Demonland

ZEBRAS ON FIRE by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham made it five wins in a row and a near perfect start for the 2007 season with a four-goal victory over Frankston at the Frankston City Oval on Sunday. The Zebras now go into their first bye and will have a well-earned rest to enable them to focus on the rest of the season. This was considered a danger game because the Dolphins always play well against their bayside rivals and their home is not a happy hunting ground for Sandy. However, playing in perfect conditions, the Zebras were off to a flyer with young forward Michael Newton in scintillating early form. His three goals in the first term were superb. He presented well, marked well and was always in position to take control of the football. At the other end of the ground Chris Lamb was in fine form. He was switched to full back early after the Frankston full forward kicked a few goals and he controlled the defence for much of the day in a superb defensive display. Although the Zebras took a 20-point lead into quarter time, the Dolphins struck back with the first three goals of the second term to narrow the deficit to just two points. Sandy, with Chad Liddell showing strong leadership steadied to kick the next two, including Newton’s fourth, to go into the main break 16 points ahead. A measure of Liddell’s inspiration was the fact that he recorded an impressive 13 one per centers for the game. Sandringham lost big ruckman Jamar to a hamstring injury but Demon rookie Shane Neaves underlined his steady improvement and gave his midfielders led by Peter Summers (33 possessions) an armchair ride. He was strongly assisted by stalwarts Ezra Poyas (also 33) and David Gallagher (23), The Zebras were able to edge forward in the third quarter as Nick Sautner came into the game and thanks to the experience of Daniel Ward, Clint Bizzell (28 disposals) and Ben Holland (24), the visitors held firm to hold a handy 26 point lead at the final change. The Dolphins showed that they were not going to go down in any way other than fighting and the big home crowd lifted with them as they and kicked the first two goals of the final quarter to get within 14 points. Former Frankston player Ryan Ferguson turned the tide with a goal and that was followed by the sealer from Summers and the Zebras were on their way to a 24-point win. Zebra coach mark Williams was happy with the outcome and praised the opposition. "We had to work hard. They pushed us all the way," he said after the match. By way of contrast to what is happening in the elite competition, the umpires contributed to a good game allowing it to flow and having little impact on the outcome of the contest. With two strong key position players in Sautner and Newton both on fire up forward, the prospects for the Zebras’ rivals are daunting at this stage of the season. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Clint Bizzell - got plenty of the ball and despite a few glitches, played an important role in his team's victory. Jace Bode - a bit player on interchange. Simon Buckley - looked out of sorts and put in a poor game, which is a pity because previously, he was getting close to AFL selection. Ryan Ferguson - a top game whether in defence or up forward where he went late in the game and capped it off with an important goal against his former side. Colin Garland - dropped after one AFL game, Garland went into his shell a little and struggled both up forward and in defence. Needs more time. Ben Holland – a strong performance in which he put his hand up for selection for the Demons but it is unlikely to be this week with the opposition Bulldogs not presenting a viable match up. Daniel Hughes started on the bench but showed out with pace, strong hands and a couple of nice goals just when they were needed. Mark Jamar – a hamstring injury put paid to his chances of returning to the AFL in the short term. Chris Johnson – didn’t do anything outstanding after being dropped from the Demons after their Sydney debacle. Shane Neaves – is improving with the added responsibility of the first ruck and also did well around the ground. Carried the rucks after Jamar limped off with his hamstring. Michael Newton - started like a house on fire and then was reasonably well guarded. Presented well for the ball throughout and his presence up forward demanded close attention. When that happened Sautner took over and kicked a few himself. . Daniel Ward – was one of his team’s best and his experience was invaluable but one wonders whether he can still perform at the highest level. Sandringham 6.3.39 8.6.54 12.8.80 14.8.92 Frankston 3.1.19 6.2.38 8.6.54 10.8.68 Goals Sandringham Newton 5 Sautner 3 Ferguson 2 Gallagher Hughes Summers Valenti Frankston Morris 4 Murray 3 Berry 2 Marigliani Best Sandringham Lamb Holland Ward Newton Bizzell Neaves Frankston Morris Rebeschini Conroy Pollard Magner Kennedy MUGGED It was all too much for the Zebra reserves as they faced a Coburg side which was able to include up to a dozen listed Richmond players when the Tigers had a bye in the seniors. With Kent Kingsley, Greg Tivendale and Andy Krakouer dominating, the Tigers ran away in the first quarter, but to their credit the young Zebras never gave in. Such was their persistence that they were only outscored by a single point in the final term. Tom Paterakis was outstanding with 24 possessions and, on that performance is not far away from senior selction. Livewire little man Tomi Johnston was in everything and showed the benefiot of his early senior games. Daniel Collyer, Ewen McKenzie and Guy Martyn were all impressive at times and Rennie Gilchrist worked hard with twelve one per centers. On the debit side, it was disappointing to see Tom Mentiplay injured again and James Frawley was taken to hospital after suffering concussion early in the game. Sandringham 1.2.8 2.3.15 3.3.21 6.6.42 Frankston 9.2.56 16.9.105 24.14.158 27.18.180 Goals Sandringham Curcio Gilchrist Gileno T Johnston Mentiplay Paterakis Coburg Tigers Kingsley 8 Riewoldt 4 Krakouer Lynch Rayson 3 Edwards Pattison 2 Farrelly Liddle Best Sandringham Paterakis Collyer McGettigan McKenzie Gilchrist Martyn Coburg Tigers Krakouer Kingsley Rayson Riewoldt Polo Gazzo

CLINT BARTRAM, THIS IS YOUR LIFE - SO FAR! by George on the Outer Our group had our first get together with Clint Bartram on the weekend. This was indeed the first time that we had actually met Clint "up close and personal" as his success last year meant that his match-day commitments didn't allow pre-game socialising. So the blight of injury has had some positive for our group but what a gem of a player we have as our own! Clint arrived exactly on time as planned, without the benefit of someone organising him. For parents of teenagers this would otherwise be seen as something of a miracle, but Clint's parents can be very proud that they have an intelligent, well mannered, well spoken, well presented son, and just to top it off he can play some pretty good football as well! Still it must have been a bit daunting for a 19 year old to face a group such as ours, particularly as we represent a diverse collection of individuals who have only formed an association through the Internet. And we also have some reputational baggage produced by various “over the top” individuals on our respective sites. All the same Clint was quickly comfortable and sat down to be interviewed by our specialist in these matters – Whispering Jack. Jack started by making Clint feel at home by giving him a copy of the Geelong Advertiser, which for those who don't know is the daily newspaper from his home town. Jack asked some questions about Clint and his football history, and the group were able to learn that he had played with Ocean Grove footy club, but only after moving from another (Leopold I think it was) who were unable to fit him in their side. I'll bet that they are regretting that decision today, as there are benefits which flow to the junior club from which players are selected. Clint also trained at the AIS having won selection to that position. When he related the list of players who were also provided with that privilege, our group realised how fortunate that we were able to pick Clint up at number 60 in the draft. It was simply unbelievable that he had been overlooked so often to that point. Clint spoke of the rigours of training and playing football at AFL level. The weekly recovery process takes days and is difficult both mentally and physically. Imagine getting out of bed early in Melbournes winter, just so you can go down to the beach or sea baths to walk around in the freezing water. And after that, as he explained, you really don’t feel like going back to sleep. (perhaps that is something that parents of teenagers may contemplate for their children…). He then explained how the recovery is tied in with the preparation for the next game, and how a short turn-around severely impact on both. He also told of how the coach is frustrated by these as he attempt to get the players up and ready for the next game, but can’t get access to them until they are physically ready. This also goes a long way to explaining the often heard expression that in order to play a good season, you have to have a good pre-season. It would seem that any physical development has to occur before the matches begin. Clint spoke of his success last year, and how he was assigned tagging roles to some of the most experienced and damaging mid-field players in the competition. When asked who was the most difficult to handle, the name Chapman from Geelong came quickly as he was so hard to chase all day. Clint told the group of his injuries and how following the long rehabilitation needed to overcome his ankle damage at the end of last season, that an unfortunate training accident saw him injury his knee as well. In a tackle his leg became jammed behind another player and his knee cartlidge was similarly jammed, with his leg in an extended position. He then couldn't "unlock" his knee, which caused great consternation to the training and medical staff as this is apparently a rare event. Arthroscopy and some trimming of the affected cartlidge has him now recovering, but it will be a few weeks before we see him on the field. He also anticipates that he may have to return through Sandringham, as he recognises the value of match fitness, and to use his own words "it doesn’t matter how much running you do, it just isn’t the same…" Well after about 45 minutes of "grilling" from the group, Clint agreed to photos of himself and the group. Hopefully, the one of Clint alone will be used in the new Home Page of Demonland soon. The group then broke up to get to the match with the expectation that we always see a win after our events. Wouldn’t you know it the umpires cruelly denied us our winning streak, so Jack is looking for some new superstition on which we can pin our faith for the next event ... For those that weren't able to make the day, I hope that this small report gives you some insight into the goings on, and I have also attached the photos that I took for the group. On another small positive, I have had contact from Sally Trevena from the NSW Demons. Sally joined us for one event last year, but travels infrequently to the games. However, she was so impressed by what she saw with our group that she made a recommendation to do similarly with the NSW Demons and they have. This year they are sponsoring TJ. So in an indirect way, our group is bigger than we think… Thank you to everyone who has joined the group for this year. We have now attained more support from our group than the cost of the sponsorship, so this extra money ($350 at the present time) will be sent to the club. Thank you for those that could make it along on Sunday. For those that couldn't get there, we hope to see you at the next event. Finally, both Jack and I are keen to make this grow but also to continue to make it worthwhile for everyone. So if you have any friends who may be interested, please introduce them, but also if there are any ideas which can make it more attractive then let us know. Again thank you for your support, and here's hoping that the Demons can have a bit of on-field success in the near future. With the return of Clint to the side, I feel we can be assured of this, but given that things don't appear to be working out too well at the moment, it may mean that our meeting with Craig Cameron at year end will be very, very interesting ...

by George on the Outer Our group had our first get together with Clint Bartram on the weekend. This was indeed the first time that we had actually met Clint "up close and personal" as his success last year meant that his match-day commitments didn't allow pre-game socialising. So the blight of injury has had some positive for our group but what a gem of a player we have as our own! Clint arrived exactly on time as planned, without the benefit of someone organising him. For parents of teenagers this would otherwise be seen as something of a miracle, but Clint's parents can be very proud that they have an intelligent, well mannered, well spoken, well presented son, and just to top it off he can play some pretty good football as well! Still it must have been a bit daunting for a 19 year old to face a group such as ours, particularly as we represent a diverse collection of individuals who have only formed an association through the Internet. And we also have some reputational baggage produced by various “over the top” individuals on our respective sites. All the same Clint was quickly comfortable and sat down to be interviewed by our specialist in these matters – Whispering Jack. Jack started by making Clint feel at home by giving him a copy of the Geelong Advertiser, which for those who don't know is the daily newspaper from his home town. Jack asked some questions about Clint and his football history, and the group were able to learn that he had played with Ocean Grove footy club, but only after moving from another (Leopold I think it was) who were unable to fit him in their side. I'll bet that they are regretting that decision today, as there are benefits which flow to the junior club from which players are selected. Clint also trained at the AIS having won selection to that position. When he related the list of players who were also provided with that privilege, our group realised how fortunate that we were able to pick Clint up at number 60 in the draft. It was simply unbelievable that he had been overlooked so often to that point. Clint spoke of the rigours of training and playing football at AFL level. The weekly recovery process takes days and is difficult both mentally and physically. Imagine getting out of bed early in Melbournes winter, just so you can go down to the beach or sea baths to walk around in the freezing water. And after that, as he explained, you really don’t feel like going back to sleep. (perhaps that is something that parents of teenagers may contemplate for their children…). He then explained how the recovery is tied in with the preparation for the next game, and how a short turn-around severely impact on both. He also told of how the coach is frustrated by these as he attempt to get the players up and ready for the next game, but can’t get access to them until they are physically ready. This also goes a long way to explaining the often heard expression that in order to play a good season, you have to have a good pre-season. It would seem that any physical development has to occur before the matches begin. Clint spoke of his success last year, and how he was assigned tagging roles to some of the most experienced and damaging mid-field players in the competition. When asked who was the most difficult to handle, the name Chapman from Geelong came quickly as he was so hard to chase all day. Clint told the group of his injuries and how following the long rehabilitation needed to overcome his ankle damage at the end of last season, that an unfortunate training accident saw him injury his knee as well. In a tackle his leg became jammed behind another player and his knee cartlidge was similarly jammed, with his leg in an extended position. He then couldn't "unlock" his knee, which caused great consternation to the training and medical staff as this is apparently a rare event. Arthroscopy and some trimming of the affected cartlidge has him now recovering, but it will be a few weeks before we see him on the field. He also anticipates that he may have to return through Sandringham, as he recognises the value of match fitness, and to use his own words "it doesn’t matter how much running you do, it just isn’t the same…" Well after about 45 minutes of "grilling" from the group, Clint agreed to photos of himself and the group. Hopefully, the one of Clint alone will be used in the new Home Page of Demonland soon. The group then broke up to get to the match with the expectation that we always see a win after our events. Wouldn’t you know it the umpires cruelly denied us our winning streak, so Jack is looking for some new superstition on which we can pin our faith for the next event ... For those that weren't able to make the day, I hope that this small report gives you some insight into the goings on, and I have also attached the photos that I took for the group. On another small positive, I have had contact from Sally Trevena from the NSW Demons. Sally joined us for one event last year, but travels infrequently to the games. However, she was so impressed by what she saw with our group that she made a recommendation to do similarly with the NSW Demons and they have. This year they are sponsoring TJ. So in an indirect way, our group is bigger than we think… Thank you to everyone who has joined the group for this year. We have now attained more support from our group than the cost of the sponsorship, so this extra money ($350 at the present time) will be sent to the club. Thank you for those that could make it along on Sunday. For those that couldn't get there, we hope to see you at the next event. Finally, both Jack and I are keen to make this grow but also to continue to make it worthwhile for everyone. So if you have any friends who may be interested, please introduce them, but also if there are any ideas which can make it more attractive then let us know. Again thank you for your support, and here's hoping that the Demons can have a bit of on-field success in the near future. With the return of Clint to the side, I feel we can be assured of this, but given that things don’t appear to be working out too well at the moment, it may mean that our meeting with Craig Cameron at year end will be very, very interesting ...

