Demonland

by Whispering Jack The encounter between Melbourne and North Melbourne proved that, in Australian football the reports of the demise of the ruckman, are in exactly the same boat as those of the death of American novelist Mark Twain. Exaggerated. The Kangaroos' big man Hamish McIntosh, who was nominated by his coach Dean Laidley for the AFL meat market in last October's trade week, was one of the main differences between the two sides as they fought a gripping for three quarters before his team finally delivered the last rites in the final stanza. You rarely see the dominance by one player of the type exerted by McIntosh on this game. He finished with 20 possessions, 25 hit outs and 9 marks and kicked a game high three goals in a devastating display that left the Demons reeling in his wake. In most other respects, an improved Melbourne took this game right up to North which has played off in the last two final series. The first half in particular, was an even contest and the Demons could easily have held sway at the main break but for one or two missed opportunities like James McDonald's fluffed shot for goal just before quarter time. After a poor opening ten minutes of the second half when the Shinboners took the ascendency and the Dees struggled to handle the football, they regrouped and fought back until the coming of the game's turning point. After Brad Miller's shot that could have put his team within two points, Colin Garland marked in midfield and had what seemed an acre of space between himself and the goals. Not for the first time in this game a Kangaroo smother turned the game around. Harding managed to get the ball for a Simpson goal from outside fifty and the 12-point turnaround was virtually the difference at the final break. The final quarter was not exactly a blow out but Melbourne's resistance had been stemmed. A 34 point win to North Melbourne. The good news is that the Demons now occupy their highest ladder position (13th) since round 22 of 2006 (and are only a game outside the 8!) but the bad news is that their 10.7.67 left them with the lowest number of scoring shots of all clubs in the competition for the weekend - a reflection of an almost non-existent forward line and some poor delivery into attack by those further downfield. The team lacked even a single key forward with goal kicking capacity and there were no crumbers available to score goals or to maintain enough pressure to keep the ball in its attacking zone. Ricky Petterd was almost a lone hand up there with some assistance from Brad Green. The midfield was a mixed bag with Brent Moloney and Nathan Jones hot while for the most part, Brock McLean, Cale Morton and Aaron Davey were not! The team's jewel in the crown at the moment is its defence. Every one of its members worked his butt off and did his job for the day and considering the inexperience of this division, it was a credit to defensive coach Sean Wellman. From first gamers Kyle Cheney and Jamie Bennell to Matthew Warnock and the improving James Frawley to the comeback kid Jared Rivers, they all played their part. Clint Bartram didn't get too many possessions but he kept Brent Harvey (who was awarded 3 Brownlow votes each time the teams met last year) down to a possession count of manageable proportions. Tactically, the coaching department could also claim that it was even on points with that of the opposition up to half time but after the main break, North's set ups and structures and the positioning of their players gave them a clear edge. But then, it's a big advantage to have the cattle with the superior disposal skills and decision-making ability as a tough game wears on. I also wonder about the prolific use of the interchange and the timing of some of those changes. Brad Green was taken off after both of his goals and the team immediately lost imortant momentum. One or twice, our interchanging seemed to assist North in creating loose men and to help themselves to easy scoring opportunities. And if all this is supposed to keep players frsh, then why did Melbourne fade so badly at the end? Melbourne's lack of experience was a clear factor. There were four first gamers, Cheney Bennell, Neville Jetta and Jake Spencer and a total of ten players whose games tally amounted to a season's worth or less. The Demons should take heart from the fact that this list does not include any of its first three picks in last year's national draft, its first pick in the pre season draft or two of its first three picks in the draft from the year before. That makes a lot of games that need to be put into the legs of the club's youth before it can realistically challenge the top sides. When you add the fact that Rivers, McLean, Moloney and Davey were playing their first games after missing many games in the last half of 2008 and others like Petterd just making their way back from long injury spells and you have to conclude that the end result wasn't too bad. Of the first gamers Cheney was all class and deserves strong consideration first up for the Rising Star award and Bennell and Jetta were both lively and showed flashes of magical skills. Despite that, both may struggle to hold their places as the selectors recast the side for Saturday's game against Collingwood. Jake Spencer, who came off the rookie list to play yesterday's game, had a tough baptism of fire. He worked hard but it was always going to be a tough ask in his first game against an opponent who was on fire. He will need to work hard on his kicking and decision making skills. The contrast with McIntosh in that area alone was probably another example of the difference between Melbourne and North Melbourne. Like many of his team, Spencer will develop and get better over time. And the Demons need plenty of time to get out of the ruck. Melbourne 3.3.21 6.5.41 9.6.60 10.7.67 North Melbourne 3.3.21 7.6.48 11.8.74 15.11.101 Goals Melbourne B Green R Petterd 2 M Bate A Davey N Jetta P Johnson B Moloney C Morton North Melbourne H McIntosh 3 M Campbell D Petrie L Thomas 2 M Firrito D Hale L Harding B Harvey S McMahon A Simpson Best Melbourne Moloney Cheney Jones Frawley Green Petterd Warnock North Melbourne McIntosh Harding Simpson Thomas Campbell Power Swallow Injuries Melbourne Nil North Nil Umpires Jacob Mollison Stefan Grun Shane McInerney Reports Nil Changes Nil Crowd 28,707 at MCG

The leader board after Round 1: 11.941 Brent Moloney 8.624 Kyle Cheney 6.634 Ricky Petterd 5.970 Nathan Jones 1.990 James Frawley Neville Jetta 1.327 Clint Bartram Brad Green Matthew Warnock 0.663 Paul Johnson

Voting is now open for the Demonland Player of the Year Three sets of votes (6,5,4,3,2,1) will be selected at random. The scoring ratio system (today 0.6637) applies again this year.

