Demonland

Two weeks ago Port Adelaide beat West Coast by more than 15 goals and today they're almost premiership favourites. I'm not suggesting that the MFC will be flag favourites in a fortnight but fortunes can change in relatively quick time - don't forget that.

THE SCARE by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham survived a major scare by producing a stunning eleven-goal final quarter against the Bendigo Bombers to win by 33 points and retain its firm grip on top position of the VFL ladder on Saturday. The make up of the team again underwent a number of changes before the game with a reshuffle of players in the Melbourne side. Sandy also suffered a blow when skipper Chad Liddell was ruled out by injury. The changes however, did not seem to unduly affect them early and, after conceding the opening goal, they steadied and were giving the impression that they were ready to blow the game away. The persistent Bombers had other ideas. They bottled the game up, preventing the Zebras from using their advantage in height and skill around the ground and at quarter time they led by a goal. The pattern was repeated in the second quarter of what was becoming a dour struggle between the teams. The Zebras had the ascendency in the ruck with Mark Jamar and Paul Johnson while Summers and Valenti were providing the midfield strength and Ezra Poyas, Byron Pickett and David Gallagher were bobbing up around the ground driving the ball into attack. The Bomber defence was solid and ran extra men behind the ball to crowd up the Sandy forward line. When Bendigo went forward however, it was generally wasteful and in a game of see sawing fortunes this proved costly. Sandringham led by 11 points at the main break but it could so easily have been a different story. The third quarter is generally viewed by the pundits as the premiership quarter and if this were truly the case then one would have expected the aspirants for a fourth premiership on end to run over a team placed ninth on the ladder. That was certainly not the case in the third term of this match. It was Bendigo that came out full of running while Sandringham had a touch of arrogance and laziness about it and the Bombers took full advantage by taking control of the midfield through veterans Jason Johnson and former Demon Chris Heffernan. Despite the dominance of the Sandy ruckmen, it was Bendigo that was now winning the clearances and their on ballers provided plenty of feed for their forwards who blazed away at goal and eventually hit target enough times to put a major scare through the Zebra camp. When the team went into the huddle at three quarter time to face their coach they were staring at an embarrassing defeat in front of a decent size home crowd and a much larger ABC television audience. Mark Williams is one of the contenders for Melbourne's vacant coaching job and he did his prospects no harm with a considered and calm approach to the situation his team faced at the final break. He called upon them to respond to their disappointing third quarter by doing something about it - he challenged them to have a go. He told them that that they needed to keep their sights lowered and not to bomb the ball indiscriminately particularly when going forward. They answered in the best way possible. Wiliams had been carefully rotating his midfielders - even during Bendigo's thrid quarter onslaught when they kicked seven goals to Sandringham's three. This set the scene for the refreshed Zebras, headed by Summers and Poyas who were in imposing form, to retake control of the middle of the ground and they orchestrated an absolute goal feast. It was goal a minute stuff as Sautner, Gallagher, Pickett and Valenti all took advantage up forward. The Zebras also benefitted from their enormous height advantage with Jamar taking some strong marks up forward. They brushed aside the Bombers with consummate ease to finish full of running and complete an unlikely 33 point demolition of a stunned opposition. The unsung heroes of the game were the team's youngsters who underpinned their winning effort. Jace Bode continued his rapid improvement and Tom Paterakis, Tomi Johnston, Sam Monaghan, Guy Martyn and Rennie Gilchrist all contributed. They are going through a wonderful learning process during this early stage in their senior careers. In the run up to the finals the Zebras have the advantage of playing another three of their four remaining games at home. Their northern rivals, the Bullants, are the next cab off the rank. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Let's face it. If an MFC listed player finds himself in the Sandringham team at this stage of the year, he's not there by accident unless the circumstances are exceptional. He's either coming back from injury, out of form, out of favour, in development mode or more than one of the above. I was disappointed with the overall contributions of the Demon listed players to Sandringham's classical victory: with one or two exceptions, they were totally overshadowed by the likes of Summers, Poyas, Gallagher and even the youngsters in their contributions to what was a sensational come from behind victory. Jace Bode - continues to improve in all facets of the game although he needs to improve on his right side. Laid a great tackle in the second quarter only to waste it with poor disposal. All in all however, it was another consistently good performance and he was rewarded by being named in the Sandy best again. Clint Bizzell - generally covered his opponent and did a reasonable game in defence. Also kicked a goal when going forward but might still struggle to regain his place in the Melbourne team. Nathan Carroll - settled down after showing a bit of early frustration and giving away a few frees. Once that problem corrected itself, Carroll settled down and he finished up having a solid game and even kicked a goal in that chaotic final term. Lynden Dunn - kicked a nice goal and showed a bit of spark in the third quarter but otherwise had little impact, which is disappointing for a player with his size, skills and athletic talent. The next twelve months will be an important time in his development. Colin Garland – mostly floated around the back line and picked up possessions here and there without doing very much to impose himself on the game. Mark Jamar - with Paul Johnson, he dominated the ruck and also took plenty of marks around the ground and in the forward line and finished with two goals. Should be given a run in the AFL to see whether he has a future at the club or whether he should be put up for trade. Chris Johnson - it was good to see him getting an opportunity in the middle and he putting in a strong performance. His disposal was generally very good and I look forward to seeing how he develops under his next senior coach. Paul Johnson - despite being second fiddle to Jamar, he showed plenty in the ruck contests and around the ground and the only mystery he didn't solve was why he wasn’t on the Demons’ flight to Adelaide this weekend. Byron Pickett - played mainly at half forward and despite not cutting the finest figure on the ground, the Pickett of old was almost back on Saturday. Had twenty touches, took six marks and kicked two goals but it was the tackling, the smothering and the impact of his hits that made a difference when it counted in the final quarter. My only criticism is that he had one or two brain fades and gave away one unnecessary fifty metre penalty (but I suppose that comes with the territory when physical strength is your forte) and the fact that he didn’t lot the final kick for goal after the siren from outside fifty because it would have made it a special finish for a great day. Sandringham 3.5.23 6.9.45 9.12.66 20.14.134 Bendigo Bombers 2.5.17 4.10.34 11.16.82 14.17.101 Goals Sandringham Sautner 5 Gallagher 3 Jamar Pickett Summers Valenti 2 Bizzell Carroll Dunn P Johnson Bendigo Bombers Carter Lonergan Reimers 3 Bolton Weeks 2 Atkinson Best Sandringham Summers Bode Gallagher Pickett Carroll Poyas Bendigo Bombers Johns Heffernan Lonergan Carter Reimers Johnson Reported Player Sandringham David Gallagher (Sandringham) for charging D Dick (Bendigo) in the second quarter. The Zebra Reserves continue to show improvement and had an enormous win in the curtain raiser to level the ledger at seven wins and seven losses to remain in contention for a place in the finals. After an even first quarter the young Zebs kicked seven goals in the second and eight in the third to storm home from the visitors and record a 63 point victory in the end. With Shane Neaves winning in the ruck, Stefan Martin was outstanding with five goals and he was backed up by four each from Ewan McKenzie and Isaac Weetra. Marc Johnston continued to press his claim for seniors inclusion and Daniel Collyer put in a solid display. Sandringham 3.3.21 10.4.64 18.7.115 23.10.148 Bendigo Bombers 3.4.22 6.9.45 8.10.58 12.13.85 Goals Sandringham S Martin 5 McKenzie Weetra 4 Tregear Zarra 2 Hayes M Johnston Lyall Neaves Neville Williams Bendigo Bombers Roberts 4 Leech Maddern 2 Dillon Duscher Kanters Meade Best Sandringham S Martin Weetra Collyer M Johnston Paule Neaves Bendigo Bombers Pilcher Bowe Crameri O'Keefe Roberts Leech

by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham survived a major scare by producing a stunning eleven-goal final quarter against the Bendigo Bombers to win by 33 points and retain its firm grip on top position of the VFL ladder on Saturday. The make up of the team again underwent a number of changes before the game with a reshuffle of players in the Melbourne side. Sandy also suffered a blow when skipper Chad Liddell was ruled out by injury. The changes however, did not seem to unduly affect them early and, after conceding the opening goal, they steadied and were giving the impression that they were ready to blow the game away. The persistent Bombers had other ideas. They bottled the game up, preventing the Zebras from using their advantage in height and skill around the ground and at quarter time they led by a goal. The pattern was repeated in the second quarter of what was becoming a dour struggle between the teams. The Zebras had the ascendency in the ruck with Mark Jamar and Paul Johnson while Summers and Valenti were providing the midfield strength and Ezra Poyas, Byron Pickett and David Gallagher were bobbing up around the ground driving the ball into attack. The Bomber defence was solid and ran extra men behind the ball to crowd up the Sandy forward line. When Bendigo went forward however, it was generally wasteful and in a game of see sawing fortunes this proved costly. Sandringham led by 11 points at the main break but it could so easily have been a different story. The third quarter is generally viewed by the pundits as the premiership quarter and if this were truly the case then one would have expected the aspirants for a fourth premiership on end to run over a team placed ninth on the ladder. That was certainly not the case in the third term of this match. It was Bendigo that came out full of running while Sandringham had a touch of arrogance and laziness about it and the Bombers took full advantage by taking control of the midfield through veterans Jason Johnson and former Demon Chris Heffernan. Despite the dominance of the Sandy ruckmen, it was Bendigo that was now winning the clearances and their on ballers provided plenty of feed for their forwards who blazed away at goal and eventually hit target enough times to put a major scare through the Zebra camp. When the team went into the huddle at three quarter time to face their coach they were staring at an embarrassing defeat in front of a decent size home crowd and a much larger ABC television audience. Mark Williams is one of the contenders for Melbourne's vacant coaching job and he did his prospects no harm with a considered and calm approach to the situation his team faced at the final break. He called upon them to respond to their disappointing third quarter by doing something about it - he challenged them to have a go. He told them that that they needed to keep their sights lowered and not to bomb the ball indiscriminately particularly when going forward. They answered in the best way possible. Wiliams had been carefully rotating his midfielders - even during Bendigo's thrid quarter onslaught when they kicked seven goals to Sandringham's three. This set the scene for the refreshed Zebras, headed by Summers and Poyas who were in imposing form, to retake control of the middle of the ground and they orchestrated an absolute goal feast. It was goal a minute stuff as Sautner, Gallagher, Pickett and Valenti all took advantage up forward. The Zebras also benefitted from their enormous height advantage with Jamar taking some strong marks up forward. They brushed aside the Bombers with consummate ease to finish full of running and complete an unlikely 33 point demolition of a stunned opposition. The unsung heroes of the game were the team's youngsters who underpinned their winning effort. Jace Bode continued his rapid improvement and Tom Paterakis, Tomi Johnston, Sam Monaghan, Guy Martyn and Rennie Gilchrist all contributed. They are going through a wonderful learning process during this early stage in their senior careers. In the run up to the finals the Zebras have the advantage of playing another three of their four remaining games at home. Their northern rivals, the Bullants, are the next cab off the rank. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Let's face it. If an MFC listed player finds himself in the Sandringham team at this stage of the year, he's not there by accident unless the circumstances are exceptional. He's either coming back from injury, out of form, out of favour, in development mode or more than one of the above. I was disappointed with the overall contributions of the Demon listed players to Sandringham's classical victory: with one or two exceptions, they were totally overshadowed by the likes of Summers, Poyas, Gallagher and even the youngsters in their contributions to what was a sensational come from behind victory. Jace Bode - continues to improve in all facets of the game although he needs to improve on his right side. Laid a great tackle in the second quarter only to waste it with poor disposal. All in all however, it was another consistently good performance and he was rewarded by being named in the Sandy best again. Clint Bizzell - generally covered his opponent and did a reasonable game in defence. Also kicked a goal when going forward but might still struggle to regain his place in the Melbourne team. Nathan Carroll - settled down after showing a bit of early frustration and giving away a few frees. Once that problem corrected itself, Carroll settled down and he finished up having a solid game and even kicked a goal in that chaotic final term. Lynden Dunn - kicked a nice goal and showed a bit of spark in the third quarter but otherwise had little impact, which is disappointing for a player with his size, skills and athletic talent. The next twelve months will be an important time in his development. Colin Garland – mostly floated around the back line and picked up possessions here and there without doing very much to impose himself on the game. Mark Jamar - with Paul Johnson, he dominated the ruck and also took plenty of marks around the ground and in the forward line and finished with two goals. Should be given a run in the AFL to see whether he has a future at the club or whether he should be put up for trade. Chris Johnson - it was good to see him getting an opportunity in the middle and he putting in a strong performance. His disposal was generally very good and I look forward to seeing how he develops under his next senior coach. Paul Johnson - despite being second fiddle to Jamar, he showed plenty in the ruck contests and around the ground and the only mystery he didn't solve was why he wasn’t on the Demons’ flight to Adelaide this weekend. Byron Pickett - played mainly at half forward and despite not cutting the finest figure on the ground, the Pickett of old was almost back on Saturday. Had twenty touches, took six marks and kicked two goals but it was the tackling, the smothering and the impact of his hits that made a difference when it counted in the final quarter. My only criticism is that he had one or two brain fades and gave away one unnecessary fifty metre penalty (but I suppose that comes with the territory when physical strength is your forte) and the fact that he didn’t lot the final kick for goal after the siren from outside fifty because it would have made it a special finish for a great day. Sandringham 3.5.23 6.9.45 9.12.66 20.14.134 Bendigo Bombers 2.5.17 4.10.34 11.16.82 14.17.101 Goals Sandringham Sautner 5 Gallagher 3 Jamar Pickett Summers Valenti 2 Bizzell Carroll Dunn P Johnson Bendigo Bombers Carter Lonergan Reimers 3 Bolton Weeks 2 Atkinson Best Sandringham Summers Bode Gallagher Pickett Carroll Poyas Bendigo Bombers Johns Heffernan Lonergan Carter Reimers Johnson Reported Player Sandringham David Gallagher (Sandringham) for charging D Dick (Bendigo) in the second quarter. The Zebra Reserves continue to show improvement and had an enormous win in the curtain raiser to level the ledger at seven wins and seven losses to remain in contention for a place in the finals. After an even first quarter the young Zebs kicked seven goals in the second and eight in the third to storm home from the visitors and record a 63 point victory in the end. With Shane Neaves winning in the ruck, Stefan Martin was outstanding with five goals and he was backed up by four each from Ewan McKenzie and Isaac Weetra. Marc Johnston continued to press his claim for seniors inclusion and Daniel Collyer put in a solid display. Sandringham 3.3.21 10.4.64 18.7.115 23.10.148 Bendigo Bombers 3.4.22 6.9.45 8.10.58 12.13.85 Goals Sandringham S Martin 5 McKenzie Weetra 4 Tregear Zarra 2 Hayes M Johnston Lyall Neaves Neville Williams Bendigo Bombers Roberts 4 Leech Maddern 2 Dillon Duscher Kanters Meade Best Sandringham S Martin Weetra Collyer M Johnston Paule Neaves Bendigo Bombers Pilcher Bowe Crameri O'Keefe Roberts Leech

