Demonland

by Demon Head The Demons are a strange lot. One week they travel out West to take on Fremantle and they start like a house on fire, keeping the Dockers goalless until 10 minutes into the second quarter, at which time they capitulate and finish up with their tails between their legs after suffering another almighty towelling. The next week, they start where they left off the week before and produce more rubbish but then, just as they seem to be drifting along on the way to a big loss, they manage to lift and, play with some competitive spirit. They still drift along but the size of the loss is contained to manageable proportions. That’s exactly what happened to Melbourne in Sunday's game at the MCG against North Melbourne, a game that it lost by 28 points after conceding seven goals to one in the first twenty minutes. At that time, the game was virtually all over and any interest in proceedings completely dissipated. The game deserved to be attended by a paltry crowd of 21,330 on a weekend when 86,179 were attracted to the G to witness a top of the ladder four quarter contest on Friday night between Geelong and Hawthorn and 64,785 came to the same venue on Saturday to see the Bombers fly up Mick Malthouse's nose with a brilliant seven goal victory over the Magpies. Sunday afternoon's affair was dull and colourless and only sparked to life on a couple of occasions. Once, when field umpire McLaren resorted to histrionics with his frivolous double report of Lynden Dunn after Kangaroo thespian Brent Harvey hammed his way through the performance of his life. Another, when an otherwise inept and stumbling Michael Newton tried to add goal of the year to his mark of the year award from last year. In between, the Demons worked hard to rally after trailing by over six goals early in the game to get to within 19 points before an errant handball from Simon Buckley to Lindsay Thomas sealed the whole shebang and lifted North from 10th position into fifth place on the AFL ladder. Considering that the Roos scored only five goals in the final term – and these came only through unforced errors and turnovers from Melbourne and gifts from the umpires, the Demons can probably say they did well to achieve that result. It was certainly better than their display against the same opposition earlier this year when North Melbourne won by 48 points (and it would have been double that if they only kicked straight). Unfortunately, most of the game was bilge. Simon Buckley underlined his improvement, James McDonald and Shane Valenti worked hard but there was too much second rate stuff from most of the team for my liking. Nathan Jones and Cameron Bruce let themselves down with poor disposal, a few others with poor decision-making. Paul Johnson was good at times, Stef Martin and Cale Morton were promising and Chris Johnson continues to show some form. Brad Miller snared the first three six-pointers (all in the first half) but was well covered after that and Aaron Davey was handy at times. All in all, a disappointing day in an ordinary year for the Melbourne Football Club. Melbourne 1.3.9 3.4.22 6.8.44 10.10.70 North Melbourne 7.3.45 9.6.60 11.9.75 14.14.98 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Newton 2 Davey P Johnson Morton Sylvia Valenti North Melbourne Thomas 5 Jones 4 Harvey 2 Campbell Hale Petrie Best Melbourne Buckley Jones Valenti Davey McDonald P. Johnson North Melbourne Harvey Hale Jones Thomas Gibson Simpson Rawlings Injuries Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Changes Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Reports Dunn (Melbourne) for striking Harvey (North Melbourne) in the third quarter by umpire McLaren Dunn (Melbourne) for striking Harvey (North Melbourne) in the third quarter by umpire McLaren Umpires McLaren Fila Hendrie Official crowd 21,330 at the MCG

DRIFTING ALONG by Demon Head The Demons are a strange lot. One week they travel out West to take on Fremantle and they start like a house on fire, keeping the Dockers goalless until 10 minutes into the second quarter, at which time they capitulate and finish up with their tails between their legs after suffering another almighty towelling. The next week, they start where they left off the week before and produce more rubbish but then, just as they seem to be drifting along on the way to a big loss, they manage to lift and, play with some competitive spirit. They still drift along but the size of the loss is contained to manageable proportions. That’s exactly what happened to Melbourne in Sunday's game at the MCG against North Melbourne, a game that it lost by 28 points after conceding seven goals to one in the first twenty minutes. At that time, the game was virtually all over and any interest in proceedings completely dissipated. The game deserved to be attended by a paltry crowd of 21,330 on a weekend when 86,179 were attracted to the G to witness a top of the ladder four quarter contest on Friday night between Geelong and Hawthorn and 64,785 came to the same venue on Saturday to see the Bombers fly up Mick Malthouse's nose with a brilliant seven goal victory over the Magpies. Sunday afternoon's affair was dull and colourless and only sparked to life on a couple of occasions. Once, when field umpire McLaren resorted to histrionics with his frivolous double report of Lynden Dunn after Kangaroo thespian Brent Harvey hammed his way through the performance of his life. Another, when an otherwise inept and stumbling Michael Newton tried to add goal of the year to his mark of the year award from last year. In between, the Demons worked hard to rally after trailing by over six goals early in the game to get to within 19 points before an errant handball from Simon Buckley to Lindsay Thomas sealed the whole shebang and lifted North from 10th position into fifth place on the AFL ladder. Considering that the Roos scored only five goals in the final term – and these came only through unforced errors and turnovers from Melbourne and gifts from the umpires, the Demons can probably say they did well to achieve that result. It was certainly better than their display against the same opposition earlier this year when North Melbourne won by 48 points (and it would have been double that if they only kicked straight). Unfortunately, most of the game was bilge. Simon Buckley underlined his improvement, James McDonald and Shane Valenti worked hard but there was too much second rate stuff from most of the team for my liking. Nathan Jones and Cameron Bruce let themselves down with poor disposal, a few others with poor decision-making. Paul Johnson was good at times, Stef Martin and Cale Morton were promising and Chris Johnson continues to show some form. Brad Miller snared the first three six-pointers (all in the first half) but was well covered after that and Aaron Davey was handy at times. All in all, a disappointing day in an ordinary year for the Melbourne Football Club. Melbourne 1.3.9 3.4.22 6.8.44 10.10.70 North Melbourne 7.3.45 9.6.60 11.9.75 14.14.98 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Newton 2 Davey P Johnson Morton Sylvia Valenti North Melbourne Thomas 5 Jones 4 Harvey 2 Campbell Hale Petrie Best Melbourne Buckley Jones Valenti Davey McDonald P. Johnson North Melbourne Harvey Hale Jones Thomas Gibson Simpson Rawlings Injuries Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Changes Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Reports Dunn (Melbourne) for striking Harvey (North Melbourne) in the third quarter by umpire McLaren Dunn (Melbourne) for striking Harvey (North Melbourne) in the third quarter by umpire McLaren Umpires McLaren Fila Hendrie Official crowd 21330 at the MCG

After Round 17, The Wizard leads WJ by 1 with Alpha a further 2 behind. 1 (1) 98 Pinball_Wizard 2 (2) 97 Whispering_Jack 3 (3) 95 Alpha33 4 (5) 94 The Little Devils 5 (4) 93 petejh2000 6 (5) 92 Davey's sugar daddy 6 (5) 92 slamevil 6 (8) 92 Super_Slater 9 (9) 91 belzebub59 9 (9) 91 deesthisyear 9 (9) 91 Joe_Gutnick64 12 (12) 90 Kieranbj 13 (13) 89 Clyde_Cabbie 14 (15) 88 DeMoNiC 14 (15) 88 Edorion 14 (15) 88 Scoop Junior 14 (13) 88 Tim - Go Dees 18 (18) 87 aronbrandon 19 (19) 86 BigKev Demon 20 (20) 85 deanox 20 (20) 85 DeeReaming 20 (24) 85 rjhrjh 20 (20) 85 The Natural 24 (24) 84 great_gatsby 24 (20) 84 old man rivers 26 (26) 83 dee'luded 27 (26) 82 Demonland 27 (26) 82 No Cigar2 29 (29) 81 barpen 29 (29) 81 CarnTheDees 29 (29) 81 stelioss 32 (32) 78 Dappadan 33 (33) 77 DEE32 34 (34) 74 mo64 34 (34) 74 mpinnell 36 (37) 73 -FitZ^ 36 (34) 73 achirnside 38 (38) 72 glamorizeme 39 (39) 71 BrockMclean 39 (39) 71 demonsflag555657 39 (39) 71 KrazyJay78 42 (42) 70 paliosiana 43 (43) 69 thegoldenmonkey

It was round 13 last year at the Telstra Dome and ND said farewell. Bombers by 2 points in a thriller. THE TEAMS ESSENDON Backs Jay Nash Mal Michael Mark McVeigh Half backs Andrew Welsh Dustin Fletcher Adam McPhee Centreline Mark Bolton Jobe Watson Scott Camporeale Half forwards James Hird Scott Lucas Henry Slattery Forwards Jason Johnson Matthew Lloyd Alywn Davey Followers Patrick Ryder Damien Peverill Jason Winderlich Interchange Mark Johnson Jason Laycock Andrew Lovett Brent Stanton Emergencies Kepler Bradley Ricky Dyson Angus Monfries In Scott Camporeale Andrew Lovett Brent Stanton Out David Hille (suspended) Chris Heffernan Angus Monfries MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll Paul Wheatley Half backs Simon Godfrey Clint Bizzell Daniel Bell Centreline Cameron Bruce James McDonald Travis Johnstone Half forwards Brad Green Russell Robertson Aaron Davey Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Nathan Brown Paul Johnson Michael Newton Ricky Petterd Emergencies Simon Buckley Chris Johnson Brad Miller In Nathan Brown Travis Johnstone Michael Newton David Neitz Out Adem Yze (hernia) Ben Holland (broken nose) James Frawley Byron Pickett New Michael Newton (20 Murray Bushrangers)

78.366 Brock McLean * 69.590 Brad Green * 53.514 Brad Miller 44.698 Paul Wheatley * 42.809 Colin Garland 40.082 Austin Wonaemirri * 39.766 Paul Johnson 37.636 Cameron Bruce 35.774 Chris Johnson 31.490 Aaron Davey 29.347 Nathan Jones 25.733 Matthew Bate 25.458 Colin Sylvia 21.660 Cale Morton 17.056 Simon Buckley 16.154 Lynden Dunn 14.482 James McDonald 12.282 Brent Moloney * 11.331 Shane Valenti 10.684 Jared Rivers * 10.482 Nathan Carroll * 10.346 Matthew Warnock 8.217 Stef Martin 8.132 Clint Bartram 5.904 Matthew Whelan 5.265 Russell Robertson * 5.087 Jeff White * 4.293 Mark Jamar 2.845 Adem Yze * * DNP

Three sets of votes on a 6,5,4,3,2,1 basis required. Today's weighting is .7143.

THE TEAMS NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Josh Gibson Michael Firrito Drew Petrie Half Backs Daniel Pratt Shannon Watt Jess Smith Centreline Daniel Wells Adam Simpson Ed Lower Half Forwards Nathan Thompson Aaron Edwards Brent Harvey Forwards Ben Ross Corey Jones Matt Campbell Followers Hamish McIntosh Brady Rawlings Daniel Harris Interchange Sam Power Shannon Grant Lindsay Thomas Leigh Brown Emergencies Leigh Harding Eddie Sansbury Gavin Urquhart In Ed Lower Ben Ross Jess Smith Out David Hale (quad) Leigh Harding Andrew Swallow (both omitted) New Ben Ross (Gippsland U18) MELBOURNE Backs Matthew Whelan Nathan Carroll Jared Rivers Half Backs Paul Wheatley Brad Miller Daniel Bell Centreline Brad Green Brock McLean Clint Bartram Half Forwards Cameron Bruce Russell Robertson Colin Sylvia Forwards Aaron Davey David Neitz Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White James McDonald Nathan Jones Interchange Mark Jamar Chris Johnson Lynden Dunn Cale Morton Emergencies James Frawley Colin Garland Brent Moloney In Whelan Jamar Out Colin Garland (omitted) Paul Johnson (hand)

by Whispering Jack Earlier this week, I attended a drawing room meeting at the home of a Melbourne Football Club Board member. The object was to whip up support for the club's Debt Demolition strategy and in particular for its major fundraising function to be held early next month. MFC Chairman Jimmy Stynes was the only speaker and he made a brief and impressive presentation about how he came to be in his current position, about the Board he put together, about the coach and the team and his aspirations for the future. There were questions afterwards and, though Jimmy obviously had pressing business elsewhere (it turned out to be Paul McNamee’s last night as his CEO), he stayed on for a short while to take part in the host's refreshments with the gathering. It was during this time, that he was asked the question whether the club was going to draft Jack Watts, one of the heroes of the Victoria Metro's Under 18 National Championship winning team to which he responded that this was not his decision, that it was within the jurisdiction of the club's football department and more particularly its recruiting people in whom he placed his implicit faith. I was thinking of that particular response this morning when I read Caroline Wilson's article in the Age about McNamee's departure from the club - Sharp words before knife. Wilson, who has been has been chief football writer for The Age since 1999, wrote that prior to his departure McNamee had been "deep in talks with [Jonathan] Brown's management" and that an offer of a five-year $5 million-plus contract had been made to bring the triple premiership forward home to Victoria. She quoted McNamee as follows: "I believed we could take on Collingwood … I was sick of making up the numbers as a football club and I felt … we could be the first, the premier club. "I was going to be audacious in the player area and it was an area familiar to me. Federer, Agassi, Graf — the works. I've done it before. I said to them: What about Jonathan Brown? He stands for everything we are working towards and we have to work quickly. We don't have much time. But he didn't fit into their game plan." Stynes quite rightly scuppered the plan when he was told about it. The plan might have been audacious but it simply did not reflect the way in which the club, under coach Dean Bailey, has been going about rebuilding the team; nor does it reflect the time, place or space that the Melbourne playing list currently occupies. Rather, it reflects the vision of a CEO who is not football savvy and that the judgement of Stynes and his board about McNamee's place at the club was an accurate one. We would all love a "quick fix" solution to the club's playing list problems but to throw money at a player who has his share of injury problems and will be 27 years old when the 2009 season opens would fly in the face of everything that Bailey and his team have been trying to achieve at the club. The Demons will cop plenty of flak from the media about the McNamee departure and the way it was handled. They are an easy target at the moment. Stynes and his team should shrug that all off and stick to their plan for the club's revival. We don't want to be the "premier club" but rather the premiership club. To do that it takes time, patience, perseverance and yes - ruthlessness. Toes were trodden upon in a ruthless manner when the so-called "premier club" Collingwood, then considered a basket case, came under the control of Eddie McGuire and his team. Likewise, with the Bulldogs and David Smorgon and, more recently, Melbourne's opponent for this week, North Melbourne. That "R" word has finally found a meaning at the Melbourne Football Club. We need more of it - not less.

