Demonland

MELBOURNE Backs Matthew Whelan Nathan Carroll Chris Johnson Half backs James Frawley Matthew Warnock Paul Wheatley Centreline Cale Morton Cameron Bruce Simon Buckley Half forwards Brad Green Matthew Bate Lynden Dunn Forwards Paul Johnson Colin Sylvia Addam Maric Followers Mark Jamar Clint Bartram James McDonald Interchange Nathan Jones Stef Martin Shane Valenti Austin Wonaeamirri Emergencies Jace Bode Jeff White* Adem Yze In Nathan Carroll James Frawley Nathan Jones Out Daniel Bell (hamstring) Aaron Davey (foot) Colin Garland (hamstring) * Jeff White took Mark Jamar's place in the team after the Russian withdrew with an injury. GEELONG Backs Tom Harley Matthew Scarlett Andrew Mackie Half backs Harry Taylor Josh Hunt Corey Enright Centreline James Kelly Max Rooke Jimmy Bartel Half forwards Gary Ablett Cameron Mooney Steve Johnson Forwards Mathew Stokes Tom Lonergan Joel Selwood Followers Brad Ottens Cameron Ling Joel Corey Interchange Mark Blake Shannon Byrnes Ryan Gamble Brent Prismall Emergencies Simon Hogan Kane Tenace Travis Varcoe In Gary Ablett Shannon Byrnes Out Darren Milburn (suspended) Travis Varcoe

by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions literally broke the ice on Sunday with a 39 point victory over the Dolphins at Frankston City Oval. There was a cold, howling westerly whipping up the white caps on nearby Port Phillip Bay and skipper Kyle Matthews had no hesitation on winning the toss in kicking to the Young Street end which was aided by a stiff 6 goal breeze. The winning of the toss ultimately to prove significant because it was well nigh impossible to score into the teeth of the wind for most of the day. Casey made a number of changes to last week's team bringing in newcomers Glen Chivers and Augustine Patti along with four Demon listed players in Daniel Bell, Kyle Cheney, Danny Hughes and Austin Wonaeamirri who had yet to represent the club in senior matches. Patti is an over age player from the Gippsland Falcons who is eligible to play as the 23rd man under the VFL's new rules encouraging participation of TAC Cup players at VFL clubs. The opening quarter belonged to Russell Robertson on the comeback trail after being out for some 10 months with a torn Achilles. The wily forward opened proceedings with a goal in the first minute and by quarter time had snagged two more helping the Scorpions to lead by the total of their score of 5.3.33. Defender Alex Silvagni was moved forward and had a goal to his name while Hughes was the other goal scorer. Things were altogether different after the teams changed ends. The home side wasted no time in its quest to bridge the gap and, despite the efforts of the Casey backline, the home team managed to take the lead. A desperate last five minutes of strong defensive football managed to limit the visitors' deficit to just three points at half time. The wind was still having an effect on the game in the third term as Casey swept ahead thanks to its hardworking midfield led by Matthews and the busy Shane Valenti who were getting the ball forward with regularity to Robertson and Silvagni until some slip ups in defence late in the quarter gave the Dolphins the first score against the wind and the tide - a goal. At the final break it was Casey holding an identical lead to the one it held at quarter time and it was still anybody's game at this stage. The Scorpions dug deep in the early moments of the final term and it was here that the game was won. Robertson kicked his team's first goal (and his own fifth) at the "non-scoring" end with a magnificent kick that seemed to somehow defy the elements. The defence of the Scorpions led by James Wall held the Dolphins out for long enough to knock the wind out of their sails and it was the Scorpions who were now in attacking mode. Two more goals - one each to youngster Beau Vernon in only his second senior game and Hughes saw Casey run out easy winners in the end. HOW THE DEMONS FARED (comments from Casey coach Peter German on the melbournefc.com.au site) Daniel Bell – He only played a half. He took a heavy knock, so he was rested up in the second half. He played in the midfield and got his hands on the ball a bit, so hopefully he'll be OK to play this week. Kyle Cheney – Kyle played in the backline. He did a solid job, gave us that run, and gave us good composure. He was quite serviceable. Jack Grimes – He played wing/half-back and was good. Jack used the ball well and without being outstanding, (and) was a solid contributor. Daniel Hughes – Daniel was very good. He got a bit of a knock early, but pushed through it and kicked a couple of goals. He kicked the most outstanding goal of the day, from the boundary and into the breeze about 40 metres out – it was almost from an impossible angle. He came up from the reserves to show some of the class he's got. Daniel also took some fine marks as a hit-up forward. It was a really solid game from him. Jordie McKenzie – Jordie played onball and on the wing and was probably one of our better players. He also pushed back. He also took some fine marks and was prepared to run hard. In the last quarter, he took some strong marks, which we hadn't seen before, so there is a lot of upside with him. Tom McNamara – Tom played at half-back and was in our top four players. He restricted his opponent and also got his hands on the ball. He read the ball really well in the windy conditions. Russell Robertson – Russell did a terrific job. He could only score in two of the quarters, because of the conditions. He made the most of his opportunities, but the last couple of weeks he's been showing good signs, kicking 3.5 last week and five goals this week. Shane Valenti – Shane was given close attention again. He did a lot of the grunt work and a lot of the team things. He was outstanding in doing that and he helped his teammates out. Shane was one of our really strong team players on the day. Austin Wonaeamirri – Aussie played in bursts in his first game back. He had about 13 disposals as a forward pocket. We pushed him up onto the wing in the last quarter and he had an opportunity to run around a bit more. It was good for him to get a run under his belt. He showed some good zip and explosiveness at ground level. Casey Scorpions 5.3.33 5.3.33 11.9.75 14.12.96 Frankston 0.0.0 5.6.36 6.6.42 8.9.57 Goals Casey Scorpions Robertson 5 Silvagni 3 Hughes 2 McNamara Vernon Wall Wonaeamirri Frankston Berry Dickson Lourey 2 Magner Pollard Best Casey Scorpions Matthews Wall Robertson Valenti Silvagni Stockdale Frankston Ablett Casboult Baguley Lombardozzi Dickson Ongarello The day began on a good footing for the alignment when the Casey Reserves scored their first win for 2009 after heading the home side from start to finish and keeping them down to just four goals for the day. Rohan Bail was outstanding in the midfield. HOW THE DEMONS FARED (comments from Casey coach Peter German on the melbournefc.com.au site) Rohan Bail – Rohan was the best player in the seconds. He got through the game and will almost certainly be called up for senior duties for us next week. Rohan played half-back and on the ball, using it really well. He's a good young talent we have high expectations for. Simon Buckley – Simon only played a half. It was about him getting a run. He did that OK and actually wanted to play a bit more. Next week, he should be able to play a full game. Rhys Healey – Rhys knows how to get the ball – he's a magnet. He worked hard to win the ball, but he needs to tidy up his disposal at times. He gained 20-odd possessions. Jack Watts – He played a bit onball and down back as well. Jack's showed clean ball-handling skills and decision-making ability and his class in tough conditions. Matthew Whelan – Matty got a bit more game time in. He's played at 50 or 60 per cent, but was up to 80 this week. He was solid and strong in the backline and should be getting close to playing senior footy for us. Trent Zomer – Trent worked hard in the ruck. We didn't want to go too tall in the seniors, so it was a good opportunity for him to have a run around in the seconds. He did a really good job. Casey Scorpions 2.5.17 4.5.29 8.11.59 8.12 60 Frankston 0.2.2 2.5.17 3.5.23 4.7 31 Goals Casey Scorpions Zomer 2 Oldmeadow 2 Blaser Scanlon Snow Bolton Frankston Potts 2 Morris 2 Best Casey Scorpions Bail Blaser Williams Zomer Watts Oldmeadow Frankston Hibberd Potts Bosward Rogasch Hobbs Sienkiewicz

BUMP

by Whispering Jack I had to look twice at the report in the Herald Sun headed "Footy fans blast MCC after being shut out". I thought that was strange because when I arrived at around 4.30 pm the MCC staff member outside was on his hands and knees begging people to come inside to watch the game. Then, an hour or so later when Melbourne had failed to trouble the goal umpire officiating at its end with the task of waving two flags for a Demon goal, there was a rumour spreading around the ground that patrons were being locked in. Was it possible that the newspaper article was about a different game? By today's standards the MCG was nearly empty for Melbourne's second "home" game of the season against Adelaide. So were the feelings inside the hearts of most Demon fans as they watched their team trudge off at half time with the scoreboard blinking "0.3.3" against its name. The standard of football on display up to that time had been nothing short of appalling. Both teams were guilty but Melbourne was the major culprit. The Demons overused handball, kicked poorly and made some shocking decisions. That was in the pre game warm up. And it only got worse once play actually got under way. Actually, Melbourne's first five minutes were reasonably good but for the fact that it failed to get a score on the board despite probably half a dozen fruitless forays deep into the forward line. Brad Miler set the scene with a miss from 25 metres that went out on the full. After that it was a bonanza for the Adelaide defence which outnumbered its opposition and always had an extra man in position to take the mark when the inevitable miskick came their way. The Demons simply couldn't penetrate the Crow's defensive zone and ultimately it was they who were able to break the flood, score a couple of goals in each of the first two quarters and take a stranglehold on the game. The game was quite an eyesore and deserved the pathetic 14,129 crowd which paled in comparison to the previous day's attendance that was well in excess of 80,000 when Essendon and Collingwood strutted their stuff and gave them a tremendous spectacle to boot. Sunday's game was something different; a bizarre chess match in which the pawns dominated a board that was almost totally bereft of the sleeker major pieces. The kings, queens, knights, bishops and rooks were missing from the park while the lesser men wandered aimlessly around. For almost three quarters Adelaide dictated terms setting up ultra defensive zones and allowing Melbourne's ineptitude to do the rest. What more can you expect when a key forward misses twice from 10 metres out, the second time with a poorly executed banana kick. Thankfully, Lynden Dunn went forward to kick his team's first goal midway through the third term but by then, some of his team's fans had already found a way out of the ground. The Demons weren't all bad. Aaron Davey stood out with his clean disposal and his pace, Brent Moloney with his hard bodied work and the defenders were terrific, particularly James Frawley, Matty Warnock and Stefan Martin. A two minute lapse from that department early in the final quarter allowed Tippet in for two goals that effectively killed off the game but otherwise they remained on top in a battle of defences. Late in the game when all was virtually lost, the Demons ditched the mad handball thing and started using the corridor, a tactic that gave them 8 goals in a quarter a week ago against Richmond. Bingo! Three goals and all of a sudden, they were only 15 points down with plenty of time to win. Adelaide simply tightened the screws and held off the Melbourne charge leaving fans with an empty feeling and wondering what might have happened had the selectors done the obvious in the first place and picked Robbo and Addam Maric (i.e. forward line players who can score goals) for this game. Melbourne 0.1.1 0.3.3 1.6.12 4.10.34 Adelaide 2.4.16 4.6.30 5.7.37 7.9.51 Goals Melbourne Dunn 2 McDonald McLean Adelaide Tippett 2 Johncock McLeod Porplyzia Stevens Walker Best Melbourne Davey Moloney McLean Frawley Warnock Dunn Adelaide Goodwin Bock Johncock Thompson Vince Tippett Injuries Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Reports Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Umpires Hendrie Armstrong Schmitt Crowd 14,129 at the MCG