OUT OF THE DARKNESS by J.V. McKay Melbourne came out of its shell and played truly competitive football for virtually all four quarters of a game for the first time this season but it still fell short of victory by 5 points against Port Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday. Nevertheless, the game marked the end of a dark period for the club and things are starting to look up for the rest of the season. The Demons lost the arm wrestle in controversial circumstances when a late goal to Aaron Davey was disallowed due to a penalty paid against skipper David Neitz whose hands momentarily touched Darryl Wakelin's back as the players were contesting a mark in front of goal. A minute later James McDonald was penalised for deliberately sending the ball out of bounds when his attempted handpass to Jared Rivers went slightly astray. Demon supporters had reason to be angry at those decisions because they highlighted the inconsistencies of the way the umpires' interpretation varied during the day and how much it has changed since that bleak night that marked the opening of the season. A holding the ball penalty paid against Daniel Bell was identical to at least half a dozen others not paid but all of them would have been penalised in round 1. Still, I'm not blaming the the umpiring for the defeat. Well, not much anyway ... I thought the Demons had the game in their keeping at the final break. The return of David Neitz seemed to inspire them to an across-the-board improvement in nearly all facets of the game with the exception of one important one - kicking for goal, which was quite atrocious particularly after quarter time. Nathan Jones may be one of the youngest players in the team but he was quite an inspiration winning the hard ball while second gamer Ricky Petterd was playing with all the skills of a 200 game player. Matthew Bate also came of age with a much-needed boost in confidence. How much more confident did he appear at half forward knowing he had David Neitz nearby? He led well into space, held his marks and would have Brad Miller feeling somewhat nervous about his place on the forward line. Although the Demons trailed by a goal with 20 minutes of game time left, they looked to have more petrol in the tank and I felt they needed only to nudge ahead by more than a point or two and the four points would be there for the taking. But with the game in the balance, Melbourne simply could not come up with a way to forge ahead before the heartbreak inevitably came. Daniel Motlop, who had already kicked a nice goal earlier in the match, weaved around a player in the pocket and pushed through a banana kick goal to put his team back in front with just under three minutes remaining. I had to ask myself was this the same player who had missed an easy set shot shot after the siren to deny his team victory last year against St. Kilda? For the second year in a row Melbourne was denied its first premiership points for the season when a Davey goal was not paid. If that wasn’t enough, along came the penalty against McDonald. Why would you deliberately push the ball out of bounds when you have a minute to get the ball into your forward line for a winning goal? How different was this piece of play to the two or three occasions during the game when Power defenders pushed towards the safety of the boundary and the umpires mandated a throw in? It was a too bitter a pill to swallow but the "good" news came a couple of hours later when it became clear that the Demons had been lifted off the bottom of the ladder when Geelong smashed Richmond. Of course, that's not much really but it is something to hang your hat on after the horror of the first five weeks and it's a move in the right direction for a change. There is also promise of better things to come with the return of more team leaders in the near future. The influence of David Neitz, although still very rusty, was there for all to see in terms of the way he led from the front and inspired his team mates to lift and tackle hard. It was quite a change from the previous two or three weeks of timid football. With Brock McLean and Brad Green set to return to provide additional leadership in the middle of the ground, we can expect the team to improve by more leaps and more bounds in the coming weeks. Jared Rivers' return to defence in the past fortnight has also been an important factor in the team's improvement. While not officially a leader, he has given the back line the focus it lacked in earlier games. Daniel Bell is relishing his presence and played a terrific game while Simon Godfrey took Shaun Burgoyne's scalp - his second big one in a row. In the end however, it was a victory for the Power in front of a miniscule crowd whose lack of size spells "shame" for those who would call themselves supporters of the Melbourne Football Club. It's time for the fair weather fans to come out of the woodwork and they will because, despite Melbourne’s poor start, there is light at the end of the tunnel. MELBOURNE 2.1.13 6.6.42 8.12.60 9.17.71 PORT ADELAIDE 3.4.22 7.7.49 9.11.65 10.16.76 Goals Melbourne Bate Jones Neitz 2 Brown Warnock Yze Port Adelaide Pearce 3 Motlop Tredrea 2 S Burgoyne Ebert Krakouer Best Melbourne White Jones Godfrey Brown Yze Rivers Petterd Port Adelaide C Cornes K Cornes Pearce Motlop Lonie P Burgoyne Injuries Melbourne Pickett (lacerated ear) Port Adelaide K Cornes (concussion) Chaplin (foot) Reports Nil Team Changes Nil Umpires Farmer Hendrie Ryan Crowd 16,266 at MCG

by J.V. McKay by J.V. McKay Melbourne came out of its shell and played truly competitive football for virtually all four quarters of a game for the first time this season but it still fell short of victory by 5 points against Port Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday. Nevertheless, the game marked the end of a dark period for the club and things are starting to look up for the rest of the season. The Demons lost the arm wrestle in controversial circumstances when a late goal to Aaron Davey was disallowed due to a penalty paid against skipper David Neitz whose hands momentarily touched Shane Wakelin's back as the players were contesting a mark in front of goal. A minute later James McDonald was penalised for deliberately sending the ball out of bounds when his attempted handpass to Jared Rivers went slightly astray. Demon supporters had reason to be angry at those decisions because they highlighted the inconsistencies of the way the umpires' interpretation varied during the day and how much it has changed since that bleak night that marked the opening of the season. A holding the ball penalty paid against Daniel Bell was identical to at least half a dozen others not paid but all of them would have been penalised in round 1. Still, I'm not blaming the the umpiring for the defeat. Well, not much anyway ... I thought the Demons had the game in their keeping at the final break. The return of David Neitz seemed to inspire them to an across-the-board improvement in nearly all facets of the game with the exception of one important one - kicking for goal, which was quite atrocious particularly after quarter time. Nathan Jones may be one of the youngest players in the team but he was quite an inspiration winning the hard ball while second gamer Ricky Petterd was playing with all the skills of a 200 game player. Matthew Bate also came of age with a much-needed boost in confidence. How much more confident did he appear at half forward knowing he had David Neitz nearby? He led well into space, held his marks and would have Brad Miller feeling somewhat nervous about his place on the forward line. Although the Demons trailed by a goal with 20 minutes of game time left, they looked to have more petrol in the tank and I felt they needed only to nudge ahead by more than a point or two and the four points would be there for the taking. But with the game in the balance, Melbourne simply could not come up with a way to forge ahead before the heartbreak inevitably came. Daniel Motlop, who had already kicked a nice goal earlier in the match, weaved around a player in the pocket and pushed through a banana kick goal to put his team back in front with just under three minutes remaining. I had to ask myself was this the same player who had missed an easy set shot shot after the siren to deny his team victory last year against St. Kilda? For the second year in a row Melbourne was denied its first premiership points for the season when a Davey goal was not paid. If that wasn’t enough, along came the penalty against McDonald. Why would you deliberately push the ball out of bounds when you have a minute to get the ball into your forward line for a winning goal? How different was this piece of play to the two or three occasions during the game when Power defenders pushed towards the safety of the boundary and the umpires mandated a throw in? It was a too bitter a pill to swallow but the "good" news came a couple of hours later when it became clear that the Demons had been lifted off the bottom of the ladder when Geelong smashed Richmond. Of course, that's not much really but it is something to hang your hat on after the horror of the first five weeks and it's a move in the right direction for a change. There is also promise of better things to come with the return of more team leaders in the near future. The influence of David Neitz, although still very rusty, was there for all to see in terms of the way he led from the front and inspired his team mates to lift and tackle hard. It was quite a change from the previous two or three weeks of timid football. With Brock McLean and Brad Green set to return to provide additional leadership in the middle of the ground, we can expect the team to improve by more leaps and more bounds in the coming weeks. Jared Rivers' return to defence in the past fortnight has also been an important factor in the team's improvement. While not officially a leader, he has given the back line the focus it lacked in earlier games. Daniel Bell is relishing his presence and played a terrific game while Simon Godfrey took Shaun Burgoyne's scalp - his second big one in a row. In the end however, it was a victory for the Power in front of a miniscule crowd whose lack of size spells "shame" for those who would call themselves supporters of the Melbourne Football Club. It's time for the fair weather fans to come out of the woodwork and they will because, despite Melbourne’s poor start, there is light at the end of the tunnel. MELBOURNE 2.1.13 6.6.42 8.12.60 9.17.71 PORT ADELAIDE 3.4.22 7.7.49 9.11.65 10.16.76 Goals Melbourne Bate Jones Neitz 2 Brown Warnock Yze Port Adelaide Pearce 3 Motlop Tredrea 2 S Burgoyne Ebert Krakouer Best Melbourne White Jones Godfrey Brown Yze Rivers Petterd Port Adelaide C Cornes K Cornes Pearce Motlop Lonie P Burgoyne Injuries Melbourne Pickett (lacerated ear) Port Adelaide K Cornes (concussion) Chaplin (foot) Reports Nil Team Changes Nil Umpires Farmer Hendrie Ryan Crowd 16,266 at MCG

