Demonland

TURN, TURN, TURN by Whispering Jack When the final siren sounds to end the Hawthorn v Melbourne game on Sunday, it's almost a certainty that the Demons will still occupy the bottom spot on the AFL ladder. The circumstances behind this sorry situation is a reflection of many things including the fact that the club has been handed a particularly tough gig in its transitional year under a new coach in Dean Bailey. By Sunday evening Melbourne will have played an unprecedented five out of nine games against teams that occupy the top four positions and at least seven against teams in the eight. Two of those games took place outside Victoria (it would have been three but for the AFL's acceptance of the writing on the wall and its relocation of the fourth round game against North Melbourne from Carara to the MCG) and one was played at Skilled Stadium. While the above schedule would have been problematic for the Demons in years like 2004 to 2006 when they were regular finalists, in 2008, it's nothing short of a horror programme because the team has slipped so dramatically behind the pack. Its performances to date (with the exception of one half of inspired football) have been sub standard and that the club must dramatically raise its standards in every facet of its operations - on and off the field - if it is to survive through the next decade. Melbourne doesn't have the benefit of the free kicks meted out by the AFL to clubs like Collingwood and Essendon when the season's schedules are drawn up to help weather the storm in difficult times. Nor can it rely on the old Ian Collins philosophy that "what goes around comes around". Under the current regime, the situation won't be redressed any time soon; not even as is being mooted, if the AFL abandons its package of $6.4million in assistance set aside for 2010 to help keep struggling clubs afloat. That package is often cited as the compensation for clubs not getting the big ticket games on Friday nights and for them being consigned to the far flung reaches of the continent more often than others. The AFL seems happy to see these clubs continue to struggle and to keep both knees firmly pressing on their jugular veins. Melbourne faces a tough future and, with two new clubs about to enter the competition, things are not going to get any easier over the coming years: the road home just keeps on getting harder to traverse. Hawthorn President Jeff Kennett claims he has the answer to Melbourne's problems – relocate to the Gold Coast. Otherwise, "I don't think Melbourne, as it is at the moment, has a long term future in this code," he told the audience at a fundraiser on Thursday. Poor Jeff. The events of the latter part of the last century must have shaken him so badly that he has surely forgotten how quickly things can sometimes change in both politics and football. Forgotten is the way in which the party that he led lost government in the State election of 1999 or that his own club was a virtual basket case with no money in 1997. Or how, just a matter of two years ago, Melbourne 20.16.136 whipped his Hawks 9.7.61 by a margin of 75 points. Not long after that Kennett's Hawks became known as the Tasmanian Hawks and their President now has two heads. In this sport, as in politics, there a time for every purpose. Things will turn and I hope that Jeff's around when they do because we will most certainly remind him. THE GAME Melbourne v Hawthorn at the MCG - 25 May 2008 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 74 wins Hawthorn 74 wins At the G Melbourne 36 wins Hawthorn 34 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 5 wins Hawthorn 7 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 Clarkson 1 MEDIA TV Channel 7 3.oopm (on delay) RADIO K-Rock Triple M 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne to win $8.00 Hawthorn to win $1.05 LAST TIME THEY MET Hawthorn 23.16.154 defeated Melbourne 6.14.50 at the MCG in Round 1, 2008. Chance Bateman and Lance Franklin carved up a pathetic Demon side, ate them and spat them out as feed for the vultures circling the G. Hardly a single Demon could hold his head up high but Brad Green went forward to kick a couple and Robbo booted three in junk time not so much to make things look respectable but to prevent the score line from looking farcical. Nathan Jones and Paul Johnson tried hard. That's about it! FEATURES Indigenous Round Tribute to David Neitz Both events will be covered in our wrap up of the weekend. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Matthew Warnock Colin Garland Daniel Bell Half backs Clint Bartram Paul Johnson Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green Brock McLean Matthew Bate Half forwards Cale Morton Russell Robertson Brent Moloney Forwards Aaron Davey Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White James McDonald Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley James Frawley Ben Holland Shane Valenti Emergencies Jace Bode Chris Johnson Adem Yze In Ben Holland Out Mark Jamar (omitted) HAWTHORNTASMANIAN HAWKS Backs Campbell Brown Stephen Gilham Rick Ladson Half backs Xavier Ellis Trent Croad Grant Birchall Centreline Clinton Young Sam Mitchell Chance Bateman Half forwards Michael Osborne Lance Franklin Josh Kennedy Forwards Cyril Rioli Jarryd Roughead Mark Williams Followers Robert Campbell Brad Sewell Jordan Lewis Interchange Tim Clarke Stuart Dew Thomas Murphy Simon Taylor Emergencies Jarryd Morton Brent Renouf Mitch Thorp In Tim Clarke Josh Kennedy Thomas Murphy Out Brent Guerra (hamstring) Shane Crawford (suspended) Ben McGlynn (suspended) Field umpires James Grun Armstrong SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW? There's little use in analysing match ups and where Melbourne might win this game or who in hell is going to stop Buddy Franklin. The Demons are simply battling at this stage to be competitive every time they enter the field of battle and by my reckoning, they have been competitive for no more than between 5 and 10% of the time this year which is simply nowhere near good enough and won’t allow them a look in against the undefeated Hawks! Mind you, last weekend wasn't all bad for the Melbourne Football Club. Sure, our boys went down to Adelaide by 76 points in what was the Crows' biggest victory ever over the Demons but we need to look at things in the overall context of the club as a whole. It's called the "bigger picture". In this bigger picture, our alignment partner Sandringham, which also travelled interstate with nine Demon listed players, demolished the Tassie Devils in Launceston to the tune of 152 points, meaning that the net winning margin of the two teams that contained Melbourne players at the weekend was a positive 76 points and not the negative 76 point loss we took away from the City of Churches. And for these purposes I'm not taking into account the Storm or the Vixen or any other Melbourne teams. To be sure, I'm being a little flippant but when you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand and nothing is going right, you need a friend to come knocking on your door – and, well … that friend is called "optimism" but even being an optimist doesn't always mean that you will get the outcome you want. Melbourne's 76 point horror performance in Adelaide and some of the other losses suffered this year need to be looked at in the context of previous years when the team was regarded as somewhat more successful. Since Neil Craig took over at the Crows, the Demons have suffered a series of shattering defeats at AAMI Stadium - by 72 points in 2004, then 54 (in 2005) and 58 (in 2006) and their record over there against Port Adelaide is even worse! But there is a difference between those sides and the one that represented Melbourne last week and that's in its youth. The coach made it clear to supporters very early in the piece that the club's future was with players generally in the 23 years and under group and that players could no longer rely on past deeds to win selection. Just look at the experienced players in the team that flew south to Tassie rather than west to Adelaide. They included Ben Holland, Matthew Whelan and Adem Yze while Nathan Carroll was selected as an emergency for the game in Adelaide. They would all have been assured of a game in the AFL in previous years. Now they have to prove themselves in order to get a game. Holland and Yze appear to be coming close after long stints outside the big time. In other words, Bailey is delivering on his promise of youth which means, inter alia, that we are going to experience some inevitable short term pain but in the longer run, it should mainly bring good as young players get more and more serious game time in their legs. We have to look to the likes of most (but obviously not all) of this group - Simon Buckley, Nathan Jones, Clint Bartram, Brock McLean, Matthew Bate, James Frawley, Cale Morton, Paul Johnson, Colin Sylvia, Lynden Dunn, Ricky Petterd, Jack Grimes, Chris Johnson, Addam Maric, Colin Garland, Daniel Bell, Brent Moloney, Kyle Cheney, John Meesen, Jared Rivers, Isaac Weetra, Michael Newton, Tom McNamara, Stefan Martin, Matthew Warnock, Austin Wonaeamirri, Jace Bode and Shane Valenti - to come of age. This is what has happened at Hawthorn over the last three or four years. Its youth has matured, the team is winning and the money is rolling in as well. Its what allows Jeff Kennett to be so smug and opinionated about an opposition club on the eve of their second meeting in two months. But the same thing also happened at Melbourne in the past and it can happen again. It might not work out as successfully as it did for the club in the fifties or more recently for Geelong but Bailey has faced the reality and is steadfastly trying to change the team make up and the style of game it plays from its very roots. As Melbourne meets Hawthorn again just eight games after it suffered a drubbing at the hands of the Hawks in the opening round of the season, the short term pain will continue to be felt. Youngsters lacking the strength of mature bodies and the experience of 50 to 100 games will inevitably make mistakes and turn the ball over against well drilled sides like the Hawks. They will give away more free kicks and they will do thinks that irritate supporters. Not even the optimist in me can therefore select the Demons to overturn a 104 point deficit in such a short time. What we can expect is some more promising signs than the pessimistic ones that were thrown up two months ago on the day when this long journey started. Even though it's a long road home, things are beginning, ever so slowly, to turn. For the record, I'm tipping Hawthorn to win.

