Demonland

Just a reminder that Demonland is about the Melbourne Football Club and not individual upporters. This thread is locked. See you in October YM.

There will definitely be a match report. Barry is just collecting his thoughts. He's a bit of a shattered man at the moment given that Sandy lost the seniors and the reserves to his hated old rivals from the Burra, not to mention that Mavis, his wife of 26 years, is threatening to leave him if he doesn't stay home, clean the house and mow the lawns next weekend. Please be patient and give the poor man some time.

by Whispering Jack Mick Malthouse has been coaching in the AFL/VFL for two and a half decades. He started as a young coach with the Bulldogs, moved to the West Coast Eagles where he was instrumental in building a team that earned two premiership cups and then took over a basket case at Collingwood to become runner up two years in a row and is now in the course of reshaping and redeveloping his team after some more lean years. Like most of his kind, he has his supporters and his detractors and many of the latter category often say that he makes no sense at all. After reading his latest column in this Friday's Australian newspaper - SHAW-FIRE WORLD OF THE MONDAY COACHES - I'm firmly placed in the former category. At first brush, the article appears to be nothing more than the writer's response to a broadside fired at him by his predecessor Tony Shaw over his recent handling of Shaw's nephew and Magpies defender Heath Shaw. Tony Shaw has previously criticised Malthouse over the handling of Heath's brother Rhyce and there were also mutterings heard when Tony's own son, Brayden spent a single, unsuccesful season in the land of the Lexus. Malthouse put Tony Saw back in his place with this cleverly placed barb: "Tony, in particular, would have been almost punch-drunk, having coached Collingwood from 1996 to 1999, the club's darkest period for more than 50 years." Touche! Those who read the Malthouse article as merely being Malthouse's way of settling a personal core with one of his harshest critics who might also be seen as having a personal vendetta against him would be missing out on something far deeper and more profound about the way AFL clubs are coached these days. As I read the article, I couldn't help but think of our own coach Dean Bailey, of the many young players at the club whose football careers are his responsibility and of the club itself, which is going through the deepest of troughs in the football cycle. We're doing it tough and Bailey must be under some pressure as the team continues to lose games on a regular basis. What many of the critics don't see is the work going on to rebuild our young team and the fact that the fruits of that effort might take some time in the reaping. Malthouse makes the point that every Monday he is the recipient of complaints from the know alls. Even when his team wins by 100 points, as it recently did against West Coast, there's always a smart arse who has the answer to the question why they didn't win by 120 points. Mick's answer to the smart arses is as follows (and we all would do well to take this in): "But the fundamental thing about coaching is to stick to your plans. Our plan at Collingwood, and I dare say at most clubs, is to develop the individual first, which in turn helps to develop the team, which in turn provides the football club and its supporters with a highly competitive combination that will represent at its highest level for a long and sustained period." I must confess that I, like many others, overestimated the strength of the Melbourne list some two years ago when it was cruising towards its third finals series in a row. We couldn't foresee the injury plague that was about to hit the club but even this turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it exposed many of our fundamental weaknesses and hastened the move towards a total reconstruction of the playing list. That transition is now well under way under the club's present coaching regime but we are witnessing the inevitable ugly face of the early stages of a club's redevelopment. As the team becomes more and more reliant on its youth, there will be performances that are full of inconsistency and disappointment. We will also suffer scorn and derision from the rest of the football world and our coach and our players will undergo intense scrutiny. Like Malthouse, Bailey will no doubt get the usual letters suggesting his coaching on the weekend ranged from ordinary to pathetic. There is an upside to this whole process which is that, despite the defeats and the criticism, we are witnessing the slow and steady development of many younsters in the team whose average age keeps falling and whose more senior faces keep disappearing. In addition, there are half a dozen recent draftees including All Australian Under 18 players and elite AIS graduates waiting in the wings who have yet to play an AFL game and who are learning the ropes this year at VFL level. They form part of the club's growing young player bank that will be augmented at the end of the season with more draft picks including some very early selections. I know the word "tanking" is on everyone's lips but it would be absurd to think, as some people do, that the club's future depends entirely upon the necessity to have the first draft choice. Having pick 1 might be better than having pick 4 but it's more important that the coach is focussed firmly on what is, was and always be his primary role at a club. As Malthouse clearly puts it in his conclusion: "... current coaches and players have to prove time and again they can either play or they can coach - it goes with the title."

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT? by Whispering Jack Mick Malthouse has been coaching in the AFL/VFL for two and a half decades. He started as a young coach with the Bulldogs, moved to the West Coast Eagles where he was instrumental in building a team that earned two premiership cups and then took over a basket case at Collingwood to become runner up two years in a row and is now in the course of reshaping and redeveloping his team after some more lean years. Like most of his kind, he has his supporters and his detractors and many of the latter category often say that he makes no sense at all. After reading his latest column in this Friday's Australian newspaper - SHAW-FIRE WORLD OF THE MONDAY COACHES - I'm firmly placed in the former category. At first brush, the article appears to be nothing more than the writer's response to a broadside fired at him by his predecessor Tony Shaw over his recent handling of Shaw's nephew and Magpies defender Heath Shaw. Tony Shaw has previously criticised Malthouse over the handling of Heath's brother Rhyce and there were also mutterings heard when Tony's own son, Brayden spent a single, unsuccesful season in the land of the Lexus. Malthouse put Tony Saw back in his place with this cleverly placed barb: "Tony, in particular, would have been almost punch-drunk, having coached Collingwood from 1996 to 1999, the club's darkest period for more than 50 years." Touche! Those who read the Malthouse article as merely being Malthouse's way of settling a personal core with one of his harshest critics who might also be seen as having a personal vendetta against him would be missing out on something far deeper and more profound about the way AFL clubs are coached these days. As I read the article, I couldn't help but think of our own coach Dean Bailey, of the many young players at the club whose football careers are his responsibility and of the club itself, which is going through the deepest of troughs in the football cycle. We're doing it tough and Bailey must be under some pressure as the team continues to lose games on a regular basis. What many of the critics don't see is the work going on to rebuild our young team and the fact that the fruits of that effort might take some time in the reaping. Malthouse makes the point that every Monday he is the recipient of complaints from the know alls. Even when his team wins by 100 points, as it recently did against West Coast, there's always a smart arse who has the answer to the question why they didn't win by 120 points. Mick's answer to the smart arses is as follows (and we all would do well to take this in): "But the fundamental thing about coaching is to stick to your plans. Our plan at Collingwood, and I dare say at most clubs, is to develop the individual first, which in turn helps to develop the team, which in turn provides the football club and its supporters with a highly competitive combination that will represent at its highest level for a long and sustained period." I must confess that I, like many others, overestimated the strength of the Melbourne list some two years ago when it was cruising towards its third finals series in a row. We couldn't foresee the injury plague that was about to hit the club but even this turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it exposed many of our fundamental weaknesses and hastened the move towards a total reconstruction of the playing list. That transition is now well under way under the club's present coaching regime but we are witnessing the inevitable ugly face of the early stages of a club's redevelopment. As the team becomes more and more reliant on its youth, there will be performances that are full of inconsistency and disappointment. We will also suffer scorn and derision from the rest of the football world and our coach and our players will undergo intense scrutiny. Like Malthouse, Bailey will no doubt get the usual letters suggesting his coaching on the weekend ranged from ordinary to pathetic. There is an upside to this whole process which is that, despite the defeats and the criticism, we are witnessing the slow and steady development of many younsters in the team whose average age keeps falling and whose more senior faces keep disappearing. In addition, there are half a dozen recent draftees including All Australian Under 18 players and elite AIS graduates waiting in the wings who have yet to play an AFL game and who are learning the ropes this year at VFL level. They form part of the club's growing young player bank that will be augmented at the end of the season with more draft picks including some very early selections. I know the word "tanking" is on everyone's lips but it would be absurd to think, as some people do, that the club's future depends entirely upon the necessity to have the first draft choice. Having pick 1 might be better than having pick 4 but it's more important that the coach is focussed firmly on what is, was and always be his primary role at a club. As Malthouse clearly puts it in his conclusion: "... current coaches and players have to prove time and again they can either play or they can coach - it goes with the title."

My admiration for Dean Laidley has grown considerably in the light of what he had to say to Big Mouth here - Butt out, Jeff- Laidley

Folks. Let's keep the discussion civil and please no personal attacks on each other. Hannabal, please note that if you have a point to make about a subject, your argument would be far more credible if you addressed the point rather than attacking the poster whose views might differ from yours. There's no place here for ad hominem insults. The same goes for everyone else. Thank you and cheers. Andy

Folks. Let's keep the discussion civil and please no personal attacks on each other. Hannabal, please note that if you have a point to make about a subject, your argument would be far more credible if you addressed the point rather than attacking the poster whose views might differ from yours. There's no place here for ad hominem insults. The same goes for everyone else. Thank you and cheers. Andy

Please note. He has not yet been found guilty so he should not be called a "criminal" or a cheat until such time as the law says so.

