all lined up for the club against Essendon on 7 May making it nine newcomers to the club on the one day. Two years earlier, Melbourne had made an inauspicious return to the VFL after a three year wartime break failing to win a game in 1919. It improved marginally in the following season rising to 8th place in what was then a nine team competition. The club then looked to new captain coach Wilson, who the Magpies felt had passed his prime as a player, in the hope of lifting it to a finals appearance for the first time since 1915. Melbourne certainly needed something to bring about a lift. Its membership number for 1921 stood at a mere 397. A crowd of only 3,500 turned up at the East Melbourne ground which was then home for Essendon, known as the "Same Olds" in those days, and they started the game strongly kicking five goals to Melbourne's solitary major for the opening term. This was the first year in which scores from other grounds were displayed on the scoreboards of the grounds, with codes to decipher the scores available in the Football Record. The new Melbourne coach introduced the tactics employed at Collingwood and his inexperienced side went a long way to reeling in the deficit by half time and before going ahead by the end of the third term by 8 points. Essendon was not to be denied and clawed back the lead but a mistake by one of its defenders gifted Melbourne a goal. When the final bell rang the scoreboard showed Melbourne leading by two points, but the scores were actually level. The error was corrected leaving the result as a draw. Ironically, the Redlegs also drew their game against St. Kilda a few weeks later after a Saints' protest against a point given to Melbourne during the game was dismissed. The newcomers were all impressive eapecially Lord in the ruck, Ted Thomas at centre half-back and Lethlean at full-back. Wilson was instrumental as one of the players who gave his team the edge in the middle of the ground. The team finished two games out of the final four in sixth place with six wins and two draws in a 16 game season - a big improvement on its last two seasons although it would take another five years before the club would taste premiership glory in 1926. Melbourne 1.2.8 5.6.36 11.6.72 12.6.78 Essendon 5.6.36 6.8.44 9.10.64 11.12.78 Goals George Haines Harry Harker 3 Bill Allen 2 Jack Brake Enos Thomas Percy Tulloh Percy Wilson Thanks to Supermercado's DemonWiki - a great source of information about the MFC.

The selection of eight players in Melbourne's squad for Sunday's game against Port Adelaide recalls the season opener for 1921 when Harry Bruce, Harry Coy, Joe Flanagan, Clarrie Lethlean, John Lord, Enos Thomas, Ted Thomas and Percy Tulloh and captain coach Percy Wilson who had crossed from Collingwood all lined up for the club against Essendon on 7 May making it nine newcomers to the club on the one day. Two years earlier, Melbourne had made an inauspicious return to the VFL after a three year wartime break failing to win a game in 1919. It improved marginally in the following season rising to 8th place in what was then a nine team competition. The club then looked to new captain coach Wilson, who the Magpies felt had passed his prime as a player, in the hope of lifting it to a finals appearance for the first time since 1915. Melbourne certainly needed something to bring about a lift. Its membership number for 1921 stood at a mere 397. A crowd of only 3,500 turned up at the East Melbourne ground which was then home for Essendon, known as the "Same Olds" in those days, and they started the game strongly kicking five goals to Melbourne's solitary major for the opening term. This was the first year in which scores from other grounds were displayed on the scoreboards of the grounds, with codes to decipher the scores available in the Football Record. The new Melbourne coach introduced the tactics employed at Collingwood and his inexperienced side went a long way to reeling in the deficit by half time and before going ahead by the end of the third term by 8 points. Essendon was not to be denied and clawed back the lead but a mistake by one of its defenders gifted Melbourne a goal. When the final bell rang the scoreboard showed Melbourne leading by two points, but the scores were actually level. The error was corrected leaving the result as a draw. Ironically, the Redlegs also drew their game against St. Kilda a few weeks later after a Saints' protest against a point given to Melbourne during the game was dismissed. The newcomers were all impressive eapecially Lord in the ruck, Ted Thomas at centre half-back and Lethlean at full-back. Wilson was instrumental as one of the players who gave his team the edge in the middle of the ground. The team finished two games out of the final four in sixth place with six wins and two draws in a 16 game season - a big improvement on its last two seasons although it would take another five years before the club would taste premiership glory in 1926. Melbourne 1.2.8 5.6.36 11.6.72 12.6.78 Essendon 5.6.36 6.8.44 9.10.64 11.12.78 Goals George Haines Harry Harker 3 Bill Allen 2 Jack Brake Enos Thomas Percy Tulloh Percy Wilson Thanks to Supermercado's DemonWiki - a great source of information about the MFC.