THE R WORD by Whispering Jack Earlier this week, I attended a drawing room meeting at the home of a Melbourne Football Club Board member. The object was to whip up support for the club's Debt Demolition strategy and in particular for its major fundraising function to be held early next month. MFC Chairman Jimmy Stynes was the only speaker and he made a brief and impressive presentation about how he came to be in his current position, about the Board he put together, about the coach and the team and his aspirations for the future. There were questions afterwards and, though Jimmy obviously had pressing business elsewhere (it turned out to be Paul McNamee’s last night as his CEO), he stayed on for a short while to take part in the host's refreshments with the gathering. It was during this time, that he was asked the question whether the club was going to draft Jack Watts, one of the heroes of the Victoria Metro's Under 18 National Championship winning team to which he responded that this was not his decision, that it was within the jurisdiction of the club's football department and more particularly its recruiting people in whom he placed his implicit faith. I was thinking of that particular response this morning when I read Caroline Wilson's article in the Age about McNamee's departure from the club - Sharp words before knife. Wilson, who has been has been chief football writer for The Age since 1999, wrote that prior to his departure McNamee had been "deep in talks with [Jonathan] Brown's management" and that an offer of a five-year $5 million-plus contract had been made to bring the triple premiership forward home to Victoria. She quoted McNamee as follows: "I believed we could take on Collingwood … I was sick of making up the numbers as a football club and I felt … we could be the first, the premier club. "I was going to be audacious in the player area and it was an area familiar to me. Federer, Agassi, Graf — the works. I've done it before. I said to them: What about Jonathan Brown? He stands for everything we are working towards and we have to work quickly. We don't have much time. But he didn't fit into their game plan." Stynes quite rightly scuppered the plan when he was told about it. The plan might have been audacious but it simply did not reflect the way in which the club, under coach Dean Bailey, has been going about rebuilding the team; nor does it reflect the time, place or space that the Melbourne playing list currently occupies. Rather, it reflects the vision of a CEO who is not football savvy and that the judgement of Stynes and his board about McNamee's place at the club was an accurate one. We would all love a "quick fix" solution to the club's playing list problems but to throw money at a player who has his share of injury problems and will be 27 years old when the 2009 season opens would fly in the face of everything that Bailey and his team have been trying to achieve at the club. The Demons will cop plenty of flak from the media about the McNamee departure and the way it was handled. They are an easy target at the moment. Stynes and his team should shrug that all off and stick to their plan for the club's revival. We don't want to be the "premier club" but rather the premiership club. To do that it takes time, patience, perseverance and yes - ruthlessness. Toes were trodden upon in a ruthless manner when the so-called "premier club" Collingwood, then considered a basket case, came under the control of Eddie McGuire and his team. Likewise, with the Bulldogs and David Smorgon and, more recently, Melbourne's opponent for this week, North Melbourne. That "R" word has finally found a meaning at the Melbourne Football Club. We need more of it - not less.

SANDY AND SAUTNER SIZZLE by Barry from Beach Road The Zebras returned to the winning list with a vengeance yesterday when they gave the Tasmanian Devils an 87 point spanking to put an end to a five-game losing streak on a day for the history books at the Sandringham Football Club. Champion spearhead Nick Sautner was the centre of attention and the star of the game booting seven goals as he surpassed Anthony Allen's games record to become the club's longest-serving player with 166 games. The win sees Sandy move up a place on the VFL ladder at this stage of the split 15th round and, for the time being at least, secures its place in the VFL top eight. The Devils were a different side to the one that succumbed by 152 points to the Zebras at Aurora Stadium in Round 7. A change in coach and a number of playing personnel meant that it was a far more determined outfit that crossed the Bass Strait for this meeting between the clubs. The AFL scouts were also out in force looking at four of Tassie's Under 18 contingent including All Australian Mitch Robinson in action for their senior team. While the Apple Islanders approached the game with great determination, they were simply outgunned on the day by the superior fire power of the home team. Sandy was clearly on top from the first bounce and Sautner was soon in the thick of things with the first goal of the day. Tassie squandered what wind advantage existed and were already 14 points in arrears at the first break. Then, Sandy piled on the goals with the first five of the second term to coast to a 55 point lead at the main break and effectively put an end to the game as a contest. The home side dominated the rucks and the middle through Jeff White and skipper Peter Summers and its forward line of Sautner, Ben Holland and Rod Crowe had a field day in the air. When the ball did spill to the ground it was the Sandy little men like Guy Martyn and Addam Maric who took full advantage of the crumbs. Chad Liddell seems to have a new lease of life up forward and he finished with three strong goals for the game. The Zebras continued on their merry way after half time with the defence, led by Nathan Carroll, Andy Biddlecome and impressive youngsters in James Frawley, Jace Bode and Ricky Petterd giving no quarter and mopping up everything that came their way. But it was Nick Sautner's day as he feasted on the Tassie defence to finish with seven goals for a very productive afternoon to bring his season's tally to 60 and stretch his lead on the VFL goal kicking ladder. Sautner's career in the VFA/VFL began a dozen years ago as a struggling defender with the Springvale reserves. He moved to Sandringham in 1997 and arrived at the Trevor Barker Oval just in time to take his place at centre half back in its premiership side of that year. Two years later Sautner switched to the forward line and won the first of his seven Jim "Frosty" Miller Medals as the competition's leading goal kicker. The next season was the first year of the club’s alignment with Melbourne and Sautner repeated the dose and played in the club’s 2000 premiership team. Sautner switched allegiances in 2001 when he moved to bayside rival Frankston and again in 2003 when he was lured to the Northern Bullants. He played a total of 58 games with those clubs and was the league's leading goal kicker in each of his three seasons in self-imposed exile from Beach Road. He returned to Sandringham and played in consecutive premierships from 2004 to 2006 so that he also now holds the crown for the most premierships with the Zebras (five). The three-time Victorian representative has been nominated for a record seven VFL team-of-the-year selections and his nine goals against the WAFL last year were the most for the VFL in an interstate game. The thirty-one year old king of the Sandringham goal square who trialled with St Kilda and Melbourne but never made an AFL list hopes to go around again next year. He is already seventh on the all time list of VFL/VA goal kickers table and in recent times, he has surpassed the records of greats Ron Todd, Jamie Shaw, Joe Radojevic and Peter Neville. Nick Sautner continues to break VFL records and his overall tally of 224 games and 746 goals at an average of 3.33 per game place him as one of the greats of the oldest football competition in the country. Sandringham now has a week's break as it prepares for the run home. Clever utility Ezra Poyas should be back for the team's next challenge - a difficult assignment against eighth placed Northern Bullants in a game that will be pivotal to the club's finals aspirations. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Thanks to Axis of Bob who has provided his insights into the Demons at Sandy this week. Jace Bode - played a good, clean game in the back pocket providing a lot of drive from defence. Used the ball well showing that he is still pushing for an AFL spot next week. Stats: 11 Kicks, 19 Handballs, 7 Marks, 6 Tackles Nathan Carroll - played at half back and back pocket and was good. Took a lot of marks dropping into the hole and swept the ball well when it hit the ground. Certainly still knocking on the door, but it will be tough to break into the Melbourne side with Garland, Martin and Warnock all playing well. Stats: 11 Kicks, 14 Handballs, 8 Marks James Frawley - excellent game in a key defensive post. Played on talented youngster Aaron Cornelius (a probable first round pick this year) for most of the game and kept him to a single possession (from a debatable mark) during that match up. Provided good rebound and skills too. Very good game on a mobile, leading forward. Stats: 6 Kicks, 9 Handballs, 1 Mark Ben Holland - looked like he was going to spoil Sautner's big day when he was plucking marks from everywhere in the first quarter. Continued to dominate in the air as Tassie had no answers to his size and strength. Very good first game back, ending up with four majors. Stats: 13 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 14 Marks, 4 Goals Addam Maric - a classy, skilful little player who finds space very easily in traffic and out wide. Looks to be improving his work rate which is encouraging although there are still stages where his defensive intensity is inconsistent (but definitely much better). Played at half forward and occasionally in the midfield, getting quite a lot of the ball and almost pulling off a magical goal in the pocket after several efforts. Stats: 20 Kicks, 11 Handballs, 8 Marks, 1 Goal Ricky Petterd - played at half back and collected a fair bit of the ball sweeping loose balls. Very clean hands and good overhead, making him a very good defender when he plays man on man. His kicking was generally good, but a bit hit and miss. Did well as part of a very strong and attacking defence. Stats: 20 Kicks, 8 Handballs, 6 Marks Jake Spencer - started relatively slowly with White taking the majority of the responsibility in the first half, but was more than competitive in the ruck contests. In the second half (and particularly the last quarter) he began taking marks around the ground including some very good contested marks, which was very promising. Not exactly getting leather poisoning, but very promising performance from the young ruckman. Stats: 2 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 4 Marks Jeff White - good in the ruck, where he was definitely a class above the Tassie boys. Went forward and took some good grabs too and is not far away from a recall should either of Johnson or Jamar falter. Stats: 15 Kicks, 5 Handballs, 6 Marks, 2 Goals Adem Yze - maintained his consistently good form against Tassie, where he was very good at half forward. Kicked very well and it is amazing to see the difference between his efforts at AFL level and VFL level. Certainly putting in the hard yards with his tackling, harassing and took some courageous marks. Certainly doing everything he can to force his way back into Melbourne's side, which is a credit to him. Stats: 21 Kicks, 7 Handballs, 8 Marks, 2 Goals Sandringham 4.5.29 12.13.85 18.17.125 24.19.163 Tasmania 2.3.15 4.6.30 7.7.49 11.10.76 Goals Sandringham Sautner 7 Holland 4 Liddell 3 Martyn White Yze 2 Crowe M Johnston Maric Summers Best Tasmania Cornelius Richter Taylor 2 Bielski Hardy Plummer Robinson Shackleton Best Sandringham Carroll Sautner Holland Crowe Biddlecombe Bode Tasmania Andrews Richter Setchell Robinson Koulouriotis Shackleton The Sandy Reserves blew a big chance to cement their place in the finals with poor kicking for goal in the final quarter when they could manage only 2.8 with the aid of a strong breeze. Sam Monaghan and Rennie Gilchrist pressed their claims for senior selection with strong performances and young Demon Jack Grimes showed some excellent skills. HOW THE DEMONS FARED by Axis of Bob Jack Grimes - played at half back, playing about 20 minute a quarter. Was very clean with his skills, showing excellent decision making and also worked well in close. Not a dominant game, but his decision making shows you why he was a first round pick last year. Stats: 12 Kicks, 11 Handballs, 5 Marks Tom McNamara - also played across half back and was solid without dominating. Used the ball very well, in general, and was very clean. Stats: 16 Kicks, 6 handballs, 6 Marks , 2 Goals Isaac Weetra - played very well, especially in the first half. Played half forward and midfield, showing some real class as well as providing a good hit up target going forward. Kicked a very nice goal from an interception too. Stats: 15 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 8 Marks, 1 Goal Trent Zomer - was more involved this week, showing that he can take some good marks when his work rate is higher. Just needs to maintain that work rate across the full four quarters. Stats: 10 Kicks, 3 Handballs, 7 Marks, 2 Goals Sandringham 1.3.9 6.10.46 8.11.59 10.19.79 North Ballarat 3.3.21 8.6.54 12.10.82 13.13.91 Goals Sandringham Zomer 2 Gilchrist Weetra Hardiman Gilder Monaghan Lockwood Hine Kondarovskis North Ballarat Faure 3 Luke Taylor 2 Caldow George Gregg Orvis Tarrant Tickner Best Sandringham Monaghan Gilchrist Gribbin Waller Fleming Hardiman North Ballarat George Peace Caldow Peters Luke Tickner