ANYONE BUT SYDNEY!!! by The Oracle One of the first initiatives announced under the new regime at Melbourne was the push for two matches in Canberra next year to enable the club to pocket more than $600,000 if the AFL allows it to double up on its presence in the national capital. According to Melbourne CEO Paul McNamee, Canberra is the place where the Demons have a "preference to build a little hub." From the point of view of making money it's not a bad idea to make 600k by playing away instead of losing money at home. Any organisation that finds itself $4.5m in debt and with mounting losses needs to have an eye on the bottom line and given that Melbourne is at rock bottom, it's well placed to look fairly, squarely and closely at that line. But the club’s application for an additional presence in the ACT should also be also be made on the understanding that Melbourne is part of a national competition and it's important in that context for it to be competitive. For that to happen, it has to compete on more or less a level playing field. Now, I'm not suggesting that Manuka Oval slopes one way or another but I do think that the club's request for another Canberra game should be predicated on it playing against two of the interstate clubs that have lesser drawing power in Melbourne such as the Dockers, Port Power or the future GC17 and WS18 teams. The Sydney Swans, with their association with the old South Melbourne Football Club, still have a significant base of supporters in Melbourne so it makes sense for the Dees to play their home games against them here in Melbourne to take advantage of those numbers. Playing the Swans in Canberra also gives the supposed "away" team a virtual home ground advantage. At Manuka, Sydney is much closer to its own home as the crow flies than Melbourne and the Swans also field their reserves team in the local Canberra competition. This effectively gives Sydney an enormous advantage over the so-called "home side" in terms of crowd support, travel time and local knowledge. The Demons need to build an identity in the ACT as a team in its own right and it must maximise its winning chances playing at the ground - something that won't happen as often if they give away any advantage and play there against the Swans who are perennially in the top four. So, I'm all for making some dough out of a couple of trips a year to the national capital but let's be smart about who we have to play against in those games. Just imagine a future match up against the Gold Coast Dolphins in Canberra with all those pretty boy blond haired surfers freezing their you know what’s off. We would have the clear advantage over our opponents in the wintry conditions in the national capital, make some money and bring home the four points - all while I'm lounging on my living room couch with the fire blazing away and me sipping away on a tinnie fully of the frothy stuff. Sounds good to me - as long as we're not playing the Swans! On the question of Sydney, I wonder what happened to the rivalry that the clubs were trying to build up around Anzac Day? The quest to build up a blockbuster game around the clubs named after and representing the two most populous cities in the land seems to have fallen by the wayside. The Demons should look to bring this concept back with the clubs alternating their Anzac Day appearances between cities every year (with the game on Anzac eve at the G every year when it's in Melbourne). If promoted well we could develop a blockbuster our own without the need to always attract opposition supporters like the one who slagged off at Fev last Sunday. I'd like to see that! THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney at the Manuka Oval 22 June 2008 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 91 wins Sydney 107 wins 1 draw At Manuka Melbourne 0 wins Sydney 1 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 6 wins Sydney 10 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 Roos 0 MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel at 1 pm (live) RADIO SEN 774 ABC THE BETTING Melbourne to win $8.00 - Sydney to win $1.06 LAST TIME THEY MET Sydney Swans 17.10.112 defeated Melbourne 9.10.64 Round 18, 2007. Melbourne travelled a long way to play this "home" game but it certainly didn't take long for the Swans to snuff them out. The Demons failed to kick a goal in the opening stanza and the Swans kept them in a vice-like grip for the rest of the games with Adam Goodes in outstanding form. The best of the Demons that day were Nathan Brown and Nathan Carroll. Ironically, neither of them will be in the nation's capital for Sunday’s rematch. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James McDonald Colin Garland Matthew Warnock Half backs Brad Green Paul Wheatley Cameron Bruce Centreline Colin Sylvia Brock McLean Lynden Dunn Half forwards Jace Bode Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Forwards Paul Johnson Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White Clint Bartram Nathan Jones Interchange James Frawley Mark Jamar Chris Johnson Matthew Whelan Emergencies Cale Morton Shane Valenti Adem Yze In Mark Jamar Matthew Whelan Out Cale Morton Adem Yze (both omitted) SYDNEY SWANS Backs Nick Malceski Leo Barry Martin Mattner Half backs Craig Bolton Ted Richards Tadhg Kennelly Centreline Adam Goodes Jarrad McVeigh Amon Buchanan Half forwards Ryan O’Keefe Barry Hall Luke Ablett Forwards Paul Bevan Michael O’Loughlin Lewis Roberts-Thomson Followers Darren Jolly Brett Kirk Jude Bolton Interchange Craig Bird Kieren Jack Jarred Moore Henry Playfair Emergencies Luke Brennan Nic Fosdike Ben Mathews No change Umpires Sully Grun Head SWAN DIVING We are barely beyond the halfway mark of the season and already they're talking about tanking. The talk at the moment centres on the West Coast Eagles and the way their team was structured for last Friday night's game against Essendon - especially the omission of some key premiership players such as Daniel Kerr, Braun and Fletcher. It's just as well people aren't accusing Melbourne of tanking because this year's Demons have proved conclusively that they can lose with the best of them without even doing anything that looks remotely suspicious. When will people ever learn and understand the truth of Andrew Demetriou's AFL 11th commandment - thou shalt not, will not and do not tank? It just doesn't happen. End of story. That said, Sunday's game at Manuka looks like a mismatch to me. The Swans have been cruising along nicely over recent weeks and the inclusion of Barry Hall, back from suspension last week, was virtually seamless. Sydney went on its merry way and demolished the Saints to grab fourth position on the AFL ladder. Unlike the dour Swans of old, they did it in the attractive, high scoring style which they have adopted of late. This spells a lot of trouble for Melbourne because you can't just shut the Swans down by pushing your players back and hoping for the best. They will smash you if you try that - just ask the Tigers who were held to one goal in the first half of their game in Sydney a few weeks ago. The game will give Melbourne the opportunity to see how its new look young defence can withstand the slings and arrows of a professional attacking unit containing the likes of Hall, Michael O'Loughlin and O'Keefe to name a few. The challenge will be absorbing, interesting and give the club an idea of where youngsters like Colin Garland, James Frawley and the resurgent Matthew Warnock (fresh from a tough gig against Richo) really sit at this early stage of their careers. There was a time when I would review games and pick some of the more fascinating match ups - the ones that were crucial in determining the direction of any particular game. This has unfortunately become a useless exercise of late because players are rotated one and off so often during a game that the match ups often mean little. These days, players aren't always matched up upon each other for large portions of a game. The exceptions might be the rucks and the key back and forward positions but otherwise, players generally have a larger roving (or roaming) commission than in the past. My fascinating match up for this week is in one position where I think the Demons will win - the contest between Jeff White and Darren Jolly who left the Dees a few years ago because he didn't want to play in Jeff White's shadow. He has done exceptionally well for himself up in Sydney and has a premiership medallion to prove that proposition but he's never quite had the wood over White. I expect the master to control the rucks despite giving away plenty in terms of height and size. I look everywhere else on the field and I find the Swans holding a significant edge over the Demons. Brock McLean has been good in the middle and has a few capable back ups but they're competing with the likes of dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes, Brett Kirk, Jude Bolton and Jarrad McVeigh who have been in sparkling form of late. Melbourne has been competitive in its last two games against Collingwood and Richmond but the worry is the spectre of a total collapse such as the 16 minute breakdown it suffered in the second term against the Tigers when the Demons looked like a junior school ballet troupe rather than an elite football team. Take away the black hole of those 16 minutes and Melbourne would have been back in town but with it, they're somewhere in the backblocks beyond the dog on the tucker box at Gundagai. So until they prove they can perform for four quarters, week in, week out, I can't select them to beat a team with the class of the Sydney Swans which is settled with an unchanged line up. Sydney by 57 points