by JVM It wasn't all that long ago in terms of football time that these teams met at the MCG and played out a forgettable game in Round 17 last year. The Kangaroos were riding high and looking like top four material while the Demons were dreaming of Jack Watts and the first selection in the national draft. The Roos opened the betting at $1.16, the game was ever so ho hum and the result was never in doubt. On Sunday North Melbourne will still open as favourite but at $1.33 they won't be as firm as they were last winter because there are some question marks about where this much admired combination is heading. They say that you're only as good as your last game and if that's the case then there is cause for some concern in the Kangaroo camp. They were thrashed in their last two home and away games (in round 22 they missed a chance to take a top four spot when lowly Port Adelaide demolished them at the G) and were bundled out of the finals by an undermanned Sydney. They showed none of that good old Shinboner spirit that has made them famous over the years. In fact, they were dreadful. Melbourne finished the season in much the same way last year but then again, that was how they started it and it was also how they played out most of the year, as they remained anchored to the bottom of the ladder for all 22 rounds. The Demons are heading in the right direction with their youth policy and I would have given them half a chance to win this game but for the fact that they have a few a decent lit of key players on the sidelines, starting with experienced trio Russell Robertson, Paul Wheatley and Matthew Whelan, ruckman Mark Jamar, hard nut Daniel Bell and up and comers in Jack Grimes, Addam Maric and Austin Wonaeamirri. Their problems don't end there because they have left Colin Sylvia and Michael Newton out of the side in an apparent show of strength by the selectors who, in doing so, have indicated they are demanding discipline and consistent football from their charges. The Kangaroos have virtually a full squad to select from and it's this that has swayed me to select them to win the game by a narrow margin in a game that is unlikely to attract any more attention than the last time these teams met. I doubt that it will attract the 86,972 that went to the MCG for the Carlton v Richmond game last night or that it will capture the public's imagination like tonight's grand final rematch but a better performance from the Demons could be a stepping stone for better things to come in the future. North Melbourne by 8 points THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne at MCG – Sunday 29 March 2009 at 1:10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 63 wins 1 draw At the MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 31 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins North Melbourne 7 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Laidley 2 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 at 1pm RADIO 774ABC SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.15 North Melbourne to win $1.33 THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Jared Rivers Matthew Warnock Clint Bartram Half backs Colin Garland James Frawley Brad Green Centreline Aaron Davey Brock McLean Brent Moloney Half forwards Cameron Bruce Paul Johnson Cale Morton Forwards Brad Miller Matthew Bate Ricky Petterd Followers Jake Spencer James McDonald Simon Buckley Interchange Jamie Bennell Kyle Cheney Neville Jetta Nathan Jones Emergencies Lynden Dunn Stefan Martin John Meesen New Jamie Bennell (Swan Districts) Kyle Cheney (Nth Ballarat, Warrack Eagles) Neville Jetta (Swan Districts) Jake Spencer (Redlands) NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Pratt Michael Firrito Scott McMahon Half backs Leigh Harding Lachlan Hansen Josh Gibson Centreline Brady Rawlings Adam Simpson Andrew Swallow Half forwards Ed Lower Drew Petrie Lindsay Thomas Forwards Matt Campbell David Hale Brent Harvey Followers Hamish McIntosh Daniel Wells Jack Ziebell Interchange Sam Power Josh Smith Scott Thompson Gavin Urquhart Emergencies Liam Anthony Nathan Grima Daniel Harris LAST TIME THEY MET The Kangaroos opened on a high and took an early six goal lead before the Demons were even awakened from their slumber. Melbourne tried its darndest to blunt the speed and skills of Brent Harvey who cut a swathe through the packs despite close attention from Lynden Dunn who was reported for his troubles. Melbourne's defence had no answer for Lindsay Thomas and Corey Jones. Hale was the dominant big man and the final margin probably flattered the Dees whose forward line failed to function. In other words, it was typical 2008 but they somehow managed to keep the losing margin down to below 5 goals. Round 17, 2008 at the MCG Melbourne 1.3.9 3.4.22 6.8.44 10.10.70 North Melbourne 7.3.45 9.6.60 11.9.75 14.14.98 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Newton 2 Davey P Johnson Morton Sylvia Valenti North Melbourne Thomas 5 Jones 4 Harvey 2 Campbell Hale Petrie Best Melbourne Buckley Jones Valenti Davey McDonald P. Johnson North Melbourne Harvey Hale Jones Thomas Gibson Simpson Rawlings FAN'S EYE VIEW YZE_MAGIC: Well the season is almost here which means its time for Yze_Magic's first prediction of 2009. And the question is, can I keep up my 100% strike rate on game predictions, which I have been giving for years. Without further ado.. It's hard to seeing the reborn Demons losing to a boring, uninspiring team in the Kangaroos. They have no decent players, no match winners, and their best player is that little squib Harvey who collects cheap possessions and falls to ground to milk free kicks even with the slightest contact. I would love to see him knocked out cold, and miss the season with a severe injury. Hate the little prick. Melbourne by 14 goals DEMON HEAD: Melbourne has an even squad of players going into Sunday' game against North Melbourne and that's exactly my problem. We don't have any players who stand out as star footballers in the team. The team and the players are still finding their way. On the other hand North Melbourne have Brent Harvey(who is loved by the umpires), Drew Petrie, Daniel Wells and some handy tall timber in Hamish McIntosh and David Hale. The Dees can only win if they can hold that lot and, while we are improving defensively, I doubt we can do it. North Melbourne by 14 points BLISTERING: I like the strong stand Melbourne has taken with Colin Sylvia and to a lesser extent Michael Newton. The message given to the rest of the team is that from now on you have to shape up or ship out and that will surely serve to revitalise the Demon culture as the club brings its new breed of young stars of the future into the fold. I've just been reading The Red Fox about Norm Smith's life and what his legacy means to the Melbourne Football Club. It's no co-incidence that this week the club introduces another redhead in defendar Kyle Cheney to its ranks or that Julia Gillard, the highest ranking redhead in this great nation of ours is the only Herald Sun tipster to select Melbourne to win this week. Not even the infamous Kiss of Death went for Melbourne so I reckon they're a good thing. Melbourne by 7 points ANOTHER VIEW FROM MELBFC BLOG HOW THE COACH DEAN BAILEY SEES THE TEAM (from LIST ASSESSMENT: MELBOURNE) BACKS JARED RIVERS - Jared is more advanced and fitter than he was at the same time last year. Hopefully he’ll have had a bit of useful playing time in the NAB Cup games to get him up and running. He’s prepared well, and he really needs to play to get some confidence back. MATTHEW WARNOCK- Matty’s a guy who just trains and trains and trains. His work ethic at training and pre-season has always been very good. He had a bit of a breakout season last year. He’s got stronger and quicker, and he’s raring to go. He’s got a great work ethic. CLINT BARTRAM - Clint’s put on around three kilos in muscle, he’s maintained a very low skinfold, and his speed and endurance has really improved. We have a much stronger Clint Bartram this year, and we’re sure that this will translate into better on-field performances. COLIN GARLAND - The challenge for Col is can he build on the pretty good year that he had last year? He can play on the talls and smalls, and we’re going to try and encourage him to attack and take the game on. He’s a good decision maker, and he’ll again be given the chance to play on some of the big stars, which he thrives on. JAMES FRAWLEY - Chippa’ has put on at least three kilos of muscle, and he’s gained some confidence from that. He’s a kid who, after two or three pre-seasons, has developed really well. He’s quick, he’s agile, he’s a great bloke and really well liked around the club. Now, we’ve just got to get some game time into him. BRAD GREEN - Brad’s a guy who just doesn’t miss pre-season. He’s always training. He had a thumb operation, but was still able to run, and do most of pre-season. He’s got an amazing capacity to train and play in discomfort or pain. His leadership and his mentoring of players has been fantastic. MIDFIELD JAKE SPENCER - Jake’s a young, developing ruckman. His work ethic and attitude are just fantastic. With some experience, can be really exciting for us. JAMES MCDONALD - James is a guy who just continually looks at improvement in all areas of his game. He’s put on between two and three kilos, and his body shape’s changed remarkably, He brings a very, very good level of intelligence to the discussion, and he’s got a great football mind. He’ll make every post a winner. SIMON BUCKLEY - I think Simon’s great strengths are his kicking and his speed, and I would like to see him exploit those this year. He’s an attacking player, so we expect Simon to be carrying the ball more and still taking players on. Physically, he’s much further advanced after a solid pre-season. AARON DAVEY - Aaron’s been outstanding in the pre-season. I’d like to think he’s quicker, stronger, faster than he was last year, and that’s due to the fact that he’s been able to train more. His attitude has been first class. I would expect Aaron to have a great year. BROCK MCLEAN - Brock gives you one hundred per cent one hundred per cent of the time, and that will be no different this year. He’s a terrific leader and has prepared himself incredibly well over this pre-season. He is a tough inside midfielder, and we expect him to be working really hard around the stoppages this year. BRENT MOLONEY - Brent hasn’t missed a minute of the pre-season training. Brent will need to use his great strength around the stoppage and he will be called on to tackle, and chase, and put the defensive pressure on. He’s a very long kick, so we need him to be active for as long as he can. FORWARDS CAMERON BRUCE - Cameron prepares himself really well, he’s a professional in his attitude, and his pre-season has been fantastic. He’s a fantastic trainer, and a really good leader amongst the guys. He explains the game well to his teammates and the younger players at the club. PAUL JOHNSON - Recovered well following the hip operation at the end of last year. He’s another player who’s put on three to four kilos, and his running and agility haven’t been affected. At 191 cm we really need him to be taking the contested marks in the forward line, and kicking more goals. CALE MORTON - Cale’s come off a really good first year. We had to manage him carefully as a first-year player, but he was able to cope because he’s got such great endurance. I think other teams will certainly be a bit more aware of Cale, and probably place some taggers on him. He’s going to be really important for us in 2009. BRAD MILLER - Brad’s pre-season has been first-class; he hasn’t missed any training. Last year, he showed he could take a contested mark and his goalkicking improved. I think he also showed some great leadership, grabbing hold of some games and kicking some important goals. MATTHEW BATE - I’d like to see him kick a few more goals this year. I can see him playing as a lead-up forward, but I think there’s a nice opportunity for him to come out at full forward. He’s quick, and as part of rotating the forward line, he could play a number of positions up forward. RICKY PETTERD - Last year, Ricky suffered a couple of injuries. He’s worked really hard in the gym and his pre-season has been good. He’s a very good drop off marker, and he reads the play very well. Hopefully we can see Ricky get some continuity in playing and training and I think we’ll have a pretty good player on our hands. INTERCHANGE JAMIE BENNELL - Jamie’s a player who can play anywhere on the ground. He can play down back, and be a really good decision maker from behind the ball. He can certainly come through the middle of the ground. There’s no doubt he’s also a very good contested mark for a smaller player. Again, he’s a bloke we need to develop. KYLE CHENEY - Kyle’s a very good mark, and he likes the physicality of the game. There’s no doubt that he’ll have shown us some things during the NAB Cup. He’s competitive, and he can probably defend on the taller players. He’s a young kid who’s really improved over the pre-season. NEVILLE JETTA - Neville’s quick and agile, and he’ll stand up for himself. He’s a tough inside midfielder, who I think can also go forward to crumb and kick a goal, and provide forward pressure. Again, like all the first year players, his body has to develop. NATHAN JONES - Nathan always prepares himself well over pre-season, and he doesn’t miss any of training. This year, he’s physically stronger, and the weight training he’s done has certainly improved his core strength. Nathan’s got a really big tank and will run himself into the ground to try and win games for us. EMERGENCIES LYNDEN DUNN - ‘Dunny’ has put on about four or five kilos and has trained the house down. He’s been exceptional in his attitude and his preparation. He can play forward for us, and he had some good run-with roles last year. We also need to give him some more experience around the stoppages. STEFAN MARTIN - Stef is very, very quick, but we’ve known his great test is going to come when he plays on guys who are the same size as him. At 198 cm, he can certainly play on the smaller players around the mid 180cm, because he has got that great agility. JOHN MEESEN - John’s had a bit of an interrupted pre-season because of his ankle. One of the things we identified last year with him is that he needs to get a stronger upper body, and we need to develop a bit of power in him, and he’s worked pretty hard to do that.