by Barry from Beach Road The Zebras returned to the winning list with a vengeance yesterday when they gave the Tasmanian Devils an 87 point spanking to put an end to a five-game losing streak on a day for the history books at the Sandringham Football Club. Champion spearhead Nick Sautner was the centre of attention and the star of the game booting seven goals as he surpassed Anthony Allen's games record to become the club's longest-serving player with 166 games. The win sees Sandy move up a place on the VFL ladder at this stage of the split 15th round and, for the time being at least, secures its place in the VFL top eight. The Devils were a different side to the one that succumbed by 152 points to the Zebras at Aurora Stadium in Round 7. A change in coach and a number of playing personnel meant that it was a far more determined outfit that crossed the Bass Strait for this meeting between the clubs. The AFL scouts were also out in force looking at four of Tassie's Under 18 contingent including All Australian Mitch Robinson in action for their senior team. While the Apple Islanders approached the game with great determination, they were simply outgunned on the day by the superior fire power of the home team. Sandy was clearly on top from the first bounce and Sautner was soon in the thick of things with the first goal of the day. Tassie squandered what wind advantage existed and were already 14 points in arrears at the first break. Then, Sandy piled on the goals with the first five of the second term to coast to a 55 point lead at the main break and effectively put an end to the game as a contest. The home side dominated the rucks and the middle through Jeff White and skipper Peter Summers and its forward line of Sautner, Ben Holland and Rod Crowe had a field day in the air. When the ball did spill to the ground it was the Sandy little men like Guy Martyn and Addam Maric who took full advantage of the crumbs. Chad Liddell seems to have a new lease of life up forward and he finished with three strong goals for the game. The Zebras continued on their merry way after half time with the defence, led by Nathan Carroll, Andy Biddlecome and impressive youngsters in James Frawley, Jace Bode and Ricky Petterd giving no quarter and mopping up everything that came their way. But it was Nick Sautner's day as he feasted on the Tassie defence to finish with seven goals for a very productive afternoon to bring his season's tally to 60 and stretch his lead on the VFL goal kicking ladder. Sautner's career in the VFA/VFL began a dozen years ago as a struggling defender with the Springvale reserves. He moved to Sandringham in 1997 and arrived at the Trevor Barker Oval just in time to take his place at centre half back in its premiership side of that year. Two years later Sautner switched to the forward line and won the first of his seven Jim "Frosty" Miller Medals as the competition's leading goal kicker. The next season was the first year of the club’s alignment with Melbourne and Sautner repeated the dose and played in the club’s 2000 premiership team. Sautner switched allegiances in 2001 when he moved to bayside rival Frankston and again in 2003 when he was lured to the Northern Bullants. He played a total of 58 games with those clubs and was the league's leading goal kicker in each of his three seasons in self-imposed exile from Beach Road. He returned to Sandringham and played in consecutive premierships from 2004 to 2006 so that he also now holds the crown for the most premierships with the Zebras (five). The three-time Victorian representative has been nominated for a record seven VFL team-of-the-year selections and his nine goals against the WAFL last year were the most for the VFL in an interstate game. The thirty-one year old king of the Sandringham goal square who trialled with St Kilda and Melbourne but never made an AFL list hopes to go around again next year. He is already seventh on the all time list of VFL/VA goal kickers table and in recent times, he has surpassed the records of greats Ron Todd, Jamie Shaw, Joe Radojevic and Peter Neville. Nick Sautner continues to break VFL records and his overall tally of 224 games and 746 goals at an average of 3.33 per game place him as one of the greats of the oldest football competition in the country. Sandringham now has a week's break as it prepares for the run home. Clever utility Ezra Poyas should be back for the team's next challenge - a difficult assignment against eighth placed Northern Bullants in a game that will be pivotal to the club's finals aspirations. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Thanks to Axis of Bob who has provided his insights into the Demons at Sandy this week. Jace Bode - played a good, clean game in the back pocket providing a lot of drive from defence. Used the ball well showing that he is still pushing for an AFL spot next week. Stats: 11 Kicks, 19 Handballs, 7 Marks, 6 Tackles Nathan Carroll - played at half back and back pocket and was good. Took a lot of marks dropping into the hole and swept the ball well when it hit the ground. Certainly still knocking on the door, but it will be tough to break into the Melbourne side with Garland, Martin and Warnock all playing well. Stats: 11 Kicks, 14 Handballs, 8 Marks James Frawley - excellent game in a key defensive post. Played on talented youngster Aaron Cornelius (a probable first round pick this year) for most of the game and kept him to a single possession (from a debatable mark) during that match up. Provided good rebound and skills too. Very good game on a mobile, leading forward. Stats: 6 Kicks, 9 Handballs, 1 Mark Ben Holland - looked like he was going to spoil Sautner's big day when he was plucking marks from everywhere in the first quarter. Continued to dominate in the air as Tassie had no answers to his size and strength. Very good first game back, ending up with four majors. Stats: 13 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 14 Marks, 4 Goals Addam Maric - a classy, skilful little player who finds space very easily in traffic and out wide. Looks to be improving his work rate which is encouraging although there are still stages where his defensive intensity is inconsistent (but definitely much better). Played at half forward and occasionally in the midfield, getting quite a lot of the ball and almost pulling off a magical goal in the pocket after several efforts. Stats: 20 Kicks, 11 Handballs, 8 Marks, 1 Goal Ricky Petterd - played at half back and collected a fair bit of the ball sweeping loose balls. Very clean hands and good overhead, making him a very good defender when he plays man on man. His kicking was generally good, but a bit hit and miss. Did well as part of a very strong and attacking defence. Stats: 20 Kicks, 8 Handballs, 6 Marks Jake Spencer - started relatively slowly with White taking the majority of the responsibility in the first half, but was more than competitive in the ruck contests. In the second half (and particularly the last quarter) he began taking marks around the ground including some very good contested marks, which was very promising. Not exactly getting leather poisoning, but very promising performance from the young ruckman. Stats: 2 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 4 Marks Jeff White - good in the ruck, where he was definitely a class above the Tassie boys. Went forward and took some good grabs too and is not far away from a recall should either of Johnson or Jamar falter. Stats: 15 Kicks, 5 Handballs, 6 Marks, 2 Goals Adem Yze - maintained his consistently good form against Tassie, where he was very good at half forward. Kicked very well and it is amazing to see the difference between his efforts at AFL level and VFL level. Certainly putting in the hard yards with his tackling, harassing and took some courageous marks. Certainly doing everything he can to force his way back into Melbourne's side, which is a credit to him. Stats: 21 Kicks, 7 Handballs, 8 Marks, 2 Goals Sandringham 4.5.29 12.13.85 18.17.125 24.19.163 Tasmania 2.3.15 4.6.30 7.7.49 11.10.76 Goals Sandringham Sautner 7 Holland 4 Liddell 3 Martyn White Yze 2 Crowe M Johnston Maric Summers Best Tasmania Cornelius Richter Taylor 2 Bielski Hardy Plummer Robinson Shackleton Best Sandringham Carroll Sautner Holland Crowe Biddlecombe Bode Tasmania Andrews Richter Setchell Robinson Koulouriotis Shackleton The Sandy Reserves blew a big chance to cement their place in the finals with poor kicking for goal in the final quarter when they could manage only 2.8 with the aid of a strong breeze. Sam Monaghan and Rennie Gilchrist pressed their claims for senior selection with strong performances and young Demon Jack Grimes showed some excellent skills. HOW THE DEMONS FARED by Axis of Bob Jack Grimes - played at half back, playing about 20 minute a quarter. Was very clean with his skills, showing excellent decision making and also worked well in close. Not a dominant game, but his decision making shows you why he was a first round pick last year. Stats: 12 Kicks, 11 Handballs, 5 Marks Tom McNamara - also played across half back and was solid without dominating. Used the ball very well, in general, and was very clean. Stats: 16 Kicks, 6 handballs, 6 Marks , 2 Goals Isaac Weetra - played very well, especially in the first half. Played half forward and midfield, showing some real class as well as providing a good hit up target going forward. Kicked a very nice goal from an interception too. Stats: 15 Kicks, 4 Handballs, 8 Marks, 1 Goal Trent Zomer - was more involved this week, showing that he can take some good marks when his work rate is higher. Just needs to maintain that work rate across the full four quarters. Stats: 10 Kicks, 3 Handballs, 7 Marks, 2 Goals Sandringham 1.3.9 6.10.46 8.11.59 10.19.79 North Ballarat 3.3.21 8.6.54 12.10.82 13.13.91 Goals Sandringham Zomer 2 Gilchrist Weetra Hardiman Gilder Monaghan Lockwood Hine Kondarovskis North Ballarat Faure 3 Luke Taylor 2 Caldow George Gregg Orvis Tarrant Tickner Best Sandringham Monaghan Gilchrist Gribbin Waller Fleming Hardiman North Ballarat George Peace Caldow Peters Luke Tickner

by Western Demon We often hear it said about a football match that it was a "game of two halves" and that certainly applies to yesterday's encounter between Melbourne and Fremantle at Subiaco. The problem for the visiting team was that its dominant "half" only lasted for a quarter while the Dockers held sway for the remaining three quarters. The result – a 46-point Fremantle win over a pathetic Melbourne side that descended into the category of a rabble well before the final siren. The young Demons, decked out in their putrid looking silver attire, belied their inexperience in the first term when they shot out of the blocks like a house on fire. They were wining all over the ground and had the locals totally mesmerised as unfamiliar names and faces ran riot to score five goals to nil by the first change. I was particularly impressed by the young talls in defence led by Colin Garland, Matthew Warnock and Stef Martin. Chris Johnson was in dazzling form, creating lots of run off the flank. Freo skipper Matthew Pavlich was getting close attention from Lynden Dunn in the middle, the Melbourne rucks were holding their own against the Docker twin towers and former Sandgroper Cale Morton was treating his former home town with a dazzling display of skill, kicking two goals and amassing ten possessions in the opening term. Then there was the red headed shock of hair of Matty Bate as he flashed across the ground picking up eight touches and Simon Buckley's pace was causing havoc, Brad Miller and Michael Newton were getting away from their defenders and, in the centre of it all orchestrating proceedings with his brilliance was Aaron Davey returning from a week’s "holiday" at Sandringham courtesy of a touch of too much demon drink at a wake for a family member in Darwin. With Melbourne leading by 5.1.31 to 0.2.2 at the quarter time break, I was regretting the fact that the booing of the home crowd was affecting my concentration so much that I wasn't able to master the mental arithmetic needed to calculate by how much it had outscored Fremantle in its last three quarters of game time against that club. I was however, looking forward to the next three quarters and any self respecting supporter at the ground (and no doubt those at home or in pubs watching on their television screens) would be forgiven for asking the question: By how much are we going to smash this mob? Well, it took that mob until 10 minutes into the second term (when the Dees already had six) to manage their first goal for the game and that was partly thanks to all three blind mice officiating at the game missing what appeared to be a Docker throw in the goal square. At that stage, the floodgates opened and the Demons hit the wall. I'm not sure whether the folks living to the east of Australia's largest state would be aware of this, but last month there was a large explosion and fire a major gas processing plant over here that not only threatened our gas supplies but also raised the possibility of an end to the economic boom in the west. Something like the same scare ran through the Melbourne camp at about the half way mark of the second quarter because they simply running out of gas. Fremantle, with their stronger bodied players, their greater experience, their superior knowledge of the ground and its conditions, simply pummelled the hapless Demons into submission. The opposition simply wanted it more, their strength came to the fore, they dominated the midfield clearances and, with those substantial advantages, there was nothing Melbourne’s young team could to stem the tide. Instead, they reverted back to turning the ball over and committing a massive amount of clangers as they turned a 34 point lead into a 46 point deficit by the end of the game. A lot has been said of Melbourne’s famous round 7 come from behind victory but the truth is that many of the instigators behind that win were missing yesterday – players like Brock McLean, Brad Green, Brent Moloney, James McDonald, Jared Rivers, Russell Robertson and Jeff White to name a few. In their place, the club sent a team of promising youngsters - boys on mens' errands. Many of them had light frames that are currently not able to go the distance physically or mentally with the more experienced Docker contingent and a pre season of gym work and the return of some of the Demons’ more seasoned players should hold them in much better stead next time they head out this way. I was bemused by comments from some quarters that Melbourne might be chasing Docker beanpole Robert Warnock, brother of Matthew, because his physical shape would fit in well with the lightweight Demons. If young Robert comes back to Victoria to play with his brother, let's hope that the folks have a decent home gym installed for the pair. When Matthew Bate hit the post from close range in the final term, it summed up the Demons' pathetic second half when its forward fire power fizzled out to virtually nothing. The problem with Melbourne's games was that its second half was much longer than the first and very few of their players could hold their heads high at the end although credit must be given to Cameron Bruce, Davey and Chris Johnson for hanging tough throughout the day. Melbourne returns home with a place in the bottom two of the competition virtually parcelled up and facing a difficult assignment next week against the Kangaroos. That task might seem daunting but, although it might not mean much, it is probably worthwhile to remember that the Dockers' previous win was against the Shinboners at Subiaco in Round 12 when they won by 53 points. All the Demons have to do next week is to make sure that they can player a longer half of good football next time! Melbourne 5.1.31 6.3.39 7.5.47 10.8.68 Fremantle 0.2.2 5.9.39 11.15.81 16.18.114 Goals Melbourne Bate Miller Morton Newton 2 Jamar P Johnson Fremantle Pavlich 5 McPharlin 3 Carr Ibbotson McManus O'Brien Peake Sandilands Schammer Tarrant Best Fremantle Pavlich Schammer Ibbotson Crowley McPharlin McManus Melbourne C Johnson Wheatley Buckley Bruce Bate Jones Injuries Melbourne Nil Fremantle Brock O'Brien (hamstring) Changes Nil Reports Nil Umpires Kennedy Hendrie Avon Official crowd 31,638 at Subiaco Oval

