Demonland

Looking forward to it. How about a little on air mention of www.demonland.com

A GAME OF TWO HALVES - Part One by Whispering Jack Sometimes you get the best and the worst when you go to see a sporting contest. This usually means that you get the best from the winner and the worst from the loser. However, on Sunday in the game between Melbourne and Fremantle, we saw the best and the worst from both teams. The Dockers blew the game open when they took a 27-point lead into the first break and by half time they led by fifty points. Such was their dominance that they were threatening a victory of such gargantuan proportions that it would have made the Hawks' 104 point opening round win on this same ground and against the same club look paltry and insignificant. There is no need to describe what transpired in the game's first hour from a Melbourne point of view because it was all too familiar. We've seen it time and again in the first six rounds - an orgy of errors, ineptitude (one centre square clearance in the first quarter and a half!) and, at times, downright incompetence from a home side that this week managed a meagre three first half goals and conceded eleven, of which many were a result of stupid stuff ups. In other words, much of the misery of the home team's fans - many just sat there with heads cupped in their despairing hands - was self-inflicted. Was it my imagination that the birds circling the ground at the main break drew near bore a closer resemblance to vultures than the seagulls that normally emerge out of the skies at around that time every week? I spent a great deal of main break searching for a food stand on the ground floor of the MCG, the powers that be having made the decision to close the one they usually operate on most match days in the Redlegs area on level one. Presumably, they did so because they expected the handful of members and supporters in attendance might as well be as starved for food as they were of enjoyment for the game. It was a bleak scene down there in the bowels of the great stadium; there was no sweet perfume in the half time air but there were so many blank looks and sad faces among those who had answered the call to come and support their team. Most were looking for some sort of sustenance or relief from the gloom of the day's events while some were simply looking for a way out of the ground. At moments like these, some unusual thoughts can pop into your head. Such as the fact that the single most enjoyable moment of the day so far had come when the trumpeter was blowing his way through a rendition of the tune to the club's song. His performance probably had some artistic merit, but what I found entertaining in a devilish sort of way was the sight of this bloke in the red jacket whose face was becoming progressively more blue with every note he played. Similar to the colour of my face when Jeff Farmer intercepted an errant handball to run into an open goal in the second quarter. "Keep your eye on the red and the blue." Which was exactly what we try to do each week but it's a hell of a way to spend an afternoon these days. A GAME OF TWO HALVES - Part Two by Whispering Jack I have no idea as to what was happening below us in the Melbourne rooms during the main break but when the team came out for the start of the third quarter, a momentous change came over the game. Suddenly, the Demons were winning the ball out of the middle thanks to Mark Jamar's strong and heroic ruck work and Brock McLean's grunt at the stoppages. Cameron Bruce and Brad Green came alive and the burden of the club's disappointing start to its 150th anniversary season seemed to lift and disappear into thin air. It was as if a whole new life had been breathed into the side as players who were dropping marks, fumbling handballs and fluffing their kicks half an hour ago came out of their collective shells and suddenly, everything started falling into place. Players were suddenly hitting their targets by foot and by hand. Goals which had been so hard to come by for most of the season, started to come at a regular rate. Was a miracle about to happen? Brad Green and Brad Miller scored important early second half goals, followed by Robbo and then we saw a touch of brilliance from Aaron Davey who twice ran rings around the Docker defences. One of his goals, from 50 metres after selling enough dummies to stock a sizeable nursery, must be a goal of the year contender. Matthew Bate and Brent Moloney lost the hesitation that marked their play earlier in the game. They became the danger men with their long kicking to position. Miller controlled centre half forward and was taking telling marks on a lead as well in contested situations. The crowd was getting involved too as the Demon surge continued but just when it looked as if the visitors might be completely overrun, Matthew Pavlich chipped in with a couple of goals before the final change of ends. The Dockers led by 32 points and their temporary crisis appeared to be over. But Melbourne wasn't finished yet and its final quarter onslaught was a thrilling nine goal performance - one that stunned the football world (not to mention the 19,423 punters at the ground). Moloney and Miller scored goals but the quarter really belonged to Robbo and Tiwi Island rookie Austin Wonaeamirri who each snagged three goals. Austin's crumbing goals and his effervescent enthusiasm in their celebration were infectious and they lifted the side and the crowd and they carried the club to its greatest fightback win ever. The true Demon faithful spilled onto the hallowed turf as the trumpeter blared out the theme song and they covered the entire surface of the MCG. I was out there on the ground with them and, when I looked up, the vultures had disappeared. Melbourne 1.3.9 3.8.26 8.15.63 17.17.119 Fremantle 5.6.36 11.10.76 13.17.95 15.23.113 Goals Melbourne Robertson Wonnaeamirri 4 Davey Miller 3 Green 2 Moloney Fremantle Pavlich 5 Tarrant 3 Farmer 2 Bell Ibbotson Mundy Palmer Solomon Best Melbourne McLean Wonnaeamirri Robertson Davey Miller Bruce Green Fremantle Pavlich Solomon Palmer Sandilands Bell Ibbotson Tarrant Injuries Melbourne Nil Fremantle Luke McPharlin (corked buttock) Changes Melbourne Matthew Whelan (gastro) replaced in selected side by Daniel Bell Fremantle Des Headland (knee) replaced in selected side by Daniel Gilmore Reports Nil Umpires James Stewart Avon Official crowd 19,423 at MCG

A GAME OF TWO HALVES - Part One by Whispering Jack Sometimes you get the best and the worst when you go to see a sporting contest. This usually means that you get the best from the winner and the worst from the loser. However, on Sunday in the game between Melbourne and Fremantle, we saw the best and the worst from both teams. The Dockers blew the game open when they took a 27-point lead into the first break and by half time they led by fifty points. Such was their dominance that they were threatening a victory of such gargantuan proportions that it would have made the Hawks' 104 point opening round win on this same ground and against the same club look paltry and insignificant. There is no need to describe what transpired in the game's first hour from a Melbourne point of view because it was all too familiar. We've seen it time and again in the first six rounds - an orgy of errors, ineptitude (one centre square clearance in the first quarter and a half!) and, at times, downright incompetence from a home side that this week managed a meagre three first half goals and conceded eleven, of which many were a result of stupid stuff ups. In other words, much of the misery of the home team's fans - many just sat there with heads cupped in their despairing hands - was self-inflicted. Was it my imagination that the birds circling the ground at the main break drew near bore a closer resemblance to vultures than the seagulls that normally emerge out of the skies at around that time every week? I spent a great deal of main break searching for a food stand on the ground floor of the MCG, the powers that be having made the decision to close the one they usually operate on most match days in the Redlegs area on level one. Presumably, they did so because they expected the handful of members and supporters in attendance might as well be as starved for food as they were of enjoyment for the game. It was a bleak scene down there in the bowels of the great stadium; there was no sweet perfume in the half time air but there were so many blank looks and sad faces among those who had answered the call to come and support their team. Most were looking for some sort of sustenance or relief from the gloom of the day's events while some were simply looking for a way out of the ground. At moments like these, some unusual thoughts can pop into your head. Such as the fact that the single most enjoyable moment of the day so far had come when the trumpeter was blowing his way through a rendition of the tune to the club's song. His performance probably had some artistic merit, but what I found entertaining in a devilish sort of way was the sight of this bloke in the red jacket whose face was becoming progressively more blue with every note he played. Similar to the colour of my face when Jeff Farmer intercepted an errant handball to run into an open goal in the second quarter. "Keep your eye on the red and the blue." Which was exactly what we try to do each week but it's a hell of a way to spend an afternoon these days. A GAME OF TWO HALVES - Part Two by Whispering Jack I have no idea as to what was happening below us in the Melbourne rooms during the main break but when the team came out for the start of the third quarter, a momentous change came over the game. Suddenly, the Demons were winning the ball out of the middle thanks to Mark Jamar's strong and heroic ruck work and Brock McLean's grunt at the stoppages. Cameron Bruce and Brad Green came alive and the burden of the club's disappointing start to its 150th anniversary season seemed to lift and disappear into thin air. It was as if a whole new life had been breathed into the side as players who were dropping marks, fumbling handballs and fluffing their kicks half an hour ago came out of their collective shells and suddenly, everything started falling into place. Players were suddenly hitting their targets by foot and by hand. Goals which had been so hard to come by for most of the season, started to come at a regular rate. Was a miracle about to happen? Brad Green and Brad Miller scored important early second half goals, followed by Robbo and then we saw a touch of brilliance from Aaron Davey who twice ran rings around the Docker defences. One of his goals, from 50 metres after selling enough dummies to stock a sizeable nursery, must be a goal of the year contender. Matthew Bate and Brent Moloney lost the hesitation that marked their play earlier in the game. They became the danger men with their long kicking to position. Miller controlled centre half forward and was taking telling marks on a lead as well in contested situations. The crowd was getting involved too as the Demon surge continued but just when it looked as if the visitors might be completely overrun, Matthew Pavlich chipped in with a couple of goals before the final change of ends. The Dockers led by 32 points and their temporary crisis appeared to be over. But Melbourne wasn't finished yet and its final quarter onslaught was a thrilling nine goal performance - one that stunned the football world (not to mention the 19,423 punters at the ground). Moloney and Miller scored goals but the quarter really belonged to Robbo and Tiwi Island rookie Austin Wonaeamirri who each snagged three goals. Austin's crumbing goals and his effervescent enthusiasm in their celebration were infectious and they lifted the side and the crowd and they carried the club to its greatest fightback win ever. The true Demon faithful spilled onto the hallowed turf as the trumpeter blared out the theme song and they covered the entire surface of the MCG. I was out there on the ground with them and, when I looked up, the vultures had disappeared. Melbourne 1.3.9 3.8.26 8.15.63 17.17.119 Fremantle 5.6.36 11.10.76 13.17.95 15.23.113 Goals Melbourne Robertson Wonnaeamirri 4 Davey Miller 3 Green 2 Moloney Fremantle Pavlich 5 Tarrant 3 Farmer 2 Bell Ibbotson Mundy Palmer Solomon Best Melbourne McLean Wonnaeamirri Robertson Davey Miller Bruce Green Fremantle Pavlich Solomon Palmer Sandilands Bell Ibbotson Tarrant Injuries Melbourne Nil Fremantle Luke McPharlin (corked buttock) Changes Melbourne Matthew Whelan (gastro) replaced in selected side by Daniel Bell Fremantle Des Headland (knee) replaced in selected side by Daniel Gilmore Reports Nil Umpires James Stewart Avon Official crowd 19,423 at MCG And just for balance, here's a link to the DOCKERLAND MATCH REPORT by Shane Richmond who, when previewing this game described Melbourne as "useless". I guess that makes Fremantle (insert your description here).

Brock McLean retains the lead after Round 7 - 36.2934 Brock McLean 27.9898 Austin Wonaemirri 22.728 Brad Miller 22.4656 Paul Wheatley 21.1882 Cameron Bruce 20.673 Aaron Davey 15.4154 Brad Green 15.1596 Nathan Jones 14.504 Paul Johnson 11.86 Cale Morton 10.8024 Brent Moloney 10.6848 Jared Rivers 10.482 Nathan Carroll 9.4428 James McDonald 8.3888 Colin Sylvia 5.904 Matthew Whelan 5.265 Russell Robertson 4.1 Jeff White 3.159 Matthew Bate 1.866 Lynden Dunn 0.732 Clint Bartram 0.65 Colin Garland 0.325 Simon Buckley

Weighting this week is over 1 for the first time = 1.053!!!

