Demonland

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

by Whispering Jack Hell took a holiday and the Melbourne Football Club put on a better face both on and off the field on the long weekend. The club's 150th Anniversary Heroes function on Saturday night was quite brilliant and the team's performance on Monday was more than just competitive against the old enemy in Collingwood which has been in full flight recently with an aggregate winning margin of 186 points against the two most recent premiership teams. The day also produced an announcement from President Paul Gardner that he would stand down at the club's next board meeting and all this is happening with announcements pending on the club's tenure of its new training bases at both the old Olympic Park precinct and at Casey Fields and of the proposed new alliance with the Casey Scorpions. That's all politics and stuff for another day. Those who are critical of the young Demon side for seemingly needing the inspiration of a special event like the David Neitz retirement match or the Queens Birthday blockbuster should think again. As I have maintained for most of this year, the club is in transition in many different ways. On the field it has a young team that has lost countless years of experience in a short space of time and always translates into inconsistency of performance - from week to week and from within the games themselves. What's important for Melbourne is that it continues to gain something every week and for a noticeble improvement to be discerned in its overall performance over time. I think it's safe to say however, that the nasty comparisons comparisons being made in some circles with the dying Fitzroy Football Club are somewhat exaggerated and more than a little mischievous. The Demons certainly came out breathing fire in front of an attendance of 79,337 (in AFL adjusted terms*) and surprised Collingwood with its opening aggression, much of it supplied by solid midfielder Brent Moloney supported by Brock McLean and Nathan Jones whose strong play allowed the home side to take a five-point lead at the first break. The Magpies had the edge in experience, pace and skill and exploited Melbourne's weak links but simply could not shake off the persistent Demons whose young defence was headed by AFL near novices Colin Garland and Matthew Warnock who are improving in leaps and bounds in their key defensive positions. They are adaptable and are fast enought to take on the opposition's smaller forwards and with an extra tall mobile defender to help out against the big guns this could become a very tight unit indeed. At half time, Collingwood held a lead of seven points and halfway through the third quarter there was still only a kick in the game. However, the Demons started missing their shots for goal and the Pies were nailing theirs and as a result, Melbourne started falling off the pace. Brad Green uncharacteristically missed a couple of easy ones at vital stages and finally found the mark right on the three quarter time siren to reduce the margin to 23 points. As often happens in these circumstances, Collingwood's goals in the second half of the third term were absolute blinders - one bounced through from 65 metres out, another was from an impossible angle and then there was the one kicked by Tarkyn Lockyer while lying on his back and being tackled by two defenders. Melbourne never gave up at any time and was still in with a chance when it trailled by 15 points after a couple of misses from Adem Yze, who otherwise had one of his better games, and some rushed behinds. To underline their class, the Magpies pushed forward with a brilliant run from Dale Thomas that ended up in a goal to give the Pies a 21 point victory. Melbourne's effort to finish with one scoring shot less than Collingwood was commendable in light of the recent results of both clubs but their respective efforts in front of goal highlighted the difference between the teams. The Demons really had no focal point in front of goal and when it had forward opportunities, some poor kicking for goal held back its chances of scoring a major upset. The tone was set early when youngster Cale Morton fluffed some shots. Normally a long accurate kick, the youngster allowed the occasion to get the better of him. He is learning. However, the more experienced Colin Sylvia, Green and Yze all had no excuses and will have to do much better next time. Promoted rookie Austin Wonaeamirri continues to be a revelation and is well on the way to becoming the club's leading goal kicker. He will kick more goals if the club can develop a tall full forward and not rely on him to contest his marks against opposition key defenders. The Demons ultimately succumbed for the simple reason that Collingwood was the better team but if coach Dean Bailey can mould a semblance of a forward line in much the same way that he is building its defence and develop a midfield confident of itself enough to show the flair of some of their Magpie counterparts, then things will continue to get better and better. Melbourne 4.1.25 7.4.46 11.9.75 13.17.95 Collingwood 3.2.20 8.5.53 15.8.98 17.14.116 Goals Melbourne Sylvia Wonaeamirri 3 Green Yze 2 Dunn Jones McLean Collingwood Davis Didak Lockyer H Shaw 2 Brown Cox Fraser Johnson Medhurst O'Brien SwanThomas Wellingham Best Melbourne McLean Jones Garland Warnock Dunn Yze Bruce Collingwood Burns Didak Lockyer Maxwell O'Brien Bryan Injuries Melbourne Rivers (groin) Moloney (shoulder) Replaced Collingwood Rocca (ankle) Pendlebury (back) replaced in selected side by Cox Cook Reports Nil Umpires Vozzo Farmer Meredith Official crowd 59,548 at the MCG [AFL adjusted crowd * 79,337 (adjusted by the same percentage increase as the real crowd number at Carrara in a recent game was calculated)].