TURN, TURN, TURN by Whispering Jack When the final siren sounds to end the Hawthorn v Melbourne game on Sunday, it's almost a certainty that the Demons will still occupy the bottom spot on the AFL ladder. The circumstances behind this sorry situation is a reflection of many things including the fact that the club has been handed a particularly tough gig in its transitional year under a new coach in Dean Bailey. By Sunday evening Melbourne will have played an unprecedented five out of nine games against teams that occupy the top four positions and at least seven against teams in the eight. Two of those games took place outside Victoria (it would have been three but for the AFL's acceptance of the writing on the wall and its relocation of the fourth round game against North Melbourne from Carara to the MCG) and one was played at Skilled Stadium. While the above schedule would have been problematic for the Demons in years like 2004 to 2006 when they were regular finalists, in 2008, it's nothing short of a horror programme because the team has slipped so dramatically behind the pack. Its performances to date (with the exception of one half of inspired football) have been sub standard and that the club must dramatically raise its standards in every facet of its operations - on and off the field - if it is to survive through the next decade. Melbourne doesn't have the benefit of the free kicks meted out by the AFL to clubs like Collingwood and Essendon when the season's schedules are drawn up to help weather the storm in difficult times. Nor can it rely on the old Ian Collins philosophy that "what goes around comes around". Under the current regime, the situation won't be redressed any time soon; not even as is being mooted, if the AFL abandons its package of $6.4million in assistance set aside for 2010 to help keep struggling clubs afloat. That package is often cited as the compensation for clubs not getting the big ticket games on Friday nights and for them being consigned to the far flung reaches of the continent more often than others. The AFL seems happy to see these clubs continue to struggle and to keep both knees firmly pressing on their jugular veins. Melbourne faces a tough future and, with two new clubs about to enter the competition, things are not going to get any easier over the coming years: the road home just keeps on getting harder to traverse. Hawthorn President Jeff Kennett claims he has the answer to Melbourne's problems – relocate to the Gold Coast. Otherwise, "I don't think Melbourne, as it is at the moment, has a long term future in this code," he told the audience at a fundraiser on Thursday. Poor Jeff. The events of the latter part of the last century must have shaken him so badly that he has surely forgotten how quickly things can sometimes change in both politics and football. Forgotten is the way in which the party that he led lost government in the State election of 1999 or that his own club was a virtual basket case with no money in 1997. Or how, just a matter of two years ago, Melbourne 20.16.136 whipped his Hawks 9.7.61 by a margin of 75 points. Not long after that Kennett's Hawks became known as the Tasmanian Hawks and their President now has two heads. In this sport, as in politics, there a time for every purpose. Things will turn and I hope that Jeff's around when they do because we will most certainly remind him. THE GAME Melbourne v Hawthorn at the MCG - 25 May 2008 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 74 wins Hawthorn 74 wins At the G Melbourne 36 wins Hawthorn 34 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 5 wins Hawthorn 7 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 Clarkson 1 MEDIA TV Channel 7 3.oopm (on delay) RADIO K-Rock Triple M 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne to win $8.00 Hawthorn to win $1.05 LAST TIME THEY MET Hawthorn 23.16.154 defeated Melbourne 6.14.50 at the MCG in Round 1, 2008. Chance Bateman and Lance Franklin carved up a pathetic Demon side, ate them and spat them out as feed for the vultures circling the G. Hardly a single Demon could hold his head up high but Brad Green went forward to kick a couple and Robbo booted three in junk time not so much to make things look respectable but to prevent the score line from looking farcical. Nathan Jones and Paul Johnson tried hard. That's about it! FEATURES Indigenous Round Tribute to David Neitz Both events will be covered in our wrap up of the weekend. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Matthew Warnock Colin Garland Daniel Bell Half backs Clint Bartram Paul Johnson Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green Brock McLean Matthew Bate Half forwards Cale Morton Russell Robertson Brent Moloney Forwards Aaron Davey Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White James McDonald Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley James Frawley Ben Holland Shane Valenti Emergencies Jace Bode Chris Johnson Adem Yze In Ben Holland Out Mark Jamar (omitted) HAWTHORNTASMANIAN HAWKS Backs Campbell Brown Stephen Gilham Rick Ladson Half backs Xavier Ellis Trent Croad Grant Birchall Centreline Clinton Young Sam Mitchell Chance Bateman Half forwards Michael Osborne Lance Franklin Josh Kennedy Forwards Cyril Rioli Jarryd Roughead Mark Williams Followers Robert Campbell Brad Sewell Jordan Lewis Interchange Tim Clarke Stuart Dew Thomas Murphy Simon Taylor Emergencies Jarryd Morton Brent Renouf Mitch Thorp In Tim Clarke Josh Kennedy Thomas Murphy Out Brent Guerra (hamstring) Shane Crawford (suspended) Ben McGlynn (suspended) Field umpires James Grun Armstrong SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW? There's little use in analysing match ups and where Melbourne might win this game or who in hell is going to stop Buddy Franklin. The Demons are simply battling at this stage to be competitive every time they enter the field of battle and by my reckoning, they have been competitive for no more than between 5 and 10% of the time this year which is simply nowhere near good enough and won’t allow them a look in against the undefeated Hawks! Mind you, last weekend wasn't all bad for the Melbourne Football Club. Sure, our boys went down to Adelaide by 76 points in what was the Crows' biggest victory ever over the Demons but we need to look at things in the overall context of the club as a whole. It's called the "bigger picture". In this bigger picture, our alignment partner Sandringham, which also travelled interstate with nine Demon listed players, demolished the Tassie Devils in Launceston to the tune of 152 points, meaning that the net winning margin of the two teams that contained Melbourne players at the weekend was a positive 76 points and not the negative 76 point loss we took away from the City of Churches. And for these purposes I'm not taking into account the Storm or the Vixen or any other Melbourne teams. To be sure, I'm being a little flippant but when you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand and nothing is going right, you need a friend to come knocking on your door – and, well … that friend is called "optimism" but even being an optimist doesn't always mean that you will get the outcome you want. Melbourne's 76 point horror performance in Adelaide and some of the other losses suffered this year need to be looked at in the context of previous years when the team was regarded as somewhat more successful. Since Neil Craig took over at the Crows, the Demons have suffered a series of shattering defeats at AAMI Stadium - by 72 points in 2004, then 54 (in 2005) and 58 (in 2006) and their record over there against Port Adelaide is even worse! But there is a difference between those sides and the one that represented Melbourne last week and that's in its youth. The coach made it clear to supporters very early in the piece that the club's future was with players generally in the 23 years and under group and that players could no longer rely on past deeds to win selection. Just look at the experienced players in the team that flew south to Tassie rather than west to Adelaide. They included Ben Holland, Matthew Whelan and Adem Yze while Nathan Carroll was selected as an emergency for the game in Adelaide. They would all have been assured of a game in the AFL in previous years. Now they have to prove themselves in order to get a game. Holland and Yze appear to be coming close after long stints outside the big time. In other words, Bailey is delivering on his promise of youth which means, inter alia, that we are going to experience some inevitable short term pain but in the longer run, it should mainly bring good as young players get more and more serious game time in their legs. We have to look to the likes of most (but obviously not all) of this group - Simon Buckley, Nathan Jones, Clint Bartram, Brock McLean, Matthew Bate, James Frawley, Cale Morton, Paul Johnson, Colin Sylvia, Lynden Dunn, Ricky Petterd, Jack Grimes, Chris Johnson, Addam Maric, Colin Garland, Daniel Bell, Brent Moloney, Kyle Cheney, John Meesen, Jared Rivers, Isaac Weetra, Michael Newton, Tom McNamara, Stefan Martin, Matthew Warnock, Austin Wonaeamirri, Jace Bode and Shane Valenti - to come of age. This is what has happened at Hawthorn over the last three or four years. Its youth has matured, the team is winning and the money is rolling in as well. Its what allows Jeff Kennett to be so smug and opinionated about an opposition club on the eve of their second meeting in two months. But the same thing also happened at Melbourne in the past and it can happen again. It might not work out as successfully as it did for the club in the fifties or more recently for Geelong but Bailey has faced the reality and is steadfastly trying to change the team make up and the style of game it plays from its very roots. As Melbourne meets Hawthorn again just eight games after it suffered a drubbing at the hands of the Hawks in the opening round of the season, the short term pain will continue to be felt. Youngsters lacking the strength of mature bodies and the experience of 50 to 100 games will inevitably make mistakes and turn the ball over against well drilled sides like the Hawks. They will give away more free kicks and they will do thinks that irritate supporters. Not even the optimist in me can therefore select the Demons to overturn a 104 point deficit in such a short time. What we can expect is some more promising signs than the pessimistic ones that were thrown up two months ago on the day when this long journey started. Even though it's a long road home, things are beginning, ever so slowly, to turn. For the record, I'm tipping Hawthorn to win.

Just a little warning people. Please read our code of conduct very carefully. One of our players has been wrongly smeared on this forum and it just so happens that the person in question has a legal representative who also posts regularly on Demonland. If anyone is reckless enough to attempt a cheap shot like that again they face being banned from here for life (not to mention the possible consequences of litigation). I hope that's understood. Thank you.

I ... er ... had classes on the night which ran late so I couldn't make it. WJ might write a report for both sites about the night and George on the Outer from 'ology took some photos which will also be posted on the sites. My information about CJ was second hand from WJ but he's still talking about how fantastic the evening was and how all in attendance gained some fascinating insights from Clint about his past, his recovery from his injuries and his aspirations for the future.

According to Clint Bartram at the Demonland/Demonology Sponsorship Night CJ picked up 35 possessions in a BOG performance with Sandringham on Saturday morning. As this was probably his third good one in a row, I suspect that he will be rewarded with place in at least the 25 for Sunday and good luck to him because he's worked hard at Sandy and on the training track over the past month.

by Scoop Junior It wasn't quite Mission Impossible, but it wasn't far off either. The Demons ventured to AAMI Stadium – a ground where they hadn't won since Andrew Leoncelli's thrilling goal with four seconds remaining early in 2001 – at 1-6 with a team containing 17 players under the age of 25. Form (despite the incredible second half performance against the Dockers) said "no chance"; as did recent history and experience. And while football is a game where anything can happen, more often that not nothing out of the ordinary happens and the predicted result usually eventuates. Sunday's game against the Crows was no exception. While Melbourne fought hard for the first quarter and a half, Adelaide simply had too much class and experience, an advantage which eventually took its toll on the visitors after half time. The Demons did begin the match well and should have been at least level at quarter time but for some wasted opportunities from their forwards and the accuracy of the opposition in front of goal. The Crows looked like scoring every time they entered the forward 50, which was hardly surprising given the lack of experience in the Melbourne defence with regulars Nathan Carroll, Jared Rivers, Paul Wheatley out injured and Matthew Whelan coming back from illness at Sandy. At the start of the second term the Dees placed a man behind the ball to try to stifle Adelaide's forwards who were operating at an incredibly high efficiency level. This backfired somewhat in that it gave the Crows more runners through the middle - something you cannot afford against an Adelaide side that runs and moves the ball as well as any side in the competition. But then, it was always a matter of time before the Adelaide machine clicked into gear. With the ball being regularly pumped inside the Adelaide 50, the young Demon defence had no hope of keeping the floodgates firmly shut. While the 76-point margin indicated a dirty day for the Dees, there were in fact many encouraging signs and the performance was superior to some of the pathetic efforts displayed earlier in the season. In particular, supporters would have been pleased with a number of younger players in Clint Bartram, Simon Buckley, Colin Garland, Cale Morton, Austin Wonaeamirri and Nathan Jones showing plenty of promise. Bartram was given the task of tagging Adelaide superstar McLeod and he performed brilliantly. McLeod can be such a hard man to stop with his burst of speed and ability to read the play but the dogged Demon stuck to the task and completely nullified McLeod's influence. Buckley returned after a number of good performances at Sandy and played a decent game off half back. While he needs to improve his accountability, his run and dash off half back was quite handy and he made better decisions with the ball than he did in the early rounds when he was rather wasteful. Garland spent time forward and back, showing a little bit at both ends of the ground. He has good speed and mobility but needs to work on getting involved more in the game. He shapes as an interesting development project for the rest of the season. Morton was probably the pick of the younger players. He gathered 18 possessions and kicked three goals, including a classy goal on the run from outside 50 in the second term. He has excellent awareness of his surroundings and is a thinking footballer. With increased strength, confidence and experience, he should develop into a terrific player for the club. Last round's hero Wonaeamirri was probably due for a downer and this looked like eventuating when gun small defender Johncock made his way over to him. However, the Demon rookie persisted throughout the game and put in a solid four-quarter effort. He doesn't appear to have any outstanding attribute but what I like about him is his composure and decision-making ability. He is cool under pressure and rarely wastes a disposal and is an accurate kick for goal. He booted one for the match but also handed off a couple to his teammates in what was another promising performance. Jones played a typical Jones game – plenty of the ball, hard and tough in and under – and was serviceable rather than outstanding. It would have been a welcome relief for him when the Crows' number one tagger in Shirley went to pick up Brock McLean after Jones managed only five or so disposals against Fremantle and the former failed to fire and had barely any influence on the game. He has not yet worked out how to deal with a heavy tag, with his lack of pace a severe limitation in shaking a tag. What he needs is more support from his midfield mates so that the opposition are forced to monitor a number of Melbourne midfielders rather than just McLean. James Frawley struggled in a key defensive role on the dangerous Burton. He was outclassed, which is fair enough given Burton's talent and experience, but Chips' positioning did himself no favours. He was caught too many times either too far behind or too far in front of Burton, who is difficult to stop when he gets goal side of his opponent. Frawley is quite raw and has a lot to learn but playing him on good players is only going to benefit him for the future. With Rivers back and helping to stabilise the defence, Frawley should find the going a bit easier. So why all this positivity after such a thrashing? Well, given where we've been so far this season and where we need to get to, this was a step in the right direction. The coach picked a young side and a number of the young players showed promising signs. They will learn a lot from their experiences and while the results may look rather ugly, it will all be worth it as the next generation of Demons get games in their legs and have their development fast-tracked for the future. I hope the club continuec to select a young side in a bid to mould the next successful Melbourne team. With the retirement of David Neitz and the impending departures of a number of other senior players, the Demons' team of the early to mid 2000's is coming to an end and a new one is emerging as we move towards the next decade. Let's just hope that this one can go a few steps further. Adelaide 8.1.49 12.6.78 15.15.105 22.18.150 Melbourne 4.4.28 6.5.41 7.7.49 11.8.74 Goals Adelaide Burton 5 Tippett 4 Goodwin Jericho Porplyzia 3 Knights van Berlo Vince Stevens Melbourne Morton 3 Robertson 2 Bartram Bate Garland Miller Moloney Wonaeamirri Best Adelaide Burton Vince Knights Porplyzia Tippett Stevens Bock van Berlo. Melbourne Bartram Morton Jones Buckley Green McDonald Umpires Fila Meredith Ellis Crowd 35,649 at AAMI Stadium.