JUNK TIME by The Oracle Late in the 2006 season, Sunday's contestants Melbourne and Fremantle were facing off against each other in a semi final at Subiaco. The Dockers won but went on to lose an exciting preliminary final against the Swans in Sydney while the Demons had to be content to settle for the mantle of the best Victorian team in the competition by virtue of a fifth on the ladder finish. Earlier in the season - in fact exactly two years ago in round 7 - Melbourne slaughtered Fremantle at the very venue where the teams will do battle on Sunday. The score line of 17.15.117 to 8.10.58 actually flattered the Dockers as the Demons effortlessly brushed aside their insipid opponents. At the beginning of 2007 I was confident that both of these clubs were going places. So much so that I selected them to play off in the grand final later that year. I was wrong. Today, both of these teams are but a shadow of what they were way back then; their respective coaches Neale Daniher and Chris Connolly were summarily dismissed in the latter half of 2007 with neither surviving their 2006 finals glory by twelve months although Connolly has now changed camps and is the football manager at Melbourne. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as they say! The two clubs - Melbourne and Fremantle are on the nose in their respective home states. Both of them need help (and a great deal of it) just to get through 2008. The visitors come to town with a 1-5 record and have won only one quarter interstate this season. The home side has a worse record at 0-6 and has also won only one quarter interstate this season but its problem is that it has hardly done any better than that on home soil. It is for this reason that Melbourne officials have a worried look on their faces as this game approaches. Poor form means poor crowds and that means the Demons will have to write out a cheque just for the pleasure of playing a home game. The club has been forced to come up with some innovative ideas to promote this game because the team is not much of a drawcard. That's no surprise because when your decision making is diabolical and your skill level is abysmal, when you seem to have little system and no creativity; when the only thing you're good at is fumbling and hitting opposing players on the chest when they're twenty metres away from the person standing them, people aren't going to queue up to see you play. What's even more problematic this week is that the Dockers aren't much better! So the Dees have come up with the innovation of the week aimed at helping bring the youngsters through the turnstiles. They can meet non-playing players and club mascot Ronald Deeman outside gates 3 and 5, there are flag giveaways at membership marquees at the same gates and there are kids' entertainers outside the MCG before the game and after the game we'll see the return of one of football's great traditions when all fans will be allowed to set foot on the hallowed turf for a kick to kick session. Of course, this will be dependent on two things: the weather and whether any fans are left at the ground when the final siren sounds. I wish the club good luck because while it's an admirable initiative, it can only help so much and no more. The best way to bring in crowds is to play winning footy and that prospect seems a long way off if we go by this year's performances. I would dearly love to say that the tide will turn this week. After all, this game presents the Demons with their best opportunity so far - a home game against a side that is also struggling to win matches. The problem is that I struggle to see where the improvement will come from to sustain a four quarter effort from a team that is barely playing out one good quarter a week and only then, in junk time! THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at the MCG - Sunday 4 May 2008 at 2:10pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 10 wins Fremantle 12 wins At the MCG Melbourne 3 wins Fremantle 5 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 5 wins Fremantle 8 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Harvey 0 wins MEDIA TV Channel 7 at 3.00pm (delayed telecast) RADIO 3AW MMM K-Rock THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.20 Fremantle to win $1.30 LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 22.12.144 defeated Melbourne 12.13.85 at Subiaco Round 21, 2007. This was yet another forgettable game for Melbourne in a nightmarish end to a dismal season. The game meant nothing to either side but the Dockers had some unstoppable players led by Pavlich and McPharlin with Farmer chiming in with a few goals. Brock McLean usually does well against Freo and this game was no exception. For the Demons all that was left now was a round 22 encounter against a team that didn't want to win. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Nathan Carroll Matthew Whelan Half backs Clint Bartram, Jared Rivers Colin Sylvia Centreline Aaron Davey Brock McLean Paul Wheatley Half forwards: Cale Morton Russell Robertson Nathan Jones Forwards: Brad Green Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers: Jeff White, James McDonald, Cameron Bruce Interchange (from) Matthew Bate Daniel Bell Simon Buckley Colin Garland Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Matthew Warnock In Matthew Bate Simon Buckley Colin Garland Matthew Whelan Out Lynden Dunn (omitted) FREMANTLE Backs Steven Dodd Luke McPharlin Byron Schammer Half backs Marcus Drum Michael Johnson Scott Thornton Centreline David Mundy Rhys Palmer Ryan Crowley Half forwards Garrick Ibbotson Chris Tarrant Dean Solomon Forwards Ryan Murphy Matthew Pavlich Jeff Farmer Followers Aaron Sandilands Des Headland Peter Bell Interchange (from) Paul Duffield Andrew Foster Daniel Gilmore Mark Johnson Shaun McManus Brock O’Brien Robert Warnock In Paul Duffield Andrew Foster Des Headland Mark Johnson Brock O’Brien Chris Tarrant Robert Warnock Out Antoni Grover (quad) Roger Hayden (hamstring) Josh Carr (suspended) Clayton Hinkley QUIZ TIME Question: Which AFL club has improved its position on the ladder in every round this season? Answer: Melbourne. As the table below demonstrates, the Demons just keep improving every week. The improvement is ever so slight but as you can see, while Melbourne has maintained 16th position on the AFL ladder right through from Rounds 1 to 6, its percentage keeps on creeping upward with every passing week - W L D For Agst % Pts Pos Round 1 - Melbourne 0 1 0 50 154 32.5 0 16 Round 2 - Melbourne 0 2 0 116 315 36.8 0 16 Round 3 - Melbourne 0 3 0 198 427 46.4 0 16 Round 4 - Melbourne 0 4 0 277 554 50.0 0 16 Round 5 - Melbourne 0 5 0 345 658 52.4 0 16 Round 6 - Melbourne 0 6 0 430 795 54.1 0 16 This is what I call "improvement" and it's why I maintain that Dean Bailey is an absolute genius! No other coach in the competition can inspire improvement in his team on a regular weekly basis like he can. Sheer genius! The only problem is that, at this rate, it will take several years before the team can become competitive so something’s needed to accelerate the improvement. This is where I have a real problem because Melbourne simply doesn't have the star players to turn the tide of a game. Fremantle, on the other hand, has one such person – Mathew Pavlich. He usually manages to perform against the Demons and, it’s his presence and that of former Demon, Jeff Farmer, who the club gave away for a song when he was at the height of his abilities, that will swing the game in the favour of the Dockers. Fremantle by 29 points.

I think this might be another one of Where's Jacka's multiple personalities.

by The Oracle Late in the 2006 season, Sunday's contestants Melbourne and Fremantle were facing off against each other in a semi final at Subiaco. The Dockers won but went on to lose an exciting preliminary final against the Swans in Sydney while the Demons had to be content to settle for the mantle of the best Victorian team in the competition by virtue of a fifth on the ladder finish. Earlier in the season - in fact exactly two years ago in round 7 - Melbourne slaughtered Fremantle at the very venue where the teams will do battle on Sunday. The score line of 17.15.117 to 8.10.58 actually flattered the Dockers as the Demons effortlessly brushed aside their insipid opponents. At the beginning of 2007 I was confident that both of these clubs were going places. So much so that I selected them to play off in the grand final later that year. I was wrong. Today, both of these teams are but a shadow of what they were way back then; their respective coaches Neale Daniher and Chris Connolly were summarily dismissed in the latter half of 2007 with neither surviving their 2006 finals glory by twelve months although Connolly has now changed camps and is the football manager at Melbourne. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as they say! The two clubs - Melbourne and Fremantle are on the nose in their respective home states. Both of them need help (and a great deal of it) just to get through 2008. The visitors come to town with a 1-5 record and have won only one quarter interstate this season. The home side has a worse record at 0-6 and has also won only one quarter interstate this season but its problem is that it has hardly done any better than that on home soil. It is for this reason that Melbourne officials have a worried look on their faces as this game approaches. Poor form means poor crowds and that means the Demons will have to write out a cheque just for the pleasure of playing a home game. The club has been forced to come up with some innovative ideas to promote this game because the team is not much of a drawcard. That's no surprise because when your decision making is diabolical and your skill level is abysmal, when you seem to have little system and no creativity; when the only thing you're good at is fumbling and hitting opposing players on the chest when they're twenty metres away from the person standing them, people aren't going to queue up to see you play. What's even more problematic this week is that the Dockers aren't much better! So the Dees have come up with the innovation of the week aimed at helping bring the youngsters through the turnstiles. They can meet non-playing players and club mascot Ronald Deeman outside gates 3 and 5, there are flag giveaways at membership marquees at the same gates and there are kids' entertainers outside the MCG before the game and after the game we'll see the return of one of football's great traditions when all fans will be allowed to set foot on the hallowed turf for a kick to kick session. Of course, this will be dependent on two things: the weather and whether any fans are left at the ground when the final siren sounds. I wish the club good luck because while it's an admirable initiative, it can only help so much and no more. The best way to bring in crowds is to play winning footy and that prospect seems a long way off if we go by this year's performances. I would dearly love to say that the tide will turn this week. After all, this game presents the Demons with their best opportunity so far - a home game against a side that is also struggling to win matches. The problem is that I struggle to see where the improvement will come from to sustain a four quarter effort from a team that is barely playing out one good quarter a week and only then, in junk time! THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at the MCG - Sunday 4 May 2008 at 2:10pm (AEST) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 10 wins Fremantle 12 wins At the MCG Melbourne 3 wins Fremantle 5 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 5 wins Fremantle 8 wins The Coaches Bailey 0 wins Harvey 0 wins MEDIA TV Channel 7 at 3.00pm (delayed telecast) RADIO 3AW MMM K-Rock THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.20 Fremantle to win $1.30 LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 22.12.144 defeated Melbourne 12.13.85 at Subiaco Round 21, 2007. This was yet another forgettable game for Melbourne in a nightmarish end to a dismal season. The game meant nothing to either side but the Dockers had some unstoppable players led by Pavlich and McPharlin with Farmer chiming in with a few goals. Brock McLean usually does well against Freo and this game was no exception. For the Demons all that was left now was a round 22 encounter against a team that didn't want to win. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Nathan Carroll Matthew Whelan Half backs Clint Bartram, Jared Rivers Brent Moloney Centreline Aaron Davey Brock McLean Paul Wheatley Half forwards: Cale Morton Russell Robertson Nathan Jones Forwards: Brad Green Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers: Jeff White, James McDonald, Cameron Bruce Interchange Matthew Bate Colin Garland Mark Jamar Matthew Warnock Emergencies Daniel Bell Simon Buckley Lynden Dunn In Matthew Bate Colin Garland Matthew Whelan Out Daniel Bell Lynden Dunn (both omitted) Colin Sylvia (hamstring) FREMANTLE Backs Steven Dodd Luke McPharlin Scott Thornton Half backs Marcus Drum Michael Johnson Brock O’Brien Centreline David Mundy Rhys Palmer Ryan Crowley Half forwards Garrick Ibbotson Chris Tarrant Dean Solomon Forwards Ryan Murphy Matthew Pavlich Jeff Farmer Followers Aaron Sandilands Des Headland Peter Bell Interchange (from) Andrew Foster Mark Johnson Shaun McManus Byron Schammer Emergencies Paul Duffield Daniel Gilmore Robert Warnock In Andrew Foster Des Headland Mark Johnson Brock O’Brien Chris Tarrant Out Josh Carr (suspended) Daniel Gilmore (omitted) Antoni Grover (quad) Roger Hayden (hamstring) Clayton Hinkley (omitted) QUIZ TIME Question: Which AFL club has improved its position on the ladder in every round this season? Answer: Melbourne. As the table below demonstrates, the Demons just keep improving every week. The improvement is ever so slight but as you can see, while Melbourne has maintained 16th position on the AFL ladder right through from Rounds 1 to 6, its percentage keeps on creeping upward with every passing week - W L D For Agst % Pts Pos Round 1 - Melbourne 0 1 0 50 154 32.5 0 16 Round 2 - Melbourne 0 2 0 116 315 36.8 0 16 Round 3 - Melbourne 0 3 0 198 427 46.4 0 16 Round 4 - Melbourne 0 4 0 277 554 50.0 0 16 Round 5 - Melbourne 0 5 0 345 658 52.4 0 16 Round 6 - Melbourne 0 6 0 430 795 54.1 0 16 This is what I call "improvement" and it's why I maintain that Dean Bailey is an absolute genius! No other coach in the competition can inspire improvement in his team on a regular weekly basis like he can. Sheer genius! The only problem is that, at this rate, it will take several years before the team can become competitive so something’s needed to accelerate the improvement. This is where I have a real problem because Melbourne simply doesn't have the star players to turn the tide of a game. Fremantle, on the other hand, has one such person – Mathew Pavlich. He usually manages to perform against the Demons and, it’s his presence and that of former Demon, Jeff Farmer, who the club gave away for a song when he was at the height of his abilities, that will swing the game in the favour of the Dockers. Fremantle by 29 points.

