Demonland

With a little bit of luck, North Melbourne will continue its recent record of domination over Melbourne when the two clubs meet at Etihad Stadium this weekend. On face value the timing of the game at 2:10pm on a Saturday afternoon suggests a return to traditional values but there is nothing truly traditional about this game. The venue is an enclosed stadium which has a roof that might be closed for the game depending on the weather conditions. Although this is Melbourne's "home" game, the ground is actually home to the "visiting" club and given that nobody remembers the last time that the Demons won a game at the place or indeed, when they last won a game against the Kangaroos, one wonders where the term "home ground advantage" fits into the equation. This has not been a particularly memorable year for either club. The horror stretch that Melbourne has endured over the past seven years is continuing and has been well documented but for North fans, it has also been a series of disasters and bad luck despite the club having a near injury-free list for the third or fourth year in a row. Last year, they had a dream fixture which helped them make it into the finals before they ran into a brick wall and a 16 goal crushing at Patersons Stadium at the hands of the Eagles. This year the luck of the draw eluded them. They have also played a number of quality games for 2½ quarters or so and then allowed opposition teams to come back from substantial deficits to win games at the last gasp. After a series of such games, they failed to reverse the trend by 1 point last week against Carlton when they came back from a six goal deficit late in the third term. Late in the evening, when the game was there to be won, an unlucky bounce robbed Brent Harvey of a chance to kick the winning goal for North. Such has been its luck for the whole season. But if there is to be any respite for the beleaguered Roos then it has to be this week against the Dees. It's not as if Melbourne hasn't improved by any of the usual measures since Neil Craig took over as coach. A change of coaching regime will do that simply because it brings in the refreshing winds of change usually after a difficult period in which self-doubt and a lack of confidence has prevailed over a losing group. However, it's often not enough to bring about sustainable improvement which might have to wait until the permanent new coach is appointed and installed. In the interim, the Demons are likely to meander through the season showing the odd glimpse of promise amid some more of the same frustrating shortcomings that have been their hallmark over the past five or so years. And all this points to the fact that Saturday promises to be North Melbourne's lucky day. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Saturday 27th July 2013 at Etihad Stadium at 2.10 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 69 wins 1 draw At Etihad Stadium Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 6 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins North Melbourne 13 wins The Coaches Craig 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports Channel 3 live at 1:30pm. RADIO - TripleM THE BETTING Melbourne to win $15.00 North Melbourne to win $1.01 LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 19.13.127 defeated Melbourne 11.7.73 at Etihad Stadium in Round 18, 2012 It was almost exactly a year ago to the day that these teams clashed at Etihad and the finals bound Kangaroos were in control from go to whoa as they coasted their way to a comfortable nine goal win to make it five wins from five encounters between the teams at this venue. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Cameron Pedersen Dean Terlich Half backs Tom McDonald James Frawley Mitchell Clisby Centreline Jack Viney Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Shannon Byrnes Jack Watts Jeremy Howe Forwards Aaron Davey Chris Dawes Jack Fitzpatrick Followers Max Gawn Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Sam Blease Matt Jones Dean Kent Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies Daniel Nicholson Jake Spencer Luke Tapscott NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Lachlan Hansen Scott Thompson Cameron Delaney Half backs Aaron Mullett Nathan Grima Taylor Hine Centreline Daniel Wells Sam Gibson Shaun Atley Half forwards Ben Cunnington Drew Petrie Brent Harvey Forwards Aaron Black Robbie Tarrant Lindsay Thomas Followers Todd Goldstein Andrew Swallow Jack Ziebell Interchange Leigh Adams Ryan Bastinac Jamie Macmillan Brad McKenzie Emergencies Luke Delaney Ben Jacobs Sam Wright Had the Kangaroos won those five games lost by under a goal this season they would be 7th on the ladder and not in 13th place which is where they sit at the present time. Of course, my aunt would be my uncle if she had a hairy chest but what this means to me is that Melbourne is not taking on a team whose form is that of an outfit struggling in the bottom six in the competition. Had the breaks gone their way, this team could easily be in the mix to play deep into the finals. Whilst it is is true that under caretaker coach Neil Craig the Demons have shown some improvement, they continue to lag well below most sides in the competition in every key performance indicator. From centre clearances to inside 50s to average disposals and scores, they are far enough behind the likes of North Melbourne that they simply dont have the ammunition to crack even a quirky side like the Kangaroos on their home turf. This leaves us with but one conclusion. North Melbourne by 60 points.

A LUCKY DAY ... FOR SOME by JVM With a little bit of luck, North Melbourne will continue its recent record of domination over Melbourne when the two clubs meet at Etihad Stadium this weekend. On face value the timing of the game at 2:10pm on a Saturday afternoon suggests a return to traditional values but there is nothing truly traditional about this game. The venue is an enclosed stadium which has a roof that might be closed for the game depending on the weather conditions. Although this is Melbourne's "home" game, the ground is actually home to the "visiting" club and given that nobody remembers the last time that the Demons won a game at the place or indeed, when they last won a game against the Kangaroos, one wonders where the term "home ground advantage" fits into the equation. This has not been a particularly memorable year for either club. The horror stretch that Melbourne has endured over the past seven years is continuing and has been well documented but for North fans, it has also been a series of disasters and bad luck despite the club having a near injury-free list for the third or fourth year in a row. Last year, they had a dream fixture which helped them make it into the finals before they ran into a brick wall and a 16 goal crushing at Patersons Stadium at the hands of the Eagles. This year the luck of the draw eluded them. They have also played a number of quality games for 2½ quarters or so and then allowed opposition teams to come back from substantial deficits to win games at the last gasp. After a series of such games, they failed to reverse the trend by 1 point last week against Carlton when they came back from a six goal deficit late in the third term. Late in the evening, when the game was there to be won, an unlucky bounce robbed Brent Harvey of a chance to kick the winning goal for North. Such has been its luck for the whole season. But if there is to be any respite for the beleaguered Roos then it has to be this week against the Dees. It's not as if Melbourne hasn't improved by any of the usual measures since Neil Craig took over as coach. A change of coaching regime will do that simply because it brings in the refreshing winds of change usually after a difficult period in which self-doubt and a lack of confidence has prevailed over a losing group. However, it's often not enough to bring about sustainable improvement which might have to wait until the permanent new coach is appointed and installed. In the interim, the Demons are likely to meander through the season showing the odd glimpse of promise amid some more of the same frustrating shortcomings that have been their hallmark over the past five or so years. And all this points to the fact that Saturday promises to be North Melbourne's lucky day. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Saturday 27th July 2013 at Etihad Stadium at 2.10 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 69 wins 1 draw At Etihad Stadium Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 6 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins North Melbourne 13 wins The Coaches Craig 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports Channel 3 live at 1:30pm. RADIO - TripleM THE BETTING Melbourne to win $15.00 North Melbourne to win $1.01 LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 19.13.127 defeated Melbourne 11.7.73 at Etihad Stadium in Round 18, 2012 It was almost exactly a year ago to the day that these teams clashed at Etihad and the finals bound Kangaroos were in control from go to whoa as they coasted their way to a comfortable nine goal win to make it five wins from five encounters between the teams at this venue. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Cameron Pedersen Dean Terlich Half backs Tom McDonald James Frawley Mitchell Clisby Centreline Jack Viney Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Shannon Byrnes Jack Watts Jeremy Howe Forwards Aaron Davey Chris Dawes Jack Fitzpatrick Followers Max Gawn Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Sam Blease Matt Jones Dean Kent Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies Daniel Nicholson Jake Spencer Luke Tapscott NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Lachlan Hansen Scott Thompson Cameron Delaney Half backs Aaron Mullett Nathan Grima Taylor Hine Centreline Daniel Wells Sam Gibson Shaun Atley Half forwards Ben Cunnington Drew Petrie Brent Harvey Forwards Aaron Black Robbie Tarrant Lindsay Thomas Followers Todd Goldstein Andrew Swallow Jack Ziebell Interchange Leigh Adams Ryan Bastinac Jamie Macmillan Brad McKenzie Emergencies Luke Delaney Ben Jacobs Sam Wright Had the Kangaroos won those five games lost by under a goal this season they would be 7th on the ladder and not in 13th place which is where they sit at the present time. Of course, my aunt would be my uncle if she had a hairy chest but what this means to me is that Melbourne is not taking on a team whose form is that of an outfit struggling in the bottom six in the competition. Had the breaks gone their way, this team could easily be in the mix to play deep into the finals. Whilst it is is true that under caretaker coach Neil Craig the Demons have shown some improvement, they continue to lag well below most sides in the competition in every key performance indicator. From centre clearances to inside 50s to average disposals and scores, they are far enough behind the likes of North Melbourne that they simply dont have the ammunition to crack even a quirky side like the Kangaroos on their home turf. This leaves us with but one conclusion. North Melbourne by 60 points.