HELL'S HOLIDAY by Whispering Jack Hell took a holiday and the Melbourne Football Club put on a better face both on and off the field on the long weekend. The club's 150th Anniversary Heroes function on Saturday night was quite brilliant and the team's performance on Monday was more than just competitive against the old enemy in Collingwood which has been in full flight recently with an aggregate winning margin of 186 points against the two most recent premiership teams. The day also produced an announcement from President Paul Gardner that he would stand down at the club's next board meeting and all this is happening with announcements pending on the club's tenure of its new training bases at both the old Olympic Park precinct and at Casey Fields and of the proposed new alliance with the Casey Scorpions. That's all politics and stuff for another day. Those who are critical of the young Demon side for seemingly needing the inspiration of a special event like the David Neitz retirement match or the Queens Birthday blockbuster should think again. As I have maintained for most of this year, the club is in transition in many different ways. On the field it has a young team that has lost countless years of experience in a short space of time and always translates into inconsistency of performance - from week to week and from within the games themselves. What's important for Melbourne is that it continues to gain something every week and for a noticeble improvement to be discerned in its overall performance over time. I think it's safe to say however, that the nasty comparisons comparisons being made in some circles with the dying Fitzroy Football Club are somewhat exaggerated and more than a little mischievous. The Demons certainly came out breathing fire in front of an attendance of 79,337 (in AFL adjusted terms*) and surprised Collingwood with its opening aggression, much of it supplied by solid midfielder Brent Moloney supported by Brock McLean and Nathan Jones whose strong play allowed the home side to take a five-point lead at the first break. The Magpies had the edge in experience, pace and skill and exploited Melbourne's weak links but simply could not shake off the persistent Demons whose young defence was headed by AFL near novices Colin Garland and Matthew Warnock who are improving in leaps and bounds in their key defensive positions. They are adaptable and are fast enought to take on the opposition's smaller forwards and with an extra tall mobile defender to help out against the big guns this could become a very tight unit indeed. At half time, Collingwood held a lead of seven points and halfway through the third quarter there was still only a kick in the game. However, the Demons started missing their shots for goal and the Pies were nailing theirs and as a result, Melbourne started falling off the pace. Brad Green uncharacteristically missed a couple of easy ones at vital stages and finally found the mark right on the three quarter time siren to reduce the margin to 23 points. As often happens in these circumstances, Collingwood's goals in the second half of the third term were absolute blinders - one bounced through from 65 metres out, another was from an impossible angle and then there was the one kicked by Tarkyn Lockyer while lying on his back and being tackled by two defenders. Melbourne never gave up at any time and was still in with a chance when it trailled by 15 points after a couple of misses from Adem Yze, who otherwise had one of his better games, and some rushed behinds. To underline their class, the Magpies pushed forward with a brilliant run from Dale Thomas that ended up in a goal to give the Pies a 21 point victory. Melbourne's effort to finish with one scoring shot less than Collingwood was commendable in light of the recent results of both clubs but their respective efforts in front of goal highlighted the difference between the teams. The Demons really had no focal point in front of goal and when it had forward opportunities, some poor kicking for goal held back its chances of scoring a major upset. The tone was set early when youngster Cale Morton fluffed some shots. Normally a long accurate kick, the youngster allowed the occasion to get the better of him. He is learning. However, the more experienced Colin Sylvia, Green and Yze all had no excuses and will have to do much better next time. Promoted rookie Austin Wonaeamirri continues to be a revelation and is well on the way to becoming the club's leading goal kicker. He will kick more goals if the club can develop a tall full forward and not rely on him to contest his marks against opposition key defenders. The Demons ultimately succumbed for the simple reason that Collingwood was the better team but if coach Dean Bailey can mould a semblance of a forward line in much the same way that he is building its defence and develop a midfield confident of itself enough to show the flair of some of their Magpie counterparts, then things will continue to get better and better. Melbourne 4.1.25 7.4.46 11.9.75 13.17.95 Collingwood 3.2.20 8.5.53 15.8.98 17.14.116 Goals Melbourne Sylvia Wonaeamirri 3 Green Yze 2 Dunn Jones McLean Collingwood Davis Didak Lockyer H Shaw 2 Brown Cox Fraser Johnson Medhurst O'Brien SwanThomas Wellingham Best Melbourne McLean Jones Garland Warnock Dunn Yze Bruce Collingwood Burns Didak Lockyer Maxwell O'Brien Bryan Injuries Melbourne Rivers (groin) Moloney (shoulder) Replaced Collingwood Rocca (ankle) Pendlebury (back) replaced in selected side by Cox Cook Reports Nil Umpires Vozzo Farmer Meredith Official crowd 59,548 at the MCG [AFL adjusted crowd * 79,337 (adjusted by the same percentage increase as the real crowd number at Carrara in a recent game was calculated)].