A STEPPING STONE by JVM It wasn't all that long ago in terms of football time that these teams met at the MCG and played out a forgettable game in Round 17 last year. The Kangaroos were riding high and looking like top four material while the Demons were dreaming of Jack Watts and the first selection in the national draft. The Roos opened the betting at $1.16, the game was ever so ho hum and the result was never in doubt. On Sunday North Melbourne will still open as favourite but at $1.33 they won't be as firm as they were last winter because there are some question marks about where this much admired combination is heading. They say that you're only as good as your last game and if that's the case then there is cause for some concern in the Kangaroo camp. They were thrashed in their last two home and away games (in round 22 they missed a chance to take a top four spot when lowly Port Adelaide demolished them at the G) and were bundled out of the finals by an undermanned Sydney. They showed none of that good old Shinboner spirit that has made them famous over the years. In fact, they were dreadful. Melbourne finished the season in much the same way last year but then again, that was how they started it and it was also how they played out most of the year, as they remained anchored to the bottom of the ladder for all 22 rounds. The Demons are heading in the right direction with their youth policy and I would have given them half a chance to win this game but for the fact that they have a few a decent lit of key players on the sidelines, starting with experienced trio Russell Robertson, Paul Wheatley and Matthew Whelan, ruckman Mark Jamar, hard nut Daniel Bell and up and comers in Jack Grimes, Addam Maric and Austin Wonaeamirri. Their problems don't end there because they have left Colin Sylvia and Michael Newton out of the side in an apparent show of strength by the selectors who, in doing so, have indicated they are demanding discipline and consistent football from their charges. The Kangaroos have virtually a full squad to select from and it's this that has swayed me to select them to win the game by a narrow margin in a game that is unlikely to attract any more attention than the last time these teams met. I doubt that it will attract the 86,972 that went to the MCG for the Carlton v Richmond game last night or that it will capture the public's imagination like tonight's grand final rematch but a better performance from the Demons could be a stepping stone for better things to come in the future. North Melbourne by 8 points THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne at MCG – Sunday 29 March 2009 at 1:10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 63 wins 1 draw At the MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 31 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins North Melbourne 7 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Laidley 2 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 at 1pm RADIO 774ABC SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.15 North Melbourne to win $1.33 THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Jared Rivers Matthew Warnock Clint Bartram Half backs Colin Garland James Frawley Brad Green Centreline Aaron Davey Brock McLean Brent Moloney Half forwards Cameron Bruce Paul Johnson Cale Morton Forwards Brad Miller Matthew Bate Ricky Petterd Followers Jake Spencer James McDonald Simon Buckley Interchange Jamie Bennell Kyle Cheney Neville Jetta Nathan Jones Emergencies Lynden Dunn Stefan Martin John Meesen New Jamie Bennell (Swan Districts) Kyle Cheney (Nth Ballarat, Warrack Eagles) Neville Jetta (Swan Districts) Jake Spencer (Redlands) NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Pratt Michael Firrito Scott McMahon Half backs Leigh Harding Lachlan Hansen Josh Gibson Centreline Brady Rawlings Adam Simpson Andrew Swallow Half forwards Ed Lower Drew Petrie Lindsay Thomas Forwards Matt Campbell David Hale Brent Harvey Followers Hamish McIntosh Daniel Wells Jack Ziebell Interchange Sam Power Josh Smith Scott Thompson Gavin Urquhart Emergencies Liam Anthony Nathan Grima Daniel Harris LAST TIME THEY MET The Kangaroos opened on a high and took an early six goal lead before the Demons were even awakened from their slumber. Melbourne tried its darndest to blunt the speed and skills of Brent Harvey who cut a swathe through the packs despite close attention from Lynden Dunn who was reported for his troubles. Melbourne's defence had no answer for Lindsay Thomas and Corey Jones. Hale was the dominant big man and the final margin probably flattered the Dees whose forward line failed to function. In other words, it was typical 2008 but they somehow managed to keep the losing margin down to below 5 goals. Round 17, 2008 at the MCG Melbourne 1.3.9 3.4.22 6.8.44 10.10.70 North Melbourne 7.3.45 9.6.60 11.9.75 14.14.98 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Newton 2 Davey P Johnson Morton Sylvia Valenti North Melbourne Thomas 5 Jones 4 Harvey 2 Campbell Hale Petrie Best Melbourne Buckley Jones Valenti Davey McDonald P. Johnson North Melbourne Harvey Hale Jones Thomas Gibson Simpson Rawlings FAN'S EYE VIEW YZE_MAGIC: Well the season is almost here which means its time for Yze_Magic's first prediction of 2009. And the question is, can I keep up my 100% strike rate on game predictions, which I have been giving for years. Without further ado.. It's hard to seeing the reborn Demons losing to a boring, uninspiring team in the Kangaroos. They have no decent players, no match winners, and their best player is that little squib Harvey who collects cheap possessions and falls to ground to milk free kicks even with the slightest contact. I would love to see him knocked out cold, and miss the season with a severe injury. Hate the little prick. Melbourne by 14 goals DEMON HEAD: Melbourne has an even squad of players going into Sunday' game against North Melbourne and that's exactly my problem. We don't have any players who stand out as star footballers in the team. The team and the players are still finding their way. On the other hand North Melbourne have Brent Harvey(who is loved by the umpires), Drew Petrie, Daniel Wells and some handy tall timber in Hamish McIntosh and David Hale. The Dees can only win if they can hold that lot and, while we are improving defensively, I doubt we can do it. North Melbourne by 14 points BLISTERING: I like the strong stand Melbourne has taken with Colin Sylvia and to a lesser extent Michael Newton. The message given to the rest of the team is that from now on you have to shape up or ship out and that will surely serve to revitalise the Demon culture as the club brings its new breed of young stars of the future into the fold. I've just been reading The Red Fox about Norm Smith's life and what his legacy means to the Melbourne Football Club. It's no co-incidence that this week the club introduces another redhead in defendar Kyle Cheney to its ranks or that Julia Gillard, the highest ranking redhead in this great nation of ours is the only Herald Sun tipster to select Melbourne to win this week. Not even the infamous Kiss of Death went for Melbourne so I reckon they're a good thing. Melbourne by 7 points ANOTHER VIEW FROM MELBFC BLOG HOW THE COACH DEAN BAILEY SEES THE TEAM (from LIST ASSESSMENT: MELBOURNE) BACKS JARED RIVERS - Jared is more advanced and fitter than he was at the same time last year. Hopefully he’ll have had a bit of useful playing time in the NAB Cup games to get him up and running. He’s prepared well, and he really needs to play to get some confidence back. MATTHEW WARNOCK- Matty’s a guy who just trains and trains and trains. His work ethic at training and pre-season has always been very good. He had a bit of a breakout season last year. He’s got stronger and quicker, and he’s raring to go. He’s got a great work ethic. CLINT BARTRAM - Clint’s put on around three kilos in muscle, he’s maintained a very low skinfold, and his speed and endurance has really improved. We have a much stronger Clint Bartram this year, and we’re sure that this will translate into better on-field performances. COLIN GARLAND - The challenge for Col is can he build on the pretty good year that he had last year? He can play on the talls and smalls, and we’re going to try and encourage him to attack and take the game on. He’s a good decision maker, and he’ll again be given the chance to play on some of the big stars, which he thrives on. JAMES FRAWLEY - Chippa’ has put on at least three kilos of muscle, and he’s gained some confidence from that. He’s a kid who, after two or three pre-seasons, has developed really well. He’s quick, he’s agile, he’s a great bloke and really well liked around the club. Now, we’ve just got to get some game time into him. BRAD GREEN - Brad’s a guy who just doesn’t miss pre-season. He’s always training. He had a thumb operation, but was still able to run, and do most of pre-season. He’s got an amazing capacity to train and play in discomfort or pain. His leadership and his mentoring of players has been fantastic. MIDFIELD JAKE SPENCER - Jake’s a young, developing ruckman. His work ethic and attitude are just fantastic. With some experience, can be really exciting for us. JAMES MCDONALD - James is a guy who just continually looks at improvement in all areas of his game. He’s put on between two and three kilos, and his body shape’s changed remarkably, He brings a very, very good level of intelligence to the discussion, and he’s got a great football mind. He’ll make every post a winner. SIMON BUCKLEY - I think Simon’s great strengths are his kicking and his speed, and I would like to see him exploit those this year. He’s an attacking player, so we expect Simon to be carrying the ball more and still taking players on. Physically, he’s much further advanced after a solid pre-season. AARON DAVEY - Aaron’s been outstanding in the pre-season. I’d like to think he’s quicker, stronger, faster than he was last year, and that’s due to the fact that he’s been able to train more. His attitude has been first class. I would expect Aaron to have a great year. BROCK MCLEAN - Brock gives you one hundred per cent one hundred per cent of the time, and that will be no different this year. He’s a terrific leader and has prepared himself incredibly well over this pre-season. He is a tough inside midfielder, and we expect him to be working really hard around the stoppages this year. BRENT MOLONEY - Brent hasn’t missed a minute of the pre-season training. Brent will need to use his great strength around the stoppage and he will be called on to tackle, and chase, and put the defensive pressure on. He’s a very long kick, so we need him to be active for as long as he can. FORWARDS CAMERON BRUCE - Cameron prepares himself really well, he’s a professional in his attitude, and his pre-season has been fantastic. He’s a fantastic trainer, and a really good leader amongst the guys. He explains the game well to his teammates and the younger players at the club. PAUL JOHNSON - Recovered well following the hip operation at the end of last year. He’s another player who’s put on three to four kilos, and his running and agility haven’t been affected. At 191 cm we really need him to be taking the contested marks in the forward line, and kicking more goals. CALE MORTON - Cale’s come off a really good first year. We had to manage him carefully as a first-year player, but he was able to cope because he’s got such great endurance. I think other teams will certainly be a bit more aware of Cale, and probably place some taggers on him. He’s going to be really important for us in 2009. BRAD MILLER - Brad’s pre-season has been first-class; he hasn’t missed any training. Last year, he showed he could take a contested mark and his goalkicking improved. I think he also showed some great leadership, grabbing hold of some games and kicking some important goals. MATTHEW BATE - I’d like to see him kick a few more goals this year. I can see him playing as a lead-up forward, but I think there’s a nice opportunity for him to come out at full forward. He’s quick, and as part of rotating the forward line, he could play a number of positions up forward. RICKY PETTERD - Last year, Ricky suffered a couple of injuries. He’s worked really hard in the gym and his pre-season has been good. He’s a very good drop off marker, and he reads the play very well. Hopefully we can see Ricky get some continuity in playing and training and I think we’ll have a pretty good player on our hands. INTERCHANGE JAMIE BENNELL - Jamie’s a player who can play anywhere on the ground. He can play down back, and be a really good decision maker from behind the ball. He can certainly come through the middle of the ground. There’s no doubt he’s also a very good contested mark for a smaller player. Again, he’s a bloke we need to develop. KYLE CHENEY - Kyle’s a very good mark, and he likes the physicality of the game. There’s no doubt that he’ll have shown us some things during the NAB Cup. He’s competitive, and he can probably defend on the taller players. He’s a young kid who’s really improved over the pre-season. NEVILLE JETTA - Neville’s quick and agile, and he’ll stand up for himself. He’s a tough inside midfielder, who I think can also go forward to crumb and kick a goal, and provide forward pressure. Again, like all the first year players, his body has to develop. NATHAN JONES - Nathan always prepares himself well over pre-season, and he doesn’t miss any of training. This year, he’s physically stronger, and the weight training he’s done has certainly improved his core strength. Nathan’s got a really big tank and will run himself into the ground to try and win games for us. EMERGENCIES LYNDEN DUNN - ‘Dunny’ has put on about four or five kilos and has trained the house down. He’s been exceptional in his attitude and his preparation. He can play forward for us, and he had some good run-with roles last year. We also need to give him some more experience around the stoppages. STEFAN MARTIN - Stef is very, very quick, but we’ve known his great test is going to come when he plays on guys who are the same size as him. At 198 cm, he can certainly play on the smaller players around the mid 180cm, because he has got that great agility. JOHN MEESEN - John’s had a bit of an interrupted pre-season because of his ankle. One of the things we identified last year with him is that he needs to get a stronger upper body, and we need to develop a bit of power in him, and he’s worked pretty hard to do that.