BREAKING THE ICE by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions literally broke the ice on Sunday with a 39 point victory over the Dolphins at Frankston City Oval. There was a cold, howling westerly whipping up the white caps on nearby Port Phillip Bay and skipper Kyle Matthews had no hesitation on winning the toss in kicking to the Young Street end which was aided by a stiff 6 goal breeze. The winning of the toss ultimately to prove significant because it was well nigh impossible to score into the teeth of the wind for most of the day. Casey made a number of changes to last week's team bringing in newcomers Glen Chivers and Augustine Patti along with four Demon listed players in Daniel Bell, Kyle Cheney, Danny Hughes and Austin Wonaeamirri who had yet to represent the club in senior matches. Patti is an over age player from the Gippsland Falcons who is eligible to play as the 23rd man under the VFL's new rules encouraging participation of TAC Cup players at VFL clubs. The opening quarter belonged to Russell Robertson on the comeback trail after being out for some 10 months with a torn Achilles. The wily forward opened proceedings with a goal in the first minute and by quarter time had snagged two more helping the Scorpions to lead by the total of their score of 5.3.33. Defender Alex Silvagni was moved forward and had a goal to his name while Hughes was the other goal scorer. Things were altogether different after the teams changed ends. The home side wasted no time in its quest to bridge the gap and, despite the efforts of the Casey backline, the home team managed to take the lead. A desperate last five minutes of strong defensive football managed to limit the visitors' deficit to just three points at half time. The wind was still having an effect on the game in the third term as Casey swept ahead thanks to its hardworking midfield led by Matthews and the busy Shane Valenti who were getting the ball forward with regularity to Robertson and Silvagni until some slip ups in defence late in the quarter gave the Dolphins the first score against the wind and the tide - a goal. At the final break it was Casey holding an identical lead to the one it held at quarter time and it was still anybody's game at this stage. The Scorpions dug deep in the early moments of the final term and it was here that the game was won. Robertson kicked his team's first goal (and his own fifth) at the "non-scoring" end with a magnificent kick that seemed to somehow defy the elements. The defence of the Scorpions led by James Wall held the Dolphins out for long enough to knock the wind out of their sails and it was the Scorpions who were now in attacking mode. Two more goals - one each to youngster Beau Vernon in only his second senior game and Hughes saw Casey run out easy winners in the end. HOW THE DEMONS FARED (comments from Casey coach Peter German on the melbournefc.com.au site) Daniel Bell – He only played a half. He took a heavy knock, so he was rested up in the second half. He played in the midfield and got his hands on the ball a bit, so hopefully he'll be OK to play this week. Kyle Cheney – Kyle played in the backline. He did a solid job, gave us that run, and gave us good composure. He was quite serviceable. Jack Grimes – He played wing/half-back and was good. Jack used the ball well and without being outstanding, (and) was a solid contributor. Daniel Hughes – Daniel was very good. He got a bit of a knock early, but pushed through it and kicked a couple of goals. He kicked the most outstanding goal of the day, from the boundary and into the breeze about 40 metres out – it was almost from an impossible angle. He came up from the reserves to show some of the class he's got. Daniel also took some fine marks as a hit-up forward. It was a really solid game from him. Jordie McKenzie – Jordie played onball and on the wing and was probably one of our better players. He also pushed back. He also took some fine marks and was prepared to run hard. In the last quarter, he took some strong marks, which we hadn't seen before, so there is a lot of upside with him. Tom McNamara – Tom played at half-back and was in our top four players. He restricted his opponent and also got his hands on the ball. He read the ball really well in the windy conditions. Russell Robertson – Russell did a terrific job. He could only score in two of the quarters, because of the conditions. He made the most of his opportunities, but the last couple of weeks he's been showing good signs, kicking 3.5 last week and five goals this week. Shane Valenti – Shane was given close attention again. He did a lot of the grunt work and a lot of the team things. He was outstanding in doing that and he helped his teammates out. Shane was one of our really strong team players on the day. Austin Wonaeamirri – Aussie played in bursts in his first game back. He had about 13 disposals as a forward pocket. We pushed him up onto the wing in the last quarter and he had an opportunity to run around a bit more. It was good for him to get a run under his belt. He showed some good zip and explosiveness at ground level. Casey Scorpions 5.3.33 5.3.33 11.9.75 14.12.96 Frankston 0.0.0 5.6.36 6.6.42 8.9.57 Goals Casey Scorpions Robertson 5 Silvagni 3 Hughes 2 McNamara Vernon Wall Wonaeamirri Frankston Berry Dickson Lourey 2 Magner Pollard Best Casey Scorpions Matthews Wall Robertson Valenti Silvagni Stockdale Frankston Ablett Casboult Baguley Lombardozzi Dickson Ongarello The day began on a good footing for the alignment when the Casey Reserves scored their first win for 2009 after heading the home side from start to finish and keeping them down to just four goals for the day. Rohan Bail was outstanding in the midfield. HOW THE DEMONS FARED (comments from Casey coach Peter German on the melbournefc.com.au site) Rohan Bail – Rohan was the best player in the seconds. He got through the game and will almost certainly be called up for senior duties for us next week. Rohan played half-back and on the ball, using it really well. He's a good young talent we have high expectations for. Simon Buckley – Simon only played a half. It was about him getting a run. He did that OK and actually wanted to play a bit more. Next week, he should be able to play a full game. Rhys Healey – Rhys knows how to get the ball – he's a magnet. He worked hard to win the ball, but he needs to tidy up his disposal at times. He gained 20-odd possessions. Jack Watts – He played a bit onball and down back as well. Jack's showed clean ball-handling skills and decision-making ability and his class in tough conditions. Matthew Whelan – Matty got a bit more game time in. He's played at 50 or 60 per cent, but was up to 80 this week. He was solid and strong in the backline and should be getting close to playing senior footy for us. Trent Zomer – Trent worked hard in the ruck. We didn't want to go too tall in the seniors, so it was a good opportunity for him to have a run around in the seconds. He did a really good job. Casey Scorpions 2.5.17 4.5.29 8.11.59 8.12 60 Frankston 0.2.2 2.5.17 3.5.23 4.7 31 Goals Casey Scorpions Zomer 2 Oldmeadow 2 Blaser Scanlon Snow Bolton Frankston Potts 2 Morris 2 Best Casey Scorpions Bail Blaser Williams Zomer Watts Oldmeadow Frankston Hibberd Potts Bosward Rogasch Hobbs Sienkiewicz

EMPTY by Whispering Jack I had to look twice at the report in the Herald Sun headed "Footy fans blast MCC after being shut out". I thought that was strange because when I arrived at around 4.30 pm the MCC staff member outside was on his hands and knees begging people to come inside to watch the game. Then, an hour or so later when Melbourne had failed to trouble the goal umpire officiating at its end with the task of waving two flags for a Demon goal, there was a rumour spreading around the ground that patrons were being locked in. Was it possible that the newspaper article was about a different game? By today's standards the MCG was nearly empty for Melbourne's second "home" game of the season against Adelaide. So were the feelings inside the hearts of most Demon fans as they watched their team trudge off at half time with the scoreboard blinking "0.3.3" against its name. The standard of football on display up to that time had been nothing short of appalling. Both teams were guilty but Melbourne was the major culprit. The Demons overused handball, kicked poorly and made some shocking decisions. That was in the pre game warm up. And it only got worse once play actually got under way. Actually, Melbourne's first five minutes were reasonably good but for the fact that it failed to get a score on the board despite probably half a dozen fruitless forays deep into the forward line. Brad Miler set the scene with a miss from 25 metres that went out on the full. After that it was a bonanza for the Adelaide defence which outnumbered its opposition and always had an extra man in position to take the mark when the inevitable miskick came their way. The Demons simply couldn't penetrate the Crow's defensive zone and ultimately it was they who were able to break the flood, score a couple of goals in each of the first two quarters and take a stranglehold on the game. The game was quite an eyesore and deserved the pathetic 14,129 crowd which paled in comparison to the previous day's attendance that was well in excess of 80,000 when Essendon and Collingwood strutted their stuff and gave them a tremendous spectacle to boot. Sunday's game was something different; a bizarre chess match in which the pawns dominated a board that was almost totally bereft of the sleeker major pieces. The kings, queens, knights, bishops and rooks were missing from the park while the lesser men wandered aimlessly around. For almost three quarters Adelaide dictated terms setting up ultra defensive zones and allowing Melbourne's ineptitude to do the rest. What more can you expect when a key forward misses twice from 10 metres out, the second time with a poorly executed banana kick. Thankfully, Lynden Dunn went forward to kick his team's first goal midway through the third term but by then, some of his team's fans had already found a way out of the ground. The Demons weren't all bad. Aaron Davey stood out with his clean disposal and his pace, Brent Moloney with his hard bodied work and the defenders were terrific, particularly James Frawley, Matty Warnock and Stefan Martin. A two minute lapse from that department early in the final quarter allowed Tippet in for two goals that effectively killed off the game but otherwise they remained on top in a battle of defences. Late in the game when all was virtually lost, the Demons ditched the mad handball thing and started using the corridor, a tactic that gave them 8 goals in a quarter a week ago against Richmond. Bingo! Three goals and all of a sudden, they were only 15 points down with plenty of time to win. Adelaide simply tightened the screws and held off the Melbourne charge leaving fans with an empty feeling and wondering what might have happened had the selectors done the obvious in the first place and picked Robbo and Addam Maric (i.e. forward line players who can score goals) for this game. Melbourne 0.1.1 0.3.3 1.6.12 4.10.34 Adelaide 2.4.16 4.6.30 5.7.37 7.9.51 Goals Melbourne Dunn 2 McDonald McLean Adelaide Tippett 2 Johncock McLeod Porplyzia Stevens Walker Best Melbourne Davey Moloney McLean Frawley Warnock Dunn Adelaide Goodwin Bock Johncock Thompson Vince Tippett Injuries Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Reports Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Adelaide Nil Umpires Hendrie Armstrong Schmitt Crowd 14,129 at the MCG