INTERESTING TIMES by Barry from Beach Road These are interesting times for the VFL competition. Last Thursday, the course of the Sandringham Football Club was changed forever with the announcement that its union with the Melbourne Football Club will be replaced by a new five-year deal with St. Kilda at the end of the year. In the meantime there was still half a season to be played out. There were games to be won and business to be done with the first assignment being to overcome Collingwood at Trevor Barker Oval. This encounter was looming as a danger game in view of the growing injury lists at both Melbourne and Sandringham which forced nine changes to the Zebra line up from the one that played against the Northern Bullants the week before the VFL interstater against South Australia. There was also the question of how the Demon players were going to tackle this game in the light of last week’s announcement and the fact that their own AFL club was negotiating a move to Casey Fields to enter into an alignment with the Saints' current partner, the Scorpions. Of course, there was no need to question the professionalism of the players from both clubs and the Zebra team applied the usual commitment and exceptional team spirit to produce a comfortable 30 point win in what was otherwise a rather lacklustre event. Sandringham was missing in form champion full forward Nick Sautner who broke his hand in two places late in the Bullants game a fortnight ago. Also missing were last minute withdrawals Tomi Johnston, Shane Tregear and Chris Waller – all young, fast and in recent good form. Ben Holland, originally named at full forward to replace Sautner, failed to prove his fitness and missed out, leaving rookie Demon Trent Zomer to make his senior debut after showing good form with the reserves. The game opened in bright winter sunshine with a large crowd enjoying the mild conditions at Trevor Barker Beach Oval. Sandy was out of the blocks early with Mark Jamar dominating the ruck and pushing forward for an early goal followed quickly by another to Addam Maric. Shane Valenti was winning the early clearances and playing an important role in ensuring that the team moved the ball well on the small ground. He was however, on the receiving end of some heavy attention and was soon involved in a scuffle with his tagger which saw both their names entered in the umpires' books for wrestling. Newcomer Zomer was lively early. He moved well, was prepared to handball to advantage rather than take risky shots for goal and had two goals on the board as the Zebras went into the quarter time huddle with a 19-point lead. He finished with three to be leading goal scorer on the ground for the day. Sandringham's work rate dropped off in the second quarter but the visitors' inaccuracy in front of goal meant that the Zebras did not have to pay the price of their lapses in terms of scoreboard pressure. Both teams were being forced to make mistakes and the game turned into a dull affair by the time the teams took to the rooms at the main break. By that time Collingwood was still 16 points in arrears and would not be allowed back into the game by the much vaunted miserly Zebra defence which simply strangled the Magpie attack in the second half keeping it down to just two goals. The ever-improving Stefan Martin kept his opponent quiet all day, Nathan Carroll had the better of Collingwood speedster Chris Egan, Andy Biddlecombe was rock solid as usual, Matthew Whelan collared any of the Magpies smalls who had the temerity to stand against him and Chris Lamb was unstoppable as Jaxson Barham soon discovered when he tried to run through and not around him. With Jamar (25 disposals) and John Meesen easily accounting for the Magpie rucks, Peter Summers dominated at the stoppages and finished the game with 34 touches. Along with Valenti and irrepressible running link men Chris Johnson (who again put in a blinder) and Simon Buckley, the Zebras held all the aces although the Magpies fought the game out right to the final siren. Rod Crowe was extremely important at centre half forward with his creative play and movement that often put the Magpie defence off its guard and Port Melbourne recruit Jarrod Plymin picked up a lot of possessions in another strong display. The victory has dispelled fears that the impending break up of the alliance between Melbourne and Sandringham might affect the team's performance for the remainder of the year. The players combined and they have always done for the past eight and a half years of the partnership which has seen four Zebra flags and many players from both clubs develop into fine footballers. The fact that three Sandy players – Matthew Warnock, Shane Valenti and Stefan Martin are now on the Demons' list speaks volumes for the success of the partnership forged in late 1999. Sandringham retains third place on the ladder and ironically, its sixth win of the season has set up what should be a fascinating encounter next Saturday when it confronts the fourth placed Scorpions at Casey Fields. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Simon Buckley - a classy display from the Demon runner and, although overshadowed by his counterpart Chris Johnson's own brilliant performance, his disposal is definitely improving and he is showing signs of greater maturity in his play. Nathan Carroll - far too strong and too good for Collingwood speedster Chris Egan who must have nightmares whenever he thinks of the Trevor Barker Beach Oval. Last year he damaged his knee there and this year Carroll dismantled him in a brutal a manner as only a tough defender can do. Kyle Cheney - quiet early with limited opportunities but, as the game went on, the dogged young defender showed enough to suggest he will develop into a very handy and tough member of the back line. The educational value of playing alongside Matty Whelan for just this day alone would be inestimable. Mark Jamar - a clear winner in the ruck against Cameron Wood and he also dominated around the ground. If only he could play like that at the higher level! Chris Johnson - owned the football and was clearly the best man on the ground. He showed great polish in his movement, in his decision making and in his disposal of the football and I would be astonished if he wasn't selected to play against Richmond next week. Addam Maric - busy early up forward and also had the occasional run of the ball where he flashed in and out of the play. He shows that he is learning to add new dimensions to his game, particularly in terms of his defensive skills which he need to hone if he is to be a success in the big time. The task is to convert him from a clever forward pocket into a dangerous, elite midfielder - a long term development project which could pay large dividends for the club in the future. Stefan Martin – a very polished defensive display which saw him completely outclass his opponent. Runs well out of defence for a tall man and is clearly being groomed for a key defensive post at the highest level. He looks like a quick learner as he seems to be doing all of the right things. John Meesen – has great agility and did well in the ruck and around the ground although he was dominated somewhat by his senior ruck partner in Mark Jamar. Shane Valenti - was very good and won a fair bit of the ball although he was closely tagged all day. He didn't seem to mind the attention although could have received a little more protection from the men in orange (aka the umpires). Isaac Weetra - a last minute inclusion in the side who had a quiet day. Matthew Whelan - the consummate small/medium defender whose experience and natural defensive talent shone through. He blocked, he punched, he anticipated the fall of the ball and marked and cleared like the seasoned campaigner that he is and he should also be back at Melbourne next week. Trent Zomer – kicked three on debut and will benefit greatly from whatever time he spends at this level in the absence of Sautner, Holland and Newton. Needs to build up his strength to be able to hold his ground against strong bodied defenders but if he applies himself to the task, he could become a senior key position player which is just what the Demons are looking for in view of the retirement of Neitz and the injury to Robbo. Sandringham 5.2.32 7.5.47 9.11.65 11.13.79 Collingwood 2.1.13 4.7.31 5.8.38 6.13.49 Goals Sandringham Zomer 3 Liddell Maric 2 Jamar C Johnson Poyas Whelan Collingwood Iles 2 Anthony Carmody McCarthy Yaman Best Sandringham C Johnson Whelan Martin Jamar Biddlecombe Valenti Collingwood Iles Pendlebury Crow Stanley Carmody Anthony Reported Sandringham S Valenti (San) for wrestling D Nicholls (Coll) in the 1st quarter Collingwood D Nicholls (Coll) for wrestling S Valenti (San) in the 1st quarter The irony of the week's events was brought home by the fact that the first game played by Sandringham after Thursday's change of affiliation announcement was the reserves curtain raiser against Casey Scorpions. The late changes left the Zebras in a bit of a quandry and without the full squad causing them some heart flutters late in the game but they were still good enough to win by 15 points. Maddison Hardiman and Sam Monaghan continued on with their good recent form and the goals were spread around with Stuart Cleeve, Scott Lockwood and Jake Williams booting three apiece. Demon Ricky Petterd who has been out since round 1 made his return from injury in this game. Sandringham 4.3.27 8.7.55 14.10.94 16.12.108 Casey Scorpions 3.1.19 6.6.42 8.10.58 13.15.93 Goals Sandringham Cleeve Lockwood Williams 3 Lyall 2 Cannon Hardiman Monaghan Petterd Shakaib Casey Scorpions Vernon Williams 3 Leung 2 Arezzolo Fridman Griffiths Haretuku Mercoulia Best Sandringham Hardiman Monaghan Shakaib Williams McConnell Fleming Casey Scorpions Galvin Williams Griffiths Mercoulia Vernon Waite

by Barry from Beach Road These are interesting times for the VFL competition. Last Thursday, the course of the Sandringham Football Club was changed forever with the announcement that its union with the Melbourne Football Club will be replaced by a new five-year deal with St. Kilda at the end of the year. In the meantime there was still half a season to be played out. There were games to be won and business to be done with the first assignment being to overcome Collingwood at Trevor Barker Oval. This encounter was looming as a danger game in view of the growing injury lists at both Melbourne and Sandringham which forced nine changes to the Zebra line up from the one that played against the Northern Bullants the week before the VFL interstater against South Australia. There was also the question of how the Demon players were going to tackle this game in the light of last week’s announcement and the fact that their own AFL club was negotiating a move to Casey Fields to enter into an alignment with the Saints' current partner, the Scorpions. Of course, there was no need to question the professionalism of the players from both clubs and the Zebra team applied the usual commitment and exceptional team spirit to produce a comfortable 30 point win in what was otherwise a rather lacklustre event. Sandringham was missing in form champion full forward Nick Sautner who broke his hand in two places late in the Bullants game a fortnight ago. Also missing were last minute withdrawals Tomi Johnston, Shane Tregear and Chris Waller – all young, fast and in recent good form. Ben Holland, originally named at full forward to replace Sautner, failed to prove his fitness and missed out, leaving rookie Demon Trent Zomer to make his senior debut after showing good form with the reserves. The game opened in bright winter sunshine with a large crowd enjoying the mild conditions at Trevor Barker Beach Oval. Sandy was out of the blocks early with Mark Jamar dominating the ruck and pushing forward for an early goal followed quickly by another to Addam Maric. Shane Valenti was winning the early clearances and playing an important role in ensuring that the team moved the ball well on the small ground. He was however, on the receiving end of some heavy attention and was soon involved in a scuffle with his tagger which saw both their names entered in the umpires' books for wrestling. Newcomer Zomer was lively early. He moved well, was prepared to handball to advantage rather than take risky shots for goal and had two goals on the board as the Zebras went into the quarter time huddle with a 19-point lead. He finished with three to be leading goal scorer on the ground for the day. Sandringham's work rate dropped off in the second quarter but the visitors' inaccuracy in front of goal meant that the Zebras did not have to pay the price of their lapses in terms of scoreboard pressure. Both teams were being forced to make mistakes and the game turned into a dull affair by the time the teams took to the rooms at the main break. By that time Collingwood was still 16 points in arrears and would not be allowed back into the game by the much vaunted miserly Zebra defence which simply strangled the Magpie attack in the second half keeping it down to just two goals. The ever-improving Stefan Martin kept his opponent quiet all day, Nathan Carroll had the better of Collingwood speedster Chris Egan, Andy Biddlecombe was rock solid as usual, Matthew Whelan collared any of the Magpies smalls who had the temerity to stand against him and Chris Lamb was unstoppable as Jaxson Barham soon