A FEW STEPS FURTHER by Scoop Junior It wasn't quite Mission Impossible, but it wasn't far off either. The Demons ventured to AAMI Stadium – a ground where they hadn't won since Andrew Leoncelli's thrilling goal with four seconds remaining early in 2001 – at 1-6 with a team containing 17 players under the age of 25. Form (despite the incredible second half performance against the Dockers) said "no chance"; as did recent history and experience. And while football is a game where anything can happen, more often that not nothing out of the ordinary happens and the predicted result usually eventuates. Sunday's game against the Crows was no exception. While Melbourne fought hard for the first quarter and a half, Adelaide simply had too much class and experience, an advantage which eventually took its toll on the visitors after half time. The Demons did begin the match well and should have been at least level at quarter time but for some wasted opportunities from their forwards and the accuracy of the opposition in front of goal. The Crows looked like scoring every time they entered the forward 50, which was hardly surprising given the lack of experience in the Melbourne defence with regulars Nathan Carroll, Jared Rivers, Paul Wheatley out injured and Matthew Whelan coming back from illness at Sandy. At the start of the second term the Dees placed a man behind the ball to try to stifle Adelaide's forwards who were operating at an incredibly high efficiency level. This backfired somewhat in that it gave the Crows more runners through the middle - something you cannot afford against an Adelaide side that runs and moves the ball as well as any side in the competition. But then, it was always a matter of time before the Adelaide machine clicked into gear. With the ball being regularly pumped inside the Adelaide 50, the young Demon defence had no hope of keeping the floodgates firmly shut. While the 76-point margin indicated a dirty day for the Dees, there were in fact many encouraging signs and the performance was superior to some of the pathetic efforts displayed earlier in the season. In particular, supporters would have been pleased with a number of younger players in Clint Bartram, Simon Buckley, Colin Garland, Cale Morton, Austin Wonaeamirri and Nathan Jones showing plenty of promise. Bartram was given the task of tagging Adelaide superstar McLeod and he performed brilliantly. McLeod can be such a hard man to stop with his burst of speed and ability to read the play but the dogged Demon stuck to the task and completely nullified McLeod's influence. Buckley returned after a number of good performances at Sandy and played a decent game off half back. While he needs to improve his accountability, his run and dash off half back was quite handy and he made better decisions with the ball than he did in the early rounds when he was rather wasteful. Garland spent time forward and back, showing a little bit at both ends of the ground. He has good speed and mobility but needs to work on getting involved more in the game. He shapes as an interesting development project for the rest of the season. Morton was probably the pick of the younger players. He gathered 18 possessions and kicked three goals, including a classy goal on the run from outside 50 in the second term. He has excellent awareness of his surroundings and is a thinking footballer. With increased strength, confidence and experience, he should develop into a terrific player for the club. Last round's hero Wonaeamirri was probably due for a downer and this looked like eventuating when gun small defender Johncock made his way over to him. However, the Demon rookie persisted throughout the game and put in a solid four-quarter effort. He doesn't appear to have any outstanding attribute but what I like about him is his composure and decision-making ability. He is cool under pressure and rarely wastes a disposal and is an accurate kick for goal. He booted one for the match but also handed off a couple to his teammates in what was another promising performance. Jones played a typical Jones game – plenty of the ball, hard and tough in and under – and was serviceable rather than outstanding. It would have been a welcome relief for him when the Crows' number one tagger in Shirley went to pick up Brock McLean after Jones managed only five or so disposals against Fremantle and the former failed to fire and had barely any influence on the game. He has not yet worked out how to deal with a heavy tag, with his lack of pace a severe limitation in shaking a tag. What he needs is more support from his midfield mates so that the opposition are forced to monitor a number of Melbourne midfielders rather than just McLean. James Frawley struggled in a key defensive role on the dangerous Burton. He was outclassed, which is fair enough given Burton's talent and experience, but Chips' positioning did himself no favours. He was caught too many times either too far behind or too far in front of Burton, who is difficult to stop when he gets goal side of his opponent. Frawley is quite raw and has a lot to learn but playing him on good players is only going to benefit him for the future. With Rivers back and helping to stabilise the defence, Frawley should find the going a bit easier. So why all this positivity after such a thrashing? Well, given where we've been so far this season and where we need to get to, this was a step in the right direction. The coach picked a young side and a number of the young players showed promising signs. They will learn a lot from their experiences and while the results may look rather ugly, it will all be worth it as the next generation of Demons get games in their legs and have their development fast-tracked for the future. I hope the club continuec to select a young side in a bid to mould the next successful Melbourne team. With the retirement of David Neitz and the impending departures of a number of other senior players, the Demons' team of the early to mid 2000's is coming to an end and a new one is emerging as we move towards the next decade. Let's just hope that this one can go a few steps further. Adelaide 8.1.49 12.6.78 15.15.105 22.18.150 Melbourne 4.4.28 6.5.41 7.7.49 11.8.74 Goals Adelaide Burton 5 Tippett 4 Goodwin Jericho Porplyzia 3 Knights van Berlo Vince Stevens Melbourne Morton 3 Robertson 2 Bartram Bate Garland Miller Moloney Wonaeamirri Best Adelaide Burton Vince Knights Porplyzia Tippett Stevens Bock van Berlo. Melbourne Bartram Morton Jones Buckley Green McDonald Umpires Fila Meredith Ellis Crowd 35,649 at AAMI Stadium.

Clint Bartram said at the Demonland/Demonology function last night that Juice had a slight knee injury and would be back in a week or two.

"He deserves his place amongst the Barassis, the Stynes, Flowers, Lyons, the Cordners, the Ridleys as a true champion and true Demon." FAIRYTALE END DENIED FOR DAVID NEITZ, DEMON OF THE DECADE "I was not the greatest, talented player going around but I think I have been a competitive player, I think I have been quite passionate about this footy club, how I go about my business and I am really proud of that fact." DEMON SKIPPER HANGS UP BOOTS DAVID Neitz is a humble man above all, a player who said more than once that he often doubted his right to the plethora of records he mounted up. As a realist, he would have known that it was time to go. Most players acknowledge the truth when their bodies are screaming at them and, actually, Neitz knew a while ago. "THE BODY'S GIVEN UP BEFORE THE MIND AND SPIRIT DID" No player in my time has contributed more to the Melbourne Football Club, and in a couple of weeks time when the club pays tribute to 150 Heroes at its 150th anniversary dinner, you can rightfully and proudly take your position at the head of the queue. DAVID NEITZ WAS THE HEART AND SOUL OF MELBOURNE "One of the greatest players to ever play for the Melbourne Football Club, David Neitz." DEES HAIL THE POWER OF ONE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS GALLERY

I'll never hear the end of this - Rank (Last Week) Total Tipster 1 (1) 53 Whispering_Jack 2 (2) 51 Alpha33 3 (6) 49 aronbrandon 3 (6) 49 The Little Devils 5 (12) 48 belzebub59 5 (12) 48 deesthisyear 5 (2) 48 old man rivers 5 (4) 48 petejh2000 5 (12) 48 Pinball_Wizard 5 (4) 48 Scoop Junior 5 (12) 48 Super_Slater 12 (6) 47 Demonland 12 (6) 47 Tim - Go Dees 14 (6) 46 barpen 14 (12) 46 Davey's sugar daddy 14 (21) 46 rjhrjh 14 (21) 46 slamevil 14 (6) 46 The Natural 19 (27) 45 BigKev Demon 19 (17) 45 Clyde_Cabbie 21 (21) 44 bl3281 21 (21) 44 deanox 21 (21) 44 DeeReaming 21 (17) 44 Kieranbj 21 (32) 44 stelioss 26 (27) 43 Edorion 26 (21) 43 great_gatsby 26 (27) 43 Joe_Gutnick64 26 (17) 43 No Cigar2 30 (27) 42 CarnTheDees 30 (27) 42 dee'luded 30 (17) 42 DeMoNiC 33 (33) 41 DEE32 34 (33) 39 achirnside 34 (37) 39 Dappadan 36 (35) 37 mo64 36 (35) 37 mpinnell 38 (37) 36 -FitZ^ 39 (39) 35 glamorizeme 40 (40) 34 BrockMclean 40 (40) 34 demonsflag555657 40 (40) 34 KrazyJay78 43 (43) 33 paliosiana 44 (44) 32 thegoldenmonkey Congratulations to the following who tipped all 8 winners this week:- Alpha33 aronbrandon belzebub59 BigKev Demon deesthisyear Pinball_Wizard rjhrjh slamevil stelioss Super_Slater The Little Devils Whispering_Jack (although no credit to them for tipping agaisnt the Demons!)

Brock McLean retains first place but Aussie is breathing down his neck ... (weighting = .49333) 36.293 Brock McLean 31.936 Austin Wonaemirri 22.728 Brad Miller 22.466 Paul Wheatley 21.660 Aaron Davey 21.188 Cameron Bruce 19.753 Cale Morton 19.106 Nathan Jones 17.882 Brad Green 14.504 Paul Johnson 12.282 Brent Moloney 10.685 Jared Rivers 10.482 Nathan Carroll 9.443 James McDonald 8.389 Colin Sylvia 8.132 Clint Bartram 5.904 Matthew Whelan 5.265 Russell Robertson 5.087 Jeff White 3.159 Matthew Bate 1.866 Lynden Dunn 1.805 Simon Buckley 1.143 Colin Garland

"He deserves his place amongst the Barassis, the Stynes, Flowers, Lyons, the Cordners, the Ridleys as a true champion and true Demon." FAIRYTALE END DENIED FOR DAVID NEITZ, DEMON OF THE DECADE "I was not the greatest, talented player going around but I think I have been a competitive player, I think I have been quite passionate about this footy club, how I go about my business and I am really proud of that fact." DEMON SKIPPER HANGS UP BOOTS DAVID Neitz is a humble man above all, a player who said more than once that he often doubted his right to the plethora of records he mounted up. As a realist, he would have known that it was time to go. Most players acknowledge the truth when their bodies are screaming at them and, actually, Neitz knew a while ago. "THE BODY'S GIVEN UP BEFORE THE MIND AND SPIRIT DID" No player in my time has contributed more to the Melbourne Football Club, and in a couple of weeks time when the club pays tribute to 150 Heroes at its 150th anniversary dinner, you can rightfully and proudly take your position at the head of the queue. DAVID NEITZ WAS THE HEART AND SOUL OF MELBOURNE "One of the greatest players to ever play for the Melbourne Football Club, David Neitz." DEES HAIL THE POWER OF ONE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS GALLERY

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After the lack of "live" action here, it will be worth meeting Clint in person.

DEVILS BLOWN OFF THE MAP by Ice Station Zebra Launceston's Aurora Stadium saw VFL action for the first time this year when Tasmania took on Melbourne-aligned Sandringham in Saturday's curtain raiser to the AFL clash between Hawthorn and Port Adelaide but the game failed to showcase the state's capacity to sustain a club worthy of AFL representation. The Zebras ran their lamentable opposition ragged in a one-sided encounter and recorded a 152-point drubbing booting 31.17.203 to 7.9.51. The protagonists were each coming off losses to the competition's pace makers in the previous round and their respective coaches were looking for a vast improvement in commitment and execution from their players. This is precisely what Andy Lovell got from his charges but Devils coach Daryn Cresswell was left scratching his head at his team's capitulation after an even opening quarter. Cresswell was upbeat before the game considering that the two clubs both had 3-3 records and the Devils were unbeaten at home this season. The previous wins had been at Bellerive Oval against last year's premiers Geelong and against boom team Casey Scorpions on Anzac Day. The Tassie coach was confident that York Park would suit his team "because we're fit and we can run," and there was a question mark about how the visitors would handle the conditions in the cooler climes south of Bass Strait. As it turned out, conditions were perfect for the bounce of the ball but the Devils suffered a blow losing two of their most dangerous forwards in Alex Gilmour (ankle) and promising youngster Aaron Cornelius before the game but that turned out to be just the start of their problems. Sandringham fielded a relatively inexperienced side missing former captain Chad Liddell and including only nine Melbourne listed players. Port Melbourne recruit Jarod Plymin was an inclusion for the first time and Rennie Gilchrist, Sam Monaghan and Marc Johnston were all back after stints with the reserves. The Zebras made a strong start but the locals looked promising as they clawed their way to a four-point lead at the first change, thanks to some inaccuracy on the part of the Sandy forwards. However, from the opening bounce of the second term, the Devils went into their collective shells and allowed the visitors to go on a goal-kicking spree that netted them 28 goals in the final three quarters including 15 unanswered until late in the third quarter. The local team was so insipid that it could barely raise a whimper in the final stanza as the Zebras dominated in virtually every facet of the game with spearhead Nick Sautner a focal point up forward finishing with 10 goals six behinds in a stunning performance. The dangerous forward kicked his goals from everywhere, including a couple from the boundary but he was helped by some undisciplined efforts from the Tassie defenders including one passage where he was rewarded with a double goal as a result of their frustration. In its latter stages, the game tended to have a surrealistic feel about it as Sandy kept piling on the goals to finish with 13 of them in a dazzling final quarter. Much of the pre game publicity was focussed on the clash between Sautner and Tassie's full back Brennan Savage who had quelled Fraser Gehrig on Anzac Day and who has developed a reputation as a tough customer. However, the hype fizzled out when the 30 year old spearhead started a procession of goals that now has him placed comfortably on top of the VFL goal kicking table with 33 for the season and heading for an eighth Frosty Miller Medal. Naturally, when a forward kicks a bag of goals, he is usually the recipient of some good service from further afield and Saturday's game was no exception. Tomi Johnston, skipper Peter Summers and relative newcomers Chris Waller and Shane Tregear were impressive while experienced pair Ezra Poyas and Adem Yze, who missed last week's rout at Williamstown, made their presence felt with their skilful and positive play. Half back Chris Johnson continued his sparkling form of recent weeks and his running through the lines and excellent disposal was a highlight. His fellow defender Andy Biddlecombe might not have fond memories of Tasmania after a clash at Bellerive two years ago left him with a broken jaw but he had the last laugh with a brilliant display of his defensive capability. Most of the back line had an easy day at the office due to the team's midfield dominance after quarter time, but they were all generally well on top and managed to repel most of the opposition's attempted forays up forward with relative ease. Ben Holland was impressive with four goals and some strong marking and Lynden Dunn and Addam Maric showed good skills. Matthew Whelan saw out the game this week after his recent problems and would be one of the Demon contingent looking closely at Hawthorn's players in the afternoon game in the hope that they will be opposed to them next Sunday at the MCG. Meanwhile Sandringham will have the opportunity to consolidate its place in the top four on the same day when it returns to Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval with an assignment against the Northern Bullants. The reserves, who had the bye this week, are also well placed for a berth in the finals. HOW THE DEMONS FARED After the game, coach Andy Lovell provided melbournefc.com with a review of the Demon listed players:- Lynden Dunn - was solid. He had a 'run with' role on Charlesworth and Street, and was able to nullify their effectiveness on the game. He had 25 possessions and kicked two goals, but Lynden accumulated his possessions rather than being a standout player on the day. Overall, Lynden did his job and was still able to impact the game. Ben Holland - was a very good player for us. He was a lead-up marking forward, and had 19 possessions, nine marks and four goals. This was his third good game in four weeks, and Ben is definitely another one of those players who is pushing his name forward for senior selection. Ben's team orientated work was really good, as he blocked and chased, and was still able to kick four goals. Chris Johnson - was outstanding, playing off half back and in the midfield. He had 34 possessions, and had a good balance between beating his man and attacking the game. He used the ball well, and played a physically strong game. Chris has been a steady performer for us over the last four weeks, but this week he was outstanding. Addam Maric - had 11 possessions, five marks and kicked a couple of goals. He struggled a little bit, and didn’t have the impact on the game that he has had in the past. He was still dangerous, but his kicking for goal let him down. We are still looking for him to develop that balance in his game, we want to turn him into the player who can mark the ball, crumb front and square, kick goals and apply forward line pressure. Addam is working really hard on these areas, and he is progressing well. Stef Martin - wasn't as good defensively as he has been in the past three weeks. He got led up to the ball on occasions, and turned the ball over a couple of times, but he still makes good decisions. As a young player developing as a key defender, we are really pleased with his development. John Meesen - continues to develop. He played his best game for the footy club, but still has lots of room for improvement. He picked up 13 possessions and the big ground at Aurora Stadium suited his running ability. His ruckwork was better, and he jumped into his opponent at centre bounces and took six marks around the grounds, kicking a goal. John is starting to find his feet, and his work ethic continues to improve. Jake Spencer - came into the team for Paul Johnson, who played for Melbourne. He only had four possessions, but we thought his ruck work was really good. His ability to get first hands on the ball and put it to our midfielders' advantage was really good. He competed hard at boundary throw ins and ball ups, which is a sign that he is getting stronger. Jake's follow up tackling and blocking was also a highlight of this game. Matthew Whelan - was solid and played on the opposition's best small forward. He had a slow start, but worked his way into the game. Matthew had missed the previous two weeks with illness, so it was positive that he got through the game, beat his man and was able to use the ball well. Adem Yze - another standout, playing in the midfield and half forward. He had 32 possessions, ran and carried, used the ball very well, and kicked two goals. This is Adem's third really good game of footy in-a-row. Adem's leadership remains at a great level. His ability to work with the younger players is remarkable. He has won a lot of respect from a lot of the people around the Sandringham Football Club, just by the way he has gone about his business. Sandringham 3.6.24 10.12.72 18.14.122 31.17.203 Tasmania 4.4.28 4.6.30 5.9.39 7.9.51 Goals Sandringham Sautner 10 Holland 4 Poyas 3 Dunn C Johnson Maric Waller Yze 2 Gilchrist Meesen Spencer Tregear Tasmania Shackleton 4 Bongetti 2 Smith Best Sandringham C Johnson Biddlecombe Sautner Poyas T Johnston Waller Tasmania Geappen Shackleton Long Richter Street Creese