The Flash extends his lead:- 49.036 Aaron Davey 26.850 Brent Moloney 20.550 Brock McLean 15.764 Brad Miller 15.545 Nathan Jones 11.388 James Frawley 11.293 Matthew Warnock 11.148 Brad Green 9.967 Ricky Petterd 8.624 Kyle Cheney 7.347 Cameron Bruce 6.825 Cale Morton 6.348 Colin Sylvia 6.122 Matthew Bate 5.717 Jared Rivers 3.333 James McDonald 3.261 Stefan Martin 3.077 Neville Jetta 2.449 Jamie Bennell 1.327 Clint Bartram 0.667 Lynden Dunn 0.663 Paul Johnson

We're getting close now and Geoff has confirmed the group is operating tonight (Mon 27th April) and Wednesday night 29 April and on Monday and Wednesday nights next week. Start is 5.45pm onwards through to 8pm at the clubs office on level 3. Entry is by the Southern Stand vehicle entrance. Check in with security as an MFC volunteer. Car parking is available there. Take lift 14 to level 3 & proceed 50 metres around towards the city end. Call Geoff 0425 832 522

Frankston 0.2 2.5 3.5 4.7 (31) Casey Scorpions 2.5 4.5 8.11 8.12 (60) GOALS: Frankston: Potts 2 Morris 2 Casey Scorpions: Zomer 2 Oldmeadow 2 Blaser Scanlon Snow Bolton BEST: Frankston: Hibberd Potts Bosward Rogasch Hobbs Sienkiewicz Casey Scorpions: Bail Blaser Williams Zomer Watts Oldmeadow REPORTED PLAYERS: Frankston: nil Casey Scorpions: nil

THE INTOXICATING SMELL OF SUCCESS IS HEADING OUR WAY by JVM The smell of success is both infectious and intoxicating and the cock a hoop Demons are lusting for more after their big victory last weekend against the Tigers. However, unlike the Blues who were crowing a few weeks back about back to back flags after their 2-0 start to the season, Melbourne's sights are set much lower. The Dees are taking things in the traditional football vein - one week at a time. They're looking only at back to back wins and they have the chance to do it this week with a home game against the Crows who seem to struggle whenever they play on the MCG (leaving aside the first game of the season when they beat Collingwood). The last time these teams met on the MCG, Melbourne opened its account for the 2007 season with a 17 point win over the highly fancied Crows who were on their way to the finals later that year. Going back further into history the Demons crushed this mob on the same ground in a finals game at the G in 1998 - a year in which Adelaide went on to win the premiership (I won't bother explaining the finals system that allowed such a thing to happen). What this all means is probably nothing but I'm using it to make the point that this is an eminently winnable game for the Melbourne Football Club. Now you might think I'm being unrealistic when I pump up the Demons' tyres but who ion their right mind would have believed before the start of the season that they would be level on premiership points with the reigning premiers after four rounds? I expect Adelaide to be totally confused and disorientated when its team takes to the field on Sunday in the twilight hours just before the setting of the sun. They have never been in this territory at that time of the day or week before whereas Melbourne covered itself in glory in its most recent foray into twilight football at the MCG. I remember it well. Sunday 2 September 2007 at 5.10pm when our red and blue heroes bade farewell to such luminaries as Byron Pickett, Daniel Ward and Nathan Brown by whipping that band of triers from Carlton Town to within an inch of their lives. At the same time, they also waved goodbye to a priority draft pick that year and another one last year but that's another story. Fact is the Dees are dynamite on their home ground and in these conditions. The other thing about this game is that Adelaide will no doubt be dispirited after being kicked around their own park by Geelong or more particularly by G. Ablett Jr. Their spirit and morale must be at a low ebb and they're going to feel a lot worse when they turn up at the MCG on Sunday to see a Melbourne team replete with more than a handful of players who sport the same bald cranium as the great god from down sleepy hollow way. That should be sufficient to freak the Crows off their game and leave the Demons sniffing the sweet and intoxicating smell of success for the second week running. THE GAME Melbourne v. Adelaide at the MCG – 26 April 2009 at 4.40pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 9 wins Adelaide 17 wins At MCG Melbourne 5 wins Adelaide 4 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 4 wins Adelaide 9 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 Craig 1 MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 4pm (live EST) RADIO ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.15 Adelaide to win $1.33 LAST TIME THEY MET Adelaide 22.18.150 d Melbourne 11.8.74, Round 8, 2008, at AAMI Stadium Melbourne was coming off its first win after a dismal start to the season having come for more than fifty points down to shock Fremantle on the MCG. With a week's break in between game thanks to the All Stars game (a total non event for Demons everywhere) the club and its supporters came down to earth with a thud when the team visited the City of Churches to take on the Crows. The team put up some resistance early but once the Birdman got going late in the opening term, it became a slaughter. Burton finished with five goals and Tippet managed four. McLeod did what he wanted and the game gave Adelaide youngsters Van Belo and Vince an opportunity to showcase their talents. The Dees had a few triers. Cale Morton was one of them. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Neville Jetta Matthew Warnock Clint Bartram Half backs James Frawley Stefan Martin Aaron Davey Centreline Jared Rivers Ricky Petterd Brock McLean Half forwards Cale Morton Michael Newton Nathan Jones Forwards Brad Miller Colin Sylvia Matthew Bate Followers John Meesen Cameron Bruce James McDonald Interchange Jamie Bennell Lynden Dunn Paul Johnson Brent Moloney Emergencies Kyle Cheney Addam Maric Russell Robertson In James McDonald Out Brad Green (broken jaw) ADELAIDE Backs Graham Johncock Ben Rutten Andrew Otten Half backs Michael Doughty Nathan Bock Nathan van Berlo Centreline Patrick Dangerfield Simon Goodwin David Mackay Half forwards Richard Douglas Taylor Walker Andrew McLeod Forwards Jason Porplyzia Kurt Tippett Bernie Vince Followers Jon Griffin Tyson Edwards Scott Thompson Interchange Myke Cook Jared Petrenko Brent Reilly Scott Stevens Emergencies Jarrhan Jacky Brad Moran Robert Shirley In Myke Cook Jon Griffin Scott Stevens Out Ivan Maric Robert Shirley Brad Symes (both omitted) Umpires Hendrie Armstrong Schmitt NOT EASY BEING GREEN Melbourne suffered a massive blow last week when Brad Green and Alex Rance, both with eyes on the football, clashed at the MCG in the first quarter of last week's game. Green was rushed to hospital, had surgery and has now been declared a four to week six week proposition as far as his return to the team is concerned. Anyone aware of the Demons' recent history would understand the ominous nature and significance of an injured player being classified in this manner. Greenie was in good form before the accident and we wish him well for a speedy return but his departure leaves a gaping hole in the Demon line up even if the team managed to rally and win without him last week. Against the Crows, Green will be missed. He is the club's most versatile player and excels wherever he plays. He is the leading goal kicker, has done some great work in the middle and then taken courageous marks when pushing down back. It will take three players to replace him. The skipper's back in the middle so that's one. Perhaps Kyle Cheney might have to come in to take the back line and Adam Maric is the natural for the forward replacement. I like Maric. He's a cheeky forward who kicks well and knows where the goals are. Adelaide coach Neil Craig was humbled and forced to apologise for giving his team's Maric a bake last week. I'm suggesting that he'll be humiliated by another Maric this week – Melbourne's Maric! And on that basis I'm selecting the Demons to win with flying colours and that on Sunday's night we'll be toasting another successful result. Melbourne by 15 points.