THE WRONG HALF THIS TIME by Western Demon We often hear it said about a football match that it was a "game of two halves" and that certainly applies to yesterday's encounter between Melbourne and Fremantle at Subiaco. The problem for the visiting team was that its dominant "half" only lasted for a quarter while the Dockers held sway for the remaining three quarters. The result – a 46-point Fremantle win over a pathetic Melbourne side that descended into the category of a rabble well before the final siren. The young Demons, decked out in their putrid looking silver attire, belied their inexperience in the first term when they shot out of the blocks like a house on fire. They were wining all over the ground and had the locals totally mesmerised as unfamiliar names and faces ran riot to score five goals to nil by the first change. I was particularly impressed by the young talls in defence led by Colin Garland, Matthew Warnock and Stef Martin. Chris Johnson was in dazzling form, creating lots of run off the flank. Freo skipper Matthew Pavlich was getting close attention from Lynden Dunn in the middle, the Melbourne rucks were holding their own against the Docker twin towers and former Sandgroper Cale Morton was treating his former home town with a dazzling display of skill, kicking two goals and amassing ten possessions in the opening term. Then there was the red headed shock of hair of Matty Bate as he flashed across the ground picking up eight touches and Simon Buckley's pace was causing havoc, Brad Miller and Michael Newton were getting away from their defenders and, in the centre of it all orchestrating proceedings with his brilliance was Aaron Davey returning from a week’s "holiday" at Sandringham courtesy of a touch of too much demon drink at a wake for a family member in Darwin. With Melbourne leading by 5.1.31 to 0.2.2 at the quarter time break, I was regretting the fact that the booing of the home crowd was affecting my concentration so much that I wasn't able to master the mental arithmetic needed to calculate by how much it had outscored Fremantle in its last three quarters of game time against that club. I was however, looking forward to the next three quarters and any self respecting supporter at the ground (and no doubt those at home or in pubs watching on their television screens) would be forgiven for asking the question: By how much are we going to smash this mob? Well, it took that mob until 10 minutes into the second term (when the Dees already had six) to manage their first goal for the game and that was partly thanks to all three blind mice officiating at the game missing what appeared to be a Docker throw in the goal square. At that stage, the floodgates opened and the Demons hit the wall. I'm not sure whether the folks living to the east of Australia's largest state would be aware of this, but last month there was a large explosion and fire a major gas processing plant over here that not only threatened our gas supplies but also raised the possibility of an end to the economic boom in the west. Something like the same scare ran through the Melbourne camp at about the half way mark of the second quarter because they simply running out of gas. Fremantle, with their stronger bodied players, their greater experience, their superior knowledge of the ground and its conditions, simply pummelled the hapless Demons into submission. The opposition simply wanted it more, their strength came to the fore, they dominated the midfield clearances and, with those substantial advantages, there was nothing Melbourne’s young team could to stem the tide. Instead, they reverted back to turning the ball over and committing a massive amount of clangers as they turned a 34 point lead into a 46 point deficit by the end of the game. A lot has been said of Melbourne’s famous round 7 come from behind victory but the truth is that many of the instigators behind that win were missing yesterday – players like Brock McLean, Brad Green, Brent Moloney, James McDonald, Jared Rivers, Russell Robertson and Jeff White to name a few. In their place, the club sent a team of promising youngsters - boys on mens' errands. Many of them had light frames that are currently not able to go the distance physically or mentally with the more experienced Docker contingent and a pre season of gym work and the return of some of the Demons’ more seasoned players should hold them in much better stead next time they head out this way. I was bemused by comments from some quarters that Melbourne might be chasing Docker beanpole Robert Warnock, brother of Matthew, because his physical shape would fit in well with the lightweight Demons. If young Robert comes back to Victoria to play with his brother, let's hope that the folks have a decent home gym installed for the pair. When Matthew Bate hit the post from close range in the final term, it summed up the Demons' pathetic second half when its forward fire power fizzled out to virtually nothing. The problem with Melbourne's games was that its second half was much longer than the first and very few of their players could hold their heads high at the end although credit must be given to Cameron Bruce, Davey and Chris Johnson for hanging tough throughout the day. Melbourne returns home with a place in the bottom two of the competition virtually parcelled up and facing a difficult assignment next week against the Kangaroos. That task might seem daunting but, although it might not mean much, it is probably worthwhile to remember that the Dockers' previous win was against the Shinboners at Subiaco in Round 12 when they won by 53 points. All the Demons have to do next week is to make sure that they can player a longer half of good football next time! Melbourne 5.1.31 6.3.39 7.5.47 10.8.68 Fremantle 0.2.2 5.9.39 11.15.81 16.18.114 Goals Melbourne Bate Miller Morton Newton 2 Jamar P Johnson Fremantle Pavlich 5 McPharlin 3 Carr Ibbotson McManus O'Brien Peake Sandilands Schammer Tarrant Best Fremantle Pavlich Schammer Ibbotson Crowley McPharlin McManus Melbourne C Johnson Wheatley Buckley Bruce Bate Jones Injuries Melbourne Nil Fremantle Brock O'Brien (hamstring) Changes Nil Reports Nil Umpires Kennedy Hendrie Avon Official crowd 31,638 at Subiaco Oval

This week's weighting is an incredible .5965. Incredible only because it would have been >15 had we kept going as we did in the first quarter! With our two leaders out it gave the opportunity for others to poll but, as expected, Brocky and Greeny retain their first and second places comfortably. 78.366 Brock McLean 69.590 Brad Green 51.371 Brad Miller 44.698 Paul Wheatley 42.809 Colin Garland 40.082 Austin Wonaemirri 37.636 Cameron Bruce 31.490 Aaron Davey 29.052 Paul Johnson 27.203 Chris Johnson 25.733 Matthew Bate 25.458 Colin Sylvia 24.347 Nathan Jones 20.946 Cale Morton 16.154 Lynden Dunn 14.482 James McDonald 12.282 Brent Moloney 10.684 Jared Rivers 10.482 Nathan Carroll 10.346 Matthew Warnock 8.217 Stef Martin 8.132 Clint Bartram 7.770 Simon Buckley 5.904 Matthew Whelan 5.265 Russell Robertson 5.087 Jeff White 3.579 Mark Jamar 3.474 Shane Valenti 2.845 Adem Yze

by Whispering Jack Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has faced many difficult challenges in his debut season. His team currently occupies the last place on the AFL ladder so it would be fair to say that most of those challenges remain unfulfilled and that any moves in a forward direction have been small steps on what is a very long journey. One thing Bailey has done is that he has honoured his pledge to focus on youth and to rebuild the club so that his new look Demons have managed to show glimpses of improvement each week and this has provided supporters with hope for the club's future in what has been an otherwise dismal season. This week Bailey and his team face up to a challenge that caused great heartburn to his predecessor in his latter years as coach. The Demons made the finals in three of Neale Daniher's last four seasons but the challenge of distance was never really countered in any meaningful way during that time. Melbourne continues to struggle whenever it crosses the western border of the home state. Victory in South Australia has been elusive for more than seven years while its last win in the West came during a raging storm in Round 11, 2004 against Fremantle. A young Brock McLean was the hero that day in what was his break out game. Things have changed considerably since then. While the Demons languish on the bottom of the ladder, the Western Australian teams have also fallen on hard times and the days when the very thought of a visit to Subiaco Oval would fill the hearts of the other AFL teams and their supporters with fear, dread and loathing are well and truly over. Not only have the two WA sides collectively failed to win a single game in 2008 outside their home state but they also barely raise a whimper on their own turf these days. Leaving aside the Round 3 Derby from which Fremantle emerged victorious by 14 points, the once devastating Sandgroper home advantage has produced only three wins this season – two for the Eagles, Brisbane (Round 1) and Adelaide (Round 9) and one for the Dockers against North Melbourne in Round 12. Bailey is trying something new for Melbourne's return game with the Dockers - a new travel plan that he hopes will turn around his team's poor record in the west. The Demons will leave a day earlier than usual - on Friday afternoon - in the hope that the additional time spent in Perth will give them the extra edge that has been missing so often in the past. The visitors will need that extra edge on Sunday because Fremantle is still smarting from the embarrassment of their Round 7 fiasco when they allowed a rank underdog to storm home from a long way down and win by six points at the MCG. Melbourne continues its painfully slow improvement since breaking the ice that day but apart from that narrow victory over Brisbane just before the last break, they have had precious little to celebrate in their own season from hell. This game takes on even greater significance in that a win for either side ensures that it will make a slight progression in the battle to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon (although the Eagles seem to have a mortgage on that "prize" if one goes by their form and attitude in recent games). Melbourne also has a significantly softer programme in the remaining 7 weeks of the season with only one assignment against a top eight side. The poor records of both the Dees and the Dockers mean that 2008 is unlikely to provide supporters with happy memories in the years to come. The best that the Melbourne faithful can hope for is that they will look back on it as the time when the seeds for revival were planted and when its new look youth oriented team finally conquered that last frontier in the west. THE GAME Fremantle v Melbourne at Subiaco - Sunday 20 July 2008 at 4:40pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Fremantle 12 wins Melbourne 11 wins At Subiaco Fremantle 6 wins Melbourne 3 wins Since 2000 Fremantle 8 wins Melbourne 6 wins The Coaches Harvey 0 wins Bailey 1 win MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 (Live at 4.30pm AEST) RADIO ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Fremantle to win $1.47 Melbourne to win $2.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 17.17.119 defeated Fremantle 15.23.113 at the MCG Round 7, 2008. Melbourne trailed by 51 points at the main break and appeared down and out for the count. The last half was extraordinary with the home side producing the second greatest comeback in the game's history. Brock McLean dominated in the middle and Russell Robertson and Austin Wonaeamirri booted four goals each to leave the Dockers and the rest of the football world stunned by the Demons' six point victory against all the odds. THE TEAMS FREMANTLE Backs Scott Thornton Luke McPharlin Antoni Grover Half backs Josh Head Michael Johnson Steven Dodd Centreline Shaun McManus Josh Carr David Mundy Half forwards Mark Johnson Matthew Pavlich Andrew Browne Forwards Chris Mayne Chris Tarrant Robert Warnock Followers Aaron Sandilands Ryan Crowley Garrick Ibbotson Interchange Jeff Farmer Brock O'Brien Brett Peake Byron Schammer Emergencies Kepler Bradley Paul Duffield Ryan Murphy In Josh Head Shaun McManus Brock O'Brien Out Clayton Hinkley Rhys Palmer (general soreness) Dean Solomon (suspended) MELBOURNE Backs Matthew Whelan Colin Garland Matthew Warnock Half backs Chris Johnson Paul Wheatley Lynden Dunn Centreline Cale Morton Cameron Bruce Simon Buckley Half forwards Colin Sylvia Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Forwards Paul Johnson Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Mark Jamar Clint Bartram Nathan Jones Interchange Daniel Bell Stefan Martin Michael Newton Shane Valenti Emergencies James McDonald Jeff White Adem Yze In Aaron Davey Out Brad Green (hamstring) Umpires Kennedy Hendrie Avon THE SHOOTOUT We are entering a round of matches that presents some fascinating contests that promise to play a major role in shaping the make up of the top four and the final eight. Sunday's game between Fremantle and Melbourne is not one of them although it is also not without interest (especially if you happen to be a fan of one of the clubs). The fixtures will certainly be focal in determining where these clubs finish at the end of the year and the cynics will say it’s all about losing and shoring up a better position when draft day comes around in November. For Melbourne’s part however, it is clear that this game is being taken seriously and the object of the exercise is to bring home the four premiership points that are on offer. The Demons suffered a major blow with the hamstring injury to Brad Green who has been in superlative form whether playing forward, down back or in the midfield. His loss will be partly covered by the return of Aaron Davey after his Darwin indiscretion. The selectors have also shown they mean business by including the experienced trio of James McDonald, Jeff White and Adem Yze in the initial squad for the game. The Dockers have been in a winning position on a number of occasions this year but have lacked the fitness and/or the discipline to secure the points. They lost Dean Solomon as a result of his errant elbow and, in a surprise move, omitted young gun Rhys Palmer who is suffering from "general soreness". Granted that a young player can be sore but Palmer has been one of Freo's better midfielders in the absence of Hasleby, Headland and now Bell and you would think an eight day break would be enough to overcome the sore spots. Further, why rest a kid from a game that's eminently winnable and why do that after he's been given a bit of a touch up by the physical Cats? Still, that's their problem - for Sunday's game it means the Docker midfield is that extra bit weaker and, as a result, the supply to its match winning power forward will be even more diminished. That power forward features in most peoples' key match up for this game. Matthew Pavlich is the one man who can make or break the game as far as Fremantle is concerned. Colin Garland will get the first crack based on his sensational rise to prominence as a defender of note at Demonland. The assignment on Pavlich looms as his toughest - even more of a test than when Garland kept Buddy Franklin in check against the Hawks. The young Demon's cause will naturally be assisted greatly if Melbourne can will the battle of the midfield but if Pav is causing damage, the Dees have Matty Warnock and Stef Martin in the wings to lend their assistance. The ruck duels will certainly stretch the Demon duo of Mark Jamar and Paul Johnson. Sandilands and Robert Warnock have an enormous height advantage over them and if big Aaron is on song, it could spell trouble. I'd like to see M Warnock line up on brother R Warnock for reasons of promoting family values but the height difference looks a little beyond the improving Demon defender. The Demons might miss out in the ruck but they have the weapons in the midfield to nullify the Dockers' advantage in height. Cameron Bruce is coming good in the midfield and the little terriers in Nathan Jones and Shane Valenti should enjoy the conditions and any residual rough stuff that Freo might want to hand out after last week's fiasco. Melbourne's weak spot this year has been in its attack where the loss of some major figures earlier in the year left it short in talent and floundering in the key positions. Brad Miller is slowly re-emerging in the centre half forward position and looks to have regained the confidence that went missing for a couple of years when the club experimented with him as a defender. If Michael Newton, who is on the second week of his comeback trail, can do much the same thing then the Demons will be on the road to only their third win for the season. And that leads to my prediction that Melbourne will make its break through in the west and win this game by the slender margin of 6 points.

