Demonland

MRP "Contact between Melbourne's Luke Tapscott and Hawthorn's Shane Savage from the third quarter of Sunday's match was assessed. Savage has handballed the ball to a teammate when he is met in a bump by player Tapscott. After viewing the available footage and receiving a medical report from the Hawthorn Football Club, it was determined there was no forceful high contact to player Savage. No further action was taken."

Stef Martin is closing in ... 100. Jack Watts 97. Stefan Martin 86. Jack Trengove Jared Rivers 85. Brent Moloney 80. Nathan Jones 61. Colin Sylvia 45. Ricky Petterd 37. Mark Jamar 36. Jordie McKenzie 35. Rohan Bail 32. James Frawley Brad Green 28. Luke Tapscott 27. Jordan Gysberts 25. Colin Garland 16. Liam Jurrah 15. Tom Scully 14. Jeremy Howe 13. Neville Jetta 11. Addam Maric 10. Cale Morton 8. Aaron Davey 7. Jamie Bennell Michael Evans 4. Joel Macdonald 3. Clint Bartram Michael Newton 2. Jack Grimes Dan Nicholson 1. Matthew Warnock

THE YELLOW AND BROWN JERSEY by The Oracle For Melbourne, the game against Hawthorn was always going to be as daunting as the toughest mountain bike ride. The enemy presented the most daunting physical and mental obstacles and the Demons lacked the experience and the championship qualities of a Cadel Evans to help them overcome such adversity. Hawthorn entered the fray coming off the rest of a bye welcoming back three of their finest players in Rioli, Lewis and Sewell - the freshness in their legs placing them all in the top six in the day's Champion Data rankings. On the other hand, the Demons came into the game recovering from the heat and humidity of Darwin and losing two playmakers in Liam Jurrah and Tom Scully to injury. It was a tough ask to take on the team that already wore the yellow jersey (admittedly with a touch of brown) but made doubly hard when the young Demons stumbled and fumbled their way through early turnovers to concede the game's first five goals. In those vital early stages of the match when the terrain should have been even, it was Hawthorn's efficiency against Melbourne's ineptitude that determined the shape of the game to come. The Hawks were decisive when going into attack, the Demons predictable, bombing the ball in long when a lowering of the eyes might have made things easier when it came to finding the right target. The decision making was off. Melbourne mounted a great comeback midway through the opening quarter that started with a long goal from Lynden Dunn. Two more followed and the gap could have been narrowed further but for a costly miss followed by a turnover that resulted in the Hawks' sixth goal. While they were the better team in the first quarter, the lead of 16 points flattered them but it set the tone for the game. The Demons were chasing and the gap would not significantly narrow at any stage of the race. By half time it was already 25 points. When these teams met earlier in the season, Hawthorn's kicking for goal had been abysmal, particularly in the first half. This time it was the opposite with Cyril Rioli's opener setting the scene and Buddy Franklin capping it off with those long raking shots that never looked like missing. Still, there was some hope for the Demons who kept plugging away and sometimes were on the verge of threatening. All that was snuffed out in the blink of an eye halfway through the third term thanks to two monumental blunders at crucial times when Melbourne’s opportunities to attack for goals were turned into easy Hawthorn goals, following which the wheels fell off and the race was effectively over. Firstly, the ball was heading towards the Demons’ goal square when Luke Tapscott clashed with Michael Osborne. As often happens, it was the instigator who was rewarded as a result of impetuous retaliatory action. To compound the error, Osborne won a 50 metre penalty paid when Stef Martin threw the ball back in the wrong direction. Osborne ended up close enough to Hawthorn’s goal for a score. Soon after, the Demons were again in a position to attack when a Colin Sylvia pass was intercepted and the Hawks streamed forward to goal. The punishment that resulted from two comical errors was enough to effectively put an end to the race with the Demons losing touch and then appearing to run out of wheels. All the while it was Hawthorn that was more full of purpose, more skilful and able to play according to a well thought out plan while all Melbourne could do was to go into damage control and even that was ineffective. The Demons had hit the wall and the leaders in the yellow and brown jerseys raced away to a comfortable win. Brad Green toiled hard with four second half goals. Stefan Martin worked hard in the ruck but was shown up by Max Bailey who even ran him down in the last quarter despite starting with an escort. Nathan Jones tried and Ricky Petterd’s goal-saving smother was the highlight of what was an otherwise dismal day for the club whose finals aspirations are slowly fading in the slipstream of other more fancied candidates. To make matters worse, they have to travel down the highway to Skilled Stadium next week to meet the rampant Cats who, like the Hawks, will be welcoming back three stars in Ottens, Ling and Johnson. Given the club’s abysmal record at that venue, it’s hard to see anything that will break the cycle in the near future. Melbourne 3.3.21 6.3.39 9.4.58 12.6.78 Hawthorn 6.1.37 10.4.64 16.6.102 20.12.132 Goals Melbourne Green 4 Howe 3 Dunn 2 Bate Petterd Sylvia Hawthorn Franklin 5 Breust Rioli 3 Hodge Osborne 2 Mitchell Ellis Hale Lewis Mitchell Smith Best Melbourne Martin Green Howe Petterd Jones Dunn Hawthorn Mitchell Sewell Rioli Lewis Birchall Franklin Injured Melbourne Nil Hawthorn Savage (shoulder) Changes Melbourne Liam Jurrah (flu) replaced by Jamie Bennell Hawthorn Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Hawthorn Nil Umpires McBurney Kamolins Meredith Crowd 39,782 at MCG

Actually Freddy, there is. This thread is closed. There is ample room elsewhere to express your opinions on Tom Scully no matter how misguided or illogical they might be. Thank you.

Game Day thread is now over. Comments can be posted on the Post Match thread - http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/27379-post-match/

Your votes please 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...

THE YELLOW AND BROWN JERSEY by The Oracle For Melbourne, the game against Hawthorn was always going to be as daunting as the toughest mountain bike ride. The enemy presented the most daunting physical and mental obstacles and the Demons lacked the experience and the championship qualities of a Cadel Evans to help them overcome such adversity. Hawthorn entered the fray coming off the rest of a bye welcoming back three of their finest players in Rioli, Lewis and Sewell - the freshness in their legs placing them all in the top six in the day's Champion Data rankings. On the other hand, the Demons came into the game recovering from the heat and humidity of Darwin and losing two playmakers in Liam Jurrah and Tom Scully to injury. It was a tough ask to take on the team that already wore the yellow jersey (admittedly with a touch of brown) but made doubly hard when the young Demons stumbled and fumbled their way through early turnovers to concede the game's first five goals. In those vital early stages of the match when the terrain should have been even, it was Hawthorn's efficiency against Melbourne's ineptitude that determined the shape of the game to come. The Hawks were decisive when going into attack, the Demons predictable, bombing the ball in long when a lowering of the eyes might have made things easier when it came to finding the right target. The decision making was off. Melbourne mounted a great comeback midway through the opening quarter that started with a long goal from Lynden Dunn. Two more followed and the gap could have been narrowed further but for a costly miss followed by a turnover that resulted in the Hawks' sixth goal. While they were the better team in the first quarter, the lead of 16 points flattered them but it set the tone for the game. The Demons were chasing and the gap would not significantly narrow at any stage of the race. By half time it was already 25 points. When these teams met earlier in the season, Hawthorn's kicking for goal had been abysmal, particularly in the first half. This time it was the opposite with Cyril Rioli's opener setting the scene and Buddy Franklin capping it off with those long raking shots that never looked like missing. Still, there was some hope for the Demons who kept plugging away and sometimes were on the verge of threatening. All that was snuffed out in the blink of an eye halfway through the third term thanks to two monumental blunders at crucial times when Melbourne’s opportunities to attack for goals were turned into easy Hawthorn goals, following which the wheels fell off and the race was effectively over. Firstly, the ball was heading towards the Demons’ goal square when Luke Tapscott clashed with Michael Osborne. As often happens, it was the instigator who was rewarded as a result of impetuous retaliatory action. To compound the error, Osborne won a 50 metre penalty paid when Stef Martin threw the ball back in the wrong direction. Osborne ended up close enough to Hawthorn’s goal for a score. Soon after, the Demons were again in a position to attack when a Colin Sylvia pass was intercepted and the Hawks streamed forward to goal. The punishment that resulted from two comical errors was enough to effectively put an end to the race with the Demons losing touch and then appearing to run out of wheels. All the while it was Hawthorn that was more full of purpose, more skilful and able to play according to a well thought out plan while all Melbourne could do was to go into damage control and even that was ineffective. The Demons had hit the wall and the leaders in the yellow and brown jerseys raced away to a comfortable win. Brad Green toiled hard with four second half goals. Stefan Martin worked hard in the ruck but was shown up by Max Bailey who even ran him down in the last quarter despite starting with an escort. Nathan Jones tried and Ricky Petterd’s goal-saving smother was the highlight of what was an otherwise dismal day for the club whose finals aspirations are slowly fading in the slipstream of other more fancied candidates. To make matters worse, they have to travel down the highway to Skilled Stadium next week to meet the rampant Cats who, like the Hawks, will be welcoming back three stars in Ottens, Ling and Johnson. Given the club’s abysmal record at that venue, it’s hard to see anything that will break the cycle in the near future. Melbourne 3.3.21 6.3.39 9.4.58 12.6.78 Hawthorn 6.1.37 10.4.64 16.6.102 20.12.132 Goals Melbourne Green 4 Howe 3 Dunn 2 Bate Petterd Sylvia Hawthorn Franklin 5 Breust Rioli 3 Hodge Osborne 2 Mitchell Ellis Hale Lewis Mitchell Smith Best Melbourne Martin Green Howe Petterd Jones Dunn Hawthorn Mitchell Sewell Rioli Lewis Birchall Franklin Injured Melbourne Nil Hawthorn Savage (shoulder) Changes Melbourne Liam Jurrah (flu) replaced by Jamie Bennell Hawthorn Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Hawthorn Nil Umpires McBurney Kamolins Meredith Crowd 39,782 at MCG