by JVM The smell of success is both infectious and intoxicating and the cock a hoop Demons are lusting for more after their big victory last weekend against the Tigers. However, unlike the Blues who were crowing a few weeks back about back to back flags after their 2-0 start to the season, Melbourne's sights are set much lower. The Dees are taking things in the traditional football vein - one week at a time. They're looking only at back to back wins and they have the chance to do it this week with a home game against the Crows who seem to struggle whenever they play on the MCG (leaving aside the first game of the season when they beat Collingwood). The last time these teams met on the MCG, Melbourne opened its account for the 2007 season with a 17 point win over the highly fancied Crows who were on their way to the finals later that year. Going back further into history the Demons crushed this mob on the same ground in a finals game at the G in 1998 - a year in which Adelaide went on to win the premiership (I won't bother explaining the finals system that allowed such a thing to happen). What this all means is probably nothing but I'm using it to make the point that this is an eminently winnable game for the Melbourne Football Club. Now you might think I'm being unrealistic when I pump up the Demons' tyres but who ion their right mind would have believed before the start of the season that they would be level on premiership points with the reigning premiers after four rounds? I expect Adelaide to be totally confused and disorientated when its team takes to the field on Sunday in the twilight hours just before the setting of the sun. They have never been in this territory at that time of the day or week before whereas Melbourne covered itself in glory in its most recent foray into twilight football at the MCG. I remember it well. Sunday 2 September 2007 at 5.10pm when our red and blue heroes bade farewell to such luminaries as Byron Pickett, Daniel Ward and Nathan Brown by whipping that band of triers from Carlton Town to within an inch of their lives. At the same time, they also waved goodbye to a priority draft pick that year and another one last year but that's another story. Fact is the Dees are dynamite on their home ground and in these conditions. The other thing about this game is that Adelaide will no doubt be dispirited after being kicked around their own park by Geelong or more particularly by G. Ablett Jr. Their spirit and morale must be at a low ebb and they're going to feel a lot worse when they turn up at the MCG on Sunday to see a Melbourne team replete with more than a handful of players who sport the same bald cranium as the great god from down sleepy hollow way. That should be sufficient to freak the Crows off their game and leave the Demons sniffing the sweet and intoxicating smell of success for the second week running. <b>THE GAME </b> Melbourne v. Adelaide at the MCG – 26 April 2009 at 4.40pm (AEST) <b>HEAD TO HEAD</b> Overall Melbourne 9 wins Adelaide 17 wins At MCG Melbourne 5 wins Adelaide 4 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 4 wins Adelaide 9 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 Craig 1 <b>MEDIA</b> TV Fox Sports 1 4pm (live EST) RADIO ABC774 SEN <b>THE BETTING</b> Melbourne to win $3.15 Adelaide to win $1.33 <b>LAST TIME THEY MET</b> Adelaide 22.18.150 d Melbourne 11.8.74, Round 8, 2008, at AAMI Stadium Melbourne was coming off its first win after a dismal start to the season having come for more than fifty points down to shock Fremantle on the MCG. With a week's break in between game thanks to the All Stars game (a total non event for Demons everywhere) the club and its supporters came down to earth with a thud when the team visited the City of Churches to take on the Crows. The team put up some resistance early but once the Birdman got going late in the opening term, it became a slaughter. Burton finished with five goals and Tippet managed four. McLeod did what he wanted and the game gave Adelaide youngsters Van Belo and Vince an opportunity to showcase their talents. The Dees had a few triers. Cale Morton was one of them. <b>THE TEAMS MELBOURNE</b> Backs Neville Jetta Matthew Warnock Clint Bartram Half backs James Frawley Stefan Martin Aaron Davey Centreline Jared Rivers Ricky Petterd Brock McLean Half forwards Cale Morton Michael Newton Nathan Jones Forwards Brad Miller Colin Sylvia Matthew Bate Followers John Meesen Cameron Bruce James McDonald Interchange Jamie Bennell Lynden Dunn Paul Johnson Brent Moloney Emergencies Kyle Cheney Addam Maric Russell Robertson In James McDonald Out Brad Green (broken jaw) <b>ADELAIDE </b> Backs Graham Johncock Ben Rutten Andrew Otten Half backs Michael Doughty Nathan Bock Nathan van Berlo Centreline Patrick Dangerfield Simon Goodwin David Mackay Half forwards Richard Douglas Taylor Walker Andrew McLeod Forwards Jason Porplyzia Kurt Tippett Bernie Vince Followers Jon Griffin Tyson Edwards Scott Thompson Interchange Myke Cook Jared Petrenko Brent Reilly Scott Stevens Emergencies Jarrhan Jacky Brad Moran Robert Shirley In Myke Cook Jon Griffin Scott Stevens Out Ivan Maric Robert Shirley Brad Symes (both omitted) Umpires Hendrie Armstrong Schmitt <b>NOT EASY BEING GREEN</b> Melbourne suffered a massive blow last week when Brad Green and Alex Rance, both with eyes on the football, clashed at the MCG in the first quarter of last week's game. Green was rushed to hospital, had surgery and has now been declared a four to week six week proposition as far as his return to the team is concerned. Anyone aware of the Demons' recent history would understand the ominous nature and significance of an injured player being classified in this manner. Greenie was in good form before the accident and we wish him well for a speedy return but his departure leaves a gaping hole in the Demon line up even if the team managed to rally and win without him last week. Against the Crows, Green will be missed. He is the club's most versatile player and excels wherever he plays. He is the leading goal kicker, has done some great work in the middle and then taken courageous marks when pushing down back. It will take three players to replace him. The skipper's back in the middle so that's one. Perhaps Kyle Cheney might have to come in to take the back line and Adam Maric is the natural for the forward replacement. I like Maric. He's a cheeky forward who kicks well and knows where the goals are. Adelaide coach Neil Craig was humbled and forced to apologise for giving his team's Maric a bake last week. I'm suggesting that he'll be humiliated by another Maric this week – Melbourne's Maric! And on that basis I'm selecting the Demons to win with flying colours and that on Sunday's night we'll be toasting another successful result. Melbourne by 15 points.

Demonlanders might be interested in this report from Paul Amy of Leader News which appears on the Casey website:

It was the week after our stirring victory over Fremantle at the MCG. Times have changed ... just look at the teams: ADELAIDE Backs Graham Johncock Ben Rutten Nathan Bassett Half backs Michael Doughty Nathan Bock Scott Stevens Centreline David Mackay Scott Thompson Nathan van Berlo Half forwards Simon Goodwin Brett Burton Bernie Vince Forwards Jason Porplyzia Kurt Tippett Chris Knights Followers Jonathon Griffin Andrew McLeod Tyson Edwards Interchange Luke Jericho Ivan Maric Kris Massie Robert Shirley Emergencies Bryce Campbell Jarrhan Jacky Ken McGregor In Luke Jericho Ivan Maric Ben Rutten Out Richard Douglas (knee) Jarrhan Jacky James Sellar (omitted) MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Colin Garland Daniel Bell Half backs Clint Bartram Jared Rivers Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green Brock McLean Matthew Bate Half forwards Cale Morton Russell Robertson Brent Moloney Forwards Aaron Davey Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White James McDonald Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Mark Jamar Shane Valenti Matthew Warnock Emergencies Jace Bode Nathan Carroll Paul Johnson In Simon Buckley Shane Valenti Out Nathan Carroll (omitted) Paul Wheatley (calf) (BOLD - won't or are unlikely to play) One thing that hasn't changed is that Paul Wheatley was out with a soft tissue injury!

Rumpole did say that Flanagan was doing a great job. The journo should realise by now how important our history is to us because our more recent history and the present (apart from Sunday's win) has been rather unerwhelming.