The latest dope on the Essendon scandal - An independent panel will decide whether Essendon players are charged with doping offences.

They were surging towards the finals and had only one player on their injured list. We were struggling to keep our heads above water. It was an ordinary game from both sides. Truly forgettable. NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Scott McMahon Scott Thompson Michael Firrito Half backs Shaun Atley Nathan Grima Jamie Macmillan Centreline Ryan Bastinac Daniel Wells Ben Cunnington Half forwards Leigh Adams Robert Tarrant Samuel Wright Forwards Lachlan Hansen Drew Petrie Lindsay Thomas Followers Todd Goldstein Andrew Swallow Brent Harvey Interchange Liam Anthony Matt Campbell Sam Gibson Kieran Harper Emergencies Cruize Garlett Aaron Mullett Cameron Richardson No change MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Nicholson James Sellar Tom McDonald Half backs Joel Macdonald James Frawley Colin Garland Centreline Rohan Bail Jack Grimes Jack Trengove Half forwards Colin Sylvia Stef Martin Lynden Dunn Forwards Neville Jetta Jared Rivers Brad Green Followers Jake Spencer Jordie McKenzie Nathan Jones Interchange Sam Blease Jeremy Howe Brent Moloney James Strauss Emergencies Matthew Bate Jordan Gysberts James Magner In Jordie McKenzie Brent Moloney James Sellar Out Tom Couch James Magner Ricky Petterd

The cold biting north wind coming in directly from the snowfields bode ill for the Casey Scorpions who fell to their second loss in a row and had fans scratching their heads about the team's dramatic fall from grace since their bye. Before the break, the Scorpions won five games on end in dominating fashion handing out a succession of beltings including a 15 goal win over next week's opponent Collingwood. Earlier on, they beat the Bombers at Windy Hill by 14 goals but, for the second week in a row, things were amiss at Scorpionland. As happened in the loss to Werribee, Casey was quick out of the blocks and scored the first three goals of the game. The first to Neville Jetta took less than a minute. The Scorps also kept the Bombers goalless for the opening term but, in reality, they hadn't done enough with first use of the wind. Essendon did all the attacking in the second quarter but it wasn't until the 26 minute mark until the lead was wrested away with a goal to former Territorian and Gippsland Power player Anthony Tipungwuti who trained with Casey early in the pre season. After another Bomber goal, the Scorpions managed their only score for the term, a goal to Luke Tapscott, his second, after an exciting run down the wing from Dom Barry. The deficit was just 3 points at the main break. Like the last goal of the first half, the next was scored against the breeze to give the Bombers a 9 point lead. Rory Taggert produced a magic goal evading tackles, then Jake Best put Casey in front with his second before skipper Evan Panozza, playing his 100th game, down for a goal. The game was lost in the next 15 minutes when the Scorps' surge stalled. They added just one goal to go into orange time with a lead of only 13 points which was never going to be enough. The Bombers took the lead 8 minutes into the final term and, despite a couple of attempts to surge back into the game, it was the opposition who showed the greater composure and discipline to hold on for an 11 point win. Casey was well served by Panozza in defence (26 possessions), James Magner as always was tough in the midfield and picked up 25 touches and James Sellar and Troy Davis put their hands up for AFL selection. Dan Nicholson picked up 21 disposals while Jake Spencer, returning from suspension, had 30 hit outs. The team wore pink guernseys in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation and should be commended for its support of some great causes for the general community. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Dom Barry 5 kicks 11 handballs 16 disposals 1 mark 5 tackles Troy Davis 7 kicks 12 handballs 19 disposals 5 marks 1 behind Tom Gillies 5 kicks 7 handballs 12 disposals 3 marks Jesse Hogan 3 kicks 5 handballs 8 disposals 1 mark 1 tackle 1 hit out 1 goal Neville Jetta 6 kicks 4 handballs 10 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 1 goal Joel Macdonald did not play Jordie McKenzie 5 kicks 12 handballs 17 disposals 1 mark 6 tackles James Magner 14 kicks 11 handballs 25 disposals 1 mark 10 tackles 1 hit out Daniel Nicholson 8 kicks 13 handballs 21 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles James Sellar 13 kicks 8 handballs 21 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 2 hitouts Jake Spencer 2 kicks 7 handballs 9 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles 30 hitouts James Strauss 9 kicks 13 handballs 22 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles Rory Taggert 10 kicks 11 handballs 21 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 1 goal Luke Tapscott 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 3 marks 6 tackles 2 goals Josh Tynan 12 kicks 2 handballs 14 disposals 2 marks 6 tackles Casey Scorpions 3.3.21 4.3.27 8.3.51 9.4.58 Essendon0.1.1 4.6.30 5.9.39 9.15.69 Goals Casey Scorpions Best Tapscott 2 Hogan Hughes Jetta Panozza Taggert Essendon Davey Hille 2 Brown Daniher Duscher Firman Tipungwuti Best Casey Scorpions Panozza Nicholson Sellar Davis Magner Tapscott Essendon Firman Hille Steinberg Kavanagh O'Brien Coghlan The Casey Scorpions Development League team posted a famous victory and secured their place in the top six after holding Sandringham scoreless in the first half and goalless until the final term Casey Scorpions 4.1.25 7.5.47 11.11.77 12.13.85 Sandringham0.0.0 0.0.0 0.1.1 2.4.16 Goals Casey Scorpions Fowler Page Riseley 3 Anderson Lang Rosier Sandringham McKay Rist Best Casey Scorpions Pollard Boland Riseley Rosier Roberts Page Sandringham Maley Weikhardt Williams Beech Hodges McKay