CHANGES MELBOURNE In Clint Bartram Matthew Bate Lynden Dunn Michael Evans Out Cale Morton HAWTHORN In Jordan Lewis Jordan Lisle Cyril Rioli Brad Sewell Out Matt Suckling (back)

Jack Watts is being challenged by Jack Trengove ... 100. Jack Watts 86. Jack Trengove 84. Brent Moloney 83. Stefan Martin 73. Jared Rivers 65. Nathan Jones 60. Colin Sylvia 39. Ricky Petterd 37. Mark Jamar 36. Jordie McKenzie 35. Rohan Bail 32. James Frawley 27. Jordan Gysberts 25. Colin Garland Luke Tapscott 23. Brad Green 16. Liam Jurrah 15. Tom Scully 13. Neville Jetta Jeremy Howe 11. Addam Maric 10. Cale Morton 8. Aaron Davey 7. Jamie Bennell Michael Evans 4. Joel Macdonald 3. Clint Bartram Michael Newton 2. Jack Grimes Dan Nicholson 1. Matthew Warnock

CROSSING THE RUBICON - TAKE TWO by JVM When Melbourne met Hawthorn earlier this season, I felt that surely the time had come when this young team could step up and beat a good quality team that was down on form a little. After all, the Hawks had struggled against the less fancied Adelaide Crows in the opening round was not at full strength while the Demons had dominated the hard ball gets in their tied fixture against the Sydney Swans. As it turned out, those theories about Alistair Clarkson's men having peaked and being on the brink of some kind of dramatic freefall into football oblivion were clearly exaggerations. Melbourne not only lost its seventh game on the trot to Hawthorn (the last six of them on Dean Bailey's watch) and, indeed, the team was spiflicated under the weight of the Hawthorn forward press, just one week after Adelaide had overpowered the Hawks at AAMI Stadium. In any event, there would be no crossing of the Rubicon on that day for the Demons. They were within sight of the riverbank at the game's halfway point but a torrent of gushing water struck them and caused a retreat to the other side. Since that time, the club has maintained a form of equilibrium showing it has the ability to prevail over the weak but remains pathetic against the strong. Against the in-betweens, it's still something of a raffle. Today, its record stands at seven wins, seven losses and a draw. Two of those victories have been against teams that currently occupy berths in the top eight - Essendon and Fremantle. If it wants to make the finals, it will have to displace one of them and it will have to win at least four more of its remaining seven matches. This means that if Melbourne is to finish in this year's top eight, it will have to cross the Rubicon and prevail over at least one of Hawthorn (at the MCG), Geelong (at Skilled Stadium), Carlton (at the MCG) and West Coast (at Etihad). In order to do so, the Demons will need to recreate history by emulating their late run of 1987 when they won their last six home and away matches and broke through to make the finals against all odds. But making history is what crossing the Rubicon all is about. THE GAME Melbourne v Hawthorn at the MCG Sunday 24 July 2011 at 2.10pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 74 wins Hawthorn 79 wins At MCG Melbourne 35 wins Hawthorn 38 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 5 wins Hawthorn 13 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Clarkson 6 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 3:30 pm (delayed telecast) RADIO - THE BETTING Melbourne $4.00 to win Hawthorn $1.25 to win. THE LAST TIME THEY MET Hawthorn 16.26.122 defeated Melbourne 12.5.77 in Round 2, 2011 at the MCG The inaccurate Hawks could have put the Demons away in the first quarter but they were so off target that they led by a matter of points at the first break. Melbourne then broke away with some brilliant football in the second term to lead by in excess of four goals before they were reeled back to 19 points at half time and from that point on Hawthorn imposed its forward press on its lighter bodied opposition kicking 8.11 to 1.1 in a devastating display. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James Strauss James Frawley Daniel Nicholson Half backs Colin Garland Jared Rivers Nathan Jones Centreline Jack Trengove Colin Sylvia Lynden Dunn Half forwards Ricky Petterd Liam Jurrah Luke Tapscott Forwards Brad Green Jack Watts Addam Maric Followers Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Jordie McKenzie Interchange Matthew Bate Jordan Gysberts Jeremy Howe Stefan Martin Emergencies Jamie Bennell Max Gawn Matthew Warnock In Matthew Bate Lynden Dunn Out Cale Morton Tom Scully (knee) HAWTHORN Backs Tom Murphy Josh Gibson Kyle Cheney Half backs Brent Guerra Grant Burchill Paul Puopolo Centreline Shane Savage Sam Mitchell Jordan Lewis Half forwards Liam Shiels Lance Franklin Michael Osborne Forwards Shaun Burgoyne David Hale Cyril Rioli Followers Max Bailey Luke Hodge Brad Sewell Interchange Luke Breust Xavier Ellis Isaac Smith Brendan Whitecross Emergencies Jordan Lisle Ryley Milne Clinton Young In Jordan Lewis Cyril Rioli Out Ryley Milne Matt Suckling (back) Clinton Young THIS WEEK by JVM It's hard enough to cross physical and mental boundaries at any time than it is to do so a week after playing in the heat and humidity of Darwin. Last time the teams met, the Demon midfield was overwhelmed by its bigger bodied counterparts at the stoppages. Alistair Clarkson was able to alter the game's course so that the physical advantage of his team was the focus of the game. Dean Bailey will need to turn this around by concentrating on his team's strengths. In all honesty, I can't see where this will happen but I suspect the game will be closer than it was in the last half of Round 2. If Melbourne can bring its A game to the table, it could indeed be very, very close. Hawthorn by 11 points. IT FIGURES! by Sam the Stats Man Melbourne has gone through an up and down season which one expects with young sides - in particular those that have their bouts of injuries. To give a brief insight into how this could happen, here's a rundown on the entire MFC list in alphabetical order:- BAIL, Rohan MFC 7 games, 1 goal - a big improver until he incurred a PCL injury in Round 8 at Etihad. Still in recovery. BARTRAM, Clint MFC 10 games, 2 goals, CFC 2 games, 2 goals - steady in defence until he recently lost his spot in the team and is on the fringe of selection. BATE, Matthew MFC 3 games, 1 goal, CFC 10 games, 21 goals - out of form early in the piece and has been doing his penance at Casey where he has performed well and must be close to working his way back to AFL level. BENNELL, Jamie MFC 12 games, 4 goals, CFC 3 games, 0 goals - keeps promising a lot but has failed to deliver to date. BLEASE, Sam MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CFC 11 games, 5 goals - the speedy youngster has made steady progress in the VFL and made his debut recently as a substitute against the Bulldogs. CAMPBELL, Robert ® CFC 5 games, 1 goal, CFC Reserves 2 games, 2 goals - hampered early in the season by an Achilles injury, Campbell has been working hard at Casey. COOK, Lucas CFC 13 games, 10 goals - the promising youngster is cutting his teeth at Casey in anticipation of kick starting his AFL career in 2012. DAVEY, Aaron MFC 8 games, 4 goals - coming back in the next week or so after a long layoff with a knee injury. Before that, he was struggling to achieve his previous high standards. DAVIS, Troy CFC 7 games, 0 goals, CFC Reserves 4 games, 0 goals - missed games in the early part of the season because of a thyroid complaint and is working his way back at Casey. DUNN, Lynden MFC 7 games, 9 goals, CFC 6 games, 14 goals - a drop in form and a suspension has seen him languishing at Casey in recent times. EVANS, Michael ® MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CFC 10 games, 7 goals - the young rookie impressed when given his opportunity at elite level. FITZPATRICK, CFC 1 game, 1 goal, CFC Reserves 5 games, 10 goals - was beginning to show form when he suffered a bad ankle injury. Returned to the reserves last week and was impressive first up. FRAWLEY, James MFC 14 games, 1 goal - has overcome an injury-interrupted preseason to return as the team's preeminent defender. GARLAND, Colin MFC 11 games, 0 goals, CFC 1 game, 0 goals - apart from a few week's break with an ankle injury has generally been very solid in defence. GAWN, Max MFC 3 games, 1 goal, CFC 8 games, 2 goals, CFC Reserves 1 game, 1 goal - impressed when given a taste during the Russian's injury layoff. GREEN, Brad MFC 15 games, 25 goals - hot and cold with the additional captaincy appearing to weigh heavily but is coming into good form especially when used up forward. GRIMES, Jack MFC 6 games, 1 goal - young leader was in good form before a navicular injury early in the Adelaide game prematurely put an end to his season. GYSBERTS, Jordan MFC 12 games, 3 goals, CFC 1 game, 0 goals - young midfielder continues to come on and show great promise. HOWE, Jeremy MFC 6 games, 7 goals, CFC 5 games, 8 goals, CFC Reserves 1 game, 2 goals -has grabbed the opportunity to play at top level with both hands and has done well. JAMAR, Mark MFC 9 games, 3 goals - his strong work in the ruck and around the ground were sorely missed during the six matches he missed with a knee injury. JETTA, Neville MFC 7 games, 3 goals, CFC 5 games, 2 goals - a hand injury could not have come at a worse time for Jetta who was beginning to stake a claim for a permanent place in the Demons' team. First game back last week at Casey was very strong. JOHNSTON, Cameron ® CFC 5 games, 0 goals, CFC Reserves 4 games, 0 goals - young rookie working his way into senior ranks at Casey after a late start through injury. JONES, Nathan MFC 15 games, 8 goals - having a consistent season in the Melbourne midfield. JURRAH, Liam MFC 15 games, 33 goals - the top goalkicker has yet to strike top form. LAWRENCE, Kelvin ® CFC 8 games, 8 goals, CFC Reserves 3 games, 3 goals - young rookie has had an up and down introduction to the nation's football capital. MACDONALD, Joel MFC 7 games, 0 goals, CFC 5 games, 0 goals - was hitting top form when struck down by a knee injury a few weeks ago. Due back in the next week or so. MARIC, Addam MFC 7 games, 8 goals, CFC 7 games, 8 goals - has floated between AFL and VFL. Form at last start was promising. MARTIN, Stefan MFC 14 games, 7 goals, CFC 1 game, 0 goals - the big improver as the backup ruckman to the Russian. McDONALD, Tom CFC 13 games, 2 goals - a promising young tall impressing at Casey. MCKENZIE, Jordie MFC 8 games, 0 goals, CFC 1 game, 0 goals, CFC Reserves 1 game, 1 goal - was restricted by a groin complaint early in the season but has shown his value since returning to the team. MCNAMARA, Tom CFC 8 games, 5 goals, CFC Reserves 5 games, 4 goals - adapting to life as a midfielder at Casey and doing well. MOLONEY, Brent MFC 15 games, 6 goals - one of the club's leading lights in the midfield. Has overcome his problems with off field discipline and is back in favour as a team leader. MORTON, Cale MFC 10 games 3 goals, CFC 2 games, 0 goals - appears to be struggling for confidence and consistency. NEWTON, Michael ® MFC 3 games, 5 goals, CFC 4 games, 13 goals - a foot injury has prevented him from nailing a senior position. Not expected to return for another two weeks. NICHOLSON, Daniel ® MFC 6 games, 2 goals, CFC 6 games, 4 goals - put in some impressive performances after being promoted off the rookie list. Has good pace. PETTERD, Ricky MFC 10 games, 15 goals, CFC 5 games, 8 goals - recent form has been excellent. RIVERS, Jared MFC 13 games, 1 goal - apart from one or two glitches has gone well in a strong defence. SCULLY, Tom MFC 6 games, 1 goals, CFC 1 game, 1 goal - knee injury kept him out for the first two months but made a big difference to the team's midfield on return. SPENCER, Jake CFC 5 games, 0 goals - knee injury after five games with the Scorpions put paid to his 2011 seasons. STRAUSS, James MFC 6 games, 0 goals, CFC 5 games, 0 goals - starting to develop into a solid defender. SYLVIA, Colin MFC 15 games, 18 goals - enjoying a consistently good season and threatens to produce a match winning performance against a good side. TAPSCOTT, Luke MFC 9 games, 1 goal, CFC 2 games, 0 goals - a strong debut season punctuated by a hamstring injury. His form is deserving of a rising star nomination before the year is out. TRENGOVE, Jack MFC 12 games, 8 goals - stiff to miss three weeks through suspension for that tackle. Otherwise, is having a strong season. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CFC 8 games, 0 goals - the out of favour defender is starring at Casey but finding it hard to displace the likes of Frawley, Garland and Rivers. WATTS, Jack MFC 15 games, 16 goals - just keeps on getting better and is finally living up to the lofty standards of a first draft pick. WONAEMIRRI, Austin MFC 5 games, 5 goals, CFC 2 games, 0 goals - struggled to overcome the effects of his personal tragedies over summer and was given compassionate leave to help him cope. Returns for the next VFL round.