Your wish is our command. It's been merged.

Just stated on casey Radio that Polkinghorne will be the first current TAC Cup player to take part in a VFL game this way.

by Westender The say timing is everything and if that is truly the case then the timing of Melbourne's only trip to the City of Churches for 2007 is diabolical to say the least. The Demons haven't won a game in Adelaide since April 2001 when Andrew Leoncelli famously grabbed the ball from a boundary line tap from David Schwarz to score a goal in the final 30 seconds to bury the Crows. Their last victory over Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium (or Football Park as it was then called) came a year earlier in 2000. Even when the Melbourne team is riding high, luck always eludes it here in Adelaide. I remember making the journey to West Lakes in the week when Neil Craig took over as the senior coach of the Crows as caretaker from the sacked Gary Ayres at a time when Melbourne was in raging hot form and they were thumped by 12 goals in one of the upsets of the season. The Dees regained their composure after that and won their next five games on end to grab top position on the AFL ladder before returning to the scene of the crime to play Port Adelaide for Round 19 of 2004. The result? Yes, you guessed it! Another 12 goal shellacking and the beginning of a devastating slide that saw the team miss out on the top four and then drop out of contention in the first week of the finals. Things haven't been much different since then. Whenever the Demons have hopped onto a flight to Adelaide it's been disastersville. We all remember the final home and away round last year when they took on the injury devastated and out-of-form Crows. I do because I thought that this time, Melbourne could not possibly lose and I turned up early for the feast. D'oh! But if the timing of Melbourne's trips to South Australia has been ordinary in the past then just think about the timing of this weekend's journey. Port Adelaide's form has been up and down and then up again this season. The Power had a good start to the season but by the time they played the Demons in Round 6 they were on a bit of decline. Fortunately for them however, the umpires in that game were a bit off in their timing vis a vis David Neitz and his opponent Darryl Wakelin. Every time Wakelin put his hands on Neita's back, the umpires apparently looked the other way but when the Dees' skipper returned the favour with the gentlest of zephyr of a glance in the Power defender's back, their timing was perfect and they were watching clsoely. Watching and blowing the whistle to overrule Aaron Davey's kick and what would have been the winning goal was annulled from the record books. That's what I call timing! After that, Port nosedived from first to tenth and, as if to demonstrate how bad they were at their lowest point, they lost to Carlton at the Telstra Dome. You can't get any worse than that! However, in the five weeks since the start of the split round, the Power has been on fire. By way of contrast, Melbourne is scraping rock bottom. Its performances in the past two weeks have been so poor and so lacking in spirit that supporters are turning off in their droves. Take away newcomer Michael Newton's hanger and the good form of youngsters Nathan Jones and Simon Buckley against the Kangaroos and there has been little to get excited about of late where the Demons are concerned. So it's not a good time to come up against a team that is developing momentum and rocketing towards a top four finish. No side has kicked more goals since that split round than Port Adelaide. Its goal average in that time has been a tad under 20 a game - an aggregate of 16 ahead of its next rival Fremantle and 24 better than Geelong. Over the past three months the Power's average points for has been 140 points compared to Melbourne's 89. If the Demons struggled when they come to Adelaide in good times then I'm afraid it can only spell doom and gloom when they come here in their current state. As I said before, the timing is diabolical. THE GAME Port Adelaide v Melbourne at AAMI Stadium Sunday 29 July 2007 at 4.40pm AEST HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 8 wins Melbourne 8 wins At AAMI Stadium Port Adelaide 7 wins Melbourne 2 wins Since 2000 Port Adelaide 6 wins Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Williams 0 wins Riley 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 - live at 4.30pm RADIO 774ABC SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.09 Port Adelaide to win $6.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 10.16.76 defeated Melbourne 9.17.71 Round 6 2007 at MCG The gritty Demons were always thereabouts and looked likely winners early in the final quarter but they were unable to deliver the decisive blow that would have given them the game. The Power managed to do that through a magnificent goal from Daniel Motlop who hasn't looked back since then while Melbourne's Aaron Davey was stiff to have his shot at goal disallowed, C'est la vie! TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE Backs Michael Pettigrew Toby Thurstans Jacob Surjan Half backs Michael Wilson Troy Chaplin Peter Burgoyne Centreline Kane Cornes Shaun Burgoyne Nathan Lonie Half forwards Danyle Pearce Warren Tredrea David Rodan Forwards Daniel Motlop Justin Westhoff Brett Ebert Followers Brendon Lade Chad Cornes Domenic Cassisi Interchange Travis Boak Dean Brogan Alipate Carlile Nathan Krakouer Emergencies Nick Lower Adam Thomson Brad Symes In Nathan Krakouer Out Robert Gray (calf) MELBOURNE Backs Ben Holland Ryan Ferguson James Frawley Half backs Daniel Bell Brad Miller Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Paul Wheatley Half forwards Nathan Brown Russell Robertson Simon Godfrey Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Brent Moloney Michael Newton Daniel Ward Emergencies Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Mark Jamar In Daniel Bell Cameron Bruce Ryan Ferguson Ben Holland Out Clint Bizzell Nathan Carroll Chris Johnson Paul Johnson (all omitted) Umpires: Kennedy Sully Fila AND THEN THERE WERE TWO! I've been scratching my head all week trying to think of what I could say about this game to throw some light on how the Demons might be able to avert a full blown disaster in this game. One way would be not to turn up at all. Someone could place a call to Andrew Demetrious and just tell him that rather than be accused of tanking the game, the club would prefer to do something more productive with its time - like stay in Melbourne and watch the grass grown on their lawns. Let them hire a circus act to perform at AAMI Stadium and that would have greater entertainment value for the Port Adelaide punters and those expatriates like me than a repeat of Melbourne's displays against the Kangaroos and Brisbane. The idea makes good sense but I have a feeling that Andy isn't going to buy it so the Dees will indeed front at the Stadium with 22 players. Fortunately, they have a couple of good ones back from injury and have also made good on their promise to experiment and try something different. In fact, the team selection is indicative of how Sunday's adversaries have been faring this season. The omission from the Demon side of Nathan Carroll leaves the team with only two players to have taken part in all 17 games of the season - James McDonald and Jeff White. On Sunday, more than half of the Port Adelaide side will be in that category. It's little wonder therefore that they are currently entertaining crowds and playing exciting footy. When your team is stable and sticks together week by week, you can do these things. This week Melbourne gets Daniel Bell and Cameron Bruce back after a few weeks off with hamstring injuries. Hopefully, they will not be as rusty as David Neitz and Brad Green were in their comeback games last week. The team has also revamped its defence with the inclusion of Ryan Ferguson and Ben Holland. Mark Jamar comes in as second ruckman to Jeff White. The inclusions themselves are timely because we all know that the key to Port's success has been a winning midfield and a potent, multi-pronged attack. They have a lot of players kicking goals from Brett Ebert to Daniel Motlop, Warren Tredrea, David Rodan and Justin Westhoff while the Burgoynes' and Cornes' are also good for some goals here and there. Whichever way I look at this game therefore, I can't see this Melbourne team doing any better than the ones that went before it - Port Adelaide by (check out my timing here) ten ... goals.