HEAD SCRATCHERS by Ice Station The cold biting north wind coming in directly from the snowfields bode ill for the Casey Scorpions who fell to their second loss in a row and had fans scratching their heads about the team's dramatic fall from grace since their bye. Before the break, the Scorpions won five games on end in dominating fashion handing out a succession of beltings including a 15 goal win over next week's opponent Collingwood. Earlier on, they beat the Bombers at Windy Hill by 14 goals but, for the second week in a row, things were amiss at Scorpionland. As happened in the loss to Werribee, Casey was quick out of the blocks and scored the first three goals of the game. The first to Neville Jetta took less than a minute. The Scorps also kept the Bombers goalless for the opening term but, in reality, they hadn't done enough with first use of the wind. Essendon did all the attacking in the second quarter but it wasn't until the 26 minute mark until the lead was wrested away with a goal to former Territorian and Gippsland Power player Anthony Tipungwuti who trained with Casey early in the pre season. After another Bomber goal, the Scorpions managed their only score for the term, a goal to Luke Tapscott, his second, after an exciting run down the wing from Dom Barry. The deficit was just 3 points at the main break. Like the last goal of the first half, the next was scored against the breeze to give the Bombers a 9 point lead. Rory Taggert produced a magic goal evading tackles, then Jake Best put Casey in front with his second before skipper Evan Panozza, playing his 100th game, drifted down for a goal. The game was lost in the next 15 minutes when the Scorps' surge stalled. They added just one goal to go into orange time with a lead of only 13 points which was never going to be enough. The Bombers took the lead 8 minutes into the final term and, despite a couple of attempts to surge back into the game, it was the opposition who showed the greater composure and discipline to hold on for an 11 point win. Casey was well served by Panozza in defence (26 possessions), James Magner as always was tough in the midfield and picked up 25 touches and James Sellar and Troy Davis put their hands up for AFL selection. Dan Nicholson picked up 21 disposals while Jake Spencer, returning from suspension, had 30 hit outs. The team wore pink guernseys in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation and should be commended for its support of some great causes for the general community. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Dom Barry 5 kicks 11 handballs 16 disposals 1 mark 5 tackles Troy Davis 7 kicks 12 handballs 19 disposals 5 marks 1 behind Tom Gillies 5 kicks 7 handballs 12 disposals 3 marks Jesse Hogan 3 kicks 5 handballs 8 disposals 1 mark 1 tackle 1 hit out 1 goal Neville Jetta 6 kicks 4 handballs 10 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 1 goal Joel Macdonald did not play Jordie McKenzie 5 kicks 12 handballs 17 disposals 1 mark 6 tackles James Magner 14 kicks 11 handballs 25 disposals 1 mark 10 tackles 1 hit out Daniel Nicholson 8 kicks 13 handballs 21 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles James Sellar 13 kicks 8 handballs 21 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 2 hitouts Jake Spencer 2 kicks 7 handballs 9 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles 30 hitouts James Strauss 9 kicks 13 handballs 22 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles Rory Taggert 10 kicks 11 handballs 21 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 1 goal Luke Tapscott 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 3 marks 6 tackles 2 goals Josh Tynan 12 kicks 2 handballs 14 disposals 2 marks 6 tackles Casey Scorpions 3.3.21 4.3.27 8.3.51 9.4.58 Essendon0.1.1 4.6.30 5.9.39 9.15.69 Goals Casey Scorpions Best Tapscott 2 Hogan Hughes Jetta Panozza Taggert Essendon Davey Hille 2 Brown Daniher Duscher Firman Tipungwuti Best Casey Scorpions Panozza Nicholson Sellar Davis Magner Tapscott Essendon Firman Hille Steinberg Kavanagh O'Brien Coghlan The Casey Scorpions Development League team posted a famous victory and secured their place in the top six after holding Sandringham scoreless in the first half and goalless until the final term Casey Scorpions 4.1.25 7.5.47 11.11.77 12.13.85 Sandringham0.0.0 0.0.0 0.1.1 2.4.16 Goals Casey Scorpions Fowler Page Riseley 3 Anderson Lang Rosier Sandringham McKay Rist Best Casey Scorpions Pollard Boland Riseley Rosier Roberts Page Sandringham Maley Weikhardt Williams Beech Hodges McKay

PROGRESS VOTING ROUND 17 146. Nathan Jones 116. Colin Garland 103. Matt Jones 70. Dean Terlich 67. James Frawley 59. Colin Sylvia 57. Jeremy Howe 51. Jack Viney 40. Jack Watts 26. Shannon Byrnes Jack Grimes 25. Aaron Davey Tom McDonald 23. Michael Evans 21. Chris Dawes 19. Jack Fitzpatrick Max Gawn 15. Jack Trengove 12. James Magner 11. Luke Tapscott 9. Jimmy Toumpas 8. Mitch Clark 7. David Rodan 6. Lynden Dunn 5. Mitch Clisby Cam Pedersen 4. Jordie McKenzie Jake Spencer 3. Mark Jamar Dean Kent 2. Rohan Bail 1. Sam Blease

Surprise Surprise. Clark sidelined for remainder of 2013

Welcome back to the footballing world Dean Bailey. Tanks for tanking part of the fall. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-07-22/bailey-back-after-eternity?utm_medium=RSS

They didn't win. Really, they didn't even deserve to do so or even come that close for that matter and the Brisbane Lions were well below full strength with Jonathan Brown and two of their best midfielders out of the contest. But with the season now entering a prolonged junk time for the Melbourne Football Club and our thoughts firmly focussed on the trade and draft periods and the coming back room battles for control of a banana republic board that will, for some time remain subservient to the AFL army, there were some things you just had to take from a loss of less than 20 points. I could settle for the performance of James Frawley who prevailed over a defence which in better circumstances (i.e if we had a midfield that could occasionally win a centre clearance) would be regarded as first world. "Chip" was awesome on the night and he was well assisted by Colin Garland until the third quarter tragedy took place (more of that later). I could have also settled on Nathan Jones who is all class in a moribund midfield and who was worn all night by a glove called Andrew Raines and still managed to have an impact (even if limited) or on Colin Sylvia who worked hard in the hot humid evening to amass 27 touches. In the end however, I decided to dedicate the night to our Jacks - all five of them because together, they will lead this club forward. I don't know how the judges who award the NAB Rising Star can avoid giving young Viney the gong this week. Our youngest player led by example, took the hits and was often found at the bottom of the packs in his first AFL game in 10 weeks and only ran out of steam at the end. This is where the club's midfield revival starts. The club's ugly duckling Jack Fitzpatrick is turning into a swan, dangerous around goal with a haul of four, three of them in the opening term and it could have been more but for a little knee problem. Jack Watts gifted him one of those early goals and was terrific on the night with 21 touches (10 marks), even having to go into the ruck at times to help out Max Gawn and Jack F in the sapping heat. Jack Grimes had a negating role in the middle and did it well while his co-captain Jack Trengove lurked with intent, laid a dozen tackles and was a strong contributor. He's emerging out of a dirty first half of a season in which his preparation was hampered by a difficult foot injury. There was more. Max Gawn worked hard in the ruck and got his share of hit outs and while beaten around the ground by Leuenberger is on his way to a career as one of the game's better big men. The team effort was solid and a major improvement on last week. The quarter time score of 5.1.31 exceeded that of the deluge affected score from Simonds Stadium, they went inside 50 fifty times and for the second week in a row, kept the opposition to under 100 points. The last quarter and a half was played under the disadvantage of being a rotation short after a languishing Jimmy Toumpas was subbed off with Garland rolling an ankle a minute or so later. Bad luck but, in those tough conditions, it gave Brisbane that small advantage that allowed it to safely see out the game. Junk time and the MFC world tour continues next week with our second home game in a row away from home, this time at Etihad against a desperately unlucky North Melbourne team that will be keen to give another team a kicking after its train of tragedies and close defeats. A month ago I wouldn't have given the Demons a chance but now - who knows? Melbourne 5.1.31 6.5.41 10.7.67 11.9 75 Brisbane Lions 3.4.22 8.5.53 11.12.78 13.16.94 Goals Melbourne Fitzpatrick 4 Blease Davey 2 Byrnes Dawes N Jones Brisbane Lions Green Staker 3 Merrett Redden 2 Lisle Mayes, Zorko Best Melbourne Frawley Viney Fitzpatrick Sylvia Grimes Trengove Brisbane Lions Rockliff Hanley Leuenberger Redden Staker Green Injuries Melbourne Garland (ankle) Brisbane Lions Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Jonathan Brown and Mitch Golby replaced by Sam Docherty and Jordan Lisle Reports Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Nil Umpired Findlay Ryan Fila Official Crowd 7,615 at TIO Stadium