CROSSING THE RUBICON - TAKE TWO by JVM When Melbourne met Hawthorn earlier this season, I felt that surely the time had come when this young team could step up and beat a good quality team that was down on form a little. After all, the Hawks had struggled against the less fancied Adelaide Crows in the opening round was not at full strength while the Demons had dominated the hard ball gets in their tied fixture against the Sydney Swans. As it turned out, those theories about Alistair Clarkson's men having peaked and being on the brink of some kind of dramatic freefall into football oblivion were clearly exaggerations. Melbourne not only lost its seventh game on the trot to Hawthorn (the last six of them on Dean Bailey's watch) and, indeed, the team was spiflicated under the weight of the Hawthorn forward press, just one week after Adelaide had overpowered the Hawks at AAMI Stadium. In any event, there would be no crossing of the Rubicon on that day for the Demons. They were within sight of the riverbank at the game's halfway point but a torrent of gushing water struck them and caused a retreat to the other side. Since that time, the club has maintained a form of equilibrium showing it has the ability to prevail over the weak but remains pathetic against the strong. Against the in-betweens, it's still something of a raffle. Today, its record stands at seven wins, seven losses and a draw. Two of those victories have been against teams that currently occupy berths in the top eight - Essendon and Fremantle. If it wants to make the finals, it will have to displace one of them and it will have to win at least four more of its remaining seven matches. This means that if Melbourne is to finish in this year's top eight, it will have to cross the Rubicon and prevail over at least one of Hawthorn (at the MCG), Geelong (at Skilled Stadium), Carlton (at the MCG) and West Coast (at Etihad). In order to do so, the Demons will need to recreate history by emulating their late run of 1987 when they won their last six home and away matches and broke through to make the finals against all odds. But making history is what crossing the Rubicon all is about. THE GAME Melbourne v Hawthorn at the MCG Sunday 24 July 2011 at 2.10pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 74 wins Hawthorn 79 wins At MCG Melbourne 35 wins Hawthorn 38 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 5 wins Hawthorn 13 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Clarkson 6 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 3:30 pm (delayed telecast) RADIO - THE BETTING Melbourne $4.00 to win Hawthorn $1.25 to win. THE LAST TIME THEY MET Hawthorn 16.26.122 defeated Melbourne 12.5.77 in Round 2, 2011 at the MCG The inaccurate Hawks could have put the Demons away in the first quarter but they were so off target that they led by a matter of points at the first break. Melbourne then broke away with some brilliant football in the second term to lead by in excess of four goals before they were reeled back to 19 points at half time and from that point on Hawthorn imposed its forward press on its lighter bodied opposition kicking 8.11 to 1.1 in a devastating display. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James Strauss James Frawley Daniel Nicholson Half backs Colin Garland Jared Rivers Nathan Jones Centreline Jack Trengove Colin Sylvia Lynden Dunn Half forwards Ricky Petterd Liam Jurrah Luke Tapscott Forwards Brad Green Jack Watts Addam Maric Followers Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Jordie McKenzie Interchange Matthew Bate Jordan Gysberts Jeremy Howe Stefan Martin Emergencies Jamie Bennell Max Gawn Matthew Warnock In Matthew Bate Lynden Dunn Out Cale Morton Tom Scully (knee) HAWTHORN Backs Tom Murphy Josh Gibson Kyle Cheney Half backs Brent Guerra Grant Burchill Paul Puopolo Centreline Shane Savage Sam Mitchell Jordan Lewis Half forwards Liam Shiels Lance Franklin Michael Osborne Forwards Shaun Burgoyne David Hale Cyril Rioli Followers Max Bailey Luke Hodge Brad Sewell Interchange Luke Breust Xavier Ellis Isaac Smith Brendan Whitecross Emergencies Jordan Lisle Ryley Milne Clinton Young In Jordan Lewis Cyril Rioli Out Ryley Milne Matt Suckling (back) Clinton Young THIS WEEK by JVM It's hard enough to cross physical and mental boundaries at any time than it is to do so a week after playing in the heat and humidity of Darwin. Last time the teams met, the Demon midfield was overwhelmed by its bigger bodied counterparts at the stoppages. Alistair Clarkson was able to alter the game's course so that the physical advantage of his team was the focus of the game. Dean Bailey will need to turn this around by concentrating on his team's strengths. In all honesty, I can't see where this will happen but I suspect the game will be closer than it was in the last half of Round 2. If Melbourne can bring its A game to the table, it could indeed be very, very close. Hawthorn by 11 points. IT FIGURES! by Sam the Stats Man Melbourne has gone through an up and down season which one expects with young sides - in particular those that have their bouts of injuries. To give a brief insight into how this could happen, here's a rundown on the entire MFC list in alphabetical order:- BAIL, Rohan MFC 7 games, 1 goal - a big improver until he incurred a PCL injury in Round 8 at Etihad. Still in recovery. BARTRAM, Clint MFC 10 games, 2 goals, CFC 2 games, 2 goals - steady in defence until he recently lost his spot in the team and is on the fringe of selection. BATE, Matthew MFC 3 games, 1 goal, CFC 10 games, 21 goals - out of form early in the piece and has been doing his penance at Casey where he has performed well and must be close to working his way back to AFL level. BENNELL, Jamie MFC 12 games, 4 goals, CFC 3 games, 0 goals - keeps promising a lot but has failed to deliver to date. BLEASE, Sam MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CFC 11 games, 5 goals - the speedy youngster has made steady progress in the VFL and made his debut recently as a substitute against the Bulldogs. CAMPBELL, Robert ® CFC 5 games, 1 goal, CFC Reserves 2 games, 2 goals - hampered early in the season by an Achilles injury, Campbell has been working hard at Casey. COOK, Lucas CFC 13 games, 10 goals - the promising youngster is cutting his teeth at Casey in anticipation of kick starting his AFL career in 2012. DAVEY, Aaron MFC 8 games, 4 goals - coming back in the next week or so after a long layoff with a knee injury. Before that, he was struggling to achieve his previous high standards. DAVIS, Troy CFC 7 games, 0 goals, CFC Reserves 4 games, 0 goals - missed games in the early part of the season because of a thyroid complaint and is working his way back at Casey. DUNN, Lynden MFC 7 games, 9 goals, CFC 6 games, 14 goals - a drop in form and a suspension has seen him languishing at Casey in recent times. EVANS, Michael ® MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CFC 10 games, 7 goals - the young rookie impressed when given his opportunity at elite level. FITZPATRICK, CFC 1 game, 1 goal, CFC Reserves 5 games, 10 goals - was beginning to show form when he suffered a bad ankle injury. Returned to the reserves last week and was impressive first up. FRAWLEY, James MFC 14 games, 1 goal - has overcome an injury-interrupted preseason to return as the team's preeminent defender. GARLAND, Colin MFC 11 games, 0 goals, CFC 1 game, 0 goals - apart from a few week's break with an ankle injury has generally been very solid in defence. GAWN, Max MFC 3 games, 1 goal, CFC 8 games, 2 goals, CFC Reserves 1 game, 1 goal - impressed when given a taste during the Russian's injury layoff. GREEN, Brad MFC 15 games, 25 goals - hot and cold with the additional captaincy appearing to weigh heavily but is coming into good form especially when used up forward. GRIMES, Jack MFC 6 games, 1 goal - young leader was in good form before a navicular injury early in the Adelaide game prematurely put an end to his season. GYSBERTS, Jordan MFC 12 games, 3 goals, CFC 1 game, 0 goals - young midfielder continues to come on and show great promise. HOWE, Jeremy MFC 6 games, 7 goals, CFC 5 games, 8 goals, CFC Reserves 1 game, 2 goals -has grabbed the opportunity to play at top level with both hands and has done well. JAMAR, Mark MFC 9 games, 3 goals - his strong work in the ruck and around the ground were sorely missed during the six matches he missed with a knee injury. JETTA, Neville MFC 7 games, 3 goals, CFC 5 games, 2 goals - a hand injury could not have come at a worse time for Jetta who was beginning to stake a claim for a permanent place in the Demons' team. First game back last week at Casey was very strong. JOHNSTON, Cameron ® CFC 5 games, 0 goals, CFC Reserves 4 games, 0 goals - young rookie working his way into senior ranks at Casey after a late start through injury. JONES, Nathan MFC 15 games, 8 goals - having a consistent season in the Melbourne midfield. JURRAH, Liam MFC 15 games, 33 goals - the top goalkicker has yet to strike top form. LAWRENCE, Kelvin ® CFC 8 games, 8 goals, CFC Reserves 3 games, 3 goals - young rookie has had an up and down introduction to the nation's football capital. MACDONALD, Joel MFC 7 games, 0 goals, CFC 5 games, 0 goals - was hitting top form when struck down by a knee injury a few weeks ago. Due back in the next week or so. MARIC, Addam MFC 7 games, 8 goals, CFC 7 games, 8 goals - has floated between AFL and VFL. Form at last start was promising. MARTIN, Stefan MFC 14 games, 7 goals, CFC 1 game, 0 goals - the big improver as the backup ruckman to the Russian. McDONALD, Tom CFC 13 games, 2 goals - a promising young tall impressing at Casey. MCKENZIE, Jordie MFC 8 games, 0 goals, CFC 1 game, 0 goals, CFC Reserves 1 game, 1 goal - was restricted by a groin complaint early in the season but has shown his value since returning to the team. MCNAMARA, Tom CFC 8 games, 5 goals, CFC Reserves 5 games, 4 goals - adapting to life as a midfielder at Casey and doing well. MOLONEY, Brent MFC 15 games, 6 goals - one of the club's leading lights in the midfield. Has overcome his problems with off field discipline and is back in favour as a team leader. MORTON, Cale MFC 10 games 3 goals, CFC 2 games, 0 goals - appears to be struggling for confidence and consistency. NEWTON, Michael ® MFC 3 games, 5 goals, CFC 4 games, 13 goals - a foot injury has prevented him from nailing a senior position. Not expected to return for another two weeks. NICHOLSON, Daniel ® MFC 6 games, 2 goals, CFC 6 games, 4 goals - put in some impressive performances after being promoted off the rookie list. Has good pace. PETTERD, Ricky MFC 10 games, 15 goals, CFC 5 games, 8 goals - recent form has been excellent. RIVERS, Jared MFC 13 games, 1 goal - apart from one or two glitches has gone well in a strong defence. SCULLY, Tom MFC 6 games, 1 goals, CFC 1 game, 1 goal - knee injury kept him out for the first two months but made a big difference to the team's midfield on return. SPENCER, Jake CFC 5 games, 0 goals - knee injury after five games with the Scorpions put paid to his 2011 seasons. STRAUSS, James MFC 6 games, 0 goals, CFC 5 games, 0 goals - starting to develop into a solid defender. SYLVIA, Colin MFC 15 games, 18 goals - enjoying a consistently good season and threatens to produce a match winning performance against a good side. TAPSCOTT, Luke MFC 9 games, 1 goal, CFC 2 games, 0 goals - a strong debut season punctuated by a hamstring injury. His form is deserving of a rising star nomination before the year is out. TRENGOVE, Jack MFC 12 games, 8 goals - stiff to miss three weeks through suspension for that tackle. Otherwise, is having a strong season. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CFC 8 games, 0 goals - the out of favour defender is starring at Casey but finding it hard to displace the likes of Frawley, Garland and Rivers. WATTS, Jack MFC 15 games, 16 goals - just keeps on getting better and is finally living up to the lofty standards of a first draft pick. WONAEMIRRI, Austin MFC 5 games, 5 goals, CFC 2 games, 0 goals - struggled to overcome the effects of his personal tragedies over summer and was given compassionate leave to help him cope. Returns for the next VFL round.