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DOWN UNDER by The Oracle We are now into the month of May and the Melbourne Football Club has yet to break its duck for the 2007 season. Nor, apart from a fleeting moment when it came back early in the last quarter against Hawthorn (and that seems like such a long time ago) has it even looked like it might emerge from a game with a win. You have to feel for poor Neale Daniher! In the final year of his coaching contract at Melbourne and after ten years at the helm, things were shaping up nicely a little over two months ago. The pundits were anointing his team as the sole potential challenger to the interstate domination of the competition. That was however, before a football was kicked or hand passed (or indeed fumbled) in anger. Since then, bad news and even worse luck has followed his team like the proverbial bad smell. He persisted with the "run and carry" style but his disciples could neither run nor carry the football in the proper direction, his players went down like nine-pins (often during the course of games leaving him without the ability to over rotate them), the AFL Tribunal pardoned war criminals for no logical reason other than to allow them to star against his team instead of sitting out their penance in the stands and please don't get me started on the subject of the white maggots (memo: do not publish this article in the vicinity of the Gabba – it could lead to your arrest). The fact of the matter is that Neale Daniher has tried everything to get his team into a winning frame of mind in 2007 and he has failed at every step along the way. Either that or the team has failed him. That is why the Reverend should be forever grateful to his opposite number in Port Adelaide coach Mark "Chocko" Williams for plucking out of his backside (for that is the only source from which it could possibly have come) the one remaining formula for Melbourne to win this Sunday's round six MCG encounter. In a move that one could only describe in terms of sheer genius, Williams turned up at Alberton where the Port Adelaide team trains and pinned a copy of the AFL ladder upside down in the clubrooms. Surely this move, designed to ensure that his players respect the winless Melbourne, is one of those flaky ideas that AFL coaches come up with from time to time that is inevitably destined to backfire? Instead of generating confidence in the ranks of his players, it can only generate doubt. Add to this, the fact that the Power is certainly no power when it comes to playing at the MCG and the doubt starts to multiply to a point where it gets into the players' heads and before you know it, the reality is translated into failure out there on the playing field. Listen to what Port Adelaide midfielder Kane Cornes has to say about the team that on my viewing hold up the remaining fifteen clubs on the AFL ladder: - "Melbourne always beat us at the MCG. "They've really got the wood on us, a bit like the Kangaroos have. I know they haven't won a game yet but it's still going to be a very nervous and twitchy game for us." That's right. Port should be nervous because in the six matches played between the two sides at the home of football, Melbourne has emerged the victor on every occasion and its average winning margin in that time has been around six goals. So let's hear it again: "Melbourne always beat us at the MCG." Start twitching Kane. Keep looking at that ladder and watch those jangled nerves. As for Daniher's Demons, I have it on good authority that they have also now been ordered to look at the inverted AFL ladder that shows them on top. That automatically makes them the kings of the heap and allows them to approach this game which marks the return of skipper David Neitz and hard nut midfielder Nathan Jones "chocko" full of confidence. THE GAME: Melbourne v. Port Adelaide at the MCG – 6 May 2007 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Melbourne 8 wins Port Adelaide 7 wins At the G: Melbourne 6 wins Port Adelaide 0 wins Since 2000: Melbourne 5 wins Port Adelaide 5 wins The Coaches: Daniher 6 wins Williams 6 wins MEDIA: TV Channel 7 (delayed telecast commencing at 3.00pm) RADIO 3AW 774ABC MMMM THE BETTING: Melbourne to win $2.95 Port Adelaide to win $1.35 LAST TIME THEY MET: Melbourne 18.12.120 d Port Adelaide 12.10.82, Round 13, 2006, at MCG It was an insipid Port Adelaide that ran out on to the MCG, a team that bore no resemblance to the hard hitting skilful combination that won an AFL premiership just 18 months previously. Melbourne took full advantage of this uninspiring rabble and took them to the cleaners, winning by 38 points. David Neitz booted five goals, Aaron Davey was in magical form and the Power would have been in even more strife without Shaun Burgoyne who starred. THE TEAMS: MELBOURNE: Backs: Cameron Bruce Nathan Carroll Adem Yze Half backs: Nathan Brown Jared Rivers Daniel Bell Centreline: Colin Sylvia James McDonald Aaron Davey Half forwards: Ricky Petterd, Brad Miller Byron Pickett Forwards: Lynden Dunn David Neitz Brent Moloney Followers: Jeff White Simon Godfrey Travis Johnstone Interchange: Matthew Bate Paul Johnson Nathan Jones Matthew Warnock Emergencies: Simon Buckley Ben Holland Chris Johnson In: Nathan Jones David Neitz Matthew Warnock Out: Colin Garland Mark Jamar Chris Johnson (all omitted) PORT ADELAIDE Backs: Troy Chaplin Darryl Wakelin Michael Pettigrew Halfbacks: Jacob Surjan Chad Cornes Matthew Thomas Centeline: Nathan Lonie Kane Cornes Domenic Cassisi Halfforwards: Peter Burgoyne Warren Tredrea, Josh Mahoney Forwards: Greg Bentley Damon White Brett Ebert Followers: Brendon Lade Shaun Burgoyne David Rodan Interchange: Nathan Krakouer Daniel Motlop Danyle Pearce Toby Thurstans Emergencies: Fabian DeLuca Brad Symes Adam Thomsonj In: Daniel Motlop Danyle Pearce Matthew Thomas Out: Steven Salopek (hamstring) Brad Symes (omitted) Michael Wilson (pectoral/chest muscle) MY GRIPE THIS WEEK - THE TRIBUNAL'S GET OUT OF JAIL CARD OK this has nothing to do with Sunday's game but I have to get it off my chest. In today's column in The Australian, Patrick Smith ponders about what is happening with the AFL's judicial system. The AFL Tribunal has charged 28 players this season, but it has only suspended two, Fraser Gehrig and Steven Dodd, each of them for one week only. Meanwhile the following players are charged and escape serious charges on specious grounds in the week immediately prior to their teams playing against Melbourne - Luke Hodge (thrice), Josh Carr, Des Headland (in a precedent setting groundbreaker that gets him off scott free) and now Shaun Burgoyne lucks it out because he satisfies the judiciary that a head high hit was an accident. Adam Goodes is similarly lucky to get away with a mere reprimand after belting the angelic Simon Godfrey who wasn't even looking when the Brownlow Medallist cannoned into his back. Pity those like Beamer who was brutalized by the same Tribunal a couple of years ago when there was a doubt about whether he had even made any contact at all with Jimmy Bartel before the Cat footballer fell to the ground and his head hit the MCG turf. What does he think about AFL justice right now? I don't necessarily subscribe to conspiracy theories about grassy knolls, Harold Holt's drowning or the non-existent jets crashing into American buildings but I have to admit to frothing at the mouth a lot about this Tribunal and about what it's doing to our great game of football. Get rid of them all I say. End of rant. Geez, I feel better now. SO LET'S DISCUSS THE GAME ITSELF! There's not much to say about the game if you want to go on form. Last Friday night, Port Adelaide mangled St. Kilda to the tune of 53 points at Football Park while, a day later Melbourne was crushed by Sydney at the SCG. That makes the teams about 100 points apart. Give Melbourne three goals to cater for the return of Neita and there you have it. We lose by more than 13 goals. The Power has surprised the football world by amassing a 4-1 record at this early stage of the season. Melbourne has under whelmed us all with a 0-5 start. True, injuries have played a major role but it's not the full explanation. A number of the players who have made it onto the park have performed poorly, there doesn't seem to be much system or purpose about the way the team goes about its game these days, leadership is scarce on the ground (mainly because it's been sitting watch the game with me in the stands) and there haven't been and of those stand out individual performances that sometimes can turn a game. I then look at the potential match ups and I'm scared out of my wits. On the AFL website, the match summary suggests that the key match ups are as follows:- (i) Chad Cornes (Port Adelaide) v Brad Miller (Melbourne) (ii) Simon Godfrey (Melbourne) v Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) (iii) Jeff White (Melbourne) v Brendon Lade (Port Adelaide) Agghr... I can see Melbourne coming out on top in one out of those three key match ups and that's being generous to Jeff White who is no longer the star ruckman that he used to be a few years ago when he made All Australian. His opponent rated in that award last year. The return of David Neitz and possibly Nathan Jones will add a bit of hardness to the Demon make up but Port Adelaide seems to have the edge in pace and skill all over the ground. As a result I'm tipping a Port Adelaide victory by 81 points. One moment please. I just stood on my head and I've changed my selection. From my new vantage point, I see Melbourne winning by 18 points ... Let's hear it again from Kane Cornes:- "Melbourne always beat us at the MCG."

by The Oracle We are now into the month of May and the Melbourne Football Club has yet to break its duck for the 2007 season. Nor, apart from a fleeting moment when it came back early in the last quarter against Hawthorn (and that seems like such a long time ago) has it even looked like it might emerge from a game with a win. You have to feel for poor Neale Daniher! In the final year of his coaching contract at Melbourne and after ten years at the helm, things were shaping up nicely a little over two months ago. The pundits were anointing his team as the sole potential challenger to the interstate domination of the competition. That was however, before a football was kicked or hand passed (or indeed fumbled) in anger. Since then, bad news and even worse luck has followed his team like the proverbial bad smell. He persisted with the "run and carry" style but his disciples could neither run nor carry the football in the proper direction, his players went down like nine-pins (often during the course of games leaving him without the ability to over rotate them), the AFL Tribunal pardoned war criminals for no logical reason other than to allow them to star against his team instead of sitting out their penance in the stands and please don't get me started on the subject of the white maggots (memo: do not publish this article in the vicinity of the Gabba – it could lead to your arrest). The fact of the matter is that Neale Daniher has tried everything to get his team into a winning frame of mind in 2007 and he has failed at every step along the way. Either that or the team has failed him. That is why the Reverend should be forever grateful to his opposite number in Port Adelaide coach Mark "Chocko" Williams for plucking out of his backside (for that is the only source from which it could possibly have come) the one remaining formula for Melbourne to win this Sunday's round six MCG encounter. In a move that one could only describe in terms of sheer genius, Williams turned up at Alberton where the Port Adelaide team trains and pinned a copy of the AFL ladder upside down in the clubrooms. Surely this move, designed to ensure that his players respect the winless Melbourne, is one of those flaky ideas that AFL coaches come up with from time to time that is inevitably destined to backfire? Instead of generating confidence in the ranks of his players, it can only generate doubt. Add to this, the fact that the Power is certainly no power when it comes to playing at the MCG and the doubt starts to multiply to a point where it gets into the players' heads and before you know it, the reality is translated into failure out there on the playing field. Listen to what Port Adelaide midfielder Kane Cornes has to say about the team that on my viewing hold up the remaining fifteen clubs on the AFL ladder: - "Melbourne always beat us at the MCG. "They've really got the wood on us, a bit like the Kangaroos have. I know they haven't won a game yet but it's still going to be a very nervous and twitchy game for us." That's right. Port should be nervous because in the six matches played between the two sides at the home of football, Melbourne has emerged the victor on every occasion and its average winning margin in that time has been around six goals. So let's hear it again: "Melbourne always beat us at the MCG." Start twitching Kane. Keep looking at that ladder and watch those jangled nerves. As for Daniher's Demons, I have it on good authority that they have also now been ordered to look at the inverted AFL ladder that shows them on top. That automatically makes them the kings of the heap and allows them to approach this game which marks the return of skipper David Neitz and hard nut midfielder Nathan Jones "chocko" full of confidence. THE GAME: Melbourne v. Port Adelaide at the MCG – 6 May 2007 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Melbourne 8 wins Port Adelaide 7 wins At the G: Melbourne 6 wins Port Adelaide 0 wins Since 2000: Melbourne 5 wins Port Adelaide 5 wins The Coaches: Daniher 6 wins Williams 6 wins MEDIA: TV Channel 7 (delayed telecast commencing at 3.00pm) RADIO 3AW 774ABC MMMM THE BETTING: Melbourne to win $2.95 Port Adelaide to win $1.35 LAST TIME THEY MET: Melbourne 18.12.120 d Port Adelaide 12.10.82, Round 13, 2006, at MCG It was an insipid Port Adelaide that ran out on to the MCG, a team that bore no resemblance to the hard hitting skilful combination that won an AFL premiership just 18 months previously. Melbourne took full advantage of this uninspiring rabble and took them to the cleaners, winning by 38 points. David Neitz booted five goals, Aaron Davey was in magical form and the Power would have been in even more strife without Shaun Burgoyne who starred. THE TEAMS: MELBOURNE: Backs: Cameron Bruce Nathan Carroll Adem Yze Half backs: Nathan Brown Jared Rivers Daniel Bell Centreline: Colin Sylvia James McDonald Aaron Davey Half forwards: Ricky Petterd, Brad Miller Byron Pickett Forwards: Lynden Dunn David Neitz Brent Moloney Followers: Jeff White Simon Godfrey Travis Johnstone Interchange: Matthew Bate Paul Johnson Nathan Jones Matthew Warnock Emergencies: Simon Buckley Ben Holland Chris Johnson In: Nathan Jones David Neitz Matthew Warnock Out: Colin Garland Mark Jamar Chris Johnson (all omitted) PORT ADELAIDE Backs: Troy Chaplin Darryl Wakelin Michael Pettigrew Halfbacks: Jacob Surjan Chad Cornes Matthew Thomas Centeline: Nathan Lonie Kane Cornes Domenic Cassisi Halfforwards: Peter Burgoyne Warren Tredrea, Josh Mahoney Forwards: Greg Bentley Damon White Brett Ebert Followers: Brendon Lade Shaun Burgoyne David Rodan Interchange: Nathan Krakouer Daniel Motlop Danyle Pearce Toby Thurstans Emergencies: Fabian DeLuca Brad Symes Adam Thomsonj In: Daniel Motlop Danyle Pearce Matthew Thomas Out: Steven Salopek (hamstring) Brad Symes (omitted) Michael Wilson (pectoral/chest muscle) MY GRIPE THIS WEEK - THE TRIBUNAL'S GET OUT OF JAIL CARD OK this has nothing to do with Sunday's game but I have to get it off my chest. In today's column in The Australian, Patrick Smith ponders about what is happening with the AFL's judicial system. The AFL Tribunal has charged 28 players this season, but it has only suspended two, Fraser Gehrig and Steven Dodd, each of them for one week only. Meanwhile the following players are charged and escape serious charges on specious grounds in the week immediately prior to their teams playing against Melbourne - Luke Hodge (thrice), Josh Carr, Des Headland (in a precedent setting groundbreaker that gets him off scott free) and now Shaun Burgoyne lucks it out because he satisfies the judiciary that a head high hit was an accident. Adam Goodes is similarly lucky to get away with a mere reprimand after belting the angelic Simon Godfrey who wasn't even looking when the Brownlow Medallist cannoned into his back. Pity those like Beamer who was brutalized by the same Tribunal a couple of years ago when there was a doubt about whether he had even made any contact at all with Jimmy Bartel before the Cat footballer fell to the ground and his head hit the MCG turf. What does he think about AFL justice right now? I don't necessarily subscribe to conspiracy theories about grassy knolls, Harold Holt's drowning or the non-existent jets crashing into American buildings but I have to admit to frothing at the mouth a lot about this Tribunal and about what it's doing to our great game of football. Get rid of them all I say. End of rant. Geez, I feel better now. SO LET'S DISCUSS THE GAME ITSELF! There's not much to say about the game if you want to go on form. Last Friday night, Port Adelaide mangled St. Kilda to the tune of 53 points at Football Park while, a day later Melbourne was crushed by Sydney at the SCG. That makes the teams about 100 points apart. Give Melbourne three goals to cater for the return of Neita and there you have it. We lose by more than 13 goals. The Power has surprised the football world by amassing a 4-1 record at this early stage of the season. Melbourne has under whelmed us all with a 0-5 start. True, injuries have played a major role but it's not the full explanation. A number of the players who have made it onto the park have performed poorly, there doesn't seem to be much system or purpose about the way the team goes about its game these days, leadership is scarce on the ground (mainly because it's been sitting watch the game with me in the stands) and there haven't been and of those stand out individual performances that sometimes can turn a game. I then look at the potential match ups and I'm scared out of my wits. On the AFL website, the match summary suggests that the key match ups are as follows:- (i) Chad Cornes (Port Adelaide) v Brad Miller (Melbourne) (ii) Simon Godfrey (Melbourne) v Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) (iii) Jeff White (Melbourne) v Brendon Lade (Port Adelaide) Agghr... I can see Melbourne coming out on top in one out of those three key match ups and that's being generous to Jeff White who is no longer the star ruckman that he used to be a few years ago when he made All Australian. His opponent rated in that award last year. The return of David Neitz and possibly Nathan Jones will add a bit of hardness to the Demon make up but Port Adelaide seems to have the edge in pace and skill all over the ground. As a result I'm tipping a Port Adelaide victory by 81 points. One moment please. I just stood on my head and I've changed my selection. From my new vantage point, I see Melbourne winning by 18 points ... Let's hear it again from Kane Cornes:- "Melbourne always beat us at the MCG."