Game over - post match discussion here http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/34536-post-match-discussion/?p=790247

THE NIGHT OF THE JACKS by Whispering Jack They didn't win. Really, they didn't even deserve to do so or even come that close for that matter and the Brisbane Lions were well below full strength with Jonathan Brown and two of their best midfielders out of the contest. But with the season now entering a prolonged junk time for the Melbourne Football Club and our thoughts firmly focussed on the trade and draft periods and the coming back room battles for control of a banana republic board that will, for some time remain subservient to the AFL army, there were some things you just had to take from a loss of less than 20 points. I could settle for the performance of James Frawley who prevailed over a defence which in better circumstances (i.e if we had a midfield that could occasionally win a centre clearance) would be regarded as first world. "Chip" was awesome on the night and he was well assisted by Colin Garland until the third quarter tragedy took place (more of that later). I could have also settled on Nathan Jones who is all class in a moribund midfield and who was worn all night by a glove called Andrew Raines and still managed to have an impact (even if limited) or on Colin Sylvia who worked hard in the hot humid evening to amass 27 touches. In the end however, I decided to dedicate the night to our Jacks - all five of them because together, they will lead this club forward. I don't know how the judges who award the NAB Rising Star can avoid giving young Viney the gong this week. Our youngest player led by example, took the hits and was often found at the bottom of the packs in his first AFL game in 10 weeks and only ran out of steam at the end. This is where the club's midfield revival starts. The club's ugly duckling Jack Fitzpatrick is turning into a swan, dangerous around goal with a haul of four, three of them in the opening term and it could have been more but for a little knee problem. Jack Watts gifted him one of those early goals and was terrific on the night with 21 touches (10 marks), even having to go into the ruck at times to help out Max Gawn and Jack F in the sapping heat. Jack Grimes had a negating role in the middle and did it well while his co-captain Jack Trengove lurked with intent, laid a dozen tackles and was a strong contributor. He's emerging out of a dirty first half of a season in which his preparation was hampered by a difficult foot injury. There was more. Max Gawn worked hard in the ruck and got his share of hit outs and while beaten around the ground by Leuenberger is on his way to a career as one of the game's better big men. The team effort was solid and a major improvement on last week. The quarter time score of 5.1.31 exceeded that of the deluge affected score from Simonds Stadium, they went inside 50 fifty times and for the second week in a row, kept the opposition to under 100 points. The last quarter and a half was played under the disadvantage of being a rotation short after a languishing Jimmy Toumpas was subbed off with Garland rolling an ankle a minute or so later. Bad luck but, in those tough conditions, it gave Brisbane that small advantage that allowed it to safely see out the game. Junk time and the MFC world tour continues next week with our second home game in a row away from home, this time at Etihad against a desperately unlucky North Melbourne team that will be keen to give another team a kicking after its train of tragedies and close defeats. A month ago I wouldn't have given the Demons a chance but now - who knows? Melbourne 5.1.31 6.5.41 10.7.67 11.9 75 Brisbane Lions 3.4.22 8.5.53 11.12.78 13.16.94 Goals Melbourne Fitzpatrick 4 Blease Davey 2 Byrnes Dawes N Jones Brisbane Lions Green Staker 3 Merrett Redden 2 Lisle Mayes, Zorko Best Melbourne Frawley Viney Fitzpatrick Sylvia Grimes Trengove Brisbane Lions Rockliff Hanley Leuenberger Redden Staker Green Injuries Melbourne Garland (ankle) Brisbane Lions Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Jonathan Brown and Mitch Golby replaced by Sam Docherty and Jordan Lisle Reports Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Nil Umpired Findlay Ryan Fila Official Crowd 7,615 at TIO Stadium

Cast your votes please - 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

Ring the bell!

I can't believe that nobody has started a thread on this player yet so I'm doing so now with Whispering Jack's special draft feature: Every year WJ nominates his early favourite for Melbourne's first draft selection. In the past, he's gone for Nathan Jones, Ben McEvoy, Tom Scully (ok, he's not foolproof) and more recently, Jack Viney. This year, it's a player who's also a favourite of one of the game's true personalities. CHOCO'S CHOICE? by Whispering Jack If the stars align in a certain way, then come November, Mark Williams will be coach of the Melbourne Football Club and Matt Scharenberg will be its first selection in the AFL National Draft. According to this article Williams, who is one of the front runners for the Demons' coaching job, once described South Australian Scharenberg as "the best schoolboy footballer he had seen since Wayne Carey" - Matt Scharenberg could pip James Aish as the first South Australian drafted I first saw the 190cm, 89kg Scharenberg tearing it up in defence as a bottom ager for SA at last year's under 18 national carnival and I pictured him as potentially growing into a quality key defender but this year he has added an extra dimension of versatility to his game. He now looks they type who could fill many positions including that of the taller type midfielder and that's what makes him an attractive proposition for the Demons. There's been a lot of talk about midfielders in this year's draft discussion because most AFL clubs can't have enough of them (particularly in the 180-190cm range) and, in Melbourne's case, it has hardly any of quality in this category. And while most are concentrating on the likes of James Aish, Josh Kelly and Jack Billings in the draft's current quality street, I am tending toward's Choco's view. The reigning Brownlow Medallist stands at 191cm and Chris Judd is 189cm so if we're seriously looking for the prototype midfielder of the future, Scharenberg is of the right size and, on what I saw in this year's national carnival, has the skill set, the right physical and mental make up to excel as an on baller at the highest level. Scharenberg was a member of this year's championship winners, shared his State's MVP with midfielder Luke Dunstan and, albeit as a defender, made it back to back into the under-18 All-Australian team (a rare honour shared this year with Aish and Billings). Kelly and another hot midfield prospect Dom Sheed (the Larke Medallist) also earned AA status this year. Scharenberg is currently playing senior football at SANFL level with Glenelg and shone last week with more than 20 touches in a team that was well beaten. With Melbourne a possibility of gaining some draft assistance from the AFL at the end of the year, it's possible that this year's draft might well yield it with two of the best of this bunch and otherwise, there is further quality and depth in this year's midfield that might bring another to the club via its second round pick. But Scharenberg is going to be a hard choice to resist at the November draft especially if the coach happens to be the one who compared him to one of the modern era's greatest players.

Every year WJ nominates his early favourite for Melbourne's first draft selection. In the past, he's gone for Nathan Jones, Ben McEvoy, Tom Scully (ok, he's not foolproof) and more recently, Jack Viney. This year, it's a player who's also a favourite of one of the game's true personalities. CHOCO'S CHOICE? by Whispering Jack If the stars align in a certain way, then come November, Mark Williams will be coach of the Melbourne Football Club and Matt Scharenberg will be its first selection in the AFL National Draft. According to this article Williams, who is one of the front runners for the Demons' coaching job, once described South Australian Scharenberg as "the best schoolboy footballer he had seen since Wayne Carey" - Matt Scharenberg could pip James Aish as the first South Australian drafted I first saw the 190cm, 89kg Scharenberg tearing it up in defence as a bottom ager for SA at last year's under 18 national carnival and I pictured him as potentially growing into a quality key defender but this year he has added an extra dimension of versatility to his game. He now looks they type who could fill many positions including that of the taller type midfielder and that's what makes him an attractive proposition for the Demons. There's been a lot of talk about midfielders in this year's draft discussion because most AFL clubs can't have enough of them (particularly in the 180-190cm range) and, in Melbourne's case, it has hardly any of quality in this category. And while most are concentrating on the likes of James Aish, Josh Kelly and Jack Billings in the draft's current quality street, I am tending toward's Choco's view. The reigning Brownlow Medallist stands at 191cm and Chris Judd is 189cm so if we're seriously looking for the prototype midfielder of the future, Scharenberg is of the right size and, on what I saw in this year's national carnival, has the skill set, the right physical and mental make up to excel as an on baller at the highest level. Scharenberg was a member of this year's championship winners, shared his State's MVP with midfielder Luke Dunstan and, albeit as a defender, made it back to back into the under-18 All-Australian team (a rare honour shared this year with Aish and Billings). Kelly and another hot midfield prospect Dom Sheed (the Larke Medallist) also earned AA status this year. Scharenberg is currently playing senior football at SANFL level with Glenelg and shone last week with more than 20 touches in a team that was well beaten. With Melbourne a possibility of gaining some draft assistance from the AFL at the end of the year, it's possible that this year's draft might well yield it with two of the best of this bunch and otherwise, there is further quality and depth in this year's midfield that might bring another to the club via its second round pick. But Scharenberg is going to be a hard choice to resist at the November draft especially if the coach happens to be the one who compared him to one of the modern era's greatest players.