Just want to thank the people who have subscribed to the Ad Free Demonland over the past week. Thank you very much. It really is very appreciated. If you haven't subscribed yet you can by clicking here: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?app=subscriptions Or if not please visit our sponsors as every click goes towards assisting us with covering the costs associated with running the site.

The Demons played one good quarter and put in three quarters of slops as they were caught unawares by a hard pressing Hawthorn in Round 2 at the G. HAWTHORN Backs Rick Ladson Stephen Gilham Benjamin Stratton Half backs Grant Birchall Josh Gibson Cameron Bruce Centreline Chance Bateman Sam Mitchell Shane Savage Half forwards Clinton Young Lance Franklin Shaun Burgoyne Forwards David Hale Jarryd Roughead Cyril Rioli Followers Brent Renouf Luke Hodge Brad Sewell Interchange Jordan Lewis Michael Osborne Liam Shiels Matt Suckling Emergencies Xavier Ellis Brent Guerra Brendan Whitecross In Luke Hodge Out Brendan Whitecross MELBOURNE Backs Clint Bartram James Frawley Jared Rivers Half backs Jack Grimes Colin Garland Luke Tapscott Centreline Jamie Bennell Colin Sylvia Jack Trengove Half forwards Rohan Bail Lynden Dunn Liam Jurrah Forwards Aaron Davey Brad Green Jack Watts Followers Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Nathan Jones Interchange Neville Jetta Addam Maric Stef Martin Ricky Petterd Emergencies Joel Macdonald Jake Spencer Matthew Warnock In James Frawley Out Joel Macdonald

ON THE MARK by Ice Station The Frankston defender standing on the mark scratched his chin and waved his arms skywards in a vain attempt to distract his opponent. The ploy was doomed to failure and he watched helplessly as Casey Scorpions full forward Brendon Fevola drilled the leather football through the big sticks on its way to an eleven goal game - his best goal kicking effort ever in either the AFL or VFL. Fevola brought his season's tally for Casey to 31 which remains modest given the early season hype about his recruitment but this has been due partly to the weather, Fevola's placement downfield in a number of matches and the need to adapt to a different environment. For the Scorpions and their player, this was the day he arrived. He had 18 kicks, scored 10 goals and took 10 marks and gave a couple away to teammates. It was also a day for the entire club and the 77-point win over the struggling Dolphins gives it the impetus needed for the coming assault on the final four and hopefully beyond. The Scorpions are still recovering from a couple of soul destroying close losses to Coburg and Werribee and they had too much at stake this week to go out with anything less than full focus on winning after a tough day at the office last week in dreadful conditions at home against Box Hill. It was the Fev who was the catalyst from the very beginning and he booted three goals in the first term to help his side to a 17 point lead at quarter time. This was stretched to six goals by the half and nine at orange time in a freewheeling high scoring game that eventually saw the team comfortably home without any major complications. The result was not simply a case of a club laden with AFL listed players monstering an inexperienced stand alone club. With Melbourne keeping all of its emergencies in Darwin for the weekend and Aaron Davey not quite ready to play, there were opportunities aplenty for local Casey talent to step forward. Debutant Stefan Baumgartner from Devon Meadows who has impressed with his play on the ball in the reserves picked up 24 possessions in an outstanding first up display. Victorian Country Under 18 representative Shaun Marusic from the Gippsland Power was also in for his first game and showed his potential as the 23rd player. Former team mate Luke Tynan was another youngster to do well. Forward Ben Waite lived up to his name. Forced to wait several weeks at the start of the season to serve a four match suspension from last year prolonged because of a number of byes for the reserves, he had to bide his time to make the team and his 16 possessions, 7 marks and 4 goals were an excellent return for his comeback to the seniors. Casey regulars, co-skipper James Wall with 13 kicks and 11 handballs, Will Petropoulos 17 touches and Rian Mcgough who laid eight tackles underlined the depth of the team's VFL list with Danny Nicholls coming back from injury through the reserves spiritual leader Kyle Matthews due to come back after the break for next week's bye. Demon midfielder Michael Evans had a big day out in the midfield with 25 possessions and was well supported by another comeback player in Neville Jetta (20 disposals) while Lynden Dunn's experience and four goals riled the opposition supporters who seemed to enjoy commenting on his moustache rather than concentrating on the ability he displayed. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jamie Bennell (3 kicks, 9 handballs, 3 marks) - gave some run at times and did his job but did nothing outstanding to suggest an immediate AFL recall. Sam Blease (15 kicks, 7 handballs, 1 mark) - had some good runs out of defence when he dazzled the opposition with his pace but sometimes those plays were not finished off well. When it worked, it looked great but that didn't happen enough on the day. Robert Campbell (4 kicks, 7 handballs, 1 mark, 1 goal) - pretty much in control in the ruck against a reasonably well-credentialled VFL opponent. Lucas Cook (5 kicks, 3 handballs, 5 marks) - played a long way up the ground. Took some nice marks but generally has a quiet day. Troy Davis (3 kicks, 5 handballs, 1 mark) - did what he had to do in defence and that was to keep his opponent in check. Lynden Dunn (11 kicks, 10 handballs, 6 marks, 4 goals) - used his experience to great advantage to finish with four goals in a forward line that played havoc with the opposition's defence. Teamed well with Fev. Michael Evans (20 kicks, 5 handballs, 8 marks, 1 goals) - a brilliant game in the Casey midfield. A young player showing constant improvement. Neville Jetta (12 kicks, 8?handballs, 7 marks, 1 goal) – a great game to mark his return from injury and definitely a chance for a game with the Demons this week. Cameron Johnston (7 kicks, 9 handballs, 3 marks) – this was a much better game than his more recent displays in senior company. Tackled strongly and is a long kick. Tom McDonald (4 kicks, 8 handballs, 4 marks, 1 goal) – workmanlike and gave some good run at times out of defence but not as good as some of his games earlier in the season. Tom McNamara (15 kicks, 5 handballs, 3 marks) – keeps on improving in the midfield but there still some doubts about his pace (mind you, they say that about some of the best in elite company). Was injured late in the game. Matthew Warnock (7 kicks, 8 handballs, 5 marks ) – a very competent display of defensive work at full back. Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 11.6.72 17.7.109 25.9.159 Frankston 2.3.15 5.6.36 8.7.55 12.10.82 Goals Casey Scorpions Fevola 11 Dunn Waite 4 Bell Campbell Evans Jetta McDonald Mohr Frankston Haretuku 3 Clements Greeley 2 Appleford Baguley Clark Doria Kennedy Best Casey Scorpions Fevola Evans Baumgartner Dunn Warnock Jetta Frankston Baguley Bosward Clements Hockey Kennedy Haretuku In the curtain raiser, the Casey reserves took a 10 goal lead into the first break and were never troubled after that despite the Dolphins' persistence throughout. Jordan Pollard was best on the ground with 29 touches and 8 tackles. David Collins had 33 disposals to press his claims for a return to the seniors and Wade Lees racked up 26 disposals. Aaron Purves finished with four goals as the team moved into the top four of the competition for the first time this year. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jack Fitzpatrick (14 disposals) - got plenty of the ball in a game in which he was being eased back after a long stint out with an injured ankle. Kelvin Lawrence (22 disposals) - showed a lot of zip and finished with three goals in a much better display. CASEY SCORPIONS 10.0.60 13.3.81 20.5.125 24.8.152 FRANKSTON 0.0.0 5.1.31 5.1.31 6.2.38 Goals Casey Scorpions Purves 4 Lawrence McShane Wall 3 Fitzpatrick Lindsay 2 Cleven Collins Hill Nicholls Pollard Purdy Riseley Frankston Crowe Proctor 2 Bennett Bywater Best Casey Scorpions Pollard Lawrence Collins Nicholls Fitzpatrick Gent Frankston Bateman Miller Anwyl Lean Bennett Bywater