Apropos of nothing in particular, when a player changes clubs does he take the number of strikes he's accumulated with him and, if so, is the club he's going to made aware of that number? PS: apologies if the question sounds a little incoherent.

Lucky I'm not playing anyone in Dreamteam this week.

The long hot summer of 2012-3 will not be forgotten by many of us associated with the Melbourne Football Club but, even as I begin to write, with the temperatures still hovering in the thirties, the questions about the club's future still linger. We are on the brink of a seventh season since the Demons tasted the finals or even won an opening match. The big hitters of the competition seem way ahead of where Melbourne is currently placed in terms of its perceived playing strength and nobody seriously thinks it can challenge for September action this year and perhaps even the next. Supporters can only hope that the coming of autumn finally marks the culmination of one of the worst periods in the club's history, a time in which it might not exactly have hit rock bottom in terms of ladder ranking but otherwise in so many other aspects, it failed to even remotely live up to expectations. The things that brought the club to the dark places it has occupied in recent times are well-documented and have been the subject of heated debate but, as we stand on the brink of a new season, I return to a time exactly two years ago when most Melbourne fans waited with anticipation and a measure of confidence for the opening of a new season. Back then, the club appeared to be on a steep upward curve. At the end of 2010 it had more than doubled its tally of wins to 8½ over the previous year and some pundits were predicting finals action in 2011. Coach Dean Bailey was even on record as suggesting that his then club was possibly on the brink of an era that would bring not just one but many premierships. Brisbane's Michael Voss thought the same way. The first two teams Melbourne faced in 2011 were, by coincidence, the teams that played off for last years premiership. The opening round's opponents were the Sydney Swans who had been given a spanking by Melbourne late the season inflicting some deep wounds on Paul Roos and giving him the biggest defeat of his coaching career just as it was ending. But despite our lofty expectations, the rematch some seven or eight months later was a close and hard fought encounter with the Demons coming back from well behind to take the lead late in the game only to see the Swans claw back in the final desperate moments to give their new coach two premiership points on his debut. From that point onward, the fortunes of two sides that had been so evenly matched that day diverged completely. One marched off with ticker tape and a flag by the end of 2012 while the other wallowed at the foot of the table ahead only of the newly hatched franchises. In the second round of 2011, Melbourne took on Hawthorn who wasted opportunities in the first quarter but were dominated in the second so that moments before the main break they trailed by 27 points. The Dees still enjoyed a three goal buffer when they went into the rooms at half time. It was the third quarter that defined not only this particular game but also the club's following two seasons. The loss of control was so complete that the team stood back helplessly as the relentless Hawks pounded away for the full thirty minutes of that term scoring an incredible 8 goals 11 behinds to one goal and one point. People talk of the 186 game later that season as the measuring stick of the depths to which the club had plumbed but, on reflection, this was the day upon which the writing was truly placed on the wall. I missed that game due to a prior engagement and put the result down to a case of a young developing team hitting a brick wall against a rampant opposition and because it won the next game (against the Suns) so convincingly, the significance of the Hawks' took a while to sink in. Well ... actually, it took another game because the same Melbourne was back on display in the first quarter against West Coast in Perth. It was truly a case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for most of the season until it all finally imploded. Perhaps others saw the team's disintegration in 2011 sooner than I did, but by mid-season it was clear that something was amiss and we now know that there were deep divisions that ended in carnage and turmoil both on and off the field in the year that followed. Controversy, the