Melbourne last played Fremantle at Subiaco in Round 21 of 2007 and copped a flogging. Here are the teams from that game:- MELBOURNE Backs Nathan Carroll Ryan Ferguson Nathan Brown Half backs Chris Johnson Brad Miller Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green Travis Johnstone Daniel Ward Half forwards Byron Pickett Russell Robertson Michael Newton Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Paul Johnson Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Mark Jamar Simon Buckley Jace Bode Lynden Dunn Emergencies Colin Garland Clint Bizzell Matthew Warnock FREMANTLE Backs Scott Thornton Antoni Grover Steven Dodd Half backs Roger Hayden Michael Johnson Ryan Crowley Centreline David Mundy Dean Solomon Heath Black Half forwards Peter Bell Chris Tarrant Des Headland Forwards Luke McPharlin Matthew Pavlich Troy Cook Followers Robert Warnock Josh Carr Paul Hasleby Interchange Jeff Farmer Daniel Gilmore Shaun McManus Brett Peake Emergencies Andrew Foster Garrick Ibbotson Byron Schammer The injury lists for this week:- MELBOURNE Paul Johnson (hand) - test Ricky Petterd (groin) - 4 weeks Jack Grimes (back) - indefinite David Neitz (neck) - indefinite FREMANTLE Steven Dodd (knee) - test Antoni Grover (quad) - test Roger Hayden (hamstring) - test Des Headland (knee) - test Chris Mayne (calf) - test Andrew Browne (hamstring) - 3 weeks Luke Webster (knee) - - 6 weeks Paul Hasleby (knee) - season

The votes have been counted (this week's weighted average was .62.04) - thanks to all especially Demondeb, Joeboy and bananabender who contributed this week. The standings to date: 25.7634 Brock McLean 22.4656 Paul Wheatley 16.9762 Cameron Bruce 15.4154 Brad Green 15.1596 Nathan Jones 14.504 Paul Johnson 12.1948 Austin Wonaemirri 11.86 Cale Morton 11.196 Aaron Davey 10.6848 Jared Rivers 10.482 Nathan Carroll 9.7494 Brent Moloney 9.4428 James McDonald 8.3888 Colin Sylvia 5.904 Matthew Whelan 5.88 Brad Miller 4.1 Jeff White 1.866 Lynden Dunn 0.732 Clint Bartram 0.65 Colin Garland 0.325 Simon Buckley

G'day all, I'm still waiting on Demondeb's crew to provide the votes from Sunday's game. However, failing that by Thursday morning I'll award the votes to Banabender's chice and the first two on the separate "Votes" thread.

by Bananabender The last time I saw a Melbourne team play, it was a pre season game in the summer when a half baked team played a half of football against Richmond and then capitulated to lose by about five or six goals. This didn't fuss me at the time because it was just a Mickey Mouse practice match, many of the club's better players were missing, the team had a new coach in Dean Bailey, players were recovering from last year's injury woes, they were learning a new game plan and there were plenty of frothies to be drunk back at what was probably the cheapest motel in Cairns ... blah, blah blah … Anyway, for whatever reason, I wasn't all that worried way back then. I must say however, that what I saw of Melbourne today at the Gabba didn't particularly worry me either - it just caused me to suffer a total nervous breakdown. The first half was simply disgraceful; the performance of team celebrating its 150th anniversary this year but one that would have the old time greats of the Melbourne Football Club turning in their graves. No skills, no pace, no strength, no tacking, no pressure, no heart and no soul. It was all so insipid, insidious and hopeless and believe me, I'm trying my hardest to be positive. There was no sign that this team has learned anything from its new coach – or possibly ever will because there was absolutely no sense in playing the game the way Melbourne played it today. You simply can't chip the ball in circles around the backline without having some plan of attack somewhere down the line. As it was, on the odd occasion that there was no turnover and the ball moved forward it was easy for the Lions to mop up because it was so easy to see the ball coming. In many ways, it is unfortunate for the club that Bailey wasn't coaching this team in Round 22 last year because, had he done so, the supporters would at least have had the first two draft selections to salivate over instead of possibly only the first. Bailey told the media after the game that Melbourne's problems were obvious and they would need to be rectified at training, that he held the team back in the rooms after the game to focus on how they needed to not only decrease its turnovers, but speed up its movement of the ball. I'm surprised that after five practice matches, a week's break before the start of the season and six games for premiership points, that this fact has now suddenly become so obvious. There was little to be enthused over for the day although it would be remiss of me not to mention the titanic efforts of Nathan Jones and Austin Wonaeamirri around the goals, Cameron Bruce and Brad Green (why is he not in the leadership group?) and defenders like Jared Rivers, James Frawley, Nathan Carroll and Daniel Bell who might have made their fair share of mistakes under pressure but that's what you get when the ball is pumped into their area with constant regularity. A few others tried hard and that's it but you can’t expect much when the team has no structure, is well beaten in the midfield and is bereft of any key position forwards. That's an indictment on every part of its football operations in the past and in the present. The second half was a little better and the warm conditions probably helped the club win another final quarter because the Lions' players were stuffed after the hard efforts they put in during the first three quarters. The first six rounds have now gone by and the club remains winless and with little hope on the horizon if today is anything to go by. The writing was on the wall as far as today's debacle was concerned when the selectors named a team that contained only the two compulsory changes after an embarrassing loss last week to Carlton so now is the time for the club to prove its worth. We were promised that after this round everything would be up for review. For a club that looked ordinary during the pre-season and has become totally dysfunctional since the premiership season began, it is a must that this promise is kept. For me and my mates up here in the Sunshine State who wait with expectation to see our team live once a year, this has been one of the worst days we could possibly experience. It's now several hours after the game and we can't even muster up the will to open up our plentiful supply of XXXX on this day of the nervous breakdown – that's how much it hurts. I wonder if the coach and the players are all suffering much as we are. Brisbane 3.6.24 10.13.73 15.17.107 19.23.137 Melbourne 2.1.13 5.2.32 8.3.51 13.7.85 Goals Brisbane Bradshaw 6 Hooper 4 Corrie 3 Brown Johnstone 2 Adcock Rischitelli Melbourne Jones 4 Wonaeamirri 3 Miller Sylvia 2 Green Robertson Best Brisbane Black Power Corrie Macdonald Brennan Hooper Melbourne Jones Wonaeamirri Green Bruce Moloney Rivers Injuries Brisbane nil Melbourne Sylvia (shoulder) Changes Brisbane nil Melbourne Garland by Warnock in the selected side Reports nil Umpires Nicholls Head Armstrong Official Crowd 22,878 at Gabba

From our Queensland correspondent ... NINETEENTH NERVOUS BREAKDOWN by Bananabender The last time I saw a Melbourne team play, it was a pre season game in the summer when a half baked team played a half of football against Richmond and then capitulated to lose by about five or six goals. This didn't fuss me at the time because it was just a Mickey Mouse practice match, many of the club's better players were missing, the team had a new coach in Dean Bailey, players were recovering from last year's injury woes, they were learning a new game plan and there were plenty of frothies to be drunk back at what was probably the cheapest motel in Cairns ... blah, blah blah … Anyway, for whatever reason, I wasn't all that worried way back then. I must say however, that what I saw of Melbourne today at the Gabba didn't particularly worry me either - it just caused me to suffer a total nervous breakdown. The first half was simply disgraceful; the performance of team celebrating its 150th anniversary this year but one that would have the old time greats of the Melbourne Football Club turning in their graves. No skills, no pace, no strength, no tacking, no pressure, no heart and no soul. It was all so insipid, insidious and hopeless and believe me, I'm trying my hardest to be positive. There was no sign that this team has learned anything from its new coach – or possibly ever will because there was absolutely no sense in playing the game the way Melbourne played it today. You simply can't chip the ball in circles around the backline without having some plan of attack somewhere down the line. As it was, on the odd occasion that there was no turnover and the ball moved forward it was easy for the Lions to mop up because it was so easy to see the ball coming. In many ways, it is unfortunate for the club that Bailey wasn't coaching this team in Round 22 last year because, had he done so, the supporters would at least have had the first two draft selections to salivate over instead of possibly only the first. Bailey told the media after the game that Melbourne's problems were obvious and they would need to be rectified at training, that he held the team back in the rooms after the game to focus on how they needed to not only decrease its turnovers, but speed up its movement of the ball. I'm surprised that after five practice matches, a week's break before the start of the season and six games for premiership points, that this fact has now suddenly become so obvious. There was little to be enthused over for the day although it would be remiss of me not to mention the titanic efforts of Nathan Jones and Austin Wonaeamirri around the goals, Cameron Bruce and Brad Green (why is he not in the leadership group?) and defenders like Jared Rivers, James Frawley, Nathan Carroll and Daniel Bell who might have made their fair share of mistakes under pressure but that's what you get when the ball is pumped into their area with constant regularity. A few others tried hard and that's it but you can’t expect much when the team has no structure, is well beaten in the midfield and is bereft of any key position forwards. That's an indictment on every part of its football operations in the past and in the present. The second half was a little better and the warm conditions probably helped the club win another final quarter because the Lions' players were stuffed after the hard efforts they put in during the first three quarters. The first six rounds have now gone by and the club remains winless and with little hope on the horizon if today is anything to go by. The writing was on the wall as far as today's debacle was concerned when the selectors named a team that contained only the two compulsory changes after an embarrassing loss last week to Carlton so now is the time for the club to prove its worth. We were promised that after this round everything would be up for review. For a club that looked ordinary during the pre-season and has become totally dysfunctional since the premiership season began, it is a must that this promise is kept. For me and my mates up here in the Sunshine State who wait with expectation to see our team live once a year, this has been one of the worst days we could possibly experience. It's now several hours after the game and we can't even muster up the will to open up our plentiful supply of XXXX on this day of the nervous breakdown – that's how much it hurts. I wonder if the coach and the players are all suffering much as we are. Brisbane 3.6.24 10.13.73 15.17.107 19.23.137 Melbourne 2.1.13 5.2.32 8.3.51 13.7.85 Goals Brisbane Bradshaw 6 Hooper 4 Corrie 3 Brown Johnstone 2 Adcock Rischitelli Melbourne Jones 4 Wonaeamirri 3 Miller Sylvia 2 Green Robertson Best Brisbane Black Power Corrie Macdonald Brennan Hooper Melbourne Jones Wonaeamirri Green Bruce Moloney Rivers Injuries Brisbane nil Melbourne Sylvia (shoulder) Changes Brisbane nil Melbourne Garland by Warnock in the selected side Reports nil Umpires Nicholls Head Armstrong Official Crowd 22,878 at Gabba