The last time Melbourne met North Melbourne was in Round 17 last year: THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Matthew Whelan Colin Garland Matthew Warnock Half backs Chris Johnson Daniel Bell Lynden Dunn Centreline Cale Morton Cameron Bruce Simon Buckley Half forwards Colin Sylvia Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Forwards Michael Newton Brad Miller James McDonald Followers Mark Jamar Clint Bartram Nathan Jones Interchange Paul Johnson Addam Maric Stefan Martin Shane Valenti Emergencies Nathan Carroll Jeff White In James McDonald Addam Maric Out Paul Wheatley (calf) Austin Wonaeamirri (soreness) NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Shannon Watt Michael Firrito Daniel Pratt Half backs Gavin Urquhart Josh Gibson Leigh Harding Centreline Matt Campbell Daniel Harris Brent Harvey Half forwards Lachlan Hansen David Hale Corey Jones Forwards Scott McMahon Drew Petrie Lindsay Thomas Followers Todd Goldstein Adam Simpson Daniel Wells Interchange Shannon Grant Blake Grima Sam Power Brady Rawlings Emergencies Leigh Brown Matt Riggio Jess Sinclair In Blake Grima Out Ben Ross (ankle) Melbourne 1.3.9 3.4.22 6.8.44 10.10.70 North Melbourne 7.3.45 9.6.60 11.9.75 14.14.98 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Newton 2 Davey P Johnson Morton Sylvia Valenti North Melbourne Thomas 5 Jones 4 Harvey 2 Campbell Hale Petrie Best Melbourne Buckley Jones Valenti Davey McDonald P. Johnson North Melbourne Harvey Hale Jones Thomas Gibson Simpson Rawlings Injuries Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Changes Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Reports Dunn (Melbourne) for striking Harvey (North Melbourne) in the third quarter by umpire McLaren Dunn (Melbourne) for striking Harvey (North Melbourne) in the third quarter by umpire McLaren Umpires McLaren Fila Hendrie Official crowd 21,330 at the MCG

Demonland AzzKikA79 great_gatsby carn dees Whispering_Jack DEE32 rpfc H!GH TOWER Clyde_Cabbie Alpha33 Pinball_Wizard Thundercloud ucanchoose achirnside barpen Tim - Go Dees! Simon Sylvia Strauss dee-luded mrawesome Jackieboy_0 pandemonium aronbrandon Andees_0 slamevil petejh2000 butsdemon BVI Demon BenderBendingRodriguez deanox dees_fan22 steveheals Footy Tipper Its A Nightmare BigKev Demon Loopy Lou Total Tipsters: 35

1-- Demonland 1-- AzzKikA79 1-- great_gatsby 1-- carn dees 1-- Whispering_Jack 1-- DEE32 1-- rpfc 1-- H!GH TOWER 1-- Clyde_Cabbie 1-- Alpha33 1-- Pinball_Wizard 1-- Thundercloud 1-- ucanchoose 1-- achirnside 1-- barpen 1-- Tim - Go Dees! 1-- Simon Sylvia Strauss 1-- dee-luded 1-- mrawesome 1-- Jackieboy_0 1-- pandemonium 1-- aronbrandon 1-- Andees_0 1-- slamevil 1-- petejh2000 1-- butsdemon 1-- BVI Demon Total Tipsters: 27

We're going to try something a little different this year with our match previews this year. We're calling for previews of forthcoming games - these should be sent to me via PM and the best will be incorporated into our match reviews. Entries to be in by Friday morning 9am. We're looking for a diversity of views so please give it a go! The entries may be edited & we only need a few paragraphs, who you think will win and the winning margin. Anyone wishing to write their own articles on anything Melbourne and have them featured on Demonland can PM them to me and again we reserve the right to edit articles presented. You never know, this could be the start of a budding career as a writer for Demonland.

So far the following people have joined: 1-- Demonland 1-- AzzKikA79 1-- great_gatsby 1-- carn dees 1-- Whispering_Jack 1-- DEE32 1-- rpfc 1-- H!GH TOWER 1-- Clyde_Cabbie 1-- Alpha33 1-- Pinball_Wizard 1-- Thundercloud 1-- ucanchoose 1-- achirnside 1-- barpen 1-- Tim - Go Dees! It's not too late to join.

I forgot to mention that the competition is based on Price Tipping. eg: If the final match Tip prices were Tigers ($1.35) v Blues ($2.20) and the Tigers won, you would be awarded 1.35 points for that correct Tip. This might help those die-hard Demon tippers later in the year if we have an upset when we are at $20.

