Demonland

CASEY PRACTICE MATCH REPORT by KC from Casey I must confess I've been out of the loop and interstate visiting family over the past few weeks but the big question I had in my mind when I walked into Casey Fields was why on earth was Sam Blease running around in a low key VFL practice match against Box Hill when he should have been preparing for the NAB Cupper against the real Hawks that night? The last I heard of Blease he was racing around in a Demons intraclub game, kicking goals and destroying backline opponents with his exquisite pace and poise but apparently, he was late for a team meeting and suspended from playing in the NAB Cup opening round on the Gold Coast. A week later he had limited game time in the second half and this week he was back at Casey for an 11am lift off. Yesterday, he was good. Not the team's best and it wasn't as if he made no mistakes in a scrappy game played in perfect conditions. Early in the game, he kicked on his right foot at times when the non preferred left would have been the better option and then in the second term, he slotted a gem of a left footer from the boundary that revived his team's fortunes when the Hawks should have had a bigger lead. He kicked the first goal of the third quarter (his team's only goal for the term), was always dangerous as a small up forward and was prepared to have a dip. Later in the evening, all of Melbourne's goals were scored by players no shorter than 192cm. There were no Demons at Etihad demonstrating the pace to break lines or vibrancy or energy to do something to break the iron tight grip the Hawks had on them. Blease is a must to come back into the team that plays Port Adelaide next week. He should be joined by Tom McDonald who marked strongly from the get go and was probably Casey's best player on the day although that's not saying much, such was the lacklustre standard of the game. Things started well with Casey doing all of the attacking and scoring the first two goals of the game before the visitors regrouped through their dominant big men. They held a slender one point lead at the first break, dominated most of the second quarter and looked to have taken a strong grip on the game before Blease and McDonald's late goals put the Scorps back in the game restoring the status quo to a 1 point Box Hill lead. James Strauss put in a fine effort in his first game back after that devastating break in the Carlton game last year. His strong tackling and accurate disposal stood out but the medical people obviously decreed that one half would be enough for this week and consigned him to the sheds. One would expect him to play a full game next week at Casey and then line up in the first official game against Williamstown. If all goes well, he might be back for the Demons in round 1. They will also relish having both Jack Grimes and he in defence. Another defender who stood out was Neville Jetta who looked in good nick down back after a shoulder operation. Sadly, he turned an ankle later in the game and looks like missing several weeks with more surgery. Blease restored the Casey lead early in the third quarter but the Scorps went back into their shell allowing the Hawks to dictate the terms and kick the next three goals. With his team trailing by 14 points, new coach Brett Lovett addressed his players calmly at the three quarter time huddle encouraging them to put in that extra effort in the final quarter. Lucas Cook had been disappointing for most of the game and was outbodied by the Hawk defenders but he came back well in the last kicking a goal and moving nicely around the ground. Similarly, Kelvin Lawrence had a quiet day but came good late with the goal that put Casey in front late in the game. Moments later, a goal to Will Petropoulos sealed a 7 point win over a flagging Box Hill. Rookie Jai Sheahan showed some promise with cool play in defence. He will be a work in progress for Lovett because of the depth of key position defenders at the Demons. The most puzzling aspect of the game was the form of Jordan Gysberts. Melbourne is crying out for players with a point of difference with the ability to be creative and different in the midfield. Gysberts is usually a prolific ball winner but yesterday, he simply couldn't get going. Perhaps he needs stronger players to enable himself to get going. The Scorpions have surprised by winning both practice games to date but one was in the wet against an undermanned Port Melbourne and yesterday's game was of a poor standard. The team's player losses have been well documented and there are no obvious replacements in standard. The team's VFL players were honest toilers but struggled at times with the set up which involved moving forward around the boundary. Evan Panozza played well in defence but Danny Nicholls was well off the pace after a best on ground performance in the wet last week. Long standing skipper Kyle Matthews who made a late comeback last year after suffering head injuries in a hotel assault two years ago, did not play. Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 4.3.27 5.5.35 9.8.62 Box Hill Hawks 2.3.15 4.4.28 7.7.49 8.7.55