discovered when he tried to run through and not around him. With Jamar (25 disposals) and John Meesen easily accounting for the Magpie rucks, Peter Summers dominated at the stoppages and finished the game with 34 touches. Along with Valenti and irrepressible running link men Chris Johnson (who again put in a blinder) and Simon Buckley, the Zebras held all the aces although the Magpies fought the game out right to the final siren. Rod Crowe was extremely important at centre half forward with his creative play and movement that often put the Magpie defence off its guard and Port Melbourne recruit Jarrod Plymin picked up a lot of possessions in another strong display. The victory has dispelled fears that the impending break up of the alliance between Melbourne and Sandringham might affect the team's performance for the remainder of the year. The players combined and they have always done for the past eight and a half years of the partnership which has seen four Zebra flags and many players from both clubs develop into fine footballers. The fact that three Sandy players – Matthew Warnock, Shane Valenti and Stefan Martin are now on the Demons' list speaks volumes for the success of the partnership forged in late 1999. Sandringham retains third place on the ladder and ironically, its sixth win of the season has set up what should be a fascinating encounter next Saturday when it confronts the fourth placed Scorpions at Casey Fields. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Simon Buckley - a classy display from the Demon runner and, although overshadowed by his counterpart Chris Johnson's own brilliant performance, his disposal is definitely improving and he is showing signs of greater maturity in his play. Nathan Carroll - far too strong and too good for Collingwood speedster Chris Egan who must have nightmares whenever he thinks of the Trevor Barker Beach Oval. Last year he damaged his knee there and this year Carroll dismantled him in a brutal a manner as only a tough defender can do. Kyle Cheney - quiet early with limited opportunities but, as the game went on, the dogged young defender showed enough to suggest he will develop into a very handy and tough member of the back line. The educational value of playing alongside Matty Whelan for just this day alone would be inestimable. Mark Jamar - a clear winner in the ruck against Cameron Wood and he also dominated around the ground. If only he could play like that at the higher level! Chris Johnson - owned the football and was clearly the best man on the ground. He showed great polish in his movement, in his decision making and in his disposal of the football and I would be astonished if he wasn't selected to play against Richmond next week. Addam Maric - busy early up forward and also had the occasional run of the ball where he flashed in and out of the play. He shows that he is learning to add new dimensions to his game, particularly in terms of his defensive skills which he need to hone if he is to be a success in the big time. The task is to convert him from a clever forward pocket into a dangerous, elite midfielder - a long term development project which could pay large dividends for the club in the future. Stefan Martin – a very polished defensive display which saw him completely outclass his opponent. Runs well out of defence for a tall man and is clearly being groomed for a key defensive post at the highest level. He looks like a quick learner as he seems to be doing all of the right things. John Meesen – has great agility and did well in the ruck and around the ground although he was dominated somewhat by his senior ruck partner in Mark Jamar. Shane Valenti - was very good and won a fair bit of the ball although he was closely tagged all day. He didn't seem to mind the attention although could have received a little more protection from the men in orange (aka the umpires). Isaac Weetra - a last minute inclusion in the side who had a quiet day. Matthew Whelan - the consummate small/medium defender whose experience and natural defensive talent shone through. He blocked, he punched, he anticipated the fall of the ball and marked and cleared like the seasoned campaigner that he is and he should also be back at Melbourne next week. Trent Zomer – kicked three on debut and will benefit greatly from whatever time he spends at this level in the absence of Sautner, Holland and Newton. Needs to build up his strength to be able to hold his ground against strong bodied defenders but if he applies himself to the task, he could become a senior key position player which is just what the Demons are looking for in view of the retirement of Neitz and the injury to Robbo. Sandringham 5.2.32 7.5.47 9.11.65 11.13.79 Collingwood 2.1.13 4.7.31 5.8.38 6.13.49 Goals Sandringham Zomer 3 Liddell Maric 2 Jamar C Johnson Poyas Whelan Collingwood Iles 2 Anthony Carmody McCarthy Yaman Best Sandringham C Johnson Whelan Martin Jamar Biddlecombe Valenti Collingwood Iles Pendlebury Crow Stanley Carmody Anthony Reported Sandringham S Valenti (San) for wrestling D Nicholls (Coll) in the 1st quarter Collingwood D Nicholls (Coll) for wrestling S Valenti (San) in the 1st quarter The irony of the week's events was brought home by the fact that the first game played by Sandringham after Thursday's change of affiliation announcement was the reserves curtain raiser against Casey Scorpions. The late changes left the Zebras in a bit of a quandry and without the full squad causing them some heart flutters late in the game but they were still good enough to win by 15 points. Maddison Hardiman and Sam Monaghan continued on with their good recent form and the goals were spread around with Stuart Cleeve, Scott Lockwood and Jake Williams booting three apiece. Demon Ricky Petterd who has been out since round 1 made his return from injury in this game. Sandringham 4.3.27 8.7.55 14.10.94 16.12.108 Casey Scorpions 3.1.19 6.6.42 8.10.58 13.15.93 Goals Sandringham Cleeve Lockwood Williams 3 Lyall 2 Cannon Hardiman Monaghan Petterd Shakaib Casey Scorpions Vernon Williams 3 Leung 2 Arezzolo Fridman Griffiths Haretuku Mercoulia Best Sandringham Hardiman Monaghan Shakaib Williams McConnell Fleming Casey Scorpions Galvin Williams Griffiths Mercoulia Vernon Waite

And here it is ... 66.211 Brock McLean 40.082 Austin Wonaemirri 31.196 Brad Green 29.701 Aaron Davey 27.249 Paul Wheatley 22.796 Cameron Bruce 22.728 Brad Miller 22.726 Nathan Jones 19.753 Cale Morton 17.992 Paul Johnson 16.513 Colin Garland 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 for this week is 0.819 (second highest of the year behind the Fremantle game). Will be back soon with an update on the leader board. Clue: Brocky looks like going futher ahead.

