Demonland

DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL by Scoop Junior It was a nice touch by Melbourne to give Byron Pickett the honour and the responsibility of calling the pre game toss to mark his 200th AFL game - a well deserved accolade for one of the toughest men to pull on a guernsey in the modern game. Pickett called correctly and, to the surprise of many, elected to kick into a strong wind at Manuka Oval. I'm not sure what the protocol is these days but his decision also highlighted the Demons' current plight – one that is magnified immeasurably when it plays its games out of its home state. It also leads me to ask why wasn't Pickett instructed as to the choice of end to kick to given his team's poor starts in such games this year? Yes, the first quarter has been an unmitigated disaster for Melbourne on its interstate trips in 2007. The opposition has racked up an enormous 30 goals 19 behinds in five first terms, while the Dees have managed a paltry 5 goals 7 behinds. In other words, Melbourne is averaging a 30-point plus deficit at quarter time on its road trips. Given the difficulty of winning on the road and the need to start well, not only to build confidence but also to silence the partisan home crowd, a 5-goal head start to the opposition means it's just about game over virtually before it has even started. So what's going on down at Demonland? The common thread from the coaches after interstate matches this year is "well, we started badly, but we did well to fight back after quarter time." Big deal - the game was as good as dead by quarter time anyway. Why has this become a recurring problem and why hasn't it been addressed? Now, I understand that we are having a horrible year and in these circumstances, even the optimists don't expect for one second to beat interstate sides on the road in the team's current form but surely, professional footballers should come out hungry at the start of a game. Fade-outs are common for struggling clubs but usually they come out, have a crack only to discover they ultimately cannot sustain the effort over four quarters. So why is it that Melbourne comes out looking uninterested from the outset and is effectively shut out of the game 10 minutes into the first quarter? Just as with Neale Daniher, the players do not appear to be showing much respect to Mark Riley. And on that subject, it is becoming increasingly difficult to understand what is going on at selection. When Riley took over the coaching reins, he stated quite emphatically that the rest of the season would be about development for 2008 and putting Melbourne in the best position to rebound next year. On Sunday, Paul Roos made the comment that the Demons' team did not have a developmental look about it. Riley countered with the argument that there was plenty of youth on show, citing Jones and McLean, amongst others, as examples. But the issue is not about youth. It's about development. Jones, McLean and Bate are best 22 players and would be in the side even if we were making a run to September. What a "developmental" focus rather than a "youth" focus means is playing the likes of Lynden Dunn, Chris Johnson, Paul Johnson and Jace Bode who was upgraded from the rookie list just days before this game. The only young players in our side against the Swans who are not the best 22 were Simon Buckley and Michael Newton (although you could already mount a fair case for having Juice in your best 22). What Riley has done, in playing tried and sometimes true veterans or near veterans in Nathan Brown, Simon Godfrey, Ben Holland, Byron Pickett and Daniel Ward suggests an attempt to get a better result on the scoreboard. In other words, the prime focus of development seems to be giving way to the need for results. But who needs results when development for the future is supposed to be our focus? Perhaps you can't blame Riley who, after all, is auditioning for the coaching job. He has admitted that big losses will not bode (pardon the pun) well for his prospects in that regard. But the club is bigger than the individual and we need to ensure that the prime focus, in fact the only focus, is on development for 2008 and beyond. The dissenters out there may well argue that you cannot play too many young blokes in the one side. Well, let me put this question to you: can we do any worse? The team kicked a meagre five goals up until three-quarter time, with four of those directly from free kicks. That we could only manufacture one goal of our own accord in three quarters of footy pretty much speaks volumes for the performance or should I say, lack thereof. In fact, if there's anything more indicative of Melbourne's pathetic performances of late, it's the fact that this review has disregarded the actual game and has instead focused on other issues. Anyone who witnessed those two hours of boredom and ennui on Sunday surely does not want to re-visit it and read about what happened (or should that be what didn't happen). So if we can't do any worse, why not play the Dunns and Johnsons of this world? The other argument that may be raised is that these blokes benefit more from games at Sandringham than at AFL level. Well, I don't subscribe to that theory, and neither do the majority of expert commentators, who repeatedly say that each game of senior footy for a young bloke is worth 10 matches, such is the steep learning curve. Yes Brown, Godfrey, Holland and Ward have been great servants to the MFC. Perhaps they could offer something to the club next year. But this business is about building for premierships and I don't think playing Holland up forward is developing the side for a shot at the flag. All it is doing is attempting to mitigate the loss. Similarly, even if Brown goes on next year and plays a role, replacing him with a young player for the final rounds is in the best interests of the club and makes sense from a developmental perspective. In other words, Dunn will benefit more from four rounds of senior footy now than Brown. Put simply, I'm disappointed in what's happening at Melbourne post Daniher. I'm not expecting Riley to work miracles and indeed, I don't expect him to win another game for the year. But what we need is to invest game time in our development players. Season 2007 is long gone and there's no better time than now to throw them in the deep end. While Riley has certainly had an eye to development, I don't think it's as focused as it should be. It should be the sole purpose and not just one of a number of purposes. So with four rounds to go, let's invest some capital in the club's development and give some fresh faces get the chance to cut their teeth at senior level to at least provide some sort of bright light in the train wreck that has been season 2007. Melbourne 0.2.2 3.4.22 5.5.35 9.10.64 Sydney 5.1.31 10.5.65 14.9.93 17.10.112 Goals Melbourne Holland 3 Davey 2 Jamar Miller Neitz Newton Sydney J Bolton Buchanan Jolly O'Keefe Schneider 2 Ablett Davis Goodes Grundy Hall Malceski O'Loughlin Best Melbourne Carroll Wheatley Ferguson Holland Sydney Buchanan Goodes C Bolton Schneider Everitt Bevan Changes Melbourne Robertson (back) Frawley (foot) replaced in selected side by Buckley and Jamar Injuries Melbourne Bate (corked thigh) Sydney Kirk (head) Jolly (corked thigh) Umpires James Kamolins Meredith Crowd 11,266 at Manuka Oval

APPLYING THE BLOWTORCH by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham tightened its grip as VFL top dog with a near clinical ten goal demolition of the sixth placed Northern Bullants at Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval on Sunday. The game opened in near perfect conditions which persisted for much of the day save for a brief patch of drizzle. The protagonists opened with a goal each early in the game but after that, the Zebras quickly took control of the game applying the blowtorch and booting the next eight goals. Full forward Nick Sautner was in fine form for the home side and by late in the first half, he had booted his fifth goal for the game which brought up fifty for the season and gave him a stranglehold on what should be his seventh "Frosty" Miller Medal for the competition's leading goal kicker. By the first break Sandy had effortlessly taken a five goal lead with thanks mainly to the ruck dominance of Paul Johnson and the midfield brilliance of Shane Valenti and Peter Summers, the silky smoothness of Demon Travis Johnstone and rapidly emerging defender Jace Bode. David Gallagher was getting pretty much into the opposition faces but he took on more than he could chew when he tried the same with an umpire. To his credit he cooled off and returned to play an important role in his team's victory. The Zebras' key position strength up forward in the guise of Sautner and Rod Crowe was also instrumental in causing the visitors headaches galore and this was compounded by Ezra Poyas who bobbed up every now and then with a piece of his usual brilliance. The Bullants' game was already shot to pieces by half time and after the break they resorted to pushing numbers behind the ball, a tactic which at least limited the final deficit to a manageable number instead of the complete blowout that was threatening at times during the afternoon. British health authorities are worrying about foot and mouth disease at the moment but that's nothing compared with the epidemic currently being suffered at Melbourne. This has also had far reaching consequences at Sandringham where the Zebras were able to field 14 VFL listed players plus two AFL rookies (although admittedly Bode has been uplifted to full senior status for the time being as a replacement for Clint Bartram who is on the long term injury list). This week Stefan Martin joined other relative newcomers in the team in Rennie Gilchrist, Tomi Johnson Guy Martyn, Sam Monaghan and Tom Paterakis. This exciting group of youngsters has fitted into the side like a glove and they have not let down coach Mark Williams for the faith he placed in them. The presence of 197cm Martin from Old Haileybury added another tall option to the team and he did well when going forward complementing Saunter's ultimate goal tally of seven with three of his own. Williams will also no doubt be scratching his head wondering how he can fit injured skipper Chad Liddell and a few Demon listed players if and when the injury situation improves. The Zebras' defence held firm throughout most of the game with Chris Lamb rock solid as usual, aided by Biddlecombe, Bizzell, Bode, Monaghan and an improving Colin Garland. Together they brushed aside an undermanned Bullant forward line that relied almost solely on veteran Digby Morell and at times, a slowish Lance Whitnall. If there was one thing that would have made coach Mark Williams unhappy about his team's performance it would have been its sloppy kicking for goal particularly after half time – something that will need to be worked upon heavily between now and the finals. Sandringham now holds a clear two game lead over Geelong with three rounds remaining before the finals. The Zebras have the ideal build up with two of their remaining games against the sides that beat them earlier in the season and the other against the third placed Coburg Tigers in the final round. Next Sunday's game at Box Hill City Oval will provide Sandy with an opportunity to avenge the shock 15 point loss it suffered in the wet in Round 10. HOW THE DEMONS FARED The two Melbourne dailies contained articles about the game and neither made mention of the player who occupied a different stratosphere to the remaining 43 players on the oval. Travis Johnstone was at his silky smooth best with his deft disposal and breathtaking skills. He was off the ground by three quarter time and appeared to be nursing his recently injured foot but by then he had done untold damage to the Bullants' confidence. I suspect the foot problem was only minor and that unless that Achilles heel proves troublesome during the week, there is little doubt that he will be back in the Demon midfield on Saturday night. Johnstone should be joined by recently uplifted rookie Jace Bode who relished the opportunity of playing with a real maestro. In that respect it was a true dress rehearsal for the youngster. We all know that the AFL with its attendant rigours is a totally different kettle of fish to the more sedate pace of the VFL but if the pair of them can replicate the instant rapport they showed on Sunday, the Doggies might be in for a surprise. Bode is a rapidly improving defender who impressed with his strong play as a link man between defence and attack. He picked up a swag of possessions and pushed forward for a nice goal. The 183cm Bode is a very balanced footballer who is now playing with confidence and finally showing why he gained All Australian selection at the 2005 Under 18 National Carnival. On the others - Clint Bizzell – the Biz didn't have any particularly major assignments for the day but he did go about his work quietly and unobtrusively without doing anything to suggest that a promotion to the AFL was on the cards. Lynden Dunn- showed a lot of mobility at times but it was a hot and cold performance. When he was on fire he looked a million dollars but also had some quiet patches. Kicked a nice goal from a fair distance out in the third quarter. Colin Garland – not a big game by any means but he was solid in a strong defence and he did what he had to do well although admittedly, it wasn't exactly a tough day at the office for him. Chris Johnson – another who didn't have to push himself but he got plenty of the ball and generally disposed of it well although he marred his game with a couple of real shockers. Paul Johnson – dominated the ruck but didn't have much to do around the ground until he came with a late flurry and showed great agility for one so tall. Shane Neaves – rucked reasonably well but didn't see all that much action. Sandringham 6.5.41 11.11.77 14.15.99 19.21.135 Northern Bullants 1.2.8 5.4.34 8.6.54 11.7.73 Goals Sandringham Sautner 7 S Martin 3 Martyn Summers 2 Bode Crowe Dunn T Johnston Poyas Northern Bullants Morrell 5 Teague 3 Davies Houlihan Whitnall Best Sandringham Valenti Bode Crowe Gallagher S Martin Biddlecombe Northern Bullants Teague Vansittart Morrell Iacobucci Raso Crow Reported Player J Vansittart (Bullants) reported for bumping or making forceful contact to T. Paterakis (Sandringham) in the third quarter The Zebra reserves continued their thrust towards a finals appearance with a convincing 38-point victory over the lowly Northern Bullants brushing aside their opposition in the second quarter and sealing the game in the third. Thomas Paule made up for his lack of height with tons of strength and endeavour and was his team's best. Jake Williams and Heath Neville were solid contributors. This week the Zebras face a must win clash against last year's premiers, the Box Hill Hawks. Vvictory this week will strengthen the team's claim to a top five place - a position secured by the win over the Bullants. Sandringham 2.7.19 7.11.53 12.13.85 14.15.99 Northern Bullants 2.3.15 3.4.22 5.5.35 9.7.61 Goals Sandringham Gileno 3 Hughes Paule 2 Cleeve Collyer Curcio M Johnston McKenzie Williams Zarra Northern Bullants Colbert Dobby Fraser Grillo Hampson Harvey Longmore Nanni Siciliano Best Sandringham Paule Williams Neville McKenzie M Johnston A Martin Northern Bullants Taylor Dobby Vansittart Nanni Meese Crompton