This week's match preview is from our SA correspondent Westender (as told to Whispering Jack) TIMING IS EVERYTHING by Westender The say timing is everything and if that is truly the case then the timing of Melbourne's only trip to the City of Churches for 2007 is diabolical to say the least. The Demons haven't won a game in Adelaide since April 2001 when Andrew Leoncelli famously grabbed the ball from a boundary line tap from David Schwarz to score a goal in the final 30 seconds to bury the Crows. Their last victory over Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium (or Football Park as it was then called) came a year earlier in 2000. Even when the Melbourne team is riding high, luck always eludes it here in Adelaide. I remember making the journey to West Lakes in the week when Neil Craig took over as the senior coach of the Crows as caretaker from the sacked Gary Ayres at a time when Melbourne was in raging hot form and they were thumped by 12 goals in one of the upsets of the season. The Dees regained their composure after that and won their next five games on end to grab top position on the AFL ladder before returning to the scene of the crime to play Port Adelaide for Round 19 of 2004. The result? Yes, you guessed it! Another 12 goal shellacking and the beginning of a devastating slide that saw the team miss out on the top four and then drop out of contention in the first week of the finals. Things haven't been much different since then. Whenever the Demons have hopped onto a flight to Adelaide it's been disastersville. We all remember the final home and away round last year when they took on the injury devastated and out-of-form Crows. I do because I thought that this time, Melbourne could not possibly lose and I turned up early for the feast. D'oh! But if the timing of Melbourne's trips to South Australia has been ordinary in the past then just think about the timing of this weekend's journey. Port Adelaide's form has been up and down and then up again this season. The Power had a good start to the season but by the time they played the Demons in Round 6 they were on a bit of decline. Fortunately for them however, the umpires in that game were a bit off in their timing vis a vis David Neitz and his opponent Darryl Wakelin. Every time Wakelin put his hands on Neita's back, the umpires apparently looked the other way but when the Dees' skipper returned the favour with the gentlest of zephyr of a glance in the Power defender's back, their timing was perfect and they were watching clsoely. Watching and blowing the whistle to overrule Aaron Davey's kick and what would have been the winning goal was annulled from the record books. That's what I call timing! After that, Port nosedived from first to tenth and, as if to demonstrate how bad they were at their lowest point, they lost to Carlton at the Telstra Dome. You can't get any worse than that! However, in the five weeks since the start of the split round, the Power has been on fire. By way of contrast, Melbourne is scraping rock bottom. Its performances in the past two weeks have been so poor and so lacking in spirit that supporters are turning off in their droves. Take away newcomer Michael Newton's hanger and the good form of youngsters Nathan Jones and Simon Buckley against the Kangaroos and there has been little to get excited about of late where the Demons are concerned. So it's not a good time to come up against a team that is developing momentum and rocketing towards a top four finish. No side has kicked more goals since that split round than Port Adelaide. Its goal average in that time has been a tad under 20 a game - an aggregate of 16 ahead of its next rival Fremantle and 24 better than Geelong. Over the past three months the Power's average points for has been 140 points compared to Melbourne's 89. If the Demons struggled when they come to Adelaide in good times then I'm afraid it can only spell doom and gloom when they come here in their current state. As I said before, the timing is diabolical. THE GAME Port Adelaide v Melbourne at AAMI Stadium Sunday 29 July 2007 at 4.40pm AEST HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 8 wins Melbourne 8 wins At AAMI Stadium Port Adelaide 7 wins Melbourne 2 wins Since 2000 Port Adelaide 6 wins Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Williams 0 wins Riley 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 – live at 4.30pm RADIO 774ABC SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.09 Port Adelaide to win $6.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 10.16.76 defeated Melbourne 9.17.71 Round 6 2007 at MCG The gritty Demons were always thereabouts and looked likely winners early in the final quarter but they were unable to deliver the decisive blow that would have given them the game. The Power managed to do that through a magnificent goal from Daniel Motlop who hasn't looked back since then while Melbourne's Aaron Davey was stiff to have his shot at goal disallowed, C'est la vie! TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE Backs Michael Pettigrew Toby Thurstans Jacob Surjan Half backs Michael Wilson Troy Chaplin Peter Burgoyne Centreline Kane Cornes Shaun Burgoyne Nathan Lonie Half forwards Danyle Pearce Warren Tredrea David Rodan Forwards Daniel Motlop Justin Westhoff Brett Ebert Followers Brendon Lade Chad Cornes Domenic Cassisi Interchange (from) Travis Boak Dean Brogan Alipate Carlile Robert Gray Nathan Krakouer Nick Lower Adam Thomson In Nathan Krakouer Nick Lower Adam Thomson MELBOURNE Backs Ben Holland Ryan Ferguson James Frawley Half backs Daniel Bell Brad Miller Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Paul Wheatley Half forwards Nathan Brown Russell Robertson Simon Godfrey Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Brent Moloney Michael Newton Daniel Ward Emergencies Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Mark Jamar In Daniel Bell Cameron Bruce Ryan Ferguson Ben Holland Out Clint Bizzell Nathan Carroll Chris Johnson Paul Johnson (all omitted) Umpires: Kennedy Sully Fila AND THEN THERE WERE TWO! I've been scratching my head all week trying to think of what I could say about this game to throw some light on how the Demons might be able to avert a full blown disaster in this game. One way would be not to turn up at all. Someone could place a call to Andrew Demetrious and just tell him that rather than be accused of tanking the game, the club would prefer to do something more productive with its time - like stay in Melbourne and watch the grass grown on their lawns. Let them hire a circus act to perform at AAMI Stadium and that would have greater entertainment value for the Port Adelaide punters and those expatriates like me than a repeat of Melbourne's displays against the Kangaroos and Brisbane. The idea makes good sense but I have a feeling that Andy isn't going to buy it so the Dees will indeed front at the Stadium with 22 players. Fortunately, they have a couple of good ones back from injury and have also made good on their promise to experiment and try something different. In fact, the team selection is indicative of how Sunday's adversaries have been faring this season. The omission from the Demon side of Nathan Carroll leaves the team with only two players to have taken part in all 17 games of the season - James McDonald and Jeff White. On Sunday, more than half of the Port Adelaide side will be in that category. It's little wonder therefore that they are currently entertaining crowds and playing exciting footy. When your team is stable and sticks together week by week, you can do these things. This week Melbourne gets Daniel Bell and Cameron Bruce back after a few weeks off with hamstring injuries. Hopefully, they will not be as rusty as David Neitz and Brad Green were in their comeback games last week. The team has also revamped its defence with the inclusion of Ryan Ferguson and Ben Holland. Mark Jamar comes in as second ruckman to Jeff White. The inclusions themselves are timely because we all know that the key to Port's success has been a winning midfield and a potent, multi-pronged attack. They have a lot of players kicking goals from Brett Ebert to Daniel Motlop, Warren Tredrea, David Rodan and Justin Westhoff while the Burgoynes' and Cornes' are also good for some goals here and there. Whichever way I look at this game therefore, I can't see this Melbourne team doing any better than the ones that went before it - Port Adelaide by (check out my timing here) ten ... goals.

by The Oracle It's a proven fact in football that when you're down, nothing goes right for you, not the bounce of the ball, the umpire's decisions, the rub of the green or any of the many imponerables that have an effect on the way the game's played. And so it was that a dispirited Melbourne line up, devastated by injuries, poor form, the loss of their coach and every other ill that can conceivably hit a team in one season produced yet another shocker for the dwindling bunch of diehards who continue to follow them in this winter of discontent. When the Demons last met the Kangaroos two months ago at the MCG things weren't going well for them either but at least they gave it a crack and, in the end, they came tantalisingly close to pulling off an upset victory. That was not to be the case this time and the Shinboners took a firm grip on the game early with the first four goals of the match against what have now become the slow coach Dees who simply can't get started until the second quarter these days. When they did get moving, the thrills were few and far between although newcomer Michael Newton provided one out of the box when he flew into the Telstra Dome stratosphere and came down with the keys to whatever vehicle is on offer this year for the AFL mark of the year. But just as the Demons were starting to make a challenge and got to within a goal of their prey, they relapsed into their standard lamentable form making bad errors and generally uinderperforming. The Kangaroos put their collective feet on the gas, moved into top gear and produced five unanswered goals to cement their place before half time as outright second team on the ladder behind only the rampant Cats. The rest of the game was fluff. Simply put, Melbourne lacked the teamwork, the spirit, the will, the ability and the general physical fitness to go it with a leading team. There were too many players in the side who could not give 100% either because they are injured or simply haven't the commitment to keep running all evening in the way the Kangaroos did to set up scoring opportunities at will. The rays of light for Melbourne came from its younger players. Newton never stopped trying. When he wasn't marking strongly, he was chasing hard and showed he was hungry for the football. Likewise, another youngster in Simon Buckley who worked hard on a wing when given the opportunity. Nathan Jones was the standout on baller and I'm staggered that he was off the ground for long periods in the second half. Brock McLean was closely tagged and will no doubt relish the return of players like Travis Johnstone and Cameron Bruce to assist he and Jones and James McDonald who also worked hard as ever in the midfield. Jeff White played well in the ruck, Paul Wheatley tried hard and that was about it. The problem from a spectator's point of view is that Melbourne is now in what I call "meander mode"; a state in which the team seems to wander aimlessly through its matches like zombies. There is a feeling that not enough people care about winning – a feeling that's helped by the viewpoint which is attracting more and more support that if losing can ensure a better draft position at the end of the year, then it's not all that bad. This is not quite the same as tanking but it's a twilight zone situation all the same. There's a feeling of unreality about any given game. As a result, fans can't get excited about anything (Juice's mark excepted) and many have stopped turning up. With the news that the club is not going to meet its financial targets this year, that's a double blow for the Demons. Next week they take on another team they were unlucky to lose to the first time around in Port Adelaide. On what happened yesterday at the Telstra Dome, it's not even going to be a contest this time, especially if the team decides to meander its way around the ground without any aim or purpose as it did yesterday evening. And the sooner the end of the season comes and we do away with the zombies in our midst, then the better it will be for the Melbourne Football Club. Melbourne 2.3.15 4.5.29 7.6.48 9.8.62 Kangaroos 4.2.26 9.3.57 14.9.93 19.12.126 Goals Melbourne Newton Robertson 2 Buckley Jones McLean Moloney Neitz Kangaroos Jones 4 Harvey McMahon Petrie 3 Hale Whyman 2 Brown Grant Best Melbourne Jones McDonald Newton White Wheatley Buckley Kangaroos Harvey Jones Firrito Rawlings Sinclair Simpson Hale Report Simon Godfrey (Melbourne) by field umpire Kamolins for allegedly making forceful contact with McMahon (Kangaroos) in the third quarter. Withdrawn by the Match Review Panel. Umpires Allen M Nicholls Kamolins. Crowd 20,187 at Telstra Dome

NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES by The Oracle It's a proven fact in football that when you're down, nothing goes right for you, not the bounce of the ball, the umpire's decisions, the rub of the green or any of the many imponerables that have an effect on the way the game's played. And so it was that a dispirited Melbourne line up, devastated by injuries, poor form, the loss of their coach and every other ill that can conceivably hit a team in one season produced yet another shocker for the dwindling bunch of diehards who continue to follow them in this winter of discontent. When the Demons last met the Kangaroos two months ago at the MCG things weren't going well for them either but at least they gave it a crack and, in the end, they came tantalisingly close to pulling off an upset victory. That was not to be the case this time and the Shinboners took a firm grip on the game early with the first four goals of the match against what have now become the slow coach Dees who simply can't get started until the second quarter these days. When they did get moving, the thrills were few and far between although newcomer Michael Newton provided one out of the box when he flew into the Telstra Dome stratosphere and came down with the keys to whatever vehicle is on offer this year for the AFL mark of the year. But just as the Demons were starting to make a challenge and got to within a goal of their prey, they relapsed into their standard lamentable form making bad errors and generally uinderperforming. The Kangaroos put their collective feet on the gas, moved into top gear and produced five unanswered goals to cement their place before half time as outright second team on the ladder behind only the rampant Cats. The rest of the game was fluff. Simply put, Melbourne lacked the teamwork, the spirit, the will, the ability and the general physical fitness to go it with a leading team. There were too many players in the side who could not give 100% either because they are injured or simply haven't the commitment to keep running all evening in the way the Kangaroos did to set up scoring opportunities at will. The rays of light for Melbourne came from its younger players. Newton never stopped trying. When he wasn't marking strongly, he was chasing hard and showed he was hungry for the football. Likewise, another youngster in Simon Buckley who worked hard on a wing when given the opportunity. Nathan Jones was the standout on baller and I'm staggered that he was off the ground for long periods in the second half. Brock McLean was closely tagged and will no doubt relish the return of players like Travis Johnstone and Cameron Bruce to assist he and Jones and James McDonald who also worked hard as ever in the midfield. Jeff White played well in the ruck, Paul Wheatley tried hard and that was about it. The problem from a spectator's point of view is that Melbourne is now in what I call "meander mode"; a state in which the team seems to wander aimlessly through its matches like zombies. There is a feeling that not enough people care about winning – a feeling that's helped by the viewpoint which is attracting more and more support that if losing can ensure a better draft position at the end of the year, then it's not all that bad. This is not quite the same as tanking but it's a twilight zone situation all the same. There's a feeling of unreality about any given game. As a result, fans can't get excited about anything (Juice's mark excepted) and many have stopped turning up. With the news that the club is not going to meet its financial targets this year, that's a double blow for the Demons. Next week they take on another team they were unlucky to lose to the first time around in Port Adelaide. On what happened yesterday at the Telstra Dome, it's not even going to be a contest this time, especially if the team decides to meander its way around the ground without any aim or purpose as it did yesterday evening. And the sooner the end of the season comes and we do away with the zombies in our midst, then the better it will be for the Melbourne Football Club. Melbourne 2.3.15 4.5.29 7.6.48 9.8.62 Kangaroos 4.2.26 9.3.57 14.9.93 19.12.126 Goals Melbourne Newton Robertson 2 Buckley Jones McLean Moloney Neitz Kangaroos Jones 4 Harvey McMahon Petrie 3 Hale Whyman 2 Brown Grant Best Melbourne Jones McDonald Newton White Wheatley Buckley Kangaroos Harvey Jones Firrito Rawlings Sinclair Simpson Hale Report Simon Godfrey (Melbourne) by field umpire Kamolins for allegedly making forceful contact with McMahon (Kangaroos) in the third quarter. Withdrawn by the Match Review Panel. Umpires Allen M Nicholls Kamolins. Crowd 20,187 at Telstra Dome

And viewers on this week's telecast will see the new face of TBO as Council reconstruction work continues with the demolition of the old wall. Typically of all municipal bodies, the work is taking place while the Zebras still have four home games in the next five weeks. At least we can be thankful for small mercies.