by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham delivered a crushing blow to the Bendigo Bombers at the Trevor Barker Beach Oval yesterday when they left the visitors floundering after producing two stunning ten-goal quarters with the aid of the strong breeze in the first and third terms respectively to set the scene for the team's second big victory on end. Skipper Peter Summers won the toss and had no hesitation taking the northerly wind advantage and kicking to the Alf Beus Can Hill end of the ground. It took no longer than twenty seconds from the opening bounce for the decision to pay dividends when Addam Maric snapped a beautiful angle goal from 50 metres out to start proceedings. Three minutes into the game and further goals from Ezra Poyas and Nick Sautner had set the tone for the day. The Bombers steadied for a few moments with a goal of their own but the Zebra onslaught continued. With young Jake Spencer controlling the rucks and Shane Valenti and Summers irresistible on the ball, the scoreboard ticked over at the rate of knots with goals shared among the players. Ben Holland was the perfect foil for Sautner in the forward pocket and Rod Crowe was putting in the hard work at centre half forward. Most pleasing for Zebra fans would have been the contributions of newcomers Shane Tregear and first gamer Chris Waller, a local from Beaumaris, who not only fitted nicely into the team but each scored some great goals. Despite the Zebras losing Poyas with a leg injury by the first change, the game was effectively over as a contest as they led of 50 points and they added to Bendigo's woes by managing to bottle up the game very effectively in the second quarter when, despite kicking into the strong breeze, they managed two goals to Bendigo’s three for the term. By the main break, they held a commanding 43-point lead and had the knowledge that they had the wind advantage to come on their return to the ground. The visitors were however, not be deterred. They managed to boot the first two goals of the second half to draw to within 31 points but any suggestion of complacency on the part of the Zebras was snuffed out quickly. A free kick from an infringement by the Bendigo runner allowed Chris Johnson to goal and the procession began again. By three quarter time Sandringham led by 89-points as a dark gloom descended on the ground. The Bendigo players applied themselves in the final quarter and outscored Sandy by five goals to two but it was not enough to stave off a solid 70-point victory for the Zebras by 24.15.159 to 13.11.89. Sandringham coach Andy Lovell was happy with the way his charges have responded in the past two weeks to their narrow defeats at the hands of stand alone sides Port Melbourne and Frankston in Rounds 2 and 3. He told reporters after the game that he was particularly pleased with the team’s performance in the tough conditions: "Last week I thought we played really well for two quarters, (today) we played really well for three. We were really team-focused and everyone played their part. In the second quarter we didn't play the conditions too well." His team had no shortage of good players with Valenti's 15 kicks and 19 handballs for the day heralding an outstanding performance of on ball mastery. Coming in the wake of David Neitz's long term injury listing at Melbourne, his best on ground performance could well open the door for him as far as his AFL career possibilities are concerned. Peter Summers (25 touches) and former skipper Chad Liddell were inspirational with their strength and hard work while Demons Matthew Bate and Adem Yze (16 kicks, 12 handballs, two marks and two goals) added a lot of bite and much skill to the team. Ben Holland and Nick Sautner finished with four goals each although Holland might have been a trifle unlucky when his shot at goal after the siren was adjudged a point. Although it was not under a great deal of pressure this week, the defence was as usual rock solid. Stef Martin was great in the unfamiliar centre half back position and Simon Buckley (33 disposals) and Chris Johnson were irresistible as running half backs who turned defence into attack in the blink of an eye. The Zebras have a week off as they prepare for their next assignment – a tough road trip to Point Gellibrand where their old rivals Williamstown await them. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Matthew Bate - after a slow start, Bate hit his straps after the first break to be an effective cog in the Sandy midfield. He showed enough class to indicate that a return to the Melbourne side in the near future is warranted. Jace Bode - did what was required of him without being spectacular in the last line of defence. Simon Buckley - gave great drive coming off a half back flank and showed out with his speed of movement and his preparedness to back up his teammates. Finished with 33 disposals and will certainly see more games in the red and blue this season. Kyle Cheney - in only his second game at this level, he was impressive with his composure and his refusal to be beaten. He kept improving as the game went on and by the end of the game he showed he was right at home among the big boys. Ben Holland - provided a target up forward and used his body well to finish with four goals. Chris Johnson - moved well through the lines and his delivery of the ball was excellent. He didn't hurt his cause with a strong attacking game that also netted two goals. Stefan Martin - continues to impress with his progress. Completely blanketed his opponent, showed strength and defensive flair, marked well, punched the ball away when necessary and showed great courage at times. Addam Maric - an exciting X factor player who shows out with his pace, good hands and kicking skills. Set the tome for the day with a beautiful snap for goal in the first twenty seconds and was used to good effect in a number of positions over the ground. John Meesen - a reasonable game in the ruck but it was against ordinary opposition. Jake Spencer - solid in the ruck where he started the ball rolling for his team. Did a few nice things but still has a lot to learn in his general play around the ground. Shane Valenti - is defying his critics with his hard-nosed, non-stop work at the stoppages and around the ground. The dominant ball magnet midfielder not only picked up 34 touches for the day but also laid some crunching tackles on opponents and was always found working his butt off at the bottom of the packs. Adem Yze - his best game this season. Showed out with a few touches of his old magic, including a lovely mark and goal and was also prepared to run hard and tackle opponents. Got plenty of the ball. Sandringham 10.4.64 12.5.77 22.12.144 24.15.159 Bendigo Bombers 2.2.14 5.4.34 8.7.55 13.11.89 Goals Sandringham Holland Sautner 4 Tregear 3 Bate T Johnston Liddell Waller Yze 2 Bode Maric Poyas Bendigo Bombers Daniher 4 Williams 2 Coghlan Crameri Dick Hartigan Holmes Johnson Skipworth Best Sandringham Summers Valenti Crowe C Johnson Bode Liddell Bendigo Bombers Daniher Chartres Skipworth Hislop Atkinson Holmes The Zebra reserves crushed Bendigo Bombers to retain top spot on the VFL Reserves Ladder. Andrew Eaton, in his first game, and Trent Zomer each booted four goals and Tom Dean, Marc Johnston and Sam Monahan all staked claims for a senior berth with stand out displays. Reserves Sandringham 3.4.22 11.6.78 15.13.103 21.15.141 Bendigo Bombers 1.1.7 3.2.20 5.5.35 8.9.57 Goals Sandringham Eaton Zomer 4 Monaghan Weetra 2 Cleeve Hardiman Lockwood Lyall McConnell McNamara Plymin Shakaib Vickers Bendigo Bombers Ford Stroobants 2 Davies Granger Mathieson Thomson Best Sandringham Dean M Johnston Monaghan McConnell Plymin Lockwood Bendigo Bombers Weeks Wanganeen Granger Ayton Ford Stroobants

ZEBRAS DELIVER IN THE GLOOM by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham delivered a crushing blow to the Bendigo Bombers at the Trevor Barker Beach Oval yesterday when they left the visitors floundering after producing two stunning ten-goal quarters with the aid of the strong breeze in the first and third terms respectively to set the scene for the team's second big victory on end. Skipper Peter Summers won the toss and had no hesitation taking the northerly wind advantage and kicking to the Alf Beus Can Hill end of the ground. It took no longer than twenty seconds from the opening bounce for the decision to pay dividends when Addam Maric snapped a beautiful angle goal from 50 metres out to start proceedings. Three minutes into the game and further goals from Ezra Poyas and Nick Sautner had set the tone for the day. The Bombers steadied for a few moments with a goal of their own but the Zebra onslaught continued. With young Jake Spencer controlling the rucks and Shane Valenti and Summers irresistible on the ball, the scoreboard ticked over at the rate of knots with goals shared among the players. Ben Holland was the perfect foil for Sautner in the forward pocket and Rod Crowe was putting in the hard work at centre half forward. Most pleasing for Zebra fans would have been the contributions of newcomers Shane Tregear and first gamer Chris Waller, a local from Beaumaris, who not only fitted nicely into the team but each scored some great goals. Despite the Zebras losing Poyas with a leg injury by the first change, the game was effectively over as a contest as they led of 50 points and they added to Bendigo's woes by managing to bottle up the game very effectively in the second quarter when, despite kicking into the strong breeze, they managed two goals to Bendigo’s three for the term. By the main break, they held a commanding 43-point lead and had the knowledge that they had the wind advantage to come on their return to the ground. The visitors were however, not be deterred. They managed to boot the first two goals of the second half to draw to within 31 points but any suggestion of complacency on the part of the Zebras was snuffed out quickly. A free kick from an infringement by the Bendigo runner allowed Chris Johnson to goal and the procession began again. By three quarter time Sandringham led by 89-points as a dark gloom descended on the ground. The Bendigo players applied themselves in the final quarter and outscored Sandy by five goals to two but it was not enough to stave off a solid 70-point victory for the Zebras by 24.15.159 to 13.11.89. Sandringham coach Andy Lovell was happy with the way his charges have responded in the past two weeks to their narrow defeats at the hands of stand alone sides Port Melbourne and Frankston in Rounds 2 and 3. He told reporters after the game that he was particularly pleased with the team’s performance in the tough conditions: "Last week I thought we played really well for two quarters, (today) we played really well for three. We were really team-focused and everyone played their part. In the second quarter we didn't play the conditions too well." His team had no shortage of good players with Valenti's 15 kicks and 19 handballs for the day heralding an outstanding performance of on ball mastery. Coming in the wake of David Neitz's long term injury listing at Melbourne, his best on ground performance could well open the door for him as far as his AFL career possibilities are concerned. Peter Summers (25 touches) and former skipper Chad Liddell were inspirational with their strength and hard work while Demons Matthew Bate and Adem Yze (16 kicks, 12 handballs, two marks and two goals) added a lot of bite and much skill to the team. Ben Holland and Nick Sautner finished with four goals each although Holland might have been a trifle unlucky when his shot at goal after the siren was adjudged a point. Although it was not under a great deal of pressure this week, the defence was as usual rock solid. Stef Martin was great in the unfamiliar centre half back position and Simon Buckley (33 disposals) and Chris Johnson were irresistible as running half backs who turned defence into attack in the blink of an eye. The Zebras have a week off as they prepare for their next assignment – a tough road trip to Point Gellibrand where their old rivals Williamstown await them. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Matthew Bate - after a slow start, Bate hit his straps after the first break to be an effective cog in the Sandy midfield. He showed enough class to indicate that a return to the Melbourne side in the near future is warranted. Jace Bode - did what was required of him without being spectacular in the last line of defence. Simon Buckley - gave great drive coming off a half back flank and showed out with his speed of movement and his preparedness to back up his teammates. Finished with 33 disposals and will certainly see more games in the red and blue this season. Kyle Cheney - in only his second game at this level, he was impressive with his composure and his refusal to be beaten. He kept improving as the game went on and by the end of the game he showed he was right at home among the big boys. Ben Holland - provided a target up forward and used his body well to finish with four goals. Chris Johnson - moved well through the lines and his delivery of the ball was excellent. He didn't hurt his cause with a strong attacking game that also netted two goals. Stefan Martin - continues to impress with his progress. Completely blanketed his opponent, showed strength and defensive flair, marked well, punched the ball away when necessary and showed great courage at times. Addam Maric - an exciting X factor player who shows out with his pace, good hands and kicking skills. Set the tome for the day with a beautiful snap for goal in the first twenty seconds and was used to good effect in a number of positions over the ground. John Meesen - a reasonable game in the ruck but it was against ordinary opposition. Jake Spencer - solid in the ruck where he started the ball rolling for his team. Did a few nice things but still has a lot to learn in his general play around the ground. Shane Valenti - is defying his critics with his hard-nosed, non-stop work at the stoppages and around the ground. The dominant ball magnet midfielder not only picked up 34 touches for the day but also laid some crunching tackles on opponents and was always found working his butt off at the bottom of the packs. Adem Yze - his best game this season. Showed out with a few touches of his old magic, including a lovely mark and goal and was also prepared to run hard and tackle opponents. Got plenty of the ball. Sandringham 10.4.64 12.5.77 22.12.144 24.15.159 Bendigo Bombers 2.2.14 5.4.34 8.7.55 13.11.89 Goals Sandringham Holland Sautner 4 Tregear 3 Bate T Johnston Liddell Waller Yze 2 Bode Maric Poyas Bendigo Bombers Daniher 4 Williams 2 Coghlan Crameri Dick Hartigan Holmes Johnson Skipworth Best Sandringham Summers Valenti Crowe C Johnson Bode Liddell Bendigo Bombers Daniher Chartres Skipworth Hislop Atkinson Holmes The Zebra reserves crushed Bendigo Bombers to retain top spot on the VFL Reserves Ladder. Andrew Eaton, in his first game, and Trent Zomer each booted four goals and Tom Dean, Marc Johnston and Sam Monahan all staked claims for a senior berth with stand out displays. Reserves Sandringham 3.4.22 11.6.78 15.13.103 21.15.141 Bendigo Bombers 1.1.7 3.2.20 5.5.35 8.9.57 Goals Sandringham Eaton Zomer 4 Monaghan Weetra 2 Cleeve Hardiman Lockwood Lyall McConnell McNamara Plymin Shakaib Vickers Bendigo Bombers Ford Stroobants 2 Davies Granger Mathieson Thomson Best Sandringham Dean M Johnston Monaghan McConnell Plymin Lockwood Bendigo Bombers Weeks Wanganeen Granger Ayton Ford Stroobants