by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham tightened its grip as VFL top dog with a near clinical ten goal demolition of the sixth placed Northern Bullants at Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval on Sunday. The game opened in near perfect conditions which persisted for much of the day save for a brief patch of drizzle. The protagonists opened with a goal each early in the game but after that, the Zebras quickly took control of the game applying the blowtorch and booting the next eight goals. Full forward Nick Sautner was in fine form for the home side and by late in the first half, he had booted his fifth goal for the game which brought up fifty for the season and gave him a stranglehold on what should be his seventh "Frosty" Miller Medal for the competition's leading goal kicker. By the first break Sandy had effortlessly taken a five goal lead with thanks mainly to the ruck dominance of Paul Johnson and the midfield brilliance of Shane Valenti and Peter Summers, the silky smoothness of Demon Travis Johnstone and rapidly emerging defender Jace Bode. David Gallagher was getting pretty much into the opposition faces but he took on more than he could chew when he tried the same with an umpire. To his credit he cooled off and returned to play an important role in his team's victory. The Zebras' key position strength up forward in the guise of Sautner and Rod Crowe was also instrumental in causing the visitors headaches galore and this was compounded by Ezra Poyas who bobbed up every now and then with a piece of his usual brilliance. The Bullants' game was already shot to pieces by half time and after the break they resorted to pushing numbers behind the ball, a tactic which at least limited the final deficit to a manageable number instead of the complete blowout that was threatening at times during the afternoon. British health authorities are worrying about foot and mouth disease at the moment but that's nothing compared with the epidemic currently being suffered at Melbourne. This has also had far reaching consequences at Sandringham where the Zebras were able to field 14 VFL listed players plus two AFL rookies (although admittedly Bode has been uplifted to full senior status for the time being as a replacement for Clint Bartram who is on the long term injury list). This week Stefan Martin joined other relative newcomers in the team in Rennie Gilchrist, Tomi Johnson Guy Martyn, Sam Monaghan and Tom Paterakis. This exciting group of youngsters has fitted into the side like a glove and they have not let down coach Mark Williams for the faith he placed in them. The presence of 197cm Martin from Old Haileybury added another tall option to the team and he did well when going forward complementing Saunter's ultimate goal tally of seven with three of his own. Williams will also no doubt be scratching his head wondering how he can fit injured skipper Chad Liddell and a few Demon listed players if and when the injury situation improves. The Zebras' defence held firm throughout most of the game with Chris Lamb rock solid as usual, aided by Biddlecombe, Bizzell, Bode, Monaghan and an improving Colin Garland. Together they brushed aside an undermanned Bullant forward line that relied almost solely on veteran Digby Morell and at times, a slowish Lance Whitnall. If there was one thing that would have made coach Mark Williams unhappy about his team's performance it would have been its sloppy kicking for goal particularly after half time – something that will need to be worked upon heavily between now and the finals. Sandringham now holds a clear two game lead over Geelong with three rounds remaining before the finals. The Zebras have the ideal build up with two of their remaining games against the sides that beat them earlier in the season and the other against the third placed Coburg Tigers in the final round. Next Sunday's game at Box Hill City Oval will provide Sandy with an opportunity to avenge the shock 15 point loss it suffered in the wet in Round 10. HOW THE DEMONS FARED The two Melbourne dailies contained articles about the game and neither made mention of the player who occupied a different stratosphere to the remaining 43 players on the oval. Travis Johnstone was at his silky smooth best with his deft disposal and breathtaking skills. He was off the ground by three quarter time and appeared to be nursing his recently injured foot but by then he had done untold damage to the Bullants' confidence. I suspect the foot problem was only minor and that unless that Achilles heel proves troublesome during the week, there is little doubt that he will be back in the Demon midfield on Saturday night. Johnstone should be joined by recently uplifted rookie Jace Bode who relished the opportunity of playing with a real maestro. In that respect it was a true dress rehearsal for the youngster. We all know that the AFL with its attendant rigours is a totally different kettle of fish to the more sedate pace of the VFL but if the pair of them can replicate the instant rapport they showed on Sunday, the Doggies might be in for a surprise. Bode is a rapidly improving defender who impressed with his strong play as a link man between defence and attack. He picked up a swag of possessions and pushed forward for a nice goal. The 183cm Bode is a very balanced footballer who is now playing with confidence and finally showing why he gained All Australian selection at the 2005 Under 18 National Carnival. On the others - Clint Bizzell – the Biz didn't have any particularly major assignments for the day but he did go about his work quietly and unobtrusively without doing anything to suggest that a promotion to the AFL was on the cards. Lynden Dunn- showed a lot of mobility at times but it was a hot and cold performance. When he was on fire he looked a million dollars but also had some quiet patches. Kicked a nice goal from a fair distance out in the third quarter. Colin Garland – not a big game by any means but he was solid in a strong defence and he did what he had to do well although admittedly, it wasn't exactly a tough day at the office for him. Chris Johnson – another who didn't have to push himself but he got plenty of the ball and generally disposed of it well although he marred his game with a couple of real shockers. Paul Johnson – dominated the ruck but didn't have much to do around the ground until he came with a late flurry and showed great agility for one so tall. Shane Neaves – rucked reasonably well but didn't see all that much action. Sandringham 6.5.41 11.11.77 14.15.99 19.21.135 Northern Bullants 1.2.8 5.4.34 8.6.54 11.7.73 Goals Sandringham Sautner 7 S Martin 3 Martyn Summers 2 Bode Crowe Dunn T Johnston Poyas Northern Bullants Morrell 5 Teague 3 Davies Houlihan Whitnall Best Sandringham Valenti Bode Crowe Gallagher S Martin Biddlecombe Northern Bullants Teague Vansittart Morrell Iacobucci Raso Crow Reported Player J Vansittart (Bullants) reported for bumping or making forceful contact to T. Paterakis (Sandringham) in the third quarter The Zebra reserves continued their thrust towards a finals appearance with a convincing 38-point victory over the lowly Northern Bullants brushing aside their opposition in the second quarter and sealing the game in the third. Thomas Paule made up for his lack of height with tons of strength and endeavour and was his team's best. Jake Williams and Heath Neville were solid contributors. This week the Zebras face a must win clash against last year's premiers, the Box Hill Hawks. Vvictory this week will strengthen the team's claim to a top five place - a position secured by the win over the Bullants. Sandringham 2.7.19 7.11.53 12.13.85 14.15.99 Northern Bullants 2.3.15 3.4.22 5.5.35 9.7.61 Goals Sandringham Gileno 3 Hughes Paule 2 Cleeve Collyer Curcio M Johnston McKenzie Williams Zarra Northern Bullants Colbert Dobby Fraser Grillo Hampson Harvey Longmore Nanni Siciliano Best Sandringham Paule Williams Neville McKenzie M Johnston A Martin Northern Bullants Taylor Dobby Vansittart Nanni Meese Crompton

Not much change to the leaderboard as we start the run up to the end of the season. Nathan Jones has a handy 15 vote lead. The award goes in camera for the remainder of the season but voting will continue as normal. 109. Nathan Jones 94. James McDonald 83. Jeff White 69. Cameron Bruce 68. Colin Sylvia 66. Brad Green 63. Aaron Davey 57. Daniel Bell 51. Matthew Bate 41. Travis Johnstone 39. Ben Holland 37. Simon Godfrey 35. Brent Moloney 32. Brock McLean Russell Robertson Paul Wheatley 29. Nathan Brown 28. Clint Bizzell 26. Nathan Carroll 25. David Neitz 24. Adem Yze 20. Brad Miller Ricky Petterd 19. Michael Newton 18. Jared Rivers 6. Ryan Ferguson 4. Daniel Ward 3. James Frawley 2. Paul Johnson 1. Simon Buckley Lynden Dunn

petejh2000 and Scoop Junior led the field this week with 6 winners out of the possible 7 but WJ with 5 winners has overtaken Clyde at the top. There are 11 tipsters still in there with a definite chance and next week's round is tough so it presents lots of opportunities to catch up. Rusty kingswood was true to form with 2 winners. 1. (2) 91 Whispering_Jack 2. (1) 90 Clyde_Cabbie 3. (3) 89 deanox 4. (5) 88 demon_davey 4. (3) 88 slamevil 6. (10) 87 Scoop Junior 7. (10) 86 canberrademon(herb) 7. (7) 86 deesthisyear 7. (7) 86 DeMoNiC 7. (5) 86 Demonland 7. (7) 86 great_gatsby 12. (13) 84 Alpha_33 12. (12) 84 Pinball_Wizard 14. (15) 83 snarler_0 15. (15) 82 Rivers Run Red 16. (13) 81 BigKev Demon 16. (20) 81 petejh2000 18. (17) 80 achirnside 18. (17) 80 frangas 18. (17) 80 Go_Ds 21. (21) 76 bl3281 21. (22) 76 Jackieboy_0 23. (23) 72 dee'viator 24. (24) 71 TimDees 25. (25) 67 paliosiana 26. (26) 66 No Cigar 27. (27) 64 KrazyJay 28. (28) 62 rusty_corner 29. (29) 61 Goodvibes 30. (31) 55 CarnTheDees 31. (30) 53 Kieranbj 32. (31) 52 demon_fanatic 33. (33) 51 Dees_Fan16 34. (34) 49 Fingers Power 35. (35) 48 Dappadan 36. (36) 42 melon22 37. (37) 41 jaded24 38. (38) 33 rusty_kingswood

Oops, my bad. It was just wishful thinking!