ZEBRAS WIN UGLY by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham held on to top spot and extended its winning streak to four matches on end by defeating fourth placed Williamstown in a tight tussle at Burbank Oval on Sunday. The Zebras have displayed some classical football in recording their three previous victories with massive scoring but now it was time to win "ugly" and they showed they are also adept at that style of game. Sandy controlled the match with strong bodied play and, in a low scoring contest, maintained the lead almost all of the way. Williamstown won the toss and kicked towards the grandstand end that was slightly favoured by a breeze that swept across the ground with varying intensity during the day. The recent rains had softened the surface and the centre areas were boggy and hence, conditions were not conducive to good football and scoring was difficult. Sandringham's renowned depth has been tested of late by the horror injury run of its AFL affiliate and with the withdrawal of defender Matthew Warnock only eight Demons played in this week's side. Warnock's absence was offset by the return from injury of Byron Pickett and solid Sandy defender Andy Biddlecombe. With Mark Jamar on top in the ruck, the visitors dominated the early stoppages. Summers and Valenti worked hard in the middle of the ground and Poyas and Crowe capped off their work by driving the ball forward with regularity. However, it was obvious early that this would be a difficult day for key forwards and it took a lovely kick from Summers to open the goal scoring. The strength of Sandringham kept it on top in a dour struggle and further goals to Holland and a second to Summers set up a thoroughly deserved 13 point quarter time lead. The second quarter opened with Sandy doing all the attacking but Sautner uncharacteristically missed two shots and the Seagulls steadied against the tide with the first goal of the term. Chris Lamb was rock solid in defence, Byron Pickett was picking up possessions and Ben Holland and Ryan Ferguson were combining well while Ezra Poyas in everything. When Gallagher goaled, the Zebras were well in control but the home side turned things around in the second half of the term and fought tenaciously to narrow the half time gap down to 7 points. The third term was a repeat of the second with Sautner missing a shot early and then goals to Holland and Dunn who roved a pack beautifully setting up a match high 19 point lead halfway through the quarter. The Seagulls were not to be denied however, and they worked hard for little reward to bridge the gap down to 11 points at the final break. Sautner finally scored his goal for the day from what appeared to be a lucky free but the Seagulls were not to be denied and they fought tooth and nail in the difficult conditions only to fall short by a goal. Jamar took a couple of great saving marks late in the game to consign Williamstown to its fourth successive defeat. Shane Valenti finished the game off strongly and would have impressed any AFL scouts in attendance with his hard work and his crisp disposal and decision making while Chris Lamb was the pick of the defenders for the second week in a row. Full credit must go to the Zebra defence which continually forced the opposition to make errors and turn over the ball. The young brigade led by Tomi Johnston, Tom Paterakis and Sam Monaghan were impressive again as was Demon rookie Jace Bode whose form has blossomed in defence in the past month. The Zebras have achieved the aim of establishing themselves in the top four and now must consolidate and maintain their winning form in the run up to the finals. They face a challenge this week in the form of the Bendigo Bombers who are a top four aspirant in the ABC televised game at the Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval and whether they win nice or ugly will be of little consideration. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jace Bode - ran the ball well out of the backline and defended strongly. Was among his team's best players for the second week in a row. Lynden Dunn - used as a mobile tall around midfield and occasionally drifted forward where he kicked an important goal roving the ball off a pack. Ryan Ferguson - played mostly in defence but also went forward to set up scoring opportunities. A chance for a recall. Colin Garland - prominent in defence where he showed a bit of class. Needs time at this level however and will benefit from the grounding he gets with the Zebras. Ben Holland - had a reasonable game and kicked a couple of goals up forward where he stretched the Seagull defence. Mark Jamar - the dominant ruckman on the ground. Easily beat former Zebra Chris Bryan who has been getting some games recently with Collingwood both in the ruck and around the ground. Shane Neaves - again had a light workload and played in the Russian's shadow for much of the game. Byron Pickett - came back strongly from a shoulder injury and picked up plenty of possessions especially in the first half. Could challenge for an AFL recall with some strong training this week. Sandringham 3.4.22 4.7.31 6.8.44 7.11.53 Williamstown 1.3.9 3.6.24 4.9.33 6.11.47 Goals Sandringham Holland Summers 2 Dunn Gallagher Sautner Williamstown Beaumont Lockwood Picken Rose Williams Dick Best Sandringham Valenti Summers Jamar Lamb Bode Paterakis Williamstown Iles Nicholls Meyer Cook Bryan Medhurst The reserves blitzed Frankston to lead by nine goals at the first break and retained that lead to half time before coasting to a 21 point victory. Marc Johnston and Tom Dean continue to challenge for senior berths in what was a pleasing all round performance given the absence of so many of the early season stars who have been promoted to the seniors as well as some key injuries that have challenged the side’s depth. They will however, have to keep winning if they are to feature in finals action. Sandringham 9.2 54 10.4 .64 14.5.89 15.6.96 Frankston 0.1.1 1.6.12 6.6.42 11.9.75 Goals Sandringham M Johnston 3 Lyall Weetra 2 Collyer Curcio Hayes McKenzie S Martin Paule Roberts Turcarelli Frankston Foggi 3 Booth Rafferty 2 Beaton Murray Ongarello Shinners Best Sandringham M Johnston Tregear Paule Dean Roberts McKenzie Frankston Foggi Ongarello Barker Ulms Degenhardt Stanley MACROCOMP'S SLIDESHOW- PHOTOS FROM THE GAME

by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham held on to top spot and extended its winning streak to four matches on end by defeating fourth placed Williamstown in a tight tussle at Burbank Oval on Sunday. The Zebras have displayed some classical football in recording their three previous victories with massive scoring but now it was time to win "ugly" and they showed they are also adept at that style of game. Sandy controlled the match with strong bodied play and, in a low scoring contest, maintained the lead almost all of the way. Williamstown won the toss and kicked towards the grandstand end that was slightly favoured by a breeze that swept across the ground with varying intensity during the day. The recent rains had softened the surface and the centre areas were boggy and hence, conditions were not conducive to good football and scoring was difficult. Sandringham's renowned depth has been tested of late by the horror injury run of its AFL affiliate and with the withdrawal of defender Matthew Warnock only eight Demons played in this week's side. Warnock's absence was offset by the return from injury of Byron Pickett and solid Sandy defender Andy Biddlecombe. With Mark Jamar on top in the ruck, the visitors dominated the early stoppages. Summers and Valenti worked hard in the middle of the ground and Poyas and Crowe capped off their work by driving the ball forward with regularity. However, it was obvious early that this would be a difficult day for key forwards and it took a lovely kick from Summers to open the goal scoring. The strength of Sandringham kept it on top in a dour struggle and further goals to Holland and a second to Summers set up a thoroughly deserved 13 point quarter time lead. The second quarter opened with Sandy doing all the attacking but Sautner uncharacteristically missed two shots and the Seagulls steadied against the tide with the first goal of the term. Chris Lamb was rock solid in defence, Byron Pickett was picking up possessions and Ben Holland and Ryan Ferguson were combining well while Ezra Poyas in everything. When Gallagher goaled, the Zebras were well in control but the home side turned things around in the second half of the term and fought tenaciously to narrow the half time gap down to 7 points. The third term was a repeat of the second with Sautner missing a shot early and then goals to Holland and Dunn who roved a pack beautifully setting up a match high 19 point lead halfway through the quarter. The Seagulls were not to be denied however, and they worked hard for little reward to bridge the gap down to 11 points at the final break. Sautner finally scored his goal for the day from what appeared to be a lucky free but the Seagulls were not to be denied and they fought tooth and nail in the difficult conditions only to fall short by a goal. Jamar took a couple of great saving marks late in the game to consign Williamstown to its fourth successive defeat. Shane Valenti finished the game off strongly and would have impressed any AFL scouts in attendance with his hard work and his crisp disposal and decision making while Chris Lamb was the pick of the defenders for the second week in a row. Full credit must go to the Zebra defence which continually forced the opposition to make errors and turn over the ball. The young brigade led by Tomi Johnston, Tom Paterakis and Sam Monaghan were impressive again as was Demon rookie Jace Bode whose form has blossomed in defence in the past month. The Zebras have achieved the aim of establishing themselves in the top four and now must consolidate and maintain their winning form in the run up to the finals. They face a challenge this week in the form of the Bendigo Bombers who are a top four aspirant in the ABC televised game at the Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval and whether they win nice or ugly will be of little consideration. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jace Bode - ran the ball well out of the backline and defended strongly. Was among his team's best players for the second week in a row. Lynden Dunn - used as a mobile tall around midfield and occasionally drifted forward where he kicked an important goal roving the ball off a pack. Ryan Ferguson - played mostly in defence but also went forward to set up scoring opportunities. A chance for a recall. Colin Garland - prominent in defence where he showed a bit of class. Needs time at this level however and will benefit from the grounding he gets with the Zebras. Ben Holland - had a reasonable game and kicked a couple of goals up forward where he stretched the Seagull defence. Mark Jamar - the dominant ruckman on the ground. Easily beat former Zebra Chris Bryan who has been getting some games recently with Collingwood both in the ruck and around the ground. Shane Neaves - again had a light workload and played in the Russian's shadow for much of the game. Byron Pickett - came back strongly from a shoulder injury and picked up plenty of possessions especially in the first half. Could challenge for an AFL recall with some strong training this week. Sandringham 3.4.22 4.7.31 6.8.44 7.11.53 Williamstown 1.3.9 3.6.24 4.9.33 6.11.47 Goals Sandringham Holland Summers 2 Dunn Gallagher Sautner Williamstown Beaumont Lockwood Picken Rose Williams Dick Best Sandringham Valenti Summers Jamar Lamb Bode Paterakis Williamstown Iles Nicholls Meyer Cook Bryan Medhurst The reserves blitzed Frankston to lead by nine goals at the first break and retained that lead to half time before coasting to a 21 point victory. Marc Johnston and Tom Dean continue to challenge for senior berths in what was a pleasing all round performance given the absence of so many of the early season stars who have been promoted to the seniors as well as some key injuries that have challenged the side’s depth. They will however, have to keep winning if they are to feature in finals action. Sandringham 9.2 54 10.4 .64 14.5.89 15.6.96 Frankston 0.1.1 1.6.12 6.6.42 11.9.75 Goals Sandringham M Johnston 3 Lyall Weetra 2 Collyer Curcio Hayes McKenzie S Martin Paule Roberts Turcarelli Frankston Foggi 3 Booth Rafferty 2 Beaton Murray Ongarello Shinners Best Sandringham M Johnston Tregear Paule Dean Roberts McKenzie Frankston Foggi Ongarello Barker Ulms Degenhardt Stanley MACROCOMP'S SLIDESHOW- PHOTOS FROM THE GAME

They were at least consistent in throwing out an incident involving Godders but this time he was the one who was originally charged:- "The report laid against Melbourne's Simon Godfrey was assessed and cleared by the AFL match review panel. Godfrey was reported for front-on contact to Kangaroos' AFL NAB Rising Star nominee Scott McMahon during Sunday's game. The panel declared that Godfrey had made forceful contact with McMahon, but it was not reportable because it was caused by circumstances outside the control of the player."

