Demonland

HOW WE MANUFACTURED A 72 POINT TURNAROUND WITHOUT REALLY TRYING by Whispering Jack I have a confession to make. I didn't attend yesterday's game at the MCG between the Demons and the Hawks due to the fact that I was invited to a wedding and, as a consequence, I managed to watch the first half on Foxtel before heading off to the city at around the time the third quarter started. As a consequence, I wasn't going to write the report on the match this week but due to the disappearance of the correspondent we had lined up to cover the game, I have been convinced by the powers that be that I should do a write up on what I saw and that would be "good enough". Apparently, this is because the team went out onto the ground at a little after 4.30 pm and an hour and a quarter later they went back into the rooms holding a 19 point lead and that was "good enough" too! Indeed, a few minutes before the half time siren blared, the lead was up to 27 points but we all knew that the Demons were very fortunate to hold a lead of any kind because, the Hawks were in front everywhere but on the scoreboard as a result of their inaccuracy in front of goals. They led the disposal count by 208 to 179, were ahead on clearances (18 to 16) and tackles (22 to 18), went inside 50 a whopping 33 times to 22 and had sixteen scoring shots (16-10) and trailed by 19 points. Notwithstanding that, it must be said that Melbourne made the most of its opportunities in the first quarter when Hawthorn dominated the start for a meagre return of 1.5.11. The elusive Cyril Rioli was everywhere and the Hawks appeared in complete control in a reprise of so many poor starts from the Demons in recent years. However, this time they fought back and managed to briefly take the lead before a late goal to the Hawks just before quarter time, gave them a slender lead at the break. The highlight of the first quarter for me was Jack Watts' mark against three opponents deep in the forward line and his conversion for a goal. We had been waiting a long time for this first and he has come along slowly but hopefully, this was a glimpse of the future. The Demons came out and played irresistible football in the second term. They methodically moved the ball forward, were patient and had the better of the tactical battles kicking the five unanswered goals including a couple to the captain and a brilliant snap on an angle from Jack Trengove. They looked fast and sharp and made the opposition look second rate but late in the quarter, took the foot off the pedal content to allow the clock to run out to half time. The tactic is acceptable I suppose but in a way, it represented a sea change which must have become a tidal wave after half time but, as I said above, I missed it and can only go by the scores and the statistics of the second half to understand what transpired during what must have been one of the club's darkest hours. The best players awarded below were provided by somebody else but on what I saw Luke Tapscott carried on from where he left off last week. He's tough, makes good decisions and an excellent kick and I loved the way he was first on the scene to give his old school chum Trengove a pat on the bum after he kicked his goal in the second quarter. Colin Sylvia and Brent Moloney worked hard but the Dees really missed the likes of Tom Scully, Jordie McKenzie and Cale Morton even when they were travelling well before half time. In the event, I drove off with my wife to the wedding reception just as the third quarter was starting. For some reason, I hate listening to the footy on the radio and driving at the same time so I tuned into to some music (from the early sixties to bring us some luck) and headed off to the city. We passed the MCG on our way in and I told the missus that I had been hoping to see Hawthorn supporters leaving the ground in the droves and was disappointed that there was not a single red faced brown and gold scarf wearing football fan in sight on Brunton Avenue. "Probably about five minutes too early," I remarked. After I had safely parked the car, it was time to check the Footy Live iphone application and, when the score flashed on the screen, "Hawthorn 73 to Melbourne 57", you could have blown me over with a feather. Little did I know that there was more - and much worse - to come. When I got into the hall, one of the first people I noticed was Joeboy who hailed me with his usual greeting of three words. I won't repeat them but they are abbreviated as "WTF"! And it came to pass that the Hawks kicked 8.11.59 in a single quarter to 1.1.7 and then they romped home against what must have been a hapless Demon rabble. Not a single brown and gold scarf left the ground before the final siren but lots of red and blue ones surely did just that. So how did the Demons blow a 27 point lead and finish 45 points in arrears in half a game? The title suggests they weren't really trying but I can't accept that. I've seen Dean Bailey suggesting that the Hawks were dominant, will beat just about every time in the competition and could become Collingwood's main challenger for the 2011 flag. The coach admitted after the game that he was totally unprepared for the Hawks' third-quarter onslaught but surely, it was a repeat of what took place a month earlier in the third quarter of the NAB Challenge game at Launceston. Then, as with yesterday, some of their youngsters like Suckling and Shiels, outshone ours. The team should have been better prepared for this. There clearly are some problems at Melbourne which still must be looked upon as a developing team. The midfield is not winning enough clearances out of the ruck domination and the team seems to have a predictable approach to goals. Hawthorn led the possessions by 29 at half time and finished ahead by a whopping 453 to 309 which means Melbourne players got their hands on the ball a mere 130 times. The figures for the last half suggest that even the game against Gold Coast in a fortnight's time will prove a challenge. Melbourne 3.1.19 8.2.50 9.3.57 12.5.77 Hawthorn 2.8.20 3.13.31 11.24.90 16.26.122 Goals Melbourne Dunn Green Jurrah 2 Bennell Davey Jamar Petterd Trengove Watts Hawthorn Burgoyne 4 Franklin Roughead Suckling 2 Bateman Bruce Ladson Osborne Rioli Shiels Best Melbourne Tapscott Sylvia Moloney Grimes Hawthorn Rioli Suckling Mitchell Shiels Burgoyne Franklin Sewell Injuries Melbourne Garland (knee) Hawthorn Renouf (shoulder) Reports Nil Changes Nil Umpires Donlon Stewart Chamberlain Crowd 49.905 at the MCG