by Whispering Jack And I dreamed I saw the bombers Riding shotgun in the sky Turning into butterflies Above our nation - Joni Mitchell, Woodstock When you fly into the nation's capital at this time of year you pass nearby snow-capped peaks as you descend into the gloom. On your way down you will see one feature that looks so bleak and desolate in the fading afternoon light of winter that I call it Desolation Peak in honour of the iconic American writer, poet and social commentator Jack Kerouac whose work inspired my generation when I was young. Kerouac was a lost soul who travelled and worked across his country and chronicled his experiences in books such as "On the Road", "The Dharma Bums" (for truly 'Lost' souls) and "Desolation Angels", the latter of which were written of his life transforming experiences while he worked as a fire lookout on Desolation Peak in North Cascades National Park, Washington. Kerouac's writing gained little critical acclaim but it influenced a generation of alienated young people and taught them that they were more than just cogs in something turning. We were stardust. We were golden. And we had to get ourselves back to the garden. Canberra is no garden. It is dour and austere and it provides the perfect setting for the capital city of a conservative nation. I hate the place and I hate it even more now that it has become a home venue for my football club even if this is a place we only have to call "home" once a year. The very fact that the Melbourne Football Club must play its Round 18 encounter against Sydney at the Manuka Oval in Canberra is indicative of the club's current plight. It is doing so not due to the fact that is enamoured with the nation’s capital or its people but by virtue of its own precarious financial situation. It has by necessity been forced out of its own garden and in doing this for the dollars, it has sold its very heart and soul. Meanwhile the old mortal enemy has swept down from the plains and occupied Melbourne's traditional home base. The ironic and ultimate put down for the Demons is that while they are forced by circumstance to take up residence for the week near snowfields, the army of the Black and White is sitting mockingly inside the MCG citadel for eight consecutive weeks in the rundown to the end of the year. On Saturday, they will feature in front of a crowd of about 60,000 fans while on the following day, Melbourne will not even host a quarter of that number because Manuka’s ground capacity is 14,000 and there would be great doubts about whether so many would turn up for what appears to be a monumental mismatch. The game between Melbourne and Sydney presents as bleak and as desolate a picture as one could possibly imagine for the Demons and their supporters. The season has been studded with a number of small catastrophes that collectively have spelt disaster for a year that promised so much for the club which finished best placed of all Victorian sides in 2006. Hobbled by injuries and loss of form that ultimately and prematurely ended Neale Daniher's coaching career at the club, this season has given its battle weary supporters little from which to find comfort. I know this game means a lot to the coaches, the players, the officials, the support staff and the many fans who will watch the game in person and on pay TV and I really do care a lot about how the team fares. I hope in my heart that it will be competitive and that the younger members in particular are not disheartened by their experience if things continue to go as they have in the past few weeks. But I simply can't warm to the thought of this contest. The Swans are building in momentum as they surge towards another finals series. They have two giant ruckmen in Darren Jolly and Peter Everitt who are in solid form and a hard working midfield that will give Barry Hall, Michael O’Loughlin, Nick Davis and Ryan O'Keefe plenty of opportunities to kick a big score. And they have the Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes. Melbourne on the other hand, is all over the shop every week. Players come and go and the lineup is a moving feast but it's really more like a famine than a feast. David Neitz and Russell Robertson are nowhere near 100% fit and it's sad to watch them struggle to help their side in that condition. Veterans like Jeff White and James McDonald are hard up against it every week. There are others like Nathan Jones and newcomers James Frawley and Michael Newton who are young and will battle their hearts out but the chain has weak links and many are just going through the motions. I can't help but think that the place and the time are all wrong. Like many Demon fans I'm concentrating on what happens after this season and on the long road home and beyond … THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney at the Manuka Oval 5 August 2007 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 91 wins Sydney 106 wins 1 draw At Manuka Melbourne 0 wins Sydney 0 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 6 wins Sydney 9 wins The Coaches Riley 0 Roos 0 MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel at 1 pm (live) RADIO SEN 774 ABC THE BETTING Melbourne to win $6.75 - Sydney to win $1.07 LAST TIME THEY MET Sydney Swans 17.7.109 defeated Melbourne 8.12.60 Round 5, 2007. Melbourne travelled to the Harbour City with a depleted side and received a spanking. The Swans had total control of the centre clearances and constantly bombarded the ball forward where they took advantage of the undermanned Demon defence kicking six goals to one in the opening quarter in what has become a familiar pattern for this season. Despite the efforts of Cameron Bruce and Aaron Davey, the game was well and truly over by half time and the Swans cantered away to a convincing 59-point victory. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Ben Holland Nathan Carroll Ryan Ferguson Half backs Daniel Bell Brad Miller James Frawley Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Paul Wheatley Half forwards Nathan Brown Russell Robertson Simon Godfrey Forwards Bryon Pickett David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Aaron Davey Brent Moloney Michael Newton Daniel Ward Emergencies Jace Bode Simon Buckley Mark Jamar In Nathan Carroll Aaron Davey Byron Pickett Out Cameron Bruce (hamstring) Colin Sylvia (groin) Simon Buckley SYDNEY SWANS Backs Tadhg Kennelly Craig Bolton Nick Malceski Half backs Paul Bevan Adam Goodes Ben Mathews Centreline Luke Ablett Brett Kirk Amon Buchanan Half forwards Ryan O’Keefe Michael O’Loughlin Jarrad McVeigh Forwards Adam Schneider Barry Hall Nick Davis Followers Darren Jolly Jude Bolton Nic Fosdike Interchange Luke Brennan Peter Everitt Heath Grundy Ted Richards Emergencies Sean Dempster Matthew Laidlaw Tim Schmidt In Luke Ablett Out Tim Schmidt BEYOND THE LONG RUN HOME It might be unfair of me to say this because caretaker coach Mark Riley is said to be a challenger for the club's coaching vacancy but I am positively inspired by the fact that Kevin Sheedy is one of the candidates for the job. The decision as to whether he is up to speed with respect to the latest tactics and strategies or if he still has the fire in his belly (and I see no evidence to the contrary) is of course, in the hands of others but subject to those things he has my vote of confidence and the prospect fills me with optimism for the future. Sheedy is after all, a product of an age that I have lived through and while he and I are different people whose lives have been very different, he does evoke certain shared experiences of our time. Our paths must have crossed unknowingly in the distant past, during a period in time that roughly corresponds with the first occasion when the Melbourne Football Club turned its back on him. It must not repeat the same mistake. Sheedy played his junior football with the Try Boys Youth Club in Prahran before joining Prahran in 1963 where he spent a year with the thirds. I also spent some time in my early teens helping out and working with some of the underprivileged kids with the Try Boys. We might have even met somewhere along the way but Sheedy could play football and by 1964, at the age of 16, he was already playing in the seniors with the Two Blues. He soon became a regular there. Prahran was in Melbourne's metropolitan zone and legend has it that he played a few practice matches with the Demons but returned to Prahran where he played in the club's VFA Second Division Premiership of 1966 as a centreman. Richmond showed some interest in the young Sheedy and Melbourne released him to the Tigers. The rest is history. He managed a handful of senior games with Richmond in 1967 before injury cut short his first season. He established a place in the team the following year and in 1969 when man first stepped foot on the moon and hundreds of thousands congregated at Max Yasgur's farm for the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, Sheedy the young man was on his way to playing in the first of his three premiership teams. By the end of his playing career a decade later, he had won a best and fairest and had captained the team. He made the Richmond Team of the Century and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2002. Sheedy went on to coach Essendon to four premierships during his 27 year reign. Even as his club announced that this would be his final year as coach, Essendon remains a finals contender despite finishing second last in 2006. Sheedy is the quintessential showman. He is both innovative and idiosyncratic, he can spruik for a club like nobody else can and he is a winner. If he takes the Melbourne job, he is likely to take the Demons to places where they have not been for a long time. In many respects the fearless Sheedy makes the perfect fit for a club that over the past four decades has lived in fear of going outside the pale of the ordinary and has always been slow and steady and incapable of going the hardest over the final yards of the race. Sheedy has tasted premiership success as both a player and a coach. He has been there before and is capable of taking Melbourne to that place again. He will bring with him characteristics that will enhance the standing and image of the club along with a wealth of the experience and knowledge needed to break down the long barrier of time that has left the club starved of success. It is impossible to discuss Sheedy's coaching career without mentioning the contribution he has made to the indigenous people of this country. When Sheedy made his playing debut with Richmond in 1967 in the then VFL, our original inhabitants were not even considered citizens of the country in which they had lived since before the dreamtime. Sheedy championed the cause of the indigenous footballer and their numbers in our elite competition are today extraordinary in that they exceed seventy (more than 10% of AFL listed players) thanks in part to the encouragement he gave them at the Essendon Football Club. That is just one of the things that endears the people to Kevin Sheedy - he can coach but he is also a man of humour and a man of humanity and while there are no promises of instant success, he will do his best to help the Melbourne Football Club achieve what it needs the most at this stage of the journey - a life transforming experience to recover its lost soul. THE HUNGER Given that I have spent most of my time discussing one prospective coach noted for his support of the native people of this country, it is fitting and it gives me much pleasure to mention that Byron Pickett will play his 200th AFL game on Sunday. The Byronator has been much maligned for his sins this year. It's true that he's been a naughty boy and it's also true that his career very much hangs in the balance. His detractors however, have forgotten the wonderful gift he gave us for a brief moment or two in our club's recent history. I speak of the time when he played such a significant role in transforming a team that lost its three opening games of the 2006 season to become one of the form sides of the competition with a record of 12/5 exactly a year ago. The club peaked on the day that Byron Pickett suffered his first hamstring injury. Neither he nor the Melbourne Football Club have been the same ever since but if he can recapture the form that preceded his injury, Sydney will not be the convincing winner that its current odds of $1.07 to win a two horse race might suggest. The Swans are hungry for a win in this game. They are masters at timing their push for the finals to an absolute tee and I can’t go past them to win. I’m tipping a margin of about 39 points. FOOTNOTE Two months after Woodstock and one month after Kevin Sheedy played in his first premiership team at Richmond, Jack Kerouac whose writings inspired a generation died in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the age of 47 from an internal haemorrhage, the result of alcoholism. Kevin Sheedy is a teetotaller and though it might surprise you after reading the above, so am I.