by The Oracle One of the first initiatives announced under the new regime at Melbourne was the push for two matches in Canberra next year to enable the club to pocket more than $600,000 if the AFL allows it to double up on its presence in the national capital. According to Melbourne CEO Paul McNamee, Canberra is the place where the Demons have a "preference to build a little hub." From the point of view of making money it's not a bad idea to make 600k by playing away instead of losing money at home. Any organisation that finds itself $4.5m in debt and with mounting losses needs to have an eye on the bottom line and given that Melbourne is at rock bottom, it's well placed to look fairly, squarely and closely at that line. But the club’s application for an additional presence in the ACT should also be also be made on the understanding that Melbourne is part of a national competition and it's important in that context for it to be competitive. For that to happen, it has to compete on more or less a level playing field. Now, I'm not suggesting that Manuka Oval slopes one way or another but I do think that the club's request for another Canberra game should be predicated on it playing against two of the interstate clubs that have lesser drawing power in Melbourne such as the Dockers, Port Power or the future GC17 and WS18 teams. The Sydney Swans, with their association with the old South Melbourne Football Club, still have a significant base of supporters in Melbourne so it makes sense for the Dees to play their home games against them here in Melbourne to take advantage of those numbers. Playing the Swans in Canberra also gives the supposed "away" team a virtual home ground advantage. At Manuka, Sydney is much closer to its own home as the crow flies than Melbourne and the Swans also field their reserves team in the local Canberra competition. This effectively gives Sydney an enormous advantage over the so-called "home side" in terms of crowd support, travel time and local knowledge. The Demons need to build an identity in the ACT as a team in its own right and it must maximise its winning chances playing at the ground - something that won't happen as often if they give away any advantage and play there against the Swans who are perennially in the top four. So, I'm all for making some dough out of a couple of trips a year to the national capital but let's be smart about who we have to play against in those games. Just imagine a future match up against the Gold Coast Dolphins in Canberra with all those pretty boy blond haired surfers freezing their you know what’s off. We would have the clear advantage over our opponents in the wintry conditions in the national capital, make some money and bring home the four points - all while I'm lounging on my living room couch with the fire blazing away and me sipping away on a tinnie fully of the frothy stuff. Sounds good to me - as long as we're not playing the Swans! On the question of Sydney, I wonder what happened to the rivalry that the clubs were trying to build up around Anzac Day? The quest to build up a blockbuster game around the clubs named after and representing the two most populous cities in the land seems to have fallen by the wayside. The Demons should look to bring this concept back with the clubs alternating their Anzac Day appearances between cities every year (with the game on Anzac eve at the G every year when it's in Melbourne). If promoted well we could develop a blockbuster our own without the need to always attract opposition supporters like the one who slagged off at Fev last Sunday. I'd like to see that! THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney at the Manuka Oval 22 June 2008 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 91 wins Sydney 107 wins 1 draw At Manuka Melbourne 0 wins Sydney 1 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 6 wins Sydney 10 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 Roos 0 MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel at 1 pm (live) RADIO SEN 774 ABC THE BETTING Melbourne to win $8.00 - Sydney to win $1.06 LAST TIME THEY MET Sydney Swans 17.10.112 defeated Melbourne 9.10.64 Round 18, 2007. Melbourne travelled a long way to play this "home" game but it certainly didn't take long for the Swans to snuff them out. The Demons failed to kick a goal in the opening stanza and the Swans kept them in a vice-like grip for the rest of the games with Adam Goodes in outstanding form. The best of the Demons that day were Nathan Brown and Nathan Carroll. Ironically, neither of them will be in the nation's capital for Sunday’s rematch. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James McDonald Colin Garland Matthew Warnock Half backs Brad Green Paul Wheatley Cameron Bruce Centreline Colin Sylvia Brock McLean Lynden Dunn Half forwards Jace Bode Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Forwards Paul Johnson Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White Clint Bartram Nathan Jones Interchange James Frawley Mark Jamar Chris Johnson Matthew Whelan Emergencies Cale Morton Shane Valenti Adem Yze In Mark Jamar Matthew Whelan Out Cale Morton Adem Yze (both omitted) SYDNEY SWANS Backs Nick Malceski Leo Barry Martin Mattner Half backs Craig Bolton Ted Richards Tadhg Kennelly Centreline Adam Goodes Jarrad McVeigh Amon Buchanan Half forwards Ryan O’Keefe Barry Hall Luke Ablett Forwards Paul Bevan Michael O’Loughlin Lewis Roberts-Thomson Followers Darren Jolly Brett Kirk Jude Bolton Interchange Craig Bird Kieren Jack Jarred Moore Henry Playfair Emergencies Luke Brennan Nic Fosdike Ben Mathews No change Umpires Sully Grun Head SWAN DIVING We are barely beyond the halfway mark of the season and already they're talking about tanking. The talk at the moment centres on the West Coast Eagles and the way their team was structured for last Friday night's game against Essendon - especially the omission of some key premiership players such as Daniel Kerr, Braun and Fletcher. It's just as well people aren't accusing Melbourne of tanking because this year's Demons have proved conclusively that they can lose with the best of them without even doing anything that looks remotely suspicious. When will people ever learn and understand the truth of Andrew Demetriou's AFL 11th commandment - thou shalt not, will not and do not tank? It just doesn't happen. End of story. That said, Sunday's game at Manuka looks like a mismatch to me. The Swans have been cruising along nicely over recent weeks and the inclusion of Barry Hall, back from suspension last week, was virtually seamless. Sydney went on its merry way and demolished the Saints to grab fourth position on the AFL ladder. Unlike the dour Swans of old, they did it in the attractive, high scoring style which they have adopted of late. This spells a lot of trouble for Melbourne because you can't just shut the Swans down by pushing your players back and hoping for the best. They will smash you if you try that - just ask the Tigers who were held to one goal in the first half of their game in Sydney a few weeks ago. The game will give Melbourne the opportunity to see how its new look young defence can withstand the slings and arrows of a professional attacking unit containing the likes of Hall, Michael O'Loughlin and O'Keefe to name a few. The challenge will be absorbing, interesting and give the club an idea of where youngsters like Colin Garland, James Frawley and the resurgent Matthew Warnock (fresh from a tough gig against Richo) really sit at this early stage of their careers. There was a time when I would review games and pick some of the more fascinating match ups - the ones that were crucial in determining the direction of any particular game. This has unfortunately become a useless exercise of late because players are rotated one and off so often during a game that the match ups often mean little. These days, players aren't always matched up upon each other for large portions of a game. The exceptions might be the rucks and the key back and forward positions but otherwise, players generally have a larger roving (or roaming) commission than in the past. My fascinating match up for this week is in one position where I think the Demons will win - the contest between Jeff White and Darren Jolly who left the Dees a few years ago because he didn't want to play in Jeff White's shadow. He has done exceptionally well for himself up in Sydney and has a premiership medallion to prove that proposition but he's never quite had the wood over White. I expect the master to control the rucks despite giving away plenty in terms of height and size. I look everywhere else on the field and I find the Swans holding a significant edge over the Demons. Brock McLean has been good in the middle and has a few capable back ups but they're competing with the likes of dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes, Brett Kirk, Jude Bolton and Jarrad McVeigh who have been in sparkling form of late. Melbourne has been competitive in its last two games against Collingwood and Richmond but the worry is the spectre of a total collapse such as the 16 minute breakdown it suffered in the second term against the Tigers when the Demons looked like a junior school ballet troupe rather than an elite football team. Take away the black hole of those 16 minutes and Melbourne would have been back in town but with it, they're somewhere in the backblocks beyond the dog on the tucker box at Gundagai. So until they prove they can perform for four quarters, week in, week out, I can't select them to beat a team with the class of the Sydney Swans which is settled with an unchanged line up. Sydney by 57 points

This is strange but Ricky Petterd is named as part of the interchange for the reserves. It suggests possibly that there might be a doubt over his fitness. The fact that Newton's not there suggests that he's unfit for one reason or other (I suppose that's pretty obvious isn't it?) SANDRINGHAM v PORT MELBOURNE (Reserves) Sunday 22nd June Trevor Barker Beach Oval at 11:10 AM SANDRINGHAM Backs Cannon Curcio Sargent Half backs Plymin Shakaib McNamara Centreline Hine McConnell Kondarovskis Half forwards Hardiman Cleeve Lyall Forwards Lockwood Zomer Weetra Followers Spencer Williams Fleming Interchange (from) Dean Eaton Gribbin B Liddell Monaghan Petterd Summons Torcasio

These were the team for Melbourne and Sydney when they last met in Canberra on 5 August 2007. It will be interesting when the teams are named to see just how much change has taken place in less than 11 months. MELBOURNE Backs Ben Holland Nathan Carroll Ryan Ferguson Half backs Daniel Bell Brad Miller James Frawley Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Paul Wheatley Half forwards Nathan Brown Russell Robertson Simon Godfrey Forwards Bryon Pickett David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Aaron Davey Brent Moloney Michael Newton Daniel Ward Emergencies Jace Bode Simon Buckley Mark Jamar In Nathan Carroll Aaron Davey Byron Pickett Out Cameron Bruce (hamstring) Colin Sylvia (groin) Simon Buckley SYDNEY SWANS Backs Tadhg Kennelly Craig Bolton Nick Malceski Half backs Paul Bevan Adam Goodes Ben Mathews Centreline Luke Ablett Brett Kirk Amon Buchanan Half forwards Ryan O’Keefe Michael O’Loughlin Jarrad McVeigh Forwards Adam Schneider Barry Hall Nick Davis Followers Darren Jolly Jude Bolton Nic Fosdike Interchange Luke Brennan Peter Everitt Heath Grundy Ted Richards Emergencies Sean Dempster Matthew Laidlaw Tim Schmidt In Luke Ablett Out Tim Schmidt

