Demonland

And Nathan Jones holds his lead ... 92. Nathan Jones 85. James McDonald 68. Colin Sylvia 67. Jeff White 65. Cameron Bruce 63. Aaron Davey 54. Daniel Bell 51. Matthew Bate 44. Brad Green 41. Travis Johnstone 37. Simon Godfrey 35. Brent Moloney 32. Russell Robertson Paul Wheatley 30. Ben Holland 28. Clint Bizzell 27. Brock McLean 25. Nathan Brown David Neitz 24. Adem Yze 20. Brad Miller Ricky Petterd 18. Jared Rivers 9. Nathan Carroll 8. Michael Newton 4. Daniel Ward 2. Paul Johnson 1. Simon Buckley Lynden Dunn

Clyde has edged ahead by 1 selection over WJ ... 1. (1) 82 Clyde_Cabbie 2. (1) 81 Whispering_Jack 3. (4) 78 deanox 4. (4) 77 deesthisyear 4. (3) 77 demon_davey 4. (10) 77 DeMoNiC 4. (4) 77 slamevil 8. (4) 76 canberrademon(herb) 8. (4) 76 Demonland 8. (4) 76 great_gatsby 11. (12) 75 BigKev Demon 11. (12) 75 Pinball_Wizard 11. (15) 75 Scoop Junior 14. (17) 74 Alpha_33 14. (15) 74 Go_Ds 14. (12) 74 snarler_0 17. (10) 72 bl3281 17. (19) 72 petejh2000 17. (17) 72 Rivers Run Red 20. (19) 71 achirnside 20. (21) 71 frangas 22. (22) 67 Jackieboy_0 23. (26) 64 TimDees 24. (22) 63 paliosiana 25. (24) 62 dee'viator 26. (25) 60 KrazyJay 27. (28) 59 No Cigar 28. (29) 58 rusty_corner 29. (27) 57 Goodvibes 30. (30) 49 Kieranbj 31. (31) 48 demon_fanatic 32. (33) 47 CarnTheDees 32. (32) 47 Dees_Fan16 34. (34) 45 Fingers Power 35. (35) 44 Dappadan 36. (36) 38 melon22 37. (37) 37 jaded24 38. (38) 29 rusty_kingswood

by Whispering Jack On Wednesday night when Fremantle's Jeff Farmer was involved in another late night incident involving alcohol and damage to property at Perth's Burswood Casino, the thirty year old former Demon player came close to pressing the eject button on his AFL career. Indeed, a decision on his future will be made in the next few days by interim Docker coach Mark Harvey. The knives however, are already firmly in the Wizard's back. As soon as the news of the incident came out I received word that, this time Jeff Farmer was gone: the Dockers were preparing for an early termination of his career (in any event his current contract expires at the end of the season). The media of course, has been having a field day with Jeff. In today's Sunday Age article IT'S TIME AN ERRANT FARMER WAS SHELVED Caroline Wilson advocates that Harvey must urge his club's board to, "at the very least, shelve Farmer until the end of the season, and probably forever." Caro is not alone among the media and it has been a common theme on talkback radio and internet footy message boards. The basis of the cry for his removal from the game is the talented but ageing footballer's unenviable record with his on field and off field behaviour in the past twelve months. First, there was a night club fight in December 2006 in which he was alleged to have been involved and which left Subiaco Football Club player, Greg Broughton with a broken eye socket (no charges were laid). Then, during the NAB Cup pre season competition, he incurred a six match suspension for eye gouging - his 10th suspension and his 14th Tribunal appearance. His club doubled the penalty in April 2007 after he was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly punching a security guard at a Perth nightclub in Perth. The Dockers also fined him $5,000.00 while a court later fined him a further $3,000.00 after he pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing bodily harm. He had previously pleaded guilty and was fined $2000 for assaulting his long-time girlfriend in November 2004. The calls to sack Farmer have been heard long and loud all the way across the Nullarbor and I find it curious that they seem to me to have created a far greater cacophony for his removal from the game than occurred in the cases of Cousins, Kerr, Gardiner, Didak et al. With Cousins the line was clearly one of the industry's responsibility to heal this poor soul of his drug addiction but with the Wizard, there seems to be a reluctance to look into the background of his problems with alcohol, his anger and his own inability to deal with his personal problems. The wise heads of football want Farmer punished and possibly put an end to his career without a thought about rehabilitation or the direction the man’s life might take as a result of such punishment. Why the difference in the attitude they adopt towards Farmer (punishment) compared with Cousins (rehabilitation followed by adulation for his performance on return)? Would it be out of order for me to suggest that the Wizard's life experience has been far different to that of Cousins in terms of his family background, the racism his people experience and the condition of the indigenous people in this country? In saying this I'm not excusing what he has done or suggesting that racism is definitely an issue behind his behaviour. What I am saying is that if the football world owes Ben Cousins a right to rehabilitation and a second, third and fourth chance then it owes at least the same to Jeff Farmer. He needs our help.