ON THE LONG ROAD HOME by Whispering Jack And I dreamed I saw the bombers Riding shotgun in the sky Turning into butterflies Above our nation - Joni Mitchell, Woodstock When you fly into the nation's capital at this time of year you pass nearby snow-capped peaks as you descend into the gloom. On your way down you will see one feature that looks so bleak and desolate in the fading afternoon light of winter that I call it Desolation Peak in honour of the iconic American writer, poet and social commentator Jack Kerouac whose work inspired my generation when I was young. Kerouac was a lost soul who travelled and worked across his country and chronicled his experiences in books such as "On the Road", "The Dharma Bums" (for truly 'Lost' souls) and "Desolation Angels", the latter of which were written of his life transforming experiences while he worked as a fire lookout on Desolation Peak in North Cascades National Park, Washington. Kerouac's writing gained little critical acclaim but it influenced a generation of alienated young people and taught them that they were more than just cogs in something turning. We were stardust. We were golden. And we had to get ourselves back to the garden. Canberra is no garden. It is dour and austere and it provides the perfect setting for the capital city of a conservative nation. I hate the place and I hate it even more now that it has become a home venue for my football club even if this is a place we only have to call "home" once a year. The very fact that the Melbourne Football Club must play its Round 18 encounter against Sydney at the Manuka Oval in Canberra is indicative of the club's current plight. It is doing so not due to the fact that is enamoured with the nation’s capital or its people but by virtue of its own precarious financial situation. It has by necessity been forced out of its own garden and in doing this for the dollars, it has sold its very heart and soul. Meanwhile the old mortal enemy has swept down from the plains and occupied Melbourne's traditional home base. The ironic and ultimate put down for the Demons is that while they are forced by circumstance to take up residence for the week near snowfields, the army of the Black and White is sitting mockingly inside the MCG citadel for eight consecutive weeks in the rundown to the end of the year. On Saturday, they will feature in front of a crowd of about 60,000 fans while on the following day, Melbourne will not even host a quarter of that number because Manuka’s ground capacity is 14,000 and there would be great doubts about whether so many would turn up for what appears to be a monumental mismatch. The game between Melbourne and Sydney presents as bleak and as desolate a picture as one could possibly imagine for the Demons and their supporters. The season has been studded with a number of small catastrophes that collectively have spelt disaster for a year that promised so much for the club which finished best placed of all Victorian sides in 2006. Hobbled by injuries and loss of form that ultimately and prematurely ended Neale Daniher's coaching career at the club, this season has given its battle weary supporters little from which to find comfort. I know this game means a lot to the coaches, the players, the officials, the support staff and the many fans who will watch the game in person and on pay TV and I really do care a lot about how the team fares. I hope in my heart that it will be competitive and that the younger members in particular are not disheartened by their experience if things continue to go as they have in the past few weeks. But I simply can't warm to the thought of this contest. The Swans are building in momentum as they surge towards another finals series. They have two giant ruckmen in Darren Jolly and Peter Everitt who are in solid form and a hard working midfield that will give Barry Hall, Michael O’Loughlin, Nick Davis and Ryan O'Keefe plenty of opportunities to kick a big score. And they have the Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes. Melbourne on the other hand, is all over the shop every week. Players come and go and the lineup is a moving feast but it's really more like a famine than a feast. David Neitz and Russell Robertson are nowhere near 100% fit and it's sad to watch them struggle to help their side in that condition. Veterans like Jeff White and James McDonald are hard up against it every week. There are others like Nathan Jones and newcomers James Frawley and Michael Newton who are young and will battle their hearts out but the chain has weak links and many are just going through the motions. I can't help but think that the place and the time are all wrong. Like many Demon fans I'm concentrating on what happens after this season and on the long road home and beyond … THE GAME Melbourne v Sydney at the Manuka Oval 5 August 2007 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 91 wins Sydney 106 wins 1 draw At Manuka Melbourne 0 wins Sydney 0 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 6 wins Sydney 9 wins The Coaches Riley 0 Roos 0 MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel at 1 pm (live) RADIO SEN 774 ABC THE BETTING Melbourne to win $6.75 - Sydney to win $1.07 LAST TIME THEY MET Sydney Swans 17.7.109 defeated Melbourne 8.12.60 Round 5, 2007. Melbourne travelled to the Harbour City with a depleted side and received a spanking. The Swans had total control of the centre clearances and constantly bombarded the ball forward where they took advantage of the undermanned Demon defence kicking six goals to one in the opening quarter in what has become a familiar pattern for this season. Despite the efforts of Cameron Bruce and Aaron Davey, the game was well and truly over by half time and the Swans cantered away to a convincing 59-point victory. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Ben Holland Nathan Carroll Ryan Ferguson Half backs Daniel Bell Brad Miller James Frawley Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Paul Wheatley Half forwards Nathan Brown Russell Robertson Simon Godfrey Forwards Bryon Pickett David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Aaron Davey Brent Moloney Michael Newton Daniel Ward Emergencies Jace Bode Simon Buckley Mark Jamar In Nathan Carroll Aaron Davey Byron Pickett Out Cameron Bruce (hamstring) Colin Sylvia (groin) Simon Buckley SYDNEY SWANS Backs Tadhg Kennelly Craig Bolton Nick Malceski Half backs Paul Bevan Adam Goodes Ben Mathews Centreline Luke Ablett Brett Kirk Amon Buchanan Half forwards Ryan O’Keefe Michael O’Loughlin Jarrad McVeigh Forwards Adam Schneider Barry Hall Nick Davis Followers Darren Jolly Jude Bolton Nic Fosdike Interchange Luke Brennan Peter Everitt Heath Grundy Ted Richards Emergencies Sean Dempster Matthew Laidlaw Tim Schmidt In Luke Ablett Out Tim Schmidt BEYOND THE LONG RUN HOME It might be unfair of me to say this because caretaker coach Mark Riley is said to be a challenger for the club's coaching vacancy but I am positively inspired by the fact that Kevin Sheedy is one of the candidates for the job. The decision as to whether he is up to speed with respect to the latest tactics and strategies or if he still has the fire in his belly (and I see no evidence to the contrary) is of course, in the hands of others but subject to those things he has my vote of confidence and the prospect fills me with optimism for the future. Sheedy is after all, a product of an age that I have lived through and while he and I are different people whose lives have been very different, he does evoke certain shared experiences of our time. Our paths must have crossed unknowingly in the distant past, during a period in time that roughly corresponds with the first occasion when the Melbourne Football Club turned its back on him. It must not repeat the same mistake. Sheedy played his junior football with the Try Boys Youth Club in Prahran before joining Prahran in 1963 where he spent a year with the thirds. I also spent some time in my early teens helping out and working with some of the underprivileged kids with the Try Boys. We might have even met somewhere along the way but Sheedy could play football and by 1964, at the age of 16, he was already playing in the seniors with the Two Blues. He soon became a regular there. Prahran was in Melbourne's metropolitan zone and legend has it that he played a few practice matches with the Demons but returned to Prahran where he played in the club's VFA Second Division Premiership of 1966 as a centreman. Richmond showed some interest in the young Sheedy and Melbourne released him to the Tigers. The rest is history. He managed a handful of senior games with Richmond in 1967 before injury cut short his first season. He established a place in the team the following year and in 1969 when man first stepped foot on the moon and hundreds of thousands congregated at Max Yasgur's farm for the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, Sheedy the young man was on his way to playing in the first of his three premiership teams. By the end of his playing career a decade later, he had won a best and fairest and had captained the team. He made the Richmond Team of the Century and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2002. Sheedy went on to coach Essendon to four premierships during his 27 year reign. Even as his club announced that this would be his final year as coach, Essendon remains a finals contender despite finishing second last in 2006. Sheedy is the quintessential showman. He is both innovative and idiosyncratic, he can spruik for a club like nobody else can and he is a winner. If he takes the Melbourne job, he is likely to take the Demons to places where they have not been for a long time. In many respects the fearless Sheedy makes the perfect fit for a club that over the past four decades has lived in fear of going outside the pale of the ordinary and has always been slow and steady and incapable of going the hardest over the final yards of the race. Sheedy has tasted premiership success as both a player and a coach. He has been there before and is capable of taking Melbourne to that place again. He will bring with him characteristics that will enhance the standing and image of the club along with a wealth of the experience and knowledge needed to break down the long barrier of time that has left the club starved of success. It is impossible to discuss Sheedy's coaching career without mentioning the contribution he has made to the indigenous people of this country. When Sheedy made his playing debut with Richmond in 1967 in the then VFL, our original inhabitants were not even considered citizens of the country in which they had lived since before the dreamtime. Sheedy championed the cause of the indigenous footballer and their numbers in our elite competition are today extraordinary in that they exceed seventy (more than 10% of AFL listed players) thanks in part to the encouragement he gave them at the Essendon Football Club. That is just one of the things that endears the people to Kevin Sheedy - he can coach but he is also a man of humour and a man of humanity and while there are no promises of instant success, he will do his best to help the Melbourne Football Club achieve what it needs the most at this stage of the journey - a life transforming experience to recover its lost soul. THE HUNGER Given that I have spent most of my time discussing one prospective coach noted for his support of the native people of this country, it is fitting and it gives me much pleasure to mention that Byron Pickett will play his 200th AFL game on Sunday. The Byronator has been much maligned for his sins this year. It's true that he's been a naughty boy and it's also true that his career very much hangs in the balance. His detractors however, have forgotten the wonderful gift he gave us for a brief moment or two in our club's recent history. I speak of the time when he played such a significant role in transforming a team that lost its three opening games of the 2006 season to become one of the form sides of the competition with a record of 12/5 exactly a year ago. The club peaked on the day that Byron Pickett suffered his first hamstring injury. Neither he nor the Melbourne Football Club have been the same ever since but if he can recapture the form that preceded his injury, Sydney will not be the convincing winner that its current odds of $1.07 to win a two horse race might suggest. The Swans are hungry for a win in this game. They are masters at timing their push for the finals to an absolute tee and I can’t go past them to win. I’m tipping a margin of about 39 points. FOOTNOTE Two months after Woodstock and one month after Kevin Sheedy played in his first premiership team at Richmond, Jack Kerouac whose writings inspired a generation died in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the age of 47 from an internal haemorrhage, the result of alcoholism. Kevin Sheedy is a teetotaller and though it might surprise you after reading the above, so am I.

Thanks for that - quick reaction in a monsterous round - 19 minutes for three nominations! Progress voting:- 109. Nathan Jones 94. James McDonald 83. Jeff White 69. Cameron Bruce 68. Colin Sylvia 63. Aaron Davey 57. Daniel Bell 51. Matthew Bate 50. Brad Green 41. Travis Johnstone 37. Simon Godfrey 35. Brent Moloney 32. Russell Robertson Paul Wheatley 31. Ben Holland 29. Nathan Brown 28. Clint Bizzell 27. Brock McLean 25. David Neitz 24. Adem Yze 20. Brad Miller Ricky Petterd 18. Jared Rivers 9. Nathan Carroll 8. Michael Newton 4. Daniel Ward 3. James Frawley 2. Paul Johnson 1. Simon Buckley Lynden Dunn

He's welcome to do the match previews or we could send him down to TBO where he could do an apprenticeship under Beach Road Bazza .

Still close at the top ... 1. (1) 87 Clyde_Cabbie 2. (2) 86 Whispering_Jack 3. (3) 84 deanox 3. (4) 84 slamevil 5. (4) 83 demon_davey 5. (8) 83 Demonland 7. (4) 82 deesthisyear 7. (4) 82 DeMoNiC 7. (8) 82 great_gatsby 10. (8) 81 canberrademon(herb) 10. (11) 81 Scoop Junior 12. (11) 80 Pinball_Wizard 13. (14) 79 Alpha_33 13. (11) 79 BigKev Demon 15. (17) 78 Rivers Run Red 15. (14) 78 snarler_0 17. (20) 76 achirnside 17. (20) 76 frangas 17. (14) 76 Go_Ds 20. (17) 75 petejh2000 21. (17) 74 bl3281 22. (22) 72 Jackieboy_0 23. (25) 68 dee'viator 24. (23) 67 TimDees 25. (24) 65 paliosiana 26. (27) 63 No Cigar 27. (26) 62 KrazyJay 28. (28) 60 rusty_corner 29. (29) 59 Goodvibes 30. (30) 51 Kieranbj 31. (32) 50 CarnTheDees 31. (31) 50 demon_fanatic 33. (32) 49 Dees_Fan16 34. (34) 47 Fingers Power 35. (35) 46 Dappadan 36. (36) 40 melon22 37. (37) 39 jaded24 38. (38) 31 rusty_kingswood

Another tough task ... your votes for the Demonland POTY 6,5,4,3,2,1 please!

Two weeks ago Port Adelaide beat West Coast by more than 15 goals and today they're almost premiership favourites. I'm not suggesting that the MFC will be flag favourites in a fortnight but fortunes can change in relatively quick time - don't forget that.