ON THE MARK by Ice Station The Frankston defender standing on the mark scratched his chin and waved his arms skywards in a vain attempt to distract his opponent. The ploy was doomed to failure and he watched helplessly as Casey Scorpions full forward Brendon Fevola drilled the leather football through the big sticks on its way to an eleven goal game - his best goal kicking effort ever in either the AFL or VFL. Fevola brought his season's tally for Casey to 31 which remains modest given the early season hype about his recruitment but this has been due partly to the weather, Fevola's placement downfield in a number of matches and the need to adapt to a different environment. For the Scorpions and their player, this was the day he arrived. He had 18 kicks, scored 10 goals and took 10 marks and gave a couple away to teammates. It was also a day for the entire club and the 77-point win over the struggling Dolphins gives it the impetus needed for the coming assault on the final four and hopefully beyond. The Scorpions are still recovering from a couple of soul destroying close losses to Coburg and Werribee and they had too much at stake this week to go out with anything less than full focus on winning after a tough day at the office last week in dreadful conditions at home against Box Hill. It was the Fev who was the catalyst from the very beginning and he booted three goals in the first term to help his side to a 17 point lead at quarter time. This was stretched to six goals by the half and nine at orange time in a freewheeling high scoring game that eventually saw the team comfortably home without any major complications. The result was not simply a case of a club laden with AFL listed players monstering an inexperienced stand alone club. With Melbourne keeping all of its emergencies in Darwin for the weekend and Aaron Davey not quite ready to play, there were opportunities aplenty for local Casey talent to step forward. Debutant Stefan Baumgartner from Devon Meadows who has impressed with his play on the ball in the reserves picked up 24 possessions in an outstanding first up display. Victorian Country Under 18 representative Shaun Marusic from the Gippsland Power was also in for his first game and showed his potential as the 23rd player. Former team mate Luke Tynan was another youngster to do well. Forward Ben Waite lived up to his name. Forced to wait several weeks at the start of the season to serve a four match suspension from last year prolonged because of a number of byes for the reserves, he had to bide his time to make the team and his 16 possessions, 7 marks and 4 goals were an excellent return for his comeback to the seniors. Casey regulars, co-skipper James Wall with 13 kicks and 11 handballs, Will Petropoulos 17 touches and Rian Mcgough who laid eight tackles underlined the depth of the team's VFL list with Danny Nicholls coming back from injury through the reserves spiritual leader Kyle Matthews due to come back after the break for next week's bye. Demon midfielder Michael Evans had a big day out in the midfield with 25 possessions and was well supported by another comeback player in Neville Jetta (20 disposals) while Lynden Dunn's experience and four goals riled the opposition supporters who seemed to enjoy commenting on his moustache rather than concentrating on the ability he displayed. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jamie Bennell (3 kicks, 9 handballs, 3 marks) - gave some run at times and did his job but did nothing outstanding to suggest an immediate AFL recall. Sam Blease (15 kicks, 7 handballs, 1 mark) - had some good runs out of defence when he dazzled the opposition with his pace but sometimes those plays were not finished off well. When it worked, it looked great but that didn't happen enough on the day. Robert Campbell (4 kicks, 7 handballs, 1 mark, 1 goal) - pretty much in control in the ruck against a reasonably well-credentialled VFL opponent. Lucas Cook (5 kicks, 3 handballs, 5 marks) - played a long way up the ground. Took some nice marks but generally has a quiet day. Troy Davis (3 kicks, 5 handballs, 1 mark) - did what he had to do in defence and that was to keep his opponent in check. Lynden Dunn (11 kicks, 10 handballs, 6 marks, 4 goals) - used his experience to great advantage to finish with four goals in a forward line that played havoc with the opposition's defence. Teamed well with Fev. Michael Evans (20 kicks, 5 handballs, 8 marks, 1 goals) - a brilliant game in the Casey midfield. A young player showing constant improvement. Neville Jetta (12 kicks, 8?handballs, 7 marks, 1 goal) – a great game to mark his return from injury and definitely a chance for a game with the Demons this week. Cameron Johnston (7 kicks, 9 handballs, 3 marks) – this was a much better game than his more recent displays in senior company. Tackled strongly and is a long kick. Tom McDonald (4 kicks, 8 handballs, 4 marks, 1 goal) – workmanlike and gave some good run at times out of defence but not as good as some of his games earlier in the season. Tom McNamara (15 kicks, 5 handballs, 3 marks) – keeps on improving in the midfield but there still some doubts about his pace (mind you, they say that about some of the best in elite company). Was injured late in the game. Matthew Warnock (7 kicks, 8 handballs, 5 marks ) – a very competent display of defensive work at full back. Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 11.6.72 17.7.109 25.9.159 Frankston 2.3.15 5.6.36 8.7.55 12.10.82 Goals Casey Scorpions Fevola 11 Dunn Waite 4 Bell Campbell Evans Jetta McDonald Mohr Frankston Haretuku 3 Clements Greeley 2 Appleford Baguley Clark Doria Kennedy Best Casey Scorpions Fevola Evans Baumgartner Dunn Warnock Jetta Frankston Baguley Bosward Clements Hockey Kennedy Haretuku In the curtain raiser, the Casey reserves took a 10 goal lead into the first break and were never troubled after that despite the Dolphins' persistence throughout. Jordan Pollard was best on the ground with 29 touches and 8 tackles. David Collins had 33 disposals to press his claims for a return to the seniors and Wade Lees racked up 26 disposals. Aaron Purves finished with four goals as the team moved into the top four of the competition for the first time this year. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jack Fitzpatrick (14 disposals) - got plenty of the ball in a game in which he was being eased back after a long stint out with an injured ankle. Kelvin Lawrence (22 disposals) - showed a lot of zip and finished with three goals in a much better display. CASEY SCORPIONS 10.0.60 13.3.81 20.5.125 24.8.152 FRANKSTON 0.0.0 5.1.31 5.1.31 6.2.38 Goals Casey Scorpions Purves 4 Lawrence McShane Wall 3 Fitzpatrick Lindsay 2 Cleven Collins Hill Nicholls Pollard Purdy Riseley Frankston Crowe Proctor 2 Bennett Bywater Best Casey Scorpions Pollard Lawrence Collins Nicholls Fitzpatrick Gent Frankston Bateman Miller Anwyl Lean Bennett Bywater

THE 25 DEGREE SAUNA by Whispering Jack Melbourne built up its frequent flyer points and kept its season alive with a 21-point win over wooden spoon contender Port Adelaide in front of what was the lowest Darwin AFL crowd ever of 7,255 in the Top End tussle at TIO Stadium. It was just as well that the Demons fended off a frenetic final quarter fightback from the Power because, having sold the right to play at their traditional hunting ground, a loss to a lowly team would not have looked good. At home, Melbourne would virtually have been assured of a percentage boosting win going on its form this year against most interstate clubs and the players would have been fresher and fitter rather than fatigued from playing in a humid 25 degree sauna before an important four week block in which it takes on all of this year's top four contenders bar Collingwood. It was important therefore that the Demons did come out of the blocks with a purpose to ram home the first four goals of the game. This was achieved, as it so often does, from the strength of its midfield with Mark Jamar and Stefan Martin monstering Port Adelaide in the ruck and giving first use of the football to its on ball brigade led by Brent Moloney, Colin Sylvia, Jack Trengove and Nathan Jones. From there, livewire forwards like Ricky Petterd and Addam Maric finished things off well and the Dees maintained their four goal buffer through to the first break. The honours for the second term went slightly in favour of Port Adelaide and Melbourne can thank Liam Jurrah who was the team's only goalkicker for the stanza (he snagged three of them) and the strong defensive work of James Frawley for keeping the margin at a comfortable 20 points at the game's halfway mark. The Demons always seem to find ways to torment their supporters in strange ways just when a game seems to be safely in the bag or heading in that direction. And so it was when Brad Green was lining up for a goal that would have stretched the lead to more than six goals, that runner Joel Hocking crossed the mark and the ball was given to a Port defender. Soon after that, the inevitable Power goal was scored, then another and another and the momentum had shifted completely. Late in the quarter, the lead had been whittled down to 14 points and it took a lovely fingertip mark from Jurrah, the crowd favourite, to leave Demon fans breathing more easily. After starting off with an early third quarter goal, Demon hearts were set fluttering again with two quick replies before five unanswered goals seemed to settle the score with the Demons sitting on a 45 point lead late in the quarter. However, life wasn't meant to be easy and the roller coaster was back in service as Port scored a late goal before the siren and added the first four of the final term to get within a sniff again before a late goal to Stefan Martin sealed the deal. Relief. A special mention must be given to James Frawley not only for nullifying an in form Power forward Jay Shultz but for providing lots of run out of defence in the steamy conditions and to Jordie McKenzie who did a number on the dangerous Travis Boak. Luke Tapscott was excellent on his return after a long absence with a hamstring injury. Kudos go also to the AFL for its foresight in ensuring that there would be no power failure to turn out the lights and keep fans waiting in the dark as they did for the TIO game earlier this year. In what was a great touch for their administrative capabilities they also sent three blind umpires to officiate the game to ensure that if the lights had gone out, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. So Dean Bailey and his Demons march on towards a month that will seriously test their mettle. The team which has had its character seriously questioned already this year in games against three of its upcoming opposition teams (and consistently in the last four years by the other) confronts the almighty challenge of recovering from an energy-sapping contest to face its own modern day demons. Are they up to it? Melbourne 6.2.38 9.6.60 16.8.104 17.11.113 Port Adelaide 2.2.14 6.4.40 10.5.64 14.8.92 Goals Melbourne Jurrah Maric Petterd 3 Green Martin 2 Gysberts Jones Nicholson Sylvia Port Adelaide Banner Cornes 3 Gray Hitchcock 2 Cassisi Hartlett Pearce Thomas Best Melbourne Petterd Sylvia Moloney Martin Trengove Frawley Jamar Port Adelaide Cassisi Thomas C Cornes Gray Lobbe Injuries Melbourne Tom Scully (shoulder) Port Adelaide Matt Thomas (eye) Changes Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Umpires Dalgleish Jeffery Armstrong Crowd 7,255 at TIO Stadium.

People who might be getting medical attention at the time of singing. It does happen, you know and Tom was injured.

Game's over so we now move over to the post match discussion thread:- Post Match Discussion Thanks!