IN DEFENCE OF JEFF FARMER by Whispering Jack On Wednesday night when Fremantle's Jeff Farmer was involved in another late night incident involving alcohol and damage to property at Perth's Burswood Casino, the thirty year old former Demon player came close to pressing the eject button on his AFL career. Indeed, a decision on his future will be made in the next few days by interim Docker coach Mark Harvey. The knives however, are already firmly in the Wizard's back. As soon as the news of the incident came out I received word that, this time Jeff Farmer was gone: the Dockers were preparing for an early termination of his career (in any event his current contract expires at the end of the season). The media of course, has been having a field day with Jeff. In today's Sunday Age article IT'S TIME AN ERRANT FARMER WAS SHELVED Caroline Wilson advocates that Harvey must urge his club's board to, "at the very least, shelve Farmer until the end of the season, and probably forever." Caro is not alone among the media and it has been a common theme on talkback radio and internet footy message boards. The basis of the cry for his removal from the game is the talented but ageing footballer's unenviable record with his on field and off field behaviour in the past twelve months. First, there was a night club fight in December 2006 in which he was alleged to have been involved and which left Subiaco Football Club player, Greg Broughton with a broken eye socket (no charges were laid). Then, during the NAB Cup pre season competition, he incurred a six match suspension for eye gouging - his 10th suspension and his 14th Tribunal appearance. His club doubled the penalty in April 2007 after he was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly punching a security guard at a Perth nightclub in Perth. The Dockers also fined him $5,000.00 while a court later fined him a further $3,000.00 after he pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing bodily harm. He had previously pleaded guilty and was fined $2000 for assaulting his long-time girlfriend in November 2004. The calls to sack Farmer have been heard long and loud all the way across the Nullarbor and I find it curious that they seem to me to have created a far greater cacophony for his removal from the game than occurred in the cases of Cousins, Kerr, Gardiner, Didak et al. With Cousins the line was clearly one of the industry's responsibility to heal this poor soul of his drug addiction but with the Wizard, there seems to be a reluctance to look into the background of his problems with alcohol, his anger and his own inability to deal with his personal problems. The wise heads of football want Farmer punished and possibly put an end to his career without a thought about rehabilitation or the direction the man’s life might take as a result of such punishment. Why the difference in the attitude they adopt towards Farmer (punishment) compared with Cousins (rehabilitation followed by adulation for his performance on return)? Would it be out of order for me to suggest that the Wizard's life experience has been far different to that of Cousins in terms of his family background, the racism his people experience and the condition of the indigenous people of this country? In saying this I'm not excusing what he has done or suggesting that racism is definitely an issue behind his behaviour. What I am saying is that if the football world owes Ben Cousins a right to rehabilitation and a second, third and fourth chance then it owes at least the same to Jeff Farmer. He needs our help.

Our sponsor, the FUBAR Cafe & Juice Bar at 16 Belford Street, St. Kilda (off Acland Street) has extended its special offer to include all MFC supporters who come for a pre game meal any time tomorrow before the Kangaroos game. Just arrive in your Melbourne scarf and you'll get a free Juice Newton with any meal you order plus a 10% discount off your bill at the end of the meal. This offer continues to apply as standard for all MFC members who produce their membership ticket. FUBAR is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch (8am to 5pm) and is licensed. You can also book FUBAR for evening functions (birthdays, 21sts, bucks and hens nights, small engagements and weddings)- call 9525-4838 Support our Sponsor

Our sponsor, the FUBAR Cafe & Juice Bar at 16 Belford Street, St. Kilda (off Acland Street) has extended its special offer to include all MFC supporters who come for a pre game meal any time tomorrow before the Kangaroos game. Just arrive in your Melbourne scarf and you'll get a free Juice Newton with any meal you order plus a 10% discount off your bill at the end of the meal. This offer continues to apply as standard for all MFC members who produce their membership ticket. FUBAR is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch (8am to 5pm) and is licensed. You can also book FUBAR for evening functions (birthdays, 21sts, bucks and hens nights, small engagements and weddings)- call 9525-4838 Support our Sponsor

Our sponsor, the FUBAR Cafe & Juice Bar at 16 Belford Street, St. Kilda (off Acland Street) has extended its special offer to include all MFC supporters who come for a pre game meal any time tomorrow. Just arrive in your Melbourne scarf and you'll get a free Juice Newton with any meal you order plus a 10% discount off your bill at the end of the meal. This offer continues to apply as standard for all MFC members who produce their membership ticket. FUBAR is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch (8am to 5pm) and is licensed. You can also book FUBAR for evening functions (birthdays, 21sts, bucks and hens nights, small engagements and weddings)- call 9525-4838 Support our Sponsor

THE VIBE - PART 1 by J.V.McKay The last time Melbourne faced off against the Kangaroos was a mere eight weeks ago in Round 9 at the MCG. The Demons were winless and struggling in the wake of a debilitating injury crisis while the Roos were riding on the crest of a wave. They dominated the first three quarters but had to withstand a Melbourne final quarter onslaught to win their sixth game on end after losing the first three. The Kangaroos' credibility problem with the public remained intact because nobody believed in them and after all, this was a victory over one of the competition's underachievers and it was by the narrowest of margins. As a loyal supporter of the Melbourne Football Club I saw this performance as one that possibly marked the end of one of the most difficult periods the club has had to endure in recent times. I couldn't quite place my finger on why I felt that the worst of it was all over and I guess I must have felt a bit like Dennis Denuto, the character played by Tiriel Mora in The Castle. I didn't need an explanation for the way I felt - it was all about the "vibe". For a little while my "vibe" theory worked and things did actually look up for the Demons. They went on to win their next two matches against finals aspirants in Adelaide and Collingwood and suddenly, people were talking about the mathematical possibility of making the finals. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos lost their next game by 11 goals at the claws of the Eagles at Subiaco. The tide seemed to be turning for both Melbourne and the Kangaroos. Unfortunately, I was wrong about the vibe. You can't succeed in an elite sporting competition on a vibe alone and in a short space of time, the tide turned back on itself. Moving forward another month and we find ourselves in Round 16 and the teams are due to meet again, albeit at a different venue. And, my how things have changed again! The Kangaroos are again virtually unbackable favourites to win and more importantly, they have gained credibility in the eyes of the public through their performances on the field. The opposite applies to the Demons. Neale Daniher no longer coaches them and their injury list is as long and as deep as the Grand Canyon. By contrast, the Roos are contemplating the finals series and, while coach Dean Laidley is still not a certainty to retain his job, his career as an AFL coach is almost assured. If the Kangaroos don't keep him, someone else will snaffle him up. Looking further back to Round 20 of last year, it's almost inconceivable that Melbourne conceded a twenty point half time lead to the Kangaroos and still managed to pile on the goals in the second half of the game to win by 50 points. At that point, Laidley was no certainty to see out another season at the helm for the Shinboners. This gives rise to the question "why"? Why have the fortunes of both sides seen such a reversal in the space of less than twelve months? From Melbourne's point of view, and I'm not making excuses here, it's been a constant case of injury, injury and more injury. OK. I am making excuses but I'm justified in this case. When these teams last met it appeared that the Demons' injury crisis was abating but, in fact, it was just about to get worse. It's no longer a crisis but a plague. The best way to tell the story of this plague in all of its gory detail is through the work of my colleague Sam the Stats Man and in his updated statistical look at the club. Consider that when the Melbourne team steps out onto the Telstra Dome turf on Sunday evening only Nathan Carroll, James McDonald and Jeff White will be able to say that they've been in the side for every game played at this stage of the season which is an AFL low for 2007. On the other hand, Melbourne has used 38 different players in the past 15 rounds – an AFL high for the season. Its a story that doesn't really resonate with any good vibes. THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB LIST TO DATE - SEASON 2007 by Sam the Stats Man BARTRAM, Clint MFC 1 game 0 goals - had a limited pre-season after suffering an ankle injury in Round 22, 2006 against Adelaide, Bartram was recalled for the opening game of the season and was used sparingly. He injured a knee at training before Round 2 and then complications set in delaying his recovery. Out for the remainder of the season. BATE, Matthew MFC 14 games 15 goals - has started to show some real confidence and a belief in his capacity to play well at the highest level and has played some good games at centre half forward. An exciting prospect. BELL, Daniel MFC 13 games 1 goal – has started to fulfil his early promise with some excellent games in defence where he combines strength, pace and endurance to advantage despite having to work under extreme pressure on a weekly basis. Injured a hamstring early in the Essendon game and has been out of action since then. BIZZELL, Clint MFC 8 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 1 goal - after missing all of last year with injury the veteran defender has returned to form in the twilight of his career. BODE, Jace ® SFC Seniors 8 games 1 goal SFC Reserves - 4 games 1 goal – has finally established himself with the Sandy seniors mainly as a defender or in a run with role. BROWN, Nathan MFC 12 games 2 goals - the hard running defender has not had it all his way this year and has been dropped from the side a couple of times. Still picks up plenty of the ball but remains wasteful at times. BRUCE, Cameron MFC 13 games 6 goals - probably close to leading the club's best and fairest but has still not been a world beater this season. This versatile player has a great work rate but his kicking has been awful of late. Missed the past two games with a hamstring in jury. BUCKLEY, Simon MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 1 goal – has a long learning curve working his way up through the ranks at Sandringham and was finally given his chance against Carlton a fortnight ago. Has shown some promise. CARROLL, Nathan MFC 15 games 0 goals - feeling the pressure in a weak defence but has done some good things and led the defence by example and with plenty of courage. He did reasonably well in suppressing a rampant Jonathan Brown last week after the Lions’ champion had done an early number on Brad Miller. DAVEY, Aaron MFC 15 games 19 goals - had a poor start to the season but gradually worked his way back into form. Has recently shown frustration at close checking opponents and finally snapped against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba and his retaliatory strike has cost him the next two matches through suspension. DUNN, Lynden MFC 8 games 6 goals SFC Seniors - 5 game 9 goals - a serious facial injury kept him out of the first couple of rounds and was hot and cold on return to the Melbourne side. Still in the development phase Dunn is a player in the future. FERGUSON, Ryan MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 6 games 7 goals SFC Reserves 2 games 8 goals - the injury prone defender can't take a trick. When he finally gained a place in the Demons’ side against West Coast he broke a thumb and missed a month. Came back through the Zebra reserves and has been playing well recently in the seniors. FRAWLEY, James MFC 1 game 0 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals - was on course for a Round 1 debut until stress fractures in the foot put him out for almost two months. Came back through the Sandy reserves. was hospitalised after being concussed early and then impressed in the seniors at Sandringham. Has shown some promising signs and looks capable of filling a key defender’s role when he fills out physically. GARLAND, Colin MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 5 goals – has struggled in his two games at AFL level and needs more time learning his craft at Sandringham where he has been good at both ends of the ground. GODFREY, Simon MFC 14 games 7 goals - disposal and decision-making have improved marginally and he has been terrific as the hardworking tagger. His 100 games of AFL football are a tribute to his work ethic and one that others with more talent could well take note of his determination to play the game at the highest level. GREEN, Brad MFC 11 games 8 goals – has had an average season in the midfield (save his game against the Crows) but he always seems to look good on the rare occasions when he is moved into the forward line. Missed the past few weeks with a hamstring and it will be interesting to see where Mark Riley plays him on return this week. HAYES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals SFC Reserves 5 games 3 goals – after missing much of the pre season due to personal family reasons the club had no option but to suspend him until he could attend training again. After showing promise in his five games for the Zebra reserves, he was a last minute inclusion in their seniors last weekend. Still has a way to go and should remain on the rookie list next year when there is every chance that he might fulfill his promise. HOLLAND, Ben MFC 6 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 5 games 7 goals – apart from a great game when he nullified Collingwood’s Anthony Rocca, Dutchy has struggled at AFL level where he doesn't have the agility or accurate disposal to hurt the opposition in any way. Has showed some good form in recent weeks with the Zebras. HUGHES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors 4 games 5 goals SFC Reserves 2 games 4 goals – his career has gone into limbo after showing some promise at Sandringham this year. Has missed several weeks with a groin problem. JAMAR, Mark MFC 5 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 4 games 3 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals – showed average form as the second ruckman for the Demons before he was dropped to Sandringham where he suffered a hamstring injury. Improving every week at Sandringham and is close to a recall. JOHNSON, Chris MFC 5 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 