DEVILS BLOWN OFF THE MAP by Ice Station Zebra Launceston's Aurora Stadium saw VFL action for the first time this year when Tasmania took on Melbourne-aligned Sandringham in Saturday's curtain raiser to the AFL clash between Hawthorn and Port Adelaide but the game failed to showcase the state's capacity to sustain a club worthy of AFL representation. The Zebras ran their lamentable opposition ragged in a one-sided encounter and recorded a 152-point drubbing booting 31.17.203 to 7.9.51. The protagonists were each coming off losses to the competition's pace makers in the previous round and their respective coaches were looking for a vast improvement in commitment and execution from their players. This is precisely what Andy Lovell got from his charges but Devils coach Daryn Cresswell was left scratching his head at his team's capitulation after an even opening quarter. Cresswell was upbeat before the game considering that the two clubs both had 3-3 records and the Devils were unbeaten at home this season. The previous wins had been at Bellerive Oval against last year's premiers Geelong and against boom team Casey Scorpions on Anzac Day. The Tassie coach was confident that York Park would suit his team "because we're fit and we can run," and there was a question mark about how the visitors would handle the conditions in the cooler climes south of Bass Strait. As it turned out, conditions were perfect for the bounce of the ball but the Devils suffered a blow losing two of their most dangerous forwards in Alex Gilmour (ankle) and promising youngster Aaron Cornelius before the game but that turned out to be just the start of their problems. Sandringham fielded a relatively inexperienced side missing former captain Chad Liddell and including only nine Melbourne listed players. Port Melbourne recruit Jarod Plymin was an inclusion for the first time and Rennie Gilchrist, Sam Monaghan and Marc Johnston were all back after stints with the reserves. The Zebras made a strong start but the locals looked promising as they clawed their way to a four-point lead at the first change, thanks to some inaccuracy on the part of the Sandy forwards. However, from the opening bounce of the second term, the Devils went into their collective shells and allowed the visitors to go on a goal-kicking spree that netted them 28 goals in the final three quarters including 15 unanswered until late in the third quarter. The local team was so insipid that it could barely raise a whimper in the final stanza as the Zebras dominated in virtually every facet of the game with spearhead Nick Sautner a focal point up forward finishing with 10 goals six behinds in a stunning performance. The dangerous forward kicked his goals from everywhere, including a couple from the boundary but he was helped by some undisciplined efforts from the Tassie defenders including one passage where he was rewarded with a double goal as a result of their frustration. In its latter stages, the game tended to have a surrealistic feel about it as Sandy kept piling on the goals to finish with 13 of them in a dazzling final quarter. Much of the pre game publicity was focussed on the clash between Sautner and Tassie's full back Brennan Savage who had quelled Fraser Gehrig on Anzac Day and who has developed a reputation as a tough customer. However, the hype fizzled out when the 30 year old spearhead started a procession of goals that now has him placed comfortably on top of the VFL goal kicking table with 33 for the season and heading for an eighth Frosty Miller Medal. Naturally, when a forward kicks a bag of goals, he is usually the recipient of some good service from further afield and Saturday's game was no exception. Tomi Johnston, skipper Peter Summers and relative newcomers Chris Waller and Shane Tregear were impressive while experienced pair Ezra Poyas and Adem Yze, who missed last week's rout at Williamstown, made their presence felt with their skilful and positive play. Half back Chris Johnson continued his sparkling form of recent weeks and his running through the lines and excellent disposal was a highlight. His fellow defender Andy Biddlecombe might not have fond memories of Tasmania after a clash at Bellerive two years ago left him with a broken jaw but he had the last laugh with a brilliant display of his defensive capability. Most of the back line had an easy day at the office due to the team's midfield dominance after quarter time, but they were all generally well on top and managed to repel most of the opposition's attempted forays up forward with relative ease. Ben Holland was impressive with four goals and some strong marking and Lynden Dunn and Addam Maric showed good skills. Matthew Whelan saw out the game this week after his recent problems and would be one of the Demon contingent looking closely at Hawthorn's players in the afternoon game in the hope that they will be opposed to them next Sunday at the MCG. Meanwhile Sandringham will have the opportunity to consolidate its place in the top four on the same day when it returns to Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval with an assignment against the Northern Bullants. The reserves, who had the bye this week, are also well placed for a berth in the finals. HOW THE DEMONS FARED After the game, coach Andy Lovell provided melbournefc.com with a review of the Demon listed players:- Lynden Dunn - was solid. He had a 'run with' role on Charlesworth and Street, and was able to nullify their effectiveness on the game. He had 25 possessions and kicked two goals, but Lynden accumulated his possessions rather than being a standout player on the day. Overall, Lynden did his job and was still able to impact the game. Ben Holland - was a very good player for us. He was a lead-up marking forward, and had 19 possessions, nine marks and four goals. This was his third good game in four weeks, and Ben is definitely another one of those players who is pushing his name forward for senior selection. Ben's team orientated work was really good, as he blocked and chased, and was still able to kick four goals. Chris Johnson - was outstanding, playing off half back and in the midfield. He had 34 possessions, and had a good balance between beating his man and attacking the game. He used the ball well, and played a physically strong game. Chris has been a steady performer for us over the last four weeks, but this week he was outstanding. Addam Maric - had 11 possessions, five marks and kicked a couple of goals. He struggled a little bit, and didn’t have the impact on the game that he has had in the past. He was still dangerous, but his kicking for goal let him down. We are still looking for him to develop that balance in his game, we want to turn him into the player who can mark the ball, crumb front and square, kick goals and apply forward line pressure. Addam is working really hard on these areas, and he is progressing well. Stef Martin - wasn't as good defensively as he has been in the past three weeks. He got led up to the ball on occasions, and turned the ball over a couple of times, but he still makes good decisions. As a young player developing as a key defender, we are really pleased with his development. John Meesen - continues to develop. He played his best game for the footy club, but still has lots of room for improvement. He picked up 13 possessions and the big ground at Aurora Stadium suited his running ability. His ruckwork was better, and he jumped into his opponent at centre bounces and took six marks around the grounds, kicking a goal. John is starting to find his feet, and his work ethic continues to improve. Jake Spencer - came into the team for Paul Johnson, who played for Melbourne. He only had four possessions, but we thought his ruck work was really good. His ability to get first hands on the ball and put it to our midfielders' advantage was really good. He competed hard at boundary throw ins and ball ups, which is a sign that he is getting stronger. Jake's follow up tackling and blocking was also a highlight of this game. Matthew Whelan - was solid and played on the opposition's best small forward. He had a slow start, but worked his way into the game. Matthew had missed the previous two weeks with illness, so it was positive that he got through the game, beat his man and was able to use the ball well. Adem Yze - another standout, playing in the midfield and half forward. He had 32 possessions, ran and carried, used the ball very well, and kicked two goals. This is Adem's third really good game of footy in-a-row. Adem's leadership remains at a great level. His ability to work with the younger players is remarkable. He has won a lot of respect from a lot of the people around the Sandringham Football Club, just by the way he has gone about his business. Sandringham 3.6.24 10.12.72 18.14.122 31.17.203 Tasmania 4.4.28 4.6.30 5.9.39 7.9.51 Goals Sandringham Sautner 10 Holland 4 Poyas 3 Dunn C Johnson Maric Waller Yze 2 Gilchrist Meesen Spencer Tregear Tasmania Shackleton 4 Bongetti 2 Smith Best Sandringham C Johnson Biddlecombe Sautner Poyas T Johnston Waller Tasmania Geappen Shackleton Long Richter Street Creese