The standings after round five and Brent Moloney and Cameron Bruce are our leaders with the Flash moving up fast:- 35. Brent Moloney 31. Cameron Bruce 23. Aaron Davey 21. Brad Green 20. Brad Miller 19. Daniel Bell 18. Nathan Jones Jared Rivers Adem Yze 16. Simon Godfrey 15. Nathan Brown James McDonald 13. Ben Holland 12. David Neitz 11. Russell Robertson 10. Ricky Petterd 8. Jeff White 5. Nathan Carroll 3. Daniel Ward 2. Travis Johnstone 1. Lynden Dunn Paul Johnson

ZEBRAS LIFT A GEAR by Barry from Beach Road After three narrow wins to open their 2007 campaign, Sandringham lifted a gear on Sunday and punished the Casey Scorpions by 79 points to retain their undefeated record and top position on the TRUenergy/VFL Ladder. The Zebras were simply too strong all over the ground for the Scorpions and produced a dazzling display that was highlighted by a superb nine goal feast in the final term. A committed Sandy side came out full of running and it gained the early initiative through Shane Valenti and Peter Summers in the middle while, up forward, Michael Newton was in good touch early with a couple of goals to herald an exciting performance from the 20 year old forward. David Gallagher was in everything and the defence stood solid with its usual firmness. The home side led by 25 points at the first break. The Scorpions worked hard in the second quarter and thanks to some early successful forays forward they managed to stay in touch with their hosts. Sandy was inaccurate in front of goal and this allowed the visitors to narrow the deficit down to just 19 points at the main break. Zebra skipper Chad Liddell was booked during the second term for allegedly tripping Shane Birss but from my vantage point, it appeared to be more a well-timed smother than anything else. The report put a temporary dampener on things but Sandy continued to display its dominance in the second half with a multifaceted attack that simply blew Casey off the park. Sandringham finished the game with almost twice the number of entries inside the fifty metre arc as its opponent with Newton booting six majors, Ezra Poyas (making a welcome return to form after injury) ending with five and leading goalkicker Nick Sautner finishing on four. Danny Hughes would have joined them but for the fact that he sprayed the ball everywhere and finished with 1 goal 4 behinds. Of course, the massive input of the goalkicking forwards would have been impossible without the magnificent contribution of Gallagher and Valenti, both of whom are having stellar seasons. Valenti simply grows in stature every week and if he continues in this vein, higher honours await him. In the ruck duels, the young pair of Shane Neaves and Stefan Martin shaded their more experienced VFL opponents and gave their on ballers first use of the football. Sandringham's defence has been a strong point right throughout the Mark Williams coaching era and this week was no exception. Ryan Ferguson in particular was in rare form taking two screamers and covering a lot of ground at half back. He had plenty of assistance from the likes of Chris Lamb, Matthew Warnock and Andy Biddlecombe who were impressive as always while Simon Buckley continues to show improved skills, dash and greater maturity. Coach Mark Williams would have been very pleased with the way in which his team responded to his three quarter time request to "try to break the game open and work hard." They certainly did that and more finishing the game full off running with nine goals to one in the final term. The team responded to the call so well that the coach was afforded the luxury of taking off two key forwards in Newton and Sautner during the final term and the goals still kept on coming. The Zebras performance came despite a string of injuries to its AFL aligned partner in Melbourne and augers well for the team's quest for four flags in a row. For the time being however, that thought is being kept out of the players' minds as they face a tough challenge next Sunday against beachside neighbour Frankston at the Frankston City Oval. The Dolphins are improving by the week and will be out to repeat their 2006 performance when they gave the Zebras a drubbing at the same venue just two weeks out from the finals. ODD SPOT: Although Sandringham leads the competition, it is not the only undefeated team. Williamstown, which had the bye this weekend, has won only once, but drew its two other matches, meaning that the Seagulls also remain undefeated in 2007. HOW THE DEMONS FARED And then there were ten. Only ten Melbourne listed players were available to play for Sandringham at the weekend. Nine played with the firsts while youngster Heath Neville took his place in the reserves and played impressively to be named in their best players in a good winning performance. Michael Newton showed that he has a liking for the Casey Scorpions booting six goals after kicking four in a cameo performance last year at Casey Fields. Ben Holland was a withdrawal again with a groin problem while young recruit Isaac Weetra suffered a broken wrist in the reserves last week and will miss a few weeks. Clint Bizzell - started well and was reasonably solid in defence but the General let himself down with a few unforced errors and might find it hard to force his way back into AFL ranks. Jace Bode - the rookie had limited game time but was quite lively when given an opportunity. Simon Buckley – a solid game from the youngster who collected 20 plus possessions and kicked a goal. His delivery under pressure was good and he showed great composure. Not far off getting a run in the red and blue. Ryan Ferguson – had a great game. Ferg was strong in defence and took a great speccy early on. Marked and punched the ball away at the right times, then capped it all off with a stint up forward for a couple of goals. Daniel Hughes – lively at half forward but let himself down with poor kicking for goal. He has sticky hands and took eight strong marks. His ground play has also improved. Shane Neaves – rucked and marked well around the ground. Showed that he is finding his feet in this company and the club will no doubt monitor his development closely with a view to 2008. Michael Newton – there’s a theory going around that this laconic but talented young forward might have been stung into action this week by the promotion of Colin Garland who is younger and has only been around the club for less than half a year. Newton, in his third season at the club, has always had latent talents that have come to the fore only sparingly. He is a great kick of the football and that skill alone commends him for promotion to a Melbourne side that lacks a forward to deliver the killer punch. He can also take a good grab is and is adequate at ground level. His day must come soon. Daniel Ward - quiet early and then injured. Did not have a great impact on the game. Matthew Warnock – a solid game against an undermanned opposition but there are a few ahead of him for higher honours in defence. Sandringham 6.3.39 8.10.58 12.14.86 21.18.144 Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 6.3.39 9.5.59 10.5.65 Goals Sandringham Newton 6 Poyas 5 Sautner 4 Ferguson 2 Buckley Crowe Liddell Valenti Casey Scorpions Sweeney 3 Rix Silvagni 2 Birss Harrison Jones Best Sandringham Gallagher Valenti Newton Warnock Ferguson Poyas Casey Scorpions Rix O'Bryan Gwilt Taylor Eddy Harrison Report Chad Liddell (Sandringham) for tripping Shane Birss (Casey Scorpions) in the second quarter. SEEING DOUBLE The final result of the Sandringham Reserves game against Casey Scorpions was almost identical to that of the seniors as the young Zebras found touch and ran away in the final term to score an imposing 82-point victory. Former Sandringham Dragons player Rennie Gilchrist continued his impressive early form and along with Daniel Gribbin, was a standout. Tom Paterakis was his usual steady self and Tom Paule also stood out with his terrier like play. The win sees the Zebra reserves holing on to fifth spot on the ladder with two wins and two defeats at this early stage of the season. Sandringham 4.5.29 10.8.68 15.11.101 21.19.145 Casey Scorpions 2.6.18 6.7.43 8.11.59 8.15.63 Goals Sandringham Collyer Gileno Mentiplay Gilchrist 3 Curcio Martyn Monaghan 2 Dean Paterakis Paule Casey Scorpions Brown 4 Wood Waite Geary Lees Goals Sandringham Gilchrist Gribbin Paterakis Paule Collyer Neville Casey Scorpions Lentini Geary Brown McGrath Scalzo Howard