8 games 3 goals – had a stellar pre season but failed to impress in his early games and was dropped to the VFL. Returned to form with the Zebras and recently returned to the Melbourne team where he did well in his last game at the Gabba. JOHNSON, Paul MFC 13 games 2 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 1 goal - grabbed the opportunity in the absence of Mark Jamar and has tightened his grip on the second ruck position in recent weeks. JOHNSTONE, Travis MFC 11 games 6 goals - was strongly tagged early, worked his way back into form but has been dogged by Achilles heel problems and missed a few games recently. JONES, Nathan MFC 14 games 7 goals - missed just one game with injury and is a definite rising star among the Demon young guns. McDONALD, James MFC 15 games 3 goals – struggled early to uphold the high standard he set in 2006 but nevertheless has been a valuable player and one of the few who has taken part in all games. McLEAN, Brock MFC 8 games 2 goals - another early season casualty, McLean fractured a foot in the opening round. His return game yielded 22 disposals but he had a flat patch for a few weeks before returning to form in a losing side against the Brisbane Lions. MILLER, Brad MFC 11 games 7 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 8 goals – another player who struggled early at both ends of the ground. A wrist injury saw him out of the team and he had to work hard for a few weeks at Sandringham before getting his call up as a defender against Carlton. Struggled to hold Jonathan Brown last week but will be persisted with in defence. MOLONEY, Brent MFC 6 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals - was close to Melbourne's best early in the season before a recurrence of groin problems took its toll. Slowly coming back through the VFL and returns for this week's game.. NEAVES, Shane ® SFC Seniors 12 games 2 goals - continues to impress as a developing ruckman at Sandringham and must be a chance for promotion off the rookie list at the end of the year. NEITZ, David MFC 9 games 18 goals - averaging two goals a game but has missed a games with a knee injury and then a combination of knee, hamstring and broken finger has kept him out more recently. Back this week so he should reach 300 games by year's end. NEVILLE, Heath SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves 9 games 2 goals – has finally had some chances after languishing in the VFL reserves but hasn’t had much game time with the seniors in his two games there. NEWTON, Michael MFC 3 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 29 goals – finally got an opportunity after 10 games and 29 goals with the Zebras this season. A player of the future who deserves every opportunity to succeed. PETTERD, Ricky MFC 9 games 6 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 1 goal - a breath of fresh air, this young recruit showed enormous poise and ability in his nine games before suffering a life threatening collapsed lung during early in the Round 14 game against Carlton. Will not play again until next year. PICKETT, Byron MFC 4 games 1 goals SFC Seniors 7 games 7 goals SFC Reserves 9 games 2 goals - came into the season unfit, overweight and with family problems. Was suspended and confined to Sandringham for several weeks and failed to impress on his return against the Tigers. Missed his VFL game last week with a shoulder injury. RIVERS, Jared MFC 3 games 0 goals - a succession of injuries kept the club's most talented defender out of the team for all bar three games. He’s out for the season as a result of a persistent groin problem. ROBERTSON, Russell MFC 9 games 26 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 4 goals – despite missing several weeks after hurting a knee late in the Round 2 game against Hawthorn, he is the club’s leading goal kicker and played a significant role in the team’s handful of victories this year. SYLVIA, Colin MFC 11 games 10 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 3 goals –is starting to show the form that made him a high draft pick in 2003 as he shrugs off the effects of groin problems that plagued his early years at the club. WARD, Daniel MFC 13 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals - seized his opportunities with vacancies caused in defence due to injuries and loss of form and while his delivery and decision making is sometimes a problem, he has been a valuable contributor at the club this year. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC 2 games 1 goal SFC Seniors 10 games 0 goals - has had few opportunities at AFL level but has performed consistently in the tight Sandringham defence. WEETRA, Isaac SFC Reserves 6 games 1 goal - injured hamstring during the preseason and was due to return when it went again. Then, when he recovered from that, he broke his wrist first up in the Zebra twos. He is back there now but hasn’t set the world on fire just yet. WHEATLEY, Paul MFC 9 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals – after an injury riddled 2006, he again had problems, this time with a shoulder but has cemented his place in the past month or two with some solid performances. WHELAN, Matthew MFC 5 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 0 goals – in the wars from the very start when he clashed heads with Luke Ball in Round 1. Later, it was a foot injury and he misses the rest of the season with an ankle problem. His absence in defence is really hurting the team. WHITE, Jeff MFC 15 games 6 goals – still the club’s number 1 ruckman and capable of some good football but is finding things tougher against the bigger opponents. One of the few Demons to play every game this season. YZE, Adem MFC 8 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 2 goals - his remarkable run of 226 consecutive matches dating back a decade ended when dropped to the VFL in Round 2. Was slowly returning to form when injury struck again. A hernia operation will keep him out of football until 2008. THE GAME Kangaroos v. Melbourne at Telstra Dome – Sunday 22 July 2007 at 5:10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Kangaroos 60 wins Melbourne 83 wins 1 draw At the Dome: Kangaroos 1 win Melbourne 0 wins Since 2000: Kangaroos 4 wins Melbourne 7 wins The Coaches: Laidley 0 wins Riley 0 wins MEDIA Fox Sports1 (live from 5:00pm) RADIO ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Kangaroos to win $1.28 Melbourne to win $3.45 LAST TIME THEY MET Kangaroos 10.19.79 d Melbourne 11.12.78, Round 9, 2007, at MCG Melbourne suffered its ninth consecutive loss for the season and its third defeat by a goal or less in four weeks. After struggling to kick four goals in the first three quarters the Demons came alive with a rush booting seven goals in the final term and nudging ahead with a couple of minutes to go before the final siren. Their failure to ice the game allowed the Kangaroos in for a goal to Andrew Swallow but the team's improved form signalled that its losing streak was near its end. THE TEAMS KANGAROOS Backs Shannon Watt Michael Firrito Daniel Pratt Half Backs Glenn Archer Jesse Smith Scott McMahon Centreline Adam Simpson Brady Rawlings Kasey Green Half Forwards Brent Harvey David Hale Shannon Grant Forwards Corey Jones Drew Petrie Djaran Whyman Followers Hamish McIntosh Daniel Harris Andrew Swallow Interchange Leigh Brown Ed Lower Eddie Sansbury Jess Sinclair Emergencies Leigh Adams Leigh Aaron Edwards Lindsay Thomas In Eddie Sansbury Djaran Whyman Out : Daniel Wells (knee) Lindsay Thomas (omitted) New: Djaran Whyman (North Ballarat) MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll James Frawley Half Backs Paul Wheatley Brad Miller Nathan Brown Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Clint Bizzell Half Forwards Simon Godfrey Russell Robertson Matthew Bate Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Paul