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THE STRANGE CASE OF MELBOURNE'S WINNING STREAK by The Oracle (with a little help from Sam the Stats Man) When Melbourne played Adelaide in Round 10 at the MCG last year, our very own Sam the Stats Man was given the honour of preparing a Demonland match preview for the first time. Sam took to the task like a dog with a bone. His logical clear reasoning and his clever use of statistical data led him to select the Demons to win that particular encounter at a time when they were 0-9 against the 6-3 Crows. This became a well celebrated tour de force for the Demonland tipping team and worked wonders for Sam personally. No longer was he regarded as a very dry geeky statistician - nowadays he is considered a sheer genius of the highest order. Though Sam has received the clarion call a little earlier this year, it's far to late for him to claim the title of "icebreaker" for the Melbourne Football Club courtesy of the Demons' brilliant come from nowhere victory over the unfortunate Fremantle Dockers. Still, he has assured me that the club's revival will gather more momentum this weekend and that a resurgent Melbourne outfit will again humble the Crows. "Why not?", says Sam, "After all, we’re on a winning streak. We haven’t lost a game in almost three weeks and it’s 611 days and 23.5 hours since the Crows last beat us in any game." OK, he might be a sheer genius but he's still a geek! Thankfully, Sam's task for this week is not to do the full report but to provide his famous statistical look at the Melbourne list to date in 2008 (a feature which will be repeated one or two more times during the season): - BARTRAM, Clint MFC - 6 games 0 goals. Returned to the Melbourne side after a lengthy period recuperating from debilitating ankle and knee injuries. As can be expected in the circumstances, he has been steady without setting the world on fire to date. BATE, Matthew MFC - 1 game 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 2 games 2 goals, SFC Reserves - 1 game 0 goals. Must be the club's lucky charm as he has only played in winning teams after returning from a pre-season hamstring injury. BELL, Daniel MFC - 7 games 0 goals. Has had a difficult task curbing some talented opposition and has done so with only limited success. BODE, Jace MFC - 1 game 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 4 games 1 goal. Restricted to just one AFL game where he was quiet. BRUCE, Cameron MFC - 7 games 3 goals. A pre season knee injury greatly affected his preparation this year and is only slowly returning to form. BUCKLEY, Simon MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 5 games 3 goals. Showed real promise with his pace and running style during the pre season but failed to excite in the opening games of the season. Has been showing good form in recent weeks with the Zebras. CARROLL, Nathan MFC - 7 games 0 goals. Full back in a team that has often been slaughtered out of the middle is a tough gig. Notwithstanding that, Carroll's form has been inconsistent. CHENEY, Kyle SFC Seniors - 3 games 0 goals, SFC Reserves - 2 games 0 goals. Learning the ropes at Sandringham but looks a defender of the future. DAVEY, Aaron MFC - 7 games 6 goals. Has been quiet in a number of games but managed to lift last week against Fremantle with some devastating flashes of his old brilliance. DUNN, Lynden MFC - 5 games 3 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals. Disappointing both as a run with midfielder and as a forward. FRAWLEY, James MFC - 3 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 3 games 0 goals. Starting to come of age with some promising form as a tall defender in the past two or three weeks. GARLAND, Colin MFC - 4 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 2 games 0 goals. Struggled early in the year but was good against the Dockers after a couple of runs at Sandy. GREEN, Brad MFC - 7 games 11 goals. A consistent year from Green who must be disappointed not to have been included in the leadership group. GRIMES, Jack - yet to hit the track and is on the long term injury list with back problems. Expected to return in a few week's time and, going on reports of his junior career, it will be worth the wait. HOLLAND, Ben SFC Seniors - 4 games 8 goals. His career seems to have come to a standstill. JAMAR, Mark MFC - 4 games 1 goal, SFC Seniors - 2 games 1 goal. Gained a lucky break when Paul Johnson broke his hand and has shown improved form with the Demons after a slow start. JOHNSON, Chris MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 4 games 3 goals. Still an in-between player who can't establish a place for himself at elite level. JOHNSON, Paul MFC - 3 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 1 goal. The club's big improver early in the season is coming back from injury. JONES, Nathan MFC - 7 games 6 goals. Although he was well held against the Dockers, Jones has been a steady improver in 2008 and is becoming a quality midfield dynamo for the club. MARIC, Addam SFC Seniors - 6 games 11 goals. Still very young, has shown great skills at Sandringham and should be able to break into the Melbourne team at some stage during the season. MARTIN, Stefan SFC Seniors - 6 games 0 goals. Athletic tall who is being groomed as a key defender in his games with Sandringham and has been very impressive. McDONALD, James MFC - 7 games 1 goal. Continues to be a work horse for the club but hasn't been able to reach the heights of his last two seasons McLEAN, Brock MFC - 7 games 1 goal. Leads the club in disposals and was best on ground in his team's stirring victory over the Dockers. McNAMARA, Tom SFC Reserves - 4 games 1 goal. Youngster developing on a half back flank with Sandy twos. MEESEN, John SFC Seniors - 5 games 0 goals. Agile tall man who is standing behind Jamar and P Johnson for the second ruck spot behind Jeff White. MILLER, Brad MFC - 6 games 6 goals. Has put in some encouraging performances as a key forward in recent weeks. MOLONEY, Brent MFC - 4 games 1 goal, SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals. Has had his ups and downs but seems to be settling back into the swing of things after two years of injury woes. MORTON, Cale MFC - 7 games 2 goals. A fine prospect for the future. NEITZ, David MFC - 5 games 3 goals. Has had poor start to his last season as a Demon and has not been helped by a neck injury that has put him on the long term injury list. NEWTON, Michael MFC - 1 game 1 goal, SFC Seniors - 3 games 3 goals. Has failed to live up to expectations and did not help his cause when reported at Sandy at the same time that David Neitz suffered his injury. PETTERD, Ricky MFC - 1 game 0 goals. Has missed several weeks with a groin injury and is still 3 to 4 weeks away and this hasn't helped him coming back from last year's life threatening lung problem. RIVERS, Jared MFC - 5 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals. Slowly coming back to the Rivers we knew before his injury problems of last year and his return has lifted the club. ROBERTSON, Russell MFC - 7 games 15 goals. The club's leading goal kicker who has had a few cameo roles up forward but has generally disappointed. Needs to play a few games where he's up and firing all day instead of for just one quarter. SPENCER, Jake ® SFC Seniors - 3 games 1 goal, SFC Reserves - 2 games 1 goal. Showing a bit in the ruck at Sandy but remains a long term project. SYLVIA, Colin MFC - 5 games 2 goals. Discipline problems and more lately a hamstring injury have curtailed what should have been his break out season. Has played some good games but now it might well be back to square one for the talented blond. VALENTI, Shane ® SFC Seniors 6 games 6 goals. The VFL ball magnet has been promoted off the rookie list and will get his chance in the big show despite all the doubters who believe he is too small and too slow for an AFL career. Hope he proves them wrong. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 4 games 0 goals. Getting a go at the top level and will need to show some consistency. WEETRA, Isaac MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals, SFC Reserves - 4 games 2 goals. Disappointing fall from grace after two early games with the Demons. WHEATLEY, Paul MFC - 7 games 2 goals. Has been steady and solid in what has been a difficult season so far for the club. Out with a calf injury this week. WHELAN, Matthew MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 3 games 1 goal. Struggling with injuries and illness and that suspension incurred in the Carlton game has not helped. WHITE, Jeff MFC - 7 games 4 goals. One of the competition's leading ruckmen, White has been steady in what surely must be the twilight of his career. Plays his 100th consecutive game at the weekend. WONAEMIRRI, Austin ® MFC - 5 games 9 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 1 goal. A livewire surprise packet who has been in sparkling form with seven goals in his past two games. YZE, Adem MFC - 1 game 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 5 games 6 goals. The end of a great career is closing in on the ooze. Missed last week at Sandy and is finding it tough to get back into the AFL. ZOMER, Trent ® SFC Reserves - 5 games 17 goals. Learning the art of forward play at the Sandy reserves and is also getting the occasional back up job as a second ruckman there. THE GAME: Adelaide v. Melbourne at the AAMI Stadium – 18 May 2008 at 1.10pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Adelaide 16 wins Melbourne 9 wins At AAMI: Adelaide 10 wins Melbourne 3 wins Since 2000: Adelaide 8 wins Melbourne 4 wins The Coaches: Craig 0 Bailey 0 MEDIA: TV Fox Sports 1 1pm (live) RADIO ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Adelaide to win $1.06 Melbourne to win $7.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.11.89 d Adelaide 10.12.72, Round 10, 2007, at MCG. The Demons' hard-earned 17-point victory against the highly favoured Crows was as sweet as they come. They shocked their visitors with an eight goal second quarter and by the final break the lead had blown to 44 points. Adelaide came back in the final term but it was all too late. Melbourne had defied the odds and the critics with their first victory of the season and the pressure on coach Neale Daniher was momentarily eased. Brad Green played the game of his life and was well backed up by Cameron Bruce while Daniel Bell played his best hame yet for the club. THE TEAMS ADELAIDE Backs Graham Johncock Ben Rutten Nathan Bassett Half backs Michael Doughty Nathan Bock Scott Stevens Centreline David Mackay Scott Thompson Nathan van Berlo Half forwards Simon Goodwin Brett Burton Bernie Vince Forwards Jason Porplyzia Kurt Tippett Chris Knights Followers Jonathon Griffin Andrew McLeod Tyson Edwards Interchange Luke Jericho Ivan Maric Kris Massie Robert Shirley Emergencies Bryce Campbell Jarrhan Jacky Ken McGregor In Luke Jericho Ivan Maric Ben Rutten Out Richard Douglas (knee) Jarrhan Jacky James Sellar (omitted) MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Colin Garland Daniel Bell Half backs Clint Bartram Jared Rivers Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green Brock McLean Matthew Bate Half forwards Cale Morton Russell Robertson Brent Moloney Forwards Aaron Davey B.Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White James McDonald Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Mark Jamar Shane Valenti Matthew Warnock Emergencies Jace Bode Simon Nathan Carroll Paul Johnson In Simon Buckley Shane Valenti Out Nathan Carroll (omitted) Paul Wheatley (calf) New (Shane Valenti, 21, from Sandringham) Umpires Fila Meredith Ellis DR. JEKYLL OR MR. HYDE Melbourne coach Dean Bailey threw down the gauntlet in no uncertain manner earlier this week when he told reporters that he ruled out considering a youth policy that would guarantee a high draft pick. You could leave that to clubs like Essendon and West Coast who seem intent on bottoming out with a youth-led resurgence. As far as the Demons were concerned, the idea was to build momentum. "The first two games still represent a bit of a scar there and we just can't accept that," Bailey said. "For us to develop the list, the best way is to get a winning culture and that is what we really need to do." That’s exactly the spirit required to ensure that the home side is quaking in its boots with apprehension as Melbourne’s raid on the City of Churches draws near and Neil Craig has stated that he is concerned about what his team might be facing on Sunday at AAMI Stadium. What worries him most is which Demon will arrive at Adelaide Airport tomorrow. Will it be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? Nobody can really be sure if this week's Melbourne team will play like Robert Louis Stevenson’s extremely friendly and sociable Dr. Jekyll or the sinister and dangerous Mr. Hyde. What must really frighten Craig is the fact that for the first six and a half games of the season, the Demons played like meek little pussy cats (with apologies to Geelong) but in their last half game against the Dockers they attacked the football with the ferocity of a wounded lion. Since Craig is known for his scientific bent, he has clearly detected that his opposition this week is affected by what is known as "dissociative identity disorder" and he must be wary of the fact that the Mr. Hyde traits have gained ascendency. Just look how blokes like Cameron Bruce and Aaron Davey played against the Dockers in the second half and that's not to mention the formerly reclusive but now an excitement machine in Austin Wonaeamirri. And what about the mild mannered redhead Matthew Bate who dropped marks and fumbled in the first half and then turned into a match winner with his strong hands and long deliberate kicks to advantage deep in the forward line? I’m not getting carried away however, because the bookies must know something. Despite Melbourne’s 56-point turnaround after half time in the Fremantle game, they have installed the home team as an almost unbackable favourite in this game at odds close to the ones they offered on Geelong when Melbourne played the Cats at Skilled Stadium a month ago. And why not? The Crows are up there in the top four with five wins out of seven games to date and they have Brett Burton, Simon Goodwin and Jason Porplyzia starring up forward, Scott Thompson approaching stardom in the middle and Andrew McLeod motoring around half back. As I continue to write, I feel my personality slowly changing. When I started out, I felt strongly that the Demons would win this. I don't know what's happening to me now but I seem to be fighting an inner conflict of humanity's sense of good and evil. Perhaps the evil will prevail and Adelaide will prevail by 14 points but at $1.06 the win, I wouldn't bet on it!