by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions responded to last week's humiliation at the hands of Sandringham with a much improved performance at home under lights at Casey Fields on Saturday night. After trailing throughout the Scorpions rallied late in the game but narrowly missed out on their first win for the season. A confident Port Melbourne, fresh from avenging last year's grand final humbling at the hands of North Ballarat, opened brightly and won the first quarter kicking two goals and keeping Casey to just three points to hold a 13 point lead at the first change. The home side squandered opportunities in front of goal and their only major for the first half came from high flying forward Russell Robertson who was working in well with Addam Maric but unfortunately, the score line of 1.7.13 to 4.5.29 at half time told the story. The youthful Casey combination was not overawed by the VFL power house but those wasted opportunities in front of goal were having a telling effect. The Scorpions kept plugging away after half time with the lanky Jake Spencer toiling hard in the ruck to get the ball down to small men in Shane Valenti who was getting a lot of the football and captain Kyle Matthews in the middle. Casey was also getting great service from their young veterans in Alex Silvagni in defence and James Wall who was combining well with the forwards while Beau Vernon was a good contributor on the night. The further the game progressed the more impact Jack Grimes was having on the game. The magical Liam Jurrah chipped in with a brilliant goal to narrow the gap. But Port managed to rally to hold a 10 point lead at the final break. Ben MaCreadie, who played well in just his second game for the club was reported for charging during the term and the team was momentarily unsettled. Russell Robertson continued to add bite up forward but it was still tough going for the home side as it played catch up football. There were several opportunities to win the game thanks to some hard work from Maric and Grimes and Pierce Liddle did all he could to win the game in the dying minutes with some long runs but it was a close shave for Port as the fast-finishing Scorpions fell short by a mere 3 points. The result underlines the importance in football if getting off to a good start (Casey won each of the last three quarters but still lost) and of accurate kicking around the ground and in front of goal. Coach Peter German is likely to impress these things on his charges next week as they take on another difficult opponent in Frankston at Frankston City Oval on Sunday. HOW THE DEMONS FARED (with thanks for assistance to Fan) First, a few little snippets picked up at the ground: Daniel Bell, Simon Bucley, Austin Wonaeamirri and possibly Rohan Bail are set to return through the Casey team next week. Paul Wheatley is still three or four weeks away while James Strauss did his shoulder at training on Thursday and will miss a couple of weeks. Jack Grimes - this kid is all class. He knows how to find the ball, knows where his options lie and rarely makes a skill error in execution. Would only have played 60 to 70% game time starting on the bench in the first and second quarters and coming on at about the 10 minute mark so it's likely he'll play again at this level next week to give him time to regain match fitness. Liam Jurrah - had very few possessions but what he did he did very well. Has all the skillsbut has to learn how to play the game at the elite level. If he learns well and gets involved with intensity, the Demons could have an A grader and possibly elite player on their list. Addam Maric - I'm a fan and really couldn't understand why he wasn't playing seniors. Is a class above this level with his agility and ability to find the ball. Used it very well on occasions but his kicking can occasionally let him down as sometimes tries too hard to "thread the needle". Got lots of it early but seemed to fade towards the end of the day. I hope he gets his chance soon as I think he'll benefit from playing senior AFL footy rather than with the Scorps. Jordie McKenzie - quiet early but came home with a wet sail. Lacking a little in pace, but runs hard. Later in the match he was able to find heaps of the ball and he took some very good options. Tom McNamara – kept his opponent quiet in what was a good defensive game but is young and still has a way to go. Russell Robertson - Robbo amazes me. He's short, stocky, not quick, doesn't work hard but unlike Jurrah just knows how to get involved and play the game. He was good getting regular possessions from ad hoc delivery and kicking a few goals. The view at the club is that he isn't ready for AFL yet but he looked ok to me. One thing we can be absolutely sure of is that he has not lost his leap and he can still kick long distances. Jake Spencer - played pretty well without dominating. He was competitive in the ruck and found a bit of the ball around the ground. His kicking looks ungainly but was surprisingly good with a couple of 40 meter bullet like passes to team mates. The good thing about Jake is when he does get his hand to the ball in a ruck contest he actually knocks it to the team's advantage. Shane Valenti - a "good" Valenti game, v ery good inside and worked really hard and by the end of the night was suffering from leather poisoning. Trent Zomer - played on a monster full forward in Bonnadio who outmuscled him and gave him a hard time but he fought on quite well in difficult circumstances. He's actually quite mobile, has good hands and makes some good decisions (especially by hand) but as a second year rookie needs to start showing a lot more if he wants to say on the list. Casey Scorpions 0.3.3 1.7.13 5.11.41 9.13.67 Port Melbourne 2.4.16 4.5.29 7.9.51 10.11.71 Goals Casey Scorpions Robertson 3 Maric 2 Grimes Jurrah McGough Moore Port Melbourne Bonaddio 3 Robbins 2 Burstin Dillon Mullins Raymond Smith Best Casey Scorpions Valenti Wall Silvagni Spencer Panozza Robertson Port Melbourne McGrath Pleming Smith Brewer Dalton Bonaddio Report B MaCreadie (Casey Scorpions) for charging M. Smith (Port Melbourne) during the 3rd quarter The Casey Scorpions Reserves stared well and were still in the game at three quarter time but Port Melbourne was able to streak away with a 9 goal final quarter. Luke Williams and Ben Waite worked hard in defence while Danny Hughes and Brad Sykes did well up forward with three goals each. One of Hughes' marks would be hard to beat if there was a mark of the year award for the VFL Reserves. HOW THE DEMONS FARED The strong tip at the ground was that following the debut of schoolboy Jack Watts at this level on Saturday, another schoolie in Sam Blease will follow suit in next week's early game at Frankston. Rhys Healey – showed out with some good pace, strong marking and excellent delivery despite having a heavily strapped knee. Danny Hughes – marked well up forward and worked hard all evening and is in line for promotion to the Seniors next week. Jack Watts – started slowly but upped the ante in the second half and finished with 15 kicks 5 marks 7 marks and 1 goal. Matthew Whelan – was cool early in defence and took a couple of good marks before a thigh injury saw him out of the game by the end of the first quarter. Casey Scorpions 4.4.28 6.8.44 9.13.67 13.14.92 Port Melbourne 3.2.20 9.8.62 10.12.72 19.18.132 Goals Casey Scorpions Hughes Sykes 3 Bolton 2 Chivers McLeod Mildren Schrape Watts Port Melbourne Schultz 4 Hassett Kennedy Martin Scipione 2 Edwards Irving Kilpin Neville O'Keefe Sengstock Suckling Best Casey Scorpions Williams Mazurek Waite Hughes Healey Chivers Port Melbourne Schultz Wall Sengstock Siciliano Clarkson Scipione

CASEY'S CLOSE SHAVE by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions responded to last week's humiliation at the hands of Sandringham with a much improved performance at home under lights at Casey Fields on Saturday night. After trailing throughout the Scorpions rallied late in the game but narrowly missed out on their first win for the season. A confident Port Melbourne, fresh from avenging last year's grand final humbling at the hands of North Ballarat, opened brightly and won the first quarter kicking two goals and keeping Casey to just three points to hold a 13 point lead at the first change. The home side squandered opportunities in front of goal and their only major for the first half came from high flying forward Russell Robertson who was working in well with Addam Maric but unfortunately, the score line of 1.7.13 to 4.5.29 at half time told the story. The youthful Casey combination was not overawed by the VFL power house but those wasted opportunities in front of goal were having a telling effect. The Scorpions kept plugging away after half time with the lanky Jake Spencer toiling hard in the ruck to get the ball down to small men in Shane Valenti who was getting a lot of the football and captain Kyle Matthews in the middle. Casey was also getting great service from their young veterans in Alex Silvagni in defence and James Wall who was combining well with the forwards while Beau Vernon was a good contributor on the night. The further the game progressed the more impact Jack Grimes was having on the game. The magical Liam Jurrah chipped in with a brilliant goal to narrow the gap. But Port managed to rally to hold a 10 point lead at the final break. Ben MaCreadie, who played well in just his second game for the club was reported for charging during the term and the team was momentarily unsettled. Russell Robertson continued to add bite up forward but it was still tough going for the home side as it played catch up football. There were several opportunities to win the game thanks to some hard work from Maric and Grimes and Pierce Liddle did all he could to win the game in the dying minutes with some long runs but it was a close shave for Port as the fast-finishing Scorpions fell short by a mere 3 points. The result underlines the importance in football if getting off to a good start (Casey won each of the last three quarters but still lost) and of accurate kicking around the ground and in front of goal. Coach Peter German is likely to impress these things on his charges next week as they take on another difficult opponent in Frankston at Frankston City Oval on Sunday. HOW THE DEMONS FARED (with thanks for assistance to Fan) First, a few little snippets picked up at the ground: Daniel Bell, Simon Bucley, Austin Wonaeamirri and possibly Rohan Bail are set to return through the Casey team next week. Paul Wheatley is still three or four weeks away while James Strauss did his shoulder at training on Thursday and will miss a couple of weeks. Jack Grimes - this kid is all class. He knows how to find the ball, knows where his options lie and rarely makes a skill error in execution. Would only have played 60 to 70% game time starting on the bench in the first and second quarters and coming on at about the 10 minute mark so it's likely he'll play again at this level next week to give him time to regain match fitness. Liam Jurrah - had very few possessions but what he did he did very well. Has all the skillsbut has to learn how to play the game at the elite level. If he learns well and gets involved with intensity, the Demons could have an A grader and possibly elite player on their list. Addam Maric - I'm a fan and really couldn't understand why he wasn't playing seniors. Is a class above this level with his agility and ability to find the ball. Used it very well on occasions but his kicking can occasionally let him down as sometimes tries too hard to "thread the needle". Got lots of it early but seemed to fade towards the end of the day. I hope he gets his chance soon as I think he'll benefit from playing senior AFL footy rather than with the Scorps. Jordie McKenzie - quiet early but came home with a wet sail. Lacking a little in pace, but runs hard. Later in the match he was able to find heaps of the ball and he took some very good options. Tom McNamara – kept his opponent quiet in what was a good defensive game but is young and still has a way to go. Russell Robertson - Robbo amazes me. He's short, stocky, not quick, doesn't work hard but unlike Jurrah just knows how to get involved and play the game. He was good getting regular possessions from ad hoc delivery and kicking a few goals. The view at the club is that he isn't ready for AFL yet but he looked ok to me. One thing we can be absolutely sure of is that he has not lost his leap and he can still kick long distances. Jake Spencer - played pretty well without dominating. He was competitive in the ruck and found a bit of the ball around the ground. His kicking looks ungainly but was surprisingly good with a couple of 40 meter bullet like passes to team mates. The good thing about Jake is when he does get his hand to the ball in a ruck contest he actually knocks it to the team's advantage. Shane Valenti - a "good" Valenti game, v ery good inside and worked really hard and by the end of the night was suffering from leather poisoning. Trent Zomer - played on a monster full forward in Bonnadio who outmuscled him and gave him a hard time but he fought on quite well in difficult circumstances. He's actually quite mobile, has good hands and makes some good decisions (especially by hand) but as a second year rookie needs to start showing a lot more if he wants to say on the list. Casey Scorpions 0.3.3 1.7.13 5.11.41 9.13.67 Port Melbourne 2.4.16 4.5.29 7.9.51 10.11.71 Goals Casey Scorpions Robertson 3 Maric 2 Grimes Jurrah McGough Moore Port Melbourne Bonaddio 3 Robbins 2 Burstin Dillon Mullins Raymond Smith Best Casey Scorpions Valenti Wall Silvagni Spencer Panozza Robertson Port Melbourne McGrath Pleming Smith Brewer Dalton Bonaddio Report B MaCreadie (Casey Scorpions) for charging M. Smith (Port Melbourne) during the 3rd quarter The Casey Scorpions Reserves stared well and were still in the game at three quarter time but Port Melbourne was able to streak away with a 9 goal final quarter. Luke Williams and Ben Waite worked hard in defence while Danny Hughes and Brad Sykes did well up forward with three goals each. One of Hughes' marks would be hard to beat if there was a mark of the year award for the VFL Reserves. HOW THE DEMONS FARED The strong tip at the ground was that following the debut of schoolboy Jack Watts at this level on Saturday, another schoolie in Sam Blease will follow suit in next week's early game at Frankston. Rhys Healey – showed out with some good pace, strong marking and excellent delivery despite having a heavily strapped knee. Danny Hughes – marked well up forward and worked hard all evening and is in line for promotion to the Seniors next week. Jack Watts – started slowly but upped the ante in the second half and finished with 15 kicks 5 marks 7 marks and 1 goal. Matthew Whelan – was cool early in defence and took a couple of good marks before a thigh injury saw him out of the game by the end of the first quarter. Casey Scorpions 4.4.28 6.8.44 9.13.67 13.14.92 Port Melbourne 3.2.20 9.8.62 10.12.72 19.18.132 Goals Casey Scorpions Hughes Sykes 3 Bolton 2 Chivers McLeod Mildren Schrape Watts Port Melbourne Schultz 4 Hassett Kennedy Martin Scipione 2 Edwards Irving Kilpin Neville O'Keefe Sengstock Suckling Best Casey Scorpions Williams Mazurek Waite Hughes Healey Chivers Port Melbourne Schultz Wall Sengstock Siciliano Clarkson Scipione