CASEY PRACTICE MATCH REPORT by KC from Casey I must confess I've been out of the loop and interstate visiting family over the past few weeks but the big question I had in my mind when I walked into Casey Fields was why on earth was Sam Blease running around in a low key VFL practice match against Box Hill when he should have been preparing for the NAB Cupper against the real Hawks that night? The last I heard of Blease he was racing around in a Demons intraclub game, kicking goals and destroying backline opponents with his exquisite pace and poise but apparently, he was late for a team meeting and suspended from playing in the NAB Cup opening round on the Gold Coast. A week later he had limited game time in the second half and this week he was back at Casey for an 11am lift off. Yesterday, he was good. Not the team's best and it wasn't as if he made no mistakes in a scrappy game played in perfect conditions. Early in the game, he kicked on his right foot at times when the non preferred left would have been the better option and then in the second term, he slotted a gem of a left footer from the boundary that revived his team's fortunes when the Hawks should have had a bigger lead. He kicked the first goal of the third quarter (his team's only goal for the term), was always dangerous as a small up forward and was prepared to have a dip. Later in the evening, all of Melbourne's goals were scored by players no shorter than 192cm. There were no Demons at Etihad demonstrating the pace to break lines or vibrancy or energy to do something to break the iron tight grip the Hawks had on them. Blease is a must to come back into the team that plays Port Adelaide next week. He should be joined by Tom McDonald who marked strongly from the get go and was probably Casey's best player on the day although that's not saying much, such was the lacklustre standard of the game. Things started well with Casey doing all of the attacking and scoring the first two goals of the game before the visitors regrouped through their dominant big men. They held a slender one point lead at the first break, dominated most of the second quarter and looked to have taken a strong grip on the game before Blease and McDonald's late goals put the Scorps back in the game restoring the status quo to a 1 point Box Hill lead. James Strauss put in a fine effort in his first game back after that devastating break in the Carlton game last year. His strong tackling and accurate disposal stood out but the medical people obviously decreed that one half would be enough for this week and consigned him to the sheds. One would expect him to play a full game next week at Casey and then line up in the first official game against Williamstown. If all goes well, he might be back for the Demons in round 1. They will also relish having both Jack Grimes and he in defence. Another defender who stood out was Neville Jetta who looked in good nick down back after a shoulder operation. Sadly, he turned an ankle later in the game and looks like missing several weeks with more surgery. Blease restored the Casey lead early in the third quarter but the Scorps went back into their shell allowing the Hawks to dictate the terms and kick the next three goals. With his team trailing by 14 points, new coach Brett Lovett addressed his players calmly at the three quarter time huddle encouraging them to put in that extra effort in the final quarter. Lucas Cook had been disappointing for most of the game and was outbodied by the Hawk defenders but he came back well in the last kicking a goal and moving nicely around the ground. Similarly, Kelvin Lawrence had a quiet day but came good late with the goal that put Casey in front late in the game. Moments later, a goal to Will Petropoulos sealed a 7 point win over a flagging Box Hill. Rookie Jai Sheahan showed some promise with cool play in defence. He will be a work in progress for Lovett because of the depth of key position defenders at the Demons. The most puzzling aspect of the game was the form of Jordan Gysberts. Melbourne is crying out for players with a point of difference with the ability to be creative and different in the midfield. Gysberts is usually a prolific ball winner but yesterday, he simply couldn't get going. Perhaps he needs stronger players to enable himself to get going. The Scorpions have surprised by winning both practice games to date but one was in the wet against an undermanned Port Melbourne and yesterday's game was of a poor standard. The team's player losses have been well documented and there are no obvious replacements in standard. The team's VFL players were honest toilers but struggled at times with the set up which involved moving forward around the boundary. Evan Panozza played well in defence but Danny Nicholls was well off the pace after a best on ground performance in the wet last week. Long standing skipper Kyle Matthews who made a late comeback last year after suffering head injuries in a hotel assault two years ago, did not play. Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 4.3.27 5.5.35 9.8.62 Box Hill Hawks 2.3.15 4.4.28 7.7.49 8.7.55

DEATH BY A THOUSAND KICKS by Scoop Junior It was the same old story against Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night, with the Dees ending a bad week on a low with a thumping 79-point loss. Although the score may have created a feeling of de ja vu for those unfortunate enough to have witnessed Hawthorn treating us like a bunch of schoolboys over the last five years, the manner and pattern of the thumping was different this time. In fact, while the Hawks have totally dominated us since 2007, what is interesting is the fact that it hasn't always been the same modus operandi - it hasn't always been the same type of kill. There have been games against them when their bigger bodies have smashed us around the stoppages and in the contested parts of the game and there have been others where they have applied manic forward pressure to force us into repetitive turnovers in our back half. In this respect, I'm sure I'm not the only one with recurring nightmares of the third quarter of last year's game against them where we could not get the ball out of defence and had they kicked straight could have put through 15 goals in that term alone. This time, however, it was death by a thousand cuts, or make that kicks. Other