Is you sure?

www.OzTips.com AFL Join our AFL 2009 Tipping Competition now: Go to www.OzTips.com Click the 'REGISTER' button on the homepage and set-up a Login (if you don't already have one with OzTips). Once you have successfully registered a Username and Password, click the 'JOIN A COMP' button. You will be asked to enter an OzTips Comp Number and Password. The Comp you've been asked to join is: Comp#: 182152 Password: demonland That's it! Full instructions on how to Tip can be found on the website by clicking on the 'Help' link in the top header. Visit OzTips.com today to join your FREE Tipping Comp online!

And that's exactly where the relationship with Casey is going to help our sponsors from Hankook. The extra kilometres driving to Casey are going to wear those tyres out much more quickly!

A NEW ERA by KC from Casey When the Scorpions ran out in their red, blue and white gear at Casey Fields yesterday it marked the beginning of a new era. It wasn't only the fact that this was the first game under the club's alignment with the Melbourne Football Club but also that there were so many fresh new faces among the Casey contingent that made it an exciting event. You could sense that a new era was upon us. The game was a scrambly affair from the start but the team opened brightly with the aid of a strong northerly wind in hot, dry conditions. The Scorpions were winning the ball well out of the middle in the early going and goals came to Aaron Hillberge, Liam Jurrah and Trent Zomer. The Hawks were kicking poorly while the Scorpions were making every post a winner. Addam Maric was dynamic up forward in his comeback after hip surgery. Similarly, Austin Wonaeamirri who is also on the comeback trail (hamstring) was in everything early. By quarter time Casey held a comfortable 35-point lead. Immediately after the break, Maric booted his third to give the team a comfortable lead. Box Hill attacked with the wind but was held out by a strong defence led by Alex Silvagni who was ably assisted by the experienced Jared Rivers and newcomer Michael Stockdale from the Gippsland Falcons The Scorpions had the dominant big men on the ground with Paul Johnson and James Wall winning handsomely in the ruck and giving on ballers Kyle Matthews and Shane Valenti an armchair ride. A late rally by the Hawks saved them and saw the deficit reduced to 23 points at the main break. Box Hill went negative after half time in a bid to prevent Casey from taking advantage of the strong wind advantage and succeeded by playing a possession game and going wide at every opportunity. Their defence got on top and kept the home team down to only two goals for the quarter against a single point scored by the Hillmen. With only 25 minutes to go they were still within reach of victory as the wind was strengthening. The visitors managed to narrow the gap and piled on goal after goal to come within reach of the tiring Scorpions but a great captain's goal from Matthews saved the day for Casey which held on strongly in the last three or four minutes to win by just ten points. Wall, Matthews and Valenti were the stars for Casey while Nar Nar Goon's Andrew Oldmeadow, Jordie McKenzie and Stockdale all promised exciting things to come. Rosedale recruit Ben MaCreadie who has dominated the North Gippsland Football League over the past two seasons, showed something in the clinches as well. Although it was a scrappy affair in hot, windy conditions the Scorpions combined well given that many were still familiarising themselves with their new team mates. Coach Peter German still has plenty of players to come into his side and will be happy that he has the raw materials to build upon this game and the team can withstand the rigours of the tough, long season ahead. The reserves were outpointed by Box Hill in the curtain raiser. Pierce Liddle who captained the Northern Territory Under 18 side last year showed his magical skills and looks a player of the future. Next week's games are also at Casey Fields - this time against Frankston. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Paul Johnson - dominated the ruck and will play next week against the Roos. Casey had the two best big men in PJ and Wall and that probably held them in good stead. Liam Jurrah - the odd touch of brilliance but was naturally rusty in his first run and will need a few games with Casey to get to where he needs to be. Addam Maric – showed out with great disposal and he certainly knows how to find the goals. Kicked three himself and helped in a couple of others. Played a half and the sooner he is in the Demons' side the better because his general skills and his ability to hit targets are much needed there. I would almost be tempted to play him next week but they don't do things that way these days and for good reason. He will therefore get at least another run with Casey. Jordie McKenzie – got a lot of the ball and showed a bit. Has time to develop to develop at Casey where he will soon become a favourite. Jared Rivers - played most of the game and should be in the Melbourne side next week. A real class player who held sway in defence. Shane Valenti - had leather poisoning. Dominated and will form a good combination with Casey small man Matthews. Austin Wonaeamirri - appeared a little underdone due to his injury. Played half a game and will probably need another run with Casey opening the door for Jetta next week. Trent Zomer – kicked a goal early but was often caught wrong footed and appeared a little slow. Was moved around a bit to try and get into the game. Casey Scorpions 6.3.39 8.5.53 10.6.66 11.7.73 Box Hill Hawks 0.4.4 4.6.30 4.7.31 9.9.63 Goalkickers Maric 3, Bolton, Jurrah, Hillberge, Matthews, Scanlon, Sykes, Wall, Zomer Best Wall, Matthews, Johnson, Valenti, Maric, Stockdale, Oldmeadow

by KC from Casey When the Scorpions ran out in their red, blue and white gear at Casey Fields yesterday it marked the beginning of a new era. It wasn't only the fact that this was the first game under the club's alignment with the Melbourne Football Club but also that there were so many fresh new faces among the Casey contingent that made it an exciting event. You could sense that a new era was upon us. The game was a scrambly affair from the start but the team opened brightly with the aid of a strong northerly wind in hot, dry conditions. The Scorpions were winning the ball well out of the middle in the early going and goals came to Aaron Hillberge, Liam Jurrah and Trent Zomer. The Hawks were kicking poorly while the Scorpions were making every post a winner. Addam Maric was dynamic up forward in his comeback after hip surgery. Similarly, Austin Wonaeamirri who is also on the comeback trail (hamstring) was in everything early. By quarter time Casey held a comfortable 35-point lead. Immediately after the break, Maric booted his third to give the team a comfortable lead. Box Hill attacked with the wind but was held out by a strong defence led by Alex Silvagni who was ably assisted by the experienced Jared Rivers and newcomer Michael Stockdale from the Gippsland Falcons The Scorpions had the dominant big men on the ground with Paul Johnson and James Wall winning handsomely in the ruck and giving on ballers Kyle Matthews and Shane Valenti an armchair ride. A late rally by the Hawks saved them and saw the deficit reduced to 23 points at the main break. Box Hill went negative after half time in a bid to prevent Casey from taking advantage of the strong wind advantage and succeeded by playing a possession game and going wide at every opportunity. Their defence got on top and kept the home team down to only two goals for the quarter against a single point scored by the Hillmen. With only 25 minutes to go they were still within reach of victory as the wind was strengthening. The visitors managed to narrow the gap and piled on goal after goal to come within reach of the tiring Scorpions but a great captain's goal from Matthews saved the day for Casey which held on strongly in the last three or four minutes to win by just ten points. Wall, Matthews and Valenti were the stars for Casey while Nar Nar Goon's Andrew Oldmeadow, Jordie McKenzie and Stockdale all promised exciting things to come. Rosedale recruit Ben MaCreadie who has dominated the North Gippsland Football League over the past two seasons, showed something in the clinches as well. Although it was a scrappy affair in hot, windy conditions the Scorpions combined well given that many were still familiarising themselves with their new team mates. Coach Peter German still has plenty of players to come into his side and will be happy that he has the raw materials to build upon this game and the team can withstand the rigours of the tough, long season ahead. The reserves were outpointed by Box Hill in the curtain raiser. Pierce Liddle who captained the Northern Territory Under 18 side last year showed his magical skills and looks a player of the future. Next week's games are also at Casey Fields - this time against Frankston. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Paul Johnson - dominated the ruck and will play next week against the Roos. Casey had the two best big men in PJ and Wall and that probably held them in good stead. Liam Jurrah - the odd touch of brilliance but was naturally rusty in his first run and will need a few games with Casey to get to where he needs to be. Addam Maric – showed out with great disposal and he certainly knows how to find the goals. Kicked three himself and helped in a couple of others. Played a half and the sooner he is in the Demons' side the better because his general skills and his ability to hit targets are much needed there. I would almost be tempted to play him next week but they don't do things that way these days and for good reason. He will therefore get at least another run with Casey. Jordie McKenzie – got a lot of the ball and showed a bit. Has time to develop to develop at Casey where he will soon become a favourite. Jared Rivers - played most of the game and should be in the Melbourne side next week. A real class player who held sway in defence. Shane Valenti - had leather poisoning. Dominated and will form a good combination with Casey small man Matthews. Austin Wonaeamirri - appeared a little underdone due to his injury. Played half a game and will probably need another run with Casey opening the door for Jetta next week. Trent Zomer – kicked a goal early but was often caught wrong footed and appeared a little slow. Was moved around a bit to try and get into the game. Casey Scorpions 6.3.39 8.5.53 10.6.66 11.7.73 Box Hill Hawks 0.4.4 4.6.30 4.7.31 9.9.63 Goalkickers Maric 3, Bolton, Jurrah, Hillberge, Matthews, Scanlon, Sykes, Wall, Zomer Best Wall, Matthews, Johnson, Valenti, Maric, Stockdale, Oldmeadow