HOW WE MANUFACTURED A 72 POINT TURNAROUND WITHOUT REALLY TRYING by Whispering Jack I have a confession to make. I didn't attend yesterday's game at the MCG between the Demons and the Hawks due to the fact that I was invited to a wedding and, as a consequence, I managed to watch the first half on Foxtel before heading off to the city at around the time the third quarter started. As a consequence, I wasn't going to write the report on the match this week but due to the disappearance of the correspondent we had lined up to cover the game, I have been convinced by the powers that be that I should do a write up on what I saw and that would be "good enough". Apparently, this is because the team went out onto the ground at a little after 4.30 pm and an hour and a quarter later they went back into the rooms holding a 19 point lead and that was "good enough" too! Indeed, a few minutes before the half time siren blared, the lead was up to 27 points but we all knew that the Demons were very fortunate to hold a lead of any kind because, the Hawks were in front everywhere but on the scoreboard as a result of their inaccuracy in front of goals. They led the disposal count by 208 to 179, were ahead on clearances (18 to 16) and tackles (22 to 18), went inside 50 a whopping 33 times to 22 and had sixteen scoring shots (16-10) and trailed by 19 points. Notwithstanding that, it must be said that Melbourne made the most of its opportunities in the first quarter when Hawthorn dominated the start for a meagre return of 1.5.11. The elusive Cyril Rioli was everywhere and the Hawks appeared in complete control in a reprise of so many poor starts from the Demons in recent years. However, this time they fought back and managed to briefly take the lead before a late goal to the Hawks just before quarter time, gave them a slender lead at the break. The highlight of the first quarter for me was Jack Watts' mark against three opponents deep in the forward line and his conversion for a goal. We had been waiting a long time for this first and he has come along slowly but hopefully, this was a glimpse of the future. The Demons came out and played irresistible football in the second term. They methodically moved the ball forward, were patient and had the better of the tactical battles kicking the five unanswered goals including a couple to the captain and a brilliant snap on an angle from Jack Trengove. They looked fast and sharp and made the opposition look second rate but late in the quarter, took the foot off the pedal content to allow the clock to run out to half time. The tactic is acceptable I suppose but in a way, it represented a sea change which must have become a tidal wave after half time but, as I said above, I missed it and can only go by the scores and the statistics of the second half to understand what transpired during what must have been one of the club's darkest hours. The best players awarded below were provided by somebody else but on what I saw Luke Tapscott carried on from where he left off last week. He's tough, makes good decisions and an excellent kick and I loved the way he was first on the scene to give his old school chum Trengove a pat on the bum after he kicked his goal in the second quarter. Colin Sylvia and Brent Moloney worked hard but the Dees really missed the likes of Tom Scully, Jordie McKenzie and Cale Morton even when they were travelling well before half time. In the event, I drove off with my wife to the wedding reception just as the third quarter was starting. For some reason, I hate listening to the footy on the radio and driving at the same time so I tuned into to some music (from the early sixties to bring us some luck) and headed off to the city. We passed the MCG on our way in and I told the missus that I had been hoping to see Hawthorn supporters leaving the ground in the droves and was disappointed that there was not a single red faced brown and gold scarf wearing football fan in sight on Brunton Avenue. "Probably about five minutes too early," I remarked. After I had safely parked the car, it was time to check the Footy Live iphone application and, when the score flashed on the screen, "Hawthorn 73 to Melbourne 57", you could have blown me over with a feather. Little did I know that there was more - and much worse - to come. When I got into the hall, one of the first people I noticed was Joeboy who hailed me with his usual greeting of three words. I won't repeat them but they are abbreviated as "WTF"! And it came to pass that the Hawks kicked 8.11.59 in a single quarter to 1.1.7 and then they romped home against what must have been a hapless Demon rabble. Not a single brown and gold scarf left the ground before the final siren but lots of red and blue ones surely did just that. So how did the Demons blow a 27 point lead and finish 45 points in arrears in half a game? The title suggests they weren't really trying but I can't accept that. I've seen Dean Bailey suggesting that the Hawks were dominant, will beat just about every time in the competition and could become Collingwood's main challenger for the 2011 flag. The coach admitted after the game that he was totally unprepared for the Hawks' third-quarter onslaught but surely, it was a repeat of what took place a month earlier in the third quarter of the NAB Challenge game at Launceston. Then, as with yesterday, some of their youngsters like Suckling and Shiels, outshone ours. The team should have been better prepared for this. There clearly are some problems at Melbourne which still must be looked upon as a developing team. The midfield is not winning enough clearances out of the ruck domination and the team seems to have a predictable approach to goals. Hawthorn led the possessions by 29 at half time and finished ahead by a whopping 453 to 309 which means Melbourne players got their hands on the ball a mere 130 times. The figures for the last half suggest that even the game against Gold Coast in a fortnight's time will prove a challenge. Melbourne 3.1.19 8.2.50 9.3.57 12.5.77 Hawthorn 2.8.20 3.13.31 11.24.90 16.26.122 Goals Melbourne Dunn Green Jurrah 2 Bennell Davey Jamar Petterd Trengove Watts Hawthorn Burgoyne 4 Franklin Roughead Suckling 2 Bateman Bruce Ladson Osborne Rioli Shiels Best Melbourne Tapscott Sylvia Moloney Grimes Hawthorn Rioli Suckling Mitchell Shiels Burgoyne Franklin Sewell Injuries Melbourne Garland (knee) Hawthorn Renouf (shoulder) Reports Nil Changes Nil Umpires Donlon Stewart Chamberlain Crowd 49.905 at the MCG

The Casey Scorpions' season kicks off today with up to 18 Demons involved in the action. Read KC from Casey's Season Preview HERE. You can follow the game against Geelong VFL tonight HERE. If there's a Demon or Casey fan in the Ballarat area who would like to cover the game against North Ballarat in a fortnight's time, please send me a PM.

CASEY SCORPIONS SEASON PREVIEW by KC from Casey The Melbourne-Casey Scorpions alignment moves into its third year tonight with the opening of the VFL season at Casey Fields when the home side takes on Geelong. The alliance appears to be on somewhat shaky grounds over the Brendan Fevola controversy although that issue has been somewhat diffused as a result of the potential Scorpion recruit's erratic off field behaviour, his poor form in a reserves practice match and decision to play at Narre Warren this weekend. I don't think anyone, let alone the Fev knows what he's going to do next. The situation does however, underline that times are tough for the VFL clubs on a number of levels and the situation has been emphasized by the push by some AFL clubs to have stand alone reserves teams rather than alignments. Casey's opponent tonight is one of those teams. I believe that there are compelling reasons why an alignment can still work for both the Demons and the Scorpions. Last year Melbourne signed an agreement with the Casey council which could extend as long as thirty years and involves the club's use of the ground and facilities at Casey Fields giving it a foothold in one of the country's fastest growing regions. The population in this area is set to grow to 400,000 and the influx of young families will help the club boost its currently poor supporter base. Certainly, the club might chose to spurn the local VFL club, go it alone and still play at Casey Fields, but does that really constitute embracing the local community? Similarly, the Casey Scorpions have the job ahead of them as well. The club has only recently arrived on the scene at Cranbourne after a long and proud history as the Springvale Football Club. The Scorpions also need to embrace and be accepted by the local community which has strong historical ties with its local clubs. The association with the Under 18 TAC Cup team, the Gippsland Power which brings in an annual infusion of young, talented local players will help but there is still a lot of hard work needed to bring together all of the elements needed to make for a successful local VFL team at the Casey Scorpions. It's understandable that Casey looked favorably on securing a personality like Fevola. Despite all of his failings, he has a following, is from the local area and certainly would be a drawcard bringing crowds through the turnstiles and publicity to the club. A potential 100 goal a year full forward wouldn't hurt the cause either. All of these things are dependent of course, on Fevola's physical and emotional well-being and his dedication to the team cause. Unfortunately for the player, he's a fair distance from being in that place at this point in time and is currently not on Casey's player list although it is being reported that he will play the next two games at Narre and then resume his bid to play at Casey and ultimately in the AFL after that. Tonight Casey kicks off the season with up to 15 AFL listed players in the team, an unusual situation given that this number has been rarely achieved over the past two injury wracked years at Melbourne. The Scorpions last two finals campaigns have been significantly hampered by the unavailability of their Demon listed players. This is a major reason why Casey needs to constantly replenish its playing list with talented footballers. The depth of a VFL team's playing list is vital to its on field success. In Casey's case, the 2011 campaign begins without Ben MacReadie, Glenn Chivers, Ryan Creed and James Taylor who have left the club but it does have the benefit of two star players returning from long injury lay offs. Courageous skipper Kyle Matthews is back after sustaining serious head injuries in an attack outside a nightclub last year and defender and State representative Michael Stockdale is also both after missing the last half of 2011 with a serious knee injury. Matthews will miss a few weeks through a hamstring injury incurred in the final practice match against Port Melbourne last week. Other Scorpions players of note will be the consistent James Wall who has had a good preseason, defender Tim Mohr, last year's recruiting sensation Matt Fieldsend and classy small man Danny Nicholls. Evan Panozza will be steady as ever in defence. Recruits in tonight's squad are promising Gippsland Power 18 year old Aiden Lindsay (182cm 78kg), Box Hills's Kieren McShane (178cm, 78kg), Jordan Pollard (170cm 75kg) who has followed Fieldsend from De La Salle and former Frankston player Aaron Purves (190cm 86kg). Other newcomers include Nathan Allen (178cm, 67kg), Mitch Gent (182cm, 77kg) and Daniel Harrison (196cm, 97kg) from the Dandenong Stingrays, Blake Carew (178cm 75kg), Tom Corry (174cm, 70kg) and Brayden Salton (197cm, 90kg) of the Gippsland Power, Eastern Ranges youngster Luke McKenna (189cm 79kg) and local player Stef Baumgartner (180cm, 82kg) from Devon Meadows. All of the newcomers to the club are in their teens or early twenties. The concentration on talented youth is important for the Casey Scorpions and their partner, the Melbourne Demons. Although the senior season starts tonight for the Scorpions, the reserves side kicks off in a few hours time at Visy Park against the Northern Bullants with Demons Jack Fitzpatrick, Tom McNamara and Cameron Johnston selected in the line up. Stand alone sides do not have the advantage of easing young rookies or players coming back from injury back into the game at this level and this is another reason why a strong alignment can benefit both the AFL and VFL clubs.