than probably the first half of the first quarter when we were blown away, I thought we matched the Hawks in getting hands on the footy at the stoppages and were relatively even in the contested footy stakes. However, the difference in composure and ball use was almost comical, with Hawthorn kicking the ball around the ground to unmarked players in what looked like a training drill while we struggled to string together more than two or three uncontested mark chains. The other notable difference between the two teams was in ball handling. I lost count of the number of times a Melbourne player would try to pick the ball up and either fumble or fail to dispose of it effectively, and then a Hawk would swoop, pick it up cleanly and clear the ball all in one motion. Part of this was excellent pressure by Hawthorn around the ball, but this doesn't excuse a really poor execution of one of the most basic and important skills in football - clean hands. However, what was even more disappointing was the defensive side of our game. The way the Hawks shrugged our tackles made it look like men against boys and the way they cut our zone to pieces with their precise chip kicking was really disappointing. Space just seemed to open up for them to run into and we were constantly caught out by their spreading and speed of kicking. It was pretty obvious to anyone that was at the game that on this ocassion our zone was not working and that something needed to be changed to try to prevent the uncontested possession chains that were not allowing us to get near the footy. Perhaps man on man may have helped, or even pressing further up the ground to try to pressure their backs into making execution errors. But if we mug supporters can see this, then there's no doubt the coaching staff are well on top of it. And in this respect I liked Mark Neeld saying after the game that he wanted to stick with our structure and game plan and take advantage of the fact that this was a NAB Cup game where you can afford to try different things. I like a coach who is strong with his game plan and confident in his methods and he is trying to get us to play a brand of footy that he thinks will be successful. I don't think there's any doubt that had this been a home and away game, we would've seen a change in tactics fairly early on (perhaps even from the start of the match given Hawthorn's 'chip the ball through the zone' tactic was one they employed successfully last year). We also woudn't have seen our best tall defender subbed off at half time and we wouldn't have left a 19 year old second gamer on a rampant Hale who was marking everything in sight. And that probably leads me into the only positive of the night, that it was only a pre-season match and that things will be done differently once the real stuff starts. But apart from that there wasn't much else you could take out of this game, other than the Hawks showing what a strong, talented and committed team they are and Buddy Franklin displaying freakish athleticism and football skills. It was just a good old fashioned shocker of a performance from Melbourne and something we can only hope we don't see too often again. As for the players, I don't believe that there were any winners out there. I'm going to take the unusual step of not even naming a best - while some like Lynden Dunn and Nathan Jones worked hard, I just don't think that performance warrants players to be named in the best. I was disappointed with Brent Moloney, who again failed to perform to his best against an A grade midfield. His vision was poor and he blazed away a few times when there were other (better) options available. Colin Sylvia was also disappointing, another who has too often followed up great games with an anonymous performance. Jack Watts was lively and handy in the first half but didn't have much impact after half time. Mitch Clark competed well and was a good target but he really should have taken at least 4 or 5 of the marks he dropped. He had a size, weight and experience advantage over his opponent but could not dominate his position (unlike Hale up the other end). I also thought he was selfish on two occasions - one where he snapped for goal over his head and another where he could have dished off near the boundary but instead chose to attempt a near-impossible shot at goal. After the second one, Hodge let him know that it was a selfish decision, pointing to the top of the square where the kick should have gone. But he did show promise by getting to the right spots and three goals on a night where he didn't play at his best and the delivery was terrible at best is a good effort. It was a pity James Magner was injured early as he had probably been our best player over the last two weeks. I was keen to see how he would fare against an elite opposition midfield. He appears to be the best rookie midfielder available at present. Tom Couch is honest and has a dip but the question is whether he has the pace and class, while I haven't been impressed with Dan Nicholson this pre-season as his ball handling and kicking have regularly let him down. Anyway, strangely enough I am actually looking forward to when we play Hawthorn in the home and away season as I think from a tactical perspective it will be fascinating to see how we try to combat their game style. It would also be nice if we don't give them a five or six goal head start which is what we usually do against them. With the game in Adelaide this week, the next time we see the boys run around in a competitive match will be at the MCG in Round 1 against Brisbane. So what I'd like to hear from the game this week is a real solid effort, a much improved defensive performance and (obviously) no further injuries. The scoreboard is irrelevant this week but I do think it's important that we put in a solid four quarter effort to allow us to build into the new season with a bit of confidence. Melbourne 0.2.3.15 0.4.6.30 0.4.7.31 0.6.8.44 Hawthorn 0.6.2.38 0.10.4.64 1.12.8.89 1.17.12. 123 Goals Melbourne Clark 3 Watts 2 Dunn Hawthorn Franklin (supergoal) Hale 6 Franklin 4 Breust 2 Bruce Hodge Lewis Puopolo Sewell Best Hawthorn Franklin Hale Suckling Hodge Birchall Injuries Melbourne Magner (dislocated finger) Hawthorn Nil. Reports Melbourne Nil. Hawthorn Nil. Umpires McInerney Kamolins Orr Official crowd 10,600 at Etihad Stadium