Andrew - that's been fixed now. Thanks and please tell the folks back in Kazakhstan - Nazdrovje! (geez I hope it means what they told me it meant )

by Whispering Jack There is no secret as to why I (along with many others) made the journey out to Casey Fields yesterday. It was very simple - Liam Jurrah was playing his first game since his selection by Melbourne in December's Pre Season Draft and while many articles have been written about this young indigenous phenomenon from the country's red centre, there's no substitute for seeing a player do his thing out there on the field. Admittedly, Jurrah's pre-season was patchy. There were reports of freakish pieces of play at training but we hadn't yet had the opportunity of seeing him in action. He was selected in the squad for the Aboriginal All Stars game against Adelaide in Darwin in early February but withdrew due to "lack of conditioning". After that there were reports that the project player wasn't quite ready and needed time and work to make the transition from bush footy to the elite level and Melbourne coach Dean Bailey made it clear that this progression will be gradual. "We don't want to rush his development. He's a very good ball handler, he's got really good agility, and he actually tackles particularly well. He's got a vertical jump which is exciting, and the defensive part of his game is very good." Bailey's conclusion was that it was necessary to keep working Jurrah in the gym to "get his body ready to play with some confidence around the ground." The knowledge that the coach believed that the player wasn't ready yet didn't deter me. I still wanted to see him in the flesh; to determine whether all the hype about the Centralian sensation was true. Even if we had to wait a while to see him at AFL level, it might give an insight into whether the Demons have on their hands one of the answers to their prayers for a goal kicking forward? The reality was never going to match the expectation. For starters, it was clear from the moment he ran out onto the ground with his Casey Scorpions team mates, that the impressive but spindly Jurrah was not as tall as some of the early reports on him suggested. He's not 193cm tall and not even 190cm as is stated in the melbournefc magazine - more like about 187cm at most. Jurrah showed some glimpses of brilliance, kicked an early goal and flashed in and out of the play but he barely played out a half before showing signs of tiredness. His last shot at goal (admittedly in windy conditions) hit the behind post. Perhaps it was due to limited time on the track but he doesn't seem to have a strong engine. Coming from our hot centre you would imagine that he'd be used to the dry heat that prevailed yesterday at Casey Fields and yet he looked tired after a couple of long chases. Yes, it is going to take time ... Then it struck me how alike his mission to become an AFL footballer must be to that of his club's current Chairman when he embarked on his remarkable sporting career almost a quarter of a century ago. Jim Stynes left his family and friends in Dublin and arrived here in November 1984 hopeful of kicking off a football career in unfamiliar surroundings a long way from home. He struggled early and his under 19 coach Ray Jordon sent him to Prahran in the VFA competition (now VFL) but returned to Melbourne after one season to become a club legend, a Brownlow Medallist and now the club's off field leader. Jim's valuable work with the Reach Foundation has also earned him acclimation from the wider general community. So Liam Jurrah's career is set to begin like Jimmy's not in the big time but in the VFL. His aim is to eventually succeed at the elite level and to become a role model for the youth back home in Yuendumu where he is being groomed as a future tribal elder. And though his football club leader's big footsteps will be eminently suitable ones to follow as his career unfolds, we're hoping if he happens to make it to a preliminary final in a few year's time, that he watches his step! LINK: ALL STAR DREAMING

FIRST GLIMPSES by Whispering Jack There is no secret as to why I (along with many others) made the journey out to Casey Fields yesterday. It was very simple - Liam Jurrah was playing his first game since his selection by Melbourne in December's Pre Season Draft and while many articles have been written about this young indigenous phenomenon from the country's red centre, there's no substitute for seeing a player do his thing out there on the field. Admittedly, Jurrah's pre-season was patchy. There were reports of freakish pieces of play at training but we hadn't yet had the opportunity of seeing him in action. He was selected in the squad for the Aboriginal All Stars game against Adelaide in Darwin in early February but withdrew due to "lack of conditioning". After that there were reports that the project player wasn't quite ready and needed time and work to make the transition from bush footy to the elite level and Melbourne coach Dean Bailey made it clear that this progression will be gradual. "We don't want to rush his development. He's a very good ball handler, he's got really good agility, and he actually tackles particularly well. He's got a vertical jump which is exciting, and the defensive part of his game is very good." Bailey's conclusion was that it was necessary to keep working Jurrah in the gym to "get his body ready to play with some confidence around the ground." The knowledge that the coach believed that the player wasn't ready yet didn't deter me. I still wanted to see him in the flesh; to determine whether all the hype about the Centralian sensation was true. Even if we had to wait a while to see him at AFL level, it might give an insight into whether the Demons have on their hands one of the answers to their prayers for a goal kicking forward? The reality was never going to match the expectation. For starters, it was clear from the moment he ran out onto the ground with his Casey Scorpions team mates, that the impressive but spindly Jurrah was not as tall as some of the early reports on him suggested. He's not 193cm tall and not even 190cm as is stated in the melbournefc magazine - more like about 187cm at most. Jurrah showed some glimpses of brilliance, kicked an early goal and flashed in and out of the play but he barely played out a half before showing signs of tiredness. His last shot at goal (admittedly in windy conditions) hit the behind post. Perhaps it was due to limited time on the track but he doesn't seem to have a strong engine. Coming from our hot centre you would imagine that he'd be used to the dry heat that prevailed yesterday at Casey Fields and yet he looked tired after a couple of long chases. Yes, it is going to take time ... Then it struck me how alike his mission to become an AFL footballer must be to that of his club's current Chairman when he embarked on his remarkable sporting career almost a quarter of a century ago. Jim Stynes left his family and friends in Dublin and arrived here in November 1984 hopeful of kicking off a football career in unfamiliar surroundings a long way from home. He struggled early and his under 19 coach Ray Jordon sent him to Prahran in the VFA competition (now VFL) but returned to Melbourne after one season to become a club legend, a Brownlow Medallist and now the club's off field leader. Jim's valuable work with the Reach Foundation has also earned him acclimation from the wider general community. So Liam Jurrah's career is set to begin like Jimmy's not in the big time but in the VFL. His aim is to eventually succeed at the elite level and to become a role model for the youth back home in Yuendumu where he is being groomed as a future tribal elder. And though his football club leader's big footsteps will be eminently suitable ones to follow as his career unfolds, we're hoping if he happens to make it to a preliminary final in a few year's time, that he watches his step! LINK: ALL STAR DREAMING