THE LONG WEEKEND by The Oracle Melbourne seems to have the wood on Collingwood insofar as their recent Queens Birthday meetings are concerned. The black and white army and its bogan supporters are our bunnies when it comes to the celebration of Her Royal Highness' big day out. Take our last four such encounters when we beat them so easily that we could even be excused for suggesting our dominance might cause what was previously heralded as a great clash of traditional rivals to turn into a potentially crashing bore of an event. The fans might even stay away fearing a lack of a contest. OK. I jest a little, but the AFL's head honcho and leading opera fan, Andrew Demetrious (aka Arthur Fonzarelli or The Fonze) is so frightened at the prospect of a boring outcome that might not appeal to the fans that he set the alarm bells ringing with his pronouncement/threat overnight that Melbourne could lose the blockbuster Queen's Birthday match if it drew a crowd of less than 60,000. That's right! The Fonze is prepared to wield the big stick right at the heart of the Demons at the very moment when they are struggling at the bottom end of a football cycle. This is from the chief executive of the AFL whose duty it is to promote all teams in the competition and treat them as equal partners in the nation's largest sporting enterprise: an organisation which has already hijacked Melbourne's 150th birthday celebrations, stole it away and adopted the anniversary as its own and then, in an act of sheer effrontery this man has decided to snub the celebration of the sesquicentenary at the MCG on August 8 by heading off to the Olympics! And what point is The Fonz trying to make? Despite Melbourne's lowly position on the ladder, its average home attendances are higher than top eight sides Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne, both of which have earned praise in recent times from the AFL as to the way they are managing their financial position. The AFL has form in dealing more favourably with certain clubs than it has with others and in that regard, there was no darker episode in the history of the competition than the way in which it unceremoniously dumped the Fitzroy Football Club in 1996 doing everything in its power to prevent the members of that club from having their wishes taken into account when their team was forced to merge with the Bears and go north to Queensland. Kevin Rudd has apologised to the stolen generations but we have yet to see an AFL leader with the guts to stand up and apologise to Fitzroy people for what the league did to their club. I have this to say to the muppets who aren't prepared to show a grain of respect to the oldest football club in the world. The Melbourne Football Club has been around for more than three times the span of your lifetime and will be around long after you depart this mortal coil. We Demons are resilient and we are not prepared to cop the same treatment or endure the same outcome that befell the Lions. And we will get more than 60,000 to this game as we do every Queens Birthday. So to the Demetrious, the Kennetts et al, my message is plain and simple. Go shove it and leave us alone to enjoy the long weekend! THE GAME Melbourne v. Collingwood at the MCG - 9 June 2008 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 79 wins Collingwood 137 wins 4 draws At the G Melbourne 59 wins Collingwood 70 wins 2 draws Since 2000 Melbourne 5 wins Collingwood 4 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Malthouse 0 wins MEDIA TV Channel 10 at 2.30pm (delayed telecast) RADIO Triple M 3AW 7774ABC SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $8.50 Collingwood to win $1.05 LAST TIME THEY MET Collingwood 11.15.81 d Melbourne 9.16.70 Round 20, 2008, at MCG We celebrated David Neitz' 300th game for the club with an honourable defeat for the injury plagued Demons. The team recovered from a slow start and a physical buffeting which saw an end to the seasons of Daniel Bell, Aaron Davey and Ben Holland to get to within five points of the eventual preliminary finalists but failed to go on with it in the last half of the final term. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James McDonald Colin Garland Daniel Bell Half backs Brad Green Matthew Warnock Paul Wheatley Centreline Cale Morton Brock McLean Cameron Bruce Half forwards Matthew Bate Brad Miller Lynden Dunn Forwards Paul Johnson Colin Sylvia Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White Brent Moloney Nathan Jones Interchange (from) Clint Bartram Jace Bode Jared Rivers Adem Yze Emergencies Nathan Carroll Mark Jamar Chris Johnson In Jace Bode Cale Morton Jared Rivers Out Simon Buckley (omitted) James Frawley (shoulder) Russell Robertson (Achilles) COLLINGWOOD Backs Heath Shaw Shane Wakelin Tarkyn Lockyer Half backs Martin Clarke Nathan Brown Harry O’Brien Centreline Scott Pendlebury Scott Burns Rhyce Shaw Half forwards Leon Davis Shane O’Bree Travis Cloke Forwards Alan Didak Anthony Rocca Paul Medhurst Followers Josh Fraser Dane Swan Dale Thomas Interchange Chris Bryan Ben Johnson Nick Maxwell Sharrod Wellingham Emergencies Ryan Cook Shannon Cox Ben Reid In Anthony Rocca Out Ben Reid (omitted) Umpires Vosso Farmer Meredith THE CRYSTAL BALL The intense rivalry between Melbourne and Collingwood goes back a long way. It has peaked a few times in the past century - in the roaring 20's and then especially through the 1950's and the early part of the sixties. In those days, you would have the entire city enraptured with the event and massive crowds would turn up to the MCG whenever they played against each other. After that, even when one or the other of these two sides was struggling, a Melbourne v. Collingwood game was the town's hottest ticket. But those days are over now that we have interstate clubs with their funny mascots running around (with more to come) but even then, those people responsible for putting together our schedule of games each season remain fascinated by this particular