by Kevin Hawkins aka Dee man [12 June 2008] It was a fitting decision for Melbourne to abandon their Demon image for season 2008, because Dean Bailey and his troops desperately need to start saying their prayers. This year’s 150th Birthday celebrations have been nothing more than a tumultuous shambles for the Melbourne football club; it seems only a miracle from the heavens could turn their poor fortunes around. Off-field, things haven't been looking too grand. The poorly timed departure of Steve Harris, decreased membership sales and ineffective marketing have thrown up a few unwanted birthday surprises. But it is Melbourne’s on-field performance that is most alarming, with the team’s performance being likened to that of Fitzroy. Sitting 16th on the ladder with just one win and a paltry 60.56 percentage, some critics have been yelling for the Demons to relocate north to the Gold Coast. The retirement of captain David Neitz and the freak injury to fellow 150 Hero Russell Robertson haven’t helped, but injuries can’t be held responsible for Melbourne’s failure as they were in 2007. Interestingly though, before this duo fell victim to injuries, their impact on the game was minimal. Neitz managed must three goals, while a large majority of Robertson’s 20 were kicked in the last quarter of games when games were dead and buried. Call me irreverent, but even Melbourne’s so-called stars have let the team down badly this year. In spite of all this, one must remember that first year coach "Yoda" Bailey had labelled the season a development year before the ball was even bounced. The early impressions shown by early draftee Cale Morton and the rookie-elevated Austin Wonaeamirri have given supporters a reason to smile, while the continuing improvements of Nathan Jones, Matthew Bate, Simon Buckley, Colin Garland, Matthew Warnock and Paul Johnson have been a much overlooked blessing. Meanwhile, Brad Green has begun asserting himself as a potential leadership replacement for Neitz, as has Brock McLean – still seeking atonement for his pre-season indiscretions. What is a major concern, however, is the backwards steps being taken by many of Melbourne’s young players. Many hoped that a development year would mark the maturing stage for Melbourne’s promising youth. On the contrary, none of Lynden Dunn, Michael Newton, James Frawley, Clint Bartram, Daniel Bell, Chris Johnson, Jace Bode and Ricky Petterd have taken their game to the next level as one would hope. That’s eight players, or two years worth of drafting. While it would be unfair to write off that group at such an early stage of their career, one can’t help but be concerned. Newton and Dunn (currently being used as a tagger) are supposed to be the focal points of Melbourne’s forward line for the next decade; Frawley is expected to become Melbourne’s first genuine key position defender since the 90s. They still have time on their side, but how patient will Bailey and co. be before throwing the axe? Let's state the obvious: Melbourne aren’t going to make the finals this year. At best, they may win 2-3 more games. With this in mind, there is little point in persisting with senior players Adem Yze and Ben Holland. It could well be argued that both are in the team's best 22 and could definitely contribute to the team's short-term success, but in reality a farewell game in Round 22 is the most Bailey can afford to give either of them. Yze is a legend of the Melbourne football club – there is no doubting that – however one can't help but wonder whether his position in the team is depriving a young player of an opportunity. Arguably the same could be said about Matthew Whelan – now 28 - whose body hasn't be right for years. Whelan is a fantastic footballer and one of the most capable back pockets in the league when fit. However, reality is that he is past his prime, in terms of both ability and physical endurance and will not be a component of Melbourne's next premiership team. Fellow defender Nathan Carroll is another who looks to be closing in on the end of his career after he was dropped from the senior side the week the coaching panel analysed the playing list. Carroll is an aggressive and bold competitor, but key forwards are now finding him far too easy to defeat. As I write, Warnock and Garland are overtaking him in Melbourne’s defensive hierarchy, while Stefan Martin could well join that duo by season’s end. The only thing that may keep Carroll on the Melbourne list in 2009 is if the talented, albeit injury-prone, Jared Rivers can't get his body right – a frightening prospect. From now until the end of the year, Bailey and his coaching staff must be given the licence to experiment. Players like Dunn, Newton, C Johnson, Bode and Buckley - who all seem to fit into Bailey's run and carry game plan - must consistently be given opportunities, while permanent positions must be found for Green, Bell, Bartram and the much maligned Colin Sylvia. While Green has been Melbourne's standout player this year, his desperation and courageous marking ability is being wasted as a loose man in defence. For years, supporters have been screaming for him to return to the forward line. Perhaps Bailey should take note. Since injuring himself late last year, Bell has not returned to the form expected of him. His decision making has been mediocre, while his one-on-one efforts have been below par. A spell as an outside midfielder, or even a small forward, could rejuvenate his career. A spell at Sandringham may also be appropriate. Bartram could become one of the best taggers in the league, if only he was assigned that role more regularly. He has a superb engine, but still has one of the most unreliable kicks in the business. Bailey must make use of Bartram’s strengths and play him on the opposition’s best midfielder each week, rather than waste him as a rebounding defender – a position Melbourne has a surplus supply of. Finally, we come to Sylvia. Let’s not lie; Sylvia's selection as pick 3 in the draft will probably never be justified. Nonetheless, Sylvia could still become a very handy footballer. If one removes all prior expectations, then Sylvia's progress could be considered relatively exciting. He is currently having his most influential season to date, however he is constantly being switched from defence to midfield to forward. By season’s end, Sylvia must be able to call a specific position his own, otherwise he may have to be put up for trade. The absence of Neitz and Robertson opens the door up in the forward line; a 30-40 goal return could reinvigorate the hopes held by so many Demon supporters. Some of Bailey's experimentations have worked thus far, with several players who appeared lost now finding their feet. Although Cameron Bruce's kicking still hasn't re-gained its potency of seasons past, the team’s co-captain is having a relatively successful year. Playing as a medium-sized defender-cum-creative midfielder has worked a treat; Bruce is practically playing two positions in the one side. What he must do now is provide greater leadership and prove to critics that he can permanently take over Neitz’s prized mantle. Some added hardness could help as well. The phasing out of club stalwarts and 150 Heroes Jeff White and James McDonald has also been a noteworthy process. White is no longer starting every game in the centre, with Jamar and Johnson been given much greater responsibility. One could interpret this changing-of-the-guard purely as an indication of White’s form; these days, few of White’s taps hit teammates. Johnson has made the most of this opportunity, showing class all over the ground, but Jamar still lacks the confidence needed for an AFL player. His ruckwork, physical presence and disposal tally have lifted significantly from previous seasons, however his reluctance to kick or gather contested possessions makes him a liability. If John Meesen can develop into the player DB wants him to be within the next few months, Jamar's playing days may be over. Following two years of midfield brilliance, McDonald has taken a less demanding role this season, assigning greater workload to hard-at-it on-ballers Jones, McLean and Brent Moloney. Almost every week, this trio aggressively attack the opposition in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Fittingly, they are all ranked in the league’s top 30 for contested possessions, in addition to ranking highly in clearances and first possessions (average per round, as of Round 11, Pro-Stats). Rookie Shane Valenti could soon add his name to that centre square on a regular basis; in his two appearance thus far, he has laid 12 tackles and completed 13 one percenters. (Pro-Stats) Brad Miller's permanent move to Centre Half Forward has, as expected, been a success; the inconsistent leader is enjoying his finest season to date. Nonetheless, Miller still has one element of his game to conquer before he can start considering himself a reliable footballer: goals. If Miller, and his partner in crime Bate, can average 2 goals a game, then Melbourne’s half forward line could start looking very dangerous, as it briefly did against Fremantle in Round 7. Before injury, Aaron Davey was beginning to adapt to his new role on the wing, being a key playmaker against the Kangaroos, Fremantle and Hawthorn. What Davey must do now is maintain consistency; if he can produce four effective quarters a game, rather than the occasional bursts of brilliance, he could become the team’s most important player. Playing Davey in the midfield has allowed his protégée Wonaeamirri to play as a permanent forward pocket, a role he has relished. Wonaeamirri has been nothing short of brilliant in his debut year, having picked up a Rising Star Nomination and been a multiple goalkicker on five occasions. As good as Wonaeamirri has been, however, the biggest success story of the year thus far has been that of Warnock and Garland. Five weeks ago, this duo were rejected as duds by Demon fans, while their names didn't mean anything to the average football follower. Now, all of a sudden, these two have almost pencilled in the Full Back and Centre Half Back positions for the next decade after some promising performances on the likes of Buddy Franklin (3 goals – his 2nd lowest tally all season), Jarryd Roughead (1 goal), Justin Koschitzke (2 goals but no influence) and Travis Cloke (goalless). Furthermore, Garland has shown an ability to run and carry; his kicking has been floorless in recent games, disregarding a perfect spear to a St Kilda player when the young defender believed he was kicking to a teammate. After eleven weeks, it is still too early to fully assess Bailey's efforts. We are being told that he has an impressive game plan, but there has been little evidence of its effectiveness. A freakish half against Fremantle and three spirited three-quarter efforts against Geelong, Hawthorn and Collingwood simply aren't enough, but patience is the key. Who knows; Bailey could well become the saviour that the MFC has been searching for since the days of Norm Smith, but one shouldn’t be expecting any miracles from him any time soon. Expected finish: 16th (2 wins, 20 losses) From the blog of Kevin Hawkins

Probably thanked you for being team manager of the only Demon team to win a game by over 100 points this year and for bringing back the Big Carl Cup to Demonland (and Demonology!)

REACHING FOR THE STARS by The Oracle There were two AFL games played in Melbourne yesterday. The one between Carlton and Collingwood attracted a crowd of 80,310 to the MCG and the other, between Richmond and Melbourne, a modest 27,348 to Telstra Dome. The results of both were decided by star players in the winning teams - in Carlton's case it was the result of an eight goal performance from full forward Brendan Fevola and in Richmond's case it was from wingman, come forward, come backman Matthew Richardson. Without a doubt, Richardson was the difference between the two sides at the Docklands; he instigated the Tigers' comeback with two goals when they were in danger of falling away and trailling by 21 points late in the opening quarter, he was instrumental in his team's 16 minutes of sheer dominance in the second quarter when they scored eight unanswered goals after Melbourne scored the first of the term and he took a number of timely saving marks deep in defence when the Demons looked like stealing the game near the end. The rest of the time, he went well enough but he really made things happen when they mattered the most and he finished with five goals. That's a star! The rest of the time, which was about 75% of the game, Melbourne was the better team but it was the lack of a single player with star quality and the ability to stamp his name on the game that, as happens ever so often with the Demons, proved to be its undoing. The young Melbourne side had its best start for the season with five goals for the opening term but all of its good work was undone in the second quarter when the entire team went into hibernation and reverted to all of the sins and omissions of the very dark days early in the season when they performed so miserably against the Hawks and the Bulldogs in the opening two rounds. By half time the Tigers held a lead of 38 points and appeared headed for a victory of mammoth proportions after a devastating eight goal burst brought about by complete dominance of the midfield and the Richardson effect. But Melbourne fought back with a counter offensive of its own and narrowed the deficit to 19 points at the last change. That they did so was due to the efforts of Brock McLean, with face swathed in bandages, who came out with a burst to retake control of the midfield and the uncharacteristically quiet Aaron Davey, who ignited the game with a sparkling running goal followed by the mark of year and then a goal to give the team a sniff. The Demon surge continued in the final quarter and they drew to within 8 points as it all came down to an arm wrestle which was eventually won by the Tigers with the last two goals of the game. Melbourne was well served by midfielders Brad Green, Cameron Bruce and the run and carrry of Paul Wheatley whose persistence throughout the game was important. Nathan Jones and Matthew Bate also flashed in and out of the play while Clint Bartram showed some glimpses of the form he was capable of producing in his debut season before his injury woes began. Brad Miller's three goal performance might pale into insignificance when measured next to that of Richo but it was nevertheless an important contribution. Miller had to go far and wide to get his possessions but his kicking for goal in terms of both depth and accuracy have improved markedly this year. He was however, Melbourne's only forward target in an attack bereft of players capable of taking a contested mark in the way that Richardson does for the Tigers. That is understandable in view of the demise of David Neitz and injuries to Russell Robertson, Ben Holland and Michael Newton - the latter is coming back from injury through the Sandringham reserves of all places! In a game dominated by Richmond's star, a special mention must be made of two players from Melbourne who might aspire to such greatness at some stage in the future. Colin Garland's breathtaking improvement continues and I sense that some day soon we will look at how his game has developed and marvel at the inspiration behind giving him the very special number 20 at this club to wear on his back. The dash and poise that he is showing week in and week out is something that we rarely see from young players who have graced the football field on such few occasions. He can only get better and better. And so too will Cale Morton, although his performance at the Telstra Dome was admittedly flawed by some poor disposal and decision making. Having seen him hit targets with pinpoint precision and kick goals prodigiously from long distances on his way to winning the highest individual honours at last year's national under 18 championships, I'm willing to cut him a fair amount of slack. The lad is still only eighteen years old but showed that he can really find the football - 20 possessions with only 64% of game time - is a handy result in anyone's language. He's a fantastic work in progress and, with a year or two's experience and a few extra kilograms on his upper body and shoulders, Morton will be a very special player for the club. Melbourne did not achieve victory against the Tigers at the Dome yesterday - not even an honourable defeat. However, the Demons showed that they have the potential and the material to one day reach for the stars. The voyage has begun. Melbourne 5.3.33 6.5.41 11.8.74 14.10.94 Richmond 3.6.24 11.13.79 13.15.93 16.20.116 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Bartram Bruce Davey 2 Bate Garland Green White Wonaeamirri Richmond Richardson 5 Brown 3 Cotchin Hyde Moore Morton Polak Simmonds Tuck White Best Melbourne McLean Garland Wheatley Bruce Jones Bate Richmond Richardson Deledio Brown Tuck Foley Injuries Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Umpires Sully Nicholls Ryan Crowd 27,348 at Telstra Dome