2009 MELBOURNEFC SEASON PREVIEW - RE-SHAPING THE MELBOURNE IDENTITY from the Blog of Dee man (Kevin Hawkins) Let's face it; Melbourne aren't going to win the premiership this year. Nor will they challenge for the finals. In fact - to be plainly honest - the Dees will be lucky to escape from the wooden spoon for the second year running. However, ladder position should not be the main concern for the Demons in 2009. This season is about development and improvement. In 2008 we saw the changing of the guard. In 2009 the focus must be on building the foundations. Forget wins and losses; if Dean Bailey can finish the season with a team of 22 footballers capable of claiming a future premiership, '09 can be considered a success. As it stands, Melbourne has roughly ten players who wouldn't look out of place at a Hawthorn or Geelong. The usual suspects Brad Green, Cameron Bruce, Matthew Whelan and Brock McLean would fit in like peas and carrot, while veterans such as Paul Wheatley and new captain James McDonald wouldn't disgrace themselves either. Through in a fit Aaron Davey, an in-form Colin Sylvia and young defensive duo Matthew Warnock and Colin Garland and you've got yourselves a decent list of footballers. One may also be inclined to include TV personality Russell Robertson, former Rising Star winner Jared Rivers and would-be premiership player Brent Moloney in that category, however a poor run injuries has demoted all three to the fringes of Melbourne's best 22. A colossal comeback season – particularly from the latter two – is essential to the immediate future of the club. What Dean Bailey must do is accept reality and realise that 4-5 of those guys will be well past their peak by the time Melbourne challenges for its next flag – whenever that may be. Which means there are still more than a dozen holes needed to be filled before the Demons can consider themselves a threat to rival clubs. Hence, Bailey's objective for his sophomore season must be to push the also-rans of the club to the next level. Strong bodied forwards Brad Miller and Matthew Bate look the most likely to step up, but both need to kick more goals. No one at Melbourne managed to kick more than 30 last season. In contrast, six Dogs did, five Cats did and three Hawks did. A strong forward line wins games, but as it stands no one at Melbourne looks capable of kicking bags of 5 or more. With Neita gone, Robbo hobbling, Michael Newton going nowhere and youngsters Jack Watts and Liam Jurrah still a few years off, Miller and Bate must make FF and CHF their own. Both are confident players with leadership qualities who, if they hold onto their marks and kick straight, can bolster the Melbourne revival. Nathan Jones is another who could be on the verge of something big. There is no doubting that Jones will be around for a long time, but the question is: when he finishes his career will he be remembered as a star or simply an 'honest, hard working battler'. Like so many others, Jones is currently heading towards that unflattering latter category, but let's not forget that he finished 2nd in the B+F only two years ago. His kicking and decision making may still require fine-tuning, but Jones runs hard, finds the ball easily and isn't afraid of showing off his aggression, three valuable traits any coach would be pleased with. Jones leads a bunch of young men who could become the nucleus of the Melbourne side within a couple of years, however individual flaws must be addressed beforehand. Simon Buckley is arguably the most exciting footballer to pull on the red and blue since the Wiz, but his decision making ability must not relapse back to the disastrous stage it was at early last year. In his fourth season, Clint Bartram must reward the faith of the selectors – who made him an automatic selection throughout '06 and '08 – with a breakthrough year. With a strong engine and spiky blonde hair, Bartram looks like he should be winning Brownlow votes, but as it stands his role in the team is questionable. Meanwhile, Austin Wonaeamirri has had a big pre-season, but it will be worth nothing if he is unable to last the full 22 rounds again. The others have more noticeable blemishes. Hypothetically, not one of Lynden Dunn, Ricky Petterd, James Frawley, Michael Newton, Daniel Bell or Mark Jamar could walk into a rival club and get a walk-up start; not even Fremantle. Nevertheless, this contingent – along with '08 debutants Cale Morton, Addam Maric, Stefan Martin, Jack Grimes and Shane Valenti – must be given regular opportunities in the seniors during the year, regardless of form slumps. A few seasons back we saw Hawthorn experiment by allowing Zac Dawson – a skinny boy way out of his league – to contest with strong power forwards. Dawson may now be a Saint rookie, but the boldness and persistence shown by the Hawks coaching staff is the exact reason why they rose from cellar dwellers to premiers in such a rapid time frame. Bailey and co. must follow Hawthorn's lead. Already we have witnessed the consequences of not giving developing players a go. Week in, week out, Chris Johnson was earning best on grounds in the VFL while Melbourne was being demoralised a level higher. No wonder he left on such unpleasant terms. It wouldn't surprise many fans to see CJ take his game to a new level at Carlton. The past is the past, however, and Melbourne can't afford to worry about what they can no longer control. What Melbourne can control is their destiny. There isn't a player on Melbourne's list that doesn't deserve to be there. Even the rookies are an exciting bunch; ruckman Jake Spencer is already making mouths water and pressuring the likes of Jamar, John Meesen and, to a lesser extent, Paul Johnson to lift. It wouldn't be a season preview without a bold prediction, so I won't leave you disappointed. I don't expect the Demons to win more than five games. Nor do I expect VCE students Jack Watts or Sam Blease to burst onto the scene and unleash themselves as the second coming. They probably won't even play a game. On the contrary, I have high hopes for a couple of individuals to make their mark on the competition in the same way that the likes of Garland and 'Wonna' did in '08. Watch out for one Stefan Martin to step up and become a star defender. He has all the hallmarks of a dominant AFL footballer - height, strength, speed and skill - and can read the play incredibly well for a guy who only picked up the game a couple of years ago. Jack Grimes is another to watch. His only appearance last season may not have given fans many clues as to his ability, but he is a ball magnet who has a valuable touch of leadership. He will finish top 5 in the Rising Star and average over 20 disposals. Of the debutants, expect Rohan Bail to shine. After winning the Rising Star in the AFLQ last year, Bail has the same credentials that Davey and Valenti had before joining the Dees. His experience should see him accumulate more game time and possessions than the likes of Neville Jetta, Jamie Bennell and Kyle Cheney – all of whom should be commencing their careers in '09 after promising pre-seasons. But arguably the most important player on the Melbourne list this season is Colin Sylvia, who last year continued his encouraging – yet frustratingly slow - progression. He is now fit enough to be an on-baller, skilful enough to be a playmaker and strong enough to be a power forward. Many supporters may have lost patience with him, but a top 5 best and fairest place beckons in 2009. However, single players don't win premierships. Teams do. And Melbourne – as a collective – must show mass signs of improvement. A Rising Star nomination or a Brownlow vote may look fancy on paper, but they are not going to give the Demons long term success. Each and every player on the Melbourne list must take a step forward this season, injuries being the only valid excuse. Those that have reached a plateau and those that are on the decline are now superfluous to Melbourne's plans and Bailey should make it clear that '09 is a make or break year for everyone. Including himself. Author's note: Unfortunately I will miss every game from Round 2 onwards as I will be away doing volunteer work in South Africa until the end of the year. To cover for my absence, here are the premature working titles for the later season reviews: Mid Season (3rd - 9 wins, 2 losses) – Like A Bat out of Hell End of Season Review (1st - 19 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw) – The Melbourne Supremacy Grand Final Preview – The Melbourne Ultimatum – Premiership or Choke? Grand Final Review – Melbourne Victory! If the season does not pan out exactly as I have predicted above, please do not inform me as I would rather remain ignorant and happy. [Editor's Note: Thanks Kevin and all the best in your work over in South Africa. Hope the year brings you good news from home]

In addition, no personal abuse please and stick to the subject matter. Please.

CAMPAIGN'S END by Whispering Jack Melbourne finished off its 2009 pre season campaign on a disappointing note when it failed to score in the appalling conditions that prevailed in the last quarter of its NAB Challenge against the Bulldogs at Casey Fields yesterday. The word "apalling" may not be entirely appropriate because what appeared to be the arrival of Cyclone Hamish direct from Cairns did herald an end to the state's bushfires. Unfortunately, it also put paid to any chance Melbourne had of winning this game. The Western Bulldogs had the advantage of cyclonic conditions and kicked 5.6 for the term to storm home by 38 points but the result was in no way indicative of how the game was played. For the first three quarters the Demons took it right up to last year's beaten preliminary finalists who fielded virtually a full squad while the Melbourne was without injured players Paul Johnson, Jack Grimes, Russell Robertson, Paul Wheatley, Austin Wonaemirri, Mark Jamar and Matthew Whelan as well as the suspended Colin Sylvia. It lost Ricky Petterd (corked hip), Daniel Bell (broken thumb) and Aaron Davey (bruised heel) at various stages during the course of the game. That is not making excuses but rather stating fact although I'm not sure whether any of the individuals who were out could have made a difference. The circumstances did however, make a mockery of the result and the 38 point blow out. It was an even first half in which the highly skilled Bulldogs dominated for the first ten minutes before Melbourne settled down and played some good, positive team football. The Western Bulldogs then started getting on top during the third quarter before a two goal Brad Green inspired comeback got Melbourne to within two points at the final break. I sensed that the Demons were going to be hard put to win anyway in the face of a more precise and skilful opponent but the changed conditions which gave the Doggies a distinct wind advantage made it a certainty. It's ironic that we've experienced such a severe drought and yet the team has had to brave such shocking conditions for two weeks in a row. In the end, it must have had an effect on the legs. The point however, is that last year Melbourne might have held its own for one quarter and been beaten for three quarters in a game like that but yesterday, the team was more than competitive for three quarters. I think that's a significant factor when looking at the season to come. They are not going to be world beaters but they will win more than their three games of 2008. As in previous weeks, the obvious improvement came from the defence. Colin Garland continues to shine and he is well backed up by Matthew Warnock, Stef Martin, James Frawley, Kyle Cheney, Clint Bartram and Jamie Bennell. This group probably averages no more than a dozen AFL games but they are moulding into a strong, compact hard working defensive unit. It's exactly what you need to launch a campaign to get your team off the deck. The addition of Jared Rivers who got through a full game for the first time in eons will be an important added bonus. I was really impressed with Bennell's first half. He has poise, skill and a natural football brain. But defenders also must keep their opponents in check as the slightest amount of latitude given to an opponent at this level can be deadly. I think he might have learned that lesson yesterday. The midfield performed reasonably well for the first three quarters. Brock McLean (who looked like an alien with his shaven head), James McDonald, Nathan Jones and Brent Moloney worked hard to get an advantage in the clearances but they still need to improve on their awareness and disposal skills coming out of the packs. Against this level of opposition, turnovers will always hurt you and unfortunately, the Demons had a few too many unforced turnovers in this area. Cale Morton, Daniel Bell, Cameron Bruce and Lynden Dunn all added support without being spectacular but like most of the team, went missing in the deluge (at least Bell had an excuse - he was off the ground injured!). Simon Buckley gave this division the benefit of some added run and will be an important player in 2009 while Green played a superb game both in the midfield and in attack. Jake Spencer was beaten by a strong Bulldog ruck combination but he worked hard and made Hudson and Minson earn their keep. He can only improve and looks set to lead the Demon rucks into the first third of the season. John Meesen tried but is not up to this standard. The attacking division remains problematic. Brad Miller cost the team a certain goal with his tantrum after Kyle Cheney had been awarded a fifty metre penalty. Miller remonstrated long and hard until the decision was reversed and then added insult to injury by giving away another fifty. This altered the tempo of the play at a time when the Demons were challenging to take the ascendency and Miller went missing for the rest of the game. I have no problem with flying the flag but this just wasn't smart at all. Matthew Bate had an off day. Michael Newton had his moments and was good but only in patches. At times he ran hard and chased hard and did well in conditions that would not have suited him. At other times, he seemed uninterested and didn't attack the ball hard enough. Admittedly, he was starved of opportunities after half time and the delivery to the forward line wasn't all that flash but he has a lot of work to do if he wants to become an AFL regular. Ricky Petterd played a lot out of the forward line and was probably the most impressive of the forwards until he injured his hip. Hopefully, it really is only a corked hip and he doesn't miss games. Neville Jetta is a great competitor and is looking good for a round one debut given the uncertainty about Aussie and Aaron Davey. Thankfully, the players have a well needed week's break before we get into the real stuff but there will be no rest for coach Dean Bailey. He hasn't managed to cover all of his team's deficiencies from 2008 during the off season (not that this was ever a possibility) and will have another tough assignment in 2009. Bailey's main problem again looks to be in the forward line where many of the deficiencies lie. I suspect he will have to make a decision very soon on whether to conscript Brad Green into this area because there simply doesn't enough goalkicking power up there in his absence. Melbourne 2.1.13 7.3.45 10.3.63 10.3.63 Western Bulldogs 2.7.19 5.10.40 9.11.65 14.17.101 Goals Melbourne Green 3 Miller Jetta Newton Davey McLean McDonald Jones Western Bulldogs Hill 3 Johnson 2 Higgins 2 Griffin 2 Akermanis Hahn Harbrow Cross Ward Best Melbourne Green, Jones, McDonald, Jetta, Buckley, Garland Western Bulldogs Cross, Gilbee, Griffin, Hill, Boyd, Higgins Injuries Melbourne Petterd (corked hip), Bell (suspected broken thumb), Davey (bruised heel) Western Bulldogs Nil Reports Clint Bartram for making front on contact with Daniel Giansiracusa in the fourth quarter Umpires Kennedy, Mollison, Stewart Crowd 2,500 (approx) at Casey Fields