The club usually takes an extra player on its interstate trips and if Buckley is up in Queensland, then he's probably the one who has the gig this week. It doesn't necessarily mean he's playing. He would also be the logical one to take up as an emergency because it wouldn't make sense to take Matthew Bate up in that role given that he needs the match practice and will be guaranteed a game if he stays in Melbourne and plays for Sandringham.

Matthew Bate Matthew Bate had 22 touches, playing primarily in the midfield but also across the half forward line. He played a really good game in only his second game back from injury (he was our best on ground last week in the reserves, playing as a midfielder). He worked really hard and had a really good balance of being inside, winning the contested ball, but also won it outside and broke the lines. Matthew was one of our best midfielders on the day. How did this bloke not get picked for Melbourne this week? After all, he was third in our B & F last year. Is he not fit or is it that hard to break into a team that can't get within five goals of anyone else in the competition?

OH AND FIVE by JVM I read earlier this week that only one team in the history of VFL/AFL has ever made it to the finals after a 0-5 start to the season. That team was Collingwood and the year was 1959 - immediately after the Magpies had shocked the football world when they prevented Melbourne from equalling their record of four consecutive premierships. In those days, Melbourne and Collingwood ruled the roost, but the irony today is that they are both clubs which, in their own ways, are going through crisis in a changed football environment. Is it possible for a team these days to recover from a 0-5 start and become a finals contender? Theoretically, it should be a lot easier these days because back in 1959, there was only a final four and now we have a final eight. However, times have changed so much and the attitudes of clubs and coaches are so different that it's hard to see a team like Melbourne, whose start to the season has been so poor, pulling itself up by the bootstraps to manage the minimum of 12 wins out of 17 now needed to achieve that feat (actually, it's hard to see them winning one game but I'm discussing the bigger picture here). I reflected upon this when I read the names in the squad of 25 selected to play for Melbourne against Brisbane at the Gabba this Sunday. I had been wondering how the selectors might react after five weeks of soul-destroying losses with little relief apparently on the horizon. Would they finally wield the axe as clubs used to do in the "old days"? Somewhere in the back of my mind I recalled a time (in the 'seventies?) when the selectors were so savage on the team after a run of bad defeats that they made seven changes to the line up which resulted in a stunning form reversal with the side giving North Melbourne an absolute flogging at Arden Street. The message delivered at the selection table was enough to bring a reaction back then and I thought that might perhaps happen this week after such a disastrous 0-5 start to the season. Silly me; I was wrong! The days of selection panels wielding the axe are dead and buried. There were only two omissions from the side that went down to Carlton (which ironically broke its record equalling losing streak with consecutive wins against Collingwood and Melbourne). Both "outs" were forced upon the club; David Neitz courtesy of a neck injury and Matthew Whelan thanks to an indiscretion in the goal square on Brendan Fevola. So despite losing by 33 points to lowly Carlton (the team they thrashed in Round 22 last year), the Melbourne selectors could not find a single player to drop at Thursday's selection table. The message from the selectors seems to be that they will not necessarily punish players or the team for mediocrity and that is shameful. And the club isn't playing the kids yet because neither of the "ins" is a newcomer to the team this season. I'm not suggesting that Colin Garland shouldn't have been rewarded for his special performance for Sandringham last week but what I say is that, the selection policy suggests certain calmness about the current situation. That might be a good thing from the selectors' point of view but, many would look on it as a steady as she goes approach even while the Titanic carrying the club and its fortunes might well be sinking into the abyss. Then again, we were promised a review after round six, but the problem with that is that nobody in the history of the VFL/AFL has ever made the finals from 0-6. THE GAME Brisbane v. Melbourne at the Gabba, Sunday 27 April 2008 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Brisbane 13 wins Melbourne 17 wins At the Gabba Brisbane 9 wins Melbourne 5 wins Since 2000 Brisbane 5 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Matthews 0 wins Bailey 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 1 live at 1.00pm RADIO - 774ABC SEN THE BETTING Brisbane to win $1.10 Melbourne to win $5.85 LAST TIME THEY MET Brisbane 18.18.126 defeated Melbourne 12.10.82, Round 15, 2007, at the Gabba The Lions opened up like a house on fire thanks mainly to the dominance of Jonathan Brown who was too strong for a flatfooted Melbourne defence. By quarter time it was all over red rover with the so-called "away" side heading the visiting team by 6.5.41 to a solitary goal. Confused? The Demons certainly were because it was an all too familiar opening for them. Later, a feisty effort from Aaron Davey with four goals and some strong work from Brock McLean prevented this game from becoming a total devastating experience for the club. THE TEAMS BRISBANE LIONS Backs Michael Rischitelli Daniel Merrett Jared Brennan Half Backs Joel Macdonald Joel Patfull Cheynee Stiller Centreline Jed Adcock Travis Johnstone Anthony Corrie Half Forwards Rhan Hooper Jonathan Brown Tim Notting Forwards Justin Sherman Daniel Bradshaw Matthew Leuenberger Followers Jamie Charman Simon Black Luke Power Interchange Robert Copeland Scott Harding Lachlan Henderson James Polkinghorne Emergencies Tom Collier Bradd Dalziell Troy Selwood In Scott Harding Lachlan Henderson James Polkinghorne Out Colm Begley (quad) Ashley McGrath Troy Selwood New James Polkinghorne (Calder Cannons) MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Nathan Carroll Daniel Bell Half Backs Paul Wheatley Jared Rivers Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green Brock McLean Clint Bartram Half Forwards Cale Morton Russell Robertson Colin Sylvia Forwards Aaron Davey Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White James McDonald Nathan Jones Interchange Lyden Dunn Colin Garland Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Emergencies Matthew Bate Simon Buckley Matthew Warnock In Garland Miller Out Neitz (neck) Whelan (suspended) GOD HELP US The Brisbane Lions are among a cluster of clubs with two wins to date and in need of a percentage boosting victory to give them the impetus necessary to move them back firmly into finals contention. It is little wonder therefore that every night this week before retiring to bed, Leigh Matthews has knelt down and uttered a silent prayer of thanks to the one above (well, either to him or to Andrew Demetriou and Adrian Anderson) for arranging this Round 6 fixture - a home game against Melbourne. Picture this. The sun will be shining brightly and the temperature will be nudging close to 30 Celsius. The Brisbane midfield will include not only the likes of Simon Black, Luke Power, Jed Adcock and Tim Notting but starting in the middle of the ground will be a man on a mission playing against the club that gave him the flick six months ago after ten year's service - Travis Johnstone who was given a proper rev up by the coach earlier in the week. Standing in the key forward positions will be Jonathan Brown who had an off day last week but booted a lazy six when these teams last met on the same ground and Daniel Bradshaw who has kicked 17 goals in his last two encounters against Melbourne and who is in scintillating form at the moment. I feel ill. All I can see dancing before my eyes are the numbers 0 and 6. But are things really so bad? Well perhaps not. There have been some signs of a return to normal life in recent weeks. Brock McLean might not have beaten moneybags at Carlton but he didn't disgrace himself either as he accumulated his 32 possessions. Cameron Bruce did a great job blanketing the dangerous Nick Stevens and Clint Bartram, Daniel Bell and Jared Rivers showed that they are steadily making their way back to better form in defence. James Frawley was also full of promise despite the mauling he got in the final quarter from Fevola and he can only get better for the experience. The club also has the opportunity this week to revamp its forward line whose output has been so meagre in the season to date. No offence to the old feller but three goals from full forward is an almost negligible return from almost five games. In his absence, the club is forced to try something new. Perhaps Dean Bailey has also been kneeling down at bedtime in the hope that his prayers might be answered this week because he certainly needs a break. If only one or two players could stand up and inspire the team to produce a memorable performance like the one in 2002 at this ground when the team arose from the dead and came back from a seven goal deficit to win in sensational fashion. That's nice bedtime fare but, on waking up to reality, I have to go for the home side and to declare with sadness that at 4.00pm on Sunday afternoon, Melbourne will be oh and six.