by Barry from Beach Road After three narrow wins to open their 2007 campaign, Sandringham lifted a gear on Sunday and punished the Casey Scorpions by 79 points to retain their undefeated record and top position on the TRUenergy/VFL Ladder. The Zebras were simply too strong all over the ground for the Scorpions and produced a dazzling display that was highlighted by a superb nine goal feast in the final term. A committed Sandy side came out full of running and it gained the early initiative through Shane Valenti and Peter Summers in the middle while, up forward, Michael Newton was in good touch early with a couple of goals to herald an exciting performance from the 20 year old forward. David Gallagher was in everything and the defence stood solid with its usual firmness. The home side led by 25 points at the first break. The Scorpions worked hard in the second quarter and thanks to some early successful forays forward they managed to stay in touch with their hosts. Sandy was inaccurate in front of goal and this allowed the visitors to narrow the deficit down to just 19 points at the main break. Zebra skipper Chad Liddell was booked during the second term for allegedly tripping Shane Birss but from my vantage point, it appeared to be more a well-timed smother than anything else. The report put a temporary dampener on things but Sandy continued to display its dominance in the second half with a multifaceted attack that simply blew Casey off the park. Sandringham finished the game with almost twice the number of entries inside the fifty metre arc as its opponent with Newton booting six majors, Ezra Poyas (making a welcome return to form after injury) ending with five and leading goalkicker Nick Sautner finishing on four. Danny Hughes would have joined them but for the fact that he sprayed the ball everywhere and finished with 1 goal 4 behinds. Of course, the massive input of the goalkicking forwards would have been impossible without the magnificent contribution of Gallagher and Valenti, both of whom are having stellar seasons. Valenti simply grows in stature every week and if he continues in this vein, higher honours await him. In the ruck duels, the young pair of Shane Neaves and Stefan Martin shaded their more experienced VFL opponents and gave their on ballers first use of the football. Sandringham's defence has been a strong point right throughout the Mark Williams coaching era and this week was no exception. Ryan Ferguson in particular was in rare form taking two screamers and covering a lot of ground at half back. He had plenty of assistance from the likes of Chris Lamb, Matthew Warnock and Andy Biddlecombe who were impressive as always while Simon Buckley continues to show improved skills, dash and greater maturity. Coach Mark Williams would have been very pleased with the way in which his team responded to his three quarter time request to "try to break the game open and work hard." They certainly did that and more finishing the game full off running with nine goals to one in the final term. The team responded to the call so well that the coach was afforded the luxury of taking off two key forwards in Newton and Sautner during the final term and the goals still kept on coming. The Zebras performance came despite a string of injuries to its AFL aligned partner in Melbourne and augers well for the team's quest for four flags in a row. For the time being however, that thought is being kept out of the players' minds as they face a tough challenge next Sunday against beachside neighbour Frankston at the Frankston City Oval. The Dolphins are improving by the week and will be out to repeat their 2006 performance when they gave the Zebras a drubbing at the same venue just two weeks out from the finals. ODD SPOT: Although Sandringham leads the competition, it is not the only undefeated team. Williamstown, which had the bye this weekend, has won only once, but drew its two other matches, meaning that the Seagulls also remain undefeated in 2007. HOW THE DEMONS FARED And then there were ten. Only ten Melbourne listed players were available to play for Sandringham at the weekend. Nine played with the firsts while youngster Heath Neville took his place in the reserves and played impressively to be named in their best players in a good winning performance. Michael Newton showed that he has a liking for the Casey Scorpions booting six goals after kicking four in a cameo performance last year at Casey Fields. Ben Holland was a withdrawal again with a groin problem while young recruit Isaac Weetra suffered a broken wrist in the reserves last week and will miss a few weeks. Clint Bizzell - started well and was reasonably solid in defence but the General let himself down with a few unforced errors and might find it hard to force his way back into AFL ranks. Jace Bode - the rookie had limited game time but was quite lively when given an opportunity. Simon Buckley – a solid game from the youngster who collected 20 plus possessions and kicked a goal. His delivery under pressure was good and he showed great composure. Not far off getting a run in the red and blue. Ryan Ferguson – had a great game. Ferg was strong in defence and took a great speccy early on. Marked and punched the ball away at the right times, then capped it all off with a stint up forward for a couple of goals. Daniel Hughes – lively at half forward but let himself down with poor kicking for goal. He has sticky hands and took eight strong marks. His ground play has also improved. Shane Neaves – rucked and marked well around the ground. Showed that he is finding his feet in this company and the club will no doubt monitor his development closely with a view to 2008. Michael Newton – there’s a theory going around that this laconic but talented young forward might have been stung into action this week by the promotion of Colin Garland who is younger and has only been around the club for less than half a year. Newton, in his third season at the club, has always had latent talents that have come to the fore only sparingly. He is a great kick of the football and that skill alone commends him for promotion to a Melbourne side that lacks a forward to deliver the killer punch. He can also take a good grab is and is adequate at ground level. His day must come soon. Daniel Ward - quiet early and then injured. Did not have a great impact on the game. Matthew Warnock – a solid game against an undermanned opposition but there are a few ahead of him for higher honours in defence. Sandringham 6.3.39 8.10.58 12.14.86 21.18.144 Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 6.3.39 9.5.59 10.5.65 Goals Sandringham Newton 6 Poyas 5 Sautner 4 Ferguson 2 Buckley Crowe Liddell Valenti Casey Scorpions Sweeney 3 Rix Silvagni 2 Birss Harrison Jones Best Sandringham Gallagher Valenti Newton Warnock Ferguson Poyas Casey Scorpions Rix O'Bryan Gwilt Taylor Eddy Harrison Report Chad Liddell (Sandringham) for tripping Shane Birss (Casey Scorpions) in the second quarter. SEEING DOUBLE The final result of the Sandringham Reserves game against Casey Scorpions was almost identical to that of the seniors as the young Zebras found touch and ran away in the final term to score an imposing 82-point victory. Former Sandringham Dragons player Rennie Gilchrist continued his impressive early form and along with Daniel Gribbin, was a standout. Tom Paterakis was his usual steady self and Tom Paule also stood out with his terrier like play. The win sees the Zebra reserves holing on to fifth spot on the ladder with two wins and two defeats at this early stage of the season. Sandringham 4.5.29 10.8.68 15.11.101 21.19.145 Casey Scorpions 2.6.18 6.7.43 8.11.59 8.15.63 Goals Sandringham Collyer Gileno Mentiplay Gilchrist 3 Curcio Martyn Monaghan 2 Dean Paterakis Paule Casey Scorpions Brown 4 Wood Waite Geary Lees Goals Sandringham Gilchrist Gribbin Paterakis Paule Collyer Neville Casey Scorpions Lentini Geary Brown McGrath Scalzo Howard

Thanks Deeman. Even um, er votes count. Now I'm looking for Choko to cast his votes because he went to the game. I've also accepted our gueest correspondent(Yendys)'s votes.

THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN SYDNEY by Yendys (our guest correspondent from the Harbour City) Melbourne fans who live in Sydney only get one chance a year to watch their team play live in their own home town. The fanatics can travel across the county if they have adequate time and funding available but, like many others, I have to accept that I can see them in the flesh once or twice a year. I look forward to it immensely but sadly, Saturday night was a massive disappointment. I had feelings of trepidation as soon as they ran out onto the SCG. I was already conditioned to the fact that, with several of the leading lights of the team out injured, it was going to be a tough struggle but when I looked at the two teams running around before the opening bounce I was concerned. Firstly, the Swans were going into the game with their basic team structure of the past two or three years almost totally intact and secondly, the Demons looked like boys out on an errand of men. Over the past summer I read many times that Melbourne's plan for 2007 was to get the team so super fit that it could endure the rigours of a long, hard season. As a result I learned that the players' skinfolds and weight were right down (with the exception of Byron Pickett who was a bit of a special case) and that this would hold them in good stead when the finals came around. The thing is however, that Melbourne hasn't been entered into the Olympic Games - it's the AFL, a competition of hardened men and a lot of them have strong bodies. If you can't beat them with strength on a ground like the SCG then you're in it deep. This was exactly what Sydney showed Melbourne in the first quarter. Hard, relentless football, winning it with strength out of the middle, pounding it forward to where Barry Hall simply manhandled and out bustled Brad Miller, pushing him out of the way as if he was a mere flea. I couldn't believe this was the same Miller who was feted as a Demon strong man a year or two ago! The Demon faithful in the crowd were right to feel despondent at quarter time. Their few star players were struggling; Travis Johnstone was labouring under a heavy tag, Aaron Davey was trying too hard, the forward line was invisible, the rucks and midfield simply couldn't get a clearance and they weren't doing much around the ground. An alarming statistic was the clearance figures that showed the Swans winning the first eight of the game and by quarter time, the Swans were ahead by 13 to 2. Not surprisingly, by then Sydney had the game won physically, mentally and on the scoreboard - 6.2.38 to 1.2.8. They were throwing Melbourne all over the park and we were sitting there sensing a slaughter was about to engulf us all. Well, from that point on, to its credit Melbourne fought back and though it won't bring comfort to many, it should be pointed out that the Demons had more scoring shots than the Swans over the remainder of the game. The trouble was that they didn't have the forward power to convert regularly enough while, at the same time, some of their defenders were so inept that Sydney, which had the kicking yips last week, weren't pressured and had the time to kick goals when they were needed. Davey led a mini fight back as the deficit was cut back to 17 points during a period in the second quarter in which Matthew Bate kicked a brilliant goal from way out beyond 50 metres. However, the Demons couldn't keep their concentration levels up and lapsed late in the term as they have done a few times this year. Nathan Brown has been a courageous player who has had better games than Saturday night but sadly I will remember this game for the goal he gave away just before half time. After marking in the back pocket, he ignored Davey who was running into half back and instead, Brown passed the ball backwards where it was gleefully accepted just outside the goalsquare by an incredulous Jarrad McVeigh who slipped away for a goal to put the Swans 37 points ahead. They should have turned the lights off there and then as far as I was concerned. Had they done so, debutant Ricky Petterd would still have been seen shining through the night. A slight looking 18-year-old lad with a big future, Petterd was drafted last year at number 30 from the unlikely address of Broadbeach, Queensland. The kid was prepared to have a dip despite lacking the mature strength of his opponent and he capped off his night with a goal when moved forward in the final quarter. One of the team's stronger bodies was Simon Godfrey. He might lack skills and might not make the best 22 if everyone was available but he always puts everything into his game and he kept Adam Goodes quiet. He even frustrated him into losing his concentration and committing a rare on field sin for a dual Brownlow Medallist. Carroll was doing better on Hall but the Demons' defence was always under pressure and always the most likely to make mistakes. The Swans' lead was heading towards 50 points early in the second half but when Kennelly was injured after a Byron Pickett tackle, the Demons clawed their way back. Jared Rivers showed how talented he can be in defence and the team gained some rhythm and purpose. They actually won the third quarter! However, after Mark Jamar missed everything with one of his rare possessions, the deadly accurate Swans got going again to run out convincing winners by 49 points. Melbourne played like a team that had more than half of its leadership group off the park and unfortunatley, the missing part of that group is the very strength of the team. No offence to Cameron Bruce and James McDonald but they aren't the strong leaders the Demons needed to set the example against the tougher bodied, relentless Swans. There was simply nobody in the team with the mongrel of a Barry Hall or the ability to keep going like Brett Kirk. Driving home after the game, I passed a church and, in the dark, I could just make out that it had a sign out front suggesting something about the meek inheriting the earth. That might be so but the meek get you nowhere in the AFL and I hope next time the Demons feature in a game up here, that there's a bit more fight in the collective group than what they showed their supporters on Saturday night. Melbourne 1.2.8 4.4.28 6.9.45 8.12.60 Sydney 6.2.38 10.5.65 12.7.79 17.7.109 Goals Sydney Hall 5 Davis 3 Schneider 2 J Bolton Goodes Jolly Kirk Malceski O'Keefe Schmidt Melbourne Davey 3 Bate Bruce Dunn Miller Petterd Best Sydney Malceski Kirk Hall Davis Schneider Melbourne Davey Rivers Petterd Carroll Godfrey Bruce Injuries Sydney Tadhg Kennelly (knee), Luke Ablett (knee) Melbourne Matthew Bate (ankle) Reports Nil Team Changes Buchanan (Syd) replaced in selected side by Jarred Moore. Umpires Kennedy Rosebury Nicholls Crowd 23,354 at the SCG

by Yendys (our guest correspondent from the Harbour City) Melbourne fans who live in Sydney only get one chance a year to watch their team play live in their own home town. The fanatics can travel across the county if they have adequate time and funding available but, like many others, I have to accept that I can see them in the flesh once or twice a year. I look forward to it immensely but sadly, Saturday night was a massive disappointment. I had feelings of trepidation as soon as they ran out onto the SCG. I was already conditioned to the fact that, with several of the leading lights of the team out injured, it was going to be a tough struggle but when I looked at the two teams running around before the opening bounce I was concerned. Firstly, the Swans were going into the game with their basic team structure of the past two or three years almost totally intact and secondly, the Demons looked like boys out on an errand of men. Over the past summer I read many times that Melbourne's plan for 2007 was to get the team so super fit that it could endure the rigours of a long, hard season. As a result I learned that the players' skinfolds and weight were right down (with the exception of Byron Pickett who was a bit of a special case) and that this would hold them in good stead when the finals came around. The thing is however, that Melbourne hasn't been entered into the Olympic Games - it's the AFL, a competition of hardened men and a lot of them have strong bodies. If you can't beat them with strength on a ground like the SCG then you're in it deep. This was exactly what Sydney showed Melbourne in the first quarter. Hard, relentless football, winning it with strength out of the middle, pounding it forward to where Barry Hall simply manhandled and out bustled Brad Miller, pushing him out of the way as if he was a mere flea. I couldn't believe this was the same Miller who was feted as a Demon strong man a year or two ago! The Demon faithful in the crowd were right to feel despondent at quarter time. Their few star players were struggling; Travis Johnstone was labouring under a heavy tag, Aaron Davey was trying too hard, the forward line was invisible, the rucks and midfield simply couldn't get a clearance and they weren't doing much around the ground. An alarming statistic was the clearance figures that showed the Swans winning the first eight of the game and by quarter time, the Swans were ahead by 13 to 2. Not surprisingly, by then Sydney had the game won physically, mentally and on the scoreboard - 6.2.38 to 1.2.8. They were throwing Melbourne all over the park and we were sitting there sensing a slaughter was about to engulf us all. Well, from that point on, to its credit Melbourne fought back and though it won't bring comfort to many, it should be pointed out that the Demons had more scoring shots than the Swans over the remainder of the game. The trouble was that they didn't have the forward power to convert regularly enough while, at the same time, some of their defenders were so inept that Sydney, which had the kicking yips last week, weren't pressured and had the time to kick goals when they were needed. Davey led a mini fight back as the deficit was cut back to 17 points during a period in the second quarter in which Matthew Bate kicked a brilliant goal from way out beyond 50 metres. However, the Demons couldn't keep their concentration levels up and lapsed late in the term as they have done a few times this year. Nathan Brown has been a courageous player who has had better games than Saturday night but sadly I will remember this game for the goal he gave away just before half time. After marking in the back pocket, he ignored Davey who was running into half back and instead, Brown passed the ball backwards where it was gleefully accepted just outside the goalsquare by an incredulous Jarrad McVeigh who slipped away for a goal to put the Swans 37 points ahead. They should have turned the lights off there and then as far as I was concerned. Had they done so, debutant Ricky Petterd would still have been seen shining through the night. A slight looking 18-year-old lad with a big future, Petterd was drafted last year at number 30 from the unlikely address of Broadbeach, Queensland. The kid was prepared to have a dip despite lacking the mature strength of his opponent and he capped off his night with a goal when moved forward in the final quarter. One of the team's stronger bodies was Simon Godfrey. He might lack skills and might not make the best 22 if everyone was available but he always puts everything into his game and he kept Adam Goodes quiet. He even frustrated him into losing his concentration and committing a rare on field sin for a dual Brownlow Medallist. Carroll was doing better on Hall but the Demons' defence was always under pressure and always the most likely to make mistakes. The Swans' lead was heading towards 50 points early in the second half but when Kennelly was injured after a Byron Pickett tackle, the Demons clawed their way back. Jared Rivers showed how talented he can be in defence and the team gained some rhythm and purpose. They actually won the third quarter! However, after Mark Jamar missed everything with one of his rare possessions, the deadly accurate Swans got going again to run out convincing winners by 49 points. Melbourne played like a team that had more than half of its leadership group off the park and unfortunatley, the missing part of that group is the very strength of the team. No offence to Cameron Bruce and James McDonald but they aren't the strong leaders the Demons needed to set the example against the tougher bodied, relentless Swans. There was simply nobody in the team with the mongrel of a Barry Hall or the ability to keep going like Brett Kirk. Driving home after the game, I passed a church and, in the dark, I could just make out that it had a sign out front suggesting something about the meek inheriting the earth. That might be so but the meek get you nowhere in the AFL and I hope next time the Demons feature in a game up here, that there's a bit more fight in the collective group than what they showed their supporters on Saturday night. Melbourne 1.2.8 4.4.28 6.9.45 8.12.60 Sydney 6.2.38 10.5.65 12.7.79 17.7.109 Goals Sydney Hall 5 Davis 3 Schneider 2 J Bolton Goodes Jolly Kirk Malceski O'Keefe Schmidt Melbourne Davey 3 Bate Bruce Dunn Miller Petterd Best Sydney Malceski Kirk Hall Davis Schneider Melbourne Davey Rivers Petterd Carroll Godfrey Bruce Injuries Sydney Tadhg Kennelly (knee), Luke Ablett (knee) Melbourne Matthew Bate (ankle) Reports Nil Team Changes Buchanan (Syd) replaced in selected side by Jarred Moore. Umpires Kennedy Rosebury Nicholls Crowd 23,354 at the SCG