by Whispering Jack Melbourne finished off its 2009 pre season campaign on a disappointing note when it failed to score in the appalling conditions that prevailed in the last quarter of its NAB Challenge against the Bulldogs at Casey Fields yesterday. The word "apalling" may not be entirely appropriate because what appeared to be the arrival of Cyclone Hamish direct from Cairns did herald an end to the state's bushfires. Unfortunately, it also put paid to any chance Melbourne had of winning this game. The Western Bulldogs had the advantage of cyclonic conditions and kicked 5.6 for the term to storm home by 38 points but the result was in no way indicative of how the game was played. For the first three quarters the Demons took it right up to last year's beaten preliminary finalists who fielded virtually a full squad while the Melbourne was without injured players Paul Johnson, Jack Grimes, Russell Robertson, Paul Wheatley, Austin Wonaemirri, Mark Jamar and Matthew Whelan as well as the suspended Colin Sylvia. It lost Ricky Petterd (corked hip), Daniel Bell (broken thumb) and Aaron Davey (bruised heel) at various stages during the course of the game. That is not making excuses but rather stating fact although I'm not sure whether any of the individuals who were out could have made a difference. The circumstances did however, make a mockery of the result and the 38 point blow out. It was an even first half in which the highly skilled Bulldogs dominated for the first ten minutes before Melbourne settled down and played some good, positive team football. The Western Bulldogs then started getting on top during the third quarter before a two goal Brad Green inspired comeback got Melbourne to within two points at the final break. I sensed that the Demons were going to be hard put to win anyway in the face of a more precise and skilful opponent but the changed conditions which gave the Doggies a distinct wind advantage made it a certainty. It's ironic that we've experienced such a severe drought and yet the team has had to brave such shocking conditions for two weeks in a row. In the end, it must have had an effect on the legs. The point however, is that last year Melbourne might have held its own for one quarter and been beaten for three quarters in a game like that but yesterday, the team was more than competitive for three quarters. I think that's a significant factor when looking at the season to come. They are not going to be world beaters but they will win more than their three games of 2008. As in previous weeks, the obvious improvement came from the defence. Colin Garland continues to shine and he is well backed up by Matthew Warnock, Stef Martin, James Frawley, Kyle Cheney, Clint Bartram and Jamie Bennell. This group probably averages no more than a dozen AFL games but they are moulding into a strong, compact hard working defensive unit. It's exactly what you need to launch a campaign to get your team off the deck. The addition of Jared Rivers who got through a full game for the first time in eons will be an important added bonus. I was really impressed with Bennell's first half. He has poise, skill and a natural football brain. But defenders also must keep their opponents in check as the slightest amount of latitude given to an opponent at this level can be deadly. I think he might have learned that lesson yesterday. The midfield performed reasonably well for the first three quarters. Brock McLean (who looked like an alien with his shaven head), James McDonald, Nathan Jones and Brent Moloney worked hard to get an advantage in the clearances but they still need to improve on their awareness and disposal skills coming out of the packs. Against this level of opposition, turnovers will always hurt you and unfortunately, the Demons had a few too many unforced turnovers in this area. Cale Morton, Daniel Bell, Cameron Bruce and Lynden Dunn all added support without being spectacular but like most of the team, went missing in the deluge (at least Bell had an excuse - he was off the ground injured!). Simon Buckley gave this division the benefit of some added run and will be an important player in 2009 while Green played a superb game both in the midfield and in attack. Jake Spencer was beaten by a strong Bulldog ruck combination but he worked hard and made Hudson and Minson earn their keep. He can only improve and looks set to lead the Demon rucks into the first third of the season. John Meesen tried but is not up to this standard. The attacking division remains problematic. Brad Miller cost the team a certain goal with his tantrum after Kyle Cheney had been awarded a fifty metre penalty. Miller remonstrated long and hard until the decision was reversed and then added insult to injury by giving away another fifty. This altered the tempo of the play at a time when the Demons were challenging to take the ascendency and Miller went missing for the rest of the game. I have no problem with flying the flag but this just wasn't smart at all. Matthew Bate had an off day. Michael Newton had his moments and was good but only in patches. At times he ran hard and chased hard and did well in conditions that would not have suited him. At other times, he seemed uninterested and didn't attack the ball hard enough. Admittedly, he was starved of opportunities after half time and the delivery to the forward line wasn't all that flash but he has a lot of work to do if he wants to become an AFL regular. Ricky Petterd played a lot out of the forward line and was probably the most impressive of the forwards until he injured his hip. Hopefully, it really is only a corked hip and he doesn't miss games. Neville Jetta is a great competitor and is looking good for a round one debut given the uncertainty about Aussie and Aaron Davey. Thankfully, the players have a well needed week's break before we get into the real stuff but there will be no rest for coach Dean Bailey. He hasn't managed to cover all of his team's deficiencies from 2008 during the off season (not that this was ever a possibility) and will have another tough assignment in 2009. Bailey's main problem again looks to be in the forward line where many of the deficiencies lie. I suspect he will have to make a decision very soon on whether to conscript Brad Green into this area because there simply doesn't enough goalkicking power up there in his absence. Melbourne 2.1.13 7.3.45 10.3.63 10.3.63 Western Bulldogs 2.7.19 5.10.40 9.11.65 14.17.101 Goals Melbourne Green 3 Miller Jetta Newton Davey McLean McDonald Jones Western Bulldogs Hill 3 Johnson 2 Higgins 2 Griffin 2 Akermanis Hahn Harbrow Cross Ward Best Melbourne Green, Jones, McDonald, Jetta, Buckley, Garland Western Bulldogs Cross, Gilbee, Griffin, Hill, Boyd, Higgins Injuries Melbourne Petterd (corked hip), Bell (suspected broken thumb), Davey (bruised heel) Western Bulldogs Nil Reports Clint Bartram for making front on contact with Daniel Giansiracusa in the fourth quarter Umpires Kennedy, Mollison, Stewart Crowd 2,500 (approx) at Casey Fields

or possibly Melbourne v Sydney in the NAB Challenge at Visy Park a couple of weeks ago.

What about the boy Hughes. Can he bat or what?