.Wow. What did the blokes have for dinner after the game?

The last time they met the game was played just south of the Tropic of Capricorn. This time, the game's further north. Will it make a difference? I think not. THE TEAMS BRISBANE LIONS Backs Jed Adcock Daniel Merrett Elliot Yeo Half backs Joel Patfull Justin Clarke Mitch Golby Centreline James Polkinghorne Brent Moloney Sam Mayes Half forwards Marco Paparone Jonathan Brown Rohan Bewick Forwards Josh Green Aaron Cornelius Dayne Zorko Followers Matthew Leuenberger Jack Redden Andrew Raines Interchange (from) Jack Crisp Sam Docherty Patrick Karnezis Ryan Lester Billy Longer Ashley McGrath Tom Rockliff In Justin Clarke Aaron Cornelius Jack Crisp Patrick Karnezis Ryan Lester Billy Longer James Polkinghorne Elliot Yeo Out Pearce Hanley (suspended) Ryan Harwood Stefan Martin (injured) Nial McKeever Daniel Rich (injured) MELBOURNE Backs Jack Watts James Frawley Dean Terlich Half backs Jack Grimes Tom McDonald Colin Garland Centreline Jack Trengove Colin Sylvia Sam Blease Half forwards Rohan Bail Cameron Pedersen Jeremy Howe Forwards David Rodan Max Gawn Shannon Byrnes Followers Mark Jamar Michael Evans Nathan Jones Interchange from) Aaron Davey Matt Jones Jordie McKenzie Daniel Nicholson Jake Spencer James Strauss Luke Tapscott In Sam Blease Jordie McKenzie Daniel Nicholson David Rodan Jake Spencer James Strauss Out Mitch Clark (foot) Neville Jetta (suspension) Jack Viney (rested)

Nathan Jones seems to have the field covered on his way to back to back Demonland POTYs. PROGRESS VOTING ROUND 16 146. Nathan Jones 116. Colin Garland 100. Matt Jones 69. Dean Terlich 57. Jeremy Howe 56. James Frawley 43. Colin Sylvia 39. Jack Viney 30. Jack Watts 26. Shannon Byrnes Jack Grimes 25. Tom McDonald 24. Aaron Davey 23. Michael Evans 21. Chris Dawes 19. Max Gawn 13. Jack Trengove 12. Jack Fitzpatrick James Magner 11. Luke Tapscott 9. Jimmy Toumpas 8. Mitch Clark 7. David Rodan 6. Lynden Dunn 5. Mitch Clisby Cam Pedersen 4. Jordie McKenzie Jake Spencer 3. Mark Jamar Dean Kent 2. Rohan Bail 1. Sam Blease

If ever a game didn't go according to the script, it was this one. The Werribee Tigers were coming off a midweek Foxtel Cup defeat on the other side of the continent, a game played in driving rain, and had to front the second placed Casey Scorpions with 15 AFL listed players (and the luxury of being able to leave a couple in the Development League). Casey dominated the first seven or eight minutes of the game scoring 3.1.19 to nothing with the aid of the breeze and appeared set retake top spot on the ladder with an easy win. Then everything went wrong for the Scorpions and fifty minutes and ten unanswered Werribee goals later, they were staring down the barrel of a damaging defeat. Although the Tigers have been the Scorps' bogey team in recent years and Avalon Airport Oval hasn't been a happy hunting ground for them, the Scorpions had every reason to be confident with their flying start but perhaps they got ahead of themselves and forgot that you need to work hard in difficult conditions such as those that prevailed at Werribee yesterday. The home side certainly took note and dug deep to reel back two goals in the last twenty minutes of the opening term before taking complete control of the game in the second to open up a 47-point half time lead. They did it with strength, played direct football and used their knowledge of the local conditions to good advantage. In many respects this game was similar to the round six loss at the hands of the Box Hill Hawks which also came off a week's bye and in which the damage was caused when the team lost all momentum in the second quarter and then fought grimly to prevent an all out massacre. As coincidence would have it, Cam Pedersen was also Casey's best that day as he was against the Tigers in yesterday's clash. This time, with teammates going down like nine pins, Pedersen was forced to fill the gaps, even taking his turn in the ruck against bigger opponents. Skipper Evan Panozza also worked hard to keep his team in the game and Dom Barry produced some classy bursts but with Tom Couch injured, Danny Nicholls out and James Magner well covered most of the time, the Casey midfield was well below its best. Compounding the woes was the constant stream of injuries, all to AFL-listed players (Davis, Sellar, Rodan, Couch and later Macdonald) which left the team without interchange and bereft of the opportunity to rotate players other than on the ground itself. In the circumstances, the team did well to limit the damage to a 56-point defeat. Notwithstanding, there needs to be a fair amount of soul searching at Casey with some tough games in the run home to the finals. They simply need to work a lot harder if they want the rest of the season to go according to the script. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Not particularly well. Apart from the stats as below, there were a few injuries. Troy Davis was doing well until he copped one in the ribs in the first quarter. James Sellar was involved in a head clash and appeared concussed. David Rodan last a little under a half before hurting his hamstring. Tom Couch was also off with a hammy and it was reported late that Joel Macdonald also suffered a groin or quad injury. Jesse Hogan's three goals were achieved without any service from downfield and at times he wandered far and wide at times to gather possessions. Dominic Barry 14 kicks 9 handballs 23 disposals 4 mark 3 tackles 1 goal Thomas Couch 9 kicks 9 handballs 18 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 1 behind Troy Davis 7 kicks 2 handballs 9 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle Thomas Gillies 9 kicks 11 handballs 20 disposals 6 marks 1 tackle Jesse Hogan 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 3 goals Joel Macdonald 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 1 mark 1 tackle 1 behind Jordie McKenzie 10 kicks 13 handballs 23 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles James Magner 17 kicks 10 handballs 27 disposals 5 marks 3 tackles 1 behind Cameron Pedersen 14 kicks 8 handballs 22 disposals 8 marks 3 tackles 19 hit outs David Rodan 6 kicks 5 handballs 11 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 1 goal 1 behind James Sellar 3 kicks 5 handballs 8 disposals 2 marks James Strauss 11 kicks 10 handballs 21 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles Luke Tapscott 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 1 goal 3 behinds Joshua Tynan 9 kicks 9 handballs -18 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles Jack Viney 10 kicks 6 handballs 16 disposals 5 tackles Casey Scorpions 3.2.20 4.5.29 6.9.45 8.10.58 Werribee Tigers 2.2.14 12.5.77 13.6.84 17.12.114 Goals Casey Scorpions Hogan 3 Hill 2 Barry Rodan Tapscott Werribee Tigers Maric 5 Brown Castello Daw Harper McKinley McMahon Mather Meredith Ross Sierakowski Warren Wright Best Casey Scorpions Pedersen Panozza Strauss Barry J Tynan Macdonald Werribee Tigers Maric Daw Clouston McMahon Sodomaco Ross Unlike its senior counterpart, the Casey AFL Victoria Development League team handled the ground, the conditions and the opposition with polish and turned an early deficit into a solid 46-point victory against fellow finals contender Werribee. CaseyScorpions 2.1.13 8.4.52 12.5.77 16.10.106 Werribee Tigers 5.2 6.4.40 8.10.58 8.12.60 Goals Casey Scorpions Fowler 4 Hughes Riseley Taggert 3 Anderson 2 Lang Werribee Tigers Hicks Tudor 2 Bolton Kershaw Sullivan White Best Casey Scorpions Clay Lindsay Taggert Blackie Fowler Hughes Werribee Tigers White Hicks Fairley Bolton Sullivan Laracy