CASEY SCORPIONS SEASON PREVIEW by KC from Casey The Melbourne-Casey Scorpions alignment moves into its third year tonight with the opening of the VFL season at Casey Fields when the home side takes on Geelong. The alliance appears to be on somewhat shaky grounds over the Brendan Fevola controversy although that issue has been somewhat diffused as a result of the potential Scorpion recruit's erratic off field behaviour, his poor form in a reserves practice match and decision to play at Narre Warren this weekend. I don't think anyone, let alone the Fev knows what he's going to do next. The situation does however, underline that times are tough for the VFL clubs on a number of levels and the situation has been emphasized by the push by some AFL clubs to have stand alone reserves teams rather than alignments. Casey's opponent tonight is one of those teams. I believe that there are compelling reasons why an alignment can still work for both the Demons and the Scorpions. Last year Melbourne signed an agreement with the Casey council which could extend as long as thirty years and involves the club's use of the ground and facilities at Casey Fields giving it a foothold in one of the country's fastest growing regions. The population in this area is set to grow to 400,000 and the influx of young families will help the club boost its currently poor supporter base. Certainly, the club might chose to spurn the local VFL club, go it alone and still play at Casey Fields, but does that really constitute embracing the local community? Similarly, the Casey Scorpions have the job ahead of them as well. The club has only recently arrived on the scene at Cranbourne after a long and proud history as the Springvale Football Club. The Scorpions also need to embrace and be accepted by the local community which has strong historical ties with its local clubs. The association with the Under 18 TAC Cup team, the Gippsland Power which brings in an annual infusion of young, talented local players will help but there is still a lot of hard work needed to bring together all of the elements needed to make for a successful local VFL team at the Casey Scorpions. It's understandable that Casey looked favorably on securing a personality like Fevola. Despite all of his failings, he has a following, is from the local area and certainly would be a drawcard bringing crowds through the turnstiles and publicity to the club. A potential 100 goal a year full forward wouldn't hurt the cause either. All of these things are dependent of course, on Fevola's physical and emotional well-being and his dedication to the team cause. Unfortunately for the player, he's a fair distance from being in that place at this point in time and is currently not on Casey's player list although it is being reported that he will play the next two games at Narre and then resume his bid to play at Casey and ultimately in the AFL after that. Tonight Casey kicks off the season with up to 15 AFL listed players in the team, an unusual situation given that this number has been rarely achieved over the past two injury wracked years at Melbourne. The Scorpions last two finals campaigns have been significantly hampered by the unavailability of their Demon listed players. This is a major reason why Casey needs to constantly replenish its playing list with talented footballers. The depth of a VFL team's playing list is vital to its on field success. In Casey's case, the 2011 campaign begins without Ben MacReadie, Glenn Chivers, Ryan Creed and James Taylor who have left the club but it does have the benefit of two star players returning from long injury lay offs. Courageous skipper Kyle Matthews is back after sustaining serious head injuries in an attack outside a nightclub last year and defender and State representative Michael Stockdale is also both after missing the last half of 2011 with a serious knee injury. Matthews will miss a few weeks through a hamstring injury incurred in the final practice match against Port Melbourne last week. Other Scorpions players of note will be the consistent James Wall who has had a good preseason, defender Tim Mohr, last year's recruiting sensation Matt Fieldsend and classy small man Danny Nicholls. Evan Panozza will be steady as ever in defence. Recruits in tonight's squad are promising Gippsland Power 18 year old Aiden Lindsay (182cm 78kg), Box Hills's Kieren McShane (178cm, 78kg), Jordan Pollard (170cm 75kg) who has followed Fieldsend from De La Salle and former Frankston player Aaron Purves (190cm 86kg). Other newcomers include Nathan Allen (178cm, 67kg), Mitch Gent (182cm, 77kg) and Daniel Harrison (196cm, 97kg) from the Dandenong Stingrays, Blake Carew (178cm 75kg), Tom Corry (174cm, 70kg) and Brayden Salton (197cm, 90kg) of the Gippsland Power, Eastern Ranges youngster Luke McKenna (189cm 79kg) and local player Stef Baumgartner (180cm, 82kg) from Devon Meadows. All of the newcomers to the club are in their teens or early twenties. The concentration on talented youth is important for the Casey Scorpions and their partner, the Melbourne Demons. Although the senior season starts tonight for the Scorpions, the reserves side kicks off in a few hours time at Visy Park against the Northern Bullants with Demons Jack Fitzpatrick, Tom McNamara and Cameron Johnston selected in the line up. Stand alone sides do not have the advantage of easing young rookies or players coming back from injury back into the game at this level and this is another reason why a strong alignment can benefit both the AFL and VFL clubs.

Joel Macdonald is the out for James Frawley.

CROSSING THE RUBICON by JVM It might well be my imagination but I have this feeling that the Melbourne Football Club came close to crossing its Rubicon last week against the Sydney Swans. The young Demon side came from 25 points down in the shadow of three quarter time to almost steal what would have been a stunning victory. In years gone past, the team might well have capitulated in that situation leaving its fans lamenting at a possible eight or nine goal defeat. This time however, it clawed its way back into the game to hit the front with three minutes to go. From there the result could have gone either way and in the end it finished in perfect balance – 84 points each and the clubs shared the premiership points on offer. There was a glaring statistic from the game and that was that the hard ball gets for the day were weighted heavily in favour of the young Demons. This means that their engine room was working overtime and I dare say perhaps if their skills, particularly in the final quarter, would have matched their endeavour, the result might have been a resounding Melbourne victory. Coaches, players and supporters can bemoan the close misses and lost opportunities but for now it’s water under the bridge and the Dees can take out of the result the fact that they are harder and tougher than they were last year and the year before. Which is a good thing because this week the club meets its former merger partner, a team that has frequently monstered their lighter bodied opponents and imparted great misery. Over the past four seasons, Hawthorn has won on every occasion these teams have met. That counts for six AFL premiership games where the average winning margin is close to 50 points and three pre season matches, the last of which took place less than a month ago at Launceston. I know these games count for naught but the Demons dominated the first quarter of their recent stoush, allowed the Hawks to come back just before half time and were overrun in the last half. So what will it take for Melbourne to cross the Rubicon and overrun Hawthorn which has been the bane of Dean Bailey’s existence since he took over the club’s coaching mantle. His first day at the office saw the Hawks’ rolling zones, pace, run and total superiority cause destruction and havoc to the tune of a 104 point shellacking. The Hawks had a nightmare start to 2010 winning only one of its first seven matches but they were good enough to beat the Demons in round one last year by 56 points. In the return game, the margin was 21 points but it was enough to snuff out what little hope they had of making the finals. Of course, we moaned and groaned about the umpires and the loss of Aaron Davey but in the end they were just too strong and too good. Despite being considered a top four proposition, Hawthorn has made a poor start to this season as well losing to Adelaide after holding a five goal lead. It went the other way to Melbourne which made up almost that deficit to at least pick up a couple of premiership points. The Hawks won’t want to lose a second game and they have their twin towers poised as their major weapon to overcome the Demons. With James Frawley back after a stint out with a pectoral muscle tear and Colin Garland after a promising showing against Adam Goodes, there is likely to be great interest in these battles but I believe that Melbourne’s chances of winning will be dictated strongly by the ability of its midfield to win the hard ball. Can Brent Moloney, Colin Sylvia and Nathan Jones overcome the Sam Mitchell’s, Brad Sewell’s and Jordan Lewises (all of them!)? And will there be enough delivery into the forward line for Laim Jurrah and Jack Watts to kick goals this week? If the answer is in the positive, then the club might well cross its Rubicon on Sunday. THE GAME Hawthorn v Melbourne at the MCG Sunday 3 April 2011 at 4.40pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Hawthorn 78 wins Melbourne 74 wins At MCG Hawthorn 37 wins Melbourne 35 wins Since 2000 Hawthorn 12 wins Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Clarkson 5 wins Bailey 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 4.30pm (live) RADIO ABC774 SEN TripleM 3AW THE BETTING Hawthorn to win $1.42 Melbourne to win $2.85 LAST TIME THEY MET Hawthorn 15.9.99 defeated Melbourne 12.6.78 in Round 20, 2010, at the MCG It was the last roll of the dice for the Demons who had to win the game to keep their slim hopes of making the finals alive. They led early, lost Aaron Davey in the second quarter and bravely and grimly held on in the face of some questionable umpiring. It was Luke Hodge with two goals early in the final quarter who created a wedge between the teams and though they tried hard, the Demons went down by 21 points in a fighting effort. THE TEAMS 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 Umpires Chamberlain Donlon Gleeson and Stewart In a round where the number of "ins" will approach a record (thanks to Gold Coast having 22 "ins" for their first game), James Frawley is a highly significant inclusion for the Demons. With the possible exception of the first week of the pre season, Melbourne’s defence has looked like a ship without a rudder in the absence of All Australian Frawley. The players who have filled in have tried hard but they have been unable to impose the same sort of presence that Frawley did in his breakout season last year. The big question is whether a player who was injured in mid January and has not played a game in the interim, can come up against one of Hawthorn’s twin towers. Given the amount of time out and the potential lack of match fitness which comes with this, it will be a hard ask to pit Frawley against Franklin despite the fact that Frawley beat his man when they clashed late last year in what was one of the best duels of the season. Indeed, had the umpires not been so overly generous to the crack Hawthorn forward, he might have been reduced to a very ordinary performance on the day. Bailey could well decide to give Colin Garland first dibs on Franklin (Garland did well on him back in round 9, 2008) and Frawley could take on Roughead in the circumstances but the Dees will also need to be wary in defence of David Hale who they also chased over trade week. The danger players for Melbourne will be Brad Sewell who Melbourne almost snared in a trade deal that went terribly wrong a few years ago. Sewell has polled Brownlow votes in each of his past three matches against Melbourne while Sam Mitchell (38 disposals last week) is also a constant thorn in Melbourne’s side. Then there is Cameron Bruce who will be the centre of interest given this is the first time he faces his old club. Along with retired captain James McDonald, Bruce was virtually the voice of the club over the past two years, talking up a team that was a very ordinary conveyance at the time. His task now is to suspend disbelief and form this supporter’s point of view, I look forward to him hitting some Demon targets for once. Melbourne to win by 10 points.