by JVM I read earlier this week that only one team in the history of VFL/AFL has ever made it to the finals after a 0-5 start to the season. That team was Collingwood and the year was 1959 - immediately after the Magpies had shocked the football world when they prevented Melbourne from equalling their record of four consecutive premierships. In those days, Melbourne and Collingwood ruled the roost, but the irony today is that they are both clubs which, in their own ways, are going through crisis in a changed football environment. Is it possible for a team these days to recover from a 0-5 start and become a finals contender? Theoretically, it should be a lot easier these days because back in 1959, there was only a final four and now we have a final eight. However, times have changed so much and the attitudes of clubs and coaches are so different that it's hard to see a team like Melbourne, whose start to the season has been so poor, pulling itself up by the bootstraps to manage the minimum of 12 wins out of 17 now needed to achieve that feat (actually, it's hard to see them winning one game but I'm discussing the bigger picture here). I reflected upon this when I read the names in the squad of 25 selected to play for Melbourne against Brisbane at the Gabba this Sunday. I had been wondering how the selectors might react after five weeks of soul-destroying losses with little relief apparently on the horizon. Would they finally wield the axe as clubs used to do in the "old days"? Somewhere in the back of my mind I recalled a time (in the 'seventies?) when the selectors were so savage on the team after a run of bad defeats that they made seven changes to the line up which resulted in a stunning form reversal with the side giving North Melbourne an absolute flogging at Arden Street. The message delivered at the selection table was enough to bring a reaction back then and I thought that might perhaps happen this week after such a disastrous 0-5 start to the season. Silly me; I was wrong! The days of selection panels wielding the axe are dead and buried. There were only two omissions from the side that went down to Carlton (which ironically broke its record equalling losing streak with consecutive wins against Collingwood and Melbourne). Both "outs" were forced upon the club; David Neitz courtesy of a neck injury and Matthew Whelan thanks to an indiscretion in the goal square on Brendan Fevola. So despite losing by 33 points to lowly Carlton (the team they thrashed in Round 22 last year), the Melbourne selectors could not find a single player to drop at Thursday's selection table. The message from the selectors seems to be that they will not necessarily punish players or the team for mediocrity and that is shameful. And the club isn't playing the kids yet because neither of the "ins" is a newcomer to the team this season. I'm not suggesting that Colin Garland shouldn't have been rewarded for his special performance for Sandringham last week but what I say is that, the selection policy suggests certain calmness about the current situation. That might be a good thing from the selectors' point of view but, many would look on it as a steady as she goes approach even while the Titanic carrying the club and its fortunes might well be sinking into the abyss. Then again, we were promised a review after round six, but the problem with that is that nobody in the history of the VFL/AFL has ever made the finals from 0-6. THE GAME Brisbane v. Melbourne at the Gabba, Sunday 27 April 2008 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Brisbane 13 wins Melbourne 17 wins At the Gabba Brisbane 9 wins Melbourne 5 wins Since 2000 Brisbane 5 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Matthews 0 wins Bailey 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 1 live at 1.00pm RADIO - 774ABC SEN THE BETTING Brisbane to win $1.10 Melbourne to win $5.85 LAST TIME THEY MET Brisbane 18.18.126 defeated Melbourne 12.10.82, Round 15, 2007, at the Gabba The Lions opened up like a house on fire thanks mainly to the dominance of Jonathan Brown who was too strong for a flatfooted Melbourne defence. By quarter time it was all over red rover with the so-called "away" side heading the visiting team by 6.5.41 to a solitary goal. Confused? The Demons certainly were because it was an all too familiar opening for them. Later, a feisty effort from Aaron Davey with four goals and some strong work from Brock McLean prevented this game from becoming a total devastating experience for the club. THE TEAMS BRISBANE LIONS Backs Michael Rischitelli Daniel Merrett Jared Brennan Half Backs Joel Macdonald Joel Patfull Cheynee Stiller Centreline Jed Adcock Travis Johnstone Anthony Corrie Half Forwards Rhan Hooper Jonathan Brown Tim Notting Forwards Justin Sherman Daniel Bradshaw Matthew Leuenberger Followers Jamie Charman Simon Black Luke Power Interchange Robert Copeland Scott Harding Lachlan Henderson James Polkinghorne Emergencies Tom Collier Bradd Dalziell Troy Selwood In Scott Harding Lachlan Henderson James Polkinghorne Out Colm Begley (quad) Ashley McGrath Troy Selwood New James Polkinghorne (Calder Cannons) MELBOURNE Backs James Frawley Nathan Carroll Daniel Bell Half Backs Paul Wheatley Jared Rivers Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green Brock McLean Clint Bartram Half Forwards Cale Morton Russell Robertson Colin Sylvia Forwards Aaron Davey Brad Miller Austin Wonaeamirri Followers Jeff White James McDonald Nathan Jones Interchange Lyden Dunn Colin Garland Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Emergencies Matthew Bate Simon Buckley Matthew Warnock In Garland Miller Out Neitz (neck) Whelan (suspended) GOD HELP US The Brisbane Lions are among a cluster of clubs with two wins to date and in need of a percentage boosting victory to give them the impetus necessary to move them back firmly into finals contention. It is little wonder therefore that every night this week before retiring to bed, Leigh Matthews has knelt down and uttered a silent prayer of thanks to the one above (well, either to him or to Andrew Demetriou and Adrian Anderson) for arranging this Round 6 fixture - a home game against Melbourne. Picture this. The sun will be shining brightly and the temperature will be nudging close to 30 Celsius. The Brisbane midfield will include not only the likes of Simon Black, Luke Power, Jed Adcock and Tim Notting but starting in the middle of the ground will be a man on a mission playing against the club that gave him the flick six months ago after ten year's service - Travis Johnstone who was given a proper rev up by the coach earlier in the week. Standing in the key forward positions will be Jonathan Brown who had an off day last week but booted a lazy six when these teams last met on the same ground and Daniel Bradshaw who has kicked 17 goals in his last two encounters against Melbourne and who is in scintillating form at the moment. I feel ill. All I can see dancing before my eyes are the numbers 0 and 6. But are things really so bad? Well perhaps not. There have been some signs of a return to normal life in recent weeks. Brock McLean might not have beaten moneybags at Carlton but he didn't disgrace himself either as he accumulated his 32 possessions. Cameron Bruce did a great job blanketing the dangerous Nick Stevens and Clint Bartram, Daniel Bell and Jared Rivers showed that they are steadily making their way back to better form in defence. James Frawley was also full of promise despite the mauling he got in the final quarter from Fevola and he can only get better for the experience. The club also has the opportunity this week to revamp its forward line whose output has been so meagre in the season to date. No offence to the old feller but three goals from full forward is an almost negligible return from almost five games. In his absence, the club is forced to try something new. Perhaps Dean Bailey has also been kneeling down at bedtime in the hope that his prayers might be answered this week because he certainly needs a break. If only one or two players could stand up and inspire the team to produce a memorable performance like the one in 2002 at this ground when the team arose from the dead and came back from a seven goal deficit to win in sensational fashion. That's nice bedtime fare but, on waking up to reality, I have to go for the home side and to declare with sadness that at 4.00pm on Sunday afternoon, Melbourne will be oh and six.

Hi Deb. Hope you find the extra 5 needed to make the banner. Come on guys and girls in the sunshine state ... the team only goes up there once a year! P.S. Deb - we'd like you and two of the cheer squad volunteers please give the votes 6,5,4,3,2,1 for the Demonland POTY this week!

ZEBRAS BOUNCE BACK by Ice Station Zebra A week is a long time in football and Sandringham coach Andy Lovell can testify to that sentiment. After his team's close defeats over the past two weeks at the hands of Port Melbourne and Frankston, it rebounded in the best possible way with a resounding 88-point victory at Box Hill City Oval. The Zebras were simply electrifying in the first half, piling on eight goals in the first quarter and nine goals in the second to lead by almost 15 goals at the main break and after that, it was just a matter of playing out time. However, Lovell was clearly not impressed by the fact that his charges took the foot off the accelerator in the second half against the bottom of the ladder Hawks and after the game he told reporters: "The first half was outstanding but we dropped away in the second half. We weren't quite as efficient going forward but we had a really even team performance in the first half and we ran out of legs a bit in the second half." The Zebras' champion full forward Nick Sautner can also testify to the fact that things were a lot different this week. After being held goalless on his home turf at Beach Road Sunday, he was in scintillating form up forward with nine goals. By half time he had surpassed a career total of 700 goals in the VFL and had well and truly silenced his critics. Of course, Sautner could not have achieved that milestone and the goals that followed without a strong team effort and good service from the players further downfield. With John Meesen playing strongly in the ruck and Peter Summers (30 disposals) and Shane Valenti constantly pumping the ball out of the middle and Matty Bate adding some great run, it was hardly any wonder that Sautner and Ezra Poyas (22 kicks, nine marks and five goals) were running riot around the goalfront. Sandy was also well served by the strength and class of experienced Demon pair Adem Yze and Ben Holland. The enigmatic Michael Newton was another forward who showed greatly improved form after last week’s shocker. Unfortunately, he blotted his copybook by getting himself reported in an incident in the last quarter. Otherwise, his confidence in his marking, ball handling and decision making all returned. Hopefully, he will escape the wrath of the tribunal. Chris Lamb led a powerful defence that hardly let a thing through. Matthew Warnock, Stef Martin and Colin Garland were all solid contributors. Special mention should be made of youngster Shane Tregear from the Dragons who has come up through the ranks playing all of last season in the reserves. Playing only his second game at senior VFL level he was a solid contributor with two goals and showed that he has a good future at the club. The Zebras are back at home next Saturday with a game against Bendigo Bombers in the ABC’s televised match of the day. The seniors game starts at the early time of 1.10pm. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Comments from Andy Lovell - Coach, Sandringham Football Club (from melbournefc.com) Matthew Bate - had 22 touches, playing primarily in the midfield but also across the half forward line. He played a really good game in only his second game back from injury (he was our best on ground last week in the reserves, playing as a midfielder). He worked really hard and had a really good balance of being inside, winning the contested ball, but also won it outside and broke the lines. Matthew was one of our best midfielders on the day. Jace Bode - played in the back line and took the opposition's best small forward out of the game. When he had the ball, he attacked the game and displayed some good run and carry out of defence. He had four entries inside 50, and did his job on the day. Simon Buckley - this has been the second week in a row that "Bucks" has played well. He played across a wing and half back, and impacted the game well with his 23 possessions. He is an outside player who can run and break the lines, and he showed plenty of that on the weekend. Colin Garland - was "best on ground" for us on Sunday. We played him across half back, and he won every contest he was involved in. He had 25 possessions, his ball use was terrific, and he was really hard when the contested ball was up for grabs. He rebounded off the half back line, and influenced the game really well. Ben Holland - this was his first game back after missing the last couple. He played in the forward line, and his team work on the weekend was really good. He blocked for his teammates, and his work off the ball was really strong. He kicked two goals, but it was the work he did off the ball helping out Newton and Saunter which made his game performance ever better. Chris Johnson - this was his first game back after missing out on selection in the AFL. He played across the half back line. He had 20 possessions, beat his man and gave us some good rebound run and carry out of defence. He didn't use the ball as well as he could have to impact the game, but it was a good solid performance, which we hope he can build confidence from. Addam Maric - has been playing in the forward line, and has looked really dangerous. On the weekend, he only had eight possessions, but he also had seven tackles. His defensive pressure was outstanding, and he played a really important role for us. He didn't kick the goals he would have wanted to, but his team game was really good for us. We rated his game as equal to the game last week, when he kicked five goals. Stef Martin - in the first half he played at full back, and played really well. His form has been very consistent this year. Each week he takes the opposition big forward, and he hasn't yet been beaten one-on-one in that role. In the second half we moved him to half back, where he struggled a little, but he has steadily improved and we are looking to develop him into a key defender. John Meesen - was really competitive for us on the weekend and played his best game for the Club. This was his first game back after a slight ankle injury. He played on the wing and in the ruck. He was strong overhead, and was impressive as a ruckman, jumping well and constantly giving our midfielders first use of the ball. Michael Newton - "Juice" Newton played his best game for the year for us. Playing as the centre half forward, he led very hard all day, had 10 possessions, took six marks and kicked two goals. He worked hard defensively, but was reported and suspended for a week. Jake Spencer - played his second senior game for the Club. He has competed really hard for us – he is a tough kid and we like his hardness. On the weekend, his ruck work at centre bounces was exceptional and his following up work at ground level was just as pleasing. He only had six possessions, but his ruckwork was a real highlight. Shane Valenti - has been in our best five players over the past month. He had a quiet game last week, when he got tagged, but on the weekend he was "in and under" and won a lot of contested ball. He had 23 possessions and played a really honest, hard working game throughout the midfield and across half forward. Matthew Warnock - has been consistently in our best three players over the past three weeks. He had 28 touches across the half back line. He showed a real balance in his game, he beat his man one on one, and marked well and attacked the game off half back. With Matt’s recent form, he is on the verge of senior selection. Adem Yze - played his best game of the year for us. He has shown patches of brilliance, but this was his first four quarter performance. We played him on the wing, and across half forward. He had 32 possessions and eight marks, and had a real impact on the game. He used the ball well, found space and his defensive pressure was outstanding. Adem's attitude at Sandringham over the past month has been outstanding - he has shown good leadership qualities, which have benefited the team. Box Hill Hawks 1.3.9 3.4.22 5.8.38 11.10.76 Sandringham 8.3.51 17.9.111 21.10.136 25.14.164 Goals Box Hill Hawks Morton 3 McGlynn 2 Dowler Gibson Morrell Neville Renouf Stokes Sandringham Sautner 9 Poyas 5 Holland Newton Tregear Summers 2 Crowe Liddell Yze Best Box Hill Hawks McGlynn Renouf Kennedy McQueen-Miscamble Kenna Morton Sandringham Garland Sautner Poyas Lamb Yze Warnock Reported Sandringham M Newton for striking B McGlynn in the fourth quarter Sandringham's reserves won for the third week on the trot but it was not as easy a win as the first two games. An eight goal third quarter made the difference after an even first half and the young Zebras went on to record a four goal win. The team was best served by Marc Johnston and Andrew Waller with Maddison Hardiman, Guy Martin and Trent Zomer all booting three goals. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Comments from Andy Lovell - Coach, Sandringham Football Club (from melbournefc.com) Kyle Cheney - played really well, was probably our best in the reserves with 35 possessions. He played half back, but we also played him through the midfield, to try to develop him into a running type of player. He’s hard at the footy, stands his ground and really finds the ball well. He is a very smart young player for us. Tom McNamara - is showing signs for us that he is a good player, when he goes and gets the ball. It’s fair to say that he is struggling for confidence at bit at the moment. He probably hasn’t adapted to playing at Sandringham just yet, but at only 17 we think that he is not to far away. He has got a fantastic ability to read the play really well, and is strong overhead. His work ethic has been a little inconsistent, but he is certainly a talented player for us. Isaac Weetra - is playing across the half back line, just to give him a reference point on the field. He has been struggling to get his hands on the ball at half forward and his confidence is a little down. We have played him in a variety of roles, but we are keeping it simple for him at the moment. He needs to beat his man, and then attack the game from there. Trent Zomer - has been consistently good for us over the last three weeks, and kicked seven goals for us in Round One. He is playing a combination of full forward and ruck, and he is a good kick for goal and a strong mark. We are working on his work ethic at the moment, as he just needs to get his repeat leads and his physicality up a couple of notches so that he can play senior football down the track. Box Hill Hawks 4.3.27 7.7.49 11.10.76 16.13.109 Sandringham 5.1.31 9.3.57 17.7.109 20.13.133 Goals Box Hill Hawks Neil 4 Hill 3 Daniher Dell Aquilla 2 Angelopoulos Fieschi Suckling Smithwick Wright Sandringham Hardiman Martyn Zomer 3 Dean Lyall Waller 2 Cheney Gilchrist Monaghan Lockwood Monaghan Plymin Best Box Hill Hawks Cross Daniher Neil McEntee Angelopoulos Dell Aquilla Sandringham M Johnston Waller B Liddell Monaghan Cheney Martyn