by The Oracle The legend goes that when he was young Terry Wallace was a Melbourne supporter. As a teenage footballer with talent he was residentially tied to Fitzroy but a way was found to enable him to join Hawthorn where he played in three premiership teams before moving to Richmond and then on to Footscray. He never had much reason to regret not playing for the team he loved as a kid except perhaps once about 20 years ago when he crossed paths with Rod Grinter at the Whitten Oval. It happened again yesterday when he was KO'd by a whole team of Demons. Wallace was on a hiding to nothing this week. He was under the pump before his old team, the Bulldogs, destroyed Richmond on Easter Monday. After the game it was pandemonium with headlines such as "Death Row" dominating a hungry media lusting for blood: Wallace's blood. Melbourne, which had an equally poor record of 0-3 was left alone by the pack dogs in the media. As a result Dean Bailey and his Demons quietly went about their business during the week and were primed and ready to play a more direct form of football. Well, that's my story and it sounds pretty good to me although I have this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that this was a contest between two teams currently exhibiting low levels of competence and it was the least competent that rose to the occasion when the game was there to be won and lost in the first half. Then again, I don't think it's wise to take too much away from a Melbourne team that has been showing a great deal of endeavour and which overcame its collective lack of experience and the fact that its long injury list was extended significantly with the loss in the first quarter of Brad Green to a broken jaw. Green has been one of the best (if not THE best) of the Demons so far this season and, at the point when he was removed from the game he was well on his way to another fine game having already accumulated eight possessions. But it was that sort of day. The Tigers flew out of the blocks and had a goal on the board before the Dees even had a sniff of leather. Matty Warnock's name was in the umpire's book for an alleged strike on Tiger Tom Hislop before the first bounce. When the second Richmond goal followed, there were Melbourne supporters covering their faces and thinking that it was going to be a hard day at the office. Then the team regained its composure but its kicking was all over the shop. How often do you hit the post four times in a quarter? Surely, that's a skill you don't see in the game very often. Mind you, the Tigers' skills were equally poor and somehow, they managed to concede the lead by quarter time. Then followed an eight goal quarter from Melbourne that saw the resurrection of a number of names that had hitherto been conspicuously missing so far this season. Colin Sylvia came up with a bottler of a quarter winning it out of the middle and booting two long, long goals, Brock McLean put in his best effort of the day and Jared Rivers took over the leadership of the defence in a manner characteristic of the way he played before those injury problems hobbled his career and Brad Miller put in his best effort for the season. Aaron Davey playing the speedy, loose midfielder role to perfection continued on with his fine season and the wheels started turning for the Demons who simply wanted the ball more. By half time, we couldn't believe what the scoreboard was telling us; it was only the fact that one or two Richmond supporters were jumping off the balcony that finally convinced us. The Tigers then proceeded to drag the Dees back down to their own level in the third quarter and managed to narrow the gap to 28 points at orange time but only thanks to some mediocre kicking for goal which prevented Melbourne from wrapping up the issue at that stage of proceedings. The Demons were under fire in the last quarter and seemed to be running out of legs as the Tigers, led by experienced war horses in Matthew Richardson and Joel Bowden fought back late in the game. It was however, too late and Melbourne held on to win only its fourth game in 26 matches under coach Dean Bailey who would have been happy with the way his ruck division and forward line performed after being wasted in the opening weeks of the season. Now, if only some of those players can put it together on a consistent basis … Melbourne's winning effort should pay the club handsome dividends this week as its membership numbers slowly climb towards the magic 30,000. With only one home game so far in the season, a club membership is still a worthwhile investment to make as the team emerges from the difficult times endured by all whose hearts beat true for the red and the blue. All Demon fans are welcome to take up a membership if they have no already done so and if things go badly in the coming week for Terry, he might even want to join up. Melbourne 2.6.18 10.7.67 13.11.89 14.16.100 Richmond 2.3.15 5.6.36 9.7.61 13.14.92 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Newton Petterd Sylvia 2 Bate Davey Dunn Green Jetta Richmond Richardson 4 Brown Collins 2 Deledio McGuane Moore Morton Nahas Best Melbourne Davey Bruce Miller Warnock McLean Moloney Sylvia Morton Richmond Bowden Richardson Foley Collins Rance Injuries Melbourne Brad Green (broken jaw) Richmond nil Changes Melbourne nil Richmond nil Report Matthew Warnock (Melbourne) reported by Umpire Findlay for striking Tom Hislop (Richmond) before the first bounce. Umpires James Wenn Findlay Crowd 40,763 at MCG

TERRY TOWELLED by The Oracle The legend goes that when he was young Terry Wallace was a Melbourne supporter. As a teenage footballer with talent he was residentially tied to Fitzroy but a way was found to enable him to join Hawthorn where he played in three premiership teams before moving to Richmond and then on to Footscray. He never had much reason to regret not playing for the team he loved as a kid except perhaps once about 20 years ago when he crossed paths with Rod Grinter at the Whitten Oval. It happened again yesterday when he was KO'd by a whole team of Demons. Wallace was on a hiding to nothing this week. He was under the pump before his old team, the Bulldogs, destroyed Richmond on Easter Monday. After the game it was pandemonium with headlines such as "Death Row" dominating a hungry media lusting for blood: Wallace's blood. Melbourne, which had an equally poor record of 0-3 was left alone by the pack dogs in the media. As a result Dean Bailey and his Demons quietly went about their business during the week and were primed and ready to play a more direct form of football. Well, that's my story and it sounds pretty good to me although I have this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that this was a contest between two teams currently exhibiting low levels of competence and it was the least competent that rose to the occasion when the game was there to be won and lost in the first half. Then again, I don't think it's wise to take too much away from a Melbourne team that has been showing a great deal of endeavour and which overcame its collective lack of experience and the fact that its long injury list was extended significantly with the loss in the first quarter of Brad Green to a broken jaw. Green has been one of the best (if not THE best) of the Demons so far this season and, at the point when he was removed from the game he was well on his way to another fine game having already accumulated eight possessions. But it was that sort of day. The Tigers flew out of the blocks and had a goal on the board before the Dees even had a sniff of leather. Matty Warnock's name was in the umpire's book for an alleged strike on Tiger Tom Hislop before the first bounce. When the second Richmond goal followed, there were Melbourne supporters covering their faces and thinking that it was going to be a hard day at the office. Then the team regained its composure but its kicking was all over the shop. How often do you hit the post four times in a quarter? Surely, that's a skill you don't see in the game very often. Mind you, the Tigers' skills were equally poor and somehow, they managed to concede the lead by quarter time. Then followed an eight goal quarter from Melbourne that saw the resurrection of a number of names that had hitherto been conspicuously missing so far this season. Colin Sylvia came up with a bottler of a quarter winning it out of the middle and booting two long, long goals, Brock McLean put in his best effort of the day and Jared Rivers took over the leadership of the defence in a manner characteristic of the way he played before those injury problems hobbled his career and Brad Miller put in his best effort for the season. Aaron Davey playing the speedy, loose midfielder role to perfection continued on with his fine season and the wheels started turning for the Demons who simply wanted the ball more. By half time, we couldn't believe what the scoreboard was telling us; it was only the fact that one or two Richmond supporters were jumping off the balcony that finally convinced us. The Tigers then proceeded to drag the Dees back down to their own level in the third quarter and managed to narrow the gap to 28 points at orange time but only thanks to some mediocre kicking for goal which prevented Melbourne from wrapping up the issue at that stage of proceedings. The Demons were under fire in the last quarter and seemed to be running out of legs as the Tigers, led by experienced war horses in Matthew Richardson and Joel Bowden fought back late in the game. It was however, too late and Melbourne held on to win only its fourth game in 26 matches under coach Dean Bailey who would have been happy with the way his ruck division and forward line performed after being wasted in the opening weeks of the season. Now, if only some of those players can put it together on a consistent basis … Melbourne's winning effort should pay the club handsome dividends this week as its membership numbers slowly climb towards the magic 30,000. With only one home game so far in the season, a club membership is still a worthwhile investment to make as the team emerges from the difficult times endured by all whose hearts beat true for the red and the blue. All Demon fans are welcome to take up a membership if they have no already done so and if things go badly in the coming week for Terry, he might even want to join up. Melbourne 2.6.18 10.7.67 13.11.89 14.16.100 Richmond 2.3.15 5.6.36 9.7.61 13.14.92 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Newton Petterd Sylvia 2 Bate Davey Dunn Green Jetta Richmond Richardson 4 Brown Collins 2 Deledio McGuane Moore Morton Nahas Best Melbourne Davey Bruce Miller Warnock McLean Moloney Sylvia Morton Richmond Bowden Richardson Foley Collins Rance Injuries Melbourne Brad Green (broken jaw) Richmond nil Changes Melbourne nil Richmond nil Report Matthew Warnock (Melbourne) reported by Umpire Findlay for striking Tom Hislop (Richmond) before the first bounce. Umpires James Wenn Findlay Crowd 40,763 at MCG