CROSSING THE RUBICON by JVM It might well be my imagination but I have this feeling that the Melbourne Football Club came close to crossing its Rubicon last week against the Sydney Swans. The young Demon side came from 25 points down in the shadow of three quarter time to almost steal what would have been a stunning victory. In years gone past, the team might well have capitulated in that situation leaving its fans lamenting at a possible eight or nine goal defeat. This time however, it clawed its way back into the game to hit the front with three minutes to go. From there the result could have gone either way and in the end it finished in perfect balance – 84 points each and the clubs shared the premiership points on offer. There was a glaring statistic from the game and that was that the hard ball gets for the day were weighted heavily in favour of the young Demons. This means that their engine room was working overtime and I dare say perhaps if their skills, particularly in the final quarter, would have matched their endeavour, the result might have been a resounding Melbourne victory. Coaches, players and supporters can bemoan the close misses and lost opportunities but for now it’s water under the bridge and the Dees can take out of the result the fact that they are harder and tougher than they were last year and the year before. Which is a good thing because this week the club meets its former merger partner, a team that has frequently monstered their lighter bodied opponents and imparted great misery. Over the past four seasons, Hawthorn has won on every occasion these teams have met. That counts for six AFL premiership games where the average winning margin is close to 50 points and three pre season matches, the last of which took place less than a month ago at Launceston. I know these games count for naught but the Demons dominated the first quarter of their recent stoush, allowed the Hawks to come back just before half time and were overrun in the last half. So what will it take for Melbourne to cross the Rubicon and overrun Hawthorn which has been the bane of Dean Bailey’s existence since he took over the club’s coaching mantle. His first day at the office saw the Hawks’ rolling zones, pace, run and total superiority cause destruction and havoc to the tune of a 104 point shellacking. The Hawks had a nightmare start to 2010 winning only one of its first seven matches but they were good enough to beat the Demons in round one last year by 56 points. In the return game, the margin was 21 points but it was enough to snuff out what little hope they had of making the finals. Of course, we moaned and groaned about the umpires and the loss of Aaron Davey but in the end they were just too strong and too good. Despite being considered a top four proposition, Hawthorn has made a poor start to this season as well losing to Adelaide after holding a five goal lead. It went the other way to Melbourne which made up almost that deficit to at least pick up a couple of premiership points. The Hawks won’t want to lose a second game and they have their twin towers poised as their major weapon to overcome the Demons. With James Frawley back after a stint out with a pectoral muscle tear and Colin Garland after a promising showing against Adam Goodes, there is likely to be great interest in these battles but I believe that Melbourne’s chances of winning will be dictated strongly by the ability of its midfield to win the hard ball. Can Brent Moloney, Colin Sylvia and Nathan Jones overcome the Sam Mitchell’s, Brad Sewell’s and Jordan Lewises (all of them!)? And will there be enough delivery into the forward line for Laim Jurrah and Jack Watts to kick goals this week? If the answer is in the positive, then the club might well cross its Rubicon on Sunday. THE GAME Hawthorn v Melbourne at the MCG Sunday 3 April 2011 at 4.40pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Hawthorn 78 wins Melbourne 74 wins At MCG Hawthorn 37 wins Melbourne 35 wins Since 2000 Hawthorn 12 wins Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Clarkson 5 wins Bailey 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 4.30pm (live) RADIO ABC774 SEN TripleM 3AW THE BETTING Hawthorn to win $1.42 Melbourne to win $2.85 LAST TIME THEY MET Hawthorn 15.9.99 defeated Melbourne 12.6.78 in Round 20, 2010, at the MCG It was the last roll of the dice for the Demons who had to win the game to keep their slim hopes of making the finals alive. They led early, lost Aaron Davey in the second quarter and bravely and grimly held on in the face of some questionable umpiring. It was Luke Hodge with two goals early in the final quarter who created a wedge between the teams and though they tried hard, the Demons went down by 21 points in a fighting effort. THE TEAMS 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 Umpires Chamberlain Donlon Gleeson and Stewart In a round where the number of "ins" will approach a record (thanks to Gold Coast having 22 "ins" for their first game), James Frawley is a highly significant inclusion for the Demons. With the possible exception of the first week of the pre season, Melbourne’s defence has looked like a ship without a rudder in the absence of All Australian Frawley. The players who have filled in have tried hard but they have been unable to impose the same sort of presence that Frawley did in his breakout season last year. The big question is whether a player who was injured in mid January and has not played a game in the interim, can come up against one of Hawthorn’s twin towers. Given the amount of time out and the potential lack of match fitness which comes with this, it will be a hard ask to pit Frawley against Franklin despite the fact that Frawley beat his man when they clashed late last year in what was one of the best duels of the season. Indeed, had the umpires not been so overly generous to the crack Hawthorn forward, he might have been reduced to a very ordinary performance on the day. Bailey could well decide to give Colin Garland first dibs on Franklin (Garland did well on him back in round 9, 2008) and Frawley could take on Roughead in the circumstances but the Dees will also need to be wary in defence of David Hale who they also chased over trade week. The danger players for Melbourne will be Brad Sewell who Melbourne almost snared in a trade deal that went terribly wrong a few years ago. Sewell has polled Brownlow votes in each of his past three matches against Melbourne while Sam Mitchell (38 disposals last week) is also a constant thorn in Melbourne’s side. Then there is Cameron Bruce who will be the centre of interest given this is the first time he faces his old club. Along with retired captain James McDonald, Bruce was virtually the voice of the club over the past two years, talking up a team that was a very ordinary conveyance at the time. His task now is to suspend disbelief and form this supporter’s point of view, I look forward to him hitting some Demon targets for once. Melbourne to win by 10 points.