And the game is well and truly over. Further discussion in the post match thread. Thanks.

I will consider offering the mobile site for life and annual member subscriptions.

We did a software update to the forums and lost the custom skin that I had made for mobiles. As my time is very limited these days there are no plans at this stage to bring it back. Also stats showed that not many people were using it.

Star footballer denies central role in assault by Peter Hanlon in the Age Melbourne forward Liam Jurrah can't escape his tribal past by Sam Edmund and Jon Anderson in the Herald Sun There's lots more in both papers. Perhaps for the wrong reasons this time, there's no stopping the Demons from being in the forefront of the news. Hopefully, there will be more of the same for the right reasons.

There are some fascinating articles in today's media about the subject, not the least of which is this brilliant piece from the ever insightful Martin Flanagan in today's Age - Jurrah: a man caught between countries.

I don't claim to be guilty But I do understand There's a Law, there's an Arm, there's a Hand - Leonard Cohen "The Law" THE EXILE by Whispering Jack Liam Jurrah's exile began when his flight landed at Melbourne Airport yesterday afternoon. An elder of the community of Yuendumu caught both within and between different cultures, he stands charged by the law of the land with unlawfully causing serious harm and being armed with an offensive weapon at night after an alleged machete attack left a relative in hospital with serious head injuries. The charges will be dealt with at a future time but it must be remembered that nothing alleged has yet been proven and it has been reported that Jurrah has told Melbourne Football Club officials that he did not commit the assault. One thing that is certain is that Liam Jurrah will spend the coming months living in a place far removed from the home and the community which was central to his being for the first two decades of his life. Three years ago, he moved out of the desert to undertake an AFL career, an endeavour that had the full support of his elders who decreed that he was doing so "on Warlpiri business". We don't know whether he will complete the task but that is only part of what has become a tragic story for the player and his troubled community. For Jurrah's part, the physical and mental challenges that faced him were already daunting when he and another man from his tribe entered the Little Sisters Town camp in the remote Yuendumu community on Wednesday night but today they must seem almost insurmountable. His injured wrist will heal over time but Jurrah also has to contend with new systems introduced at the football club requiring a different style of game. It is still unclear as to whether he can adapt to those changes even without the emotional issues swirling in a background of unresolved conflicts among his own people far away in the remote desert settlement from which he has now been banished. The club and the player also need to deal with allegations that the events over which he was charged were fueled by alcohol. One would expect a player in rehabilitation to refrain from alcohol and if the allegations are true, this raises a team discipline issue that needs to be addressed - a matter requiring more than a modicum of wisdom given the cultural boundaries to be traversed in dealing with facts and issues and observing the various laws at play. Not the least of these is the powerful law that drives Liam Jurrah and is paramount to the people of his tribe and of who he is now an elder in exile. There's a Law, there's an Arm and there's a Hand.