NOT ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPT by KC from Casey If ever a game didn't go according to the script, it was this one. The Werribee Tigers were coming off a midweek Foxtel Cup defeat on the other side of the continent, a game played in driving rain, and had to front the second placed Casey Scorpions with 15 AFL listed players (and the luxury of being able to leave a couple in the Development League). Casey dominated the first seven or eight minutes of the game scoring 3.1.19 to nothing with the aid of the breeze and appeared set retake top spot on the ladder with an easy win. Then everything went wrong for the Scorpions and fifty minutes and ten unanswered Werribee goals later, they were staring down the barrel of a damaging defeat. Although the Tigers have been the Scorps' bogey team in recent years and Avalon Airport Oval hasn't been a happy hunting ground for them, the Scorpions had every reason to be confident with their flying start but perhaps they got ahead of themselves and forgot that you need to work hard in difficult conditions such as those that prevailed at Werribee yesterday. The home side certainly took note and dug deep to reel back two goals in the last twenty minutes of the opening term before taking complete control of the game in the second to open up a 47-point half time lead. They did it with strength, played direct football and used their knowledge of the local conditions to good advantage. In many respects this game was similar to the round six loss at the hands of the Box Hill Hawks which also came off a week's bye and in which the damage was caused when the team lost all momentum in the second quarter and then fought grimly to prevent an all out massacre. As coincidence would have it, Cam Pedersen was also Casey's best that day as he was against the Tigers in yesterday's clash. This time, with teammates going down like nine pins, Pedersen was forced to fill the gaps, even taking his turn in the ruck against bigger opponents. Skipper Evan Panozza also worked hard to keep his team in the game and Dom Barry produced some classy bursts but with Tom Couch injured, Danny Nicholls out and James Magner well covered most of the time, the Casey midfield was well below its best. Compounding the woes was the constant stream of injuries, all to AFL-listed players (Davis, Sellar, Rodan, Couch and later Macdonald) which left the team without interchange and bereft of the opportunity to rotate players other than on the ground itself. In the circumstances, the team did well to limit the damage to a 56-point defeat. Notwithstanding, there needs to be a fair amount of soul searching at Casey with some tough games in the run home to the finals. They simply need to work a lot harder if they want the rest of the season to go according to the script. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Not particularly well. Apart from the stats as below, there were a few injuries. Troy Davis was doing well until he copped one in the ribs in the first quarter. James Sellar was involved in a head clash and appeared concussed. David Rodan last a little under a half before hurting his hamstring. Tom Couch was also off with a hammy and it was reported late that Joel Macdonald also suffered a groin or quad injury. Jesse Hogan's three goals were achieved without any service from downfield and at times he wandered far and wide at times to gather possessions. Dominic Barry 14 kicks 9 handballs 23 disposals 4 mark 3 tackles 1 goal Thomas Couch 9 kicks 9 handballs 18 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 1 behind Troy Davis 7 kicks 2 handballs 9 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle Thomas Gillies 9 kicks 11 handballs 20 disposals 6 marks 1 tackle Jesse Hogan 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 3 goals Joel Macdonald 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 1 mark 1 tackle 1 behind Jordie McKenzie 10 kicks 13 handballs 23 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles James Magner 17 kicks 10 handballs 27 disposals 5 marks 3 tackles 1 behind Cameron Pedersen 14 kicks 8 handballs 22 disposals 8 marks 3 tackles 19 hit outs David Rodan 6 kicks 5 handballs 11 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 1 goal 1 behind James Sellar 3 kicks 5 handballs 8 disposals 2 marks James Strauss 11 kicks 10 handballs 21 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles Luke Tapscott 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 1 goal 3 behinds Joshua Tynan 9 kicks 9 handballs -18 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles Jack Viney 10 kicks 6 handballs 16 disposals 5 tackles Casey Scorpions 3.2.20 4.5.29 6.9.45 8.10.58 Werribee Tigers 2.2.14 12.5.77 13.6.84 17.12.114 Goals Casey Scorpions Hogan 3 Hill 2 Barry Rodan Tapscott Werribee Tigers Maric 5 Brown Castello Daw Harper McKinley McMahon Mather Meredith Ross Sierakowski Warren Wright Best Casey Scorpions Pedersen Panozza Strauss Barry J Tynan Macdonald Werribee Tigers Maric Daw Clouston McMahon Sodomaco Ross Unlike its senior counterpart, the Casey AFL Victoria Development League team handled the ground, the conditions and the opposition with polish and turned an early deficit into a solid 46-point victory against fellow finals contender Werribee. CaseyScorpions 2.1.13 8.4.52 12.5.77 16.10.106 Werribee Tigers 5.2 6.4.40 8.10.58 8.12.60 Goals Casey Scorpions Fowler 4 Hughes Riseley Taggert 3 Anderson 2 Lang Werribee Tigers Hicks Tudor 2 Bolton Kershaw Sullivan White Best Casey Scorpions Clay Lindsay Taggert Blackie Fowler Hughes Werribee Tigers White Hicks Fairley Bolton Sullivan Laracy

Well it certainly rained Cats and Dogs at Simonds Stadium or whatever the latest name for Kardinia Park is, but it was the Demons who played like Dogs, while the Cats showed why they are serious premiership contenders, regardless of the weather. Lowest number of inside 50s since records were kept, was only more annoying than Eddie reminding us of this every 10 seconds. All we could really learn from this was that no matter what sort of forward line we might have next year a la Clark, Dawes, Hogan, Watts, Howe ... if you cant get the ball inside to them it all means nothing. Our mids were smashed again, and highlighted the courageous efforts put in by the Jones twins yet again, and the complete lack of input by the others like Col Sylvia and Dan Nicholson. Nicholson supposedly tagging Steve Johnson who had 38 touches on a field of slop, ensures that Jordie McKenzie wont have any trouble fitting straight back into the side. Sylvia in his 150th game played exactly like he did in the previous 149 ... 5 minutes of work and plenty of standing around doing nothing, a sharp contrast with the work rates of the Geelong mids all day. Max Gawn showed he has plenty of upside and fought all day long. With a pre-season under his belt, he will be our first ruck come round 1 next year. Pity he just doesnt have the support around him to take advantage of his height and efforts. And once again credit goes to the backs in Col Garland, James Frawley and Tom McDonald under intese pressure with continuous ball coming their way. It wasnt their opponents kicking goals, but the 10 goals+ that came directly from upfield turnovers. Just think about how different the game would have been if Geelong had 10 less goals! Once we get rid of the spuds who keep doing this week after week, we could have a competitive side. Good to see Jimmy Toumpas is getting accustomed to the pace of the game. While he has always had the skills, he was getting caught by the speed and intensity of AFL level football. Today it clicked for him, even in the wet conditions. Twenty + disposals and exhibiting the apparent time that all good players have, mean we have a genuine positive for next season. He will only get better, and more confident. If he only had some targets to give the ball to, he would have been far more damaging. Overall, the team has stabilized since the takeover by Neil Craig. Earlier this year the scoreline would have seen a 100+ point blow-out, and while 10 goal losses are nothing to be pleased about, this was a top two side we were playing on their own dung heap. The message now to the recruitment staff for year end is mids, mids and more mids. Not that they probably dont know that, but just pick a bucketload of them, and maybe just maybe we will get a couple of good ones. Otherwise we will continue to play like Dogs ... when we need to play like Cats! Melbourne 1.2.8 2.4.16 3.5.23 4.6.30 Geelong 4.5.29 7.10.52 11.12.78 13.20.98 Goals Melbourne Byrnes 2 Dawes Howe Geelong Caddy Hawkins Horlin-Smith Podsiadly 2 Duncan Johnson Motlop Smedts Stringer Best Melbourne Byrnes M Jones N Jones Garland Gawn Geelong Johnson Selwood Kelly Caddy Podsiadly Simpson Injuries Melbourne Nil Geelong Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Geelong Mathew Stokes (groin) replaced in the selected side by George Horlin-Smith Reports Melbourne Nil Geelong Nil Umpires Ryan Hosking Wenn Crowd 23,172 at Simonds Stadium