by Whispering Jack "And after it rains There's a rainbow And all of the colors are black Its not that the colors aren't there Its just imagination they lack" Paul Simon - My Little Town Melbourne and Sydney. Sydney and Melbourne. There is something about the old rivalry between the two of them that stirs the imagination. They are not little towns of course. They are big cities but they are are different in so many ways; in shade and light and in makeup and yet neither of them escapes the other. Their football teams are also very different and although the perception is that the Swans, who play host to the wounded Demons tomorrow night will be far too strong for their opponents, I think otherwise. That's because I still carry my imagination with me; I can close my eyes and know from memory that Melbourne matches up very well against Sydney of all clubs - especially up there where it has had the edge since Paul Roos became coach of the Swans. Melbourne broke the ice up there last year after staggering at the start of 2006. A Cameron Bruce goal with seconds to go secured what some would even call a famous victory. It certainly kick-started Melbourne's season at a time when it had all but been pronounced dead. A year earlier, the Demons put together one of their finest performances of the season when they beat the eventual premiers at the SCG by 34 points with a young Brock McLean starring and Brad Miller largely shutting down Barry Hall. Before that Melbourne triumphed by two goals in their 2004 Anzac Day clash at Telstra Stadium. The Swans may well have played in the last two grand finals but are they all that they're cracked up to be in 2007? I think not! After losing narrowly to West Coast in the opening round of the season (and let's not forget that the Eagles were a bit shaky given the controversy that surrounded them at that stage) they haven't been traveling all that well themselves over the past few weeks. They barely snuck in against lowly Richmond in round 2 and they were not particularly convincing the following week at home against Brisbane. Last week, they were simply dreadful against the Crows and in my estimation are headed for a heavy fall if they think that the Demons will be easy pickings. Granted Melbourne has done very little right this season but there were positive signs last week under the difficult circumstances of the Fremantle game. Adem Yze and Aaron Davey showed some form at last, there were glimpses from Junior McDonald and Miller came good in the second half. Byron Pickett and Colin Sylvia were rusty first up and will be much better with that game under their belts. Lynden Dunn, also in his first game for the season, produced a little bit of magic with his enthusiastic attack on the football. He will be one of the club's big improvers in 2007. This week's line up looks a lot better with the return of the key to Melbourne's backline in Jared Rivers together with two very important midfielders in Travis Johnstone and Brent Moloney. I also like the fact that the selectors have finally turned to youth. Chris Johnston was going along nicely over the pre season and I was disappointed that the selectors dropped him after two ordinary games. He needs to be persevered with and encouraged, not forsaken at the drop of a hat. The two first gamers Colin Garland and Ricky Petterd will receive a fiery baptism in a hostile environment but most Demon fans are saying that it's about time the selectors put some faith in a couple of players of the future. Just to add to the emotion of the night, Garland will be presented with the number 20 guernsey by Troy Broadbridge's widow Trisha in a ceremony before game. I know players these days are 100% professional and don't need an extra spur to get them going but if the sight of that number in the red and blue colours doesn't get them going, then nothing will! Before anyone accuses me of donning the rose coloured glasses let me say that while I accept that I'm in an optimistic frame of mind about the game, I don't believe I'm being overly optimistic. I normally am loath to encourage people to bet but the $5.75 on offer looks far too tempting to me so I'll be off to the local TAB to make an investment first thing in the morning. The fact is that Melbourne likes playing in the coat hanger city and despite all of the injuries and misfortunes it has suffered so far in 2007 I have the imagination to see beyond the early setbacks. It's not all black - there's a rainbow out there if you believe enough in the colours and the men wearing them. THE GAME: Sydney v Melbourne at the SCG - 28 April 2007 at 7.15pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Sydney 105 wins Melbourne 91 wins 1 draw At the SCG: Sydney 12 wins Melbourne 9 wins Since 2000: Sydney 8 wins Melbourne 6 wins The Coaches: Roos 6 Daniher 3 (all in Sydney!) MEDIA TV: Channel 10 at 7 pm (live) RADIO: SEN 774 ABC THE BETTING: Sydney to win $1.11 - Melbourne to win $5.75 LAST TIME THEY MET: Sydney Swans 14.11.95 d Melbourne 10.3.63 round 19, 2006. Melbourne had seven regulars missing and succumbed badly to the Swans in a must win game that ultimately determined the final four aspirations of both sides in Sydney's favour. Adam Goodes played a starring role on his way to a second Brownlow Medal as the Swans had all of the answers. Of course, they had almost a full list of players available as has been the case for the last three years with the Sydneysiders. THE TEAMS: SYDNEY Backs: Ted Richards Leo Barry Nick Malceski Half backs: Tadgh Kennelly Craig Bolton Ben Mathews Centreline: Amon Buchanan Brett Kirk Jarred McVeigh Half forwards: Ryan O'Keefe, Michael O'Loughlin Jude Bolton Forwards: Adam Schneider Barry Hall Luke Ablett Followers: Darren Jolly Adam Goodes, Nic Fosdike Interchange: Jared Crouch, Nick Davis Peter Everitt Tim Schmidt Emergencies: Heath Grundy Matthew Laidlaw Jarred Moore In: Nick Davis Out: Heath Grundy MELBOURNE: Backs: Cameron Bruce Nathan Carroll Paul Johnson Half backs: Nathan Brown Jared Rivers Daniel Bell Centreline: Brent Moloney James McDonald Adem Yze Half forwards: Chris Johnson Brad Miller Aaron Davey Forwards: Lynden Dunn Mark Jamar Aaron Davey Followers: Jeff White Matthew Bate Travis Johnstone Interchange: Colin Garland Simon Godfrey Ricky Petterd Colin Sylvia Emergencies Clint Bizzell Simon Buckley Daniel Ward In: Colin Garland Chris Johnson Travis Johnstone Brent Moloney Ricky Petterd Jared Rivers Out: Brad Green (hamstring) Nathan Jones (ankle) Paul Wheatley (shoulder) Matthew Whelan (hamstring) Clint Bizzell Daniel Ward New: Ricky Petterd, 18, Broadbeach (Qld) Colin Garland, 19, North Hobart (Tas) Umpires: Kennedy Rosebury Nicholls WHERE THE GAME WILL BE WON AND LOST: Having stuck my neck out I'll tell you exactly where the game will be won - at the centre bounces where Melbourne was mightily competitive against Fremantle last week even without the ability to rotate players for most of the last two and a half quarters. Darren Jolly and Peter Everitt do not equate to Aaron Sandilands and I expect Jeff White who normally does well at this venue, to beat them quite easily and, with Mark Jamar helping out, to set up plenty of opportunities for Johnstone, Moloney, McDonald and company to surprise the Swans' midfield which has been struggling of late. I'm hoping Brad Miller gets the job on Barry Hall whose knee is supposed to be a bit wonky. For some reason, Miller matches up well on him and I see him having a psychological advantage over Sydney's main man up forward. Another key duel will be Cameron Bruce on Adam Goodes. Bruce relishes these tasks and if he can keep the dual Brownlow Medallist down to a modest game by his standards, my prediction of an upset in the harbour city tomorrow night will come close to fruition. THE TIP Melbourne to sneak in by 3 points. FOOTNOTE: If you think I have a wild imagination after reading the above words then spare a thought for whoever was responsible for issuing this week's email announcing Melbournefc's selection news. Immediately under the box for "players to watch" was the name "Brad Green". Unless the Channel 10 cameras focus on the injured players in the stands that's going to be another worthless exercise for Demon supporters in a year where football and worthless exercises have to date become synonymous!