sacking of the coach after one of the most savage on field beatings in the history of the game, the death of a President, the dismissal of a major sponsor, criminal charges brought against a key player, fabrications and often unwarranted attacks in the media and elsewhere on key club personnel, injuries, leaked information and a 7 month long investigation that belonged to the Middle Ages. These were attended by a time in which we saw a total revamp of the football department so that we now have a bevy of new coaches, medical and fitness staff, almost half the playing group has moved on and there have been changes in body sizes and shapes, fitness, the introduction of a new training regimen and radical changes in playing style. Its fair to say that when we get back to the football on Sunday afternoon, the team that runs out onto the ground against Port Adelaide will be substantially different to that which carried our hopes into battle two years ago against the Swans and, for that matter, even twelve months ago against the Lions in last year's season opener. The question is whether the club is better off for all the changes that have been made? THE GAME Melbourne v Port Adelaide Sunday 31 March, 2013 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 1:10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 11 wins Port Adelaide 14 wins At the MCG Melbourne 7 wins Port Adelaide 1 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 8 wins Port Adelaide 12 wins MEDIA TV FOX FOOTY CHANNEL - 1:00pm LIVE Radio ABC Triple M 3AW SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.82 Port Adelaide to win $2.00 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 12.12.84 defeated Melbourne 8.8.56 at TIO Stadium, Darwin, Round 17, 2012. Melbourne made a solid start on a temperate Darwin evening booting five goals in the first quarter before it was torn apart by a dominant Port Adelaide midfield led by Travis Boak who was still weighing up his future with that club. Jack Grimes played a solid but not spectacular captain's game but otherwise, it was an all too familiar scenario for the Demons as they limped their way towards the season's end. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Tom Gillies Dan Nicholson Half backs Jack Watts James Frawley Colin Garland Centreline Jack Viney Jack Grimes Jimmy Toumpas Half forwards Jeremy Howe James Sellar Colin Sylvia Forwards Shannon Byrnes Mitch Clark David Rodan Followers Mark Jamar Jordie McKenzie Nathan Jones Interchange Sam Blease Matthew Jones Cameron Pedersen Luke Tapscott Emergencies Aaron Davey Jake Spencer Dean Terlich New Shannon Byrnes (Geelong) Tom Gillies (Geelong) Matt Jones (Box Hill VFL) Cameron Pedersen (North Melbourne) David Rodan (Port Adelaide) Jimmy Toumpas (Woodville-West Torrens SANFL) Jack Viney (Casey VFL) PORT ADELAIDE Backs Tom Jonas Jackson Trengove Campbell Heath Half backs Jasper Pittard Cameron O'Shea Lewis Stevenson Centreline Matthew Broadbent Brad Ebert Kane Cornes Half forwards Justin Westhoff Paul Stewart Angus Monfries Forwards Chad Wingard Jay Schulz Jake Neade Followers Jarrad Redden Hamish Hartlett Travis Boak Interchange Matthew Lobbe Kane Mitchell Andrew Moore Oliver Wines Emergencies Jack Hombsch Daniel Stewart Aaron Young New Campbell Heath (Sydney) Kane Mitchell (Claremont WAFL) Angus Monfries (Essendon) Jake Neade (North Ballarat U18) Lewis Stevenson (West Coast) Oliver Wines (Murray U18) PREDICTION by Whispering Jack When Mark Neeld's stint as coach began 12 months ago, most Demon fans had high expectations for the season ahead and certainly, very few were prepared for the season from hell that eventuated. Six months later, it was clear that the club's reaction to a 16th place finish that was only marginally ahead of the AFL's two new expansion franchises was swift, decisive and far ranging. Over the two months that followed, a third of the playing list was turned over but the changes were expected by those who had watched the team closely during 2012 and who had listened to the words of Mark Neeld and Neil Craig. The heads that rolled were mainly those of players who simply hadn't worked hard enough or bought in to the new style they were seeking to instill into the young team. The only departure who figured high in the club's best and fairest award was Jared Rivers, in his late twenties, and facing the prospect of being squeezed out of defence by young guns Jack Watts and Tom McDonald and a resurgent Lynden Dunn. So it came as no surprise when the Melbourne