Your votes please ... 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

THE 25 DEGREE SAUNA by Whispering Jack Melbourne built up its frequent flyer points and kept its season alive with a 21-point win over wooden spoon contender Port Adelaide in front of what was the lowest Darwin AFL crowd ever of 7,255 in the Top End tussle at TIO Stadium. It was just as well that the Demons fended off a frenetic final quarter fightback from the Power because, having sold the right to play at their traditional hunting ground, a loss to a lowly team would not have looked good. At home, Melbourne would virtually have been assured of a percentage boosting win going on its form this year against most interstate clubs and the players would have been fresher and fitter rather than fatigued from playing in a humid 25 degree sauna before an important four week block in which it takes on all of this year's top four contenders bar Collingwood. It was important therefore that the Demons did come out of the blocks with a purpose to ram home the first four goals of the game. This was achieved, as it so often does, from the strength of its midfield with Mark Jamar and Stefan Martin monstering Port Adelaide in the ruck and giving first use of the football to its on ball brigade led by Brent Moloney, Colin Sylvia, Jack Trengove and Nathan Jones. From there, livewire forwards like Ricky Petterd and Addam Maric finished things off well and the Dees maintained their four goal buffer through to the first break. The honours for the second term went slightly in favour of Port Adelaide and Melbourne can thank Liam Jurrah who was the team's only goalkicker for the stanza (he snagged three of them) and the strong defensive work of James Frawley for keeping the margin at a comfortable 20 points at the game's halfway mark. The Demons always seem to find ways to torment their supporters in strange ways just when a game seems to be safely in the bag or heading in that direction. And so it was when Brad Green was lining up for a goal that would have stretched the lead to more than six goals, that runner Joel Hocking crossed the mark and the ball was given to a Port defender. Soon after that, the inevitable Power goal was scored, then another and another and the momentum had shifted completely. Late in the quarter, the lead had been whittled down to 14 points and it took a lovely fingertip mark from Jurrah, the crowd favourite, to leave Demon fans breathing more easily. After starting off with an early third quarter goal, Demon hearts were set fluttering again with two quick replies before five unanswered goals seemed to settle the score with the Demons sitting on a 45 point lead late in the quarter. However, life wasn't meant to be easy and the roller coaster was back in service as Port scored a late goal before the siren and added the first four of the final term to get within a sniff again before a late goal to Stefan Martin sealed the deal. Relief. A special mention must be given to James Frawley not only for nullifying an in form Power forward Jay Shultz but for providing lots of run out of defence in the steamy conditions and to Jordie McKenzie who did a number on the dangerous Travis Boak. Luke Tapscott was excellent on his return after a long absence with a hamstring injury. Kudos go also to the AFL for its foresight in ensuring that there would be no power failure to turn out the lights and keep fans waiting in the dark as they did for the TIO game earlier this year. In what was a great touch for their administrative capabilities they also sent three blind umpires to officiate the game to ensure that if the lights had gone out, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. So Dean Bailey and his Demons march on towards a month that will seriously test their mettle. The team which has had its character seriously questioned already this year in games against three of its upcoming opposition teams (and consistently in the last four years by the other) confronts the almighty challenge of recovering from an energy-sapping contest to face its own modern day demons. Are they up to it? Melbourne 6.2.38 9.6.60 16.8.104 17.11.113 Port Adelaide 2.2.14 6.4.40 10.5.64 14.8.92 Goals Melbourne Jurrah Maric Petterd 3 Green Martin 2 Gysberts Jones Nicholson Sylvia Port Adelaide Banner Cornes 3 Gray Hitchcock 2 Cassisi Hartlett Pearce Thomas Best Melbourne Petterd Sylvia Moloney Martin Trengove Frawley Jamar Port Adelaide Cassisi Thomas C Cornes Gray Lobbe Injuries Melbourne Tom Scully (shoulder) Port Adelaide Matt Thomas (eye) Changes Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Umpires Dalgleish Jeffery Armstrong Crowd 7,255 at TIO Stadium.

Also @ Adelaide Oval so the home ground advantage isn't as great as it would have been at AAMI.