fixture. I was also fascinated and eager to know how this year's game was going to unfold in view of the fact that the Dees aren't travelling too well and the Pies have been blitzing it over the past few weeks winning their last two games by an aggregate of 186 points against the 2006 and 2007 premiership sides! Logic therefore dictates that the Demons are in a spot of bother. After all, they have just lost two great forwards in David Neitz and Russell Robertson who between them have kicked 1030 career goals who have shared the club's goal kicking honours for every season since 2001. Their most creative small forward Aaron Davey is still a week away from playing after suffering a hamstring strain at training recently and their great key forward position hope in Michael Newton struggles with his fitness. They sit in last place on the ladder with just one win and a percentage of just 58.9 after 10 rounds which is their worst percentage at this stage of the season since 1919. By way of contrast, the Magpies have star quality in form players everywhere on the ground. Alan Didak is the AFL's top kick getter. He's also capable of kicking miracle goals but then so are Daisy Thomas Paul Medhurst and Leon Davis, not to mention the returning Anthony Rocca who faces the game without the prospect of being tagged by his nemesis Benny Holland. It was all so scary that I decided to ditch logic and resort to my trusty old crystal ball but even then I was in for quite a shock. Indeed, if my interpretation of what I saw inside the magic orb is correct then I have some bad news for Demon fans. At first, there was not a great deal to see through the foggy maze on the inside but one thing I was able to discern was the outline of a single word hovering above a misty black and white object which resembled some sort of bird, possibly a magpie. The single word that I saw is somewhat unfamiliar - "spiflocated". Then, as the contents of my magical orb settled further, I could make out the sight of a devilish object that lay on the ground at the feet of the rampant bird. It was covered by a garment coloured red, blue and silver. Anyhow, I had no idea what this word "spiflocated" means so I consulted my dictionary and found the definition, I didn't want to see - to spiflocate means to injure or do something stupid that causes much pain. Oh Dear! I do want to remain positive like Melbourne coach and to that end I point to the fact that it was only three rounds back when Hawthorn smashed Collingwood by 65 points while the Demons rushed home against the Dockers in a great come from behind win the next day. That's football for you. It beats the opera and for mine, it even beats going to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Someone should tell that to The Fonze! Collingwood by 10 points in a thriller (in my dreams)!

by The Oracle Melbourne seems to have the wood on Collingwood insofar as their recent Queens Birthday meetings are concerned. The black and white army and its bogan supporters are our bunnies when it comes to the celebration of Her Royal Highness' big day out. Take our last four such encounters when we beat them so easily that we could even be excused for suggesting our dominance might cause what was previously heralded as a great clash of traditional rivals to turn into a potentially crashing bore of an event. The fans might even stay away fearing a lack of a contest. OK. I jest a little, but the AFL's head honcho and leading opera fan, Andrew Demetrious (aka Arthur Fonzarelli or The Fonze) is so frightened at the prospect of a boring outcome that might not appeal to the fans that he set the alarm bells ringing with his pronouncement/threat overnight that Melbourne could lose the blockbuster Queen's Birthday match if it drew a crowd of less than 60,000. That's right! The Fonze is prepared to wield the big stick right at the heart of the Demons at the very moment when they are struggling at the bottom end of a football cycle. This is from the chief executive of the AFL whose duty it is to promote all teams in the competition and treat them as equal partners in the nation's largest sporting enterprise: an organisation which has already hijacked Melbourne's 150th birthday celebrations, stole it away and adopted the anniversary as its own and then, in an act of sheer effrontery this man has decided to snub the celebration of the sesquicentenary at the MCG on August 8 by heading off to the Olympics! And what point is The Fonz trying to make? Despite Melbourne's lowly position on the ladder, its average home attendances are higher than top eight sides Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne, both of which have earned praise in recent times from the AFL as to the way they are managing their financial position. The AFL has form in dealing more favourably with certain clubs than it has with others and in that regard, there was no darker episode in the history of the competition than the way in which it unceremoniously dumped the Fitzroy Football Club in 1996 doing everything in its power to prevent the members of that club from having their wishes taken into account when their team was forced to merge with the Bears and go north to Queensland. Kevin Rudd has apologised to the stolen generations but we have yet to see an AFL leader with the guts to stand up and apologise to Fitzroy people for what the league did to their club. I have this to say to the muppets who aren't prepared to show a grain of respect to the oldest football club in the world. The Melbourne Football Club has been around for more than three times the span of your lifetime and will be around long after you depart this mortal coil. We Demons are resilient and we are not prepared to cop the same treatment or endure the same outcome that befell the Lions. And we will get more than 60,000 to this game as we do every Queens Birthday. So to the Demetrious, the Kennetts et al, my message is plain and simple. Go shove it and leave us alone to