We lost Aaron Davey in the second quarter from memory and were at a disadvantage for most of the game. HAWTHORN Backs Brent Guerra Stephen Gilham Thomas Murphy Half backs Ben Stratton Josh Gibson Grant Birchall Centreline Chance Bateman Sam Mitchell Rhan Hooper Half forwards Jordan Lewis Lance Franklin Shaun Burgoyne Forwards Michael Osborne Jarryd Roughead Wayde Skipper Followers Brent Renouf Luke Hodge Brad Sewell Interchange Campbell Brown Xavier Ellis Carl Peterson Brendan Whitecross Emergencies Rick Ladson Jarryd Morton Garry Moss MELBOURNE Backs Colin Garland Jared Rivers Clint Bartram Half backs Joel Macdonald James Frawley Rohan Bail Centreline Tom Scully James McDonald Cameron Bruce Half forwards Jamie Bennell Jack Watts Austin Wonaeamirri Forwards Liam Jurrah Brad Green Colin Sylvia Followers Mark Jamar Lynden Dunn Aaron Davey Interchange (from) Paul Johnson Nathan Jones Jordie McKenzie Jack Trengove Emergencies Brad Miller Cale Morton Matthew Warnock

HALF HEAVEN by Whispering Jack There were three minutes left in the opening game of the season when Brad Green happened to be in the right place at the right time to be on the receiving end of a long kick from debutant Luke Tapscott. His desperate lunge produced the soccer kick (ironically, Green could have played that game but chose our sport instead) that put Melbourne in front of Sydney for the first time in the match. The margin was just two points at the time and the goal heralded an excruciatingly painful period during which the ball was mainly at the Swans' end and they scrounged around long enough to bring about the AFL's first Round 1 draw in 29 years. The final siren immediately placed a myriad of thoughts in the mind and most of them started with the words "what if". Naturally, the "what ifs" applied equally to the situations of both teams and it's fair to say that, like the result, they all balanced in the end. Both sides had their opportunities to put the game beyond doubt had they only kicked more accurately for goal or made better decisions or received kinder decisions from the umpires. That's life! When all is said and done, it has to be remembered that Melbourne is still very much a young developing team that has been hit by a string of injuries to key players including All Australian defender James Frawley, early draft selections Cale Morton and Tom Scully and strong tackling young midfielder Jordie McKenzie. As coach Dean Bailey pointed out after the game, this team would not have been capable twelve months ago of fighting back to from a 25-point deficit late in the third term to salvage a tied result. However, that is exactly what his team did and that they did so against a team which, like their opponent next week, made it to last year's semi finals, will hold them in good stead for the rigours of the season ahead. The club's hero in this game was big bodied midfielder Brent Moloney who took charge of the packs and constantly drove the ball forward to advantage when the revival came. In the final quarter, a constant target was substitute Ricky Petterd who took off the green top at the final break and picked up six possessions and set up some vital goals in an inspiring but brief cameo passage that was his first game in almost eleven months. A couple of highlights coming from the game were the outstanding debut of Tapscott, a strong bodied long kick in the mould of Moloney. Tapscott marked strongly and handed out bumps and bruises in a manner befitting a 100 game veteran and showed he will be an acquisition. His old school mate Jack Trengove is showing signs of class and maturity well beyond his years and, in these two teenagers, we can see the basis of the club's future - a future's that's looking very good. We also saw the coming of age of Stef Martin as second ruck to Mark Jamar. Martin now has the body shape of an AFL footballer and he has come on in leaps and bounds improving every facet of his game since arriving as a gangly young ruck prospect from Old Hailybury Under 19s. In fact, if he can continue to produce efforts like this game on a regular basis, the Demons will have a ruck division capable of mixing it with the best under the new regime which includes the controversial substitute rule. Melbourne did struggle early conceding the first two goals in a repeat of so many of last year's games. It was catch up football and they trailed at every change with Adam Goodes holding the ascendency in the early going. Colin Garland grew in stature as the game went on and finished up shading the Brownlow Medallist, a not inconsiderable achievement. Melbourne needs to get more from its experienced placers including the skipper who had a so so day and Aaron Davey who (pardon the pun) flashed in and out and was well tagged by Rhys Shaw. The same can be said of Colin Sylvia who had some quiet moments interspersed with some brilliant patches. Liam Jurrah bagged two goals but was worn like a glove by Ted Richards and only really looked dangerous once Petterd was on the field. Jack Grimes got a fair bit of the ball and, like others in the team, did make some mistakes. At the same time, he also demonstrated his sublime skills and Grimes is another who will play a major role in the future of the club and why we can take so much away from this game for the days, weeks and months ahead. The team is technically in the "eight", there's room for improvement there especially if and when the Demons can field close to a full list, and the Dees are slowly moving away from hell. In fact, you could say they're halfway to heaven. Melbourne 3.2.20 5.8.38 8.12.60 11.18.84 Sydney 5.3.33 7.5.47 10.14.74 11.18.84 Goals Melbourne Dunn Green Jurrah 2 Bennell Jetta Jones Moloney Sylvia Sydney Bolton McGlynn 3 Goodes 2 Everitt Reid White Best Melbourne Moloney Jamar Davey Green Trengove Garland Sydney Bolton O'Keefe McGlynn Goodes Grundy Shaw Changes Melbourne Nil Sydney Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Sydney Nil Reports Melbourne Davey high contact on McGlynn in the second quarter (you're kidding umpire, right?) Sydney Nil Umpires McBurney Armstrong Jeffrey Crowd 33,951 at the MCG

Haven't worked out if we'll do the percentage ratio thing this year but at least we have a week to decide the issue

HALF HEAVEN by Whispering Jack There were three minutes left in the opening game of the season when Brad Green happened to be in the right place at the right time to be on the receiving end of a long kick from debutant Luke Tapscott. His desperate lunge produced the soccer kick (ironically, Green could have played that game but chose our sport instead) that put Melbourne in front of Sydney for the first time in the match. The margin was just two points at the time and the goal heralded an excruciatingly painful period during which the ball was mainly at the Swans' end and they scrounged around long enough to bring about the AFL's first Round 1 draw in 29 years. The final siren immediately placed a myriad of thoughts in the mind and most of them started with the words "what if". Naturally, the "what ifs" applied equally to the situations of both teams and it's fair to say that, like the result, they all balanced in the end. Both sides had their opportunities to put the game beyond doubt had they only kicked more accurately for goal or made better decisions or received kinder decisions from the umpires. That's life! When all is said and done, it has to be remembered that Melbourne is still very much a young developing team that has been hit by a string of injuries to key players including All Australian defender James Frawley, early draft selections Cale Morton and Tom Scully and strong tackling young midfielder Jordie McKenzie. As coach Dean Bailey pointed out after the game, this team would not have been capable twelve months ago of fighting back to from a 25-point deficit late in the third term to salvage a tied result. However, that is exactly what his team did and that they did so against a team which, like their opponent next week, made it to last year's semi finals, will hold them in good stead for the rigours of the season ahead. The club's hero in this game was big bodied midfielder Brent Moloney who took charge of the packs and constantly drove the ball forward to advantage when the revival came. In the final quarter, a constant target was substitute Ricky Petterd who took off the green top at the final break and picked up six possessions and set up some vital goals in an inspiring but brief cameo passage that was his first game in almost eleven months. A couple of highlights coming from the game were the outstanding debut of Tapscott, a strong bodied long kick in the mould of Moloney. Tapscott marked strongly and handed out bumps and bruises in a manner befitting a 100 game veteran and showed he will be an acquisition. His old school mate Jack Trengove is showing signs of class and maturity well beyond his years and, in these two teenagers, we can see the basis of the club's future - a future's that's looking very good. We also saw the coming of age of Stef Martin as second ruck to Mark Jamar. Martin now has the body shape of an AFL footballer and he has come on in leaps and bounds improving every facet of his game since arriving as a gangly young ruck prospect from Old Hailybury Under 19s. In fact, if he can continue to produce efforts like this game on a regular basis, the Demons will have a ruck division capable of mixing it with the best under the new regime which includes the controversial substitute rule. Melbourne did struggle early conceding the first two goals in a repeat of so many of last year's games. It was catch up football and they trailed at every change with Adam Goodes holding the ascendency in the early going. Colin Garland grew in stature as the game went on and finished up shading the Brownlow Medallist, a not inconsiderable achievement. Melbourne needs to get more from its experienced placers including the skipper who had a so so day and Aaron Davey who (pardon the pun) flashed in and out and was well tagged by Rhys Shaw. The same can be said of Colin Sylvia who had some quiet moments interspersed with some brilliant patches. Liam Jurrah bagged two goals but was worn like a glove by Ted Richards and only really looked dangerous once Petterd was on the field. In fact, the final quarter saw a great lift in forward pressure which was seemingly lacking in the earlier parts of the game. Jack Grimes got a fair bit of the ball and, like others in the team, did make some mistakes. At the same time, he also demonstrated his sublime skills and Grimes is another who will play a major role in the future of the club and why we can take so much away from this game for the days, weeks and months ahead. The team is technically in the "eight", there's room for improvement there especially if and when the Demons can field close to a full list, and the Dees are slowly moving away from hell. In fact, you could say they're halfway to heaven. Melbourne 3.2.20 5.8.38 8.12.60 11.18.84 Sydney 5.3.33 7.5.47 10.14.74 11.18.84 Goals Melbourne Dunn Green Jurrah 2 Bennell Jetta Jones Moloney Sylvia Sydney Bolton McGlynn 3 Goodes 2 Everitt Reid White Best Melbourne Moloney Jamar Davey Green Trengove Garland Sydney Bolton O'Keefe McGlynn Goodes Grundy Shaw Changes Melbourne Nil Sydney Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Sydney Nil Reports Melbourne Davey high contact on McGlynn in the second quarter (you're kidding umpire, right?) Sydney Nil Umpires McBurney Armstrong Jeffrey Crowd 33,951 at the MCG

Swans running on to the ground hopefully to meet the same fate that befell NSW Labor last night.