The quality of the contributions for this episode of "The People Speak" was outstanding. We gave The Oracle the job of putting together the Melbourne v Port Adelaide preview (with thanks and apologies to those who missed out). THE PEOPLE SPEAK - THE TOP END GAME edited by The Oracle Last week's bye gave Melbourne and its supporters plenty of time to reflect on the club's disappointing 64-point loss to the Western Bulldogs. A win would have given their top eight prospects a major boost but instead the Bombers and the Bulldogs appear to have stolen the march on Melbourne which, as one fired up maco states must restart its race to the Top Eight on Saturday night: After a week or two, Saturday Night dawns upon us up in the hot, humid conditions that surround the home of Indigenous footy, TIO Stadium; a home away from home some may believe, with the strong connection of our multiple Aboriginal players and their community up North. In a week in which player contracts have been mentioned constantly, Melbourne has provided its last punch in the Tom Scully saga, GWS have thrown caution into the wind and Eddie has once has opened his mouth, the time has come for the club to stand up as a whole. These are the games where the players need to unite as one and stand up. The credibility of the club is on the line once again come the weekend. Not only is the game expected to be a real toughie, it is amazing to see that no-body has talked up the fact that the Dees have had the chop out of the bye and should be refreshed and near peak physical condition to take on the lowly Power. With their vast array of inconsistent players and the odd A grader, David Rodan, it is amazing to think that a team such as this is being talked up to win after abysmal performances for multiple weeks on end. The danger men for Port clearly will be Schulz, Rodan, Chad Cornes going on last week, Robbie Gray and Travis Boak. The match ups in order surely would have to be James Frawley, Jamie Bennell, Jack Watts at CHF, Luke Tapscott and Jordie McKenzie. If all of the above get on top of their opponents then the game could easily be in the Dees favour. Men that need to fire for the Dees to win would have to be our indigenous boys, Liam especially and Mark Jamar has to get on top of the ageing warrior that is Dean Brogan. People are wary of how dangerous Port can be in these conditions with the recent win there against the Tiges, but a win for them this week would put Melbourne right out of contention and have an under-fire Dean Bailey under further immense pressure. A win for the Dees is paramount to keep alive the dream of September action. Dees by 20 points Striker475 considers a similar theme when looking at the game in terms of Money Money Money A week is a long time in football. Two weeks? Even longer. It may have been my bad case of man flu, it may have been the cold, but it felt weird not having the Dees play as the march to the finals revs up. And yet, we look at last week, where all news finished effectively for the Dees when a certain tackle was cleared, to now. Two men, key to this particular fixture and to the future have both already been in the news, albeit for different reasons. Both symbolise two great things about the Melbourne Football Club. Their names? Austin Wonaeamirri and Tom Scully. Aussie is part of the Indigenous 'brigade' at Melbourne. Along with Liam Jurrah, Aaron Davey, Neville Jetta, Jamie Bennell and rookie Kelvin Lawrence, they continue to deepen and enrich this club's great connection with the Indigenous community. The club has done great things for the indigenous people of our country, and continues to do so. Saturday night, in a way, the Indigenous community says thanks. While its thanks are, of course, given regardless, it is noted by many that at TIO the bulk of the crowd will be Indigenous Australians. They cheer for every player, but the Indigenous players get a roar, regardless of their team colours. Yes, the club does get a pay day from it. But it is a way to continue fostering a connection with these players now and into the future, to set up the structures to have more Indigenous talents ply their ways for the club. Of course, other talents do so as well and the spotlight will surely shine on arguably the brightest of them this Saturday, Tom Scully. Figures are being bandied about. Offers have been received. The question is being asked about the fact that there's a lot of hype about this 20-year-old. Will he stand up? Port have only won two this year - and one was up here, against Richmond. They have more Darwin experience, yes - but are struggling no matter where they play. Melbourne need the win to rally and continue their push for a spot in the eight. The reality is that Port are in Struggletown right now. I can see them going close - depending on which Melbourne turns up but, honestly, I'm expecting a typical ten-goal Melbourne win. Dees by 68. THE GAME Melbourne v Port Adelaide Saturday 16 July 2011 at TIO Stadium, Darwin 7.40pm AEST HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 10 wins Port Adelaide 12 wins At TIO Stadium Melbourne 1 win Port Adelaide 0 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins Port Adelaide 10 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Primus 1 win MEDIA TV Channel 10 Live from 7.30 pm. Radio THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.23 Port Adelaide to win $4.20 LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 17.10.112 defeated Melbourne 11.17.83 Round 21, 2011 at the AAMI Stadium Melbourne was overrun by a confident Port Adelaide under reasonably newly appointed coach Matthew Primus at AAMI Stadium which is not a happy hunting ground for the Demons. Jay Schulz was a star up forward and Travis Boak and Dom Cassisi led the dominant Power midfield against a Melbourne team that was hopelessly off target up forward and out of sorts almost everywhere on the ground. The exceptions were Liam Jurrah who took mark of the year honours and booted four goals and Cameron Bruce who was coming to the end of his career in Demon colours. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James Strauss James Frawley Daniel Nicholson Half backs Colin Garland Jared Rivers Nathan Jones Centreline Jack Trengove Colin Sylvia Tom Scully Half forwards Ricky Petterd Liam Jurrah Cale Morton Forwards Brad Green Jack Watts Stefan Martin Followers Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Jordie McKenzie Interchange Jordan Gysberts Jeremy Howe Addam Maric Luke Tapscott Emergencies Clint Bartram Matthew Bate Max Gawn In Addam Maric Luke Tapscott Out Jamie Bennell Sam Blease (both omitted) PORT ADELAIDE Backs Tom Logan Jackson Trengove Cameron O'Shea Half backs Nick Salter Troy Chaplin Hamish Hartlett Centreline Ben Jacobs Travis Boak Kane Cornes Half forwards David Rodan Jay Schulz Brett Ebert Forwards Danyle Pearce Chad Cornes Robbie Gray Followers Matthew Lobbe Domenic Cassisi Matt Thomas Interchange Mitch Banner Hitchcock Michael Pettigrew Steven Salopek Emergencies Matthew Broadbent Daniel Stewart Jacob Surjan In Michael Pettigrew Steven Salopek Out Matthew Broadbent Daniel Stewart (both omitted) satyricon has come up with an interesting reason as to why Melbourne will win - "Because I will be leaning over the fence from my front row seat at TIO imploring them to". I'm not sure that this view is strong enough from an objective viewpoint. On the other hand, DemonWA argues that "this is a game that all MFC supporters expect to win. Whether you think we can make finals or you are more measured about your 2011 expectations, a "home" game against the struggling Port Adelaide should get us the 4 points. But is it that cut and dry? Aside from back to back wins against the Dockers and Tigers, Melbourne’s form has been inconsistent to say the