Johnson Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Chris Johnson Brent Moloney Michael Newton Emergencies Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Ben Holland In Brad Green Brent Moloney David Neitz Out Aaron Davey (suspended) Lynden Dunn Colin Garland (both omitted) Field umpires THE VIBE - PART 2 by J.V.McKay Sunday's combatants each played their last games in different corners of the continent. Both travelled out of their states but only one covered themselves in glory. The Kangaroos had a stirring victory by a mere four points displaying guts, determination and a never say die attitude from the start to defeat Fremantle at Subiaco. Melbourne, on the other hand, suffered a sudden death. It conceded the first eleven scoring shots and, in doing so, gave the Brisbane Lions a 41-point start by the time on period of the first quarter. The poor starts are not an aberration with Melbourne this year. They are happening with too much regularity and are a major contributor to the "vibe" that I get from the Demons these days. The "vibe" is telling me this year is a debacle and it can't be easily turned around. It's likely that we'll have to wait unti next year. The Kangaroos have a solid core of players they can rely upon to produce good form consistently every week - players like Glenn Archer, Brent Harvey, Shannon Grant and skipper Scott Simpson who never let you down. The Demons can't even produce a Homer Simpson. There are so many leading players down on form or simply out of the team with suspension that it's almost impossible to even contemplate any consistent form from the players. This happens from game to game and within games from quarter to quarter. You just never know what to expect from Melbourne except that you won't get consistently good form. This week sees the return of some important members of the leadership group. There's no doubt that the Demons will benefit from the inclusion of the skipper and of Brad Green. Brent Moloney and Ben Holland have been playing well in the VFL and it would not surprise if all four were final inclusions for Sunday evening. The vibes however, are still telling me that this won't be enough. The Kangaroos are riding high. They know that a strong win this week will bring a top four finish closer than ever. In many ways, they are in much the same position as Melbourne was 12 months ago: third on the ladder after losing the first three in a row. History also tells us that the Demons lost their next match against a lowly team at the Telstra Dome and thus began a slide that continues to this very day. This won't happen where the Kangaroos are concerned because the "vibe" tells me they are now a genuine premiership contender. Kangaroos by 17 points

THE VIBE - PART 1 by J.V.McKay The last time Melbourne faced off against the Kangaroos was a mere eight weeks ago in Round 9 at the MCG. The Demons were winless and struggling in the wake of a debilitating injury crisis while the Roos were riding on the crest of a wave. They dominated the first three quarters but had to withstand a Melbourne final quarter onslaught to win their sixth game on end after losing the first three. The Kangaroos' credibility problem with the public remained intact because nobody believed in them and after all, this was a victory over one of the competition's underachievers and it was by the narrowest of margins. As a loyal supporter of the Melbourne Football Club I saw this performance as one that possibly marked the end of one of the most difficult periods the club has had to endure in recent times. I couldn't quite place my finger on why I felt that the worst of it was all over and I guess I must have felt a bit like Dennis Denuto, the character played by Tiriel Mora in The Castle. I didn't need an explanation for the way I felt - it was all about the "vibe". For a little while my "vibe" theory worked and things did actually look up for the Demons. They went on to win their next two matches against finals aspirants in Adelaide and Collingwood and suddenly, people were talking about the mathematical possibility of making the finals. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos lost their next game by 11 goals at the claws of the Eagles at Subiaco. The tide seemed to be turning for both Melbourne and the Kangaroos. Unfortunately, I was wrong about the vibe. You can't succeed in an elite sporting competition on a vibe alone and in a short space of time, the tide turned back on itself. Moving forward another month and we find ourselves in Round 16 and the teams are due to meet again, albeit at a different venue. And, my how things have changed again! The Kangaroos are again virtually unbackable favourites to win and more importantly, they have gained credibility in the eyes of the public through their performances on the field. The opposite applies to the Demons. Neale Daniher no longer coaches them and their injury list is as long and as deep as the Grand Canyon. By contrast, the Roos are contemplating the finals series and, while coach Dean Laidley is still not a certainty to retain his job, his career as an AFL coach is almost assured. If the Kangaroos don't keep him, someone else will snaffle him up. Looking further back to Round 20 of last year, it's almost inconceivable that Melbourne conceded a twenty point half time lead to the Kangaroos and still managed to pile on the goals in the second half of the game to win by 50 points. At that point, Laidley was no certainty to see out another season at the helm for the Shinboners. This gives rise to the question "why"? Why have the fortunes of both sides seen such a reversal in the space of less than twelve months? From Melbourne's point of view, and I'm not making excuses here, it's been a constant case of injury, injury and more injury. OK. I am making excuses but I'm justified in this case. When these teams last met it appeared that the Demons' injury crisis was abating but, in fact, it was just about to get worse. It's no longer a crisis but a plague. The best way to tell the story of this plague in all of its gory detail is through the work of my colleague Sam the Stats Man and in his updated statistical look at the club. Consider that when the Melbourne team steps out onto the Telstra Dome turf on Sunday evening only Nathan Carroll, James McDonald and Jeff White will be able to say that they've been in the side for every game played at this stage of the season which is an AFL low for 2007. On the other hand, Melbourne has used 38 different players in the past 15 rounds – an AFL high for the season. Its a story that doesn't really resonate with any good vibes. THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB LIST TO DATE - SEASON 2007 by Sam the Stats Man BARTRAM, Clint MFC 1 game 0 goals - had a limited pre-season after suffering an ankle injury in Round 22, 2006 against Adelaide, Bartram was recalled for the opening game of the season and was used sparingly. He injured a knee at training before Round 2 and then complications set in delaying his recovery. Out for the remainder of the season. BATE, Matthew MFC 14 games 15 goals - has started to show some real confidence and a belief in his capacity to play well at the highest level and has played some good games at centre half forward. An exciting prospect. BELL, Daniel MFC 13 games 1 goal – has started to fulfil his early promise with some excellent games in defence where he combines strength, pace and endurance to advantage despite having to work under extreme pressure on a weekly basis. Injured a hamstring early in the Essendon game and has been out of action since then. BIZZELL, Clint MFC 8 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 1 goal - after missing all of last year with injury the veteran defender has returned to form in the twilight of his career. BODE, Jace ® SFC