by Ice Station Zebra A week is a long time in football and Sandringham coach Andy Lovell can testify to that sentiment. After his team's close defeats over the past two weeks at the hands of Port Melbourne and Frankston, it rebounded in the best possible way with a resounding 88-point victory at Box Hill City Oval. The Zebras were simply electrifying in the first half, piling on eight goals in the first quarter and nine goals in the second to lead by almost 15 goals at the main break and after that, it was just a matter of playing out time. However, Lovell was clearly not impressed by the fact that his charges took the foot off the accelerator in the second half against the bottom of the ladder Hawks and after the game he told reporters: "The first half was outstanding but we dropped away in the second half. We weren't quite as efficient going forward but we had a really even team performance in the first half and we ran out of legs a bit in the second half." The Zebras' champion full forward Nick Sautner can also testify to the fact that things were a lot different this week. After being held goalless on his home turf at Beach Road Sunday, he was in scintillating form up forward with nine goals. By half time he had surpassed a career total of 700 goals in the VFL and had well and truly silenced his critics. Of course, Sautner could not have achieved that milestone and the goals that followed without a strong team effort and good service from the players further downfield. With John Meesen playing strongly in the ruck and Peter Summers (30 disposals) and Shane Valenti constantly pumping the ball out of the middle and Matty Bate adding some great run, it was hardly any wonder that Sautner and Ezra Poyas (22 kicks, nine marks and five goals) were running riot around the goalfront. Sandy was also well served by the strength and class of experienced Demon pair Adem Yze and Ben Holland. The enigmatic Michael Newton was another forward who showed greatly improved form after last week’s shocker. Unfortunately, he blotted his copybook by getting himself reported in an incident in the last quarter. Otherwise, his confidence in his marking, ball handling and decision making all returned. Hopefully, he will escape the wrath of the tribunal. Chris Lamb led a powerful defence that hardly let a thing through. Matthew Warnock, Stef Martin and Colin Garland were all solid contributors. Special mention should be made of youngster Shane Tregear from the Dragons who has come up through the ranks playing all of last season in the reserves. Playing only his second game at senior VFL level he was a solid contributor with two goals and showed that he has a good future at the club. The Zebras are back at home next Saturday with a game against Bendigo Bombers in the ABC’s televised match of the day. The seniors game starts at the early time of 1.10pm. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Comments from Andy Lovell - Coach, Sandringham Football Club (from melbournefc.com) Matthew Bate - had 22 touches, playing primarily in the midfield but also across the half forward line. He played a really good game in only his second game back from injury (he was our best on ground last week in the reserves, playing as a midfielder). He worked really hard and had a really good balance of being inside, winning the contested ball, but also won it outside and broke the lines. Matthew was one of our best midfielders on the day. Jace Bode - played in the back line and took the opposition's best small forward out of the game. When he had the ball, he attacked the game and displayed some good run and carry out of defence. He had four entries inside 50, and did his job on the day. Simon Buckley - this has been the second week in a row that "Bucks" has played well. He played across a wing and half back, and impacted the game well with his 23 possessions. He is an outside player who can run and break the lines, and he showed plenty of that on the weekend. Colin Garland - was "best on ground" for us on Sunday. We played him across half back, and he won every contest he was involved in. He had 25 possessions, his ball use was terrific, and he was really hard when the contested ball was up for grabs. He rebounded off the half back line, and influenced the game really well. Ben Holland - this was his first game back after missing the last couple. He played in the forward line, and his team work on the weekend was really good. He blocked for his teammates, and his work off the ball was really strong. He kicked two goals, but it was the work he did off the ball helping out Newton and Saunter which made his game performance ever better. Chris Johnson - this was his first game back after missing out on selection in the AFL. He played across the half back line. He had 20 possessions, beat his man and gave us some good rebound run and carry out of defence. He didn't use the ball as well as he could have to impact the game, but it was a good solid performance, which we hope he can build confidence from. Addam Maric - has been playing in the forward line, and has looked really dangerous. On the weekend, he only had eight possessions, but he also had seven tackles. His defensive pressure was outstanding, and he played a really important role for us. He didn't kick the goals he would have wanted to, but his team game was really good for us. We rated his game as equal to the game last week, when he kicked five goals. Stef Martin - in the first half he played at full back, and played really well. His form has been very consistent this year. Each week he takes the opposition big forward, and he hasn't yet been beaten one-on-one in that role. In the second half we moved him to half back, where he struggled a little, but he has steadily improved and we are looking to develop him into a key defender. John Meesen - was really competitive for us on the weekend and played his best game for the Club. This was his first game back after a slight ankle injury. He played on the wing and in the ruck. He was strong overhead, and was impressive as a ruckman, jumping well and constantly giving our midfielders first use of the ball. Michael Newton - "Juice" Newton played his best game for the year for us. Playing as the centre half forward, he led very hard all day, had 10 possessions, took six marks and kicked two goals. He worked hard defensively, but was reported and suspended for a week. Jake Spencer - played his second senior game for the Club. He has competed really hard for us – he is a tough kid and we like his hardness. On the weekend, his ruck work at centre bounces was exceptional and his following up work at ground level was just as pleasing. He only had six possessions, but his ruckwork was a real highlight. Shane Valenti - has been in our best five players over the past month. He had a quiet game last week, when he got tagged, but on the weekend he was "in and under" and won a lot of contested ball. He had 23 possessions and played a really honest, hard working game throughout the midfield and across half forward. Matthew Warnock - has been consistently in our best three players over the past three weeks. He had 28 touches across the half back line. He showed a real balance in his game, he beat his man one on one, and marked well and attacked the game off half back. With Matt’s recent form, he is on the verge of senior selection. Adem Yze - played his best game of the year for us. He has shown patches of brilliance, but this was his first four quarter performance. We played him on the wing, and across half forward. He had 32 possessions and eight marks, and had a real impact on the game. He used the ball well, found space and his defensive pressure was outstanding. Adem's attitude at Sandringham over the past month has been outstanding - he has shown good leadership qualities, which have benefited the team. Box Hill Hawks 1.3.9 3.4.22 5.8.38 11.10.76 Sandringham 8.3.51 17.9.111 21.10.136 25.14.164 Goals Box Hill Hawks Morton 3 McGlynn 2 Dowler Gibson Morrell Neville Renouf Stokes Sandringham Sautner 9 Poyas 5 Holland Newton Tregear Summers 2 Crowe Liddell Yze Best Box Hill Hawks McGlynn Renouf Kennedy McQueen-Miscamble Kenna Morton Sandringham Garland Sautner Poyas Lamb Yze Warnock Reported Sandringham M Newton for striking B McGlynn in the fourth quarter Sandringham's reserves won for the third week on the trot but it was not as easy a win as the first two games. An eight goal third quarter made the difference after an even first half and the young Zebras went on to record a four goal win. The team was best served by Marc Johnston and Andrew Waller with Maddison Hardiman, Guy Martin and Trent Zomer all booting three goals. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Comments from Andy Lovell - Coach, Sandringham Football Club (from melbournefc.com) Kyle Cheney - played really well, was probably our best in the reserves with 35 possessions. He played half back, but we also played him through the midfield, to try to develop him into a running type of player. He’s hard at the footy, stands his ground and really finds the ball well. He is a very smart young player for us. Tom McNamara - is showing signs for us that he is a good player, when he goes and gets the ball. It’s fair to say that he is struggling for confidence at bit at the moment. He probably hasn’t adapted to playing at Sandringham just yet, but at only 17 we think that he is not to far away. He has got a fantastic ability to read the play really well, and is strong overhead. His work ethic has been a little inconsistent, but he is certainly a talented player for us. Isaac Weetra - is playing across the half back line, just to give him a reference point on the field. He has been struggling to get his hands on the ball at half forward and his confidence is a little down. We have played him in a variety of roles, but we are keeping it simple for him at the moment. He needs to beat his man, and then attack the game from there. Trent Zomer - has been consistently good for us over the last three weeks, and kicked seven goals for us in Round One. He is playing a combination of full forward and ruck, and he is a good kick for goal and a strong mark. We are working on his work ethic at the moment, as he just needs to get his repeat leads and his physicality up a couple of notches so that he can play senior football down the track. Box Hill Hawks 4.3.27 7.7.49 11.10.76 16.13.109 Sandringham 5.1.31 9.3.57 17.7.109 20.13.133 Goals Box Hill Hawks Neil 4 Hill 3 Daniher Dell Aquilla 2 Angelopoulos Fieschi Suckling Smithwick Wright Sandringham Hardiman Martyn Zomer 3 Dean Lyall Waller 2 Cheney Gilchrist Monaghan Lockwood Monaghan Plymin Best Box Hill Hawks Cross Daniher Neil McEntee Angelopoulos Dell Aquilla Sandringham M Johnston Waller B Liddell Monaghan Cheney Martyn