IMAGINATION by Whispering Jack "And after it rains There's a rainbow And all of the colors are black Its not that the colors aren't there Its just imagination they lack" Paul Simon - My Little Town Melbourne and Sydney. Sydney and Melbourne. There is something about the old rivalry between the two of them that stirs the imagination. They are not little towns of course. They are big cities but they are are different in so many ways; in shade and light and in makeup and yet neither of them escapes the other. Their football teams are also very different and although the perception is that the Swans, who play host to the wounded Demons tomorrow night will be far too strong for their opponents, I think otherwise. That's because I still carry my imagination with me; I can close my eyes and know from memory that Melbourne matches up very well against Sydney of all clubs - especially up there where it has had the edge since Paul Roos became coach of the Swans. Melbourne broke the ice up there last year after staggering at the start of 2006. A Cameron Bruce goal with seconds to go secured what some would even call a famous victory. It certainly kick-started Melbourne's season at a time when it had all but been pronounced dead. A year earlier, the Demons put together one of their finest performances of the season when they beat the eventual premiers at the SCG by 34 points with a young Brock McLean starring and Brad Miller largely shutting down Barry Hall. Before that Melbourne triumphed by two goals in their 2004 Anzac Day clash at Telstra Stadium. The Swans may well have played in the last two grand finals but are they all that they're cracked up to be in 2007? I think not! After losing narrowly to West Coast in the opening round of the season (and let's not forget that the Eagles were a bit shaky given the controversy that surrounded them at that stage) they haven't been traveling all that well themselves over the past few weeks. They barely snuck in against lowly Richmond in round 2 and they were not particularly convincing the following week at home against Brisbane. Last week, they were simply dreadful against the Crows and in my estimation are headed for a heavy fall if they think that the Demons will be easy pickings. Granted Melbourne has done very little right this season but there were positive signs last week under the difficult circumstances of the Fremantle game. Adem Yze and Aaron Davey showed some form at last, there were glimpses from Junior McDonald and Miller came good in the second half. Byron Pickett and Colin Sylvia were rusty first up and will be much better with that game under their belts. Lynden Dunn, also in his first game for the season, produced a little bit of magic with his enthusiastic attack on the football. He will be one of the club's big improvers in 2007. This week's line up looks a lot better with the return of the key to Melbourne's backline in Jared Rivers together with two very important midfielders in Travis Johnstone and Brent Moloney. I also like the fact that the selectors have finally turned to youth. Chris Johnston was going along nicely over the pre season and I was disappointed that the selectors dropped him after two ordinary games. He needs to be persevered with and encouraged, not forsaken at the drop of a hat. The two first gamers Colin Garland and Ricky Petterd will receive a fiery baptism in a hostile environment but most Demon fans are saying that it's about time the selectors put some faith in a couple of players of the future. Just to add to the emotion of the night, Garland will be presented with the number 20 guernsey by Troy Broadbridge's widow Trisha in a ceremony before game. I know players these days are 100% professional and don't need an extra spur to get them going but if the sight of that number in the red and blue colours doesn't get them going, then nothing will! Before anyone accuses me of donning the rose coloured glasses let me say that while I accept that I'm in an optimistic frame of mind about the game, I don't believe I'm being overly optimistic. I normally am loath to encourage people to bet but the $5.75 on offer looks far too tempting to me so I'll be off to the local TAB to make an investment first thing in the morning. The fact is that Melbourne likes playing in the coat hanger city and despite all of the injuries and misfortunes it has suffered so far in 2007 I have the imagination to see beyond the early setbacks. It's not all black - there's a rainbow out there if you believe enough in the colours and the men wearing them. THE GAME: Sydney v Melbourne at the SCG - 28 April 2007 at 7.15pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Sydney 105 wins Melbourne 91 wins 1 draw At the SCG: Sydney 12 wins Melbourne 9 wins Since 2000: Sydney 8 wins Melbourne 6 wins The Coaches: Roos 6 Daniher 3 (all in Sydney!) MEDIA TV: Channel 10 at 7 pm (live) RADIO: SEN 774 ABC THE BETTING: Sydney to win $1.11 - Melbourne to win $5.75 LAST TIME THEY MET: Sydney Swans 14.11.95 d Melbourne 10.3.63 round 19, 2006. Melbourne had seven regulars missing and succumbed badly to the Swans in a must win game that ultimately determined the final four aspirations of both sides in Sydney's favour. Adam Goodes played a starring role on his way to a second Brownlow Medal as the Swans had all of the answers. Of course, they had almost a full list of players available as has been the case for the last three years with the Sydneysiders. THE TEAMS: SYDNEY Backs: Ted Richards Leo Barry Nick Malceski Half backs: Tadgh Kennelly Craig Bolton Ben Mathews Centreline: Amon Buchanan Brett Kirk Jarred McVeigh Half forwards: Ryan O'Keefe, Michael O'Loughlin Jude Bolton Forwards: Adam Schneider Barry Hall Luke Ablett Followers: Darren Jolly Adam Goodes, Nic Fosdike Interchange: Jared Crouch, Nick Davis Peter Everitt Tim Schmidt Emergencies: Heath Grundy Matthew Laidlaw Jarred Moore In: Nick Davis Out: Heath Grundy MELBOURNE: Backs: Cameron Bruce Nathan Carroll Paul Johnson Half backs: Nathan Brown Jared Rivers Daniel Bell Centreline: Brent Moloney James McDonald Adem Yze Half forwards: Chris Johnson Brad Miller Aaron Davey Forwards: Lynden Dunn Mark Jamar Aaron Davey Followers: Jeff White Matthew Bate Travis Johnstone Interchange: Colin Garland Simon Godfrey Ricky Petterd Colin Sylvia Emergencies Clint Bizzell Simon Buckley Daniel Ward In: Colin Garland Chris Johnson Travis Johnstone Brent Moloney Ricky Petterd Jared Rivers Out: Brad Green (hamstring) Nathan Jones (ankle) Paul Wheatley (shoulder) Matthew Whelan (hamstring) Clint Bizzell Daniel Ward New: Ricky Petterd, 18, Broadbeach (Qld) Colin Garland, 19, North Hobart (Tas) Umpires: Kennedy Rosebury Nicholls WHERE THE GAME WILL BE WON AND LOST: Having stuck my neck out I'll tell you exactly where the game will be won - at the centre bounces where Melbourne was mightily competitive against Fremantle last week even without the ability to rotate players for most of the last two and a half quarters. Darren Jolly and Peter Everitt do not equate to Aaron Sandilands and I expect Jeff White who normally does well at this venue, to beat them quite easily and, with Mark Jamar helping out, to set up plenty of opportunities for Johnstone, Moloney, McDonald and company to surprise the Swans' midfield which has been struggling of late. I'm hoping Brad Miller gets the job on Barry Hall whose knee is supposed to be a bit wonky. For some reason, Miller matches up well on him and I see him having a psychological advantage over Sydney's main man up forward. Another key duel will be Cameron Bruce on Adam Goodes. Bruce relishes these tasks and if he can keep the dual Brownlow Medallist down to a modest game by his standards, my prediction of an upset in the harbour city tomorrow night will come close to fruition. THE TIP Melbourne to sneak in by 3 points. FOOTNOTE: If you think I have a wild imagination after reading the above words then spare a thought for whoever was responsible for issuing this week's email announcing Melbournefc's selection news. Immediately under the box for "players to watch" was the name "Brad Green". Unless the Channel 10 cameras focus on the injured players in the stands that's going to be another worthless exercise for Demon supporters in a year where football and worthless exercises have to date become synonymous!

Thanks and cheers to Deeman and Chocko. We need one more who's going to be in Sydney to volunteer!

In keeping with Melbourne's run of luck with injuries so fat this year, our leading votegetter Brent Moloney pulled out of the Round 4 clash with a groin injury. However, he still managed to retain his lead in a round which saw Adem Yze, Aaron Davey and Lynden Dunn pick up their first votes for the season. Progress voting:- 29. Brent Moloney 27. Cameron Bruce 21. Brad Green 20. Brad Miller 19. Daniel Bell 18. Adem Yze 18. Nathan Jones 15. Nathan Brown James McDonald 13. Ben Holland 12. David Neitz 11. Russell Robertson 10. Simon Godfrey 7. Jeff White 6. Aaron Davey 3. Daniel Ward, 2. Nathan Carroll Jared Rivers Travis Johnstone 1. Lynden Dunn Paul Johnson I'm looking for three volunteers who have not voted before to give the votes for the Sydney game. Preference to be given to those who will actually be at the game so let us know if you want the gig this week.

by J.V. McKay Melbourne was virtually doomed from the start in its campaign to overcome Fremantle on Sunday. Although both sides were winless coming into the game, the dice were loaded and rolling Fremantle's way. Earlier in the week the Dockers were looking at going into the game without their key midfield menace in Josh Carr and the erratic and slightly whacky but skillful Des Headland through suspension. History tells us that the AFL's judicial genii let them both off and they were available to play. Headland turned in a best on ground, I can do nothing wrong on the field performance (19 possessions in the first half alone and three goals for the game), while Carr put in a handy display. Compare and contrast that with Melbourne. The club was already undergoing an injury crisis of epidemic proportions missing key forwards David Neitz and Russell Robertson, star midfielder Travis Johnston, up and coming defender Clint Bartram and promising recruit James Frawley whose pre season indicated he might be thereabouts at the start of the season, things weren't looking too flash. Then, from the team selected on Thursday night, three fairly important players in what was left of the team's structure - Jared Rivers, Travis Johnston and Brent Moloney were all withdrawn from the game through injury. The resultant team was left with four players returning to the AFL for the first time this season and all of them had come in with limited preparation. I'm referring to Clint Bizzell, Lynden Dunn, Byron Pickett and Colin Sylvia (and in the normal course, we would not have been expecting more than three quarters from each of them). As if that wasn't enough, Melbourne suffered badly again from the scourge of losing players through injury during the course of a game. By halfway through the second quarter it was obvious that Matthew Whelan, Daniel Bell, Nathan Jones and Paul Wheatley were inconvenienced in some shape or form through injury, their collective impact after that was minimal. At some stage during the game Nathan Brown also suffered a corkie and one or two others appeared to be struggling. This again put more pressure on the rest of the team (including the underdone Pickett and Sylvia) because the proper rotation of players was rendered well nigh impossible. Did Neale Daniher walk under a ladder on Friday the Thirteenth while looking for a black cat? Taking all of these considerations into account, Melbourne's 45 point loss to Fremantle should not be looked upon as a complete disaster. That the Demons were just 22 points down deep in the third term was a fair effort but it just couldn't sustain a comeback against a team that really won the returning to the AFL for the first time game by playing in surges – achieving quick three or four goal bursts when their freshness and some obvious match up advantages brought about by Melbourne's player distress gave them an advantage in the ability to move and in their confidence. All this is not to say that the Melbourne team that lost the game was a pretty sight. There was a fair amount of fumbling and mistakes made under pressure, the movement of the ball out of defense was diabolical and in particular the team was exposed from the point kick ins whereby the Dockers moved the ball from defence into attack with consummate ease while the Demons often bumbled their way out around the backline often making fundamental schoolboy errors. Some rays of light were the return to a semblance of form by Adem Yze and Aaron Davey who started winning possessions, the excellent first up performance of a very much improved Lynden Dunn. The other thing is that this injury plague cannot go on forever. Sooner or later, the Demons will come across a team that also loses its most valuable players through injury; the law of averages dictates that this will happen during a game at some stage of the season. Perhaps when there's a return to a level playing field we'll finally mange to see them play to their true ability. After all, look at how the Aussie cricketers were travelling recently whilst in New Zealand for Chappell/Hadlee series with a few key players injured and/or unavailable. Slaughtered in every game, they have now recovered to a point where they are on the verge of playing off and winning Cricket's World Cup. Recovery is possible as soon as the dice start rolling your way. Melbourne 3.5.23 4.9.33 9.11.65 13.14.92 Fremantle 5.2.32 10.5.65 17.8.110 21.11.137 Goals Melbourne: Dunn 3 Miller 3 Davey 2 Bate Jamar McDonald Pickett Yze Fremantle: Pavlich 6 Headland Webster 3 Sandilands Tarrant 2 Campbell J Carr Crowley Gilmore McManus Best: Melbourne: Yze McDonald Davey Dunn Green Fremantle: Pavlich Headland Hasleby McManus Sandilands Bell Hayden Parker Webster Team changes: Melbourne: Rivers (hamstring) replaced by Bizzell. Moloney (groin) replaced by Bate. Johnstone (hamstring) replaced by Sylvia. Fremantle: Cook replaced by Campbell Injuries: Melbourne: Bell (concussion) Brown (calf) Jones (ankle) Whelan (hamstring) Wheatley (shoulder) Fremantle: Nil Reports: Nil Umpires: Ellis Farmer Avon Crowd: 16,654 at the MCG

Don't forget, you need to get your tips for this week in by 2.35pm today!!!