THE STRANGE CASE OF MELBOURNE'S WINNING STREAK by The Oracle (with a little help from Sam the Stats Man) When Melbourne played Adelaide in Round 10 at the MCG last year, our very own Sam the Stats Man was given the honour of preparing a Demonland match preview for the first time. Sam took to the task like a dog with a bone. His logical clear reasoning and his clever use of statistical data led him to select the Demons to win that particular encounter at a time when they were 0-9 against the 6-3 Crows. This became a well celebrated tour de force for the Demonland tipping team and worked wonders for Sam personally. No longer was he regarded as a very dry geeky statistician - nowadays he is considered a sheer genius of the highest order. Though Sam has received the clarion call a little earlier this year, it's far to late for him to claim the title of "icebreaker" for the Melbourne Football Club courtesy of the Demons' brilliant come from nowhere victory over the unfortunate Fremantle Dockers. Still, he has assured me that the club's revival will gather more momentum this weekend and that a resurgent Melbourne outfit will again humble the Crows. "Why not?", says Sam, "After all, we’re on a winning streak. We haven’t lost a game in almost three weeks and it’s 611 days and 23.5 hours since the Crows last beat us in any game." OK, he might be a sheer genius but he's still a geek! Thankfully, Sam's task for this week is not to do the full report but to provide his famous statistical look at the Melbourne list to date in 2008 (a feature which will be repeated one or two more times during the season): - BARTRAM, Clint MFC - 6 games 0 goals. Returned to the Melbourne side after a lengthy period recuperating from debilitating ankle and knee injuries. As can be expected in the circumstances, he has been steady without setting the world on fire to date. BATE, Matthew MFC - 1 game 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 2 games 2 goals, SFC Reserves - 1 game 0 goals. Must be the club's lucky charm as he has only played in winning teams after returning from a pre-season hamstring injury. BELL, Daniel MFC - 7 games 0 goals. Has had a difficult task curbing some talented opposition and has done so with only limited success. BODE, Jace MFC - 1 game 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 4 games 1 goal. Restricted to just one AFL game where he was quiet. BRUCE, Cameron MFC - 7 games 3 goals. A pre season knee injury greatly affected his preparation this year and is only slowly returning to form. BUCKLEY, Simon MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 5 games 3 goals. Showed real promise with his pace and running style during the pre season but failed to excite in the opening games of the season. Has been showing good form in recent weeks with the Zebras. CARROLL, Nathan MFC - 7 games 0 goals. Full back in a team that has often been slaughtered out of the middle is a tough gig. Notwithstanding that, Carroll's form has been inconsistent. CHENEY, Kyle SFC Seniors - 3 games 0 goals, SFC Reserves - 2 games 0 goals. Learning the ropes at Sandringham but looks a defender of the future. DAVEY, Aaron MFC - 7 games 6 goals. Has been quiet in a number of games but managed to lift last week against Fremantle with some devastating flashes of his old brilliance. DUNN, Lynden MFC - 5 games 3 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals. Disappointing both as a run with midfielder and as a forward. FRAWLEY, James MFC - 3 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 3 games 0 goals. Starting to come of age with some promising form as a tall defender in the past two or three weeks. GARLAND, Colin MFC - 4 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 2 games 0 goals. Struggled early in the year but was good against the Dockers after a couple of runs at Sandy. GREEN, Brad MFC - 7 games 11 goals. A consistent year from Green who must be disappointed not to have been included in the leadership group. GRIMES, Jack - yet to hit the track and is on the long term injury list with back problems. Expected to return in a few week's time and, going on reports of his junior career, it will be worth the wait. HOLLAND, Ben SFC Seniors - 4 games 8 goals. His career seems to have come to a standstill. JAMAR, Mark MFC - 4 games 1 goal, SFC Seniors - 2 games 1 goal. Gained a lucky break when Paul Johnson broke his hand and has shown improved form with the Demons after a slow start. JOHNSON, Chris MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 4 games 3 goals. Still an in-between player who can't establish a place for himself at elite level. JOHNSON, Paul MFC - 3 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 1 goal. The club's big improver early in the season is coming back from injury. JONES, Nathan MFC - 7 games 6 goals. Although he was well held against the Dockers, Jones has been a steady improver in 2008 and is becoming a quality midfield dynamo for the club. MARIC, Addam SFC Seniors - 6 games 11 goals. Still very young, has shown great skills at Sandringham and should be able to break into the Melbourne team at some stage during the season. MARTIN, Stefan SFC Seniors - 6 games 0 goals. Athletic tall who is being groomed as a key defender in his games with Sandringham and has been very impressive. McDONALD, James MFC - 7 games 1 goal. Continues to be a work horse for the club but hasn't been able to reach the heights of his last two seasons McLEAN, Brock MFC - 7 games 1 goal. Leads the club in disposals and was best on ground in his team's stirring victory over the Dockers. McNAMARA, Tom SFC Reserves - 4 games 1 goal. Youngster developing on a half back flank with Sandy twos. MEESEN, John SFC Seniors - 5 games 0 goals. Agile tall man who is standing behind Jamar and P Johnson for the second ruck spot behind Jeff White. MILLER, Brad MFC - 6 games 6 goals. Has put in some encouraging performances as a key forward in recent weeks. MOLONEY, Brent MFC - 4 games 1 goal, SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals. Has had his ups and downs but seems to be settling back into the swing of things after two years of injury woes. MORTON, Cale MFC - 7 games 2 goals. A fine prospect for the future. NEITZ, David MFC - 5 games 3 goals. Has had poor start to his last season as a Demon and has not been helped by a neck injury that has put him on the long term injury list. NEWTON, Michael MFC - 1 game 1 goal, SFC Seniors - 3 games 3 goals. Has failed to live up to expectations and did not help his cause when reported at Sandy at the same time that David Neitz suffered his injury. PETTERD, Ricky MFC - 1 game 0 goals. Has missed several weeks with a groin injury and is still 3 to 4 weeks away and this hasn't helped him coming back from last year's life threatening lung problem. RIVERS, Jared MFC - 5 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals. Slowly coming back to the Rivers we knew before his injury problems of last year and his return has lifted the club. ROBERTSON, Russell MFC - 7 games 15 goals. The club's leading goal kicker who has had a few cameo roles up forward but has generally disappointed. Needs to play a few games where he's up and firing all day instead of for just one quarter. SPENCER, Jake ® SFC Seniors - 3 games 1 goal, SFC Reserves - 2 games 1 goal. Showing a bit in the ruck at Sandy but remains a long term project. SYLVIA, Colin MFC - 5 games 2 goals. Discipline problems and more lately a hamstring injury have curtailed what should have been his break out season. Has played some good games but now it might well be back to square one for the talented blond. VALENTI, Shane ® SFC Seniors 6 games 6 goals. The VFL ball magnet has been promoted off the rookie list and will get his chance in the big show despite all the doubters who believe he is too small and too slow for an AFL career. Hope he proves them wrong. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 4 games 0 goals. Getting a go at the top level and will need to show some consistency. WEETRA, Isaac MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals, SFC Reserves - 4 games 2 goals. Disappointing fall from grace after two early games with the Demons. WHEATLEY, Paul MFC - 7 games 2 goals. Has been steady and solid in what has been a difficult season so far for the club. Out with a calf injury this week. WHELAN, Matthew MFC - 2 games 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 3 games 1 goal. Struggling with injuries and illness and that suspension incurred in the Carlton game has not helped. WHITE, Jeff MFC - 7 games 4 goals. One of the competition's leading ruckmen, White has been steady in what surely must be the twilight of his career. Plays his 100th consecutive game at the weekend. WONAEMIRRI, Austin ® MFC - 5 games 9 goals, SFC Seniors - 1 game 1 goal. A livewire surprise packet who has been in sparkling form with seven goals in his past two games. YZE, Adem MFC - 1 game 0 goals, SFC Seniors - 5 games 6 goals. The end of a great career is closing in on the ooze. Missed last week at Sandy and is finding it tough to get back into the AFL. ZOMER, Trent ® SFC Reserves - 5 games 17 goals. Learning the art of forward play at the Sandy reserves and is also getting the occasional back up job as a second ruckman there. THE GAME: Adelaide v. Melbourne at the AAMI Stadium – 18 May 2008 at 1.10pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Adelaide 16 wins Melbourne 9 wins At AAMI: Adelaide 10 wins Melbourne 3 wins Since 2000: Adelaide 8 wins Melbourne 4 wins The Coaches: Craig 0 Bailey 0 MEDIA: TV Fox Sports 1 1pm (live) RADIO ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Adelaide to win $1.06 Melbourne to win $7.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.11.89 d Adelaide 10.12.72, Round 10, 2007, at MCG. The Demons' hard-earned 17-point victory against the highly favoured Crows was as sweet as they come. They shocked their visitors with an eight goal second quarter and by the final break the lead had blown to 44 points. Adelaide came back in the final term but it was all too late. Melbourne had defied the odds and the critics with their first victory of the season and the pressure on coach Neale Daniher was momentarily eased. Brad Green played the game of his life and was well backed up by Cameron Bruce while Daniel Bell played his best hame yet for the club. THE TEAMS ADELAIDE Backs Graham Johncock Ben Rutten Nathan Bassett Half backs Michael Doughty Nathan Bock Scott Stevens Centreline David Mackay Scott Thompson Nathan van Berlo Half forwards Simon Goodwin Brett Burton Bernie Vince Forwards Jason Porplyzia Kurt Tippett Chris Knights Followers Jonathon Griffin Andrew McLeod Tyson Edwards Interchange Luke Jericho Ivan Maric Kris Massie Robert Shirley Emergencies Bryce Campbell Jarrhan Jacky Ken McGregor In Luke Jericho Ivan Maric Ben Rutten Out Richard Douglas (knee) Jarrhan Jacky James Sellar (omitted) MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Colin Garland Daniel Bell Half backs Clint Bartram Jared Rivers Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green Brock McLean Matthew Bate Half forwards Cale Morton Russell Robertson Brent Moloney Forwards Aaron Davey B.Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White James McDonald Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Mark Jamar Shane Valenti Matthew Warnock Emergencies Jace Bode Simon Nathan Carroll Paul Johnson In Simon Buckley Shane Valenti Out Nathan Carroll (omitted) Paul Wheatley (calf) New (Shane Valenti, 21, from Sandringham) Umpires Fila Meredith Ellis DR. JEKYLL OR MR. HYDE Melbourne coach Dean Bailey threw down the gauntlet in no uncertain manner earlier this week when he told reporters that he ruled out considering a youth policy that would guarantee a high draft pick. You could leave that to clubs like Essendon and West Coast who seem intent on bottoming out with a youth-led resurgence. As far as the Demons were concerned, the idea was to build momentum. "The first two games still represent a bit of a scar there and we just can't accept that," Bailey said. "For us to develop the list, the best way is to get a winning culture and that is what we really need to do." That’s exactly the spirit required to ensure that the home side is quaking in its boots with apprehension as Melbourne’s raid on the City of Churches draws near and Neil Craig has stated that he is concerned about what his team might be facing on Sunday at AAMI Stadium. What worries him most is which Demon will arrive at Adelaide Airport tomorrow. Will it be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? Nobody can really be sure if this week's Melbourne team will play like Robert Louis Stevenson’s extremely friendly and sociable Dr. Jekyll or the sinister and dangerous Mr. Hyde. What must really frighten Craig is the fact that for the first six and a half games of the season, the Demons played like meek little pussy cats (with apologies to Geelong) but in their last half game against the Dockers they attacked the football with the ferocity of a wounded lion. Since Craig is known for his scientific bent, he has clearly detected that his opposition this week is affected by what is known as "dissociative identity disorder" and he must be wary of the fact that the Mr. Hyde traits have gained ascendency. Just look how blokes like Cameron Bruce and Aaron Davey played against the Dockers in the second half and that's not to mention the formerly reclusive but now an excitement machine in Austin Wonaeamirri. And what about the mild mannered redhead Matthew Bate who dropped marks and fumbled in the first half and then turned into a match winner with his strong hands and long deliberate kicks to advantage deep in the forward line? I’m not getting carried away however, because the bookies must know something. Despite Melbourne’s 56-point turnaround after half time in the Fremantle game, they have installed the home team as an almost unbackable favourite in this game at odds close to the ones they offered on Geelong when Melbourne played the Cats at Skilled Stadium a month ago. And why not? The Crows are up there in the top four with five wins out of seven games to date and they have Brett Burton, Simon Goodwin and Jason Porplyzia starring up forward, Scott Thompson approaching stardom in the middle and Andrew McLeod motoring around half back. As I continue to write, I feel my personality slowly changing. When I started out, I felt strongly that the Demons would win this. I don't know what's happening to me now but I seem to be fighting an inner conflict of humanity's sense of good and evil. Perhaps the evil will prevail and Adelaide will prevail by 14 points but at $1.06 the win, I wouldn't bet on it!

ANDY LOVELL'S PLAYER REVIEW - ROUND SIX Highlight (for deelicious9): John Meesen (8 kicks, 11 handballs, 10 marks) John played his best game for Sandringham, and has been steadily improving over the past three weeks. His work rate was up and he marked the ball well around the ground. John competed well in the ruck at the centre bounces, and also played forward as a lead up target. He still has some development to go before he plays AFL football, but he is showing some really good signs of improvement. Understatement(?): Paul Johnson (11 kicks, 13 handballs, 8 marks, 1 goal) This was Paul’s first game back after missing five weeks with a hand injury. He played a reasonable game, and rucked against two AFL ruckmen in Peter Street and Wade Skipper. He competed really well, and was able to get a bit of the ball around the ground, finishing with 24 possessions. We also moved him forward, which meant he led up the ground well and was a dangerous target. Overall, his first up effort was pretty good. By me, 24 possessions from a big man in his first game back from a broken hand injury is more than "pretty good". Simon Buckley's detractors should take a long, hard, look at Andy Lovell's comments and Buckley's stats. As WJ says - he's the best Buckley playing in the AFL ATM!