THE LAST FRONTIER by Whispering Jack Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has faced many difficult challenges in his debut season. His team currently occupies the last place on the AFL ladder so it would be fair to say that most of those challenges remain unfulfilled and that any moves in a forward direction have been small steps on what is a very long journey. One thing Bailey has done is that he has honoured his pledge to focus on youth and to rebuild the club so that his new look Demons have managed to show glimpses of improvement each week and this has provided supporters with hope for the club's future in what has been an otherwise dismal season. This week Bailey and his team face up to a challenge that caused great heartburn to his predecessor in his latter years as coach. The Demons made the finals in three of Neale Daniher's last four seasons but the challenge of distance was never really countered in any meaningful way during that time. Melbourne continues to struggle whenever it crosses the western border of the home state. Victory in South Australia has been elusive for more than seven years while its last win in the West came during a raging storm in Round 11, 2004 against Fremantle. A young Brock McLean was the hero that day in what was his break out game. Things have changed considerably since then. While the Demons languish on the bottom of the ladder, the Western Australian teams have also fallen on hard times and the days when the very thought of a visit to Subiaco Oval would fill the hearts of the other AFL teams and their supporters with fear, dread and loathing are well and truly over. Not only have the two WA sides collectively failed to win a single game in 2008 outside their home state but they also barely raise a whimper on their own turf these days. Leaving aside the Round 3 Derby from which Fremantle emerged victorious by 14 points, the once devastating Sandgroper home advantage has produced only three wins this season – two for the Eagles, Brisbane (Round 1) and Adelaide (Round 9) and one for the Dockers against North Melbourne in Round 12. Bailey is trying something new for Melbourne's return game with the Dockers - a new travel plan that he hopes will turn around his team's poor record in the west. The Demons will leave a day earlier than usual - on Friday afternoon - in the hope that the additional time spent in Perth will give them the extra edge that has been missing so often in the past. The visitors will need that extra edge on Sunday because Fremantle is still smarting from the embarrassment of their Round 7 fiasco when they allowed a rank underdog to storm home from a long way down and win by six points at the MCG. Melbourne continues its painfully slow improvement since breaking the ice that day but apart from that narrow victory over Brisbane just before the last break, they have had precious little to celebrate in their own season from hell. This game takes on even greater significance in that a win for either side ensures that it will make a slight progression in the battle to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon (although the Eagles seem to have a mortgage on that "prize" if one goes by their form and attitude in recent games). Melbourne also has a significantly softer programme in the remaining 7 weeks of the season with only one assignment against a top eight side. The poor records of both the Dees and the Dockers mean that 2008 is unlikely to provide supporters with happy memories in the years to come. The best that the Melbourne faithful can hope for is that they will look back on it as the time when the seeds for revival were planted and when its new look youth oriented team finally conquered that last frontier in the west. THE GAME Fremantle v Melbourne at Subiaco - Sunday 20 July 2008 at 4:40pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Fremantle 12 wins Melbourne 11 wins At Subiaco Fremantle 6 wins Melbourne 3 wins Since 2000 Fremantle 8 wins Melbourne 6 wins The Coaches Harvey 0 wins Bailey 1 win MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 (Live at 4.30pm AEST) RADIO ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Fremantle to win $1.47 Melbourne to win $2.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 17.17.119 defeated Fremantle 15.23.113 at the MCG Round 7, 2008. Melbourne trailed by 51 points at the main break and appeared down and out for the count. The last half was extraordinary with the home side producing the second greatest comeback in the game's history. Brock McLean dominated in the middle and Russell Robertson and Austin Wonaeamirri booted four goals each to leave the Dockers and the rest of the football world stunned by the Demons' six point victory against all the odds. THE TEAMS FREMANTLE Backs Scott Thornton Luke McPharlin Antoni Grover Half backs Josh Head Michael Johnson Steven Dodd Centreline Shaun McManus Josh Carr David Mundy Half forwards Mark Johnson Matthew Pavlich Andrew Browne Forwards Chris Mayne Chris Tarrant Robert Warnock Followers Aaron Sandilands Ryan Crowley Garrick Ibbotson Interchange Jeff Farmer Brock O'Brien Brett Peake Byron Schammer Emergencies Kepler Bradley Paul Duffield Ryan Murphy In Josh Head Shaun McManus Brock O'Brien Out Clayton Hinkley Rhys Palmer (general soreness) Dean Solomon (suspended) MELBOURNE Backs Matthew Whelan Colin Garland Matthew Warnock Half backs Chris Johnson Paul Wheatley Lynden Dunn Centreline Cale Morton Cameron Bruce Simon Buckley Half forwards Colin Sylvia Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Forwards Paul Johnson Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Mark Jamar Clint Bartram Nathan Jones Interchange Daniel Bell Stefan Martin Michael Newton Shane Valenti Emergencies James McDonald Jeff White Adem Yze In Aaron Davey Out Brad Green (hamstring) Umpires Kennedy Hendrie Avon THE SHOOTOUT We are entering a round of matches that presents some fascinating contests that promise to play a major role in shaping the make up of the top four and the final eight. Sunday's game between Fremantle and Melbourne is not one of them although it is also not without interest (especially if you happen to be a fan of one of the clubs). The fixtures will certainly be focal in determining where these clubs finish at the end of the year and the cynics will say it’s all about losing and shoring up a better position when draft day comes around in November. For Melbourne’s part however, it is clear that this game is being taken seriously and the object of the exercise is to bring home the four premiership points that are on offer. The Demons suffered a major blow with the hamstring injury to Brad Green who has been in superlative form whether playing forward, down back or in the midfield. His loss will be partly covered by the return of Aaron Davey after his Darwin indiscretion. The selectors have also shown they mean business by including the experienced trio of James McDonald, Jeff White and Adem Yze in the initial squad for the game. The Dockers have been in a winning position on a number of occasions this year but have lacked the fitness and/or the discipline to secure the points. They lost Dean Solomon as a result of his errant elbow and, in a surprise move, omitted young gun Rhys Palmer who is suffering from "general soreness". Granted that a young player can be sore but Palmer has been one of Freo's better midfielders in the absence of Hasleby, Headland and now Bell and you would think an eight day break would be enough to overcome the sore spots. Further, why rest a kid from a game that's eminently winnable and why do that after he's been given a bit of a touch up by the physical Cats? Still, that's their problem - for Sunday's game it means the Docker midfield is that extra bit weaker and, as a result, the supply to its match winning power forward will be even more diminished. That power forward features in most peoples' key match up for this game. Matthew Pavlich is the one man who can make or break the game as far as Fremantle is concerned. Colin Garland will get the first crack based on his sensational rise to prominence as a defender of note at Demonland. The assignment on Pavlich looms as his toughest - even more of a test than when Garland kept Buddy Franklin in check against the Hawks. The young Demon's cause will naturally be assisted greatly if Melbourne can will the battle of the midfield but if Pav is causing damage, the Dees have Matty Warnock and Stef Martin in the wings to lend their assistance. The ruck duels will certainly stretch the Demon duo of Mark Jamar and Paul Johnson. Sandilands and Robert Warnock have an enormous height advantage over them and if big Aaron is on song, it could spell trouble. I'd like to see M Warnock line up on brother R Warnock for reasons of promoting family values but the height difference looks a little beyond the improving Demon defender. The Demons might miss out in the ruck but they have the weapons in the midfield to nullify the Dockers' advantage in height. Cameron Bruce is coming good in the midfield and the little terriers in Nathan Jones and Shane Valenti should enjoy the conditions and any residual rough stuff that Freo might want to hand out after last week's fiasco. Melbourne's weak spot this year has been in its attack where the loss of some major figures earlier in the year left it short in talent and floundering in the key positions. Brad Miller is slowly re-emerging in the centre half forward position and looks to have regained the confidence that went missing for a couple of years when the club experimented with him as a defender. If Michael Newton, who is on the second week of his comeback trail, can do much the same thing then the Demons will be on the road to only their third win for the season. And that leads to my prediction that Melbourne will make its break through in the west and win this game by the slender margin of 6 points.

We all know what happened the last time Melbourne met Fremantle - here are the respective teams for that day:- MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Nathan Carroll Matthew Whelan Half backs Clint Bartram, Jared Rivers Brent Moloney Centreline Aaron Davey Brock McLean Paul Wheatley Half forwards: Cale Morton Russell Robertson Nathan Jones Forwards: Brad Green Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers: Jeff White, James McDonald, Cameron Bruce Interchange Matthew Bate Colin Garland Mark Jamar Matthew Warnock Emergencies Daniel Bell Simon Buckley Lynden Dunn In Matthew Bate Colin Garland Matthew Whelan Out Daniel Bell Lynden Dunn (both omitted) Colin Sylvia (hamstring) FREMANTLE Backs Steven Dodd Luke McPharlin Scott Thornton Half backs Marcus Drum Michael Johnson Brock O’Brien Centreline David Mundy Rhys Palmer Ryan Crowley Half forwards Garrick Ibbotson Chris Tarrant Dean Solomon Forwards Ryan Murphy Matthew Pavlich Jeff Farmer Followers Aaron Sandilands Des Headland Peter Bell Interchange (from) Andrew Foster Mark Johnson Shaun McManus Byron Schammer Emergencies Paul Duffield Daniel Gilmore Robert Warnock In Andrew Foster Des Headland Mark Johnson Brock O’Brien Chris Tarrant Out Josh Carr (suspended) Daniel Gilmore (omitted) Antoni Grover (quad) Roger Hayden (hamstring) Clayton Hinkley (omitted)

Andy Lovell's Player Review is HERE: I like what he said about Ricky Petterd's progress - Stats: Possessions 25, Kicks 12, Handballs 13, Ricky played primarily off half back, and was matched up on the Bulldogs' listed Callum Ward. He had a really good game defensively, and kept his opponent pretty quiet. He finished with 25 possessions and used the ball well, but turned it over on occasions off one step kicks. He did attack the game, and gave us some good run off half back. For small parts of the game, we put him into the midfield and he did well getting his hands on the ball at stoppages. Overall, Ricky just had a really good game. He is back to playing around 80% of game time, and is on track for where we want his body to be.