THE SCARE by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham survived a major scare by producing a stunning eleven-goal final quarter against the Bendigo Bombers to win by 33 points and retain its firm grip on top position of the VFL ladder on Saturday. The make up of the team again underwent a number of changes before the game with a reshuffle of players in the Melbourne side. Sandy also suffered a blow when skipper Chad Liddell was ruled out by injury. The changes however, did not seem to unduly affect them early and, after conceding the opening goal, they steadied and were giving the impression that they were ready to blow the game away. The persistent Bombers had other ideas. They bottled the game up, preventing the Zebras from using their advantage in height and skill around the ground and at quarter time they led by a goal. The pattern was repeated in the second quarter of what was becoming a dour struggle between the teams. The Zebras had the ascendency in the ruck with Mark Jamar and Paul Johnson while Summers and Valenti were providing the midfield strength and Ezra Poyas, Byron Pickett and David Gallagher were bobbing up around the ground driving the ball into attack. The Bomber defence was solid and ran extra men behind the ball to crowd up the Sandy forward line. When Bendigo went forward however, it was generally wasteful and in a game of see sawing fortunes this proved costly. Sandringham led by 11 points at the main break but it could so easily have been a different story. The third quarter is generally viewed by the pundits as the premiership quarter and if this were truly the case then one would have expected the aspirants for a fourth premiership on end to run over a team placed ninth on the ladder. That was certainly not the case in the third term of this match. It was Bendigo that came out full of running while Sandringham had a touch of arrogance and laziness about it and the Bombers took full advantage by taking control of the midfield through veterans Jason Johnson and former Demon Chris Heffernan. Despite the dominance of the Sandy ruckmen, it was Bendigo that was now winning the clearances and their on ballers provided plenty of feed for their forwards who blazed away at goal and eventually hit target enough times to put a major scare through the Zebra camp. When the team went into the huddle at three quarter time to face their coach they were staring at an embarrassing defeat in front of a decent size home crowd and a much larger ABC television audience. Mark Williams is one of the contenders for Melbourne's vacant coaching job and he did his prospects no harm with a considered and calm approach to the situation his team faced at the final break. He called upon them to respond to their disappointing third quarter by doing something about it - he challenged them to have a go. He told them that that they needed to keep their sights lowered and not to bomb the ball indiscriminately particularly when going forward. They answered in the best way possible. Wiliams had been carefully rotating his midfielders - even during Bendigo's thrid quarter onslaught when they kicked seven goals to Sandringham's three. This set the scene for the refreshed Zebras, headed by Summers and Poyas who were in imposing form, to retake control of the middle of the ground and they orchestrated an absolute goal feast. It was goal a minute stuff as Sautner, Gallagher, Pickett and Valenti all took advantage up forward. The Zebras also benefitted from their enormous height advantage with Jamar taking some strong marks up forward. They brushed aside the Bombers with consummate ease to finish full of running and complete an unlikely 33 point demolition of a stunned opposition. The unsung heroes of the game were the team's youngsters who underpinned their winning effort. Jace Bode continued his rapid improvement and Tom Paterakis, Tomi Johnston, Sam Monaghan, Guy Martyn and Rennie Gilchrist all contributed. They are going through a wonderful learning process during this early stage in their senior careers. In the run up to the finals the Zebras have the advantage of playing another three of their four remaining games at home. Their northern rivals, the Bullants, are the next cab off the rank. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Let's face it. If an MFC listed player finds himself in the Sandringham team at this stage of the year, he's not there by accident unless the circumstances are exceptional. He's either coming back from injury, out of form, out of favour, in development mode or more than one of the above. I was disappointed with the overall contributions of the Demon listed players to Sandringham's classical victory: with one or two exceptions, they were totally overshadowed by the likes of Summers, Poyas, Gallagher and even the youngsters in their contributions to what was a sensational come from behind victory. Jace Bode - continues to improve in all facets of the game although he needs to improve on his right side. Laid a great tackle in the second quarter only to waste it with poor disposal. All in all however, it was another consistently good performance and he was rewarded by being named in the Sandy best again. Clint Bizzell - generally covered his opponent and did a reasonable game in defence. Also kicked a goal when going forward but might still struggle to regain his place in the Melbourne team. Nathan Carroll - settled down after showing a bit of early frustration and giving away a few frees. Once that problem corrected itself, Carroll settled down and he finished up having a solid game and even kicked a goal in that chaotic final term. Lynden Dunn - kicked a nice goal and showed a bit of spark in the third quarter but otherwise had little impact, which is disappointing for a player with his size, skills and athletic talent. The next twelve months will be an important time in his development. Colin Garland – mostly floated around the back line and picked up possessions here and there without doing very much to impose himself on the game. Mark Jamar - with Paul Johnson, he dominated the ruck and also took plenty of marks around the ground and in the forward line and finished with two goals. Should be given a run in the AFL to see whether he has a future at the club or whether he should be put up for trade. Chris Johnson - it was good to see him getting an opportunity in the middle and he putting in a strong performance. His disposal was generally very good and I look forward to seeing how he develops under his next senior coach. Paul Johnson - despite being second fiddle to Jamar, he showed plenty in the ruck contests and around the ground and the only mystery he didn't solve was why he wasn’t on the Demons’ flight to Adelaide this weekend. Byron Pickett - played mainly at half forward and despite not cutting the finest figure on the ground, the Pickett of old was almost back on Saturday. Had twenty touches, took six marks and kicked two goals but it was the tackling, the smothering and the impact of his hits that made a difference when it counted in the final quarter. My only criticism is that he had one or two brain fades and gave away one unnecessary fifty metre penalty (but I suppose that comes with the territory when physical strength is your forte) and the fact that he didn’t lot the final kick for goal after the siren from outside fifty because it would have made it a special finish for a great day. Sandringham 3.5.23 6.9.45 9.12.66 20.14.134 Bendigo Bombers 2.5.17 4.10.34 11.16.82 14.17.101 Goals Sandringham Sautner 5 Gallagher 3 Jamar Pickett Summers Valenti 2 Bizzell Carroll Dunn P Johnson Bendigo Bombers Carter Lonergan Reimers 3 Bolton Weeks 2 Atkinson Best Sandringham Summers Bode Gallagher Pickett Carroll Poyas Bendigo Bombers Johns Heffernan Lonergan Carter Reimers Johnson Reported Player Sandringham David Gallagher (Sandringham) for charging D Dick (Bendigo) in the second quarter. The Zebra Reserves continue to show improvement and had an enormous win in the curtain raiser to level the ledger at seven wins and seven losses to remain in contention for a place in the finals. After an even first quarter the young Zebs kicked seven goals in the second and eight in the third to storm home from the visitors and record a 63 point victory in the end. With Shane Neaves winning in the ruck, Stefan Martin was outstanding with five goals and he was backed up by four each from Ewan McKenzie and Isaac Weetra. Marc Johnston continued to press his claim for seniors inclusion and Daniel Collyer put in a solid display. Sandringham 3.3.21 10.4.64 18.7.115 23.10.148 Bendigo Bombers 3.4.22 6.9.45 8.10.58 12.13.85 Goals Sandringham S Martin 5 McKenzie Weetra 4 Tregear Zarra 2 Hayes M Johnston Lyall Neaves Neville Williams Bendigo Bombers Roberts 4 Leech Maddern 2 Dillon Duscher Kanters Meade Best Sandringham S Martin Weetra Collyer M Johnston Paule Neaves Bendigo Bombers Pilcher Bowe Crameri O'Keefe Roberts Leech

by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham survived a major scare by producing a stunning eleven-goal final quarter against the Bendigo Bombers to win by 33 points and retain its firm grip on top position of the VFL ladder on Saturday. The make up of the team again underwent a number of changes before the game with a reshuffle of players in the Melbourne side. Sandy also suffered a blow when skipper Chad Liddell was ruled out by injury. The changes however, did not seem to unduly affect them early and, after conceding the opening goal, they steadied and were giving the impression that they were ready to blow the game away. The persistent Bombers had other ideas. They bottled the game up, preventing the Zebras from using their advantage in height and skill around the ground and at quarter time they led by a goal. The pattern was repeated in the second quarter of what was becoming a dour struggle between the teams. The Zebras had the ascendency in the ruck with Mark Jamar and Paul Johnson while Summers and Valenti were providing the midfield strength and Ezra Poyas, Byron Pickett and David Gallagher were bobbing up around the ground driving the ball into attack. The Bomber defence was solid and ran extra men behind the ball to crowd up the Sandy forward line. When Bendigo went forward however, it was generally wasteful and in a game of see sawing fortunes this proved costly. Sandringham led by 11 points at the main break but it could so easily have been a different story. The third quarter is generally viewed by the pundits as the premiership quarter and if this were truly the case then one would have expected the aspirants for a fourth premiership on end to run over a team placed ninth on the ladder. That was certainly not the case in the third term of this match. It was Bendigo that came out full of running while Sandringham had a touch of arrogance and laziness about it and the Bombers took full advantage by taking control of the midfield through veterans Jason Johnson and former Demon Chris Heffernan. Despite the dominance of the Sandy ruckmen, it was Bendigo that was now winning the clearances and their on ballers provided plenty of feed for their forwards who blazed away at goal and eventually hit target enough times to put a major scare through the Zebra camp. When the team went into the huddle at three quarter time to face their coach they were staring at an embarrassing defeat in front of a decent size home crowd and a much larger ABC television audience. Mark Williams is one of the contenders for Melbourne's vacant coaching job and he did his prospects no harm with a considered and calm approach to the situation his team faced at the final break. He called upon them to respond to their disappointing third quarter by doing something about it - he challenged them to have a go. He told them that that they needed to keep their sights lowered and not to bomb the ball indiscriminately particularly when going forward. They answered in the best way possible. Wiliams had been carefully rotating his midfielders - even during Bendigo's thrid quarter onslaught when they kicked seven goals to Sandringham's three. This set the scene for the refreshed Zebras, headed by Summers and Poyas who were in imposing form, to retake control of the middle of the ground and they orchestrated an absolute goal feast. It was goal a minute stuff as Sautner, Gallagher, Pickett and Valenti all took advantage up forward. The Zebras also benefitted from their enormous height advantage with Jamar taking some strong marks up forward. They brushed aside the Bombers with consummate ease to finish full of running and complete an unlikely 33 point demolition of a stunned opposition. The unsung heroes of the game were the team's youngsters who underpinned their winning effort. Jace Bode continued his rapid improvement and Tom Paterakis, Tomi Johnston, Sam Monaghan, Guy Martyn and Rennie Gilchrist all contributed. They are going through a wonderful learning process during this early stage in their senior careers. In the run up to the finals the Zebras have the advantage of playing another three of their four remaining games at home. Their northern rivals, the Bullants, are the next cab off the rank. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Let's face it. If an MFC listed player finds himself in the Sandringham team at this stage of the year, he's not there by accident unless the circumstances are exceptional. He's either coming back from injury, out of form, out of favour, in development mode or more than one of the above. I was disappointed with the overall contributions of the Demon listed players to Sandringham's classical victory: with one or two exceptions, they were totally overshadowed by the likes of Summers, Poyas, Gallagher and even the youngsters in their contributions to what was a sensational come from behind victory. Jace Bode - continues to improve in all facets of the game although he needs to improve on his right side. Laid a great tackle in the second quarter only to waste it with poor disposal. All in all however, it was another consistently good performance and he was rewarded by being named in the Sandy best again. Clint Bizzell - generally covered his opponent and did a reasonable game in defence. Also kicked a goal when going forward but might still struggle to regain his place in the Melbourne team. Nathan Carroll - settled down after showing a bit of early frustration and giving away a few frees. Once that problem corrected itself, Carroll settled down and he finished up having a solid game and even kicked a goal in that chaotic final term. Lynden Dunn - kicked a nice goal and showed a bit of spark in the third quarter but otherwise had little impact, which is disappointing for a player with his size, skills and athletic talent. The next twelve months will be an important time in his development. Colin Garland – mostly floated around the back line and picked up possessions here and there without doing very much to impose himself on the game. Mark Jamar - with Paul Johnson, he dominated the ruck and also took plenty of marks around the ground and in the forward line and finished with two goals. Should be given a run in the AFL to see whether he has a future at the club or whether he should be put up for trade. Chris Johnson - it was good to see him getting an opportunity in the middle and he putting in a strong performance. His disposal was generally very good and I look forward to seeing how he develops under his next senior coach. Paul Johnson - despite being second fiddle to Jamar, he showed plenty in the ruck contests and around the ground and the only mystery he didn't solve was why he wasn’t on the Demons’ flight to Adelaide this weekend. Byron Pickett - played mainly at half forward and despite not cutting the finest figure on the ground, the Pickett of old was almost back on Saturday. Had twenty touches, took six marks and kicked two goals but it was the tackling, the smothering and the impact of his hits that made a difference when it counted in the final quarter. My only criticism is that he had one or two brain fades and gave away one unnecessary fifty metre penalty (but I suppose that comes with the territory when physical strength is your forte) and the fact that he didn’t lot the final kick for goal after the siren from outside fifty because it would have made it a special finish for a great day. Sandringham 3.5.23 6.9.45 9.12.66 20.14.134 Bendigo Bombers 2.5.17 4.10.34 11.16.82 14.17.101 Goals Sandringham Sautner 5 Gallagher 3 Jamar Pickett Summers Valenti 2 Bizzell Carroll Dunn P Johnson Bendigo Bombers Carter Lonergan Reimers 3 Bolton Weeks 2 Atkinson Best Sandringham Summers Bode Gallagher Pickett Carroll Poyas Bendigo Bombers Johns Heffernan Lonergan Carter Reimers Johnson Reported Player Sandringham David Gallagher (Sandringham) for charging D Dick (Bendigo) in the second quarter. The Zebra Reserves continue to show improvement and had an enormous win in the curtain raiser to level the ledger at seven wins and seven losses to remain in contention for a place in the finals. After an even first quarter the young Zebs kicked seven goals in the second and eight in the third to storm home from the visitors and record a 63 point victory in the end. With Shane Neaves winning in the ruck, Stefan Martin was outstanding with five goals and he was backed up by four each from Ewan McKenzie and Isaac Weetra. Marc Johnston continued to press his claim for seniors inclusion and Daniel Collyer put in a solid display. Sandringham 3.3.21 10.4.64 18.7.115 23.10.148 Bendigo Bombers 3.4.22 6.9.45 8.10.58 12.13.85 Goals Sandringham S Martin 5 McKenzie Weetra 4 Tregear Zarra 2 Hayes M Johnston Lyall Neaves Neville Williams Bendigo Bombers Roberts 4 Leech Maddern 2 Dillon Duscher Kanters Meade Best Sandringham S Martin Weetra Collyer M Johnston Paule Neaves Bendigo Bombers Pilcher Bowe Crameri O'Keefe Roberts Leech