I don't claim to be guilty But I do understand There's a Law, there's an Arm, there's a Hand - Leonard Cohen "The Law" THE EXILE by Whispering Jack Liam Jurrah's exile began when his flight landed at Melbourne Airport yesterday afternoon. An elder of the community of Yuendumu caught both within and between different cultures, he stands charged by the law of the land with unlawfully causing serious harm and being armed with an offensive weapon at night after an alleged machete attack left a relative in hospital with serious head injuries. The charges will be dealt with at a future time but it must be remembered that nothing alleged has yet been proven and it has been reported that Jurrah has told Melbourne Football Club officials that he did not commit the assault. One thing that is certain is that Liam Jurrah will spend the coming months living in a place far removed from the home and the community which was central to his being for the first two decades of his life. Three years ago, he moved out of the desert to undertake an AFL career, an endeavour that had the full support of his elders who decreed that he was doing so "on Warlpiri business". We don't know whether he will complete the task but that is only part of what has become a tragic story for the player and his troubled community. For Jurrah's part, the physical and mental challenges that faced him were already daunting when he and another man from his tribe entered the Little Sisters Town camp in the remote Yuendumu community on Wednesday night but today they must seem almost insurmountable. His injured wrist will heal over time but Jurrah also has to contend with new systems introduced at the football club requiring a different style of game. It is still unclear as to whether he can adapt to those changes even without the emotional issues swirling in a background of unresolved conflicts among his own people far away in the remote desert settlement from which he has now been banished. The club and the player also need to deal with allegations that the events over which he was charged were fueled by alcohol. One would expect a player in rehabilitation to refrain from alcohol and if the allegations are true, this raises a team discipline issue that needs to be addressed - a matter requiring more than a modicum of wisdom given the cultural boundaries to be traversed in dealing with facts and issues and observing the various laws at play. Not the least of these is the powerful law that drives Liam Jurrah and is paramount to the people of his tribe and of who he is now an elder in exile. There's a Law, there's an Arm and there's a Hand. DEMONLAND NOTE For obvious reasons, we ask for discretion to be used when posting on this matter. Consideration needs to be given to Liam and to all of the parties including the injured man and we all hope for the best possible outcome for all concerned.

Please leave the personal attacks alone. I have just spent the last 10 minutes deleting those attacks. Next few posters to make personal attacks at a point of view will be banned for a month. That is how serious I am about this. If you want to have the opportunity to discuss the exciting times ahead for the footy club beyond this issue then keep your attacks to yourself.

Not sure if this is related but my cousin posted his new remote that he received from Foxtel on Facebook.

This topic has been moved to General Discussion

No need for this to be in the Footy Discussion board so I have moved it to the General Discussion board. Enjoy Skype. It is a wonderful tool especially if your are OS or your family is.

THE LEAN AND HUNGRY LOOK by The Oracle "Let me have men about me that are fat, Sleek-headed men and such as sleep a-nights. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look, He thinks too much; such men are dangerous." William Sheakespeare - Julius Caesar: Act 1, scene 2, 190–195 It was a strange game of football at Etihad Stadium. While it ebbed and flowed as all good games do, the ascendency was held, surprisingly, by the team that finished off 2011 like a ship without a rudder. Not the one that came into last year's grand final as the warm favourite. At half time, when the Magpies had just managed to snatch the lead for the first time with a Nick Maxwell goal after the siren, they decided to make a sporting declaration by removing half a dozen of their A team and replaced them with youngsters and overseas imports. The Demons responded with some changes of their own and proceeded to apply the same disciplines using the same structures that gave them a moral victory in the first half. The result was not simply a victory on the scoreboard but an early moment of pleasure for the coach and supporters. A breakthrough for Melbourne at the Docklands and the dawn of a new era for the club. After so long, the lean and hungry look has returned to the Melbourne Football Club and we welcome it back with open arms even if it comes in a NAB Cup game that everybody says noddingly in agreement that it means nothing. Especially when they lose. We've heard about and discussed Mark Neeld's game plan whereby his team hustles and grinds the opposition, works hard defensively to eke out errors, kicks long to position and performs with discipline. But this is also the result of hard work on the track and in the gym over many months. Strength, endurance, bodies changing and taking shape. We saw some good signs; the rejuvenation of players, some in rebirth and some new faces. Brad Green is back in town. Nathan Jones and Matthew Bate are changed for the better and a couple of hard nuts in James Magner and Tom Couch have been found. And there's more to come. Melbourne 0.2.6.18 0.3.9.27 0.7.11.53 0.11.13.79 Collingwood 0.2.3.15 0.4.4.28 1.6.5.50 1.9.7.70 Goals Melbourne Dunn Jones Martin Petterd 2 Green Howe Sylvia Collingwood Shaw (supergoal) Rounds Thomas 2 Ball Ceglar Cloke Maxwell Paine Best Melbourne Garland Petterd Magner Jones Sellar Green Injuries Melbourne Nil. Collingwood Nil. Reports Melbourne Nil. Collingwood Nil. Umpires Stevic Armstrong Kronk Official crowd 12,954 at Etihad Stadium