by Whispering Jack The American burlesque comedy duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are famous for their baseball name play skit "Who's on First?" which centres on a wordplay about the occupants of the sport's bases — "Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third." Their work has inspired this coverage of the recently completed NAB AFL Under 18 Championships, an event lasting several weeks that provided we football aficionados with a true smorgasbord of young footballing talent from across the nation. It also left many unanswered questions as to their final destinations in AFL football although, for some of course, there will be no such destination at all. So who's first? Well ... possibly Watts, meaning Jack Watts, the Victorian key forward with speed, a good leap, marking power and seemingly, a mature head to go with all of those other assets. Like Melbourne's 2007 first round draft selection Cale Morton, Watts won this year's Larke medal as the best player of the Championships. A 194cm tall bottom age player who will do his 12th year of schooling in 2009 when he turns 18, Watts first impressed me with his play in the first round against Vic Country at the MCG, capping off the game by kicking a match winning clutch goal; it was a great sign that he not only achieved it but that he did so with such confidence. I was also impressed when I heard him speak briefly during a recent television news interview - again he exuded confidence and sounded self-assured. That all suggests that if everything else were to fall into place, he could one day be a team leader at AFL level. But Watts also indicated publicly that he might not even nominate for this year's national draft. So who's on first then? I Don't Know! Now before anyone says I Don’t Know is on third, let me announce who I think is far and away the best player in this draft on what I have seen in the games at the MCG earlier this year and then at Casey Fields and Telstra Dome last week. The Rich kid! Who? Daniel Rich — the blond midfielder from WA is a real gun; he has poise, is a good decision maker, has all the football smarts and is a powerful and accurate kick of the football. He will be ready to go in round 1 next year, Rich has Brownlow Medal potential written all over him. If clubs are true to their word and go for the best player available when they make their selections on draft day, this is a real no brainer. Rich is THE best player available. The reason why I said I don't know if Rich will go first is the uncertainty as to who will have the first pick, the feeling that I'm not sure whether clubs really go for the best available or whether they fudge that call a little when faced with the special and the unusual. In the case of the 2008 crop, I'm talking about the unusual in the form of the player who everyone was touting as the # 1 pick because of his freakish, raw athletic talent – WA ruck sensation Nick Naitanui. The young kid with a Fijian background, about 197cm tall (perhaps even taller if you add the dreadlocks), is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. He dominated the ruckwork at the championships and impressed with his speed and ferocious tackling. He didn't take many high marks for such a tall player, his kicking is a bit iffy (he uses a lot of handball) and there's a question mark on whether he has what they call "a football brain" but he will certainly go early. He will also provide some interesting challenges to the development coach of the club that takes him. These are my impressions of names of the guns who will go earliest – there are also some good wraps on SA midfielder Hamish Hartlett, Vic Metro full back Michael Hurley and WA utility Chris Yarran. Then there's Vic Country boys Jack Ziebell and Steele Sidebottom, Vic Metro talls Tyrone Vickery and Shaun McKernan. Tassie's Aaron Cornelius and SA's Lewis Johnston look to be key forwards of the future and I was really impressed with the pace and aggression of Vic Metro wingers Sam Blease and David Zaharakis. There are lots of other names and you'll find 101 opinions on each of them on the internet [there's a good overview of the leaders of the draft pack here - YOUNGSTERS SHOW CLASS THAT WILL WIN THEM AFL SPOTS] and more will be bandied about over the next four months. I still have some misgivings however, about the depth of this draft and note that, of the three games I saw on the final day of the championships, the Vic Metro v WA game was played on a much higher plane in terms of its intensity. There will be players from elsewhere (particularly SA which showed good progress as the carnival continued) but I suspect the best will come from Victoria. The other part of the puzzle is the question of the order of the clubs at draft time. The way some of the clubs are travelling at the moment would make us all wonder about Andrew Demetriou's definitive view that AFL clubs don't tank games to give them the early draft picks but who am I to question this great man's wisdom? For a dissenting view, read this! In many ways, the very choices at draft time is going to be easy – the big challenge of recruiters is to find hidden gems deeper in the draft. As all that is still four months away, I'll leave that to the experts to ponder on such vexing questions like who's on first? ABC GRANDSTAND INTERVIEW WITH JACK WATTS [NATIONAL UNDER 18 CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS - 2008 DIVISION TWO Round 1 NSW/ACT 2.2.14 4.4.28 8.5.53 11.8.74 Northern Territory 3.0.18 4.1.25 5.1.31 7.4.46 Goals NSW/ACT Breust 4 Foster 3 Duryea 2 McNeil Wilson Northern Territory Farmer Gugliotta Hale May Shannon Rioli Sibosado Tungatalum Best NSW/ACT Breust McMahon Klemke Ediriwickrama Reed Foster Wilson Northern Territory Ah Chee Taylor Wooding Hale Rioli Heenan Tasmania 4.2.26 6.4.40 7.5.47 12.5.77 Queensland 2.3.15 3.6.24 6.10.46 7.11.53 Goals Tasmania Mihocek 5 Cornelius 2 Cox Groenwegen Harwood Hislop Robinson Queensland Reid 2 Dixon Haberfield Holman JamesMyers Best Tasmania Mihocek Groenewegan Trevena Salter Robinson Hislop Cornelius Queensland Thomson Myers Beams Haberfield Holman Bevan Round 2 Tasmania 3.5.23 6.7.43 10.9.69 11.11.77 Northern Territory 2.1.13 5.1.31 5.3.33 10.4.64 Goals Tasmania Cornelius 3 Mihocek Shade 2 Brakey Cox Hislop Salter Northern Territory Rolfe 5 Hampton May Sharples Taylor Tungatalum Best Tasmania Robinson Harwood Salter Cornelius Shade Hislop Milne Northern Territory Rolfe Sharples Hale Heenan May Ah Chee NSW/ACT 2.3.15 4.4.28 6.11.47 9.13.67 Queensland 2.1.13 3.3.21 4.5.29 5.6.36 Goals NSW/ACT Foster 3 Duryea Gordon 2 Clisby Ediriwickrama Queensland Fowler Myers 2 Keefe Best NSW/ACT Ediriwickrama Gordon Reed Duncan Foster Clisby Wilson Queensland Thomson Daye Myers Beams Haberfield Fowler Round 3 NSW/ACT 1.1.7 5.3.33 6.6.42 8.7.55 Tasmania 2.1.13 5.1.31 7.5.47 13.6.84 Goals NSW/ACT Duryea 3 Breust 2 Foster Gilchrist Gordon Tasmania Cornelius Hislop Robinson 2 Cox Crichton Groenewegen McCulloch Michocek O'Brien Symmons Best NSW/ACT Ediriwickrama Breust Stubbs Duryea Duncan Kirkwood McNeil Tasmania Cox Williams Robinson O'Brien Groenewegen Allwright Northern Territory 4.3.27 9.4.58 13.6.84 14.7.91 Queensland 1.3.9 3.3.21 4.4.28 5.7.37 Goals Northern Territory Farmer Rolfe 3 Sibosado Tungatalun 2 Gugliotta Heenan Phoenix Schaper Queensland Green Myers 2 Fowler Best Northern Territory Sharples Rolfe Sibosado Heenan Farmer Hale Ah Chee Queensland Beams Holman Myers Thomson James Stanley The Division Two Hunter Harrison Medal was won by Mitch Robinson from Tasmania. The NAB MVP Awards were awarded to Luke Breust [NSW/ACT], Mitch Robinson [Tasmania] Patrick Heenan [Northern Territory] and Matt Thomson [Queensland]. NSW/ACT and Tasmania progress to Division One NATIONAL UNDER 18 CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS - 2008 DIVISION ONE Round 1 Vic Country 2.2.14 4.3.27 8.5.53 11.7 73 Vic Metropolitan 4.0.24 7.1.43 9.3.57 12.4 76 Goals Vic Country Rockliff 4 Young 3 Heyne 2 Christensen Suban Vic Metropolitan Watts 4 McKernan 2 Banner Lisle McGarry Martin Purves Shuey Best Vic Country Rockliff Suban Heyne Hooper Young Sidebottom Vic Metropolitan Watts Zaharakis Hurley McKernan Lisle Gotch South Australia 17.6 108 d Tasmania 9.9 63 Goals South Australia Johnston 4 Broadbent 2 Cahill 2 Hall 2 Hartlett 2 Mardling 2 Blesing Lane McAdam Tasmania McCulloch 3 Cox 2 Allwright Cornelius Hislop Robinson Best South Australia O’Keefe Cahill Blesing Martin Broadbent Hall Armstrong Jones Tasmania Allwright Robinson Salter Hislop O’Brien Harwood Crichton Milne Western Australia 4.2 8.2 10.4 15.7 97 NSW/ACT 1.0 2.0 3.3 4.3 27 Goals Western Australia Daly 5 Bennell 4 Walters 3 Garlett 2 Marsh NSW/ACT Kirkwood McNeil Ruffles Sleeth Best Western Australia Walters DeBoer Lucas Hill Daly Bennell Pearce Mather Warner NSW/ACT Clisby Ediriwickrama Klemke Fenaroli Bryce Gumley McNeil Frail Kirkwood Round 2 NSW/ACT 3.1 3.1 9.5 11.6 72 Vic Country 2.3 7.4 8.6 10.7 67 Goals NSW/ACT Foster 3 Breust 2 Frail 2 Reed Kirkwood Ediriwickrama Vic Country Butcher 4 Rockliff 2 McKenzie 2 Ziebell Stevens Best NSW/ACT Ediriwickrama Duryea Frail Klemke Clisby Reed Vic Country Butcher Sheahan Hooper Ziebell Sidebottom Western Australia 5.2 6.4 11.9 15.12 102 South Australia 1.3 3.7 4.9 4.13 37 Goals Western Australia Olds 4 Yarran 2 Bennell Naitanui Daly Pearce Jetta Marsh Warner Hill Ross South Australia Hartlett Mardling Cahill Redden Best Western Australia Hill Pearce Laurie Jetta Naitanui South Australia Johnston Schoenmakers Cahill O’Keefe Tasmania 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.7 13 Vic Metropolitan 6.3 7.4 12.5 12.8 80 Goals Tasmania Mihocek Vic Metropolitan Lynch 4 Purves 3 Watts 2 Joyce Gilchrist Stanton Best Tasmania Robinson Salter Crichton Davies Hislop Milverton Allwright Vic Metropolitan Lynch Banner Shuey Sloane Hurley Strauss Ladder after Round 2 Western Australia 2 0 310.9% Vic Metropolitan 2 0 181.4% South Australia 1 1 87.9% NSW/ACT 1 1 60.4% Vic Country 0 2 94.6% Tasmania 0 2 40.4% Round 3 NSW/ACT 2.2 5.4 8.7 11.8 74 Tasmania 2.2 5.3 7.4 9.8 62 Goals NSW/ACT Foster 3 Gordon 2 Clisby Spiteri Ruffles Klemke Duryea McNeil Tasmania Robinson 2 McCulloch 2 Harwood 2 Cox Archer Milne Best NSW/ACT Bryce McNeil Frail Reed Foster Kirkwood Klemke Tasmania Salter Williams Allwright Crichton Symmons O’Brien Vic Country 3.3.21 8.3.51 8.3.51 11.4.70 Western Australia 0.0.0 1.1.7 4.4.28 6.7.43 Goals Vic Country Heyne 3 Browne 2 Bucovaz Christensen McKenzie Rockliff Roughead Sheahan Western Australia Daly 2 Hill Rich Walters Yarran Best Vic Country Heyne Sheahan Ziebell Browne Western Australia Naitanui DeBoer Jetta Daly Vic Metropolitan 4.1.25 9.3.57 12.4.76 17.5.107 South Australia 2.0.12 3.1.19 8.3.51 8.6.54 Goals Vic Metropolitan Watts 5 Joyce Shuey Scully Vickery 2 Fitzpatrick Hunt McKernan Zaharakis South Australia Boras 3 Cahill 2 Mardling O'Keeffe Shannon Best Vic Metropolitan Watts Shuey Zaharkis Scully Hunt Sloane South Australia Clarke Shannon O’Keeffe Armstrong Hall Broadbent Round 4 Western Australia 3.6.24 7.8.50 10.12.72 14.16.100 Tasmania 0.0.0 3.3.21 4.3.27 6.4.40 Goals Western Australia Marsh 4 Walters 3 Yarran 2 DeBoer Duncan Jetta Lucas Rich Tasmania Crichton 2 Cornelius McCulloch Salter Shade Best Western Australia Yarran Lucas Naitanui Fiegert DeBoer Rich Tasmania Robinson Crichton Allwright Cornelius Weller Salter South Australia 5.4.34 8.7.55 11.12.78 14.14 98 Vic Country 1.1.7 3.3.21 4.5.29 9.10 64 Goals South Australia Tapscott 5 Cahill 3 Speight 2 Hall Hartlett Johnston Schoenmakers Vic Country Rockliff 3 Butcher 2 Browne Roughead Sheehan Ziebell Best South Australia Hartlett Tapscott Hall O'Keeffe Speight Cahill Shannon Vic Country Ziebell Suban Sidebottom Sheehan Rockliff Roughead Vic Metropolitan 4.6.30 6.8.44 10.12.72 11.14 80 NSW/ACT 1.2.8 3.2.20 3.2.20 4.5 29 Goals Vic Metropolitan Lisle Scully Watts 2 Banner Fitzpatrick Gilchrist Hurley Lynch NSW/ACT A'Vard Foster Spiteri Wilson Best Vic Metropolitan Watts Gotch Lisle Hurley Vickery Scully Blease NSW/ACT Klemke Reed Kirkwood McNeil Duncan Round 5 South Australia 6.3.39 12.6.72 13.9.87 20.12.132 NSW/ACT 1.0.6 2.0.12 7.2.44 8.4.52 Goals South Australia Johnston 4 Tapscott 4 Hynes 3 Cahill 2 O'Keeffe 2 Davoren Hall Hartlett Schoenmakers Speight NSW/ACT Van Muers 3 Bryce 2 Gumley McMahon Spiteri Best South Australia Hartlett Johnston Tapscott O'Keeffe Hynes Hall Schoenmakers Blesing Redden Stanley Wilson NSW/ACT Duncan Reed Kirkwood Klemke Van Muers Bryce Tasmania 2.3.15 4.3.27 6.3.39 6.4.40 Vic Country 4.3.27 7.4.46 14.6.90 22.6 138 Goals Tasmania Cornelius 4 Mihocek Symmons Vic Country Butcher 5 Hughes McKenzie Sheehan 3 Blair 2 Browne Hooper Jones Martiniello Rockliff Young Best Tasmania Robinson Cornelius Allwright Williams Vic Country Butcher Sheehan Sidebottom McKenzie Hooper Suban Heyne Hughes Jones Vic Metropolitan 5.1.31 8.3.51 11.6.72 14.9.93 Western Australia 2.1.13 3.4.22 5.7.37 9.10.64 Goals Vic Metropolitan Vickery 3 Banner Blease McKernan Watts Zaharakis 2 Lynch Western Australia Yarran 3 Hill Jetta Klause Lucas Naitanui Rich Best Vic Metropolitan Vickery Zaharakis Banner Blease Hurley Shuey Scully Gotch Western Australia Rich Hill Pearce Walters Jetta Yarran Naitanui FINAL LADDER Vic Metropolitan 5-0 187.1% Western Australia 3-2 152.1% South Australia 3-2 110.6% Vic Country 2-3 125.2% NSW/ACT 2-3 68% Tasmania 0-5 43.6% Larke Medallist Jack Watts (Victoria Metro) MVP's for Each Team Vic Metropolitan Michael Hurley Vic Country Andrew Hopper Western Australia Clancee Pearce South Australia Rhys O'Keefe NSW/ACT Kade Klemke Tasmania Mitch Robinson