by The Oracle There were two AFL games played in Melbourne yesterday. The one between Carlton and Collingwood attracted a crowd of 80,310 to the MCG and the other, between Richmond and Melbourne, a modest 27,348 to Telstra Dome. The results of both were decided by star players in the winning teams - in Carlton's case it was the result of an eight goal performance from full forward Brendan Fevola and in Richmond's case it was from wingman, come forward, come backman Matthew Richardson. Without a doubt, Richardson was the difference between the two sides at the Docklands; he instigated the Tigers' comeback with two goals when they were in danger of falling away and trailling by 21 points late in the opening quarter, he was instrumental in his team's 16 minutes of sheer dominance in the second quarter when they scored eight unanswered goals after Melbourne scored the first of the term and he took a number of timely saving marks deep in defence when the Demons looked like stealing the game near the end. The rest of the time, he went well enough but he really made things happen when they mattered the most and he finished with five goals. That's a star! The rest of the time, which was about 75% of the game, Melbourne was the better team but it was the lack of a single player with star quality and the ability to stamp his name on the game that, as happens ever so often with the Demons, proved to be its undoing. The young Melbourne side had its best start for the season with five goals for the opening term but all of its good work was undone in the second quarter when the entire team went into hibernation and reverted to all of the sins and omissions of the very dark days early in the season when they performed so miserably against the Hawks and the Bulldogs in the opening two rounds. By half time the Tigers held a lead of 38 points and appeared headed for a victory of mammoth proportions after a devastating eight goal burst brought about by complete dominance of the midfield and the Richardson effect. But Melbourne fought back with a counter offensive of its own and narrowed the deficit to 19 points at the last change. That they did so was due to the efforts of Brock McLean, with face swathed in bandages, who came out with a burst to retake control of the midfield and the uncharacteristically quiet Aaron Davey, who ignited the game with a sparkling running goal followed by the mark of year and then a goal to give the team a sniff. The Demon surge continued in the final quarter and they drew to within 8 points as it all came down to an arm wrestle which was eventually won by the Tigers with the last two goals of the game. Melbourne was well served by midfielders Brad Green, Cameron Bruce and the run and carrry of Paul Wheatley whose persistence throughout the game was important. Nathan Jones and Matthew Bate also flashed in and out of the play while Clint Bartram showed some glimpses of the form he was capable of producing in his debut season before his injury woes began. Brad Miller's three goal performance might pale into insignificance when measured next to that of Richo but it was nevertheless an important contribution. Miller had to go far and wide to get his possessions but his kicking for goal in terms of both depth and accuracy have improved markedly this year. He was however, Melbourne's only forward target in an attack bereft of players capable of taking a contested mark in the way that Richardson does for the Tigers. That is understandable in view of the demise of David Neitz and injuries to Russell Robertson, Ben Holland and Michael Newton - the latter is coming back from injury through the Sandringham reserves of all places! In a game dominated by Richmond's star, a special mention must be made of two players from Melbourne who might aspire to such greatness at some stage in the future. Colin Garland's breathtaking improvement continues and I sense that some day soon we will look at how his game has developed and marvel at the inspiration behind giving him the very special number 20 at this club to wear on his back. The dash and poise that he is showing week in and week out is something that we rarely see from young players who have graced the football field on such few occasions. He can only get better and better. And so too will Cale Morton, although his performance at the Telstra Dome was admittedly flawed by some poor disposal and decision making. Having seen him hit targets with pinpoint precision and kick goals prodigiously from long distances on his way to winning the highest individual honours at last year's national under 18 championships, I'm willing to cut him a fair amount of slack. The lad is still only eighteen years old but showed that he can really find the football - 20 possessions with only 64% of game time - is a handy result in anyone's language. He's a fantastic work in progress and, with a year or two's experience and a few extra kilograms on his upper body and shoulders, Morton will be a very special player for the club. Melbourne did not achieve victory against the Tigers at the Dome yesterday - not even an honourable defeat. However, the Demons showed that they have the potential and the material to one day reach for the stars. The voyage has begun. Melbourne 5.3.33 6.5.41 11.8.74 14.10.94 Richmond 3.6.24 11.13.79 13.15.93 16.20.116 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Bartram Bruce Davey 2 Bate Garland Green White Wonaeamirri Richmond Richardson 5 Brown 3 Cotchin Hyde Moore Morton Polak Simmonds Tuck White Best Melbourne McLean Garland Wheatley Bruce Jones Bate Richmond Richardson Deledio Brown Tuck Foley Injuries Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Richmond Nil Umpires Sully Nicholls Ryan Crowd 27,348 at Telstra Dome

Brock McLean has consolidated his firm grip on this award: 78.366 Brock McLean 40.082 Austin Wonaemirri 36.973 Paul Wheatley 36.868 Brad Green 30.899 Cameron Bruce 29.701 Aaron Davey 29.479 Colin Garland 24.347 Nathan Jones 22.728 Brad Miller 19.753 Cale Morton 18.802 Paul Johnson 16.360 Colin Sylvia 15.996 Matthew Bate 14.482 James McDonald 12.282 Brent Moloney 10.684 Jared Rivers 10.482 Nathan Carroll 9.697 Matthew Warnock 8.132 Clint Bartram 5.904 Matthew Whelan 5.265 Russell Robertson 5.087 Jeff White 2.845 Adem Yze 1.866 Lynden Dunn 1.805 Simon Buckley

The weighted figure is 0.8103. I'll be back tomorrow with the updated leader board.

STUNG by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham ventured out to windswept Casey Fields with a very much undermanned team and, after fighting hard for most of the day, the Zebras were stung in the final quarter by the rampant Scorpions to finally lose by 32 points. The game was close for most of the day and scores were level early in the final term when Shane Valenti goaled to lift the Zebras. However, if there was a sting in the end of the Scorpion tail, it was aided to a large extent by some undisciplined play from the visiting team. Sandringham gave away a series of fifty metre penalties in the latter stages of the game that saw its chances of victory unravel and the home side took full advantage to skip away to record an easy victory. The result also saw Sandy bounced out of the top four and facing a difficult challenge to restore a place among the top echelon of the VFL competition. Sandringham opened brightly to hold a one goal lead at quarter time but it was clearly lacking in forward power - its top four goal kickers and the only ones to record goal tallies in the double figures for the season were all missing. Nick Sautner (40 goals), Addam Maric (15) Ezra Poyas (13), Ben Holland (12) were all sidelined. With promising youngster Shane Tregear also out injured, the visitors were left with no other option but to cobble together a makeshift attack which struggled all day to kick goals. The growing injury list at Melbourne also affected the team makeup and the last minute withdrawal of seasoned defender Matthew Whelan did not help. However, the Scorpions were not without their injuries worries either and the game developed into a lacklustre affair and remained a battle of the defences for most of the day until the Zebras cracked in the final term. Sandringham did not help its cause with its inaccuracy in front of goal and the third quarter was where the damage was done when it scored 2 goals 7 behinds (including two posters) to Casey’s 3.2 to lose a perfect opportunity to take what should have been a handy lead into the final quarter. Things were not helped by the lack of discipline from experienced players that gave the opposition a number of unnecessary free kicks and 50-metre penalties. Nathan Carroll was the biggest offender and his brain fade in the third quarter led him to be reported for charging. Rod Crowe however, would be scratching his head as to what he did wrong when he returned the football to an opponent who was lying on the ground only to incur a 50-metre penalty for his troubles. Sandy was well served by skipper Peter Summers who overcame a slow start to notch up 30 disposals for the day and he was backed up well by livewire rover Shane Valenti. The Zebras received strong drive from ruckman Mark Jamar who showed out with his strong marking around the ground although the ruck duels were about even for the day. Defenders Andy Biddlecombe, Chris Lamb and Daniel Bell had their work cut out of them against the Scorpion talls but they generally stuck to their tasks manfully until that late tide of goals in the final quarter. The depth of the Zebra reserve strength was again severely tested and the selectors would have been happy with the form of yet another first gamer introduced to the senior team - forward Andrew McConnell who was impressive on debut. The number of players who have come up from the reserves has now reached double figures and this signals a great deal of promise for the club's future. Sandringham has little time to lick its wounds as it now faces a must win game at Trevor Barker Beach Oval next Sunday against Port Melbourne which won a close encounter last time the teams met earlier in the season. The Borough has usurped Sandy's place in the top four and another loss is unacceptable as it would create a sizeable gap for the club to breach as the season enters its final half. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Daniel Bell – after a poor first quarter, Bell’s game grew in confidence and stature. Used his strength to advantage and finished with 24 touches for the day. Simon Buckley – again showed good pace and clean hands but his overall disposal and decision making still need working upon. Nathan Carroll – defended solidly in the first half but frustration seemed to boil over in the third quarter with a couple of incidents and ultimately, his name ended up in the umpire’s report book for charging and he was taken from the ground. Kyle Cheney – a very strong display full of courage from the young redhead who continues to impress with in the defensive aspects of his game. Will only get better as he learns to be more attacking. All in all, a very encouraging display. Mark Jamar - played well in the ruck and around the ground and had a good duel with Casey’s Rix who was also good. Took some solid marks but still needs to work on his disposal. Stefan Martin - the agile defender with a basketball background worked hard in the Zebra defence. He remains very much a development project with lots to learn but his progress is generally encouraging. John Meesen – didn't have the best of days and, on that performance, looks to have a long way to go if he is to make it at the highest level. Shows some athleticism but lacks the football smarts. Shane Valenti – played his usual hard at it game and was among his team’s best. Trent Zomer – kicked a goal early but appeared out of his depth in a forward line that was undermanned and clearly struggling. Sandringham 3.2.20 4.4.28 6.11.47 8.11.59 Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 5.3.33 8.5.53 14.7.91 Goals Sandringham Biddlecombe Valenti 2 Buckley Crowe Dean Zomer Casey Scorpions Allen 4 Armitage Rix 2 Fisher Howard Matthews Panozza Parker Waite Best Sandringham Biddlecombe Bell Valenti Summers Cheney Crowe Casey Scorpions Armitage Silvagni Rix Matthews Panozza Allen The Sandy Reserves had a tough encounter for the first three quarters in the early game and led by just eight points at the final change before a 10 goal final quarter sealed a 64-point victory that kept the team in third place on the ladder. The game saw Demon forward Michael Newton come back from a string of injuries that have hampered his season to date and he booted four goals. Ricky Petterd, also on the comeback trail, was best on the ground in his second game at this level – both of which have been against the Scorpions in consecutive weeks. Scott Lockwood booted five goals and Sam Monaghan's continued good form was a highlight. Youngster Tom McNamara was solid. Sandringham 1.2.8 7.8.50 9.10.64 19.14.128 Casey Scorpions 3.2.20 4.4.28 8.8.56 9.10.64 Goals Sandringham Lockwood 5 Newton 4 Cleeve Monaghan 2 Kondarovskis B Liddell Petterd Sargent Summons Weetra Casey Scorpions Mercoulia 3 Galvin 2 Fridman Leung Mohr Williams Best Sandringham Petterd Monaghan McNamara Newton Lockwood Hardiman Casey Scorpions Galvin Mercoulia Youle Terry Fridman Crespin