selection table installed seven new faces into the team to take on Port Adelaide, thereby retaining that magic ratio of new players at one third. The minute the number of new faces was announced, the so-called "experts" looked to the heavens, rolled their eyes and declared the Demons to be dead in the water. What they ignored was the fact that the visitors had also named a large contingent of newcomers including 150 game player Angus Monfries but, in terms of experience, he's well and truly shaded by Melbourne's two new 100 gamers in Shannon Byrnes and David Rodan. The mind games have also been well and truly in play with Ken Hinkley emphasising that he was only interested in playing fit players in his team - Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley puts fitness first in round one selection, the inference being that his opponents were going into the game with underdone players. The Demons will certainly have Mitch Clark lacking in match fitness but he's playing at one end of the ground and he's been working well to a programme throughout the summer. A few others hadn't played for a couple of weeks but they bring a much stronger fitness base into the game. The Demons did leave out Chris Dawes, Tom McDonald and co-captain Jack Trengove who must have all been close to selection. The new look Melbourne side gives the game a new dimension in that, whilst it's generally considered (going on past performances) that its all-important midfield is at the bottom end of accepted AFL standards and well below those of the leading teams in the competition, we simply don't know how the infusion of so many newcomers will affect the situation. It is for this reason that we simply cannot assess how much the team will advance in 2014. The pundits tell us that Brent Moloney, who polled 19 Brownlow votes in 2011, will be a big loss but they forget how poor he was last year and that he ended the season looking decidedly uninterested even down at Casey. I'll back the keenness and enthusiasm of untried trio Matt Jones, Jimmy Toumpas and Jack Viney and the wisdom and experience of Byrnes and Rodan over what last year's midfield served up last year. And the team has Nathan Jones and Jack Grimes to lead the way, Jordie McKenzie hungry to conquer the opposition's best and some expectations from Sam Blease and Colin Sylvia to add to the mix. Unpredictable - yes and more likely to be the least predictable midfield in the competition, but definitely not hopeless as some might paint things. To my mind, the most significant aspect of selection was the decision to leave out Aaron Davey - a demonstration perhaps that the club's depth is greater and that reputations and the past no longer matter when picking teams. And while Port Adelaide might hold a slight advantage in the middle, I put Melbourne ahead with Mark Jamar in the ruck, a much stronger defence and an edge in attack. That, together with a powerful home ground advantage should be enough to get Melbourne home. Melbourne to win by 27 points ... and one more prediction ... if the above is the outcome of the team's opening round match, then not a single club official will be looking grim faced as he leaves the ground.

The teams last met in July 2012 at TIO Stadium in Darwin and I'm expecting a few changes to the team lineups when selections are revealed later in the day. MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Nicholson James Frawley Colin Garland Half backs Joel Macdonald Tom McDonald Jack Grimes Centreline Rohan Bail Colin Sylvia Sam Blease Half forwards Ricky Petterd Stefan Martin Jeremy Howe Forwards James Magner Jared Rivers Brad Green Followers Jake Spencer Jack Trengove Nathan Jones Interchange Thomas Couch Lynden Dunn Neville Jetta James Strauss Emergencies Matthew Bate Jordan Gysberts James Sellar In Lynden Dunn Neville Jetta James Magner Jake Spencer Out Matthew Bate (omitted) Jamie Bennell (knee) Jordie McKenzie (groin) Mark Jamar (calf) PORT ADELAIDE Backs Jackson Trengove Alipate Carlile Paul Stewart Half backs Tom Logan Troy Chaplin Domenic Cassisi Centreline Matthew Broadbent Travis Boak Kane Cornes Half forwards Andrew Moore Justin Westhoff Danyle Pearce Forwards John McCarthy Daniel Stewart Brett Ebert Followers Matthew Lobbe Bradley Ebert Matt Thomas Interchange Thomas Jonas Jasper Pittard Chad Wingard Aaron Young Emergencies Darren Pfeiffer Brent Renouf David Rodan In Domenic Cassisi Jasper Pittard Out Darren Pfeiffer Jarrad Redden

Preview: Demons v Power With thanks to YoungDee.