WATTS ON FIRST? by Whispering Jack The American burlesque comedy duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are famous for their baseball name play skit "Who's on First?" which centres on a wordplay about the occupants of the sport's bases — "Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third." Their work has inspired this coverage of the recently completed NAB AFL Under 18 Championships, an event lasting several weeks that provided we football aficionados with a true smorgasbord of young footballing talent from across the nation. It also left many unanswered questions as to their final destinations in AFL football although, for some of course, there will be no such destination at all. So who's first? Well ... possibly Watts, meaning Jack Watts, the Victorian key forward with speed, a good leap, marking power and seemingly, a mature head to go with all of those other assets. Like Melbourne's 2007 first round draft selection Cale Morton, Watts won this year's Larke medal as the best player of the Championships. A 194cm tall bottom age player who will do his 12th year of schooling in 2009 when he turns 18, Watts first impressed me with his play in the first round against Vic Country at the MCG, capping off the game by kicking a match winning clutch goal; it was a really good sign from the youngster that he did it with such confidence. I was also impressed when I heard him speak briefly during a recent television news interview - again he exuded confidence and sounded self-assured. That all suggests that if everything else were to fall into place, he could one day even be a team leader at AFL level. But Watts also indicated publicly that he might not even nominate for this year's national draft. So who's on first then? I Don't Know! Now before anyone says I Don’t Know is on third, let me announce who I think is far and away the best player in this draft on what I have seen in the games at the MCG earlier this year and then at Casey Fields and Telstra Dome last week. The Rich kid! Who? Daniel Rich — the blond midfielder from WA is a real gun; he has poise, is a good decision maker, has all the football smarts and is a powerful and accurate kick of the football. He will be ready to go in round 1 next year, Rich has Brownlow Medal potential written all over him. If clubs are true to their word and go for the best player available when they make their selections on draft day, this is a real no brainer. Rich is THE best player available. The reason why I said I don't know if Rich will go first is the uncertainty as to who will have the first pick, the feeling that I'm not sure whether clubs really go for the best available or whether they fudge that call a little when faced with the special and the unusual. In the case of the 2008 crop, I'm talking about the unusual in the form of the player who everyone was touting as the # 1 pick because of his freakish, raw athletic talent – WA ruck sensation Nick Naitanui. The young kid with a Fijian background, about 197cm tall (perhaps even taller if you add the dreadlocks), is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. He dominated the ruckwork at the championships and impressed with his speed and ferocious tackling. He didn't take many high marks for such a tall player, his kicking is a bit iffy (he uses a lot of handball) and there's a question mark on whether he has what they call "a football brain" but he will certainly go early. He will also provide some interesting challenges to the development coach of the club that takes him. These are my impressions of names of the guns who will go earliest – there are also some good wraps on SA midfielder Hamish Hartlett, Vic Metro full back Michael Hurley and WA utility Chris Yarran. Then there's Vic Country boys Jack Ziebell and Steele Sidebottom, Vic Metro talls Tyrone Vickery and Shaun McKernan. Tassie's Aaron Cornelius and SA's Lewis Johnston look to be key forwards of the future and I was really impressed with the pace and aggression of Vic Metro wingers Sam Blease and David Zaharakis. There are lots of other names and you'll find 101 opinions on each of them on the internet [there's a good overview of the leaders of the draft pack here - YOUNGSTERS SHOW CLASS THAT WILL WIN THEM AFL SPOTS ]and more will be bandied about over the next four months. I still have some misgivings however, about the depth of this draft and note that, of the three games I saw on the final day of the championships, the Vic Metro v WA game was played on a much higher plane in terms of its intensity. There will be players from elsewhere (particularly SA which showed good progress as the carnival continued) but I suspect the best will come from Victoria. The other part of the puzzle is the question of the order of the clubs at draft time. The way some of the clubs are travelling at the moment would make us all wonder about Andrew Demetriou's definitive view that AFL clubs don't tank games to give them the early draft picks but who am I to question this great man's wisdom? For a dissenting view, read this! In many ways, the very choices at draft time is going to be easy – the big challenge of recruiters is to find hidden gems deeper in the draft. As all that is still four months away, I'll leave that to the experts to ponder on the vexing question as to who's on first. ABC GRANDSTAND INTERVIEW WITH JACK WATTS NATIONAL UNDER 18 CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS - 2008 DIVISION TWO Round 1 NSW/ACT 2.2.14 4.4.28 8.5.53 11.8.74 Northern Territory 3.0.18 4.1.25 5.1.31 7.4.46 Goals NSW/ACT Breust 4 Foster 3 Duryea 2 McNeil Wilson Northern Territory Farmer Gugliotta Hale May Shannon Rioli Sibosado Tungatalum Best NSW/ACT Breust McMahon Klemke Ediriwickrama Reed Foster Wilson Northern Territory Ah Chee Taylor Wooding Hale Rioli Heenan Tasmania 4.2.26 6.4.40 7.5.47 12.5.77 Queensland 2.3.15 3.6.24 6.10.46 7.11.53 Goals Tasmania Mihocek 5 Cornelius 2 Cox Groenwegen Harwood Hislop Robinson Queensland Reid 2 Dixon Haberfield Holman JamesMyers Best Tasmania Mihocek Groenewegan Trevena Salter Robinson Hislop Cornelius Queensland Thomson Myers Beams Haberfield Holman Bevan Round 2 Tasmania 3.5.23 6.7.43 10.9.69 11.11.77 Northern Territory 2.1.13 5.1.31 5.3.33 10.4.64 Goals Tasmania Cornelius 3 Mihocek Shade 2 Brakey Cox Hislop Salter Northern Territory Rolfe 5 Hampton May Sharples Taylor Tungatalum Best Tasmania Robinson Harwood Salter Cornelius Shade Hislop Milne Northern Territory Rolfe Sharples Hale Heenan May Ah Chee NSW/ACT 2.3.15 4.4.28 6.11.47 9.13.67 Queensland 2.1.13 3.3.21 4.5.29 5.6.36 Goals NSW/ACT Foster 3 Duryea Gordon 2 Clisby Ediriwickrama Queensland Fowler Myers 2 Keefe Best NSW/ACT Ediriwickrama Gordon Reed Duncan Foster Clisby Wilson Queensland Thomson Daye Myers Beams Haberfield Fowler Round 3 NSW/ACT 1.1.7 5.3.33 6.6.42 8.7.55 Tasmania 2.1.13 5.1.31 7.5.47 13.6.84 Goals NSW/ACT Duryea 3 Breust 2 Foster Gilchrist Gordon Tasmania Cornelius Hislop Robinson 2 Cox Crichton Groenewegen McCulloch Michocek O'Brien Symmons Best NSW/ACT Ediriwickrama Breust Stubbs Duryea Duncan Kirkwood McNeil Tasmania Cox Williams Robinson O'Brien Groenewegen Allwright Northern Territory 4.3.27 9.4.58 13.6.84 14.7.91 Queensland 1.3.9 3.3.21 4.4.28 5.7.37 Goals Northern Territory Farmer Rolfe 3 Sibosado Tungatalun 2 Gugliotta Heenan Phoenix Schaper Queensland Green Myers 2 Fowler Best Northern Territory Sharples Rolfe Sibosado Heenan Farmer Hale Ah Chee Queensland Beams Holman Myers Thomson James Stanley The Division Two Hunter Harrison Medal was won by Mitch Robinson from Tasmania. The NAB MVP Awards were awarded to Luke Breust [NSW/ACT], Mitch Robinson [Tasmania] Patrick Heenan [Northern Territory] and Matt Thomson [Queensland]. NSW/ACT and Tasmania progress to Division One NATIONAL UNDER 18 CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS - 2008 DIVISION ONE Round 1 Vic Country 2.2.14 4.3.27 8.5.53 11.7 73 Vic Metropolitan 4.0.24 7.1.43 9.3.57 12.4 76 Goals Vic Country Rockliff 4 Young 3 Heyne 2 Christensen Suban Vic Metropolitan Watts 4 McKernan 2 Banner Lisle McGarry Martin Purves Shuey Best Vic Country Rockliff Suban Heyne Hooper Young Sidebottom Vic Metropolitan Watts Zaharakis Hurley McKernan Lisle Gotch South Australia 17.6 108 d Tasmania 9.9 63 Goals South Australia Johnston 4 Broadbent 2 Cahill 2 Hall 2 Hartlett 2 Mardling 2 Blesing Lane McAdam Tasmania McCulloch 3 Cox 2 Allwright Cornelius Hislop Robinson Best South Australia O’Keefe Cahill Blesing Martin Broadbent Hall Armstrong Jones Tasmania Allwright Robinson Salter Hislop O’Brien Harwood Crichton Milne Western Australia 4.2 8.2 10.4 15.7 97 NSW/ACT 1.0 2.0 3.3 4.3 27 Goals Western Australia Daly 5 Bennell 4 Walters 3 Garlett 2 Marsh NSW/ACT Kirkwood McNeil Ruffles Sleeth Best Western Australia Walters DeBoer Lucas Hill Daly Bennell Pearce Mather Warner NSW/ACT Clisby Ediriwickrama Klemke Fenaroli Bryce Gumley McNeil Frail Kirkwood Round 2 NSW/ACT 3.1 3.1 9.5 11.6 72 Vic Country 2.3 7.4 8.6 10.7 67 Goals NSW/ACT Foster 3 Breust 2 Frail 2 Reed Kirkwood Ediriwickrama Vic Country Butcher 4 Rockliff 2 McKenzie 2 Ziebell Stevens Best NSW/ACT Ediriwickrama Duryea Frail Klemke Clisby Reed Vic Country Butcher Sheahan Hooper Ziebell Sidebottom Western Australia 5.2 6.4 11.9 15.12 102 South Australia 1.3 3.7 4.9 4.13 37 Goals Western Australia Olds 4 Yarran 2 Bennell Naitanui Daly Pearce Jetta Marsh Warner Hill Ross South Australia Hartlett Mardling Cahill Redden Best Western Australia Hill Pearce Laurie Jetta Naitanui South Australia Johnston Schoenmakers Cahill O’Keefe Tasmania 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.7 13 Vic Metropolitan 6.3 7.4 12.5 12.8 80 Goals Tasmania Mihocek Vic Metropolitan Lynch 4 Purves 3 Watts 2 Joyce Gilchrist Stanton Best Tasmania Robinson Salter Crichton Davies Hislop Milverton Allwright Vic Metropolitan Lynch Banner Shuey Sloane Hurley Strauss Ladder after Round 2 Western Australia 2 0 310.9% Vic Metropolitan 2 0 181.4% South Australia 1 1 87.9% NSW/ACT 1 1 60.4% Vic Country 0 2 94.6% Tasmania 0 2 40.4% Round 3 NSW/ACT 2.2 5.4 8.7 11.8 74 Tasmania 2.2 5.3 7.4 9.8 62 Goals NSW/ACT Foster 3 Gordon 2 Clisby Spiteri Ruffles Klemke Duryea McNeil Tasmania Robinson 2 McCulloch 2 Harwood 2 Cox Archer Milne Best NSW/ACT Bryce McNeil Frail Reed Foster Kirkwood Klemke Tasmania Salter Williams Allwright Crichton Symmons O’Brien Vic Country 3.3.21 8.3.51 8.3.51 11.4.70 Western Australia 0.0.0 1.1.7 4.4.28 6.7.43 Goals Vic Country Heyne 3 Browne 2 Bucovaz Christensen McKenzie Rockliff Roughead Sheahan Western Australia Daly 2 Hill Rich Walters Yarran Best Vic Country Heyne Sheahan Ziebell Browne Western Australia Naitanui DeBoer Jetta Daly Vic Metropolitan 4.1.25 9.3.57 12.4.76 17.5.107 South Australia 2.0.12 3.1.19 8.3.51 8.6.54 Goals Vic Metropolitan Watts 5 Joyce Shuey Scully Vickery 2 Fitzpatrick Hunt McKernan Zaharakis South Australia Boras 3 Cahill 2 Mardling O'Keeffe Shannon Best Vic Metropolitan Watts Shuey Zaharkis Scully Hunt Sloane South Australia Clarke Shannon O’Keeffe Armstrong Hall Broadbent Round 4 Western Australia 3.6.24 7.8.50 10.12.72 14.16.100 Tasmania 0.0.0 3.3.21 4.3.27 6.4.40 Goals Western Australia Marsh 4 Walters 3 Yarran 2 DeBoer Duncan Jetta Lucas Rich Tasmania Crichton 2 Cornelius McCulloch Salter Shade Best Western Australia Yarran Lucas Naitanui Fiegert DeBoer Rich Tasmania Robinson Crichton Allwright Cornelius Weller Salter South Australia 5.4.34 8.7.55 11.12.78 14.14 98 Vic Country 1.1.7 3.3.21 4.5.29 9.10 64 Goals South Australia Tapscott 5 Cahill 3 Speight 2 Hall Hartlett Johnston Schoenmakers Vic Country Rockliff 3 Butcher 2 Browne Roughead Sheehan Ziebell Best South Australia Hartlett Tapscott Hall O'Keeffe Speight Cahill Shannon Vic Country Ziebell Suban Sidebottom Sheehan Rockliff Roughead Vic Metropolitan 4.6.30 6.8.44 10.12.72 11.14 80 NSW/ACT 1.2.8 3.2.20 3.2.20 4.5 29 Goals Vic Metropolitan Lisle Scully Watts 2 Banner Fitzpatrick Gilchrist Hurley Lynch NSW/ACT A'Vard Foster Spiteri Wilson Best Vic Metropolitan Watts Gotch Lisle Hurley Vickery Scully Blease NSW/ACT Klemke Reed Kirkwood McNeil Duncan Round 5 South Australia 6.3.39 12.6.72 13.9.87 20.12.132 NSW/ACT 1.0.6 2.0.12 7.2.44 8.4.52 Goals South Australia Johnston 4 Tapscott 4 Hynes 3 Cahill 2 O'Keeffe 2 Davoren Hall Hartlett Schoenmakers Speight NSW/ACT Van Muers 3 Bryce 2 Gumley McMahon Spiteri Best South Australia Hartlett Johnston Tapscott O'Keeffe Hynes Hall Schoenmakers Blesing Redden Stanley Wilson NSW/ACT Duncan Reed Kirkwood Klemke Van Muers Bryce Tasmania 2.3.15 4.3.27 6.3.39 6.4.40 Vic Country 4.3.27 7.4.46 14.6.90 22.6 138 Goals Tasmania Cornelius 4 Mihocek Symmons Vic Country Butcher 5 Hughes McKenzie Sheehan 3 Blair 2 Browne Hooper Jones Martiniello Rockliff Young Best Tasmania Robinson Cornelius Allwright Williams Vic Country Butcher Sheehan Sidebottom McKenzie Hooper Suban Heyne Hughes Jones Vic Metropolitan 5.1.31 8.3.51 11.6.72 14.9.93 Western Australia 2.1.13 3.4.22 5.7.37 9.10.64 Goals Vic Metropolitan Vickery 3 Banner Blease McKernan Watts Zaharakis 2 Lynch Western Australia Yarran 3 Hill Jetta Klause Lucas Naitanui Rich Best Vic Metropolitan Vickery Zaharakis Banner Blease Hurley Shuey Scully Gotch Western Australia Rich Hill Pearce Walters Jetta Yarran Naitanui FINAL LADDER Vic Metropolitan 5-0 187.1% Western Australia 3-2 152.1% South Australia 3-2 110.6% Vic Country 2-3 125.2% NSW/ACT 2-3 68% Tasmania 0-5 43.6% Larke Medallist Jack Watts (Victoria Metro) MVP's for Each Team Vic Metropolitan Michael Hurley Vic Country Andrew Hopper Western Australia Clancee Pearce South Australia Rhys O'Keefe NSW/ACT Kade Klemke Tasmania Mitch Robinson