by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham ventured out to windswept Casey Fields with a very much undermanned team and, after fighting hard for most of the day, the Zebras were stung in the final quarter by the rampant Scorpions to finally lose by 32 points. The game was close for most of the day and scores were level early in the final term when Shane Valenti goaled to lift the Zebras. However, if there was a sting in the end of the Scorpion tail, it was aided to a large extent by some undisciplined play from the visiting team. Sandringham gave away a series of fifty metre penalties in the latter stages of the game that saw its chances of victory unravel and the home side took full advantage to skip away to record an easy victory. The result also saw Sandy bounced out of the top four and facing a difficult challenge to restore a place among the top echelon of the VFL competition. Sandringham opened brightly to hold a one goal lead at quarter time but it was clearly lacking in forward power - its top four goal kickers and the only ones to record goal tallies in the double figures for the season were all missing. Nick Sautner (40 goals), Addam Maric (15) Ezra Poyas (13), Ben Holland (12) were all sidelined. With promising youngster Shane Tregear also out injured, the visitors were left with no other option but to cobble together a makeshift attack which struggled all day to kick goals. The growing injury list at Melbourne also affected the team makeup and the last minute withdrawal of seasoned defender Matthew Whelan did not help. However, the Scorpions were not without their injuries worries either and the game developed into a lacklustre affair and remained a battle of the defences for most of the day until the Zebras cracked in the final term. Sandringham did not help its cause with its inaccuracy in front of goal and the third quarter was where the damage was done when it scored 2 goals 7 behinds (including two posters) to Casey’s 3.2 to lose a perfect opportunity to take what should have been a handy lead into the final quarter. Things were not helped by the lack of discipline from experienced players that gave the opposition a number of unnecessary free kicks and 50-metre penalties. Nathan Carroll was the biggest offender and his brain fade in the third quarter led him to be reported for charging. Rod Crowe however, would be scratching his head as to what he did wrong when he returned the football to an opponent who was lying on the ground only to incur a 50-metre penalty for his troubles. Sandy was well served by skipper Peter Summers who overcame a slow start to notch up 30 disposals for the day and he was backed up well by livewire rover Shane Valenti. The Zebras received strong drive from ruckman Mark Jamar who showed out with his strong marking around the ground although the ruck duels were about even for the day. Defenders Andy Biddlecombe, Chris Lamb and Daniel Bell had their work cut out of them against the Scorpion talls but they generally stuck to their tasks manfully until that late tide of goals in the final quarter. The depth of the Zebra reserve strength was again severely tested and the selectors would have been happy with the form of yet another first gamer introduced to the senior team - forward Andrew McConnell who was impressive on debut. The number of players who have come up from the reserves has now reached double figures and this signals a great deal of promise for the club's future. Sandringham has little time to lick its wounds as it now faces a must win game at Trevor Barker Beach Oval next Sunday against Port Melbourne which won a close encounter last time the teams met earlier in the season. The Borough has usurped Sandy's place in the top four and another loss is unacceptable as it would create a sizeable gap for the club to breach as the season enters its final half. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Daniel Bell – after a poor first quarter, Bell’s game grew in confidence and stature. Used his strength to advantage and finished with 24 touches for the day. Simon Buckley – again showed good pace and clean hands but his overall disposal and decision making still need working upon. Nathan Carroll – defended solidly in the first half but frustration seemed to boil over in the third quarter with a couple of incidents and ultimately, his name ended up in the umpire’s report book for charging and he was taken from the ground. Kyle Cheney – a very strong display full of courage from the young redhead who continues to impress with in the defensive aspects of his game. Will only get better as he learns to be more attacking. All in all, a very encouraging display. Mark Jamar - played well in the ruck and around the ground and had a good duel with Casey’s Rix who was also good. Took some solid marks but still needs to work on his disposal. Stefan Martin - the agile defender with a basketball background worked hard in the Zebra defence. He remains very much a development project with lots to learn but his progress is generally encouraging. John Meesen – didn't have the best of days and, on that performance, looks to have a long way to go if he is to make it at the highest level. Shows some athleticism but lacks the football smarts. Shane Valenti – played his usual hard at it game and was among his team’s best. Trent Zomer – kicked a goal early but appeared out of his depth in a forward line that was undermanned and clearly struggling. Sandringham 3.2.20 4.4.28 6.11.47 8.11.59 Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 5.3.33 8.5.53 14.7.91 Goals Sandringham Biddlecombe Valenti 2 Buckley Crowe Dean Zomer Casey Scorpions Allen 4 Armitage Rix 2 Fisher Howard Matthews Panozza Parker Waite Best Sandringham Biddlecombe Bell Valenti Summers Cheney Crowe Casey Scorpions Armitage Silvagni Rix Matthews Panozza Allen The Sandy Reserves had a tough encounter for the first three quarters in the early game and led by just eight points at the final change before a 10 goal final quarter sealed a 64-point victory that kept the team in third place on the ladder. The game saw Demon forward Michael Newton come back from a string of injuries that have hampered his season to date and he booted four goals. Ricky Petterd, also on the comeback trail, was best on the ground in his second game at this level – both of which have been against the Scorpions in consecutive weeks. Scott Lockwood booted five goals and Sam Monaghan's continued good form was a highlight. Youngster Tom McNamara was solid. Sandringham 1.2.8 7.8.50 9.10.64 19.14.128 Casey Scorpions 3.2.20 4.4.28 8.8.56 9.10.64 Goals Sandringham Lockwood 5 Newton 4 Cleeve Monaghan 2 Kondarovskis B Liddell Petterd Sargent Summons Weetra Casey Scorpions Mercoulia 3 Galvin 2 Fridman Leung Mohr Williams Best Sandringham Petterd Monaghan McNamara Newton Lockwood Hardiman Casey Scorpions Galvin Mercoulia Youle Terry Fridman Crespin

by JVM In a time and a place where our reservoirs contain less than 30% of their capacity it's strange to be talking about water that flowing under bridges. However, in order to highlight what's happened in the past twelve months, that is exactly what I am about to do and, in order to achieve this, I am adopting a slight change to the usual format for this week's preview of the encounter between Richmond and Melbourne. LAST TIME THEY MET Richmond 18.16.124 d Melbourne 11.9.75 Round 12, 2007 at the MCG The Tigers ran out onto the Melbourne Cricket Ground as rank underdogs against the Demons who were in the midst of a mini revival having just beaten finals contenders Adelaide and Collingwood at this venue. Richmond had not won a game in the first half of the season although it was unlucky to have shared the points with Brisbane a few weeks earlier. Nothing however, could prepare the crowd of 46,161 for what was to come that Friday evening (the game was played in the days when the AFL scheduled Melbourne games at times other than Sunday afternoons). The Tigers smashed Melbourne in the place where it matters at the MCG (and most other grounds) – the centre - and with Matthew Richardson in strong marking form and Nathan Brown making an inspired return after a long injury lay off, they romped to a 25 point lead at quarter time and continued to serve out the medicine in the second term so that they led by an embarrassing (at least for the Demons) 12.8.80 to 2.4.16 at the main break. Melbourne rallied slightly in the second half but still conceded the Tigers their first win for 2007 by a margin of 49 points. Melbourne coach Neale Daniher told the media afterwards that it was an "embarrassing and insipid effort" and he vowed his side would respond to the defeat but he was never able to honour that promise – a week later his position as coach was terminated. So where was I? Discussing water under bridges! Right. The changes at the Melbourne Football Club over the last 12 months have been massive and reflect one of the most turbulent periods in a recent history of turbulent periods. There are very few among those in the service of the club at this point of its 150th year who were around the place at the same point in its 149th year. The chairman, most board members, the CEO, the coach, his stand in and most of his assistants, the football manager and many of the staff have all departed. From this weekend onwards, the club is showing a brand new face and its new leader has promised a radical new facelift for the Demons and even proposed a youth-themed round from 2009. This marks a departure from the good old days when you could walk into the dusty old Melbourne Football Club offices in Jolimont and all you would see around you was dad's army. They were all dull, colourless, boring and appeared to have been around since Methuselah was a child. In more recent times, being at the club has been like entering a revolving door - in one day, out the other. Today, we welcome a new slimline, modern 21st century version Melbourne Football Club with Jimmy Stynes at the helm. Out with the old, in with the new. The trumpets and the bagpipes (no offence meant to the Alexander family) are about to be replaced with heavy metal instrumentation and other stuff beyond the computer age with even a touch of the Wiggles. If the plan succeeds, we won't be sleeping under the bridge any more, we'll be back living in the lap of luxury but there is one small symbolic act which this fan wants Jimmy and his crew to take as the first measure in the tough task they face in cementing the club's place in the competition and achieving its revival. Please, please give us back the Demon and the spirit that it once represented! THE GAME Richmond v. Melbourne at Telstra Dome – 15 June 2008 at 4.40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Richmond 96 wins Melbourne 75 wins 2 draws At Telstra Dome Richmond 0 wins Melbourne 1 win Since 2000 Richmond 7 wins Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Wallace 0 wins Bailey 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 at 4.30pm (live telecast) RADIO 774 ABC SEN THE BETTING Richmond to win $1.33 Melbourne to win $3.15 THE TEAMS RICHMOND Backs Chris Newman Luke McGuane Graham Polak Half backs Jordan McMahon Kelvin Moore Daniel Jackson Centreline Matthew Richardson Shane Tuck Matt White Half forwards Mitch Morton Jack Riewoldt Richard Tambling Forwards Adam Pattison Nathan Brown Trent Cotchin Followers Troy Simmonds Brett Deledio Nathan Foley Interchange (from) Joel Bowden Chris Hyde Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls Jay Schulz Emergencies Shane Edwards Dean Polo Alex Rance In Chris Hyde Daniel Jackson Mitch Morton Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls Jack Riewoldt Out Shane Edwards (omitted) Jake King (hamstring) Kayne Pettifer (omitted) Will Thursfield (hamstring) Greg Tivendale MELBOURNE Backs James McDonald Colin Garland Matthew Warnock Half backs Brad Green Paul Wheatley Cameron Bruce Centreline Colin Sylvia Brock McLean Lynden Dunn Half forwards Jace Bode James Frawley Clint Bartram Forwards Paul Johnson Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White Chris Johnson Nathan Jones Interchange Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Cale Morton Adem Yze Emergencies Nathan Carroll Mark Jamar Matthew Whelan In Aaron Davey James Frawley Chris Johnson Out Daniel Bell (omitted) Brent Moloney (shoulder) Jared Rivers (groin) Umpires TBA WHY? So the Demons and the Tigers renew their acquaintanceship after almost 12 months; again in the round that marks the start of the second half of the season in a fixture that strangely takes place at the Telstra Dome and not the MCG which is home to both clubs. Go figure? Most of the experts are tipping a Richmond victory and that's also what the bookies are telling us but I have to question popular wisdom here and ask the question "why?" After all, the Tigers are coming off a thrashing in Sydney a fortnight ago when the home side booted the first 11 goals. After a good start last week they suffered a 50-point loss at the MCG against Adelaide. On top of that, they've made changes galore to their line up and have lost a couple of handy defenders in Will Thursfield and Jake King who will miss with hamstring injuries. The Demons certainly had a bad one at Telstra Dome against the Saints the other week but that game was sandwiched in between two more than competitive hit outs against form teams in Hawthorn and Collingwood. More importantly, the Dees would have to be on a massive high this week following the takeover of the Jimmy Stynes ticket in what was a bloodless coup and was generally well received as a positive for the club. The game should produce its share of interesting match ups but I think Melbourne will prevail in the midfield where Brock McLean is starting to hit his straps after coming to terms with the fact that he is now the main man in the middle and will regularly face a tag every time he takes the field. If my memory serves me well, McLean was the stand in rotating skipper for the equivalent game against Richmond last year and put in a poor performance - one for which he will be determined to atone. He should get Shane Tuck this week and I expect him to win hands down this time. He also has some good foils in the on ball mix to help him out despite the loss of Brent Moloney for the remainder of the season. Without King, the Tigers will be troubled to cover the double trouble speed duo of Aaron Davey and Austin Wonaeamirri who can be deadly in front of the goals. I strongly believe that Davey's absence last week meant the difference between winning and losing. In any event, Richmond doesn't have the manpower with sufficient pace to hold both of these human dynamos! And don't be fooled by the way the selectors have lined the team up for this week. I really can't see Jace Bode, James Frawley and Clint Bartram taking places across the half forward line at the start of the game. Jeff White facing off against Troy Simmonds should be a good battle – one, which I expect the old master to win narrowly in what could well be their last encounter. White's ruck partner Paul Johnson is improving from week to week and he should tip the balance in Melbourne's favour. Throughout the years the Demons have struggled to curb one Richmond player on a regular basis and I have a feeling that they will give the job of stopping Matthew Richardson to a young man who has played only a handful of games but is rising in reputation faster than a speeding bullet – Colin Garland. The youngster has all of the athletic attributes necessary to go with the old Tiger and is more than capable of adding him to his list of recent scalps. Taking into account all of the above, I simply cannot understand why the Tigers go into the game as such strong favourites. The only thing they have going for them is the fact that they are coming off an eight day break compared to the Demons who played last Monday. However, they don't enjoy any home ground advantage while the Demons don't have to wear that execrable away strip and they do have their mojo back – a grinning Irishman who came halfway across the world and won a Brownlow Medal and who will greet his old/new side as they return to winner's circle this Sunday evening. Melbourne by 35 points!