BACK TO THE FOOTBALL by Whispering Jack The long hot summer of 2012-3 will not be forgotten by many of us associated with the Melbourne Football Club but, even as I begin to write, with the temperatures still hovering in the thirties, the questions about the club's future still linger. We are on the brink of a seventh season since the Demons tasted the finals or even won an opening match. The big hitters of the competition seem way ahead of where Melbourne is currently placed in terms of its perceived playing strength and nobody seriously thinks it can challenge for September action this year and perhaps even the next. Supporters can only hope that the coming of autumn finally marks the culmination of one of the worst periods in the club's history, a time in which it might not exactly have hit rock bottom in terms of ladder ranking but otherwise in so many other aspects, it failed to even remotely live up to expectations. The things that brought the club to the dark places it has occupied in recent times are well-documented and have been the subject of heated debate but, as we stand on the brink of a new season, I return to a time exactly two years ago when most Melbourne fans waited with anticipation and a measure of confidence for the opening of a new season. Back then, the club appeared to be on a steep upward curve. At the end of 2010 it had more than doubled its tally of wins to 8½ over the previous year and some pundits were predicting finals action in 2011. Coach Dean Bailey was even on record as suggesting that his then club was possibly on the brink of an era that would bring not just one but many premierships. Brisbane's Michael Voss thought the same way. The first two teams Melbourne faced in 2011 were, by coincidence, the teams that played off for last years premiership. The opening round's opponents were the Sydney Swans who had been given a spanking by Melbourne late the season inflicting some deep wounds on Paul Roos and giving him the biggest defeat of his coaching career just as it was ending. But despite our lofty expectations, the rematch some seven or eight months later was a close and hard fought encounter with the Demons coming back from well behind to take the lead late in the game only to see the Swans claw back in the final desperate moments to give their new coach two premiership points on his debut. From that point onward, the fortunes of two sides that had been so evenly matched that day diverged completely. One marched off with ticker tape and a flag by the end of 2012 while the other wallowed at the foot of the table ahead only of the newly hatched franchises. In the second round of 2011, Melbourne took on Hawthorn who wasted opportunities in the first quarter but were dominated in the second so that moments before the main break they trailed by 27 points. The Dees still enjoyed a three goal buffer when they went into the rooms at half time. It was the third quarter that defined not only this particular game but also the club's following two seasons. The loss of control was so complete that the team stood back helplessly as the relentless Hawks pounded away for the full thirty minutes of that term scoring an incredible 8 goals 11 behinds to one goal and one point. People talk of the 186 game later that season as the measuring stick of the depths to which the club had plumbed but, on reflection, this was the day upon which the writing was truly placed on the wall. I missed that game due to a prior engagement and put the result down to a case of a young developing team hitting a brick wall against a rampant opposition and because it won the next game (against the Suns) so convincingly, the significance of the Hawks' took a while to sink in. Well ... actually, it took another game because the same Melbourne was back on display in the first quarter against West Coast in Perth. It was truly a case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for most of the season until it all finally imploded. Perhaps others saw the team's disintegration in 2011 sooner than I did, but by mid-season it was clear that something was amiss and we now know that there were deep divisions that ended in carnage and turmoil both on and off the field in the year that followed. Controversy, the sacking of the coach after one of the most savage on field beatings in the history of the game, the death of a President, the dismissal of a major sponsor, criminal charges brought against a key player, fabrications and often unwarranted attacks in the media and elsewhere on key club personnel, injuries, leaked information and a 7 month long investigation that belonged to the Middle Ages. These were attended by a time in which we saw a total revamp of the football department so that we now have a bevy of new coaches, medical and fitness staff, almost half the playing group has moved on and there have been changes in body sizes and shapes, fitness, the introduction of a new training regimen and radical changes in playing style. Its fair to say that when we get back to the football on Sunday afternoon, the team that runs out onto the ground against Port Adelaide will be substantially different to that which carried our hopes into battle two years ago against the Swans and, for that matter, even twelve months ago against the Lions in last year's season opener. The question is whether the club is better off for all the changes that have been made? THE GAME Melbourne v Port Adelaide Sunday 31 March, 2013 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 1:10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 11 wins Port Adelaide 14 wins At the MCG Melbourne 7 wins Port Adelaide 1 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 8 wins Port Adelaide 12 wins MEDIA TV FOX FOOTY CHANNEL - 1:00pm LIVE Radio ABC Triple M 3AW SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.82 Port Adelaide to win $2.00 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 12.12.84 defeated Melbourne 8.8.56 at TIO Stadium, Darwin, Round 17, 2012. Melbourne made a solid start on a temperate Darwin evening booting five goals in the first quarter before it was torn apart by a dominant Port Adelaide midfield led by Travis Boak who was still weighing up his future with that club. Jack Grimes played a solid but not spectacular captain's game but otherwise, it was an all too familiar scenario for the Demons as they limped their way towards the season's end. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Tom Gillies Dan Nicholson Half backs Jack Watts James Frawley Colin Garland Centreline Jack Viney Jack Grimes Jimmy Toumpas Half forwards Jeremy Howe James Sellar Colin Sylvia Forwards Shannon Byrnes Mitch Clark David Rodan Followers Mark Jamar Jordie McKenzie Nathan Jones Interchange Sam Blease Matthew Jones Cameron Pedersen Luke Tapscott Emergencies Aaron Davey Jake Spencer Dean Terlich New Shannon Byrnes (Geelong) Tom Gillies (Geelong) Matt Jones (Box Hill VFL) Cameron Pedersen (North Melbourne) David Rodan (Port Adelaide) Jimmy Toumpas (Woodville-West Torrens SANFL) Jack Viney (Casey VFL) PORT ADELAIDE Backs Tom Jonas Jackson Trengove Campbell Heath Half backs Jasper Pittard Cameron O'Shea Lewis Stevenson Centreline Matthew Broadbent Brad Ebert Kane Cornes Half forwards Justin Westhoff Paul Stewart Angus Monfries Forwards Chad Wingard Jay Schulz Jake Neade Followers Jarrad Redden Hamish Hartlett Travis Boak Interchange Matthew Lobbe Kane Mitchell Andrew Moore Oliver Wines Emergencies Jack Hombsch Daniel Stewart Aaron Young New Campbell Heath (Sydney) Kane Mitchell (Claremont WAFL) Angus Monfries (Essendon) Jake Neade (North Ballarat U18) Lewis Stevenson (West Coast) Oliver Wines (Murray U18) PREDICTION by Whispering Jack When Mark Neeld's stint as coach began 12 months ago, most Demon fans had high expectations for the season ahead and certainly, very few were prepared for the season from hell that eventuated. Six months later, it was clear that the club's reaction to a 16th place finish that was only marginally ahead of the AFL's two new expansion franchises was swift, decisive and far ranging. Over the two months that followed, a third of the playing list was turned over but the changes were expected by those who had watched the team closely during 2012 and who had listened to the words of Mark Neeld and Neil Craig. The heads that rolled were mainly those of players who simply hadn't worked hard enough or bought in to the new style they were seeking to instill into the young team. The only departure who figured high in the club's best and fairest award was Jared Rivers, in his late twenties, and facing the prospect of being squeezed out of defence by young guns Jack Watts and Tom McDonald and a resurgent Lynden Dunn. So it came as no surprise when the Melbourne selection table installed seven new faces into the team to take on Port Adelaide, thereby retaining that magic ratio of new players at one third. The minute the number of new faces was announced, the so-called "experts" looked to the heavens, rolled their eyes and declared the Demons to be dead in the water. What they ignored was the fact that the visitors had also named a large contingent of newcomers including 150 game player Angus Monfries but, in terms of experience, he's well and truly shaded by Melbourne's two new 100 gamers in Shannon Byrnes and David Rodan. The mind games have also been well and truly in play with Ken Hinkley emphasising that he was only interested in playing fit players in his team - Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley puts fitness first in round one selection, the inference being that his opponents were going into the game with underdone players. The Demons will certainly have Mitch Clark lacking in match fitness but he's playing at one end of the ground and he's been working well to a programme throughout the summer. A few others hadn't played for a couple of weeks but they bring a much stronger fitness base into the game. The Demons did leave out Chris Dawes, Tom McDonald and co-captain Jack Trengove who must have all been close to selection. The new look Melbourne side gives the game a new dimension in that, whilst it's generally considered (going on past performances) that its all-important midfield is at the bottom end of accepted AFL standards and well below those of the leading teams in the competition, we simply don't know how the infusion of so many newcomers will affect the situation. It is for this reason that we simply cannot assess how much the team will advance in 2014. The pundits tell us that Brent Moloney, who polled 19 Brownlow votes in 2011, will be a big loss but they forget how poor he was last year and that he ended the season looking decidedly uninterested even down at Casey. I'll back the keenness and enthusiasm of untried trio Matt Jones, Jimmy Toumpas and Jack Viney and the wisdom and experience of Byrnes and Rodan over what last year's midfield served up last year. And the team has Nathan Jones and Jack Grimes to lead the way, Jordie McKenzie hungry to conquer the opposition's best and some expectations from Sam Blease and Colin Sylvia to add to the mix. Unpredictable - yes and more likely to be the least predictable midfield in the competition, but definitely not hopeless as some might paint things. To my mind, the most significant aspect of selection was the decision to leave out Aaron Davey - a demonstration perhaps that the club's depth is greater and that reputations and the past no longer matter when picking teams. And while Port Adelaide might hold a slight advantage in the middle, I put Melbourne ahead with Mark Jamar in the ruck, a much stronger defence and an edge in attack. That, together with a powerful home ground advantage should be enough to get Melbourne home. Melbourne to win by 27 points ... and one more prediction ... if the above is the outcome of the team's opening round match, then not a single club official will be looking grim faced as he leaves the ground.