And Nathan Jones holds his lead ... 92. Nathan Jones 85. James McDonald 68. Colin Sylvia 67. Jeff White 65. Cameron Bruce 63. Aaron Davey 54. Daniel Bell 51. Matthew Bate 44. Brad Green 41. Travis Johnstone 37. Simon Godfrey 35. Brent Moloney 32. Russell Robertson Paul Wheatley 30. Ben Holland 28. Clint Bizzell 27. Brock McLean 25. Nathan Brown David Neitz 24. Adem Yze 20. Brad Miller Ricky Petterd 18. Jared Rivers 9. Nathan Carroll 8. Michael Newton 4. Daniel Ward 2. Paul Johnson 1. Simon Buckley Lynden Dunn

Clyde has edged ahead by 1 selection over WJ ... 1. (1) 82 Clyde_Cabbie 2. (1) 81 Whispering_Jack 3. (4) 78 deanox 4. (4) 77 deesthisyear 4. (3) 77 demon_davey 4. (10) 77 DeMoNiC 4. (4) 77 slamevil 8. (4) 76 canberrademon(herb) 8. (4) 76 Demonland 8. (4) 76 great_gatsby 11. (12) 75 BigKev Demon 11. (12) 75 Pinball_Wizard 11. (15) 75 Scoop Junior 14. (17) 74 Alpha_33 14. (15) 74 Go_Ds 14. (12) 74 snarler_0 17. (10) 72 bl3281 17. (19) 72 petejh2000 17. (17) 72 Rivers Run Red 20. (19) 71 achirnside 20. (21) 71 frangas 22. (22) 67 Jackieboy_0 23. (26) 64 TimDees 24. (22) 63 paliosiana 25. (24) 62 dee'viator 26. (25) 60 KrazyJay 27. (28) 59 No Cigar 28. (29) 58 rusty_corner 29. (27) 57 Goodvibes 30. (30) 49 Kieranbj 31. (31) 48 demon_fanatic 32. (33) 47 CarnTheDees 32. (32) 47 Dees_Fan16 34. (34) 45 Fingers Power 35. (35) 44 Dappadan 36. (36) 38 melon22 37. (37) 37 jaded24 38. (38) 29 rusty_kingswood

by Whispering Jack On Wednesday night when Fremantle's Jeff Farmer was involved in another late night incident involving alcohol and damage to property at Perth's Burswood Casino, the thirty year old former Demon player came close to pressing the eject button on his AFL career. Indeed, a decision on his future will be made in the next few days by interim Docker coach Mark Harvey. The knives however, are already firmly in the Wizard's back. As soon as the news of the incident came out I received word that, this time Jeff Farmer was gone: the Dockers were preparing for an early termination of his career (in any event his current contract expires at the end of the season). The media of course, has been having a field day with Jeff. In today's Sunday Age article IT'S TIME AN ERRANT FARMER WAS SHELVED Caroline Wilson advocates that Harvey must urge his club's board to, "at the very least, shelve Farmer until the end of the season, and probably forever." Caro is not alone among the media and it has been a common theme on talkback radio and internet footy message boards. The basis of the cry for his removal from the game is the talented but ageing footballer's unenviable record with his on field and off field behaviour in the past twelve months. First, there was a night club fight in December 2006 in which he was alleged to have been involved and which left Subiaco Football Club player, Greg Broughton with a broken eye socket (no charges were laid). Then, during the NAB Cup pre season competition, he incurred a six match suspension for eye gouging - his 10th suspension and his 14th Tribunal appearance. His club doubled the penalty in April 2007 after he was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly punching a security guard at a Perth nightclub in Perth. The Dockers also fined him $5,000.00 while a court later fined him a further $3,000.00 after he pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing bodily harm. He had previously pleaded guilty and was fined $2000 for assaulting his long-time girlfriend in November 2004. The calls to sack Farmer have been heard long and loud all the way across the Nullarbor and I find it curious that they seem to me to have created a far greater cacophony for his removal from the game than occurred in the cases of Cousins, Kerr, Gardiner, Didak et al. With Cousins the line was clearly one of the industry's responsibility to heal this poor soul of his drug addiction but with the Wizard, there seems to be a reluctance to look into the background of his problems with alcohol, his anger and his own inability to deal with his personal problems. The wise heads of football want Farmer punished and possibly put an end to his career without a thought about rehabilitation or the direction the man’s life might take as a result of such punishment. Why the difference in the attitude they adopt towards Farmer (punishment) compared with Cousins (rehabilitation followed by adulation for his performance on return)? Would it be out of order for me to suggest that the Wizard's life experience has been far different to that of Cousins in terms of his family background, the racism his people experience and the condition of the indigenous people in this country? In saying this I'm not excusing what he has done or suggesting that racism is definitely an issue behind his behaviour. What I am saying is that if the football world owes Ben Cousins a right to rehabilitation and a second, third and fourth chance then it owes at least the same to Jeff Farmer. He needs our help.

IN DEFENCE OF JEFF FARMER by Whispering Jack On Wednesday night when Fremantle's Jeff Farmer was involved in another late night incident involving alcohol and damage to property at Perth's Burswood Casino, the thirty year old former Demon player came close to pressing the eject button on his AFL career. Indeed, a decision on his future will be made in the next few days by interim Docker coach Mark Harvey. The knives however, are already firmly in the Wizard's back. As soon as the news of the incident came out I received word that, this time Jeff Farmer was gone: the Dockers were preparing for an early termination of his career (in any event his current contract expires at the end of the season). The media of course, has been having a field day with Jeff. In today's Sunday Age article IT'S TIME AN ERRANT FARMER WAS SHELVED Caroline Wilson advocates that Harvey must urge his club's board to, "at the very least, shelve Farmer until the end of the season, and probably forever." Caro is not alone among the media and it has been a common theme on talkback radio and internet footy message boards. The basis of the cry for his removal from the game is the talented but ageing footballer's unenviable record with his on field and off field behaviour in the past twelve months. First, there was a night club fight in December 2006 in which he was alleged to have been involved and which left Subiaco Football Club player, Greg Broughton with a broken eye socket (no charges were laid). Then, during the NAB Cup pre season competition, he incurred a six match suspension for eye gouging - his 10th suspension and his 14th Tribunal appearance. His club doubled the penalty in April 2007 after he was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly punching a security guard at a Perth nightclub in Perth. The Dockers also fined him $5,000.00 while a court later fined him a further $3,000.00 after he pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing bodily harm. He had previously pleaded guilty and was fined $2000 for assaulting his long-time girlfriend in November 2004. The calls to sack Farmer have been heard long and loud all the way across the Nullarbor and I find it curious that they seem to me to have created a far greater cacophony for his removal from the game than occurred in the cases of Cousins, Kerr, Gardiner, Didak et al. With Cousins the line was clearly one of the industry's responsibility to heal this poor soul of his drug addiction but with the Wizard, there seems to be a reluctance to look into the background of his problems with alcohol, his anger and his own inability to deal with his personal problems. The wise heads of football want Farmer punished and possibly put an end to his career without a thought about rehabilitation or the direction the man’s life might take as a result of such punishment. Why the difference in the attitude they adopt towards Farmer (punishment) compared with Cousins (rehabilitation followed by adulation for his performance on return)? Would it be out of order for me to suggest that the Wizard's life experience has been far different to that of Cousins in terms of his family background, the racism his people experience and the condition of the indigenous people of this country? In saying this I'm not excusing what he has done or suggesting that racism is definitely an issue behind his behaviour. What I am saying is that if the football world owes Ben Cousins a right to rehabilitation and a second, third and fourth chance then it owes at least the same to Jeff Farmer. He needs our help.

Our sponsor, the FUBAR Cafe & Juice Bar at 16 Belford Street, St. Kilda (off Acland Street) has extended its special offer to include all MFC supporters who come for a pre game meal any time tomorrow before the Kangaroos game. Just arrive in your Melbourne scarf and you'll get a free Juice Newton with any meal you order plus a 10% discount off your bill at the end of the meal. This offer continues to apply as standard for all MFC members who produce their membership ticket. FUBAR is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch (8am to 5pm) and is licensed. You can also book FUBAR for evening functions (birthdays, 21sts, bucks and hens nights, small engagements and weddings)- call 9525-4838 Support our Sponsor

Our sponsor, the FUBAR Cafe & Juice Bar at 16 Belford Street, St. Kilda (off Acland Street) has extended its special offer to include all MFC supporters who come for a pre game meal any time tomorrow before the Kangaroos game. Just arrive in your Melbourne scarf and you'll get a free Juice Newton with any meal you order plus a 10% discount off your bill at the end of the meal. This offer continues to apply as standard for all MFC members who produce their membership ticket. FUBAR is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch (8am to 5pm) and is licensed. You can also book FUBAR for evening functions (birthdays, 21sts, bucks and hens nights, small engagements and weddings)- call 9525-4838 Support our Sponsor

Our sponsor, the FUBAR Cafe & Juice Bar at 16 Belford Street, St. Kilda (off Acland Street) has extended its special offer to include all MFC supporters who come for a pre game meal any time tomorrow. Just arrive in your Melbourne scarf and you'll get a free Juice Newton with any meal you order plus a 10% discount off your bill at the end of the meal. This offer continues to apply as standard for all MFC members who produce their membership ticket. FUBAR is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch (8am to 5pm) and is licensed. You can also book FUBAR for evening functions (birthdays, 21sts, bucks and hens nights, small engagements and weddings)- call 9525-4838 Support our Sponsor