Your wish is our command. It's been merged.

Just stated on casey Radio that Polkinghorne will be the first current TAC Cup player to take part in a VFL game this way.

by Westender The say timing is everything and if that is truly the case then the timing of Melbourne's only trip to the City of Churches for 2007 is diabolical to say the least. The Demons haven't won a game in Adelaide since April 2001 when Andrew Leoncelli famously grabbed the ball from a boundary line tap from David Schwarz to score a goal in the final 30 seconds to bury the Crows. Their last victory over Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium (or Football Park as it was then called) came a year earlier in 2000. Even when the Melbourne team is riding high, luck always eludes it here in Adelaide. I remember making the journey to West Lakes in the week when Neil Craig took over as the senior coach of the Crows as caretaker from the sacked Gary Ayres at a time when Melbourne was in raging hot form and they were thumped by 12 goals in one of the upsets of the season. The Dees regained their composure after that and won their next five games on end to grab top position on the AFL ladder before returning to the scene of the crime to play Port Adelaide for Round 19 of 2004. The result? Yes, you guessed it! Another 12 goal shellacking and the beginning of a devastating slide that saw the team miss out on the top four and then drop out of contention in the first week of the finals. Things haven't been much different since then. Whenever the Demons have hopped onto a flight to Adelaide it's been disastersville. We all remember the final home and away round last year when they took on the injury devastated and out-of-form Crows. I do because I thought that this time, Melbourne could not possibly lose and I turned up early for the feast. D'oh! But if the timing of Melbourne's trips to South Australia has been ordinary in the past then just think about the timing of this weekend's journey. Port Adelaide's form has been up and down and then up again this season. The Power had a good start to the season but by the time they played the Demons in Round 6 they were on a bit of decline. Fortunately for them however, the umpires in that game were a bit off in their timing vis a vis David Neitz and his opponent Darryl Wakelin. Every time Wakelin put his hands on Neita's back, the umpires apparently looked the other way but when the Dees' skipper returned the favour with the gentlest of zephyr of a glance in the Power defender's back, their timing was perfect and they were watching clsoely. Watching and blowing the whistle to overrule Aaron Davey's kick and what would have been the winning goal was annulled from the record books. That's what I call timing! After that, Port nosedived from first to tenth and, as if to demonstrate how bad they were at their lowest point, they lost to Carlton at the Telstra Dome. You can't get any worse than that! However, in the five weeks since the start of the split round, the Power has been on fire. By way of contrast, Melbourne is scraping rock bottom. Its performances in the past two weeks have been so poor and so lacking in spirit that supporters are turning off in their droves. Take away newcomer Michael Newton's hanger and the good form of youngsters Nathan Jones and Simon Buckley against the Kangaroos and there has been little to get excited about of late where the Demons are concerned. So it's not a good time to come up against a team that is developing momentum and rocketing towards a top four finish. No side has kicked more goals since that split round than Port Adelaide. Its goal average in that time has been a tad under 20 a game - an aggregate of 16 ahead of its next rival Fremantle and 24 better than Geelong. Over the past three months the Power's average points for has been 140 points compared to Melbourne's 89. If the Demons struggled when they come to Adelaide in good times then I'm afraid it can only spell doom and gloom when they come here in their current state. As I said before, the timing is diabolical. THE GAME Port Adelaide v Melbourne at AAMI Stadium Sunday 29 July 2007 at 4.40pm AEST HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 8 wins Melbourne 8 wins At AAMI Stadium Port Adelaide 7 wins Melbourne 2 wins Since 2000 Port Adelaide 6 wins Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Williams 0 wins Riley 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 - live at 4.30pm RADIO 774ABC SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.09 Port Adelaide to win $6.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 10.16.76 defeated Melbourne 9.17.71 Round 6 2007 at MCG The gritty Demons were always thereabouts and looked likely winners early in the final quarter but they were unable to deliver the decisive blow that would have given them the game. The Power managed to do that through a magnificent goal from Daniel Motlop who hasn't looked back since then while Melbourne's Aaron Davey was stiff to have his shot at goal disallowed, C'est la vie! TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE Backs Michael Pettigrew Toby Thurstans Jacob Surjan Half backs Michael Wilson Troy Chaplin Peter Burgoyne Centreline Kane Cornes Shaun Burgoyne Nathan Lonie Half forwards Danyle Pearce Warren Tredrea David Rodan Forwards Daniel Motlop Justin Westhoff Brett Ebert Followers Brendon Lade Chad Cornes Domenic Cassisi Interchange Travis Boak Dean Brogan Alipate Carlile Nathan Krakouer Emergencies Nick Lower Adam Thomson Brad Symes In Nathan Krakouer Out Robert Gray (calf) MELBOURNE Backs Ben Holland Ryan Ferguson James Frawley Half backs Daniel Bell Brad Miller Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Paul Wheatley Half forwards Nathan Brown Russell Robertson Simon Godfrey Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Brent Moloney Michael Newton Daniel Ward Emergencies Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Mark Jamar In Daniel Bell Cameron Bruce Ryan Ferguson Ben Holland Out Clint Bizzell Nathan Carroll Chris Johnson Paul Johnson (all omitted) Umpires: Kennedy Sully Fila AND THEN THERE WERE TWO! I've been scratching my head all week trying to think of what I could say about this game to throw some light on how the Demons might be able to avert a full blown disaster in this game. One way would be not to turn up at all. Someone could place a call to Andrew Demetrious and just tell him that rather than be accused of tanking the game, the club would prefer to do something more productive with its time - like stay in Melbourne and watch the grass grown on their lawns. Let them hire a circus act to perform at AAMI Stadium and that would have greater entertainment value for the Port Adelaide punters and those expatriates like me than a repeat of Melbourne's displays against the Kangaroos and Brisbane. The idea makes good sense but I have a feeling that Andy isn't going to buy it so the Dees will indeed front at the Stadium with 22 players. Fortunately, they have a couple of good ones back from injury and have also made good on their promise to experiment and try something different. In fact, the team selection is indicative of how Sunday's adversaries have been faring this season. The omission from the Demon side of Nathan Carroll leaves the team with only two players to have taken part in all 17 games of the season - James McDonald and Jeff White. On Sunday, more than half of the Port Adelaide side will be in that category. It's little wonder therefore that they are currently entertaining crowds and playing exciting footy. When your team is stable and sticks together week by week, you can do these things. This week Melbourne gets Daniel Bell and Cameron Bruce back after a few weeks off with hamstring injuries. Hopefully, they will not be as rusty as David Neitz and Brad Green were in their comeback games last week. The team has also revamped its defence with the inclusion of Ryan Ferguson and Ben Holland. Mark Jamar comes in as second ruckman to Jeff White. The inclusions themselves are timely because we all know that the key to Port's success has been a winning midfield and a potent, multi-pronged attack. They have a lot of players kicking goals from Brett Ebert to Daniel Motlop, Warren Tredrea, David Rodan and Justin Westhoff while the Burgoynes' and Cornes' are also good for some goals here and there. Whichever way I look at this game therefore, I can't see this Melbourne team doing any better than the ones that went before it - Port Adelaide by (check out my timing here) ten ... goals.