Watch out for Whispering's take on the top draft hopefuls after the national carnival - coming soon.

by The Oracle Melbourne was no match for the second placed Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome on Sunday but the score line of 14.11.95 to 9.10.64 served to emphasise that the team is on the improve. The Demons kept the Doggies down to their lowest score of the season in a performance that was light years in advance of the dismal effort put up when it met the same opponent earlier in the year in round 2 at the MCG. Back then, the number 95 also figured – but it represented the margin between the teams at the end of the game. In those days, the Melbourne line up resembled more closely that of the bygone era of the previous coaching regime whereas what we see now is a team developing under the mark of a new coach with a different philosophy. That is not to say that the group who took the field at Telstra Dome is ready to lead the club out of the wilderness and into a new era of success but rather, that it is starting to represent the shape of things to come. For one reason or another, the following players who wore the Demon colours back on the last Sunday in March were not there by mid-July: Jace Bode, Nathan Carroll, Aaron Davey, James McDonald, Brock McLean, David Neitz, Russell Robertson, Isaac Weetra and Jeff White They were replaced by this group: Matthew Bate, Mark Jamar, Chris Johnson, Stefan Martin, Michael Newton, Shane Valenti, Matthew Warnock, Matthew Whelan and Austin Wonaemirri. The new look Demon side is by no means perfect. Against the Bullies, it was a battle early just to get a score on the board and it managed to do so only thanks to a goal square infringement on Lynden Dunn late in the first quarter. They then struggled hard for the next quarter and a half to stay in touch with the Bulldogs whose season to date has been highlighted by its added strength, consistency and a potent attack that surpassed 100 points in every one of the first thirteen rounds and narrowly missed the ton in their last game a fortnight earlier. Early in the third term the margin between the sides had narrowed to 14 points but half an hour later, a blow out threatened. The Melbourne of March would have laid down and submitted but the new Demons of July were prepared to fight to hold their own - even when the dishlickers pushed the lead to 49 points early in the final term. The result was still a defeat of a dimension that should be regarded as totally unacceptable (even if it was such an improvement on paper), but also one that could have been far less but for the turnovers and some errors in front of goal, particularly in the final term. The bulk of the team's improvement from March can be measured in terms of defensive efforts. Dunn is already gaining recognition as a stopper. Despite Adam Cooney breaking away from him to get the first clearance of the game and setting up a goal in the opening minute, he nullified the effectiveness of the Bulldog's Brownlow aspirant throughout the day. Daniel Bell had a good duel with Brad Johnson and constantly frustrated him. Perhaps, if he has learned one thing from his latest stint in the VFL, it is how to shadow an opponent. Others in defence who played strongly were Matthew Whelan and the new breed in Colin Garland and Matthew Warnock who had an impressive new mate in Stef Martin who gave the club added height in the last line defence. It was all not enough to prevent a dangerous attack from kicking the winning score but put another 30 or 40 games into their legs and then we'll see something. So there is a case for the Demon defence but alas, even if developing this area is the first building block towards an improved team, there is still a long way to go for the Demons. The rucks, led by Mark Jamar dominated the hit outs but the midfielders were dominated in the clearances. They certainly missed Brock McLean and Aaron Davey but the former won't be seen till next year so there's a lot of work to do in this area. This is particularly so with their disposal of the football and their decision making which was horrible. That said you could understand exactly why the forward line was so starved of opportunities that it failed (albeit by 2 points) to match its round 2 total against the Bulldogs. This time around however, it was Brad Miller and not Russell Robertson kicking the junk time goals. Brad Green was dangerous when he was up forward but Colin Sylvia and Austin Wonaemirri were well covered and they were dragged too far away from the goals to be effective. Michael Newton, on his return after three months of languishing outside the team with injuries and a slow return through the Zebra reserves and seniors provided a target of sorts and took some strong marks but they were often taken in positions where goals were not going to result and, in any event, his kicking was generally below standard. Still, it was his first game back and he must be persevered with. Perhaps, some confidence and a more lively approach to his game, could see him produce something special in the final phase of the season. The final phase starts on Sunday when the team travels to Perth for a rematch with the Dockers who were its first of two victims to date this year. The last seven matches on the club's appointment board present six against teams in the bottom eight and (go figure this) three of which its has yet to meet this year. I fully expect the Demons to be off the bottom of the ladder even before the opening bounce of the game, courtesy of what will be the inevitable slaughter of Freo's cross town rival on Saturday night. A win would mark a meteoric rise in one week from last to 14th place on the ladder for a team that lost its first two games by an aggregate of 199 points and always looked to be the likely wooden spooner – until now. Melbourne 1.0.6 4.2.26 5.6.36 9.10.64 Western Bulldogs 3.2.20 7.4.46 12.7.79 14.11.95 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Green 2 Buckley Dunn C Johnson Newton Western Bulldogs Akermanis Minson 3 Eagleton Giansiracusa Hahn 2 Cross Harbrow Best Melbourne Bruce Garland C Johnson Wheatley Martin Miller Western Bulldogs Cross Boyd Lake Gilbee Akermanis Eagleton Hill Everitt Injuries Melbourne nil Western Bulldogs nil Changes Melbourne nil Western Bulldogs Welsh (back) out replaced in selected side by Wight Reports nil Umpires Farmer McLaren Keating Crowd 27,446 at Telstra Dome

THE CASE FOR THE DEFENCE by The Oracle Melbourne was no match form the second placed Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome on Sunday but the score line of 14.11.95 to 9.10.64 served to emphasise that the team is on the improve. The Demons kept the Doggies down to their lowest score of the season in a performance that was light years in advance of the dismal effort put up when it met the same opponent earlier in the year in round 2 at the MCG. Back then, the number 95 also figured – but it represented the margin between the teams at the end of the game. In those days, the Melbourne line up resembled more closely that of the bygone era of the previous coaching regime whereas what we see now is a team developing under the mark of a new coach with a different philosophy. That is not to say that the group who took the field at Telstra Dome is ready to lead the club out of the wilderness and into a new era of success but rather, that it is starting to represent the shape of things to come. For one reason or another, the following players who wore the Demon colours back on the last Sunday in March were not there by mid-July: Jace Bode, Nathan Carroll, Aaron Davey, James McDonald, Brock McLean, David Neitz, Russell Robertson, Isaac Weetra and Jeff White They were replaced by this group: Matthew Bate, Mark Jamar, Chris Johnson, Stefan Martin, Michael Newton, Shane Valenti, Matthew Warnock, Matthew Whelan and Austin Wonaemirri. The new look Demon side is by no means perfect. Against the Bullies, it was a battle early just to get a score on the board and it managed to do so only thanks to a goal square infringement on Lynden Dunn late in the first quarter. They then struggled hard for the next quarter and a half to stay in touch with the Bulldogs whose season to date has been highlighted by its added strength, consistency and a potent attack that surpassed 100 points in every one of the first thirteen rounds and narrowly missed the ton in their last game a fortnight earlier. Early in the third term the margin between the sides had narrowed to 14 points but half an hour later, a blow out threatened. The Melbourne of March would have laid down and submitted but the new Demons of July were prepared to fight to hold their own - even when the dishlickers pushed the lead to 49 points early in the final term. The result was still a defeat of a dimension that should be regarded as totally unacceptable (even if it was such an improvement on paper), but also one that could have been far less but for the turnovers and some errors in front of goal, particularly in the final term. The bulk of the team's improvement from March can be measured in terms of defensive efforts. Dunn is already gaining recognition as a stopper. Despite Adam Cooney breaking away from him to get the first clearance of the game and setting up a goal in the opening minute, he nullified the effectiveness of the Bulldog's Brownlow aspirant throughout the day. Daniel Bell had a good duel with Brad Johnson and constantly frustrated him. Perhaps, if he has learned one thing from his latest stint in the VFL, it is how to shadow an opponent. Others in defence who played strongly were Matthew Whelan and the new breed in Colin Garland and Matthew Warnock who had an impressive new mate in Stef Martin who gave the club added height in the last line defence. It was all not enough to prevent a dangerous attack from kicking the winning score but put another 30 or 40 games into their legs and then we’ll see something. So there is a case for the Demon defence but alas, even if developing this area is the first building block towards an improved team, there is still a long way to go for the Demons. The rucks, led by Mark Jamar dominated the hit outs but the midfielders were dominated in the clearances. They certainly missed Brock McLean and Aaron Davey but the former won't be seen till next year so there’s a lot of work to do in this area. This is particularly so with their disposal of the football and their decision making which was horrible. That said you could understand exactly why the forward line was so starved of opportunities that it failed (albeit by 2 points) to match its round 2 total against the Bulldogs. This time around however, it was Brad Miller and not Russell Robertson kicking the junk time goals. Brad Green was dangerous when he was up forward but Colin Sylvia and Austin Wonaemirri were well covered and they were dragged too far away from the goals to be effective. Michael Newton, on his return after three months of languishing outside the team with injuries and a slow return through the Zebra reserves and seniors provided a target of sorts and took some strong marks but they were often taken in positions where goals were not going to result and, in any event, his kicking was generally below standard. Still, it was his first game back and he must be persevered with. Perhaps, some confidence and a more lively approach to his game, could see him produce something special in the final phase of the season. The final phase starts on Sunday when the team travels to Perth for a rematch with the Dockers who were its first of two victims to date this year. The last seven matches on the club's appointment board present six against teams in the bottom eight and (go figure this) three of which its has yet to meet this year. I fully expect the Demons to be off the bottom of the ladder even before the opening bounce of the game, courtesy of what will be the inevitable slaughter of Freo's cross town rival on Saturday night. A win would mark a meteoric rise in one week from last to 14th place on the ladder for a team that lost its first two games by an aggregate of 199 points and always looked to be the likely wooden spooner – until now. Melbourne 1.0.6 4.2.26 5.6.36 9.10.64 Western Bulldogs 3.2.20 7.4.46 12.7.79 14.11.95 Goals Melbourne Miller 3 Green 2 Buckley Dunn C Johnson Newton Western Bulldogs Akermanis Minson 3 Eagleton Giansiracusa Hahn 2 Cross Harbrow Best Melbourne Bruce Garland C Johnson Wheatley Martin Miller Western Bulldogs Cross Boyd Lake Gilbee Akermanis Eagleton Hill Everitt Injuries Melbourne nil Western Bulldogs nil Changes Melbourne nil Western Bulldogs Welsh (back) out replaced in selected side by Wight Reports nil Umpires Farmer McLaren Keating Crowd 27,446 at Telstra Dome

Brad Green is slowly closing in on Brock's lead ... 78.366 Brock McLean 69.590 Brad Green 44.698 Paul Wheatley 43.617 Brad Miller 40.423 Colin Garland 40.082 Austin Wonaemirri 37.636 Cameron Bruce 29.701 Aaron Davey 26.666 Paul Johnson 25.733 Matthew Bate 25.458 Colin Sylvia 24.347 Nathan Jones 20.642 Chris Johnson 19.753 Cale Morton 16.154 Lynden Dunn 14.482 James McDonald 12.282 Brent Moloney 10.684 Jared Rivers 10.482 Nathan Carroll 10.346 Matthew Warnock 8.132 Clint Bartram 5.904 Matthew Whelan 5.265 Russell Robertson 5.087 Jeff White 4.042 Stef Martin 2.845 Adem Yze 1.805 Simon Buckley 1.685 Shane Valenti

Very quick off the mark Grimesy. Weighting this week is .6737! Next two genuine vote givers will be included in this year's Demonland Player of the Year Voting.