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VFL power house, Port Melbourne handed out a football lesson to the Casey Scorpions in their practice match yesterday. Smarting from their defeat at the hands of Geelong in last year's grand final, the Borough have produced another experienced list and covered their losses with the addition of some quality VFL recruits. Casey, on the other hand, has focussed on recruiting local talent, and despite the inclusion of some AFL names (a few of who were underdone and playing to regain some match fitness), it put a very young, less experienced and lighter bodied team out on the ground and was monstered physically by the Borough whose nine goals to two second quarter was outstanding and paved the way for its 64 point victory. To compound matters for the home side, Casey missed the run of Michael Riseley and Victoria VFL Academy member, Brayden Fowler, a tall key position player who would have been handy against the height and strength of the visitors. The loss of ruckman Jack Fitzpatrick who copped a heavy knock to the face in the third quarter didn't help either but, by then the damage was done and Port was in full flight. Most of the excitement from a Casey point of view came in the first quarter when the Scorpions dominated play with the aid of the breeze but spoiled it all with a one minute lapse late in the term which allowed Port to snaffle two quick goals, a forerunner to the carnage of the second term. There was a melee at the quarter time break which kept the fans on their toes, during which young Demon Dean Kent, had his number taken. Father-son recruit Jack Viney was a shining light in the game and was his team's best but the Scorpions struggled for most of the day against a well drilled Port outfit. Recruits Ben Hughes (who kicked the first two goals), Michael Boland and Jake Best showed out at times but, on the whole, it was a disappointing effort from the team which will present some challenges this year for new coach Rohan Welsh. However, the game should not be considered a great guide for the season given the lack of preparation most of the Demon contingent had coming into the game. Casey Scorpions 3.5.23 5.5.35 7.8.50 8.14.62 Port Melbourne 2.3.15 11.5.71 16.8.104 19.12.126 HOW THE DEMONS FARED Earlier in the week, 14 Demons were named in the possible squad for this game but in the end, only nine took part. Dominic Barry - didn't play. Will spend most of the season in the VFL. Sam Blease - first game up after incurring an ankle injury in NAB Cup 1. Flashed in and out of the play but really needs another run before he can step up to AFL level. Mitch Clark - the big test will come this morning. If he's pulled up well then he should play against Port next week because, although he was a bit rusty, he moved freely. He was even given a run further down the ground at one stage. Kicked only one goal but the delivery from downfield was nothing short of abysmal. Mitchell Clisby - had a few moments but is just settling into a new environment at present. Jack Fitzpatrick - didn't do a great deal to impress as a ruckman where he was out bodied by a bigger opponent and I think he's more suited to a forward pocket. Took a hit in the face in the third quarter and was taken off for the rest of the game. Dean Kent - did a couple of nice things. Reported during the melee. Tom McDonald - did not play which probably rules him out of a return for the Demons next week. Jordie McKenzie - got a bit of the ball in close and, apart from kicking into the mark early on, his disposal wasn't too bad. Nathan Stark - didn't play. James Strauss - didn't play. Rory Taggert - did a few nice things and kicked a goal but still early in his comeback given his injury and the time out of the game. Jack Trengove - took a great mark early on but otherwise just drifted through the game without imposing himself. Needs another run at this level. Josh Tynan - didn't play. Jack Viney - in everything in the middle and is almost certain to make his long-awaited debut for Melbourne against Port Adelaide on the MCG next Sunday.