Seniors 8 games 1 goal SFC Reserves - 4 games 1 goal – has finally established himself with the Sandy seniors mainly as a defender or in a run with role. BROWN, Nathan MFC 12 games 2 goals - the hard running defender has not had it all his way this year and has been dropped from the side a couple of times. Still picks up plenty of the ball but remains wasteful at times. BRUCE, Cameron MFC 13 games 6 goals - probably close to leading the club's best and fairest but has still not been a world beater this season. This versatile player has a great work rate but his kicking has been awful of late. Missed the past two games with a hamstring in jury. BUCKLEY, Simon MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 1 goal – has a long learning curve working his way up through the ranks at Sandringham and was finally given his chance against Carlton a fortnight ago. Has shown some promise. CARROLL, Nathan MFC 15 games 0 goals - feeling the pressure in a weak defence but has done some good things and led the defence by example and with plenty of courage. He did reasonably well in suppressing a rampant Jonathan Brown last week after the Lions’ champion had done an early number on Brad Miller. DAVEY, Aaron MFC 15 games 19 goals - had a poor start to the season but gradually worked his way back into form. Has recently shown frustration at close checking opponents and finally snapped against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba and his retaliatory strike has cost him the next two matches through suspension. DUNN, Lynden MFC 8 games 6 goals SFC Seniors - 5 game 9 goals - a serious facial injury kept him out of the first couple of rounds and was hot and cold on return to the Melbourne side. Still in the development phase Dunn is a player in the future. FERGUSON, Ryan MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 6 games 7 goals SFC Reserves 2 games 8 goals - the injury prone defender can't take a trick. When he finally gained a place in the Demons’ side against West Coast he broke a thumb and missed a month. Came back through the Zebra reserves and has been playing well recently in the seniors. FRAWLEY, James MFC 1 game 0 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals - was on course for a Round 1 debut until stress fractures in the foot put him out for almost two months. Came back through the Sandy reserves. was hospitalised after being concussed early and then impressed in the seniors at Sandringham. Has shown some promising signs and looks capable of filling a key defender’s role when he fills out physically. GARLAND, Colin MFC 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 5 goals – has struggled in his two games at AFL level and needs more time learning his craft at Sandringham where he has been good at both ends of the ground. GODFREY, Simon MFC 14 games 7 goals - disposal and decision-making have improved marginally and he has been terrific as the hardworking tagger. His 100 games of AFL football are a tribute to his work ethic and one that others with more talent could well take note of his determination to play the game at the highest level. GREEN, Brad MFC 11 games 8 goals – has had an average season in the midfield (save his game against the Crows) but he always seems to look good on the rare occasions when he is moved into the forward line. Missed the past few weeks with a hamstring and it will be interesting to see where Mark Riley plays him on return this week. HAYES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals SFC Reserves 5 games 3 goals – after missing much of the pre season due to personal family reasons the club had no option but to suspend him until he could attend training again. After showing promise in his five games for the Zebra reserves, he was a last minute inclusion in their seniors last weekend. Still has a way to go and should remain on the rookie list next year when there is every chance that he might fulfill his promise. HOLLAND, Ben MFC 6 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 5 games 7 goals – apart from a great game when he nullified Collingwood’s Anthony Rocca, Dutchy has struggled at AFL level where he doesn't have the agility or accurate disposal to hurt the opposition in any way. Has showed some good form in recent weeks with the Zebras. HUGHES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors 4 games 5 goals SFC Reserves 2 games 4 goals – his career has gone into limbo after showing some promise at Sandringham this year. Has missed several weeks with a groin problem. JAMAR, Mark MFC 5 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 4 games 3 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals – showed average form as the second ruckman for the Demons before he was dropped to Sandringham where he suffered a hamstring injury. Improving every week at Sandringham and is close to a recall. JOHNSON, Chris MFC 5 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 8 games 3 goals – had a stellar pre season but failed to impress in his early games and was dropped to the VFL. Returned to form with the Zebras and recently returned to the Melbourne team where he did well in his last game at the Gabba. JOHNSON, Paul MFC 13 games 2 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 1 goal - grabbed the opportunity in the absence of Mark Jamar and has tightened his grip on the second ruck position in recent weeks. JOHNSTONE, Travis MFC 11 games 6 goals - was strongly tagged early, worked his way back into form but has been dogged by Achilles heel problems and missed a few games recently. JONES, Nathan MFC 14 games 7 goals - missed just one game with injury and is a definite rising star among the Demon young guns. McDONALD, James MFC 15 games 3 goals – struggled early to uphold the high standard he set in 2006 but nevertheless has been a valuable player and one of the few who has taken part in all games. McLEAN, Brock MFC 8 games 2 goals - another early season casualty, McLean fractured a foot in the opening round. His return game yielded 22 disposals but he had a flat patch for a few weeks before returning to form in a losing side against the Brisbane Lions. MILLER, Brad MFC 11 games 7 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 8 goals – another player who struggled early at both ends of the ground. A wrist injury saw him out of the team and he had to work hard for a few weeks at Sandringham before getting his call up as a defender against Carlton. Struggled to hold Jonathan Brown last week but will be persisted with in defence. MOLONEY, Brent MFC 6 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves 1 game 0 goals - was close to Melbourne's best early in the season before a recurrence of groin problems took its toll. Slowly coming back through the VFL and returns for this week's game.. NEAVES, Shane ® SFC Seniors 12 games 2 goals - continues to impress as a developing ruckman at Sandringham and must be a chance for promotion off the rookie list at the end of the year. NEITZ, David MFC 9 games 18 goals - averaging two goals a game but has missed a games with a knee injury and then a combination of knee, hamstring and broken finger has kept him out more recently. Back this week so he should reach 300 games by year's end. NEVILLE, Heath SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves 9 games 2 goals – has finally had some chances after languishing in the VFL reserves but hasn’t had much game time with the seniors in his two games there. NEWTON, Michael MFC 3 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 10 games 29 goals – finally got an opportunity after 10 games and 29 goals with the Zebras this season. A player of the future who deserves every opportunity to succeed. PETTERD, Ricky MFC 9 games 6 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 1 goal - a breath of fresh air, this young recruit showed enormous poise and