Fubar is at 16 Belford Street, St. Kilda (off Acland Street). Demonland/Demonology Sponsorship for 2008 is $125.00 (3 functions) and can be paid at the door OR alternatively you can paid as you go - $50.00 for the evening ($10.00 for children). Admission includes a great night including an interview with our sponsored player Clint Bartram and vision of our game against the Fremantle Dockers (last half only) and a panel discussion on any topic you want to name. Light supper of exotic Fubar finger foods provided with soft drinks. I assume there will be drinks available with the food at bar prices to those over 18 (ID essential) and the chef will be on hand if you want a full meal (reasonable prices). Join us for a big night that should amply fill the void caused by there being no Melbourne or Sandringham game in town at the weekend!!! IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN!!!

by Barry from Beach Road One the largest crowds at a VFL game in many years turned up to Burbank Oval to watch traditional rivals Williamstown and Sandringham battle it out on Sunday and even though admission was free, the crowd still got more than it's money worth - especially those who supported the local side which easily outclassed the visitors in both the seniors and reserves matches. Many sides have travelled to Point Gellibrand in the past and had their hopes wrecked by the difficult conditions that often prevail in this part of the world. The ground abuts Hobson Bay and the tricky winds blowing off the shore and across the ground have always proved a handful for teams coming from the other side of town. Sandringham went into the game missing two clever forwards in Ezra Poyas and Adem Yze and, with Nick Sautner well held by his opponent for most of the day, the Zebras struggled after an inaccurate opening quarter. They fought back a little in the third quarter but allowed the Seagulls to run all over them as the wind strengthened in the last. The damage was done early when Sandy kicked poorly at what should have been the scoring end of the ground. Williamstown got on top and would have been happy with the 3.1.19 to 1.4.10 score line at the first break. After conceding three early goals in the second term Sandy lifted but failed to retake the initiative thanks to some poor attempts at conversion at the grandstand end. Addam Maric, who was lively early, broke through for his team's second goal but the Seagulls had all the answers and goal from a free kick on the half time siren gave them a handy five goal lead. Sandringham had few stars in the first half. Matthew Whelan had been strong in defence early in the game, but with him off the ground, Andy Lovell's charges were in trouble. The Zebras threatened to make a game of it in the third quarter with Peter Summers and Shane Valenti providing drive from the middle and Sautner finding the goals at last. Rod Crowe was working hard up forward and Paul Johnson, back from an injury layoff, was impressive on the ball and in the ruck while the defence led by Andy Biddlecombe tightened up and repelled the Willy attacks. Late in the quarter, the visitors had closed in to within a kick but a late flurry of three goals to the home side left them in a strong position at the final change of ends. The final term was a procession for the Seagulls as some poor lapses from some of the Sandy players often left their Willy opponents free to cause havoc and they finished up booting ten of the last eleven goals scored in the game to run out easy winners by 64 points. The Zebras are out of the top four for the first time in many years and must regroup for their clash against an improved Tasmanian Devils outfit in an AFL curtain-raiser at Aurora Stadium on Saturday morning. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jace Bode - got a fair bit of the ball but was often under pressure and didn't really do enough with it. Simon Buckley - another strong performance from the youngster who has good pace and showed improvement in his decision making. Impressed. Kyle Cheney - manfully applied himself to his task. He is learning the game at senior level and should be a valuable defender in the future. Lynden Dunn - spent most of the game as a tagger through the midfield with the occasional stint up forward. Solid but should be doing much better at this level. Ben Holland - looked a little out of sorts in the first half and was a better in the second but he was well covered and did nothing spectacular. Chris Johnson - another good performance. However, while he did some good things they were probably not enough to convince one that he can consistently do the same at the higher level. Paul Johnson - had a good battle with beanpole Peter Street. Has improved his marking, his ground skills are excellent and his ruckwork is of acceptable standard. It shouldn't take him too long to win back a place in the Melbourne team. Addam Maric - there's a lot to like about this talented young player. He was well in the game early when many of his team mates were not and his disposal is generally a treat to watch. He is also learning the defensive side of the game which is so necessary for him to become a well rounded player at the elite level. Stefan Martin - played as a key defender with the odd stint in the ruck and was impressive at both tasks. Amazingly agile, a strong mark and he's definitely been working on his kicking which is getting better. John Meesen - probably played his best game at Sandy but, given the Demons' ruck situation, will need to wait a while longer and develop his game further before he gets a chance at AFL level. Shane Valenti - got a lot of the ball and worked hard in midfield but he hasn't grown or gotten any faster in the past week and these things will always hurt his prospects. Matthew Whelan - started well in the last line of defence but went off (presumably injured) and wasn't seen after half time. Williamstown 3.1 19 8.6.54 12.10.82 19.16.130 Sandringham 1.4.10 3.6.24 8.10.58 9.12.66 Goals Wlliamstown Little Skipper Rose 3 Ward 2 Galea Harbrow Johnson McDougall O'Keefe Ray Stretton Urch Sandringham Maric Sautner Summers 2 Buckley Crowe P Johnson Best Williamstown Jolley Ward Street Skipper Harbrow Meyer Sandringham Biddlecombe Summers Crowe Buckley Valenti Holland The reserves were in the hunt until the main break of their top of the table clash. At that stage it was a high scoring affair but the home sight got right on top and Sandy failed to score a goal after half time and Willy ran completely over the top of a bedraggled visiting team to win by 105 points. Sam Monaghan pressed hard for senior selection with a solid performance while Marc Johnston was steady but it was a disappointing way for the team to end its four game opening winning streak and a pointer to the hard work that is necessary to be a top side in any competition. They have a fortnight to lick their wounds as a result of this week's bye. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jake Spencer - struggled after being dropped to the reserves following some reasonable performances at senior level. Isaac Weetra - virtually unsighted and disappointing. Trent Zomer - rotated between the forward line and the ruck and did well in both roles. One of his side’s better players. Williamstown 7.1.49 13.4.82 20.10.130 29.13.187 Sandringham 7.1.49 12.5 77 12.8 .80 12.10.82 Goals Williamstown Cook 8 Chiu O'Shea 3 Keddell 2 Mulligan Reid 2 Cravino Dullard Jenkins Lynch Lyons McKenzie White Wood Young Sandringham Cleeve Zomer 3 Gilchrist 2 Eaton Lyall McConnell Vickers Best Williamstown Cook Langlands Cravino Reid Grossman White Sandringham Monaghan Johnston Gilchrist Plymin Cleeve Liddell

FREE WILLY by Barry from Beach Road One the largest crowds at a VFL game in many years turned up to Burbank Oval to watch traditional rivals Williamstown and Sandringham battle it out on Sunday and even though admission was free, the crowd still got more than it's money worth - especially those who supported the local side which easily outclassed the visitors in both the seniors and reserves matches. Many sides have travelled to Point Gellibrand in the past and had their hopes wrecked by the difficult conditions that often prevail in this part of the world. The ground abuts Hobson Bay and the tricky winds blowing off the shore and across the ground have always proved a handful for teams coming from the other side of town. Sandringham went into the game missing two clever forwards in Ezra Poyas and Adem Yze and, with Nick Sautner well held by his opponent for most of the day, the Zebras struggled after an inaccurate opening quarter. They fought back a little in the third quarter but allowed the Seagulls to run all over them as the wind strengthened in the last. The damage was done early when Sandy kicked poorly at what should have been the scoring end of the ground. Williamstown got on top and would have been happy with the 3.1.19 to 1.4.10 score line at the first break. After conceding three early goals in the second term Sandy lifted but failed to retake the initiative thanks to some poor attempts at conversion at the grandstand end. Addam Maric, who was lively early, broke through for his team's second goal but the Seagulls had all the answers and goal from a free kick on the half time siren gave them a handy five goal lead. Sandringham had few stars in the first half. Matthew Whelan had been strong in defence early in the game, but with him off the ground, Andy Lovell's charges were in trouble. The Zebras threatened to make a game of it in the third quarter with Peter Summers and Shane Valenti providing drive from the middle and Sautner finding the goals at last. Rod Crowe was working hard up forward and Paul Johnson, back from an injury layoff, was impressive on the ball and in the ruck while the defence led by Andy Biddlecombe tightened up and repelled the Willy attacks. Late in the quarter, the visitors had closed in to within a kick but a late flurry of three goals to the home side left them in a strong position at the final change of ends. The final term was a procession for the Seagulls as some poor lapses from some of the Sandy players often left their Willy opponents free to cause havoc and they finished up booting ten of the last eleven goals scored in the game to run out easy winners by 64 points. The Zebras are out of the top four for the first time in many years and must regroup for their clash against an improved Tasmanian Devils outfit in an AFL curtain-raiser at Aurora Stadium on Saturday morning. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jace Bode - got a fair bit of the ball but was often under pressure and didn't really do enough with it. Simon Buckley - another strong performance from the youngster who has good pace and showed improvement in his decision making. Impressed. Kyle Cheney - manfully applied himself to his task. He is learning the game at senior level and should be a valuable defender in the future. Lynden Dunn - spent most of the game as a tagger through the midfield with the occasional stint up forward. Solid but should be doing much better at this level. Ben Holland - looked a little out of sorts in the first half and was a better in the second but he was well covered and did nothing spectacular. Chris Johnson - another good performance. However, while he did some good things they were probably not enough to convince one that he can consistently do the same at the higher level. Paul Johnson - had a good battle with beanpole Peter Street. Has improved his marking, his ground skills are excellent and his ruckwork is of acceptable standard. It shouldn't take him too long to win back a place in the Melbourne team. Addam Maric - there's a lot to like about this talented young player. He was well in the game early when many of his team mates were not and his disposal is generally a treat to watch. He is also learning the defensive side of the game which is so necessary for him to become a well rounded player at the elite level. Stefan Martin - played as a key defender with the odd stint in the ruck and was impressive at both tasks. Amazingly agile, a strong mark and he's definitely been working on his kicking which is getting better. John Meesen - probably played his best game at Sandy but, given the Demons' ruck situation, will need to wait a while longer and develop his game further before he gets a chance at AFL level. Shane Valenti - got a lot of the ball and worked hard in midfield but he hasn't grown or gotten any faster in the past week and these things will always hurt his prospects. Matthew Whelan - started well in the last line of defence but went off (presumably injured) and wasn't seen after half time. Williamstown 3.1 19 8.6.54 12.10.82 19.16.130 Sandringham 1.4.10 3.6.24 8.10.58 9.12.66 Goals Wlliamstown Little Skipper Rose 3 Ward 2 Galea Harbrow Johnson McDougall O'Keefe Ray Stretton Urch Sandringham Maric Sautner Summers 2 Buckley Crowe P Johnson Best Williamstown Jolley Ward Street Skipper Harbrow Meyer Sandringham Biddlecombe Summers Crowe Buckley Valenti Holland The reserves were in the hunt until the main break of their top of the table clash. At that stage it was a high scoring affair but the home sight got right on top and Sandy failed to score a goal after half time and Willy ran completely over the top of a bedraggled visiting team to win by 105 points. Sam Monaghan pressed hard for senior selection with a solid performance while Marc Johnston was steady but it was a disappointing way for the team to end its four game opening winning streak and a pointer to the hard work that is necessary to be a top side in any competition. They have a fortnight to lick their wounds as a result of this week's bye. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jake Spencer - struggled after being dropped to the reserves following some reasonable performances at senior level. Isaac Weetra - virtually unsighted and disappointing. Trent Zomer - rotated between the forward line and the ruck and did well in both roles. One of his side’s better players. Williamstown 7.1.49 13.4.82 20.10.130 29.13.187 Sandringham 7.1.49 12.5 77 12.8 .80 12.10.82 Goals Williamstown Cook 8 Chiu O'Shea 3 Keddell 2 Mulligan Reid 2 Cravino Dullard Jenkins Lynch Lyons McKenzie White Wood Young Sandringham Cleeve Zomer 3 Gilchrist 2 Eaton Lyall McConnell Vickers Best Williamstown Cook Langlands Cravino Reid Grossman White Sandringham Monaghan Johnston Gilchrist Plymin Cleeve Liddell