THE PEOPLE SPEAK - MATCH PREVIEW by the Demonland Crew About bloody time ... we've endured the longest pre-season ever, with the most twists and turns in AFL history - first off there was the St. Kilda schoolgirl, then the Fev, then something else from the St Kilda schoolgirl, Tom Scully to GWS followed by Pendles, Thomas and Swan to GWS, more gold from the St Kilda schoolgirl, this time with Ricky Nixon, Tom Scully says no to GWS, more gold from Fev, this time involving the Dee's and Casey, Palmer to GWS, sorry now no Palmer to GWS, the substitute fiasco, a silly lightning premiership style preseason tournament AND add to that some non-footy related news - floods, cyclones, earthquakes, Tsunami's, nuclear reactors, Royal visits, War in Libya, uprising in Bahrain, uprising in Egypt, some pretty bloody awful cricket by the Australians, another NFL title to Green Bay, an encouraging second for the Socceroos in Asia ... NO bloody wonder we can't wait for the footy to start!! Dees to follow last year's smashing of the Swanette's by right royally demolishing them on the 'G - JAKO13 Finally after some five months since the Filth hoisted the Cup aloft it's back! Seventeen clubs have had their 'best pre seasons ever' and every list is fitter stronger and faster than last year. Members and supporters alike enter this week with great hope and even greater expectations. And finally all the soap opera stuff from the summer disappears and we focus on the real stuff. So after a haphazard pre season what will Sunday afternoon bring for the Demons? Firstly, expect a much closer game than last year. The Swans have long memories and are still smarting from that performance as attested to in a recent Herald Sun article. We can expect to see a fiercer Sydney attacking the contest, and Game plan A will definitely be to block the corridor and put the Melbourne defence under pressure with the now famous press. They have a few players missing in Bradshaw, Kennealy, Roberts-Thompson and Craig Bolton (retired) but they still have one A. Goodes. He is the key and the one Melboune must stop. Unfortunately with Melbourne missing James Frawley and Cale Morton, the immediate tagging options look thin. With Jordie McKenzie also out and Lynden Dunn and Jack Trengove only 50/50 chances to play, the Demons have concerns of their own and may look to youngsters Neville Jetta, Addam Maric and Luke Tapscott to step up. Stef Martin will probably get his chance also. If Goodes goes forward expect Colin Garland to have first crack. If he goes middle, expect Nathan Jones to wear him like a glove. Melbourne's trump card may just be forward of the centre with Brad Green, Liam Jurrah, Ricky Petterd, Maric, Colin Sylvia and Jack Watts all very potent and great users of the footy. But I think it will come down to just two things that will determine the outcome of the game ... ferocity at the contest and Inside 50's. Melbourne have more, they WILL win. If not then they are in strife. I'm backing the Demons to prevail by 14 points - GRANDSON OF A GUN THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney at the MCG 27 March at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 92 wins Sydney 106 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 49 wins Sydney 39 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins Sydney 12 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 Longmire 0 MEDIA TV Channel 7 - delayed telecast at 3.00pm. RADIO 3AW Triple M THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.79 Sydney to win $2.22 LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 22.10.142 defeated Sydney Swans 10.9.69 in Round 17, 2010 THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Clint Bartram Jared Rivers Joel Macdonald Half backs Jack Grimes Colin Garland Jamie Bennell Centreline Nathan Jones Brent Moloney Luke Tapscott Half forwards Rohan Bail Colin Sylvia Liam Jurrah Forwards Jack Watts Brad Green Addam Maric Followers Mark Jamar Lynden Dunn Aaron Davey Interchange Neville Jetta Stefan Martin Ricky Petterd Jack Trengove Emergencies Jake Spencer James Strauss Matthew Warnock New Luke Tapscott (North Adelaide SA) SYDNEY Backs Paul Bevan Ted Richards Martin Mattner Half backs Rhys Shaw Heath Grundy Andrejs Everitt Centreline Daniel Hannebery Kieren Jack Nick Smith Half forwards Lewis Jetta Adam Goodes Ben McGlynn Forwards Ryan O'Keefe Sam Reid Jesse White Followers Shane Mumford Josh Kennedy Jarrod McVeigh Interchange Jude Bolton Gary Rohan Mark Seaby Byron Sumner Emergencies Craig Bird Jed Lamb Brett Meredith New Andrejs Everitt (Western Bulldogs) Byron Sumner (Woodville-West Torrens) Coming into the 2011 season Melbourne fans had every reason to salivating over a round one match against Sydney, a team they comfortably beat at home in 2010. However, some ordinary NAB cup performances and some untimely injuries have tempered expectations a little since then. Still, the Dees are in decent enough shape with even the talented but injury prone Jack Grimes and Liam Jurrah both able to complete full pre seasons, and key players like Mark Jamar, Aaron Davey and Colin Sylvia set to be certain starters for the round one clash. The exact make up of the round one team is still somewhat unclear, with the forward line especially seeming to have many options. Will Bailey and the football department have a place for all three smalls of Neville Jetta, Addam Maric and Jamie Bennell in the one side - their pre season form suggests they deserve it. Will they opt for a taller forward set up on the back of the injury ravaged Sydney backline? Time will tell. As usual both teams will be doing everything they can to take the points and set the tone for their respective seasons. Sydney has a new coach and often playing groups respond positively to a new man in the coaches box. This game is set to be a great contest. Can the Dee's bounce back from a disappointing finish to their preseason campaign and give their talented forward line enough opportunities to kick a winning score? Can dual Brownlow medalist Adam Goodes carry his team to victory? Who will win the battle of the midfields? I think the midfields will be matched quite evenly, but I'm backing the dees forwards to do more damage than the swans; too many key backmen out for Sydney. Dees by 17 points Key Matchups: Jamar v Mumford Jamar and Mumford were arguably the two best ruck men in the competition after Sandilands. With both backlines missing their key players the centre clearances will be all important. Goodes v ? I'm tipping Bailey to back Jones with the tagging role on the Swans' ace. Goodes will kick four goals and have 28 disposals. Jones will get 15 largely ineffective disposals and later tweet that it was a tough day at the office but how he learent so much from playing on a champion. DEMONWA Round one has so much invested in it. Fans hanging out for that first bounce. I suspect some of us Demons are a little less circumspect after some less than impressive displays against Brisbane and Hawthorn. Twitter does seem to be the new media so I'll take those match reports as gospel!! Besides this being Round one, I think there is much at stake in this first fixture. If we allow ourselves to crystal ball a little one might hope that we could beat Gold Coast and Brisbane, (creating history to be the first team to beat both sides from the Northern state perhaps?) even allowing for a loss to Hawforn, a 3-1 record would hold us in good stead. 2-2 would not be too shabby at all, but 3-1 gives much more hope. Sydney will be burning from the 12 goal loss we dished out last year and if we can achieve another win this week it will be a huge positive - Demon Hill It's an interesting one. Sydney's back-line is definitely looking shaky, but then again so is ours without Chip. As always, this game is going to come down to the midfield. If we can get the ball into our fifty often enough, with half decent delivery, surely Jurrah, Watts, Petterd, Green and Maric will have a field day against their undermanned backline. Jamar and Mumford should be an interesting battle. I'm looking at Sylvia to have a big game. Dee's by 12 MALLEE BULL Without Kirk there to direct the midfield and lead by his example, I feel they are going to be somewhat directionless and that, coupled with the fact that they now have to get used to a new coaching style and possibly game plan, I'm not sure it is all going to come together for them this early in the season. With players like Grimes, Rivers, Garland, Bartram and possibly Bennell to run the ball out of defence, I get the feeling their midfield will be caught off guard and the Dees defenders should be able to give the mids, and consequently forwards, good service. As Malceski is out for a few weeks (10?) with a knee injury, Jones won't be required to cover him, meaning that he could be used on Goodes at a pinch... but I tend to agree that someone like Martin would be better suited to that task. Alternatively (and I know I'll be howled down for this) Bartram is someone who could give Goodes the kind of niggle that will get his blood boiling, and while some players lift when given that kind of treatment, Goodes tends to implode. I would rather see Jones doing his usual job of diving in where no sane person should go. Overall, I believe that if our defenders can do their job with quick clearances, we should have too much speed through the middle and too much class up forward for the Swannies to counter over a prolonged period of time. So far this preseason we have beaten our AAMI hoodoo, we have managed to show we can get off to a fast start against the Hawks, and now we need to step up and show we can get off to a fast start in the finals race by winning the first game of the season. Footy's a confidence game, and what better way to build confidence than by winning the first game of the year without your best 22 on the park. Dees by 23 HARDTAK Thanks to all who participated and Go Dees 2011.