ability in his nine games before suffering a life threatening collapsed lung during early in the Round 14 game against Carlton. Will not play again until next year. PICKETT, Byron MFC 4 games 1 goals SFC Seniors 7 games 7 goals SFC Reserves 9 games 2 goals - came into the season unfit, overweight and with family problems. Was suspended and confined to Sandringham for several weeks and failed to impress on his return against the Tigers. Missed his VFL game last week with a shoulder injury. RIVERS, Jared MFC 3 games 0 goals - a succession of injuries kept the club's most talented defender out of the team for all bar three games. He’s out for the season as a result of a persistent groin problem. ROBERTSON, Russell MFC 9 games 26 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 4 goals – despite missing several weeks after hurting a knee late in the Round 2 game against Hawthorn, he is the club’s leading goal kicker and played a significant role in the team’s handful of victories this year. SYLVIA, Colin MFC 11 games 10 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 3 goals –is starting to show the form that made him a high draft pick in 2003 as he shrugs off the effects of groin problems that plagued his early years at the club. WARD, Daniel MFC 13 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 2 games 0 goals - seized his opportunities with vacancies caused in defence due to injuries and loss of form and while his delivery and decision making is sometimes a problem, he has been a valuable contributor at the club this year. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC 2 games 1 goal SFC Seniors 10 games 0 goals - has had few opportunities at AFL level but has performed consistently in the tight Sandringham defence. WEETRA, Isaac SFC Reserves 6 games 1 goal - injured hamstring during the preseason and was due to return when it went again. Then, when he recovered from that, he broke his wrist first up in the Zebra twos. He is back there now but hasn’t set the world on fire just yet. WHEATLEY, Paul MFC 9 games 3 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 0 goals – after an injury riddled 2006, he again had problems, this time with a shoulder but has cemented his place in the past month or two with some solid performances. WHELAN, Matthew MFC 5 games 0 goals SFC Seniors 3 games 0 goals – in the wars from the very start when he clashed heads with Luke Ball in Round 1. Later, it was a foot injury and he misses the rest of the season with an ankle problem. His absence in defence is really hurting the team. WHITE, Jeff MFC 15 games 6 goals – still the club’s number 1 ruckman and capable of some good football but is finding things tougher against the bigger opponents. One of the few Demons to play every game this season. YZE, Adem MFC 8 games 4 goals SFC Seniors 1 game 2 goals - his remarkable run of 226 consecutive matches dating back a decade ended when dropped to the VFL in Round 2. Was slowly returning to form when injury struck again. A hernia operation will keep him out of football until 2008. THE GAME Kangaroos v. Melbourne at Telstra Dome – Sunday 22 July 2007 at 5:10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Kangaroos 60 wins Melbourne 83 wins 1 draw At the Dome: Kangaroos 1 win Melbourne 0 wins Since 2000: Kangaroos 4 wins Melbourne 7 wins The Coaches: Laidley 0 wins Riley 0 wins MEDIA Fox Sports1 (live from 5:00pm) RADIO ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Kangaroos to win $1.28 Melbourne to win $3.45 LAST TIME THEY MET Kangaroos 10.19.79 d Melbourne 11.12.78, Round 9, 2007, at MCG Melbourne suffered its ninth consecutive loss for the season and its third defeat by a goal or less in four weeks. After struggling to kick four goals in the first three quarters the Demons came alive with a rush booting seven goals in the final term and nudging ahead with a couple of minutes to go before the final siren. Their failure to ice the game allowed the Kangaroos in for a goal to Andrew Swallow but the team's improved form signalled that its losing streak was near its end. THE TEAMS KANGAROOS Backs Shannon Watt Michael Firrito Daniel Pratt Half Backs Glenn Archer Jesse Smith Scott McMahon Centreline Adam Simpson Brady Rawlings Kasey Green Half Forwards Brent Harvey David Hale Shannon Grant Forwards Corey Jones Drew Petrie Djaran Whyman Followers Hamish McIntosh Daniel Harris Andrew Swallow Interchange Leigh Brown Ed Lower Eddie Sansbury Jess Sinclair Emergencies Leigh Adams Leigh Aaron Edwards Lindsay Thomas In Eddie Sansbury Djaran Whyman Out : Daniel Wells (knee) Lindsay Thomas (omitted) New: Djaran Whyman (North Ballarat) MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll James Frawley Half Backs Paul Wheatley Brad Miller Nathan Brown Centreline Brad Green James McDonald Clint Bizzell Half Forwards Simon Godfrey Russell Robertson Matthew Bate Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Paul Johnson Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Chris Johnson Brent Moloney Michael Newton Emergencies Lynden Dunn Colin Garland Ben Holland In Brad Green Brent Moloney David Neitz Out Aaron Davey (suspended) Lynden Dunn Colin Garland (both omitted) Field umpires THE VIBE - PART 2 by J.V.McKay Sunday's combatants each played their last games in different corners of the continent. Both travelled out of their states but only one covered themselves in glory. The Kangaroos had a stirring victory by a mere four points displaying guts, determination and a never say die attitude from the start to defeat Fremantle at Subiaco. Melbourne, on the other hand, suffered a sudden death. It conceded the first eleven scoring shots and, in doing so, gave the Brisbane Lions a 41-point start by the time on period of the first quarter. The poor starts are not an aberration with Melbourne this year. They are happening with too much regularity and are a major contributor to the "vibe" that I get from the Demons these days. The "vibe" is telling me this year is a debacle and it can't be easily turned around. It's likely that we'll have to wait unti next year. The Kangaroos have a solid core of players they can rely upon to produce good form consistently every week - players like Glenn Archer, Brent Harvey, Shannon Grant and skipper Scott Simpson who never let you down. The Demons can't even produce a Homer Simpson. There are so many leading players down on form or simply out of the team with suspension that it's almost impossible to even contemplate any consistent form from the players. This happens from game to game and within games from quarter to quarter. You just never know what to expect from Melbourne except that you won't get consistently good form. This week sees the return of some important members of the leadership group. There's no doubt that the Demons will benefit from the inclusion of the skipper and of Brad Green. Brent Moloney and Ben Holland have been playing well in the VFL and it would not surprise if all four were final inclusions for Sunday evening. The vibes however, are still telling me that this won't be enough. The Kangaroos are riding high. They know that a strong win this week will bring a top four finish closer than ever. In many ways, they are in much the same position as Melbourne was 12 months ago: third on the ladder after losing the first three in a row. History also tells us that the Demons lost their next match against a lowly team at the Telstra Dome and thus began a slide that continues to this very day. This won't happen where the Kangaroos are concerned because the "vibe" tells me they are now a genuine premiership contender. Kangaroos by 17 points

This is a great initative and Whispering Jack is working on a function which will hopefully help to get us across the line to enable our syndicate to become full members of the Melbourne Football Club's 150 Club. Watch this space!