THE VIBE - PART 1 by J.V.McKay The last time Melbourne faced off against the Kangaroos was a mere eight weeks ago in Round 9 at the MCG. The Demons were winless and struggling in the wake of a debilitating injury crisis while the Roos were riding on the crest of a wave. They dominated the first three quarters but had to withstand a Melbourne final quarter onslaught to win their sixth game on end after losing the first three. The Kangaroos' credibility problem with the public remained intact because nobody believed in them and after all, this was a victory over one of the competition's underachievers and it was by the narrowest of margins. As a loyal supporter of the Melbourne Football Club I saw this performance as one that possibly marked the end of one of the most difficult periods the club has had to endure in recent times. I couldn't quite place my finger on why I felt that the worst of it was all over and I guess I must have felt a bit like Dennis Denuto, the character played by Tiriel Mora in The Castle. I didn't need an explanation for the way I felt - it was all about the "vibe". For a little while my "vibe" theory worked and things did actually look up for the Demons. They went on to win their next two matches against finals aspirants in Adelaide and Collingwood and suddenly, people were talking about the mathematical possibility of making the finals. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos lost their next game by 11 goals at the claws of the Eagles at Subiaco. The tide seemed to be turning for both Melbourne and the Kangaroos. Unfortunately, I was wrong about the vibe. You can't succeed in an elite sporting competition on a vibe alone and in a short space of time, the tide turned back on itself. Moving forward another month and we find ourselves in Round 16 and the teams are due to meet again, albeit at a different venue. And, my how things have changed again! The Kangaroos are again virtually unbackable favourites to win and more importantly, they have gained credibility in the eyes of the public through their performances on the field. The opposite applies to the Demons. Neale Daniher no longer coaches them and their injury list is as long and as deep as the Grand Canyon. By contrast, the Roos are contemplating the finals series and, while coach Dean Laidley is still not a certainty to retain his job, his career as an AFL coach is almost assured. If the Kangaroos don't keep him, someone else will snaffle him up. Looking further back to Round 20 of last year, it's almost inconceivable that Melbourne conceded a twenty point half time lead to the Kangaroos and still managed to pile on the goals in the second half of the game to win by 50 points. At that point, Laidley was no certainty to see out another season at the helm for the Shinboners. This gives rise to the question "why"? Why have the fortunes of both sides seen such a reversal in the space of less than twelve months? From Melbourne's point of view, and I'm not making excuses here, it's been a constant case of injury, injury and more injury. OK. I am making excuses but I'm justified in this case. When these teams last met it appeared that the Demons' injury crisis was abating but, in fact, it was just about to get worse. It's no longer a crisis but a plague. The best way to tell the story of this plague in all of its gory detail is through the work of my colleague Sam the Stats Man and in his updated statistical look at the club. Consider that when the Melbourne team steps out onto the Telstra Dome turf on Sunday evening only Nathan Carroll, James McDonald and Jeff White will be able to say that they've been in the side for every game played at this stage of the season which is an AFL low for 2007. On the other hand, Melbourne has used 38 different players in the past 15 rounds – an AFL high for the season. Its a story that doesn't really resonate with any good vibes. THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB LIST TO DATE - SEASON 2007 by Sam the Stats Man BARTRAM, Clint MFC 1 game 0 goals - had a limited pre-season after suffering an ankle injury in Round 22, 2006 against Adelaide, Bartram was recalled for the opening game of the season and was used sparingly. He injured a knee at training before Round 2 and then complications set in delaying his recovery. Out for the remainder of the season. BATE, Matthew MFC 14 games 15 goals - has started to show some real confidence and a belief in his capacity to play well at the highest level and has played some good games at centre half forward. An exciting prospect. BELL, Daniel MFC 13 games 1 goal – has started to fulfil his early promise with some excellent games in defence where he combines strength, pace and endurance to advantage despite having to work under extreme pressure on a weekly basis. Injured a hamstring early in the Essendon game and has been out of action since then. BIZZELL, Clint MFC 8 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 1 goal - after missing all of last year with injury the veteran defender has returned to form in the twilight of his career. BODE, Jace ® SFC Seniors 8 games 1 goal SFC Reserves - 4 games 1 goal – has finally established himself with the Sandy seniors mainly as a defender or in a run with role. BROWN, Nathan MFC 12 games 2 goals - the hard running defender has not had it all his way this year and has been dropped from the side a couple of times. Still picks up plenty of the ball but remains wasteful at times. BRUCE, Cameron MFC 13 games 6 goals - probably close to leading the club's best and fairest but has still not been a world beater this season. This versatile player has a great work rate but his kicking has been awful of late. Missed the past two games with a hamstring in jury. BUCKLEY, Simon MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 1 goal – has a long learning curve working his way up through the ranks at Sandringham and was finally given his chance against Carlton a fortnight ago. Has shown some promise. CARROLL, Nathan MFC 15 games 0 goals - feeling the pressure in a weak defence but has done some good things and led the defence by example and with plenty of courage. He did reasonably well in suppressing a rampant Jonathan Brown last week after the Lions’ champion had done an early number on Brad Miller. DAVEY, Aaron MFC 15 games 19 goals - had a poor start to the season but gradually worked his way back into form. Has recently shown frustration at close checking opponents and finally snapped against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba and his retaliatory strike has cost him the next two matches through suspension. DUNN, Lynden MFC 8 games 6 goals SFC Seniors - 5 game 9 goals - a serious facial injury kept him out of the first couple of rounds and was hot and cold on return to the Melbourne side. Still in the development phase Dunn is a player in the future. FERGUSON, Ryan MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 6 games 7 goals SFC Reserves 2 games 8 goals - the injury prone defender can't take a trick. When he finally gained a place in the Demons’ side against West Coast he broke a thumb and missed a month. Came back through the Zebra reserves and has been playing well recently in the seniors. FRAWLEY, James MFC 1 game 0 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals - was on course for a Round 1 debut until stress fractures in the foot put him out for almost two months. Came back through the Sandy reserves. was hospitalised after being concussed early and then impressed in the seniors at Sandringham. Has shown some promising signs and looks capable of filling a key defender’s role when he fills out physically. GARLAND, Colin MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 5 goals – has struggled in his two games at AFL level and needs more time learning his craft at Sandringham where he has been good at both ends of the ground. GODFREY, Simon MFC 14 games 7 goals - disposal and decision-making have improved marginally and he has been terrific as the hardworking tagger. His 100 games of AFL football are a tribute to his work ethic and one that others with more talent could well take note of his determination to play the game at the highest level. GREEN, Brad MFC 11 games 8 goals – has had an average season in the midfield (save his game against the Crows) but he always seems to look good on the rare occasions when he is moved into the forward line. Missed the past few weeks with a hamstring and it will be interesting to see where Mark Riley plays him on return this week. HAYES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals SFC Reserves 5 games 3 goals – after missing much of the pre season due to personal family reasons the club had no option but to suspend him until he could attend training again. After showing promise in his five games for the Zebra reserves, he was a last minute inclusion in their seniors last weekend. Still has a way to go and should remain on the rookie list next year when there is every chance that he might fulfill his promise. HOLLAND, Ben MFC 6 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 5 games 7 goals – apart from a great game when he nullified Collingwood’s Anthony Rocca, Dutchy has struggled at AFL level where he doesn't have the agility or accurate disposal to hurt the opposition in any way. Has showed some good form in recent weeks with the Zebras. HUGHES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors 4 games 5 goals SFC Reserves 2 games 4 goals – his career has gone into limbo after showing some promise at Sandringham this year. Has missed several weeks with a groin problem. JAMAR, Mark MFC 5 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 4 games 3 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals – showed average form as the second ruckman for the Demons before he was dropped to Sandringham where he suffered a hamstring injury. Improving every week at Sandringham and is close to a recall. JOHNSON, Chris MFC 5 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 8 games 3 goals – had a stellar pre season but failed to impress in his early games and was dropped to the VFL. Returned to form with the Zebras and recently returned to the Melbourne team where he did well in his last game at the Gabba. JOHNSON, Paul MFC 13 games 2 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 1 goal - grabbed the opportunity in the absence of Mark Jamar and has tightened his grip on the second ruck position in recent weeks. JOHNSTONE, Travis MFC 11 games 6 goals - was strongly tagged early, worked his way back into form but has been dogged by Achilles heel problems and missed a few games recently. JONES, Nathan MFC 14 games 7 goals - missed just one game with injury and is a definite rising star among the Demon young guns. McDONALD, James MFC 15 games 3 goals – struggled early to uphold the high standard he set in 2006 but nevertheless has been a valuable player and one of the few who has taken part in all games. McLEAN, Brock MFC 8 games 2 goals - another early season casualty, McLean fractured a foot in the opening round. His return game yielded 22 disposals but he had a flat patch for a few weeks before returning to form in a losing side against the Brisbane Lions. MILLER, Brad MFC 11 games 7 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 8 goals – another player who struggled early at both ends of the ground. A wrist injury saw him out of the team and he had to work hard for a few weeks at Sandringham before getting his call up as a defender against Carlton. Struggled to hold Jonathan Brown last week but will be persisted with in defence. MOLONEY, Brent MFC 6 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals - was close to Melbourne's best early in the season before a recurrence of groin problems took its toll. Slowly coming back through the VFL and returns for this week's game.. NEAVES, Shane ® SFC Seniors 12 games 2 goals - continues to impress as a developing ruckman at Sandringham and must be a chance for promotion off the rookie list at the end of the year. NEITZ, David MFC 9 games 18 goals - averaging two goals a game but has missed a games with a knee injury and then a combination of knee, hamstring and broken finger has kept him out more recently. Back this week so he should reach 300 games by year's end. NEVILLE, Heath SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves 9 games 2 goals – has finally had some chances after languishing in the VFL reserves but hasn’t had much game time with the seniors in his two games there. NEWTON, Michael MFC 3 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 29 goals – finally got an opportunity after 10 games and 29 goals with the Zebras this season. A player of the future who deserves every opportunity to succeed. PETTERD, Ricky MFC 9 games 6 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 1 goal - a breath of fresh air, this young recruit showed enormous poise and ability in his nine games before suffering a life threatening collapsed lung during early in the Round 14 game against Carlton. Will not play again until next year. PICKETT, Byron MFC 4 games 1 goals SFC Seniors 7 games 7 goals SFC Reserves 9 games 2 goals - came into the season unfit, overweight and with family problems. Was suspended and confined to Sandringham for several weeks and failed to impress on his return against the Tigers. Missed his VFL game last week with a shoulder injury. RIVERS, Jared MFC 3 games 0 goals - a succession of injuries kept the club's most talented defender out of the team for all bar three games. He’s out for the season as a result of a persistent groin problem. ROBERTSON, Russell MFC 9 games 26 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 4 goals – despite missing several weeks after hurting a knee late in the Round 2 game against Hawthorn, he is the club’s leading goal kicker and played a significant role in the team’s handful of victories this year. SYLVIA, Colin MFC 11 games 10 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 3 goals –is starting to show the form that made him a high draft pick in 2003 as he shrugs off the effects of groin problems that plagued his early years at the club. WARD, Daniel MFC 13 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals - seized his opportunities with vacancies caused in defence due to injuries and loss of form and while his delivery and decision making is sometimes a problem, he has been a valuable contributor at the club this year. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC 2 games 1 goal SFC Seniors 10 games 0 goals - has had few opportunities at AFL level but has performed consistently in the tight Sandringham defence. WEETRA, Isaac SFC Reserves 6 games 1 goal - injured hamstring during the preseason and was due to return when it went again. Then, when he recovered from that, he broke his wrist first up in the Zebra twos. He is back there now but hasn’t set the world on fire just yet. WHEATLEY, Paul MFC 9 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals – after an injury riddled 2006, he again had problems, this time with a shoulder but has cemented his place in the past month or two with some solid performances. WHELAN, Matthew MFC 5 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 0 goals – in the wars from the very start when he clashed heads with Luke Ball in Round 1. Later, it was a foot injury and he misses the rest of the season with an ankle problem. His absence in defence is really hurting the team. WHITE, Jeff MFC 15 games 6 goals – still the club’s number 1 ruckman and capable of some good football but is finding things tougher against the bigger opponents. One of the few Demons to play every game this season. YZE, Adem MFC 8 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 2 goals - his remarkable run of 226 consecutive matches dating back a decade ended when dropped to the VFL in Round 2. Was slowly returning to form when injury struck again. A hernia operation will keep him out of football until 2008. THE GAME Kangaroos v. Melbourne at Telstra Dome – Sunday 22 July 2007 at 5:10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Kangaroos 60 wins Melbourne 83 wins 1 draw At the Dome: Kangaroos 1 win Melbourne 0 wins Since 2000: Kangaroos 4 wins Melbourne 7 wins The Coaches: Laidley 0 wins Riley 0 wins MEDIA Fox Sports1 (live from 5:00pm) RADIO ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Kangaroos to win $1.28 Melbourne to win $3.45 LAST TIME THEY MET Kangaroos 10.19.79 d Melbourne 11.12.78, Round 9, 2007, at MCG Melbourne suffered its ninth consecutive loss for the season and its third defeat by a goal or less in four weeks. After struggling to kick four goals in the first three quarters the Demons came alive with a rush booting seven goals in the final term and nudging ahead with a couple of minutes to go before the final siren. Their failure to ice the game allowed the Kangaroos in for a goal to Andrew Swallow but the team's improved form signalled that its losing streak was near its end. THE TEAMS KANGAROOS Backs Shannon Watt Michael Firrito Daniel Pratt Half Backs Glenn Archer Jesse Smith Scott McMahon Centreline Adam Simpson Brady Rawlings Kasey Green Half Forwards Brent Harvey David Hale Shannon Grant Forwards Corey Jones Drew Petrie Djaran Whyman Followers Hamish McIntosh Daniel Harris Andrew Swallow Interchange Leigh Brown Ed Lower Eddie Sansbury Jess Sinclair Emergencies Leigh Adams Leigh Aaron Edwards Lindsay Thomas In Eddie Sansbury Djaran Whyman Out : Daniel Wells (knee) Lindsay Thomas (omitted) New: Djaran Whyman (North Ballarat) MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll James Frawley Half Backs Paul Wheatley Brad Miller Nathan Brown Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Clint Bizzell Half Forwards Simon Godfrey Russell Robertson Matthew Bate Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Paul Johnson Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Chris Johnson Brent Moloney Michael Newton Emergencies Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Ben Holland In Brad Green Brent Moloney David Neitz Out Aaron Davey (suspended) Lynden Dunn Colin Garland (both omitted) Field umpires THE VIBE - PART 2 by J.V.McKay Sunday's combatants each played their last games in different corners of the continent. Both travelled out of their states but only one covered themselves in glory. The Kangaroos had a stirring victory by a mere four points displaying guts, determination and a never say die attitude from the start to defeat Fremantle at Subiaco. Melbourne, on the other hand, suffered a sudden death. It conceded the first eleven scoring shots and, in doing so, gave the Brisbane Lions a 41-point start by the time on period of the first quarter. The poor starts are not an aberration with Melbourne this year. They are happening with too much regularity and are a major contributor to the "vibe" that I get from the Demons these days. The "vibe" is telling me this year is a debacle and it can't be easily turned around. It's likely that we'll have to wait unti next year. The Kangaroos have a solid core of players they can rely upon to produce good form consistently every week - players like Glenn Archer, Brent Harvey, Shannon Grant and skipper Scott Simpson who never let you down. The Demons can't even produce a Homer Simpson. There are so many leading players down on form or simply out of the team with suspension that it's almost impossible to even contemplate any consistent form from the players. This happens from game to game and within games from quarter to quarter. You just never know what to expect from Melbourne except that you won't get consistently good form. This week sees the return of some important members of the leadership group. There's no doubt that the Demons will benefit from the inclusion of the skipper and of Brad Green. Brent Moloney and Ben Holland have been playing well in the VFL and it would not surprise if all four were final inclusions for Sunday evening. The vibes however, are still telling me that this won't be enough. The Kangaroos are riding high. They know that a strong win this week will bring a top four finish closer than ever. In many ways, they are in much the same position as Melbourne was 12 months ago: third on the ladder after losing the first three in a row. History also tells us that the Demons lost their next match against a lowly team at the Telstra Dome and thus began a slide that continues to this very day. This won't happen where the Kangaroos are concerned because the "vibe" tells me they are now a genuine premiership contender. Kangaroos by 17 points