least. Couple this with the fact that the game being played at a ground other than the MCG and it starts to look like much more of a contest. Whilst no one doubts the Demons' potential, their desire and hunger to tackle and chase - to play at the level required at AFL standard in today’s game – is called into question every second week. If the 'good Melbourne' turns up to play then it will win comfortably. If the 'insipid, Bruise-free (inset Buzz Term here)' Melbourne travels to TIO then the game becomes much more interesting. The conditions will be beaten up by the media to no end. In reality the heat will be foreign to both teams. Match fitness shouldn’t be a problem for the majority of the guys who walk out onto the field at this stage of the season. The team that is willing to push through and work harder in the heat will win. Not the team that uses gloves, sweatbands, cool rooms etc. Port won their last game at TIO – with a solid win over the Tigers. They will have earmarked this game as a good chance for a win, in what has been a disappointing season, so I’m expecting port to have a red hot crack. I’m hoping the Dees turn up with a desire to tackle and chase; a desire to earn a win rather than turn up and win. If this is the case I'll back us in by 30 points after kicking away in the last." High Tower reckons the game is about recharging the batteries:- "The last time these two clubs met in Darwin, they played a cliff hanger with Jack Trengove providing the difference in hitting the ball through the goals for a behind and helping secure the 4 points. Fast forward 12 months and the Demons are coming off the Round 16 Bye after 3 matches with 6 day breaks prior and Port Adelaide on the back of a Saints smashing in Adelaide in more ways than one. Port Adelaide went out with intent to unsettle the opposition to no avail. Melbourne remain just outside the eight and if it has any finals aspirations in 2011 this game is a must win and then some. Preparation will be a huge key to this game and Port Adelaide will be smarting having handed Richmond a lesson in Darwin not that long ago. The Demons last game against the Bulldogs in Round 15 saw a disappointing Friday night result, where the Bulldogs outfit simply outplayed Melbourne through efficient ball use and their star players in Cooney, Boyd and Griffen in particular performing very well. The Demons whilst very young and somewhat inexperienced have had inconsistent results as expected from prudent judges this season (very few), but strive for consistency of good and fluent play as they have shown here and there in 2011. They meet a similar young group this Saturday night in Port Adelaide, who have some experienced players in Cassisi, Cornes, Gray, Chaplin, Ebert, Schulz, Rodan and equally some good young players in Hartlett, Boak, Pearce, Banner and Trengove. Not only will preparation be important, but tactically for the Demons to obtain four premiership points they must come with the correct attitude and application that has seen it win 6 games this season to date. The midfield needs to perform better than it did against the Bulldogs. They need to execute and be as efficient as possible, which will not be easy in humid conditions in Darwin. The Power coach will note how Eade's Bulldogs dismantled the Melbourne midfield by nullifying Scully at stoppages with Liam Picken, and Hudson getting on top in the ruck. If Primus employs the same tactics with a Kane Cornes, I feel Tom Scully will eventually run him into the ground. So they will need to rotate on Scully in the heat, and Dean Bailey will equally be wanting Tom to work hard around the ground and break lines to create. Other Melbourne mids will need to lift their game collectively. Moloney, Jones, Sylvia in particular. Gysberts and McKenzie at stoppages and clearances. I expect others such as Trengove, Watts, Martin and Petterd who did ok last start, to be very important in obtaining the result this Saturday night. Win the midfield and this game is virtually won. Go forward and press and squeeze every ounce of power the Power may have. Speaking of power, let's hope TIO Stadium has plenty of backup generators after the last farce in the Richmond v Port game. A lot has been spoken on the GWS & Tom Scully saga, and at a guess there will be more, however I'm of the belief that all he wants to do is play the game he loves among his teammates. Its games like this one, unique games. Even though it may be miles and miles away from the expanses of the MCG, the importance of teamwork, bonding, building relationships, sense of direction and team goals will come to the fore for many. Another small step in creating a winning environment. Prediction: Dees back on the winner's list, by 26 points in a tough night at work." THE LAST WORD I'm going to leave the last word to Maldonboy38 who entertained us with some incisive training reports in the pre season. Now it's his turn to analyse the Top End game:- "Melbourne should be planning to have the ball in their hands a lot, and play positive, strong football. WE can't underestimate Port - they usually play 2 - 3 quarters of good footy and so do we so it is not going to be as easy as it appears on the surface. But man for man we have a much more skilful starting 22, and a lot more grunt players (which in light of some recent efforts says a bit about Port). The sure hands of Gysberts, Trengove and Watts should be too much for them. Dangers: Schulz. Frawley should tear him apart, or Garland with his amazing spoiling attributes. Gray. A really good footballer who is playing brilliant footy in a poor side. Rodan. Bennell to run with him and run off him. Rodan is only quick off the mark - he can be caught after 10 metres or so. Bennell is quick off the mark and continues to accelerate. On recent form, Bennell does not deserve his place but it is horses for courses and he should play in Darwin." There you have it and thanks to all of our contributors. I'll go along with the grain and tip the Dees to continue their unbeaten run at TIO (they won a NAB Cup game there against the Bulldogs a few years back and beat Port there last year). The Power's record at the ground is only 1-4 with the win against the Tigers their first in the Territory and we all know that game started in the dark. Not so this week. Melbourne by 37 points.

Thanks again to those who have taken out a Demonland membership. Also a big thanks to those who have taken the time to click on our advertising links. Every click counts towards helping to pay for the costs of running the site.

This was the game at AAMI Stadium late in 2010. The only thing I remember is Liam Jurrah's mark of the year. The rest of the game is a blur ... PORT ADELAIDE Backs Paul Stewart Alipate Carlile Andrew Moore Half backs Nick Salter Troy Chaplin Danny Meyer Centreline Kane Cornes Domenic Cassisi Travis Boak Half forwards Cameron Hitchcock Jay Schulz David Rodan Forwards Justin Westhoff Daniel Stewart Brett Ebert Followers Dean Brogan Danyle Pearce Robbie Gray Interchange Matthew Broadbent Jay Nash Matt Thomas Jack Trengove Emergencies Jason Davenport Marlon Motlop Michael Pettigrew In Jay Nash Daniel Stewart Out Jason Davenport (omitted) Tom Logan (concussion) MELBOURNE Backs Colin Garland Matthew Warnock Clint Bartram Half backs Cameron Bruce James Frawley Jared Rivers Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Nathan Jones Half forwards Jack Watts Liam Jurrah Colin Sylvia Forwards Austin Wonaeamirri Lynden Dunn Jamie Bennell Followers Mark Jamar Jack Trengove Tom Scully Interchange Jordie McKenzie Brent Moloney Cale Morton Michael Newton Emergencies Rohan Bail Matthew Bate Paul Johnson In Brent Moloney Cale Morton Michael Newton Matthew Warnock Out Rohan Bail (omitted) Aaron Davey (leg) Paul Johnson (omitted) Joel Macdonald (ankle)