Game's over folks and we won. Post match discussion HERE

THE LEAN AND HUNGRY LOOK by The Oracle "Let me have men about me that are fat, Sleek-headed men and such as sleep a-nights. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look, He thinks too much; such men are dangerous." William Sheakespeare - Julius Caesar: Act 1, scene 2, 190–195 It was a strange game of football at Etihad Stadium. While it ebbed and flowed as all good games do, the ascendency was held, surprisingly, by the team that finished off 2011 like a ship without a rudder. Not the one that came into last year's grand final as the warm favourite. At half time, when the Magpies had just managed to snatch the lead for the first time with a Nick Maxwell goal after the siren, they decided to make a sporting declaration by removing half a dozen of their A team and replaced them with youngsters and overseas imports. The Demons responded with some changes of their own and proceeded to apply the same disciplines using the same structures that gave them a moral victory in the first half. The result was not simply a victory on the scoreboard but an early moment of pleasure for the coach and supporters. A breakthrough for Melbourne at the Docklands and the dawn of a new era for the club. After so long, the lean and hungry look has returned to the Melbourne Football Club and we welcome it back with open arms even if it comes in a NAB Cup game that everybody says noddingly in agreement that it means nothing. Especially when they lose. We've heard about and discussed Mark Neeld's game plan whereby his team hustles and grinds the opposition, works hard defensively to eke out errors, kicks long to position and performs with discipline. But this is also the result of hard work on the track and in the gym over many months. Strength, endurance, bodies changing and taking shape. We saw some good signs; the rejuvenation of players, some in rebirth and some new faces. Brad Green is back in town. Nathan Jones and Matthew Bate are changed for the better and a couple of hard nuts in James Magner and Tom Couch have been found. And there's more to come. Melbourne 0.2.6.18 0.3.9.27 0.7.11.53 0.11.13.79 Collingwood 0.2.3.15 0.4.4.28 1.6.5.50 1.9.7.70 Goals Melbourne Dunn Jones Martin Petterd 2 Green Howe Sylvia Collingwood Shaw (supergoal) Rounds Thomas 2 Ball Ceglar Cloke Maxwell Paine Best Melbourne Garland Petterd Magner Jones Sellar Green Injuries Melbourne Nil. Collingwood Nil. Reports Melbourne Nil. Collingwood Nil. Umpires Stevic Armstrong Kronk Official crowd 12,954 at Etihad Stadium

IMPRINT by Whispering Jack Mark Neeld's initiation as coach of Melbourne was eerie to say the least. In a part of the world known for its theme parks and somewhat curiously dubbed "The Sunshine State", his team braved monsoonal rain conditions and broke even in its two matches played on the AFL's second newest football ground, Metricon Stadium. The day broke with rain belting down laterally on the Gold Coast. I spent the morning shopping for a suitably fashionable poncho and picked up the bargain of my four day rain soaked visit to this place at a seedy looking shop on the highway. It cost me two bucks. Then it was off to the Queensland Demons lunch brilliantly organised by Demondeb and hosted by Chris Connolly. There were Demon fans from everywhere - even as far as drought-striken WA who looked at the rain teeming outside with curiosity and even the arrival of the great Ronald Dale Barassi was not enough to stop the deluge as the Emerald Lakes Golf Club (where the function was being held) threatened to become one giant lake and the 18th green became a major water hazard. As game time neared, I grabbed my belongings, ditched my losing raffle ticket and wondered if I would ever again see the vehicle I left in the car park. The ominous sign at the beginning of the street warning of local flooding didn't make me feel any better. The rain actually eased off a little as I entered the ground having first located my Demon supporting companions. I also spotted Jack Viney's father entering the ground with another former player, Kelly O'Donnell. So many coincidences. We stepped inside south east Queensland's football theme park as the rain started belting down again. I think I've set the scene well for what was to come. The reconditioned ground at Carrara is now thankfully blessed with state of the art drainage systems but it was still impossible for the teams to put on a decent display of footy. Melbourne, already without a handful of its best (including co-skipper Jack Trengove, Liam Jurrah, the exciting young Sam Blease, Jordie McKenzie and Cale Morton) left out some of its better and more experienced players for the second and started Mark Jamar and Brent Moloney in the green substitute vests for the Gold Coast Suns' game. The indications were clear that the result of the game was not particularly relevant. The Demons were nevertheless quick off the blocks with the game's first two goals. The first was from a strong mark by Mitch Clark who provided a long awaited key position target in the forward line, the second a long goal from a busy Nathan Jones after a free kick. Some poor defensive errors let the Suns back in to level the scores at half time. The new Mark Neeld style was evident with more emphasis on defence, strong play at the stoppages and long kicks into attack. In some instances, this brought the team undone but the players kept their discipline. The Suns won the second half through opportunist goals and greater accuracy but Melbourne did unearth some talent apart from the obvious one in Clark. James Magner's ferocity at the football was outstanding at stoppages, Tom Couch not far behind him and Josh Tynan was also impressive fitting directly into Neeld's mould of a hard working no nonsense ballgetter. Jack Fitzpatrick toiled hard in conditions which were very trying for the young ruckman. Matthew Bate got a lot of the football and worked hard to win the footy while Aaron Davey played probably his best football in two years to allay fears that his career was in steep decline. Late in the game he had an opportunity to snap the winning goal from a difficult angle but it just missed. Lynden Dunn missed what, for him, should have been a simple set shot but it too was wayward. Melbourne 0.2.2 3.5.23 Gold Coast Suns 0.2.2 0.4.26 Goals: Melbourne Bartram Clark Jones Gold Coast Suns Hall 2 Fraser Rischitelli Best: Melbourne Clark Jones Magner Bartram Bate Davey Gold Coast Suns Ablett Rischitelli Hall Bock Prestia Weller Injuries Melbourne Nil Gold Coast Suns Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Gold Coast Suns Nil Umpires Stevic McKenzie Gleeson The heavens opened up during the break just as I was in the (uncovered) queue for refreshments. This gave me a fairly good insight into what the players had to endure in the second game against the Lions when Neeld brought in his A team including Jack Grimes, Colin Sylvia, Brad Green, Jared Rivers and Rohan Bail. One would have expected a much better effort given that it was a much stronger side on paper but Melbourne never fails to disappoint and a scoreless quarter (half?) beckoned, punctuated by a James Frawley blooper that was uncharacteristic for him. Later his attempt to soccer the ball was almost the team's undoing but, in between, he was a solid defender. Bate and Magner continued to plug away and Dan Nicholson started coming into the game while Rohan Bail added to the mix with some coolness under pressure. James Sellar was also cool when he converted a free in front of goals but the coolest of them all was skipper Jack Grimes who twice beat his Brisbane opponent all ends up in the dying moments of the game. In the end, it was a mixed day for the Demons who should have won the first game and deserved to lose the second. There were some good signs suggesting that bruise free football is now a thing of the past but the club still lacks a game breaker of Black Caviar quality like Gary Ablett Junior. In the absence of such a player, the rest of the team will need to work harder to develop their game in much the same way that Collingwood did some two or three years ago under Mick Malthouse. You can see Mark Neeld's faint imprint in that style in what he is bringing to the Melbourne. The way the players are having a decent crack at winning the hard ball suggests he is starting to get his message across. Melbourne 0.0.0 2.1.13 Brisbane Lions 1.1.7 1.4.10 Goals: Melbourne Sellar Sylvia Brisbane Lions Banfield Best: Melbourne Bate Frawley Grimes Jones Moloney Howe Brisbane Lions Beams Lester McGrath Black Yeo Golby Injuries Melbourne Nil Brisband Lions Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Nil Umpires Stevic McKenzie Gleeson Official Crowd: 5150 at Metricon Stadium Thanks to gsmith for the ticket into the ground. Much appreciated.