6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - cast your votes please.

CATS AND DOGS by George on the Outer Well it certainly rained Cats and Dogs at Simonds Stadium or whatever the latest name for Kardinia Park is, but it was the Demons who played like Dogs, while the Cats showed why they are serious premiership contenders, regardless of the weather. Lowest number of inside 50s since records were kept, was only more annoying than Eddie reminding us of this every 10 seconds. All we could really learn from this was that no matter what sort of forward line we might have next year a la Clark, Dawes, Hogan, Watts, Howe ... if you cant get the ball inside to them it all means nothing. Our mids were smashed again, and highlighted the courageous efforts put in by the Jones twins yet again, and the complete lack of input by the others like Col Sylvia and Dan Nicholson. Nicholson supposedly tagging Steve Johnson who had 38 touches on a field of slop, ensures that Jordie McKenzie wont have any trouble fitting straight back into the side. Sylvia in his 150th game played exactly like he did in the previous 149 ... 5 minutes of work and plenty of standing around doing nothing, a sharp contrast with the work rates of the Geelong mids all day. Max Gawn showed he has plenty of upside and fought all day long. With a pre-season under his belt, he will be our first ruck come round 1 next year. Pity he just doesnt have the support around him to take advantage of his height and efforts. And once again credit goes to the backs in Col Garland, James Frawley and Tom McDonald under intese pressure with continuous ball coming their way. It wasnt their opponents kicking goals, but the 10 goals+ that came directly from upfield turnovers. Just think about how different the game would have been if Geelong had 10 less goals! Once we get rid of the spuds who keep doing this week after week, we could have a competitive side. Good to see Jimmy Toumpas is getting accustomed to the pace of the game. While he has always had the skills, he was getting caught by the speed and intensity of AFL level football. Today it clicked for him, even in the wet conditions. Twenty + disposals and exhibiting the apparent time that all good players have, mean we have a genuine positive for next season. He will only get better, and more confident. If he only had some targets to give the ball to, he would have been far more damaging. Overall, the team has stabilized since the takeover by Neil Craig. Earlier this year the scoreline would have seen a 100+ point blow-out, and while 10 goal losses are nothing to be pleased about, this was a top two side we were playing on their own dung heap. The message now to the recruitment staff for year end is mids, mids and more mids. Not that they probably dont know that, but just pick a bucketload of them, and maybe just maybe we will get a couple of good ones. Otherwise we will continue to play like Dogs ... when we need to play like Cats! Melbourne 1.2.8 2.4.16 3.5.23 4.6.30 Geelong 4.5.29 7.10.52 11.12.78 13.20.98 Goals Melbourne Byrnes 2 Dawes Howe Geelong Caddy Hawkins Horlin-Smith Podsiadly 2 Duncan Johnson Motlop Smedts Stringer Best Melbourne Byrnes M Jones N Jones Garland Gawn Geelong Johnson Selwood Kelly Caddy Podsiadly Simpson Injuries Melbourne Nil Geelong Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Geelong Mathew Stokes (groin) replaced in the selected side by George Horlin-Smith Reports Melbourne Nil Geelong Nil Umpires Ryan Hosking Wenn Crowd 23,172 at Simonds Stadium