THE LOST WEEKEND by The Oracle Despite the manufactured hype of tonight's Hall of Fame match, there's nothing that excites me about the break in the AFL season. There will be no Melbourne players wearing the Big V, nor will any don the pukey white number chosen for members of The Dream Team. That is, unless you count former Demons like Troy Simmonds or DT emergency Nathan Bassett who was on our list for five minutes more than a decade ago, never played a game and was traded away for virtually nothing. Or you might want to count Chri$ Judd who wore the red and blue as a kid but turned his back on his childhood dream team of playing in Garry Lyon's famous number three for a bucket load of cash and a possible dream job in the future as chief environmental officer with a paper and cardboard conglomerate whose boss specialises in corporate ------------ … no, forget that. I'm over it all now! The point I'm making is that all this razzmatazz counts for nothing with me and the only thing I associate with this Dream Team game is one big ... YAWN! Having got that off my chest, I thought the best way to cover this lost weekend was to ignore the distraction and to take a look at where the actual competition is headed insofar as the premiership race is concerned. As I see it, the teams have neatly fallen into three separate blocs comprising the top four, the finals contenders and the also rans. THE TOP FOUR Geelong, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs and Adelaide clearly lead the pack and it will take some calamity to dislodge any one of this group from an all-important top four placing at the end of the season. The Cats always looked as if they might be stronger than they were in the premiership year, and although they are just in cruise mode at the moment, they still look the goods with their overall class and depth. I was in two minds about the Hawks before the season started but any doubts I had were dispelled quickly (by half time in round 1). They will strongly challenge the incumbent. I also had doubts about the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide but both clubs have risen to the occasion. Like the Hawks, the Bulldogs are reaping the benefits of the drafting bonanza the received from bottoming out a few years ago with Adam Cooney and Ryan Griffen maturing beautifully. Their recent trades in Jason Akermanis, Ben Hudson and Scott Welsh have all added depth and their added strength and aggression have enabled them to defy the critics who felt they might struggle after a poor finish in 2007. Adelaide coach Neil Craig has worked wonders with a side that has not really featured in the high draft selections. He has built his team around clever drafting and list management highlighted by some great use of the rookie list from where he has unearthed some rare gems. He has quietly gone about rebuilding a workmanlike midfield that has managed to slip under the radar and has been very effective for him so far this season while Griffin and Tippett have covered what looked like being a problematic void in his big man department. THE FINALS CONTENDERS I have six teams in this group – St. Kilda, Sydney, North Melbourne, Collingwood, Port Adelaide and Brisbane – with two others in Carlton and Richmond knocking on the door (but it's not quite opening for them). The Saints are fast becoming the AFL's coodabeens. They have promised a lot over the past four years but a combination of injuries, poor coaching and bad luck have conspired against this talent-laden side. Everybody agrees that they've been playing poorly this year but they are still in fifth spot. The problem is that their current spate of injuries co-incides with a tough run over the coming weeks. They recruited some depth in the past two off seasons but the incoming talent is not quite right and they might well struggle to play finals football this year. Sydney won a premiership playing the "ugly duckling" in 2005, nearly won another in 2006 and it has tended to recruit players nearing their use by date. Despite continuing to play ugly and despite the antics of a team leader cum prize fighter key forward facing a long stint on the sidelines, the Swans continue to defy the odds (that’s not hard to do when you pit 19 men against 18 and manage to get away with it) and look set to participate in the finals again although I expect their stay to be brief. North Melbourne saved itself from relocation to the Gold Coast but could still rue the day it decided to stay in Melbourne (no pun intended). The Kangaroos always manage to stay out of gaol and to chalk up some impressive performances but I'm not convinced and I think they will ultimately miss out on a finals berth. Collingwood was gifted the obligatory easy draw thanks to its status as the AFL's love child courtesy of its drawing power in a competition where money means more than establishing a level playing field for all of its participants. The bastards have struck it lucky with a Friday night game against injury ravaged St. Kilda, a game that neither side can afford to lose. I don't think the Saints can win this one so the Pies get another reprieve. The kind fixture should ensure that they will also remain in the limelight and on the back page of the HUN every second morning until the finals come around. I expect them to fade out quickly after that but, even when they're eliiminated from the competition, they will remain on the back pages for some reason or other. Port Adelaide has taken a while to recover from the shock waves of its 2007 grand final disaster but is now back on the winning list. The Power have a tough road ahead, but I expect them to clamber into the top eight in the near future and, in all probability, they will stay there. Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews has done a fantastic job rebuilding his team after its great premiership run ended earlier in the decade. The Lions remain contenders after a poor first up effort when they lost to West Coast who haven't troubled the scorers since that game. With Brown and Bradshaw occupying the key forward posts and obtaining good service from their midfield, the Lions are genuine contenders. THE ALSO RANS Perhaps it's somewhat unfair to Carlton and Richmond who have both improved this season to still be in this group and not among the contenders. The Blues have been lifted with the inclusion of Judd and Matthew Kreuzer and the coming of age of some of their younger brigade but their depth hasn't really been tested yet. And if they lose another game or two and reach the halfway mark with say, only four wins, I wouldn't put it past them to suddenly and mysteriously fall apart at the seams as they did last year. By all rights, Richmond should be occupying a place in the top six right now. The Tigers were stiff to miss out on two premiership points when they drew against the Dogs, were impressive in defeat against the Hawks and should have beaten St. Kilda last week. Their next match is against Geelong and that will test their mettle. The lost opportunities of the past few weeks will probably come back to bite them. This brings us to the real contenders for the Naitanui/Rich Cup (the jury remains out as to which of the two Sandgropers is going to be taken at number one in the 2008 National Draft). Essendon looked the goods early in the season after putting in some handy NAB Cup performances and smashing North Melbourne in Round 1. Since then it's been downhill all the way and a big injury list is set to ensure that that the Bombers remain in contention for one of those prize early draft picks. The Fremantle Shockers have fluctuated from world beaters to shark droppings and they struggle to win games. Their recruiting policy has been strongly criticised – they have the oldest list in the competition – and the coach is under heavy fire from the media and their own fans. They have the capacity to regroup but they won't get out of the basement this year. West Coast held top position on the AFL table as late as Round 10 last year and finished in third place before bowing out of the finals in straight sets. The loss of two of the best midfielders in the land and the off field controversy has not helped its cause. In the interim, the Eagles have managed to win only one game with a record so abysmal that it compares only slightly more favourably to that of Melbourne. They are no longer flying high and in fact, their fall from grace has been staggering and threatens to continue. Until last week I was considering putting Melbourne in a separate category of its own – even below that of the also rans but the inspirational last half against the Dockers has seen their promotion to this group for now. Despite the optimism that result has engendered, the Demons remain favourites to collect the prized scalp of Nick Naitanui at the end of the year. Or will it be Daniel Rich? FOOTNOTE: Next week I will take a closer look at Melbourne's season so far with the help of Sam the Stats Man's famous player stats.

THE LOST WEEKEND by The Oracle Despite the manufactured hype of tonight's Hall of Fame match, there's nothing that excites me about the break in the AFL season. There will be no Melbourne players wearing the Big V, nor will any don the pukey white number chosen for members of The Dream Team. That is, unless you count former Demons like Troy Simmonds or DT emergency Nathan Bassett who was on our list for five minutes more than a decade ago, never played a game and was traded away for virtually nothing. Or you might want to count Chri$ Judd who wore the red and blue as a kid but turned his back on his childhood dream team of playing in Garry Lyon's famous number three for a bucket load of cash and a possible dream job in the future as chief environmental officer with a paper and cardboard conglomerate whose boss specialises in corporate ------------ … no, forget that. I'm over it all now! The point I'm making is that all this razzmatazz counts for nothing with me and the only thing I associate with this Dream Team game is one big ... YAWN! Having got that off my chest, I thought the best way to cover this lost weekend was to ignore the distraction and to take a look at where the actual competition is headed insofar as the premiership race is concerned. As I see it, the teams have neatly fallen into three separate blocs comprising the top four, the finals contenders and the also rans. THE TOP FOUR Geelong, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs and Adelaide clearly lead the pack and it will take some calamity to dislodge any one of this group from an all-important top four placing at the end of the season. The Cats always looked as if they might be stronger than they were in the premiership year, and although they are just in cruise mode at the moment, they still look the goods with their overall class and depth. I was in two minds about the Hawks before the season started but any doubts I had were dispelled quickly (by half time in round 1). They will strongly challenge the incumbent. I also had doubts about the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide but both clubs have risen to the occasion. Like the Hawks, the Bulldogs are reaping the benefits of the drafting bonanza the received from bottoming out a few years ago with Adam Cooney and Ryan Griffen maturing beautifully. Their recent trades in Jason Akermanis, Ben Hudson and Scott Welsh have all added depth and their added strength and aggression have enabled them to defy the critics who felt they might struggle after a poor finish in 2007. Adelaide coach Neil Craig has worked wonders with a side that has not really featured in the high draft selections. He has built his team around clever drafting and list management highlighted by some great use of the rookie list from where he has unearthed some rare gems. He has quietly gone about rebuilding a workmanlike midfield that has managed to slip under the radar and has been very effective for him so far this season while Griffin and Tippett have covered what looked like being a problematic void in his big man department. THE FINALS CONTENDERS I have six teams in this group – St. Kilda, Sydney, North Melbourne, Collingwood, Port Adelaide and Brisbane – with two others in Carlton and Richmond knocking on the door (but it's not quite opening for them). The Saints are fast becoming the AFL's coodabeens. They have promised a lot over the past four years but a combination of injuries, poor coaching and bad luck have conspired against this talent-laden side. Everybody agrees that they've been playing poorly this year but they are still in fifth spot. The problem is that their current spate of injuries co-incides with a tough run over the coming weeks. They recruited some depth in the past two off seasons but the incoming talent is not quite right and they might well struggle to play finals football this year. Sydney won a premiership playing the "ugly duckling" in 2005, nearly won another in 2006 and it has tended to recruit players nearing their use by date. Despite continuing to play ugly and despite the antics of a team leader cum prize fighter key forward facing a long stint on the sidelines, the Swans continue to defy the odds (that’s not hard to do when you pit 19 men against 18 and manage to get away with it) and look set to participate in the finals again although I expect their stay to be brief. North Melbourne saved itself from relocation to the Gold Coast but could still rue the day it decided to stay in Melbourne (no pun intended). The Kangaroos always manage to stay out of gaol and to chalk up some impressive performances but I'm not convinced and I think they will ultimately miss out on a finals berth. Collingwood was gifted the obligatory easy draw thanks to its status as the AFL's love child courtesy of its drawing power in a competition where money means more than establishing a level playing field for all of its participants. The bastards have struck it lucky with a Friday night game against injury ravaged St. Kilda, a game that neither side can afford to lose. I don't think the Saints can win this one so the Pies get another reprieve. The kind fixture should ensure that they will also remain in the limelight and on the back page of the HUN every second morning until the finals come around. I expect them to fade out quickly after that but, even when they're eliiminated from the competition, they will remain on the back pages for some reason or other. Port Adelaide has taken a while to recover from the shock waves of its 2007 grand final disaster but is now back on the winning list. The Power have a tough road ahead, but I expect them to clamber into the top eight in the near future and, in all probability, they will stay there. Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews has done a fantastic job rebuilding his team after its great premiership run ended earlier in the decade. The Lions remain contenders after a poor first up effort when they lost to West Coast who haven't troubled the scorers since that game. With Brown and Bradshaw occupying the key forward posts and obtaining good service from their midfield, the Lions are genuine contenders. THE ALSO RANS Perhaps it's somewhat unfair to Carlton and Richmond who have both improved this season to still be in this group and not among the contenders. The Blues have been lifted with the inclusion of Judd and Matthew Kreuzer and the coming of age of some of their younger brigade but their depth hasn't really been tested yet. And if they lose another game or two and reach the halfway mark with say, only four wins, I wouldn't put it past them to suddenly and mysteriously fall apart at the seams as they did last year. By all rights, Richmond should be occupying a place in the top six right now. The Tigers were stiff to miss out on two premiership points when they drew against the Dogs, were impressive in defeat against the Hawks and should have beaten St. Kilda last week. Their next match is against Geelong and that will test their mettle. The lost opportunities of the past few weeks will probably come back to bite them. This brings us to the real contenders for the Naitanui/Rich Cup (the jury remains out as to which of the two Sandgropers is going to be taken at number one in the 2008 National Draft). Essendon looked the goods early in the season after putting in some handy NAB Cup performances and smashing North Melbourne in Round 1. Since then it's been downhill all the way and a big injury list is set to ensure that that the Bombers remain in contention for one of those prize early draft picks. The Fremantle Shockers have fluctuated from world beaters to shark droppings and they struggle to win games. Their recruiting policy has been strongly criticised – they have the oldest list in the competition – and the coach is under heavy fire from the media and their own fans. They have the capacity to regroup but they won't get out of the basement this year. West Coast held top position on the AFL table as late as Round 10 last year and finished in third place before bowing out of the finals in straight sets. The loss of two of the best midfielders in the land and the off field controversy has not helped its cause. In the interim, the Eagles have managed to win only one game with a record so abysmal that it compares only slightly more favourably to that of Melbourne. They are no longer flying high and in fact, their fall from grace has been staggering and threatens to continue. Until last week I was considering putting Melbourne in a separate category of its own – even below that of the also rans but the inspirational last half against the Dockers has seen their promotion to this group for now. Despite the optimism that result has engendered, the Demons remain favourites to collect the prized scalp of Nick Naitanui at the end of the year. Or will it be Daniel Rich?