IMPRINT by Whispering Jack Mark Neeld's initiation as coach of Melbourne was eerie to say the least. In a part of the world known for its theme parks and somewhat curiously dubbed "The Sunshine State", his team braved monsoonal rain conditions and broke even in its two matches played on the AFL's second newest football ground, Metricon Stadium. The day broke with rain belting down laterally on the Gold Coast. I spent the morning shopping for a suitably fashionable poncho and picked up the bargain of my four day rain soaked visit to this place at a seedy looking shop on the highway. It cost me two bucks. Then it was off to the Queensland Demons lunch brilliantly organised by Demondeb and hosted by Chris Connolly. There were Demon fans from everywhere - even as far as drought-striken WA who looked at the rain teeming outside with curiosity and even the arrival of the great Ronald Dale Barassi was not enough to stop the deluge as the Emerald Lakes Golf Club (where the function was being held) threatened to become one giant lake and the 18th green became a major water hazard. As game time neared, I grabbed my belongings, ditched my losing raffle ticket and wondered if I would ever again see the vehicle I left in the car park. The ominous sign at the beginning of the street warning of local flooding didn't make me feel any better. The rain actually eased off a little as I entered the ground having first located my Demon supporting companions. I also spotted Jack Viney's father entering the ground with another former player, Kelly O'Donnell. So many coincidences. We stepped inside south east Queensland's football theme park as the rain started belting down again. I think I've set the scene well for what was to come. The reconditioned ground at Carrara is now thankfully blessed with state of the art drainage systems but it was still impossible for the teams to put on a decent display of footy. Melbourne, already without a handful of its best (including co-skipper Jack Trengove, Liam Jurrah, the exciting young Sam Blease, Jordie McKenzie and Cale Morton) left out some of its better and more experienced players for the second and started Mark Jamar and Brent Moloney in the green substitute vests for the Gold Coast Suns' game. The indications were clear that the result of the game was not particularly relevant. The Demons were nevertheless quick off the blocks with the game's first two goals. The first was from a strong mark by Mitch Clark who provided a long awaited key position target in the forward line, the second a long goal from a busy Nathan Jones after a free kick. Some poor defensive errors let the Suns back in to level the scores at half time. The new Mark Neeld style was evident with more emphasis on defence, strong play at the stoppages and long kicks into attack. In some instances, this brought the team undone but the players kept their discipline. The Suns won the second half through opportunist goals and greater accuracy but Melbourne did unearth some talent apart from the obvious one in Clark. James Magner's ferocity at the football was outstanding at stoppages, Tom Couch not far behind him and Josh Tynan was also impressive fitting directly into Neeld's mould of a hard working no nonsense ballgetter. Jack Fitzpatrick toiled hard in conditions which were very trying for the young ruckman. Matthew Bate got a lot of the football and worked hard to win the footy while Aaron Davey played probably his best football in two years to allay fears that his career was in steep decline. Late in the game he had an opportunity to snap the winning goal from a difficult angle but it just missed. Lynden Dunn missed what, for him, should have been a simple set shot but it too was wayward. Melbourne 0.2.2 3.5.23 Gold Coast Suns 0.2.2 0.4.26 Goals: Melbourne Bartram Clark Jones Gold Coast Suns Hall 2 Fraser Rischitelli Best: Melbourne Clark Jones Magner Bartram Bate Davey Gold Coast Suns Ablett Rischitelli Hall Bock Prestia Weller Injuries Melbourne Nil Gold Coast Suns Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Gold Coast Suns Nil Umpires Stevic McKenzie Gleeson The heavens opened up during the break just as I was in the (uncovered) queue for refreshments. This gave me a fairly good insight into what the players had to endure in the second game against the Lions when Neeld brought in his A team including Jack Grimes, Colin Sylvia, Brad Green, Jared Rivers and Rohan Bail. One would have expected a much better effort given that it was a much stronger side on paper but Melbourne never fails to disappoint and a scoreless quarter (half?) beckoned, punctuated by a James Frawley blooper that was uncharacteristic for him. Later his attempt to soccer the ball was almost the team's undoing but, in between, he was a solid defender. Bate and Magner continued to plug away and Dan Nicholson started coming into the game while Rohan Bail added to the mix with some coolness under pressure. James Sellar was also cool when he converted a free in front of goals but the coolest of them all was skipper Jack Grimes who twice beat his Brisbane opponent all ends up in the dying moments of the game. In the end, it was a mixed day for the Demons who should have won the first game and deserved to lose the second. There were some good signs suggesting that bruise free football is now a thing of the past but the club still lacks a game breaker of Black Caviar quality like Gary Ablett Junior. In the absence of such a player, the rest of the team will need to work harder to develop their game in much the same way that Collingwood did some two or three years ago under Mick Malthouse. You can see Mark Neeld's faint imprint in that style in what he is bringing to the Melbourne. The way the players are having a decent crack at winning the hard ball suggests he is starting to get his message across. Melbourne 0.0.0 2.1.13 Brisbane Lions 1.1.7 1.4.10 Goals: Melbourne Sellar Sylvia Brisbane Lions Banfield Best: Melbourne Bate Frawley Grimes Jones Moloney Howe Brisbane Lions Beams Lester McGrath Black Yeo Golby Injuries Melbourne Nil Brisband Lions Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Nil Umpires Stevic McKenzie Gleeson Official Crowd: 5150 at Metricon Stadium Thanks to gsmith for the ticket into the ground. Much appreciated.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE by Whispering Jack When Mark Neeld was appointed coach of the Melbourne Football Club last September, we were promised something different and if any proof was required that the winds of change are now sweeping through the club then yesterday afternoon's intra-club match at Casey Fields certainly did not disappoint. Sitting in the stands high above the action were club luminaries Jim Stynes and Garry Lyon who have overseen the changes in the club's football department over the off season. Alongside them are some of the club's injured and rehab group and together with those being rested, they make up a third of the club's playing list. Now, I'm not particularly well versed on the make up of Melbourne's football department staffing situation but you don't have to be Einstein to figure out that if you total up the all the coaches and assistants now at the club, you will get close to a one on one coaching set up for the players in this unique hybrid of a practice match/training run/lecture session in eight parts of seven minutes each with classes in the breaks in between. This is 2012 and the times are a'changin at last at Melbourne. With all due respect to those who came before, this is serious stuff clearly based on a form of sports science that we've never seen before at the Melbourne Football Club. The first thing I notice when the two teams run out on the ground is the change in body shape of several of the players. Some have trimmed down and others are bulked up but the changes are subtle and nuanced rather than dramatic. Midfielders like Brent Moloney and Nathan Jones look positively sleek (compared with their former selves), Matty Bate a little more so but his move to the middle is a reinvention. Cale Morton might have added a few grams to his frame but, as the session progresses from one eighth to another, you can see that he has added significant tonnes of confidence to his repertoire. It's hard to judge exactly what is going on out there as the tricky winds blow around the ground in a way that has seemingly come from nowhere. How much of this is experimentation? Are they simulating discrete strategies for use in particular situations for later in the year or is this part of a new game plan where, much in the same vein as at the coach's former club Collingwood, you hug the wings and flanks, then zero in on the goal and score? So what would I know - there's no scoreboard, no player numbers and the result of the game (if this is a game) is irrelevant. The only thing that remains unchanged is the fact that the umpires, attired in red, wear their own numbers but even they remain fairly anonymous and the desire to jeer them just isn't there. The highlight is the size and the physical presence of Brisbane recruit Mitch Clark who provides the strong marking forward target missing during most of Dean Bailey's tenure after David Neitz broke down and retired a handful of games into 2008. Coming out of the middle, the players kick long to find the likes of Clark, a rejuvenated Mark Jamar and other dangerous targets like Jack Watts and Ricky Petterd. When Liam Jurrah returns after recovering from surgery on his wrist there is going to be some excitement every time the ball moves into the attacking zone. Of course, with that sort of set up, you need the crumbers to take