UNDER THE BRIDGE by JVM In a time and a place where our reservoirs contain less than 30% of their capacity it's strange to be talking about water that flowing under bridges. However, in order to highlight what's happened in the past twelve months, that is exactly what I am about to do and, in order to achieve this, I am adopting a slight change to the usual format for this week's preview of the encounter between Richmond and Melbourne. LAST TIME THEY MET Richmond 18.16.124 d Melbourne 11.9.75 Round 12, 2007 at the MCG The Tigers ran out onto the Melbourne Cricket Ground as rank underdogs against the Demons who were in the midst of a mini revival having just beaten finals contenders Adelaide and Collingwood at this venue. Richmond had not won a game in the first half of the season although it was unlucky to have shared the points with Brisbane a few weeks earlier. Nothing however, could prepare the crowd of 46,161 for what was to come that Friday evening (the game was played in the days when the AFL scheduled Melbourne games at times other than Sunday afternoons). The Tigers smashed Melbourne in the place where it matters at the MCG (and most other grounds) – the centre - and with Matthew Richardson in strong marking form and Nathan Brown making an inspired return after a long injury lay off, they romped to a 25 point lead at quarter time and continued to serve out the medicine in the second term so that they led by an embarrassing (at least for the Demons) 12.8.80 to 2.4.16 at the main break. Melbourne rallied slightly in the second half but still conceded the Tigers their first win for 2007 by a margin of 49 points. Melbourne coach Neale Daniher told the media afterwards that it was an "embarrassing and insipid effort" and he vowed his side would respond to the defeat but he was never able to honour that promise – a week later his position as coach was terminated. So where was I? Discussing water under bridges! Right. The changes at the Melbourne Football Club over the last 12 months have been massive and reflect one of the most turbulent periods in a recent history of turbulent periods. There are very few among those in the service of the club at this point of its 150th year who were around the place at the same point in its 149th year. The chairman, most board members, the CEO, the coach, his stand in and most of his assistants, the football manager and many of the staff have all departed. From this weekend onwards, the club is showing a brand new face and its new leader has promised a radical new facelift for the Demons and even proposed a youth-themed round from 2009. This marks a departure from the good old days when you could walk into the dusty old Melbourne Football Club offices in Jolimont and all you would see around you was dad's army. They were all dull, colourless, boring and appeared to have been around since Methuselah was a child. In more recent times, being at the club has been like entering a revolving door - in one day, out the other. Today, we welcome a new slimline, modern 21st century version Melbourne Football Club with Jimmy Stynes at the helm. Out with the old, in with the new. The trumpets and the bagpipes (no offence meant to the Alexander family) are about to be replaced with heavy metal instrumentation and other stuff beyond the computer age with even a touch of the Wiggles. If the plan succeeds, we won't be sleeping under the bridge any more, we'll be back living in the lap of luxury but there is one small symbolic act which this fan wants Jimmy and his crew to take as the first measure in the tough task they face in cementing the club's place in the competition and achieving its revival. Please, please give us back the Demon and the spirit that it once represented! THE GAME Richmond v. Melbourne at Telstra Dome – 15 June 2008 at 4.40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Richmond 96 wins Melbourne 75 wins 2 draws At Telstra Dome Richmond 0 wins Melbourne 1 win Since 2000 Richmond 7 wins Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Wallace 0 wins Bailey 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 at 4.30pm (live telecast) RADIO 774 ABC SEN THE BETTING Richmond to win $1.33 Melbourne to win $3.15 THE TEAMS RICHMOND Backs Chris Newman Luke McGuane Graham Polak Half backs Jordan McMahon Kelvin Moore Daniel Jackson Centreline Matthew Richardson Shane Tuck Matt White Half forwards Mitch Morton Jack Riewoldt Richard Tambling Forwards Adam Pattison Nathan Brown Trent Cotchin Followers Troy Simmonds Brett Deledio Nathan Foley Interchange (from) Joel Bowden Chris Hyde Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls Jay Schulz Emergencies Shane Edwards Dean Polo Alex Rance In Chris Hyde Daniel Jackson Mitch Morton Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls Jack Riewoldt Out Shane Edwards (omitted) Jake King (hamstring) Kayne Pettifer (omitted) Will Thursfield (hamstring) Greg Tivendale MELBOURNE Backs James McDonald Colin Garland Matthew Warnock Half backs Brad Green Paul Wheatley Cameron Bruce Centreline Colin Sylvia Brock McLean Lynden Dunn Half forwards Jace Bode James Frawley Clint Bartram Forwards Paul Johnson Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White Chris Johnson Nathan Jones Interchange Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Cale Morton Adem Yze Emergencies Nathan Carroll Mark Jamar Matthew Whelan In Aaron Davey James Frawley Chris Johnson Out Daniel Bell (omitted) Brent Moloney (shoulder) Jared Rivers (groin) Umpires TBA WHY? So the Demons and the Tigers renew their acquaintanceship after almost 12 months; again in the round that marks the start of the second half of the season in a fixture that strangely takes place at the Telstra Dome and not the MCG which is home to both clubs. Go figure? Most of the experts are tipping a Richmond victory and that's also what the bookies are telling us but I have to question popular wisdom here and ask the question "why?" After all, the Tigers are coming off a thrashing in Sydney a fortnight ago when the home side booted the first 11 goals. After a good start last week they suffered a 50-point loss at the MCG against Adelaide. On top of that, they've made changes galore to their line up and have lost a couple of handy defenders in Will Thursfield and Jake King who will miss with hamstring injuries. The Demons certainly had a bad one at Telstra Dome against the Saints the other week but that game was sandwiched in between two more than competitive hit outs against form teams in Hawthorn and Collingwood. More importantly, the Dees would have to be on a massive high this week following the takeover of the Jimmy Stynes ticket in what was a bloodless coup and was generally well received as a positive for the club. The game should produce its share of interesting match ups but I think Melbourne will prevail in the midfield where Brock McLean is starting to hit his straps after coming to terms with the fact that he is now the main man in the middle and will regularly face a tag every time he takes the field. If my memory serves me well, McLean was the stand in rotating skipper for the equivalent game against Richmond last year and put in a poor performance - one for which he will be determined to atone. He should get Shane Tuck this week and I expect him to win hands down this time. He also has some good foils in the on ball mix to help him out despite the loss of Brent Moloney for the remainder of the season. Without King, the Tigers will be troubled to cover the double trouble speed duo of Aaron Davey and Austin Wonaeamirri who can be deadly in front of the goals. I strongly believe that Davey's absence last week meant the difference between winning and losing. In any event, Richmond doesn't have the manpower with sufficient pace to hold both of these human dynamos! And don't be fooled by the way the selectors have lined the team up for this week. I really can't see Jace Bode, James Frawley and Clint Bartram taking places across the half forward line at the start of the game. Jeff White facing off against Troy Simmonds should be a good battle – one, which I expect the old master to win narrowly in what could well be their last encounter. White's ruck partner Paul Johnson is improving from week to week and he should tip the balance in Melbourne's favour. Throughout the years the Demons have struggled to curb one Richmond player on a regular basis and I have a feeling that they will give the job of stopping Matthew Richardson to a young man who has played only a handful of games but is rising in reputation faster than a speeding bullet – Colin Garland. The youngster has all of the athletic attributes necessary to go with the old Tiger and is more than capable of adding him to his list of recent scalps. Taking into account all of the above, I simply cannot understand why the Tigers go into the game as such strong favourites. The only thing they have going for them is the fact that they are coming off an eight day break compared to the Demons who played last Monday. However, they don't enjoy any home ground advantage while the Demons don't have to wear that execrable away strip and they do have their mojo back – a grinning Irishman who came halfway across the world and won a Brownlow Medal and who will greet his old/new side as they return to winner's circle this Sunday evening. Melbourne by 35 points!