Flash streaks away - 37.703 Aaron Davey 16.850 Brent Moloney 15.764 Brad Miller 15.217 Brock McLean 14.212 Nathan Jones 11.148 Brad Green 10.626 Matthew Warnock 8.624 Kyle Cheney 7.347 Cameron Bruce 6.825 Cale Morton 6.634 Ricky Petterd 6.122 Matthew Bate 5.717 Jared Rivers 5.388 James Frawley 4.348 Colin Sylvia 3.261 Stefan Martin 3.077 Neville Jetta 2.449 Jamie Bennell 1.327 Clint Bartram 0.663 Paul Johnson

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD by Whispering Jack He does exist. He is real and he can play football! That was my conclusion as I drove back up the long and winding road from who knows where to the warmth and safety of home after witnessing the advent of Jack Watts from junior footballer to a form of senior footballer via the Casey reserves. Watts ran out with his team mates at 4.00 pm to face off against the boys from the Borough under darkening, cloudy skies. He was tall and blond and while he looked to have benefitted from a summer of weights and pre season work, he still had a fair way to go. This just happened to be the place where his road started. It was a Saturday afternoon at an oval in a remote godforsaken part of the world as the ball was bounced and it was so bloody cold that I couldn't stop asking myself the question: "What the hell am I doing here?" At least I was thankful the old boilers with the sharp tongues, pointy umbrellas and moustaches who frequent North Port Oval hadn't turned up yet. The thought came to me that perhaps they were filming Daniel Pratt and Adam Simpson at one of the ubiquitous Red Roosters that dot the landscape on that long and windy road to Cranny but I digress. Those who expected Jack to dominate were mistaken. They don't know VFL reserves football for a start. The players around you don't have exquisite elite skills, the delivery isn't always the best, and the talking, the back up, the shepherds and the blocking aren't always there. Casey butchered at least three or four point kick ins that all resulted in easy goals for Port Melbourne. It's those aspects of the game, often taken for granted in the AFL, that aren't there at this level to provide help to young players and it often makes things harder for them. Jack made a slow, tentative start. He found himself too far under the ball once or twice, flicked the ball to a team mate for what they might call a "goal assist" in basketball and finally got himself a free kick before the siren signalled the end of his first quarter in the little big time. The crowd was building, the sky was darkening, the lights went on and Ryan Fitzgerald and the Channel 10 cameras rolled into the ground. Jack's debut was about to be highlighted on Before the Game. A quick message home to ensure the programme gets taped for posterity on the IQ. The wonders of modern technology. Meanwhile, there were other Demons taking part in this game. The oldish war horse Matty Whelan made a bright start, clearing the ball off half back, taking a strong mark or two before he received a knock to the thigh and went off treatment. He came back on to test it out but by the first break, his leg was being iced. His right thigh was bandaged and it was obvious that the frustrated veteran Demon's evening was over. At the other end of the experience scale Rhys Healey was showing a lot of promise and skill. The rookie from Bendigo was clean with his disposal, went in hard and marked solidly. There were no cameras there for him but he was still able to impress in just his second game after missing out on valuable pre season match practice with a back injury. Rookie Danny Hughes has had a rough couple of years after showing promise at Sandy in his first coming as a rookie. He was back in his element this evening. One of his team's best for the night, he was alternating up ward with Watts and he almost stole the show when he took what would have been a certain contender mark of the year had it been taken at the Gee or the Geehad. Hughes levitated upward on an opponent's back and catapulted himself into the night time skies over East Cranbourne reaching such a height that it registered on the radar at Tooradin Airport thirty kilometres away. By this time Jack had scored his first goal in the history of VFL reserves football. It might have been a memorable moment for the few hundred faithful Demon supporting lunatics who were freezing their proverbials off in the middle of nowhere (I'm assured it will be "somewhere" one day when the projected new wave of 200,000 suburban dwellers move into the brick veneers that will one day encircle the place) but this was just a routine goal by most standards. A lead, a mark and a lucky 50 metre penalty when the man on the mark moved a centimetre too far forward as Jack fluffed his first shot at goal. No problems from the goal square however, and a stellar career as an AFL key position forward was well and truly under way! From then on there was nothing too spectacular. He copped a whack in the mouth, ran far and wide to get possession, did it all very easily and cleanly and looked a class above without dominating. He can do the lot this kid - including taking the ruckwork up ward. Nothing looked too much for him and, at times he seemed to be gliding across the surface. He lunged for a mark close to goal and unselfishly handballed to a team mate in the goal square for a good team goal. He finished with a handy 20 disposals and was getting better as the game went on. "There's obviously going to be expectations being the No. 1 draft pick but I can't really do much about that," he said after the game. Mostly, he looked as if he was enjoying himself out there and that was the main thing. There are those out there who don't have the patience to wait for players to be ready to make the step up to the highest level of the sport. I'm told that Brian Taylor was busily making the point on a television programme that most first choice draft picks over the past decade were walk up starts into their AFL teams. He misunderstands that Watts (and likewise his team mate Sam Blease) is still at school, has been on a modified training programme and has a whole lifetime in the sport ahead of him. Earlier in the day, I took my 4 year old grandson off to his first soccer clinic. He ran around an hour, had fun and reminded me of his father when he was the same age. The same mannerisms, the same glint of enjoyment in the eyes. Who knows where this will all take him in the years to come? Who knows where Jack Watts will be in three years time? The answer lies in how well his career is prepared him and how well he learns and adapts to what he is being taught. It's now six months into Jack Watts' AFL journey; his first game is over and, from what I saw this evening, he's making his way down the right road. That's what matters!

by Whispering Jack He does exist. He is real and he can play football! That was my conclusion as I drove back up the long and winding road from who knows where to the warmth and safety of home after witnessing the advent of Jack Watts from junior footballer to a form of senior footballer via the Casey reserves. Watts ran out with his team mates at 4.00 pm to face off against the boys from the Borough under darkening, cloudy skies. He was tall and blond and while he looked to have benefitted from a summer of weights and pre season work, he still had a fair way to go. This just happened to be the place where his road started. It was a Saturday afternoon at an oval in a remote godforsaken part of the world as the ball was bounced and it was so bloody cold that I couldn't stop asking myself the question: "What the hell am I doing here?" At least I was thankful the old boilers with the sharp tongues, pointy umbrellas and moustaches who frequent North Port Oval hadn't turned up yet. The thought came to me that perhaps they were filming Daniel Pratt and Adam Simpson at one of the ubiquitous Red Roosters that dot the landscape on that long and windy road to Cranny but I digress. Those who expected Jack to dominate were mistaken. They don't know VFL reserves football for a start. The players around you don't have exquisite elite skills, the delivery isn't always the best, and the talking, the back up, the shepherds and the blocking aren't always there. Casey butchered at least three or four point kick ins that all resulted in easy goals for Port Melbourne. It's those aspects of the game, often taken for granted in the AFL, that aren't there at this level to provide help to young players and it often makes things harder for them. Jack made a slow, tentative start. He found himself too far under the ball once or twice, flicked the ball to a team mate for what they might call a "goal assist" in basketball and finally got himself a free kick before the siren signalled the end of his first quarter in the little big time. The crowd was building, the sky was darkening, the lights went on and Ryan Fitzgerald and the Channel 10 cameras rolled into the ground. Jack's debut was about to be highlighted on Before the Game. A quick message home to ensure the programme gets taped for posterity on the IQ. The wonders of modern technology. Meanwhile, there were other Demons taking part in this game. The oldish war horse Matty Whelan made a bright start, clearing the ball off half back, taking a strong mark or two before he received a knock to the thigh and went off treatment. He came back on to test it out but by the first break, his leg was being iced. His right thigh was bandaged and it was obvious that the frustrated veteran Demon's evening was over. At the other end of the experience scale Rhys Healey was showing a lot of promise and skill. The rookie from Bendigo was clean with his disposal, went in hard and marked solidly. There were no cameras there for him but he was still able to impress in just his second game after missing out on valuable pre season match practice with a back injury. Rookie Danny Hughes has had a rough couple of years after showing promise at Sandy in his first coming as a rookie. He was back in his element this evening. One of his team's best for the night, he was alternating up ward with Watts and he almost stole the show when he took what would have been a certain contender mark of the year had it been taken at the Gee or the Geehad. Hughes levitated upward on an opponent's back and catapulted himself into the night time skies over East Cranbourne reaching such a height that it registered on the radar at Tooradin Airport thirty kilometres away. By this time Jack had scored his first goal in the history of VFL reserves football. It might have been a memorable moment for the few hundred faithful Demon supporting lunatics who were freezing their proverbials off in the middle of nowhere (I'm assured it will be "somewhere" one day when the projected new wave of 200,000 suburban dwellers move into the brick veneers that will one day encircle the place) but this was just a routine goal by most standards. A lead, a mark and a lucky 50 metre penalty when the man on the mark moved a centimetre too far forward as Jack fluffed his first shot at goal. No problems from the goal square however, and a stellar career as an AFL key position forward was well and truly under way! From then on there was nothing too spectacular. He copped a whack in the mouth, ran far and wide to get possession, did it all very easily and cleanly and looked a class above without dominating. He can do the lot this kid - including taking the ruckwork up ward. Nothing looked too much for him and, at times he seemed to be gliding across the surface. He lunged for a mark close to goal and unselfishly handballed to a team mate in the goal square for a good team goal. He finished with a handy 20 disposals and was getting better as the game went on. "There's obviously going to be expectations being the No. 1 draft pick but I can't really do much about that," he said after the game. Mostly, he looked as if he was enjoying himself out there and that was the main thing. There are those out there who don't have the patience to wait for players to be ready to make the step up to the highest level of the sport. I'm told that Brian Taylor was busily making the point on a television programme that most first choice draft picks over the past decade were walk up starts into their AFL teams. He misunderstands that Watts (and likewise his team mate Sam Blease) is still at school, has been on a modified training programme and has a whole lifetime in the sport ahead of him. Earlier in the day, I took my 4 year old grandson off to his first soccer clinic. He ran around an hour, had fun and reminded me of his father when he was the same age. The same mannerisms, the same glint of enjoyment in the eyes. Who knows where this will all take him in the years to come? Who knows where Jack Watts will be in three years time? The answer lies in how well his career is prepared him and how well he learns and adapts to what he is being taught. It's now six months into Jack Watts' AFL journey; his first game is over and, from what I saw this evening, he's making his way down the right road. That's what matters!