THE VIBE - PART 1 by J.V.McKay The last time Melbourne faced off against the Kangaroos was a mere eight weeks ago in Round 9 at the MCG. The Demons were winless and struggling in the wake of a debilitating injury crisis while the Roos were riding on the crest of a wave. They dominated the first three quarters but had to withstand a Melbourne final quarter onslaught to win their sixth game on end after losing the first three. The Kangaroos' credibility problem with the public remained intact because nobody believed in them and after all, this was a victory over one of the competition's underachievers and it was by the narrowest of margins. As a loyal supporter of the Melbourne Football Club I saw this performance as one that possibly marked the end of one of the most difficult periods the club has had to endure in recent times. I couldn't quite place my finger on why I felt that the worst of it was all over and I guess I must have felt a bit like Dennis Denuto, the character played by Tiriel Mora in The Castle. I didn't need an explanation for the way I felt - it was all about the "vibe". For a little while my "vibe" theory worked and things did actually look up for the Demons. They went on to win their next two matches against finals aspirants in Adelaide and Collingwood and suddenly, people were talking about the mathematical possibility of making the finals. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos lost their next game by 11 goals at the claws of the Eagles at Subiaco. The tide seemed to be turning for both Melbourne and the Kangaroos. Unfortunately, I was wrong about the vibe. You can't succeed in an elite sporting competition on a vibe alone and in a short space of time, the tide turned back on itself. Moving forward another month and we find ourselves in Round 16 and the teams are due to meet again, albeit at a different venue. And, my how things have changed again! The Kangaroos are again virtually unbackable favourites to win and more importantly, they have gained credibility in the eyes of the public through their performances on the field. The opposite applies to the Demons. Neale Daniher no longer coaches them and their injury list is as long and as deep as the Grand Canyon. By contrast, the Roos are contemplating the finals series and, while coach Dean Laidley is still not a certainty to retain his job, his career as an AFL coach is almost assured. If the Kangaroos don't keep him, someone else will snaffle him up. Looking further back to Round 20 of last year, it's almost inconceivable that Melbourne conceded a twenty point half time lead to the Kangaroos and still managed to pile on the goals in the second half of the game to win by 50 points. At that point, Laidley was no certainty to see out another season at the helm for the Shinboners. This gives rise to the question "why"? Why have the fortunes of both sides seen such a reversal in the space of less than twelve months? From Melbourne's point of view, and I'm not making excuses here, it's been a constant case of injury, injury and more injury. OK. I am making excuses but I'm justified in this case. When these teams last met it appeared that the Demons' injury crisis was abating but, in fact, it was just about to get worse. It's no longer a crisis but a plague. The best way to tell the story of this plague in all of its gory detail is through the work of my colleague Sam the Stats Man and in his updated statistical look at the club. Consider that when the Melbourne team steps out onto the Telstra Dome turf on Sunday evening only Nathan Carroll, James McDonald and Jeff White will be able to say that they've been in the side for every game played at this stage of the season which is an AFL low for 2007. On the other hand, Melbourne has used 38 different players in the past 15 rounds – an AFL high for the season. Its a story that doesn't really resonate with any good vibes. THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB LIST TO DATE - SEASON 2007 by Sam the Stats Man BARTRAM, Clint MFC 1 game 0 goals - had a limited pre-season after suffering an ankle injury in Round 22, 2006 against Adelaide, Bartram was recalled for the opening game of the season and was used sparingly. He injured a knee at training before Round 2 and then complications set in delaying his recovery. Out for the remainder of the season. BATE, Matthew MFC 14 games 15 goals - has started to show some real confidence and a belief in his capacity to play well at the highest level and has played some good games at centre half forward. An exciting prospect. BELL, Daniel MFC 13 games 1 goal – has started to fulfil his early promise with some excellent games in defence where he combines strength, pace and endurance to advantage despite having to work under extreme pressure on a weekly basis. Injured a hamstring early in the Essendon game and has been out of action since then. BIZZELL, Clint MFC 8 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 1 goal - after missing all of last year with injury the veteran defender has returned to form in the twilight of his career. BODE, Jace ® SFC Seniors 8 games 1 goal SFC Reserves - 4 games 1 goal – has finally established himself with the Sandy seniors mainly as a defender or in a run with role. BROWN, Nathan MFC 12 games 2 goals - the hard running defender has not had it all his way this year and has been dropped from the side a couple of times. Still picks up plenty of the ball but remains wasteful at times. BRUCE, Cameron MFC 13 games 6 goals - probably close to leading the club's best and fairest but has still not been a world beater this season. This versatile player has a great work rate but his kicking has been awful of late. Missed the past two games with a hamstring in jury. BUCKLEY, Simon MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 1 goal – has a long learning curve working his way up through the ranks at Sandringham and was finally given his chance against Carlton a fortnight ago. Has shown some promise. CARROLL, Nathan MFC 15 games 0 goals - feeling the pressure in a weak defence but has done some good things and led the defence by example and with plenty of courage. He did reasonably well in suppressing a rampant Jonathan Brown last week after the Lions’ champion had done an early number on Brad Miller. DAVEY, Aaron MFC 15 games 19 goals - had a poor start to the season but gradually worked his way back into form. Has recently shown frustration at close checking opponents and finally snapped against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba and his retaliatory strike has cost him the next two matches through suspension. DUNN, Lynden MFC 8 games 6 goals SFC Seniors - 5 game 9 goals - a serious facial injury kept him out of the first couple of rounds and was hot and cold on return to the Melbourne side. Still in the development phase Dunn is a player in the future. FERGUSON, Ryan MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 6 games 7 goals SFC Reserves 2 games 8 goals - the injury prone defender can't take a trick. When he finally gained a place in the Demons’ side against West Coast he broke a thumb and missed a month. Came back through the Zebra reserves and has been playing well recently in the seniors. FRAWLEY, James MFC 1 game 0 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals - was on course for a Round 1 debut until stress fractures in the foot put him out for almost two months. Came back through the Sandy reserves. was hospitalised after being concussed early and then impressed in the seniors at Sandringham. Has shown some promising signs and looks capable of filling a key defender’s role when he fills out physically. GARLAND, Colin MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 5 goals – has struggled in his two games at AFL level and needs more time learning his craft at Sandringham where he has been good at both ends of the ground. GODFREY, Simon MFC 14 games 7 goals - disposal and decision-making have improved marginally and he has been terrific as the hardworking tagger. His 100 games of AFL football are a tribute to his work ethic and one that others with more talent could well take note of his determination to play the game at the highest level. GREEN, Brad MFC 11 games 8 goals – has had an average season in the midfield (save his game against the Crows) but he always seems to look good on the rare occasions when he is moved into the forward line. Missed the past few weeks with a hamstring and it will be interesting to see where Mark Riley plays him on return this week. HAYES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals SFC Reserves 5 games 3 goals – after missing much of the pre season due to personal family reasons the club had no option but to suspend him until he could attend training again. After showing promise in his five games for the Zebra reserves, he was a last minute inclusion in their seniors last weekend. Still has a way to go and should remain on the rookie list next year when there is every chance that he might fulfill his promise. HOLLAND, Ben MFC 6 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 5 games 7 goals – apart from a great game when he nullified Collingwood’s Anthony Rocca, Dutchy has struggled at AFL level where he doesn't have the agility or accurate disposal to hurt the opposition in any way. Has showed some good form in recent weeks with the Zebras. HUGHES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors 4 games 5 goals SFC Reserves 2 games 4 goals – his career has gone into limbo after showing some promise at Sandringham this year. Has missed several weeks with a groin problem. JAMAR, Mark MFC 5 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 4 games 3 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals – showed average form as the second ruckman for the Demons before he was dropped to Sandringham where he suffered a hamstring injury. Improving every week at Sandringham and is close to a recall. JOHNSON, Chris MFC 5 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 8 games 3 goals – had a stellar pre season but failed to impress in his early games and was dropped to the VFL. Returned to form with the Zebras and recently returned to the Melbourne team where he did well in his last game at the Gabba. JOHNSON, Paul MFC 13 games 2 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 1 goal - grabbed the opportunity in the absence of Mark Jamar and has tightened his grip on the second ruck position in recent weeks. JOHNSTONE, Travis MFC 11 games 6 goals - was strongly tagged early, worked his way back into form but has been dogged by Achilles heel problems and missed a few games recently. JONES, Nathan MFC 14 games 7 goals - missed just one game with injury and is a definite rising star among the Demon young guns. McDONALD, James MFC 15 games 3 goals – struggled early to uphold the high standard he set in 2006 but nevertheless has been a valuable player and one of the few who has taken part in all games. McLEAN, Brock MFC 8 games 2 goals - another early season casualty, McLean fractured a foot in the opening round. His return game yielded 22 disposals but he had a flat patch for a few weeks before returning to form in a losing side against the Brisbane Lions. MILLER, Brad MFC 11 games 7 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 8 goals – another player who struggled early at both ends of the ground. A wrist injury saw him out of the team and he had to work hard for a few weeks at Sandringham before getting his call up as a defender against Carlton. Struggled to hold Jonathan Brown last week but will be persisted with in defence. MOLONEY, Brent MFC 6 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals - was close to Melbourne's best early in the season before a recurrence of groin problems took its toll. Slowly coming back through the VFL and returns for this week's game.. NEAVES, Shane ® SFC Seniors 12 games 2 goals - continues to impress as a developing ruckman at Sandringham and must be a chance for promotion off the rookie list at the end of the year. NEITZ, David MFC 9 games 18 goals - averaging two goals a game but has missed a games with a knee injury and then a combination of knee, hamstring and broken finger has kept him out more recently. Back this week so he should reach 300 games by year's end. NEVILLE, Heath SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves 9 games 2 goals – has finally had some chances after languishing in the VFL reserves but hasn’t had much game time with the seniors in his two games there. NEWTON, Michael MFC 3 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 29 goals – finally got an opportunity after 10 games and 29 goals with the Zebras this season. A player of the future who deserves every opportunity to succeed. PETTERD, Ricky MFC 9 games 6 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 1 goal - a breath of fresh air, this young recruit showed enormous poise and ability in his nine games before suffering a life threatening collapsed lung during early in the Round 14 game against Carlton. Will not play again until next year. PICKETT, Byron MFC 4 games 1 goals SFC Seniors 7 games 7 goals SFC Reserves 9 games 2 goals - came into the season unfit, overweight and with family problems. Was suspended and confined to Sandringham for several weeks and failed to impress on his return against the Tigers. Missed his VFL game last week with a shoulder injury. RIVERS, Jared MFC 3 games 0 goals - a succession of injuries kept the club's most talented defender out of the team for all bar three games. He’s out for the season as a result of a persistent groin problem. ROBERTSON, Russell MFC 9 games 26 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 4 goals – despite missing several weeks after hurting a knee late in the Round 2 game against Hawthorn, he is the club’s leading goal kicker and played a significant role in the team’s handful of victories this year. SYLVIA, Colin MFC 11 games 10 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 3 goals –is starting to show the form that made him a high draft pick in 2003 as he shrugs off the effects of groin problems that plagued his early years at the club. WARD, Daniel MFC 13 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals - seized his opportunities with vacancies caused in defence due to injuries and loss of form and while his delivery and decision making is sometimes a problem, he has been a valuable contributor at the club this year. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC 2 games 1 goal SFC Seniors 10 games 0 goals - has had few opportunities at AFL level but has performed consistently in the tight Sandringham defence. WEETRA, Isaac SFC Reserves 6 games 1 goal - injured hamstring during the preseason and was due to return when it went again. Then, when he recovered from that, he broke his wrist first up in the Zebra twos. He is back there now but hasn’t set the world on fire just yet. WHEATLEY, Paul MFC 9 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals – after an injury riddled 2006, he again had problems, this time with a shoulder but has cemented his place in the past month or two with some solid performances. WHELAN, Matthew MFC 5 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 0 goals – in the wars from the very start when he clashed heads with Luke Ball in Round 1. Later, it was a foot injury and he misses the rest of the season with an ankle problem. His absence in defence is really hurting the team. WHITE, Jeff MFC 15 games 6 goals – still the club’s number 1 ruckman and capable of some good football but is finding things tougher against the bigger opponents. One of the few Demons to play every game this season. YZE, Adem MFC 8 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 2 goals - his remarkable run of 226 consecutive matches dating back a decade ended when dropped to the VFL in Round 2. Was slowly returning to form when injury struck again. A hernia operation will keep him out of football until 2008. THE GAME Kangaroos v. Melbourne at Telstra Dome – Sunday 22 July 2007 at 5:10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Kangaroos 60 wins Melbourne 83 wins 1 draw At the Dome: Kangaroos 1 win Melbourne 0 wins Since 2000: Kangaroos 4 wins Melbourne 7 wins The Coaches: Laidley 0 wins Riley 0 wins MEDIA Fox Sports1 (live from 5:00pm) RADIO ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Kangaroos to win $1.28 Melbourne to win $3.45 LAST TIME THEY MET Kangaroos 10.19.79 d Melbourne 11.12.78, Round 9, 2007, at MCG Melbourne suffered its ninth consecutive loss for the season and its third defeat by a goal or less in four weeks. After struggling to kick four goals in the first three quarters the Demons came alive with a rush booting seven goals in the final term and nudging ahead with a couple of minutes to go before the final siren. Their failure to ice the game allowed the Kangaroos in for a goal to Andrew Swallow but the team's improved form signalled that its losing streak was near its end. THE TEAMS KANGAROOS Backs Shannon Watt Michael Firrito Daniel Pratt Half Backs Glenn Archer Jesse Smith Scott McMahon Centreline Adam Simpson Brady Rawlings Kasey Green Half Forwards Brent Harvey David Hale Shannon Grant Forwards Corey Jones Drew Petrie Djaran Whyman Followers Hamish McIntosh Daniel Harris Andrew Swallow Interchange Leigh Brown Ed Lower Eddie Sansbury Jess Sinclair Emergencies Leigh Adams Leigh Aaron Edwards Lindsay Thomas In Eddie Sansbury Djaran Whyman Out : Daniel Wells (knee) Lindsay Thomas (omitted) New: Djaran Whyman (North Ballarat) MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll James Frawley Half Backs Paul Wheatley Brad Miller Nathan Brown Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Clint Bizzell Half Forwards Simon Godfrey Russell Robertson Matthew Bate Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Paul Johnson Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Chris Johnson Brent Moloney Michael Newton Emergencies Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Ben Holland In Brad Green Brent Moloney David Neitz Out Aaron Davey (suspended) Lynden Dunn Colin Garland (both omitted) Field umpires THE VIBE - PART 2 by J.V.McKay Sunday's combatants each played their last games in different corners of the continent. Both travelled out of their states but only one covered themselves in glory. The Kangaroos had a stirring victory by a mere four points displaying guts, determination and a never say die attitude from the start to defeat Fremantle at Subiaco. Melbourne, on the other hand, suffered a sudden death. It conceded the first eleven scoring shots and, in doing so, gave the Brisbane Lions a 41-point start by the time on period of the first quarter. The poor starts are not an aberration with Melbourne this year. They are happening with too much regularity and are a major contributor to the "vibe" that I get from the Demons these days. The "vibe" is telling me this year is a debacle and it can't be easily turned around. It's likely that we'll have to wait unti next year. The Kangaroos have a solid core of players they can rely upon to produce good form consistently every week - players like Glenn Archer, Brent Harvey, Shannon Grant and skipper Scott Simpson who never let you down. The Demons can't even produce a Homer Simpson. There are so many leading players down on form or simply out of the team with suspension that it's almost impossible to even contemplate any consistent form from the players. This happens from game to game and within games from quarter to quarter. You just never know what to expect from Melbourne except that you won't get consistently good form. This week sees the return of some important members of the leadership group. There's no doubt that the Demons will benefit from the inclusion of the skipper and of Brad Green. Brent Moloney and Ben Holland have been playing well in the VFL and it would not surprise if all four were final inclusions for Sunday evening. The vibes however, are still telling me that this won't be enough. The Kangaroos are riding high. They know that a strong win this week will bring a top four finish closer than ever. In many ways, they are in much the same position as Melbourne was 12 months ago: third on the ladder after losing the first three in a row. History also tells us that the Demons lost their next match against a lowly team at the Telstra Dome and thus began a slide that continues to this very day. This won't happen where the Kangaroos are concerned because the "vibe" tells me they are now a genuine premiership contender. Kangaroos by 17 points