DOCKERS WIN WITH DICE LOADED by J.V. McKay Melbourne was virtually doomed from the start in its campaign to overcome Fremantle on Sunday. Although both sides were winless coming into the game, the dice were loaded and rolling Fremantle's way. Earlier in the week the Dockers were looking at going into the game without their key midfield menace in Josh Carr and the erratic and slightly whacky but skillful Des Headland through suspension. History tells us that the AFL's judicial genii let them both off and they were available to play. Headland turned in a best on ground, I can do nothing wrong on the field performance (19 possessions in the first half alone and three goals for the game), while Carr put in a handy display. Compare and contrast that with Melbourne. The club was already undergoing an injury crisis of epidemic proportions missing key forwards David Neitz and Russell Robertson, star midfielder Travis Johnston, up and coming defender Clint Bartram and promising recruit James Frawley whose pre season indicated he might be thereabouts at the start of the season, things weren't looking too flash. Then, from the team selected on Thursday night, three fairly important players in what was left of the team's structure - Jared Rivers, Travis Johnston and Brent Moloney were all withdrawn from the game through injury. The resultant team was left with four players returning to the AFL for the first time this season and all of them had come in with limited preparation. I'm referring to Clint Bizzell, Lynden Dunn, Byron Pickett and Colin Sylvia (and in the normal course, we would not have been expecting more than three quarters from each of them). As if that wasn't enough, Melbourne suffered badly again from the scourge of losing players through injury during the course of a game. By halfway through the second quarter it was obvious that Matthew Whelan, Daniel Bell, Nathan Jones and Paul Wheatley were inconvenienced in some shape or form through injury, their collective impact after that was minimal. At some stage during the game Nathan Brown also suffered a corkie and one or two others appeared to be struggling. This again put more pressure on the rest of the team (including the underdone Pickett and Sylvia) because the proper rotation of players was rendered well nigh impossible. Did Neale Daniher walk under a ladder on Friday the Thirteenth while looking for a black cat? Taking all of these considerations into account, Melbourne's 45 point loss to Fremantle should not be looked upon as a complete disaster. That the Demons were just 22 points down deep in the third term was a fair effort but it just couldn't sustain a comeback against a team that really won the returning to the AFL for the first time game by playing in surges – achieving quick three or four goal bursts when their freshness and some obvious match up advantages brought about by Melbourne's player distress gave them an advantage in the ability to move and in their confidence. All this is not to say that the Melbourne team that lost the game was a pretty sight. There was a fair amount of fumbling and mistakes made under pressure, the movement of the ball out of defense was diabolical and in particular the team was exposed from the point kick ins whereby the Dockers moved the ball from defence into attack with consummate ease while the Demons often bumbled their way out around the backline often making fundamental schoolboy errors. Some rays of light were the return to a semblance of form by Adem Yze and Aaron Davey who started winning possessions, the excellent first up performance of a very much improved Lynden Dunn. The other thing is that this injury plague cannot go on forever. Sooner or later, the Demons will come across a team that also loses its most valuable players through injury; the law of averages dictates that this will happen during a game at some stage of the season. Perhaps when there's a return to a level playing field we'll finally mange to see them play to their true ability. After all, look at how the Aussie cricketers were travelling recently whilst in New Zealand for Chappell/Hadlee series with a few key players injured and/or unavailable. Slaughtered in every game, they have now recovered to a point where they are on the verge of playing off and winning Cricket's World Cup. Recovery is possible as soon as the dice start rolling your way. Melbourne 3.5.23 4.9.33 9.11.65 13.14.92 Fremantle 5.2.32 10.5.65 17.8.110 21.11.137 Goals Melbourne: Dunn Miller 3 Davey 2 Bate Jamar McDonald Yze Fremantle: Pavlich 6 Headland Webster 3 Sandilands Tarrant 2 Campbell J Carr Crowley Gilmore McManus Best: Melbourne: Yze McDonald Davey Dunn Green Fremantle: Pavlich Headland Hasleby McManus Sandilands Bell Hayden Parker Webster Team changes: Melbourne: Rivers (hamstring) replaced by Bizzell. Moloney (groin) replaced by Bate. Johnstone (hamstring) replaced by Sylvia. Fremantle: Cook replaced by Campbell Injuries: Melbourne: Bell (concussion) Brown (calf) Jones (ankle) Whelan (hamstring) Wheatley (shoulder) Fremantle: Nil Reports: Nil Umpires: Ellis Farmer Avon Crowd: 16,654 at the MCG

What's that they say about cream rising to the top ! 1. (1) 20 Demonland 2. (1) 19 bl3281 2. (5) 19 great_gatsby 2. (5) 19 Whispering_Jack 5. (5) 18 canberrademon(herb) 5. (5) 18 Clyde_Cabbie 5. (1) 18 deanox 5. (12) 18 demon_fanatic 5. (16) 18 KrazyJay 5. (5) 18 TimDees 11. (16) 17 achirnside 11. (16) 17 Dappadan 11. (5) 17 Dees_Fan16 11. (5) 17 DeMoNiC 11. (16) 17 Go_Ds 11. (12) 17 Kieranbj 11. (16) 17 paliosiana 11. (12) 17 petejh2000 11. (12) 17 Pinball_Wizard 11. (25) 17 Scoop Junior 11. (16) 17 slamevil 11. (25) 17 snarler_0 23. (25) 16 dee'viator 23. (16) 16 demon_davey 23. (16) 16 Fingers Power 23. (1) 16 Jackieboy_0 27. (16) 15 BigKev Demon 28. (31) 14 Alpha_33 28. (25) 14 deesthisyear 28. (30) 14 frangas 28. (31) 14 Goodvibes 28. (25) 14 Rivers Run Red 33. (33) 11 melon22 33. (36) 11 rusty_corner 35. (35) 10 No Cigar 36. (33) 9 jaded24 37. (38) 6 CarnTheDees 37. (37) 6 rusty_kingswood

ZEBRAS DIG DEEP by Ice Station Zebra Sandringham was forced to dig deep into its reserves of strength and courage to come back from behind late in the final quarter and record a stunning 7 point victory over the Bendigo Bombers at Windy Hill on Sunday. With the Sandy team further weakened by the Melbourne injury crisis and with skipper Chad Liddell concussed and on the bench, Bendigo looked as if it was going to power home to victory after grabbing the lead late in the final quarter. However, the Zebras struck back with goals from Danny Hughes and Nick Sautner to see them home after a classic final quarter struggle. The game opened in lacklustre fashion but the Bendigo Bombers were inspired by the return of Adam Ramanauskas after two years battling cancer and a knee injury. They fought tooth and nail to keep up with the reigning premiers and managed to keep things even in the first quarter before the visitors took control. When Liddell went down to a heavy hit in the second quarter, it was up to some of the real stalwarts of the club to stand up and be counted. David Gallagher was in exceptional form with his strong tackling and hard chasing, providing a good link up while Shane Valenti's great start to the season continued with an exceptional display in midfield. Stefan Martin, in only his second game for the club was rucking well, while Ricky Petterd was in fine form and showed again why he is knocking on the door to AFL selection. At half time, the Zebras had pushed to a handy three goal lead. The third quarter saw a dour struggle between the teams with Bendigo coming back hard and reducing the gap to 15 points at the final break. They could have been much closer but for some poor kicking for goal. Zebra coach Mark Williams sensed trouble at the final break and warned his charges of Bendigo's ability to surge and score quickly. He was right because the Bombers managed to kick the first five goals of the quarter and were threatening to overrun his team. The game became a hard, tough slog at the end with both teams struggling to get past their half forward lines until Hughes managed to convert from a strong mark and lead to even things up again. The huge crowd at Windy Hill was frustrated with some of the umpiring (which affected both sides), but it was the experience of Zebras like Ryan Ferguson and Andy Biddlecome who were solid in defence all day, Rod Crowe, Ezra Poyas and the effervescent Gallagher that managed to hold Bendigo out. The final goal came from a free kick awarded about 20 metres out directly in front to Nick Sautner after a huge pack had developed. The resultant goal, the spearhead's fourth for the day, and assured the Zebras of victory. Williams was rapt with the win and said he was particularly impressed with the way his team reacted after Bendigo surged to the lead. They didn't just lie down but kept on coming was impressive in the circumstances of the game. "It was a really good win. We went in with only seven or eight Melbourne blokes," Williams said. "We had kids in. Gallagher was fantastic, his tackling and his winning of the ball in contested situations was outstanding. "Valenti was very good around the ball." Sandringham remains the ladder leader and is the only undefeated team after just three rounds. The team comprised of 13 VFL listed players this week, a fact which underlines the club's depth. That depth is certain to be tested again with Sunday's home clash against the Casey Scorpions as more players are expected to be elevated to the AFL at the weekend. Sandringham 3.3.21 9.4.58 12.6.78 15.12.102 Bendigo Bombers 3.3.21 6.4.40 9.9.63 14.11.95 Goals: Sandringham: Sautner 4 Hughes Martin Summers 2 Johnson Liddell Newton Petterd Poyas Bendigo Bombers: Gumbleton Lonergan 4 Hocking 2 Carter Camporeale Jolley Skipworth Best: Sandringham: Gallagher Valenti Petterd Ferguson Biddlecombe Johnson Bendigo Bombers: Johnson Skipworth Camporeale Lonergan Flaherty Gumbleton TOUGH DAY FOR RESERVES Sandringham reserves missed a golden opportunity to win away from home when they were overrun in the final quarter after holding a 22 point lead at three quarter time. The team had their chances to be a lot further in front at that stage but in the end, it must be said that they lost the game themselves. The young team will need to add better consistency and discipline to its makeup. Daniel Gribbin was in excellent form again as were Tom Paterakis and Rennie Gilchrist. The team will have to regroup for next week's game against. the Casey Scorpions if it is to keep its season track. Sandringham 3.0.18 8.4.52 12.8.80 13.10.88 Bendigo Bombers 5.5.35 7.11.53 9.14.58 14.24.108 Goals: Sandringham: Curcio Gileno Monaghan Tregear Zarra 2 Bode Dunne McKenzie Bendigo Bombers: Maddern Weeks 4 Geary 2 Anderson Atkinson Crameri Leech Best: Sandringham: Gribbin Gilchrist Paterakis McKenzie Ott Zarra Bendigo Bombers: Gladman Atkinson Anderson Weeks Marchesani Dillon

by Ice Station Zebra Sandringham was forced to dig deep into its reserves of strength and courage to come back from behind late in the final quarter and record a stunning 7 point victory over the Bendigo Bombers at Windy Hill on Sunday. With the Sandy team further weakened by the Melbourne injury crisis and with skipper Chad Liddell concussed and on the bench, Bendigo looked as if it was going to power home to victory after grabbing the lead late in the final quarter. However, the Zebras struck back with goals from Danny Hughes and Nick Sautner to see them home after a classic final quarter struggle. The game opened in lacklustre fashion but the Bendigo Bombers were inspired by the return of Adam Ramanauskas after two years battling cancer and a knee injury. They fought tooth and nail to keep up with the reigning premiers and managed to keep things even in the first quarter before the visitors took control. When Liddell went down to a heavy hit in the second quarter, it was up to some of the real stalwarts of the club to stand up and be counted. David Gallagher was in exceptional form with his strong tackling and hard chasing, providing a good link up while Shane Valenti's great start to the season continued with an exceptional display in midfield. Stefan Martin, in only his second game for the club was rucking well, while Ricky Petterd was in fine form and showed again why he is knocking on the door to AFL selection. At half time, the Zebras had pushed to a handy three goal lead. The third quarter saw a dour struggle between the teams with Bendigo coming back hard and reducing the gap to 15 points at the final break. They could have been much closer but for some poor kicking for goal. Zebra coach Mark Williams sensed trouble at the final break and warned his charges of Bendigo's ability to surge and score quickly. He was right because the Bombers managed to kick the first five goals of the quarter and were threatening to overrun his team. The game became a hard, tough slog at the end with both teams struggling to get past their half forward lines until Hughes managed to convert from a strong mark and lead to even things up again. The huge crowd at Windy Hill was frustrated with some of the umpiring (which affected both sides), but it was the experience of Zebras like Ryan Ferguson and Andy Biddlecome who were solid in defence all day, Rod Crowe, Ezra Poyas and the effervescent Gallagher that managed to hold Bendigo out. The final goal came from a free kick awarded about 20 metres out directly in front to Nick Sautner after a huge pack had developed. The resultant goal, the spearhead's fourth for the day, and assured the Zebras of victory. Williams was rapt with the win and said he was particularly impressed with the way his team reacted after Bendigo surged to the lead. They didn't just lie down but kept on coming was impressive in the circumstances of the game. "It was a really good win. We went in with only seven or eight Melbourne blokes," Williams said. "We had kids in. Gallagher was fantastic, his tackling and his winning of the ball in contested situations was outstanding. "Valenti was very good around the ball." Sandringham remains the ladder leader and is the only undefeated team after just three rounds. The team comprised of 13 VFL listed players this week, a fact which underlines the club's depth. That depth is certain to be tested again with Sunday's home clash against the Casey Scorpions as more players are expected to be elevated to the AFL at the weekend. Sandringham 3.3.21 9.4.58 12.6.78 15.12.102 Bendigo Bombers 3.3.21 6.4.40 9.9.63 14.11.95 Goals: Sandringham: Sautner 4 Hughes Martin Summers 2 Johnson Liddell Newton Petterd Poyas Bendigo Bombers: Gumbleton Lonergan 4 Hocking 2 Carter Camporeale Jolley Skipworth Best: Sandringham: Gallagher Valenti Petterd Ferguson Biddlecombe Johnson Bendigo Bombers: Johnson Skipworth Camporeale Lonergan Flaherty Gumbleton TOUGH DAY FOR RESERVES Sandringham reserves missed a golden opportunity to win away from home when they were overrun in the final quarter after holding a 22 point lead at three quarter time. The team had their chances to be a lot further in front at that stage but in the end, it must be said that they lost the game themselves. The young team will need to add better consistency and discipline to its makeup. Daniel Gribbin was in excellent form again as were Tom Paterakis and Rennie Gilchrist. The team will have to regroup for next week's game against. the Casey Scorpions if it is to keep its season track. Sandringham 3.0.18 8.4.52 12.8.80 13.10.88 Bendigo Bombers 5.5.35 7.11.53 9.14.58 14.24.108 Goals: Sandringham: Curcio Gileno Monaghan Tregear Zarra 2 Bode Dunne McKenzie Bendigo Bombers: Maddern Weeks 4 Geary 2 Anderson Atkinson Crameri Leech Best: Sandringham: Gribbin Gilchrist Paterakis McKenzie Ott Zarra Bendigo Bombers: Gladman Atkinson Anderson Weeks Marchesani Dillon

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