advantage of the opportunities that will open up at ground level. Aaron Davey is being tried there but the Flash, with knee bandaged and still not 100% after last year's frustrations with injury, is used sparingly and, dare I say it, only shows flashes of his former self. He needs more time and it's only February. On the other hand, there's Sam Blease, the red-headed speedster who looks stronger, fitter and faster than he has ever been since coming to the club in the Jack Watts draft. He looks set to become a regular up forward after impressing as a defensive flanker on debut late last year. I sense that the change in him is more than just physical; he seems to have matured emotionally and is far more focussed as if ready to announce his arrival on the football stage. I met Sam at a club function last year when he appeared under the spell of his close mate Tom Scully. I noticed he seemed in awe of his now former team mate and followed him around like a puppy. Today, like the rest of the club, he's moved out of that shadow and stands to be the major beneficiary of that much publicised departure from the club. Blease is now his own man and he underlines this with an impressive two goal performance playing up forward. Among the others who stand out as improvers are Rohan Bail, rookie Dan Nicholson, Tom McDonald and jumping Jeremy Howe looking the part as an onballer who drifts forward on occasion. Troy Davis also looks good at times. In the days of yore, intraclub practice games were good for identifying possible new talent but under the new system, we know all there is to know from the Internet the moment they're traded or have their names called out in the draft. Clark is already a given and James Sellar crashes through a bit in a key defensive position alongside regulars like James Frawley and Colin Garland. Tom Couch shows a bit in the middle but the newbie youngster who really stands out in defence is Josh Tynan. Tynan looks to have the necessary confidence and poise to step quietly into the game at the highest level. I must confess that initially, I didn't know who this player was and had to go back later to vision on the 'net before I was able to make a positive ID but if the youngster from Gippsland keeps up the intensity, that sort of thing won't be necessary in the future. There's also been a lot said about leadership at the club in recent times. The old leaders like Brad Green and Brent Moloney demonstrate that even without the titles, they will still be providing on-field leadership and, although Jack Trengove didn't play, it's pleasing to see that Jack Grimes has lost none of his courage and poise and that he is set to fit comfortably into his new role. Indeed, the way things look with the continuing on field contributions of the old guard together with the emergence of the new, young leaders, that initiative might well be a stroke of genius on the part of the new coach. I suppose we'll get some further indication next week on the Gold Coast when we move from eights to half games with supergoals and the razzmatazz of the NAB Cup. Like most of you, I just can't wait.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE by Whispering Jack When Mark Neeld was appointed coach of the Melbourne Football Club last September, we were promised something different and if any proof was required that the winds of change are now sweeping through the club then yesterday afternoon's intra-club match at Casey Fields certainly did not disappoint. Sitting in the stands high above the action were club luminaries Jim Stynes and Garry Lyon who have overseen the changes in the club's football department over the off season. Alongside them are some of the club's injured and rehab group and together with those being rested, they make up a third of the club's playing list. Now, I'm not particularly well versed on the make up of Melbourne's football department staffing situation but you don't have to be Einstein to figure out that if you total up the all the coaches and assistants now at the club, you will get close to a one on one coaching set up for the players in this unique hybrid of a practice match/training run/lecture session in eight parts of seven minutes each with classes in the breaks in between. This is 2012 and the times are a'changin at last at Melbourne. With all due respect to those who came before, this is serious stuff clearly based on a form of sports science that we've never seen before at the Melbourne Football Club. The first thing I notice when the two teams run out on the ground is the change in body shape of several of the players. Some have trimmed down and others are bulked up but the changes are subtle and nuanced rather than dramatic. Midfielders like Brent Moloney and Nathan Jones look positively sleek (compared with their former selves), Matty Bate a little more so but his move to the middle is a reinvention. Cale Morton might have added a few grams to his frame but, as the session progresses from one eighth to another, you can see that he has added significant tonnes of confidence to his repertoire. It's hard to judge exactly what is going on out there as the tricky winds blow around the ground in a way that has seemingly come from nowhere. How much of this is experimentation? Are they simulating discrete strategies for use in particular situations for later in the year or is this part of a new game plan where, much in the same vein as at the coach's former club Collingwood, you hug the wings and flanks, then zero in on the goal and score? So what would I know - there's no scoreboard, no player numbers and the result of the game (if this is a game) is irrelevant. The only thing that remains unchanged is the fact that the umpires, attired in red, wear their own numbers but even they remain fairly anonymous and the desire to jeer them just isn't there. The highlight is the size and the physical presence of Brisbane recruit Mitch Clark who provides the strong marking forward target missing during most of Dean Bailey's tenure after David Neitz broke down and retired a handful of games into 2008. Coming out of the middle, the players kick long to find the likes of Clark, a rejuvenated Mark Jamar and other dangerous targets like Jack Watts and Ricky Petterd. When Liam Jurrah returns after recovering from surgery on his wrist there is going to be some excitement every time the ball moves into the attacking zone. Of course, with that sort of set up, you need the crumbers to take advantage of the opportunities that will open up at ground level. Aaron Davey is being tried there but the Flash, with knee bandaged and still not 100% after last year's frustrations with injury, is used sparingly and, dare I say it, only shows flashes of his former self. He needs more time and it's only February. On the other hand, there's Sam Blease, the red-headed speedster who looks stronger, fitter and faster than he has ever been since coming to the club in the Jack Watts draft. He looks set to become a regular up forward after impressing as a defensive flanker on debut late last year. I sense that the change in him is more than just physical; he seems to have matured emotionally and is far more focussed as if ready to announce his arrival on the football stage. I met Sam at a club function last year when he appeared under the spell of his close mate Tom Scully. I noticed he seemed in awe of his now former team mate and followed him around like a puppy. Today, like the rest of the club, he's moved out of that shadow and stands to be the major beneficiary of that much publicised departure from the club. Blease is now his own man and he underlines this with an impressive two goal performance playing up forward. Among the others who stand out as improvers are Rohan Bail, rookie Dan Nicholson, Tom McDonald and jumping Jeremy Howe looking the part as an onballer who drifts forward on occasion. Troy Davis also looks good at times. In the days of yore, intraclub practice games were good for identifying possible new talent but under the new system, we know all there is to know from the Internet the moment they're traded or have their names called out in the draft. Clark is already a given and James Sellar crashes through a bit in a key defensive position alongside regulars like James Frawley and Colin Garland. Tom Couch shows a bit in the middle but the newbie youngster who really stands out in defence is Josh Tynan. Tynan looks to have the necessary confidence and poise to step quietly into the game at the highest level. I must confess that initially, I didn't know who this player was and had to go back later to vision on the 'net before I was able to make a positive ID but if the youngster from Gippsland keeps up the intensity, that sort of thing won't be necessary in the future. There's also been a lot said about leadership at the club in recent times. The old leaders like Brad Green and Brent Moloney demonstrate that even without the titles, they will still be providing on-field leadership and, although Jack Trengove didn't play, it's pleasing to see that Jack Grimes has lost none of his courage and poise and that he is set to fit comfortably into his new role. Indeed, the way things look with the continuing on field contributions of the old guard together with the emergence of the new, young leaders, that initiative might well be a stroke of genius on the part of the new coach. I suppose we'll get some further indication next week on the Gold Coast when we move from eights to half games with supergoals and the razzmatazz of the NAB Cup. Like most of you, I just can't wait.

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