DAMAGE CONTROL by the Oracle There's no greater challenge in football these days than to take on Geelong at Simonds Stadium at a time when they are on a roll having beaten fellow top four contenders in Hawthorn and Fremantle in the past fortnight.. At first sight, the clash between the second placed Cats and the second last Demons would in those circumstances be a game of little interest to most in the football world. Come to think of it, the same could be said of the game on second and third sight as well. In fact, one would probably be certified as a contender for the funny farm if one suggested that Melbourne could even trouble a rampant Geelong on its home turf at a stadium where the ground arrangements are such that only a handful of visiting supporters are able to attend and, even then, they must do so in complete anonymity. This is a pity because while the local faithful will be paying homage to their hero Joel Selwood on his 150 AFL game milestone, many Melbourne fans will miss out on the opportunity to celebrate the chalking up of the identical number of games by two of their own favourites in Nathan Jones and Colin Sylvia. Jeremy Howe will also play his 50th AFL game. Unfortunately, the trio hasn't tasted much success at all after making the long trip down the highway to this venue (perhaps Sylvia might have done so when he was a mere pup but that's it) and it won't happen on Saturday afternoon. After all, Geelong has won 38 of its last 39 encounters at Simonds giving this veritable fortress the status of the most secure home ground in the country. And not a single Melbourne reader needs to be reminded that one of those 38 Geelong victories heralded two years of misery for their football club. With the Demons coming out of the fog under a new coach, a young team and with some new found determination evident in recent weeks it would be nice to say that they could take the game up to the Cats, even in the way they fought it out against the Swans last weekend. Unfortunately for Melbourne, the home team learned its lesson about complacency at the Gabba a few weeks ago and is unlikely to give an opponent an even break any time soon. In fact, it looks like a case of damage control with the bookies quoting $17.00 for the Dees to win. In that case, I think they will do well to keep the damage to under 50 points. Geelong by 49 points. THE GAME Geelong v Melbourne at Simonds Stadium on Saturday 13 July 2013 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Geelong 124 wins Melbourne 83 wins 2 draws At Simonds Stadium Geelong 36 wins Melbourne 17 wins 1 draw Since 2000 Geelong 14 wins Melbourne 6 wins 1 draw The Coaches Scott 0 Craig 0 MEDIA TV Fox Sports 3 live at 2.00pm RADIO Triple M 3AW THE BETTING Geelong to win $1.01 Melbourne to win $17.00 LAST TIME THEY MET Geelong 17.17.119 defeated Melbourne 11.10.76 at Simonds Stadium in Round 6, 2012 It was a dark and dreary day and the memory of the meeting between these teams ten months earlier hung over the teams which produced a dour spectacle. Geelong managed to shrug off the persistent Demons thanks to the dominance of Stevie J, Chappie & the JPod. The Cats won by 7 goals but for Melbourne, at least it was a 143-point improvement. THE TEAMS GEELONG Backs Cameron Guthrie Harry Taylor Josh Hunt Half backs Travis Varcoe Tom Lonergan Andrew Mackie Centreline Taylor Hunt Joel Selwood Mitch Duncan Half forwards Mathew Stokes James Podsiadly Billie Smedts Forwards Josh Caddy Tom Hawkins Steven Motlop Followers Dawson Simpson James Kelly Jimmy Bartel Interchange Mark Blicavs Steve Johnson Jordan Murdoch Jesse Stringer In Steve Johnson Travis Varcoe Billie Smedts Out Allen Christensen (hamstring) Joel Corey (concussion) Corey Enright (foot) MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Dean Terlich Half backs Tom McDonald James Frawley Mitchell Clisby Centreline Jimmy Toumpas Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Sam Blease Jack Watts Matt Jones Forwards Jack Fitzpatrick Chris Dawes Jeremy Howe Followers Max Gawn Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Shannon Byrnes Aaron Davey Dean Kent Daniel Nicholson Emergencies Jordie McKenzie Cameron Pedersen David Rodan In Sam Blease Out David Rodan THE YEAR SO FAR by Sam the Stats Man It seems that things are looking up for the Demons although the results have yet to translate much on the scoreboard. Still, one win in the past three games is better than what we were getting earlier this year. Here, is my look at the players statistically over the first fifteen rounds of 2013:- BAIL, Rohan MFC 8 games, 4 goals, CSFC Seniors 3 games, 3 goals - after slowly overcoming issues with concussion, lost form and injured his knee after going down to Casey. BARRY, Dominic CSFC Seniors 7 games, 2 goals, CSFC DL 3 games, 4 goals - well-spoken young man developing with the Scorpions. BLEASE, Sam MFC 6 games, 3 goals, CSFC Seniors 6 games, 3 goals - struggled so far with form and injury. BYRNES, Shannon MFC 11 games, 6 goals, CSFC Seniors 1 game, 2 goals - mixed performances from the former Cat. CLARK, Mitch MFC 4 games, 7 goals - injured after Round 4. CLISBY, Mitch* MFC 3 games, 0 goals, CSFC Seniors 7 games 0 goals - has impressed in his three outings since being elevated from the rookie list. COUCH, Tom * CSFC Seniors 9 games, 6 goals - starring at Casey but unable to get upgraded off the rookie list at the moment. DAVEY, Aaron MFC 12 games, 13 goals, CSFC Seniors 1 game, 1 goal - has had a better year than expected but still a way off his best. DAVIS, Troy CSFC Seniors 9 games, 1 goal - on the cusp of getting a senior run. Has been moved forward at Casey, perhaps to test his versatility. DAWES, Chris MFC 8 games, 9 goals, CSFC Seniors 2 games, 5 goals - starting to make an impact at the club after a preseason interrupted by injury. DUNN, Lynden MFC 10 games, 3 goals, CSFC Seniors 1 game, 2 goals - the regular team pest seems to have established a role down back. EVANS, Michael MFC 9 games, 6 goals, CSFC Seniors 1 game, 1 goal - was looking really good but a foot injury has put him out for a month. FITZPATRICK, Jack MFC 5 games, 6 goals, 5 games, 16 goals - has broken into the AFL side and grabbed his chance. Developing cult hero status as a marking forward come relief ruckman. FRAWLEY, James MFC 12 games, 0 goals - having a solid year as a key defender but there are some issues with his hammy. GARLAND, Colin MFC 14 game, 1 goal - cream rising to the top as a valuable defender in a unit that's often under intense pressure. GAWN, Max MFC 8 games, 7 goals, CSFC Seniors 5 games, 7 goals - really coming on well and promising to live up to his potential as a quality ruckman now that his injury woes appear to be behind him. GILLIES, Tom MFC 2 games, 0 goals, CSFC Seniors 7 games, 0 goals - after a couple of lacklustre performances early on, he has settled down in the VFL but has competition in the key defensive posts. GRIMES, Jack MFC 7 games, 1 goal - the skipper has missed a number of games with a broken collar bone and has only just returned. HOGAN, Jesse ** CSFC Seniors 10 games, 30 goals - impressing with everything he does at Casey. HOWE, Jeremy MFC 14 games, 22 goals - the team's top goal kicker is still a spectacular mark but also needs to impose himself more on every game. JAMAR, Mark MFC 9 games, 2 goals - dominates the ruck but his output around the ground has been below average. Out of action with a foot injury. JETTA, Neville MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CSFC Seniors 5 games, 5 goals - seems to be struggling to rise above VFL level at this stage. JONES, Matthew MFC 14 games, 2 goals - an inspired mature age draft selection who would be getting greater accolades for his debut if he was at a more successful club. JONES, Nathan MFC 14 games, 6 goals - still the team's outstanding performer who is the first to face a tag each week. KENT, Dean MFC 7 games, 3 goals, CSFC Seniors 5 games, 4 goals - taking small steps in the big fishbowl but showing more promise with every passing game. MACDONALD, Joel MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CSFC Seniors 3 games, 0 goals - a toe injury has curtailed his season to date but is now ready to go. McDONALD, Tom MFC 9 games, 0 goals - started the season slowly but has blossomed in recent weeks after coming back from injury. MCKENZIE, Jordie MFC 8 games, 2 goals, CSFC Seniors 1 game, 0 goals - dogged by injury in recent times and also continues to have issues with his disposal. MAGNER, James MFC 2 games, 0 goals, CSFC Seniors 9 games, 4 goals - had two games as an uplifted rookie but seems to have fallen out of favour. NICHOLSON, Daniel MFC 9 games, 2 goals, CSFC Seniors 3 games, 0 goals - getting a run at AFL and showing some improvement. PEDERSEN, Cameron MFC 7 games, 4 goals, CSFC Seniors 4 games, 1 goal - still struggles to hold a spot with the Demons but starring at Casey. RODAN, David MFC 8 games, 2 goals, CSFC Seniors 4 games, 5 goals - a few plucky games from the little terrier. SELLAR, James MFC 6 games, 1 goal, CSFC Seniors 4 game, 0 goals - struggling to hold down a place at AFL level. SPENCER, Jake MFC 3 games, 0 goals, CSFC Seniors 7 games, 4 goals - was starting to show some form after breaking back into the side but now finds himself under a three-week suspension. STARK, Nathan * CSFC DL 5 games, 1 goal - had a late start to the season due to injury, played a few games in the develop league and injured again. STRAUSS, James MFC 4 games, 1 goal, CSFC Seniors 7 games, 2 goals disappointing in his fifth year at the club. SYLVIA, Colin MFC 11 games, 6 goals - a reasonable season interrupted by a three week break through suspension. TAGGERT, Rory CSFC Seniors 9 games, 11 goals, CSFC DL 1 game, 1 goal - a couple of good games at Casey could see him get an opportunity at the top level before the year is out. TAPSCOTT, Luke MFC 10 games, 3 goals, CSFC Seniors 3 game, 9 goals - dropped in form as of late and is back with the Casey Scorpions. TERLICH, Dean MFC 13 games, 0 goals - a revelation who keeps improving week by week in defence. TOUMPAS, Jimmy MFC 8 games, 0 goals, CSFC Seniors 3 games, 1 goal - slowly coming to grips with AFL football. Has shown glimpses of the sublime skills that made him an early draft pick. TRENGOVE, Jack MFC 12 games, 8 goals - interrupted preseason and poor early but is gradually returning to the standards of his first two seasons. TYNAN, Josh CSFC Seniors 9 games, 2 goals, CSFC DL 2 games, 0 goals - slow start but making up lost ground quickly with the Scorpions. VINEY, Jack MFC 6 games, 1 goal - showed some promise before injuring his toe and missing several weeks. WATTS, Jack MFC 10 games, 12 goals - coming good after a dirty start. WESTRUPP, Maia ** CSFC DL 5 games, 0 goals - New Zealander learning the trade with the Casey development league team. * rookie listed ** special category