This week's match preview is from our SA correspondent Westender (as told to Whispering Jack) TIMING IS EVERYTHING by Westender The say timing is everything and if that is truly the case then the timing of Melbourne's only trip to the City of Churches for 2007 is diabolical to say the least. The Demons haven't won a game in Adelaide since April 2001 when Andrew Leoncelli famously grabbed the ball from a boundary line tap from David Schwarz to score a goal in the final 30 seconds to bury the Crows. Their last victory over Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium (or Football Park as it was then called) came a year earlier in 2000. Even when the Melbourne team is riding high, luck always eludes it here in Adelaide. I remember making the journey to West Lakes in the week when Neil Craig took over as the senior coach of the Crows as caretaker from the sacked Gary Ayres at a time when Melbourne was in raging hot form and they were thumped by 12 goals in one of the upsets of the season. The Dees regained their composure after that and won their next five games on end to grab top position on the AFL ladder before returning to the scene of the crime to play Port Adelaide for Round 19 of 2004. The result? Yes, you guessed it! Another 12 goal shellacking and the beginning of a devastating slide that saw the team miss out on the top four and then drop out of contention in the first week of the finals. Things haven't been much different since then. Whenever the Demons have hopped onto a flight to Adelaide it's been disastersville. We all remember the final home and away round last year when they took on the injury devastated and out-of-form Crows. I do because I thought that this time, Melbourne could not possibly lose and I turned up early for the feast. D'oh! But if the timing of Melbourne's trips to South Australia has been ordinary in the past then just think about the timing of this weekend's journey. Port Adelaide's form has been up and down and then up again this season. The Power had a good start to the season but by the time they played the Demons in Round 6 they were on a bit of decline. Fortunately for them however, the umpires in that game were a bit off in their timing vis a vis David Neitz and his opponent Darryl Wakelin. Every time Wakelin put his hands on Neita's back, the umpires apparently looked the other way but when the Dees' skipper returned the favour with the gentlest of zephyr of a glance in the Power defender's back, their timing was perfect and they were watching clsoely. Watching and blowing the whistle to overrule Aaron Davey's kick and what would have been the winning goal was annulled from the record books. That's what I call timing! After that, Port nosedived from first to tenth and, as if to demonstrate how bad they were at their lowest point, they lost to Carlton at the Telstra Dome. You can't get any worse than that! However, in the five weeks since the start of the split round, the Power has been on fire. By way of contrast, Melbourne is scraping rock bottom. Its performances in the past two weeks have been so poor and so lacking in spirit that supporters are turning off in their droves. Take away newcomer Michael Newton's hanger and the good form of youngsters Nathan Jones and Simon Buckley against the Kangaroos and there has been little to get excited about of late where the Demons are concerned. So it's not a good time to come up against a team that is developing momentum and rocketing towards a top four finish. No side has kicked more goals since that split round than Port Adelaide. Its goal average in that time has been a tad under 20 a game - an aggregate of 16 ahead of its next rival Fremantle and 24 better than Geelong. Over the past three months the Power's average points for has been 140 points compared to Melbourne's 89. If the Demons struggled when they come to Adelaide in good times then I'm afraid it can only spell doom and gloom when they come here in their current state. As I said before, the timing is diabolical. THE GAME Port Adelaide v Melbourne at AAMI Stadium Sunday 29 July 2007 at 4.40pm AEST HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 8 wins Melbourne 8 wins At AAMI Stadium Port Adelaide 7 wins Melbourne 2 wins Since 2000 Port Adelaide 6 wins Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Williams 0 wins Riley 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports 1 – live at 4.30pm RADIO 774ABC SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.09 Port Adelaide to win $6.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 10.16.76 defeated Melbourne 9.17.71 Round 6 2007 at MCG The gritty Demons were always thereabouts and looked likely winners early in the final quarter but they were unable to deliver the decisive blow that would have given them the game. The Power managed to do that through a magnificent goal from Daniel Motlop who hasn't looked back since then while Melbourne's Aaron Davey was stiff to have his shot at goal disallowed, C'est la vie! TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE Backs Michael Pettigrew Toby Thurstans Jacob Surjan Half backs Michael Wilson Troy Chaplin Peter Burgoyne Centreline Kane Cornes Shaun Burgoyne Nathan Lonie Half forwards Danyle Pearce Warren Tredrea David Rodan Forwards Daniel Motlop Justin Westhoff Brett Ebert Followers Brendon Lade Chad Cornes Domenic Cassisi Interchange (from) Travis Boak Dean Brogan Alipate Carlile Robert Gray Nathan Krakouer Nick Lower Adam Thomson In Nathan Krakouer Nick Lower Adam Thomson MELBOURNE Backs Ben Holland Ryan Ferguson James Frawley Half backs Daniel Bell Brad Miller Cameron Bruce Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Paul Wheatley Half forwards Nathan Brown Russell Robertson Simon Godfrey Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Brent Moloney Michael Newton Daniel Ward Emergencies Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Mark Jamar In Daniel Bell Cameron Bruce Ryan Ferguson Ben Holland Out Clint Bizzell Nathan Carroll Chris Johnson Paul Johnson (all omitted) Umpires: Kennedy Sully Fila AND THEN THERE WERE TWO! I've been scratching my head all week trying to think of what I could say about this game to throw some light on how the Demons might be able to avert a full blown disaster in this game. One way would be not to turn up at all. Someone could place a call to Andrew Demetrious and just tell him that rather than be accused of tanking the game, the club would prefer to do something more productive with its time - like stay in Melbourne and watch the grass grown on their lawns. Let them hire a circus act to perform at AAMI Stadium and that would have greater entertainment value for the Port Adelaide punters and those expatriates like me than a repeat of Melbourne's displays against the Kangaroos and Brisbane. The idea makes good sense but I have a feeling that Andy isn't going to buy it so the Dees will indeed front at the Stadium with 22 players. Fortunately, they have a couple of good ones back from injury and have also made good on their promise to experiment and try something different. In fact, the team selection is indicative of how Sunday's adversaries have been faring this season. The omission from the Demon side of Nathan Carroll leaves the team with only two players to have taken part in all 17 games of the season - James McDonald and Jeff White. On Sunday, more than half of the Port Adelaide side will be in that category. It's little wonder therefore that they are currently entertaining crowds and playing exciting footy. When your team is stable and sticks together week by week, you can do these things. This week Melbourne gets Daniel Bell and Cameron Bruce back after a few weeks off with hamstring injuries. Hopefully, they will not be as rusty as David Neitz and Brad Green were in their comeback games last week. The team has also revamped its defence with the inclusion of Ryan Ferguson and Ben Holland. Mark Jamar comes in as second ruckman to Jeff White. The inclusions themselves are timely because we all know that the key to Port's success has been a winning midfield and a potent, multi-pronged attack. They have a lot of players kicking goals from Brett Ebert to Daniel Motlop, Warren Tredrea, David Rodan and Justin Westhoff while the Burgoynes' and Cornes' are also good for some goals here and there. Whichever way I look at this game therefore, I can't see this Melbourne team doing any better than the ones that went before it - Port Adelaide by (check out my timing here) ten ... goals.

by The Oracle It's a proven fact in football that when you're down, nothing goes right for you, not the bounce of the ball, the umpire's decisions, the rub of the green or any of the many imponerables that have an effect on the way the game's played. And so it was that a dispirited Melbourne line up, devastated by injuries, poor form, the loss of their coach and every other ill that can conceivably hit a team in one season produced yet another shocker for the dwindling bunch of diehards who continue to follow them in this winter of discontent. When the Demons last met the Kangaroos two months ago at the MCG things weren't going well for them either but at least they gave it a crack and, in the end, they came tantalisingly close to pulling off an upset victory. That was not to be the case this time and the Shinboners took a firm grip on the game early with the first four goals of the match against what have now become the slow coach Dees who simply can't get started until the second quarter these days. When they did get moving, the thrills were few and far between although newcomer Michael Newton provided one out of the box when he flew into the Telstra Dome stratosphere and came down with the keys to whatever vehicle is on offer this year for the AFL mark of the year. But just as the Demons were starting to make a challenge and got to within a goal of their prey, they relapsed into their standard lamentable form making bad errors and generally uinderperforming. The Kangaroos put their collective feet on the gas, moved into top gear and produced five unanswered goals to cement their place before half time as outright second team on the ladder behind only the rampant Cats. The rest of the game was fluff. Simply put, Melbourne lacked the teamwork, the spirit, the will, the ability and the general physical fitness to go it with a leading team. There were too many players in the side who could not give 100% either because they are injured or simply haven't the commitment to keep running all evening in the way the Kangaroos did to set up scoring opportunities at will. The rays of light for Melbourne came from its younger players. Newton never stopped trying. When he wasn't marking strongly, he was chasing hard and showed he was hungry for the football. Likewise, another youngster in Simon Buckley who worked hard on a wing when given the opportunity. Nathan Jones was the standout on baller and I'm staggered that he was off the ground for long periods in the second half. Brock McLean was closely tagged and will no doubt relish the return of players like Travis Johnstone and Cameron Bruce to assist he and Jones and James McDonald who also worked hard as ever in the midfield. Jeff White played well in the ruck, Paul Wheatley tried hard and that was about it. The problem from a spectator's point of view is that Melbourne is now in what I call "meander mode"; a state in which the team seems to wander aimlessly through its matches like zombies. There is a feeling that not enough people care about winning – a feeling that's helped by the viewpoint which is attracting more and more support that if losing can ensure a better draft position at the end of the year, then it's not all that bad. This is not quite the same as tanking but it's a twilight zone situation all the same. There's a feeling of unreality about any given game. As a result, fans can't get excited about anything (Juice's mark excepted) and many have stopped turning up. With the news that the club is not going to meet its financial targets this year, that's a double blow for the Demons. Next week they take on another team they were unlucky to lose to the first time around in Port Adelaide. On what happened yesterday at the Telstra Dome, it's not even going to be a contest this time, especially if the team decides to meander its way around the ground without any aim or purpose as it did yesterday evening. And the sooner the end of the season comes and we do away with the zombies in our midst, then the better it will be for the Melbourne Football Club. Melbourne 2.3.15 4.5.29 7.6.48 9.8.62 Kangaroos 4.2.26 9.3.57 14.9.93 19.12.126 Goals Melbourne Newton Robertson 2 Buckley Jones McLean Moloney Neitz Kangaroos Jones 4 Harvey McMahon Petrie 3 Hale Whyman 2 Brown Grant Best Melbourne Jones McDonald Newton White Wheatley Buckley Kangaroos Harvey Jones Firrito Rawlings Sinclair Simpson Hale Report Simon Godfrey (Melbourne) by field umpire Kamolins for allegedly making forceful contact with McMahon (Kangaroos) in the third quarter. Withdrawn by the Match Review Panel. Umpires Allen M Nicholls Kamolins. Crowd 20,187 at Telstra Dome

NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES by The Oracle It's a proven fact in football that when you're down, nothing goes right for you, not the bounce of the ball, the umpire's decisions, the rub of the green or any of the many imponerables that have an effect on the way the game's played. And so it was that a dispirited Melbourne line up, devastated by injuries, poor form, the loss of their coach and every other ill that can conceivably hit a team in one season produced yet another shocker for the dwindling bunch of diehards who continue to follow them in this winter of discontent. When the Demons last met the Kangaroos two months ago at the MCG things weren't going well for them either but at least they gave it a crack and, in the end, they came tantalisingly close to pulling off an upset victory. That was not to be the case this time and the Shinboners took a firm grip on the game early with the first four goals of the match against what have now become the slow coach Dees who simply can't get started until the second quarter these days. When they did get moving, the thrills were few and far between although newcomer Michael Newton provided one out of the box when he flew into the Telstra Dome stratosphere and came down with the keys to whatever vehicle is on offer this year for the AFL mark of the year. But just as the Demons were starting to make a challenge and got to within a goal of their prey, they relapsed into their standard lamentable form making bad errors and generally uinderperforming. The Kangaroos put their collective feet on the gas, moved into top gear and produced five unanswered goals to cement their place before half time as outright second team on the ladder behind only the rampant Cats. The rest of the game was fluff. Simply put, Melbourne lacked the teamwork, the spirit, the will, the ability and the general physical fitness to go it with a leading team. There were too many players in the side who could not give 100% either because they are injured or simply haven't the commitment to keep running all evening in the way the Kangaroos did to set up scoring opportunities at will. The rays of light for Melbourne came from its younger players. Newton never stopped trying. When he wasn't marking strongly, he was chasing hard and showed he was hungry for the football. Likewise, another youngster in Simon Buckley who worked hard on a wing when given the opportunity. Nathan Jones was the standout on baller and I'm staggered that he was off the ground for long periods in the second half. Brock McLean was closely tagged and will no doubt relish the return of players like Travis Johnstone and Cameron Bruce to assist he and Jones and James McDonald who also worked hard as ever in the midfield. Jeff White played well in the ruck, Paul Wheatley tried hard and that was about it. The problem from a spectator's point of view is that Melbourne is now in what I call "meander mode"; a state in which the team seems to wander aimlessly through its matches like zombies. There is a feeling that not enough people care about winning – a feeling that's helped by the viewpoint which is attracting more and more support that if losing can ensure a better draft position at the end of the year, then it's not all that bad. This is not quite the same as tanking but it's a twilight zone situation all the same. There's a feeling of unreality about any given game. As a result, fans can't get excited about anything (Juice's mark excepted) and many have stopped turning up. With the news that the club is not going to meet its financial targets this year, that's a double blow for the Demons. Next week they take on another team they were unlucky to lose to the first time around in Port Adelaide. On what happened yesterday at the Telstra Dome, it's not even going to be a contest this time, especially if the team decides to meander its way around the ground without any aim or purpose as it did yesterday evening. And the sooner the end of the season comes and we do away with the zombies in our midst, then the better it will be for the Melbourne Football Club. Melbourne 2.3.15 4.5.29 7.6.48 9.8.62 Kangaroos 4.2.26 9.3.57 14.9.93 19.12.126 Goals Melbourne Newton Robertson 2 Buckley Jones McLean Moloney Neitz Kangaroos Jones 4 Harvey McMahon Petrie 3 Hale Whyman 2 Brown Grant Best Melbourne Jones McDonald Newton White Wheatley Buckley Kangaroos Harvey Jones Firrito Rawlings Sinclair Simpson Hale Report Simon Godfrey (Melbourne) by field umpire Kamolins for allegedly making forceful contact with McMahon (Kangaroos) in the third quarter. Withdrawn by the Match Review Panel. Umpires Allen M Nicholls Kamolins. Crowd 20,187 at Telstra Dome

And viewers on this week's telecast will see the new face of TBO as Council reconstruction work continues with the demolition of the old wall. Typically of all municipal bodies, the work is taking place while the Zebras still have four home games in the next five weeks. At least we can be thankful for small mercies.