THE PEOPLE SPEAK - MATCH PREVIEW by the Demonland Crew About bloody time ... we've endured the longest pre-season ever, with the most twists and turns in AFL history - first off there was the St. Kilda schoolgirl, then the Fev, then something else from the St Kilda schoolgirl, Tom Scully to GWS followed by Pendles, Thomas and Swan to GWS, more gold from the St Kilda schoolgirl, this time with Ricky Nixon, Tom Scully says no to GWS, more gold from Fev, this time involving the Dee's and Casey, Palmer to GWS, sorry now no Palmer to GWS, the substitute fiasco, a silly lightning premiership style preseason tournament AND add to that some non-footy related news - floods, cyclones, earthquakes, Tsunami's, nuclear reactors, Royal visits, War in Libya, uprising in Bahrain, uprising in Egypt, some pretty bloody awful cricket by the Australians, another NFL title to Green Bay, an encouraging second for the Socceroos in Asia ... NO bloody wonder we can't wait for the footy to start!! Dees to follow last year's smashing of the Swanette's by right royally demolishing them on the 'G - JAKO13 Finally after some five months since the Filth hoisted the Cup aloft it's back! Seventeen clubs have had their 'best pre seasons ever' and every list is fitter stronger and faster than last year. Members and supporters alike enter this week with great hope and even greater expectations. And finally all the soap opera stuff from the summer disappears and we focus on the real stuff. So after a haphazard pre season what will Sunday afternoon bring for the Demons? Firstly, expect a much closer game than last year. The Swans have long memories and are still smarting from that performance as attested to in a recent Herald Sun article. We can expect to see a fiercer Sydney attacking the contest, and Game plan A will definitely be to block the corridor and put the Melbourne defence under pressure with the now famous press. They have a few players missing in Bradshaw, Kennealy, Roberts-Thompson and Craig Bolton (retired) but they still have one A. Goodes. He is the key and the one Melboune must stop. Unfortunately with Melbourne missing James Frawley and Cale Morton, the immediate tagging options look thin. With Jordie McKenzie also out and Lynden Dunn and Jack Trengove only 50/50 chances to play, the Demons have concerns of their own and may look to youngsters Neville Jetta, Addam Maric and Luke Tapscott to step up. Stef Martin will probably get his chance also. If Goodes goes forward expect Colin Garland to have first crack. If he goes middle, expect Nathan Jones to wear him like a glove. Melbourne's trump card may just be forward of the centre with Brad Green, Liam Jurrah, Ricky Petterd, Maric, Colin Sylvia and Jack Watts all very potent and great users of the footy. But I think it will come down to just two things that will determine the outcome of the game ... ferocity at the contest and Inside 50's. Melbourne have more, they WILL win. If not then they are in strife. I'm backing the Demons to prevail by 14 points - GRANDSON OF A GUN THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney at the MCG 27 March at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 92 wins Sydney 106 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 49 wins Sydney 39 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins Sydney 12 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 Longmire 0 MEDIA TV Channel 7 - delayed telecast at 3.00pm. RADIO 3AW Triple M THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.79 Sydney to win $2.22 LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 22.10.142 defeated Sydney Swans 10.9.69 in Round 17, 2010 THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Clint Bartram Jared Rivers Joel Macdonald Half backs Jack Grimes Colin Garland Jamie Bennell Centreline Nathan Jones Brent Moloney Luke Tapscott Half forwards Rohan Bail Colin Sylvia Liam Jurrah Forwards Jack Watts Brad Green Addam Maric Followers Mark Jamar Lynden Dunn Aaron Davey Interchange Neville Jetta Stefan Martin Ricky Petterd Jack Trengove Emergencies Jake Spencer James Strauss Matthew Warnock New Luke Tapscott (North Adelaide SA) SYDNEY Backs Paul Bevan Ted Richards Martin Mattner Half backs Rhys Shaw Heath Grundy Andrejs Everitt Centreline Daniel Hannebery Kieren Jack Nick Smith Half forwards Lewis Jetta Adam Goodes Ben McGlynn Forwards Ryan O'Keefe Sam Reid Jesse White Followers Shane Mumford Josh Kennedy Jarrod McVeigh Interchange Jude Bolton Gary Rohan Mark Seaby Byron Sumner Emergencies Craig Bird Jed Lamb Brett Meredith New Andrejs Everitt (Western Bulldogs) Byron Sumner (Woodville-West Torrens) Coming into the 2011 season Melbourne fans had every reason to salivating over a round one match against Sydney, a team they comfortably beat at home in 2010. However, some ordinary NAB cup performances and some untimely injuries have tempered expectations a little since then. Still, the Dees are in decent enough shape with even the talented but injury prone Jack Grimes and Liam Jurrah both able to complete full pre seasons, and key players like Mark Jamar, Aaron Davey and Colin Sylvia set to be certain starters for the round one clash. The exact make up of the round one team is still somewhat unclear, with the forward line especially seeming to have many options. Will Bailey and the football department have a place for all three smalls of Neville Jetta, Addam Maric and Jamie Bennell in the one side - their pre season form suggests they deserve it. Will they opt for a taller forward set up on the back of the injury ravaged Sydney backline? Time will tell. As usual both teams will be doing everything they can to take the points and set the tone for their respective seasons. Sydney has a new coach and often playing groups respond positively to a new man in the coaches box. This game is set to be a great contest. Can the Dee's bounce back from a disappointing finish to their preseason campaign and give their talented forward line enough opportunities to kick a winning score? Can dual Brownlow medalist Adam Goodes carry his team to victory? Who will win the battle of the midfields? I think the midfields will be matched quite evenly, but I'm backing the dees forwards to do more damage than the swans; too many key backmen out for Sydney. Dees by 17 points Key Matchups: Jamar v Mumford Jamar and Mumford were arguably the two best ruck men in the competition after Sandilands. With both backlines missing their key players the centre clearances will be all important. Goodes v ? I'm tipping Bailey to back Jones with the tagging role on the Swans' ace. Goodes will kick four goals and have 28 disposals. Jones will get 15 largely ineffective disposals and later tweet that it was a tough day at the office but how he learent so much from playing on a champion. DEMONWA Round one has so much invested in it. Fans hanging out for that first bounce. I suspect some of us Demons are a little less circumspect after some less than impressive displays against Brisbane and Hawthorn. Twitter does seem to be the new media so I'll take those match reports as gospel!! Besides this being Round one, I think there is much at stake in this first fixture. If we allow ourselves to crystal ball a little one might hope that we could beat Gold Coast and Brisbane, (creating history to be the first team to beat both sides from the Northern state perhaps?) even allowing for a loss to Hawforn, a 3-1 record would hold us in good stead. 2-2 would not be too shabby at all, but 3-1 gives much more hope. Sydney will be burning from the 12 goal loss we dished out last year and if we can achieve another win this week it will be a huge positive - Demon Hill It's an interesting one. Sydney's back-line is definitely looking shaky, but then again so is ours without Chip. As always, this game is going to come down to the midfield. If we can get the ball into our fifty often enough, with half decent delivery, surely Jurrah, Watts, Petterd, Green and Maric will have a field day against their undermanned backline. Jamar and Mumford should be an interesting battle. I'm looking at Sylvia to have a big game. Dee's by 12 MALLEE BULL Without Kirk there to direct the midfield and lead by his example, I feel they are going to be somewhat directionless and that, coupled with the fact that they now have to get used to a new coaching style and possibly game plan, I'm not sure it is all going to come together for them this early in the season. With players like Grimes, Rivers, Garland, Bartram and possibly Bennell to run the ball out of defence, I get the feeling their midfield will be caught off guard and the Dees defenders should be able to give the mids, and consequently forwards, good service. As Malceski is out for a few weeks (10?) with a knee injury, Jones won't be required to cover him, meaning that he could be used on Goodes at a pinch... but I tend to agree that someone like Martin would be better suited to that task. Alternatively (and I know I'll be howled down for this) Bartram is someone who could give Goodes the kind of niggle that will get his blood boiling, and while some players lift when given that kind of treatment, Goodes tends to implode. I would rather see Jones doing his usual job of diving in where no sane person should go. Overall, I believe that if our defenders can do their job with quick clearances, we should have too much speed through the middle and too much class up forward for the Swannies to counter over a prolonged period of time. So far this preseason we have beaten our AAMI hoodoo, we have managed to show we can get off to a fast start against the Hawks, and now we need to step up and show we can get off to a fast start in the finals race by winning the first game of the season. Footy's a confidence game, and what better way to build confidence than by winning the first game of the year without your best 22 on the park. Dees by 23 HARDTAK Thanks to all who participated and Go Dees 2011.