This is a great initative and Whispering Jack is working on a function which will hopefully help to get us across the line to enable our syndicate to become full members of the Melbourne Football Club's 150 Club. Watch this space!

by Mick Rocks1 The club has informed us that the Demonology/Demonland 150 club syndicate recently hit $9,676 out of the $12,386 required for our syndicate to become full members of the Melbourne Football Club's 150 Club. This is thanks mainly to site members 'support of the 'Pay So He Can Play' initiative in regards to Michael Newton, which alone raised the club over $1,500. The money donated for the 150 Club goes towards the fitting out of the new stadium in the Olympic Park precinct, which will help our club move towards gaining state of the art training, gym and recovery facilities, as well as a genuine base for the club in the middle of the city, right next to our playing home, the MCG - something the MFC has not had for a number of years. As members of the Demonology and Demonland sites, we have already showed our support and love for the Melbourne Football Club. The 150 Club is another way to show this support for a club that desperately requires it - only in a more tangible way. There is no doubt that this is the biggest thing to happen to this club in the past four decades since the last premiership. The club is making efforts to entrench itself as the club of Melbourne and a home base in the heart of the city will certainly help to achieve this. For the Demonology/Demonland syndicate, we have come up with a relatively simple category system for donations, as follows: Platinum member = $415 Gold member = $330 Silver member = $250 Bronze member = $165 Red and Blue member = $85 Donations: $20, $30, $40, $50, $60, $70 Any donation you could make would be fantastic, and would go a long way towards making our club more competitive off the field and on the field in what is becoming an increasingly uncompetitive arena. To become an integral part of the Melbourne Football Club's future and make a donation, please email me by clicking HERE so the donation form can be forwarded to you. Please remember to write 'Demonology' next to your name on the form so the club can tally our donations. You can also PM me your email and I'll forward you the form or any information there. Thanks must go to Greg Romanes at the club for helping to make this possible and tallying the donations for us. Anyone who has questions or queries about the 150 Club, or the possibility of becoming a full member yourself, you are welcome to contact him on 9652 1122, or BY EMAIL

by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham grabbed top spot on the VFL ladder after leading all day to record an impressive 70-point win against Werribee at Trevor Barker Oval on Sunday. The win meant that the Zebras displaced Geelong after the Cats suffered a surprise loss by a solitary point at the hands of the Casey Scorpions. Sandy regained full forward Nick Sautner after a week's break with studies but lost Andy Biddlecombe (groin) and Byron Pickett (shoulder) who both pulled out of the selected side with injury. Colin Garland's late recall to the Melbourne team which played in Brisbane and yet another player dropping out through injury (this time it was youngster Phil Zarra who was to have made his senior debut) left the side's playing ranks severely depleted. This made no difference however, to the team which contained a number of players with little experience at this level. They managed to shine as the Zebras rose to the occasion and overpowered the struggling Tigers while treating the crowd to a sterling display of relentless pressure football. Sandringham was quick out of the blocks and with Mark Jamar giving plenty of drive from the ruck and Peter Sommers, Shane Valenti and Brent Moloney dominating in the middle, they provided plenty of ball supply to forwards in Nick Sautner, Ben Holland, Rod Crowe and the dangerous Ezra Poyas. The quarter time lead of 26 points blew out to twelve goals for a brief period before the half time break thanks to some exceptional team football including some stand out displays from the younger brigade who were getting their opportunity after showing good form in the reserves. You can count the number of senior games played by Tom Paterakis, Guy Martyn, Rennie Gilchrist and Sam Monaghan on the fingers of one hand but they were all prominent and among the goalkickers. Their enthusiasm lifted the team a further level and stunned the Werribee faithful who must have thought before the game that their team was a chance to win given the large number of AFL listed players their host club had unavailable through injury. One player whose thoughts were far away from playing this game earlier in the day was young Demon rookie Daniel Hayes who was kitted up to play for the reserves but got the call at 11:00am to come into the main game as a replacement for one of the injured players. He was quiet in his senior VFL debut but still showed some magical ball skills. Another youngster, Heath Neville also played well in only his second senior match. Meanwhile, the Sandy back line was as strong and as dominant as ever. At full back Chris Lamb was solid as a rock and he was well backed up by Ryan Ferguson, Matthew Warnock and the improving Jace Bode. Tomi Johnston looked at home on a wing in only his seventh game and the Zebras coasted to an 87-point lead at the final break. The pressure valve was released in the final term and Werribee kicked a few late goals but their efforts were overshadowed by Sandringham's brilliance. Late in the game Nick Sautner kicked his seventh goal of the game after an incident in which Bulldog rookie Marty Pask had his number taken for allegedly striking the Zebra spearhead. A review of a Sandringham game is never complete without mention of the courage, strength and leadership skills of the skipper Chad Liddell. At one stage, he executed a brilliant smother and spectators close by heard a sickening thud and saw a brief wince on the face of the captain as if some limb had been smashed in the incident. Within seconds he was up on his feet and in the next passage of play he was there smothering another Werribee kick off the boot. As long as a team has someone setting examples of this nature, even its most inexperienced young player will stand tall. Next Sunday, the Zebras travel across the bay to Burbank Oval where they take on Williamstown which led the competition just three weeks ago. The Seagulls seem to have fallen into a hole lately but are always a dangerous proposition on their windswept home ground. A win to Sandy in these hostile surroundings should consolidate its already strong grip on a top four placing with the finals looming in sight. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jace Bode - easily his best game since coming to the club. He found plenty of the ball, delivered it well and showed heaps of courage. It's marvelous what you can do when you get plenty of time in a game and can build up your confidence. Ryan Ferguson - a standard game in defence from the ever-reliable Ferg. Very solid, backed up strongly, spoiled a lot of opposition thrusts and marked well. Daniel Hayes - a late call up and was played off the interchange. He was tentative to start with and looked a bit lost at times but he showed glimpses of good ball skills. Will benefit from the run in this company but is likely to finish of the year in the reserves. Ben Holland - looked really in the frame and made a good foil up forward for Sautner. He stood out with his marking and finished with three goals but it could easily have been five. Mark Jamar - strong in the ruck against good opposition in Minson. His play around the ground was excellent and he marked strongly whether on the ball or up forward. If only he could replicate that sort of form in the AFL. Brent Moloney - went in hard and strong, got a lot of the ball and delivered it well. However, he had a few sluggish periods possibly suggesting that he still has a way to go before he reaches full fitness. Subject to whatever plan the club's medical people have in place to deal with his groin problem, he might be a chance to play at the Dome next week. Shane Neaves - played second fiddle in the ruck to Jamar and had a relatively easy day. He did nothing wrong and was a good ruck back up on the day. Heath Neville - spent a lot of time on the bench but was reasonable in patches when he was given his chances. Matthew Warnock - a solid game in defence. Kept his opponent in check and went about his job quietly and effectively. Sandringham 7.5.47 15.11.101 23.12.150 26.17.173 Werribee 3.3.21 5.5.35 9.9.63 15.13.103 Goals Sandringham Sautner 7 Holland Poyas 3 Crowe Gilchrist Martyn Paterakis 2 Jamar Liddell Monaghan Sommers Valenti Werribee Gleeson 3 Skipper 2 Ericksen Baird Barham Faulkner Furfaro Hill Minson Robinson Rockefeller Tiller Best Sandringham Lamb Paterakis Poyas Liddell Jamar Monaghan Werribee Skipper Baird Sheringham Wight Tiller Gleeson Report Werribee M Pask for striking N Sautner in the 4th quarter Not surprisingly, the reserves side which was severely weakened as a result of the loss of players copped a bit of a hiding. Sandringham 3.1.19 5.2.32 7.4.46 7.9.51 Werribee 6.4.40 10.11.71 14.18.102 23.19.157 Goals Sandringham Dunne 3 Collyer Gileno Tregear Weetra Werribee Garth 8 Hughes McDougall 3 Gardiner Moloney 2 Batchelor Eddy Penny Stack Twomey Best Sandringham Johnston Richards Martin McKenzie Collyer Dean Werribee Hughes Hudson Garth Gardiner Wormald Batchelor