enjoy the long weekend! THE GAME Melbourne v. Collingwood at the MCG - 9 June 2008 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 79 wins Collingwood 137 wins 4 draws At the G Melbourne 59 wins Collingwood 70 wins 2 draws Since 2000 Melbourne 5 wins Collingwood 4 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Malthouse 0 wins MEDIA TV Channel 10 at 2.30pm (delayed telecast) RADIO Triple M 3AW 7774ABC SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $8.50 Collingwood to win $1.05 LAST TIME THEY MET Collingwood 11.15.81 d Melbourne 9.16.70 Round 20, 2008, at MCG We celebrated David Neitz' 300th game for the club with an honourable defeat for the injury plagued Demons. The team recovered from a slow start and a physical buffeting which saw an end to the seasons of Daniel Bell, Aaron Davey and Ben Holland to get to within five points of the eventual preliminary finalists but failed to go on with it in the last half of the final term. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James McDonald Colin Garland Daniel Bell Half backs Brad Green Matthew Warnock Paul Wheatley Centreline Cale Morton Brock McLean Cameron Bruce Half forwards Matthew Bate Brad Miller Lynden Dunn Forwards Paul Johnson Colin Sylvia Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White Brent Moloney Nathan Jones Interchange (from) Clint Bartram Jace Bode Jared Rivers Adem Yze Emergencies Nathan Carroll Mark Jamar Chris Johnson In Jace Bode Cale Morton Jared Rivers Out Simon Buckley (omitted) James Frawley (shoulder) Russell Robertson (Achilles) COLLINGWOOD Backs Heath Shaw Shane Wakelin Tarkyn Lockyer Half backs Martin Clarke Nathan Brown Harry O’Brien Centreline Scott Pendlebury Scott Burns Rhyce Shaw Half forwards Leon Davis Shane O’Bree Travis Cloke Forwards Alan Didak Anthony Rocca Paul Medhurst Followers Josh Fraser Dane Swan Dale Thomas Interchange Chris Bryan Ben Johnson Nick Maxwell Sharrod Wellingham Emergencies Ryan Cook Shannon Cox Ben Reid In Anthony Rocca Out Ben Reid (omitted) Umpires Vosso Farmer Meredith THE CRYSTAL BALL The intense rivalry between Melbourne and Collingwood goes back a long way. It has peaked a few times in the past century - in the roaring 20's and then especially through the 1950's and the early part of the sixties. In those days, you would have the entire city enraptured with the event and massive crowds would turn up to the MCG whenever they played against each other. After that, even when one or the other of these two sides was struggling, a Melbourne v. Collingwood game was the town's hottest ticket. But those days are over now that we have interstate clubs with their funny mascots running around (with more to come) but even then, those people responsible for putting together our schedule of games each season remain fascinated by this particular fixture. I was also fascinated and eager to know how this year's game was going to unfold in view of the fact that the Dees aren't travelling too well and the Pies have been blitzing it over the past few weeks winning their last two games by an aggregate of 186 points against the 2006 and 2007 premiership sides! Logic therefore dictates that the Demons are in a spot of bother. After all, they have just lost two great forwards in David Neitz and Russell Robertson who between them have kicked 1030 career goals who have shared the club's goal kicking honours for every season since 2001. Their most creative small forward Aaron Davey is still a week away from playing after suffering a hamstring strain at training recently and their great key forward position hope in Michael Newton struggles with his fitness. They sit in last place on the ladder with just one win and a percentage of just 58.9 after 10 rounds which is their worst percentage at this stage of the season since 1919. By way of contrast, the Magpies have star quality in form players everywhere on the ground. Alan Didak is the AFL's top kick getter. He's also capable of kicking miracle goals but then so are Daisy Thomas Paul Medhurst and Leon Davis, not to mention the returning Anthony Rocca who faces the game without the prospect of being tagged by his nemesis Benny Holland. It was all so scary that I decided to ditch logic and resort to my trusty old crystal ball but even then I was in for quite a shock. Indeed, if my interpretation of what I saw inside the magic orb is correct then I have some bad news for Demon fans. At first, there was not a great deal to see through the foggy maze on the inside but one thing I was able to discern was the outline of a single word hovering above a misty black and white object which resembled some sort of bird, possibly a magpie. The single word that I saw is somewhat unfamiliar - "spiflocated". Then, as the contents of my magical orb settled further, I could make out the sight of a devilish object that lay on the ground at the feet of the rampant bird. It was covered by a garment coloured red, blue and silver. Anyhow, I had no idea what this word "spiflocated" means so I consulted my dictionary and found the definition, I didn't want to see - to spiflocate means to injure or do something stupid that causes much pain. Oh Dear! I do want to remain positive like Melbourne coach and to that end I point to the fact that it was only three rounds back when Hawthorn smashed Collingwood by 65 points while the Demons rushed home against the Dockers in a great come from behind win the next day. That's football for you. It beats the opera and for mine, it even beats going to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Someone should tell that to The Fonze! Collingwood by 10 points in a thriller (in my dreams)!

Perhaps this will do for starters? - Saints, Demons in VFL affiliate swap

I don't know if this is a pointer for the selected side for Melbourne on Monday but Jace Bode who was named on the interchange bench for Melbourne is not in the Sandy side. That means he's either playing against the senior Pies or somebody's stuffed up at selection.