ZEBRAS WIN UGLY by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham held on to top spot and extended its winning streak to four matches on end by defeating fourth placed Williamstown in a tight tussle at Burbank Oval on Sunday. The Zebras have displayed some classical football in recording their three previous victories with massive scoring but now it was time to win "ugly" and they showed they are also adept at that style of game. Sandy controlled the match with strong bodied play and, in a low scoring contest, maintained the lead almost all of the way. Williamstown won the toss and kicked towards the grandstand end that was slightly favoured by a breeze that swept across the ground with varying intensity during the day. The recent rains had softened the surface and the centre areas were boggy and hence, conditions were not conducive to good football and scoring was difficult. Sandringham's renowned depth has been tested of late by the horror injury run of its AFL affiliate and with the withdrawal of defender Matthew Warnock only eight Demons played in this week's side. Warnock's absence was offset by the return from injury of Byron Pickett and solid Sandy defender Andy Biddlecombe. With Mark Jamar on top in the ruck, the visitors dominated the early stoppages. Summers and Valenti worked hard in the middle of the ground and Poyas and Crowe capped off their work by driving the ball forward with regularity. However, it was obvious early that this would be a difficult day for key forwards and it took a lovely kick from Summers to open the goal scoring. The strength of Sandringham kept it on top in a dour struggle and further goals to Holland and a second to Summers set up a thoroughly deserved 13 point quarter time lead. The second quarter opened with Sandy doing all the attacking but Sautner uncharacteristically missed two shots and the Seagulls steadied against the tide with the first goal of the term. Chris Lamb was rock solid in defence, Byron Pickett was picking up possessions and Ben Holland and Ryan Ferguson were combining well while Ezra Poyas in everything. When Gallagher goaled, the Zebras were well in control but the home side turned things around in the second half of the term and fought tenaciously to narrow the half time gap down to 7 points. The third term was a repeat of the second with Sautner missing a shot early and then goals to Holland and Dunn who roved a pack beautifully setting up a match high 19 point lead halfway through the quarter. The Seagulls were not to be denied however, and they worked hard for little reward to bridge the gap down to 11 points at the final break. Sautner finally scored his goal for the day from what appeared to be a lucky free but the Seagulls were not to be denied and they fought tooth and nail in the difficult conditions only to fall short by a goal. Jamar took a couple of great saving marks late in the game to consign Williamstown to its fourth successive defeat. Shane Valenti finished the game off strongly and would have impressed any AFL scouts in attendance with his hard work and his crisp disposal and decision making while Chris Lamb was the pick of the defenders for the second week in a row. Full credit must go to the Zebra defence which continually forced the opposition to make errors and turn over the ball. The young brigade led by Tomi Johnston, Tom Paterakis and Sam Monaghan were impressive again as was Demon rookie Jace Bode whose form has blossomed in defence in the past month. The Zebras have achieved the aim of establishing themselves in the top four and now must consolidate and maintain their winning form in the run up to the finals. They face a challenge this week in the form of the Bendigo Bombers who are a top four aspirant in the ABC televised game at the Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval and whether they win nice or ugly will be of little consideration. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jace Bode - ran the ball well out of the backline and defended strongly. Was among his team's best players for the second week in a row. Lynden Dunn - used as a mobile tall around midfield and occasionally drifted forward where he kicked an important goal roving the ball off a pack. Ryan Ferguson - played mostly in defence but also went forward to set up scoring opportunities. A chance for a recall. Colin Garland - prominent in defence where he showed a bit of class. Needs time at this level however and will benefit from the grounding he gets with the Zebras. Ben Holland - had a reasonable game and kicked a couple of goals up forward where he stretched the Seagull defence. Mark Jamar - the dominant ruckman on the ground. Easily beat former Zebra Chris Bryan who has been getting some games recently with Collingwood both in the ruck and around the ground. Shane Neaves - again had a light workload and played in the Russian's shadow for much of the game. Byron Pickett - came back strongly from a shoulder injury and picked up plenty of possessions especially in the first half. Could challenge for an AFL recall with some strong training this week. Sandringham 3.4.22 4.7.31 6.8.44 7.11.53 Williamstown 1.3.9 3.6.24 4.9.33 6.11.47 Goals Sandringham Holland Summers 2 Dunn Gallagher Sautner Williamstown Beaumont Lockwood Picken Rose Williams Dick Best Sandringham Valenti Summers Jamar Lamb Bode Paterakis Williamstown Iles Nicholls Meyer Cook Bryan Medhurst The reserves blitzed Frankston to lead by nine goals at the first break and retained that lead to half time before coasting to a 21 point victory. Marc Johnston and Tom Dean continue to challenge for senior berths in what was a pleasing all round performance given the absence of so many of the early season stars who have been promoted to the seniors as well as some key injuries that have challenged the side’s depth. They will however, have to keep winning if they are to feature in finals action. Sandringham 9.2 54 10.4 .64 14.5.89 15.6.96 Frankston 0.1.1 1.6.12 6.6.42 11.9.75 Goals Sandringham M Johnston 3 Lyall Weetra 2 Collyer Curcio Hayes McKenzie S Martin Paule Roberts Turcarelli Frankston Foggi 3 Booth Rafferty 2 Beaton Murray Ongarello Shinners Best Sandringham M Johnston Tregear Paule Dean Roberts McKenzie Frankston Foggi Ongarello Barker Ulms Degenhardt Stanley MACROCOMP'S SLIDESHOW- PHOTOS FROM THE GAME

by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham held on to top spot and extended its winning streak to four matches on end by defeating fourth placed Williamstown in a tight tussle at Burbank Oval on Sunday. The Zebras have displayed some classical football in recording their three previous victories with massive scoring but now it was time to win "ugly" and they showed they are also adept at that style of game. Sandy controlled the match with strong bodied play and, in a low scoring contest, maintained the lead almost all of the way. Williamstown won the toss and kicked towards the grandstand end that was slightly favoured by a breeze that swept across the ground with varying intensity during the day. The recent rains had softened the surface and the centre areas were boggy and hence, conditions were not conducive to good football and scoring was difficult. Sandringham's renowned depth has been tested of late by the horror injury run of its AFL affiliate and with the withdrawal of defender Matthew Warnock only eight Demons played in this week's side. Warnock's absence was offset by the return from injury of Byron Pickett and solid Sandy defender Andy Biddlecombe. With Mark Jamar on top in the ruck, the visitors dominated the early stoppages. Summers and Valenti worked hard in the middle of the ground and Poyas and Crowe capped off their work by driving the ball forward with regularity. However, it was obvious early that this would be a difficult day for key forwards and it took a lovely kick from Summers to open the goal scoring. The strength of Sandringham kept it on top in a dour struggle and further goals to Holland and a second to Summers set up a thoroughly deserved 13 point quarter time lead. The second quarter opened with Sandy doing all the attacking but Sautner uncharacteristically missed two shots and the Seagulls steadied against the tide with the first goal of the term. Chris Lamb was rock solid in defence, Byron Pickett was picking up possessions and Ben Holland and Ryan Ferguson were combining well while Ezra Poyas in everything. When Gallagher goaled, the Zebras were well in control but the home side turned things around in the second half of the term and fought tenaciously to narrow the half time gap down to 7 points. The third term was a repeat of the second with Sautner missing a shot early and then goals to Holland and Dunn who roved a pack beautifully setting up a match high 19 point lead halfway through the quarter. The Seagulls were not to be denied however, and they worked hard for little reward to bridge the gap down to 11 points at the final break. Sautner finally scored his goal for the day from what appeared to be a lucky free but the Seagulls were not to be denied and they fought tooth and nail in the difficult conditions only to fall short by a goal. Jamar took a couple of great saving marks late in the game to consign Williamstown to its fourth successive defeat. Shane Valenti finished the game off strongly and would have impressed any AFL scouts in attendance with his hard work and his crisp disposal and decision making while Chris Lamb was the pick of the defenders for the second week in a row. Full credit must go to the Zebra defence which continually forced the opposition to make errors and turn over the ball. The young brigade led by Tomi Johnston, Tom Paterakis and Sam Monaghan were impressive again as was Demon rookie Jace Bode whose form has blossomed in defence in the past month. The Zebras have achieved the aim of establishing themselves in the top four and now must consolidate and maintain their winning form in the run up to the finals. They face a challenge this week in the form of the Bendigo Bombers who are a top four aspirant in the ABC televised game at the Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval and whether they win nice or ugly will be of little consideration. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jace Bode - ran the ball well out of the backline and defended strongly. Was among his team's best players for the second week in a row. Lynden Dunn - used as a mobile tall around midfield and occasionally drifted forward where he kicked an important goal roving the ball off a pack. Ryan Ferguson - played mostly in defence but also went forward to set up scoring opportunities. A chance for a recall. Colin Garland - prominent in defence where he showed a bit of class. Needs time at this level however and will benefit from the grounding he gets with the Zebras. Ben Holland - had a reasonable game and kicked a couple of goals up forward where he stretched the Seagull defence. Mark Jamar - the dominant ruckman on the ground. Easily beat former Zebra Chris Bryan who has been getting some games recently with Collingwood both in the ruck and around the ground. Shane Neaves - again had a light workload and played in the Russian's shadow for much of the game. Byron Pickett - came back strongly from a shoulder injury and picked up plenty of possessions especially in the first half. Could challenge for an AFL recall with some strong training this week. Sandringham 3.4.22 4.7.31 6.8.44 7.11.53 Williamstown 1.3.9 3.6.24 4.9.33 6.11.47 Goals Sandringham Holland Summers 2 Dunn Gallagher Sautner Williamstown Beaumont Lockwood Picken Rose Williams Dick Best Sandringham Valenti Summers Jamar Lamb Bode Paterakis Williamstown Iles Nicholls Meyer Cook Bryan Medhurst The reserves blitzed Frankston to lead by nine goals at the first break and retained that lead to half time before coasting to a 21 point victory. Marc Johnston and Tom Dean continue to challenge for senior berths in what was a pleasing all round performance given the absence of so many of the early season stars who have been promoted to the seniors as well as some key injuries that have challenged the side’s depth. They will however, have to keep winning if they are to feature in finals action. Sandringham 9.2 54 10.4 .64 14.5.89 15.6.96 Frankston 0.1.1 1.6.12 6.6.42 11.9.75 Goals Sandringham M Johnston 3 Lyall Weetra 2 Collyer Curcio Hayes McKenzie S Martin Paule Roberts Turcarelli Frankston Foggi 3 Booth Rafferty 2 Beaton Murray Ongarello Shinners Best Sandringham M Johnston Tregear Paule Dean Roberts McKenzie Frankston Foggi Ongarello Barker Ulms Degenhardt Stanley MACROCOMP'S SLIDESHOW- PHOTOS FROM THE GAME

They were at least consistent in throwing out an incident involving Godders but this time he was the one who was originally charged:- "The report laid against Melbourne's Simon Godfrey was assessed and cleared by the AFL match review panel. Godfrey was reported for front-on contact to Kangaroos' AFL NAB Rising Star nominee Scott McMahon during Sunday's game. The panel declared that Godfrey had made forceful contact with McMahon, but it was not reportable because it was caused by circumstances outside the control of the player."