I've already set one up fir Demonland but as I've been overseas I haven't had access to the net all the time. Anyway, here are the details:

I seem to recall this was one of our better days of 2008 - 2011:- MELBOURNE Backs Colin Garland Jared Rivers Clint Bartram Half backs Jordie McKenzie James Frawley JoelMacdonald Centreline Jamie Bennell Cameron Bruce Brad Green Half forwards Lynden Dunn Cale Morton Tom Scully Forwards Colin Sylvia Jack Watts Liam Jurrah Followers Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Aaron Davey Interchange Rohan Bail Paul Johnson Nathan Jones AddamMaric Emergencies Matthew Bate Austin Wonaeamirri MatthewWarnock. In Addam Maric Out Matthew Bate SYDNEY Backs Rhyce Shaw Ted Richards Martin Mattner Half backs Paul Bevan Heath Grundy Tadhg Kennelly Centreline Nick Malceski Brett Kirk Kieren Jack Half forwards Ryan O'Keefe Mike Pyke Josh Kennedy Forwards Ben McGlynn Adam Goodes Jarred Moore Followers Shane Mumford Jude Bolton Jarrad McVeigh Interchange Daniel Hannebery Lewis Jetta Brett MeredithJesse White Emergencies Trent Dennis-Lane Sam Reid Gary Rohan In Lewis Jetta Out Nick 426 Smith (hamstring - 4 to 6 weeks)

In the week leading up to the Melbourne v Sydney game last year we ran a People Speak thread and the best comments were used for our match preview - THE PEOPLE SPEAK. Since it was so successful, we've decided to give it a run again for this year's Melbourne v Sydney season opener so --- it's over to you!

+1 I'm sure the club wouldn't be happy about the size and look of our emblem with this interface.

I'm OS until Round 2 so I won't be able to do anything until then. I haven't experienced any issues but I am using a Mac and Firefox. If you are using Windows and Internet explorer do yourself a favour and switch to a different browser immediately (firefox or google chrome). Internet Explorer will only cause you endless problems not to mention it being a serious security risk to your computer.

BITTER, SWEET, BITTER by Van Demon The good news is that, according to the official records, Melbourne did not report any injuries from the game. Of course, this does not mean that the club finished the night injury free - only that it does not wish to publicise any injuries or niggles that might have affected its players after its 27 point defeat at the hands of Hawthorn. Unofficially, I was told that there were a few players suffering from corkies and other assorted ailments that are probably not serious but will need to be looked at over the coming fortnight. The other good news is that the team started like a house on fire, kicking the first four goals and taking a 16 point lead into the huddle at quarter time which should have been more but for the fact that the defence suffered from a couple of poor lapses of concentration. Addam Maric booted the opening two goals and Jack Grimes and Colin Sylvia were in sparkling form. The first sign of any problems came in the second quarter. Really, a couple of soft frees and more defensive errors allowed the Hawks back into the game and then, just when the Demons started to reassert themselves and had the opportunity to build a decent lead at the main break, a few vital marks were spilled and Hawthorn took full advantage. It was still a meritorious effort to hold a 13 point lead at half time. Unfortunately, all of the good work was undone in the first ten minutes of the third quarter when the Hawks piled on four goals. Heads dropped and the screws were applied. Poor decisions were made under pressure and the team was beaten out of the middle and in most positions on the ground. After Melbourne's promising start to the pre-season in Adelaide, I have been disappointed to see the drop off in enthusiasm and confidence over recent weeks. Let's hope the real thing beings about a new attitude and some better form. Kudos to Aaron Davey and Addam Maric. They did what was expected of them. Melbourne 5.1.31 8.1.49 9.2.56 12.3.75 Hawthorn 2.3.15 5.5.35 11.9.75 15.12 102 Goals Melbourne Maric 3 Jurrah 2 Bate Davey Green Jamar Moloney Petterd Scully Hawthorn Shiels 3 Whitecross 2 Birchall Bruce Burgoyne Guerra Hale Lisle Savage Sewell Smith Young Best Davey Maric Grimes Sylvia Jamar Hawthorn Shiels Sewell Birchall Guerra Injuries Melbourne Nil Hawthorn Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Hawthorn Nil Crowd 4,010 at Aurora Stadium

I suppose it could be argued that if we're expecting to do much better this year than last, then we should be expecting much better performances in the pre season as well. After a good start in NAB Cup Week One we haven't done a great deal to inspire any confidence for any great improvement.

BITTER, SWEET, BITTER by Van Demon The good news is that, according to the official records, Melbourne did not report any injuries from the game. Of course, this does not mean that the club finished the night injury free - only that it does not wish to publicise any injuries or niggles that might have affected its players after its 27 point defeat at the hands of Hawthorn. Unofficially, I was told that there were a few players suffering from corkies and other assorted ailments that are probably not serious but will need to be looked at over the coming fortnight. The other good news is that the team started like a house on fire, kicking the first four goals and taking a 16 point lead into the huddle at quarter time which should have been more but for the fact that the defence suffered from a couple of poor lapses of concentration. Addam Maric booted the opening two goals and Jack Grimes and Colin Sylvia were in sparkling form. The first sign of any problems came in the second quarter. Really, a couple of soft frees and more defensive errors allowed the Hawks back into the game and then, just when the Demons started to reassert themselves and had the opportunity to build a decent lead at the main break, a few vital marks were spilled and Hawthorn took full advantage. It was still a meritorious effort to hold a 13 point lead at half time. Unfortunately, all of the good work was undone in the first ten minutes of the third quarter when the Hawks piled on four goals. Heads dropped and the screws were applied. Poor decisions were made under pressure and the team was beaten out of the middle and in most positions on the ground. After Melbourne's promising start to the pre-season in Adelaide, I have been disappointed to see the drop off in enthusiasm and confidence over recent weeks. Let's hope the real thing beings about a new attitude and some better form. Kudos to Aaron Davey and Addam Maric. They did what was expected of them. Melbourne 5.1.31 8.1.49 9.2.56 12.3.75 Hawthorn 2.3.15 5.5.35 11.9.75 15.12 102 Goals Melbourne Maric 3 Jurrah 2 Bate Davey Green Jamar Moloney Petterd Scully Hawthorn Shiels 3 Whitecross 2 Birchall Bruce Burgoyne Guerra Hale Lisle Savage Sewell Smith Young Best Davey Maric Grimes Sylvia Jamar Hawthorn Shiels Sewell Birchall Guerra Injuries Melbourne Nil Hawthorn Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Hawthorn Nil Crowd 4,010 at Aurora Stadium

Qtr time 5.1.31 to 2.3.15

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