NOTHING SPECIAL by Whispering Jack There are some special moments in every sporting season when excitement runs to fever pitch and the world waits expectantly upon the spectacle about to unfold but, unfortunately, that is something which is unlikely to be said of the moment when the field umpire bounces the ball start proceedings between Richmond and Melbourne at around 2.10 pm this Sunday. The MCG co-tenants are the AFL's two most dysfunctional teams and, needless to say, both will be chasing their first victory for the year. The Tigers have been in turmoil since their gut wrenching opening match of the season when they were not only monstered by up and comers Carlton but they also lost glamour recruit Ben Cousins to yet another hamstring injury. The turmoil turned into full blown crisis mode last Monday after the Western Bulldogs comprehensively mauled them in the last three quarters of their game. Their supporters have been up in arms calling for the sacking of everyone from the president, the board, the coach and even the boot studder. I'm not a fan of Terry Wallace and I can understand the dissatisfaction of the Tiger faithful with a 0-3 score line after three rounds but plenty of teams have fought back from their situation to complete successful seasons. It's too early to be calling for his head. Of course, next week's another matter altogether if his charges falter against Melbourne. It's becoming commonplace for the Demons to face opposition teams at times when they are under the pump from their own supporters, the media and the public. Collingwood had just been through a week of soul searching after its shock opening round defeat at home against Adelaide and the Power endured seven days of ridicule and disgrace after being thumped out west. Now, it's the disgraced Tigers that carry the load of their insipid, mistake-riddled, inept losing form into their game against the Demons. You can't buy motivation better than that and what's more, Richmond has the perfect opposition in the AFL's punching bag against which to launch its recovery. For its part, Melbourne keeps on rolling along like Old Man River. No headlines in bold letters, just a feel good fluff piece half a dozen pages from the back about Jim Stynes wanting his injury-riddled team to start winning "so a losing mentality doesn't creep in." As if it hasn't well and truly crept in after the team has lost 39 of its last 47 games! Which all proves that Sunday's game at the MCG will be like the last couple of meetings between the two clubs. Nothing special. THE GAME Melbourne v Richmond at MCG - Sunday 19 April 2009 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Richmond 98 wins Melbourne 75 wins 2 draws At the MCG Richmond 64 wins Melbourne 56 wins 1 draw Since 2000 Richmond 9 wins Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Wallace 2 wins Bailey 0 wins MEDIA TV Channel 7 3 pm (1 hour delay) Radio 3AW MMM K Rock THE BETTING Richmond to win $1.33 Melbourne to win $3.15 LAST TIME THEY MET Richmond 18.13.121 d Melbourne 6.5.41 in Round 22, 2008 at the MCG The Tigers finished off a season of improvement with a massive 80 point victory over a pathetic Melbourne team for which the end of the season couldn't come quickly enough. Unfortunately for the Demons and those of their supporters who turned up it was a slow death. THE TEAMS RICHMOND Backs Chris Newman Kelvin Moore Alex Rance Half Backs Tom Hislop Luke McGuane Dean Polo Centerline Matt White Shane Tuck Andrew Collins Half Forwards Nathan Brown Matthew Richardson Joel Bowden Forwards Mitch Morton Jack Reiwoldt Brett Deledio Followers Troy Simmons Daniel Jackson Nathan Foley Interchange Daniel Connors Angus Graham Jordan McMahon Robin Nahas Emergency Shane Edwards Jake King Jarred Oakley-Nicholls In Andrew Collins Daniel Connors Jordan McMahon Robin Nahas Out Shane Edwards Jake King Jay Schulz Richard Tambling New Andrew Collins (Bendigo Pioneers) MELBOURNE Backs Neville Jetty Matthew Warnock Jared Rivers Half Backs James Frawley Stefan Martin Aaron Davey Centerline Jamie Benn ell Lynden Dunn Brock McLean Half Forwards Matthew Bate Brent Maloney Michael Newton Forwards Brad Miller Colin Sylvia Caleb Morton Followers John Meesen Cameron Bruce Brad Green Interchange Clint Bartram Paul Johnson Nathan Jones Ricky Petted Emergencies Kyle Cheney Adam Maric Jake Spencer In Michael Newton Out Kyle Cheney MORE OF THE SAME It's no secret that Melbourne has been struggling under the weight of injuries and inexperience after off loading a number of club stalwarts at the end of 2008 and for this reason, the Demons and their coaching staff have been let off lightly by their own supporters and the baying dogs in the media who delight in making a meal out of the predicaments of others. The mantra about the team having bottomed out and the supporters needing to be patient is one thing but this cannot be allowed to become the convenient response to issues of concern about the team's performance on a week to week basis and there are several of these matters that need to be addressed as the club goes through its transition from cellar dweller to what will hopefully be a better future somewhere down the line. The inexperience factor is obviously one that is hurting the Demons right now. This week, the team will comprise of no more than four players with 100 games or more of AFL experience; Aaron Davey who reached the ton last week, Brad Miller who did so last year and Brad Green and Cameron Bruce who are in the 180's. To date, these players are at least holding their own but their combined experience is not enough to hold a young team together. If you look at the other clubs and the amount of experienced players they field each week (including this week's opponent Richmond which has several over 30's) and you know where the club is in terms of the cycle of development. At the other end of the scale, the club is fielding large numbers of players each week with less than fifty game's experience and five of the 26 tried so far this season have been debutants. Again, you can't expect much more from these players than what they've produced to date. Where the problem lies in my view is with the group of players in the early to mid 20's age group who have been at the club for around five years or so and who have generally played between around 50 and 100 games in that time. This group comprises names like Matthew Bate, Daniel Bell, Lynden Dunn, Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Brock McLean, Brent Moloney, Jared Rivers, Colin Sylvia. Michael Newton hasn't quite reached the games tally but you can add him to the group as well. Many of these players are first round draft picks and the club held high hopes for them in the past. Collectively, they are failing the club because their performances are simply not up to expectations. Yes, there are excuses in almost every case. A few are injured and haven't played yet this year. Moloney has been good after a couple of poor seasons. However, these players are vital for Melbourne's future resurgence and yet, they haven't taken the steps forward that are demanded at most AFL clubs. It would be a tragedy if their slow development (some would say their development is non existent) would be glossed over because of the "bottom out factor" which has seen the club avoid the criticism that's fallen upon Richmond and Terry Wallace this week. These players need to rise to the occasion in 2009 and not wait for the players of lesser experience to overtake them. The other area where the Demons are really struggling is up forward where an often outnumbered and outmanned attack is not only having difficulty in kicking anything like a winning score but is also constantly failing to keep the ball inside its forward fifty metre arc. The ball is routinely being swept away by opposition defenders who seem to be better positioned to the fall of the football and are able to move the ball out of defence with minimal pressure. The return to the team of Michael Newton and Adam Maric this week might assist but I suspect that the forward line issue is more of a long term problem for the Dees and will not be solved until more recently drafted younger blood is ready to play at this level. I've focussed predominantly on one team in this game because the other has been well covered in the media. Richmond will probably get up in this game because their form has ironically been less unimpressive (on the strength of the Tigers' performance against Geelong) than that of Melbourne which has made itself irrelevant again in the eyes of the football public. So the result may be irrelevant but I'm tipping Richmond by 15 points in what should be a dull, boring and colourless encounter on Sunday afternoon.

The club has asked Nineteen (Geoff Sowden) and Judee of Demonology to assemble a team to carry out a brief telephone campaign to help us get past the magic 30,000 members mark. Volunteers are urgently required for Mondays & Wednesday evenings of 27 & 29 April and 4 & 6 May 2009. The campaign is only for the next fortnight and if you can help - even on one night - it would be greatly appreciated. The venue is at the Melbourne Football Club offices in the Southern Stand, MCG from 6.00pm to 8.00 pm with parking available underneath. PLEASE respond here (to stimulate others) & you can get to Geoff directly on 0425 832 522 or [email protected].

I'm still on the Zebras mailing list so I thought you might want to read what they're saying about the game from Sunday:-

They played at the MCG in Round 22 of 2008 and the Tigers won by 80 points. These were the teams (red are non starters or doubtful starters for Melbourne) - MELBOURNE Backs Matthew Whelan Nathan Carroll Daniel Bell Half backs James Frawley Matthew Warnock Colin Garland Centreline Cameron Bruce James McDonald Brad Green Half forwards Ricky Petterd Brad Miller Simon Buckley Forwards Addam Maric Colin Sylvia Adem Yze Followers Jeff White Clint Bartram Nathan Jones Interchange Jack Grimes Ben Holland Cale Morton Paul Wheatley Emergencies Stefan Martin Michael Newton Shane Valenti In Nathan Carroll Jack Grimes James Frawley Ben Holland Addam Maric Ricky Petterd Out Matthew Bate Lynden Dunn Mark Jamar Stefan Martin Michael Newton (all omitted) Austin Wonaeamirri (hamstring) New Jack Grimes (Northern Knights) RICHMOND Backs Chris Newman Will Thursfield Kelvin Moore Half backs Jay Schulz Luke McGuane Jordan McMahon Centreline Matthew Richardson Shane Tuck Brett Deledio Half forwards Matt White Joel Bowden Richard Tambling Forwards Shane Edwards Jack Riewoldt Trent Cotchin Followers Troy Simmonds Kane Johnson Nathan Foley Interchange Daniel Jackson Mitch Morton Adam Pattison Greg Tivendale Emergencies Daniel Connors Dean Polo Alex Rance In Adam Pattison Greg Tivendale Out Tristan Cartledge Daniel Connors (both omitted)