CHIPPING AWAY by The Oracle Brad Green was on the ground Melbourne on Saturday against Carlton for 86% of the game but he missed its most crucial moments. After playing a significant role in not only bringing his team back into the game but actually into the lead - a rare Demon achievement for season 2008 - Green was taken off for a breather. What transpired after that was a momentous turn around in the game. Green had just kicked his second goal for the second term and his team's fourth on end after the Blues crashed out of the blocks with the first three goals early in the opening quarter. Melbourne regrouped, pushed players back deep into its defence and used its numbers there to repulse Carlton's attacks and frustrate their momentum. Were it not for its own habit of frustrating its coach and supporters with poor disposal of the ball and even poorer decision making, the home side might have had a much bigger lead when Green's second major sailed through the posts. By that time, several scoring opportunities had been wasted including simple shots from close in by Mark Jamar, Matthew Whelan, Cameron Bruce and Clint Bartram. As it was, Melbourne's promising push for victory collapsed in a heap in the space of minutes. From the next bounce, Brent Moloney's game started unravelling and turned into a nightmare for his team when he was penalised for what was deemed an illegal tackle. The ball then rebounded backwards and forwards as if in a pinball machine for a brief period when Moloney was in the play on two or three occasions. He missed out on a couple of free kicks and then was penalised again for an allegedly high tackle on Carlton's Darren Pfeiffer. It was a lucky free but Moloney let out his frustration and gave away an unnecessary 50 metre penalty for a goal that leveled the scores. The Blues had Judd and Stevens in the middle and their most expensive recruit ever decided to let loose. His goal on the run gave his team its second in the space of a matter of seconds. Green was back on but now in defence to help block the onslaught. However, it was already too late as Judd was on fire and Carlton had scored four goals in the blink of an eye to go to a three goal lead. The Demon players' heads dropped and skipper David Neitz, who was having a shocker up forward, went off with a neck injury that looks it might be like a long term problem. With the departure of Neitz, the umpires reinstated the hands in the back rule and the beneficiaries were the visiting team. By the main break they had booted seven unanswered goals to skip away to a 31 point lead. In the last half, Melbourne looked the better side and, apart from some of the usual brain fades that supporters have become accustomed to in this year of living hell, it could have been well placed for a final grab at victory. They fluffed enough opportunities in a dour and dull third quarter (even Green who is known as the club's sharpshooter skewed a shot from dead in front which was enough for the coach to tear out what remained of his hair) to allow Judd to put the game out of their reach when he marked in front for the first goal of the half late in the third stanza. A scuffle erupted as Judd was lining up for goal with Whelan complaining that he'd been whacked head high by a sheepish looking Brendan Fevola - the result was inevitable and in the end the Demon was reported and the Fev was back in the game with a gift goal. Game over. The Demons didn't stop however. They kept coming and were well served by their sometimes maligned first round draft picks from 2003 in Brock McLean and Colin Sylvia. McLean had a fantastic duel with Chris Judd and, although he lacked moneybag's brilliance and ability to kick the vital goal when needed, he plugged away with strength and was the game's leading possession winner. Sylvia is finally finding his niche in defence where his powerful running, attack on the ball and his strong marking has been very good in the past few weeks. A run of goals came with Green continuing to stand out and youngsters Cale Morton and Aussie Wonaeamirri making a contribution, Robbo standing up for once or twice and Nathan Jones chiming in with some strong work. Some might raise their eyebrows at this but I thought James Frawley did well when thrown onto Fevola late in the game. The Carlton spearhead kicked three goals but one was from an unstoppable Judd pass and a soft 50 metre penalty, one from a flukey kick off the ground and the last from a mark on the boundary line and an after-the-siren miracle shot that somehow found its way through the big sticks. Despite that, Frawley showed that he has a fine defensive brain and one can only hope that the selectors persevere with him because the experience gained from playing against top forwards under the team's present adversity is exactly what is needed. Bring some other youngsters into the team as well because they will learn more about the Bailey game plan and how to improve themselves at this level than they ever will at Sandringham. Still, there's a lot of room for improvement. The players need to get better at their foot skills, their handballing, their decision making, discipline (far too many opposition goals are being scored thanks to unnecessary free kicks and/or 50 metre penalties) and the execution of tactics and strategies. Other than that there's only one problem from my point of view and that's for the coaches to get their rotations right. I'm not sure that the policy of chasing world records in rotations is such a good policy. I've seen players interchanging on the northern stand side when the ball's in play along the southern stand and the team seems to be one or two players short where the action happens to be. On Saturday we saw Mark Jamar almost handball to Nathan Jones who was more focused in running of to the interchange. And then there was the case of Green coming off just when he was firing on all cylinders. I'm old fashioned and I would have kept him on the ground a little longer. Who knows if it would have changed the way the game unfolded but that's football! All in all, Melbourne is getting closer and with players like Matthew Bate, Colin Garland, Stef Martin and Addam Maric doing well at Sandringham, there's more material to throw into the mix. Sooner or later, they'll get it right simply by chipping away and getting games into the younger players. We are only a week away from the much awaited reassessment of the team by the football department and the winds of change are blowing at the Melbourne Football Club. Melbourne 1.3.9 4.5.29 4.9.33 9.14.68 Carlton 3.321 10.6.66 12.10.82 15.11.101 Goals Melbourne Green 4 Robertson 2 Jamar Jones McDonald Carlton Fevola 7 Judd 3 Fisher Kreuzer Murphy S O'hAilpin Pfeiffer Best Melbourne Green McDonald McLean Sylvia Rivers Bruce Carlton Judd Fevola Thornton Cloke Murphy Injuries Melbourne Neitz (neck) Carlton Gibbs (back soreness) replaced in selected side by Bentick Reports Whelan (Melb) for allegedly striking Fevola (Carlton) in third quarter Thornton (Carlton) for allegedly striking Bartram (Melb) in fourth quarter Umpires Schmitt Stevic Stewart Crowd 44,159 at MCG.

by The Oracle Brad Green was on the ground Melbourne on Saturday against Carlton for 86% of the game but he missed its most crucial moments. After playing a significant role in not only bringing his team back into the game but actually into the lead - a rare Demon achievement for season 2008 - Green was taken off for a breather. What transpired after that was a momentous turn around in the game. Green had just kicked his second goal for the second term and his team's fourth on end after the Blues crashed out of the blocks with the first three goals early in the opening quarter. Melbourne regrouped, pushed players back deep into its defence and used its numbers there to repulse Carlton's attacks and frustrate their momentum. Were it not for its own habit of frustrating its coach and supporters with poor disposal of the ball and even poorer decision making, the home side might have had a much bigger lead when Green's second major sailed through the posts. By that time, several scoring opportunities had been wasted including simple shots from close in by Mark Jamar, Matthew Whelan, Cameron Bruce and Clint Bartram. As it was, Melbourne's promising push for victory collapsed in a heap in the space of minutes. From the next bounce, Brent Moloney's game started unravelling and turned into a nightmare for his team when he was penalised for what was deemed an illegal tackle. The ball then rebounded backwards and forwards as if in a pinball machine for a brief period when Moloney was in the play on two or three occasions. He missed out on a couple of free kicks and then was penalised again for an allegedly high tackle on Carlton's Darren Pfeiffer. It was a lucky free but Moloney let out his frustration and gave away an unnecessary 50 metre penalty for a goal that leveled the scores. The Blues had Judd and Stevens in the middle and their most expensive recruit ever decided to let loose. His goal on the run gave his team its second in the space of a matter of seconds. Green was back on but now in defence to help block the onslaught. However, it was already too late as Judd was on fire and Carlton had scored four goals in the blink of an eye to go to a three goal lead. The Demon players' heads dropped and skipper David Neitz, who was having a shocker up forward, went off with a neck injury that looks it might be like a long term problem. With the departure of Neitz, the umpires reinstated the hands in the back rule and the beneficiaries were the visiting team. By the main break they had booted seven unanswered goals to skip away to a 31 point lead. In the last half, Melbourne looked the better side and, apart from some of the usual brain fades that supporters have become accustomed to in this year of living hell, it could have been well placed for a final grab at victory. They fluffed enough opportunities in a dour and dull third quarter (even Green who is known as the club's sharpshooter skewed a shot from dead in front which was enough for the coach to tear out what remained of his hair) to allow Judd to put the game out of their reach when he marked in front for the first goal of the half late in the third stanza. A scuffle erupted as Judd was lining up for goal with Whelan complaining that he'd been whacked head high by a sheepish looking Brendan Fevola - the result was inevitable and in the end the Demon was reported and the Fev was back in the game with a gift goal. Game over. The Demons didn't stop however. They kept coming and were well served by their sometimes maligned first round draft picks from 2003 in Brock McLean and Colin Sylvia. McLean had a fantastic duel with Chris Judd and, although he lacked moneybag's brilliance and ability to kick the vital goal when needed, he plugged away with strength and was the game's leading possession winner. Sylvia is finally finding his niche in defence where his powerful running, attack on the ball and his strong marking has been very good in the past few weeks. A run of goals came with Green continuing to stand out and youngsters Cale Morton and Aussie Wonaeamirri making a contribution, Robbo standing up for once or twice and Nathan Jones chiming in with some strong work. Some might raise their eyebrows at this but I thought James Frawley did well when thrown onto Fevola late in the game. The Carlton spearhead kicked three goals but one was from an unstoppable Judd pass and a soft 50 metre penalty, one from a flukey kick off the ground and the last from a mark on the boundary line and an after-the-siren miracle shot that somehow found its way through the big sticks. Despite that, Frawley showed that he has a fine defensive brain and one can only hope that the selectors persevere with him because the experience gained from playing against top forwards under the team's present adversity is exactly what is needed. Bring some other youngsters into the team as well because they will learn more about the Bailey game plan and how to improve themselves at this level than they ever will at Sandringham. Still, there's a lot of room for improvement. The players need to get better at their foot skills, their handballing, their decision making, discipline (far too many opposition goals are being scored thanks to unnecessary free kicks and/or 50 metre penalties) and the execution of tactics and strategies. Other than that there's only one problem from my point of view and that's for the coaches to get their rotations right. I'm not sure that the policy of chasing world records in rotations is such a good policy. I've seen players interchanging on the northern stand side when the ball's in play along the southern stand and the team seems to be one or two players short where the action happens to be. On Saturday we saw Mark Jamar almost handball to Nathan Jones who was more focused in running of to the interchange. And then there was the case of Green coming off just when he was firing on all cylinders. I'm old fashioned and I would have kept him on the ground a little longer. Who knows if it would have changed the way the game unfolded but that's football! All in all, Melbourne is getting closer and with players like Matthew Bate, Colin Garland, Stef Martin and Addam Maric doing well at Sandringham, there's more material to throw into the mix. Sooner or later, they'll get it right simply by chipping away and getting games into the younger players. We are only a week away from the much awaited reassessment of the team by the football department and the winds of change are blowing at the Melbourne Football Club. Melbourne 1.3.9 4.5.29 4.9.33 9.14.68 Carlton 3.321 10.6.66 12.10.82 15.11.101 Goals Melbourne Green 4 Robertson 2 Jamar Jones McDonald Carlton Fevola 7 Judd 3 Fisher Kreuzer Murphy S O'hAilpin Pfeiffer Best Melbourne Green McDonald McLean Sylvia Rivers Bruce Carlton Judd Fevola Thornton Cloke Murphy Injuries Melbourne Neitz (neck) Carlton Gibbs (back soreness) replaced in selected side by Bentick Reports Whelan (Melb) for allegedly striking Fevola (Carlton) in third quarter Thornton (Carlton) for allegedly striking Bartram (Melb) in fourth quarter Umpires Schmitt Stevic Stewart Crowd 44,159 at MCG.

In spite of MNY's criticism, Brock got the votes and took the lead - 25.7634 Brock McLean 19.984 Paul Wheatley 14.504 Paul Johnson 12.013 Cameron Bruce 11.86 Cale Morton 11.196 Aaron Davey 11.0726 Brad Green 10.0644 Jared Rivers 9.4428 James McDonald 7.38 Nathan Carroll 7.148 Colin Sylvia 6.6112 Austin Wonaemirri 5.904 Matthew Whelan 5.88 Brad Miller 5.2332 Nathan Jones 4.1 Jeff White 2.925 Brent Moloney 1.866 Lynden Dunn 0.732 Clint Bartram 0.65 Colin Garland 0.325 Simon Buckley