I ROBOT by Whispering Jack Thirty years ago I was part of a group of Demon supporters who met with the then club chairman John Mitchell to discuss our concerns about the direction of the Melbourne Football Club which was in dire straits and heading towards a wooden spoon after a decade of dismal on field results. We were well received, the discussion was pleasant and, in the end, not much came of the meeting. Not that we had much to do with it, but I'd like to believe that at least a small seed for change at the club was planted at the time. Some of our group even had stints on the club Board in the ensuing years and others had a direct involvement in some capacity from time to time. This period saw the club breaking away from the Melbourne Cricket Club and the return of club icon Ron Barassi as a coach coming in with a five year plan to restore us to our former greatness. We saw the implementation of the Irish experiment that gave us a Brownlow Medallist in Jimmy Stynes and another great in Sean Wight and the development of our junior ranks so that in the early years of John Northey's coaching stint, the Demons eventually made the finals again after more than two decades in the wilderness. The best laid plans don't always work out. We also had Sir Billy Snedden, who not long before had been a heartbeat away from the highest office in the country, presiding over the club. The troubles continued and Sir Billy prevailed for a while before going on to other things. The club prospered for a while without achieving the ultimate honour of a premiership but soon it seemed that it was going nowhere fast. Then some bright sparks came up with the idea of a merger with the Hawks, so the troubles continued. The official figures tell us that the members voted the club out of existence on a wild and woolly September night in 1996 but the Hawthorn membership wouldn't allow their club to die. An unlikely white knight came along to save the Melbourne Football Club and, after a while, the troubles continued. Joseph Gutnick had come on to the scene and put stacks of his own money into the club but others on the Board had a different vision. Caesar was an honourable man but, when the moment was right, Brutus wielded the sharpest of knives. Or was it perhaps that Caesar fell on his sword? It didn't matter in the end because the members voted in their thousands on a summer night in December 2001 with the largest number of votes cast in any football club election in the history of the game. Not all of us were happy with the outcome but the membership, in its wisdom, had elected the next saviour. And the troubles continued. The next saviour departed almost two years to the day later via the back door. By that time the club had a massive debt and the rump of the Board which presided over the AGM that year hardly resembled a team and seemed to be without any vision for the future - at least on that night. The pieces were picked up by Paul Gardner and things were going along reasonably until the on field team, wracked by injuries, hit a road block at the start of 2007 and performed well below expectations. The turnover of staff both football and non-football related was high, the money stopped rolling in, storm clouds threatened and the troubles continued. The excitement of the brilliant celebration of the club's 150th anniversary was still reverberating in my head when I was confronted by the early edition of the Sunday Sun and its front page article setting out Jimmy Stynes' vision of the future for the Melbourne Football Club. It was lousy timing but that's the modern media for you. The revelations that Stynes had a new board in place ready to take out the existing board, of Paul Gardner's resignation and of the bloodless coup that was about to take place leaves one with a feeling that we as members have very little say in the direction of our club. The only ones who seemingly had any influence on the outcome on behalf of thousands of other members were three men - vice President John Phillips and directors Michael Coglin and Anthony Starkins who took a principled stand and insisted on proper disclosure and a viable plan for the future from those about to assume power at the club. If the messages in today's media are correct then it seems that their concerns have been satisfied. I guess that we'll know in a few hours. Seven years ago, the members voted to change the direction of the club. Today, we are mere robots who don't have the privilege or the power to effect that change or to even to decide whether or not it's necessary. We no longer have a say in the future of the club but we will go along with Jimmy Stynes because of our hope, our loyalty and the knowledge of the sacrifices he personally has made for the club in the past. We're pinning a lot of faith in one small group of people and I just hope that they understand that it is we, the now disenfranchised robots, who give what is, in the main, our unconditional support for the club, who buy the membership tickets, who constantly support and defend it and, above all, who want it to be free of trouble and to succeed.

I ROBOT by Whispering Jack Thirty years ago I was part of a group of Demon supporters who met with the then club chairman John Mitchell to discuss our concerns about the direction of the Melbourne Football Club which was in dire straits and heading towards a wooden spoon after a decade of dismal on field results. We were well received, the discussion was pleasant and, in the end, not much came of the meeting. Not that we had much to do with it, but I'd like to believe that at least a small seed for change at the club was planted at the time. Some of our group even had stints on the club Board in the ensuing years and others had a direct involvement in some capacity from time to time. This period saw the club breaking away from the Melbourne Cricket Club and the return of club icon Ron Barassi as a coach coming in with a five year plan to restore us to our former greatness. We saw the implementation of the Irish experiment that gave us a Brownlow Medallist in Jimmy Stynes and another great in Sean Wight and the development of our junior ranks so that in the early years of John Northey's coaching stint, the Demons eventually made the finals again after more than two decades in the wilderness. The best laid plans don't always work out. We also had Sir Billy Snedden, who not long before had been a heartbeat away from the highest office in the country, presiding over the club. The troubles continued and Sir Billy prevailed for a while before going on to other things. The club prospered for a while without achieving the ultimate honour of a premiership but soon it seemed that it was going nowhere fast. Then some bright sparks came up with the idea of a merger with the Hawks, so the troubles continued. The official figures tell us that the members voted the club out of existence on a wild and woolly September night in 1996 but the Hawthorn membership wouldn't allow their club to die. An unlikely white knight came along to save the Melbourne Football Club and, after a while, the troubles continued. Joseph Gutnick had come on to the scene and put stacks of his own money into the club but others on the Board had a different vision. Caesar was an honourable man but, when the moment was right, Brutus wielded the sharpest of knives. Or was it perhaps that Caesar fell on his sword? It didn't matter in the end because the members voted in their thousands on a summer night in December 2001 with the largest number of votes cast in any football club election in the history of the game. Not all of us were happy with the outcome but the membership, in its wisdom, had elected the next saviour. And the troubles continued. The next saviour departed almost two years to the day later via the back door. By that time the club had a massive debt and the rump of the Board which presided over the AGM that year hardly resembled a team and seemed to be without any vision for the future - at least on that night. The pieces were picked up by Paul Gardner and things were going along reasonably until the on field team, wracked by injuries, hit a road block at the start of 2007 and performed well below expectations. The turnover of staff both football and non-football related was high, the money stopped rolling in, storm clouds threatened and the troubles continued. The excitement of the brilliant celebration of the club's 150th anniversary was still reverberating in my head when I was confronted by the early edition of the Sunday Sun and its front page article setting out Jimmy Stynes' vision of the future for the Melbourne Football Club. It was lousy timing but that's the modern media for you. The revelations that Stynes had a new board in place ready to take out the existing board, of Paul Gardner's resignation and of the bloodless coup that was about to take place leaves one with a feeling that we as members have very little say in the direction of our club. The only ones who seemingly had any influence on the outcome on behalf of thousands of other members were three men - vice President John Phillips and directors Michael Coglin and Anthony Starkins who took a principled stand and insisted on proper disclosure and a viable plan for the future from those about to assume power at the club. If the messages in today's media are correct then it seems that their concerns have been satisfied. I guess that we'll know in a few hours. Seven years ago, the members voted to change the direction of the club. Today, we are mere robots who don't have the privilege or the power to effect that change or to even to decide whether or not it's necessary. We no longer have a say in the future of the club but we will go along with Jimmy Stynes because of our hope, our loyalty and the knowledge of the sacrifices he personally has made for the club in the past. We're pinning a lot of faith in one small group of people and I just hope that they understand that it is we, the now disenfranchised robots, who give what is, in the main, our unconditional support for the club, who buy the membership tickets, who constantly support and defend it and, above all, who want it to be free of trouble and to succeed.

Most picked seven winners, none picked eight and a few simply forgot to put in their tips: Rank (Last Week) Total Tipster 1 (1) 70 Whispering_Jack 2 (2) 68 The Little Devils 3 (3) 67 petejh2000 3 (3) 67 slamevil 5 (5) 66 aronbrandon 5 (5) 66 belzebub59 5 (5) 66 Pinball_Wizard 8 (5) 65 Alpha33 8 (9) 65 deesthisyear 8 (9) 65 Super_Slater 11 (9) 64 old man rivers 11 (12) 64 Tim - Go Dees 13 (12) 63 Davey's sugar daddy 13 (16) 63 Kieranbj 13 (12) 63 Scoop Junior 16 (19) 62 Clyde_Cabbie 16 (19) 62 deanox 16 (16) 62 Demonland 19 (19) 61 BigKev Demon 19 (23) 61 Edorion 21 (26) 60 DeeReaming 21 (26) 60 Joe_Gutnick64 21 (16) 60 The Natural 24 (30) 59 dee'luded 24 (26) 59 DeMoNiC 26 (12) 58 rjhrjh 27 (30) 57 No Cigar2 28 (19) 56 barpen 28 (32) 56 CarnTheDees 28 (32) 56 DEE32 31 (23) 55 bl3281 31 (34) 55 Dappadan 31 (23) 55 stelioss 34 (26) 54 great_gatsby 35 (35) 50 achirnside 36 (35) 48 mo64 36 (35) 48 mpinnell 38 (38) 47 -FitZ^ 39 (39) 46 glamorizeme 40 (40) 45 BrockMclean 40 (40) 45 demonsflag555657 40 (40) 45 KrazyJay78 43 (43) 44 paliosiana 44 (44) 43 thegoldenmonkey