by Mick Rocks1 The club has informed us that the Demonology/Demonland 150 club syndicate recently hit $9,676 out of the $12,386 required for our syndicate to become full members of the Melbourne Football Club's 150 Club. This is thanks mainly to site members 'support of the 'Pay So He Can Play' initiative in regards to Michael Newton, which alone raised the club over $1,500. The money donated for the 150 Club goes towards the fitting out of the new stadium in the Olympic Park precinct, which will help our club move towards gaining state of the art training, gym and recovery facilities, as well as a genuine base for the club in the middle of the city, right next to our playing home, the MCG - something the MFC has not had for a number of years. As members of the Demonology and Demonland sites, we have already showed our support and love for the Melbourne Football Club. The 150 Club is another way to show this support for a club that desperately requires it - only in a more tangible way. There is no doubt that this is the biggest thing to happen to this club in the past four decades since the last premiership. The club is making efforts to entrench itself as the club of Melbourne and a home base in the heart of the city will certainly help to achieve this. For the Demonology/Demonland syndicate, we have come up with a relatively simple category system for donations, as follows: Platinum member = $415 Gold member = $330 Silver member = $250 Bronze member = $165 Red and Blue member = $85 Donations: $20, $30, $40, $50, $60, $70 Any donation you could make would be fantastic, and would go a long way towards making our club more competitive off the field and on the field in what is becoming an increasingly uncompetitive arena. To become an integral part of the Melbourne Football Club's future and make a donation, please email me by clicking HERE so the donation form can be forwarded to you. Please remember to write 'Demonology' next to your name on the form so the club can tally our donations. You can also PM me your email and I'll forward you the form or any information there. Thanks must go to Greg Romanes at the club for helping to make this possible and tallying the donations for us. Anyone who has questions or queries about the 150 Club, or the possibility of becoming a full member yourself, you are welcome to contact him on 9652 1122, or BY EMAIL

by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham grabbed top spot on the VFL ladder after leading all day to record an impressive 70-point win against Werribee at Trevor Barker Oval on Sunday. The win meant that the Zebras displaced Geelong after the Cats suffered a surprise loss by a solitary point at the hands of the Casey Scorpions. Sandy regained full forward Nick Sautner after a week's break with studies but lost Andy Biddlecombe (groin) and Byron Pickett (shoulder) who both pulled out of the selected side with injury. Colin Garland's late recall to the Melbourne team which played in Brisbane and yet another player dropping out through injury (this time it was youngster Phil Zarra who was to have made his senior debut) left the side's playing ranks severely depleted. This made no difference however, to the team which contained a number of players with little experience at this level. They managed to shine as the Zebras rose to the occasion and overpowered the struggling Tigers while treating the crowd to a sterling display of relentless pressure football. Sandringham was quick out of the blocks and with Mark Jamar giving plenty of drive from the ruck and Peter Sommers, Shane Valenti and Brent Moloney dominating in the middle, they provided plenty of ball supply to forwards in Nick Sautner, Ben Holland, Rod Crowe and the dangerous Ezra Poyas. The quarter time lead of 26 points blew out to twelve goals for a brief period before the half time break thanks to some exceptional team football including some stand out displays from the younger brigade who were getting their opportunity after showing good form in the reserves. You can count the number of senior games played by Tom Paterakis, Guy Martyn, Rennie Gilchrist and Sam Monaghan on the fingers of one hand but they were all prominent and among the goalkickers. Their enthusiasm lifted the team a further level and stunned the Werribee faithful who must have thought before the game that their team was a chance to win given the large number of AFL listed players their host club had unavailable through injury. One player whose thoughts were far away from playing this game earlier in the day was young Demon rookie Daniel Hayes who was kitted up to play for the reserves but got the call at 11:00am to come into the main game as a replacement for one of the injured players. He was quiet in his senior VFL debut but still showed some magical ball skills. Another youngster, Heath Neville also played well in only his second senior match. Meanwhile, the Sandy back line was as strong and as dominant as ever. At full back Chris Lamb was solid as a rock and he was well backed up by Ryan Ferguson, Matthew Warnock and the improving Jace Bode. Tomi Johnston looked at home on a wing in only his seventh game and the Zebras coasted to an 87-point lead at the final break. The pressure valve was released in the final term and Werribee kicked a few late goals but their efforts were overshadowed by Sandringham's brilliance. Late in the game Nick Sautner kicked his seventh goal of the game after an incident in which Bulldog rookie Marty Pask had his number taken for allegedly striking the Zebra spearhead. A review of a Sandringham game is never complete without mention of the courage, strength and leadership skills of the skipper Chad Liddell. At one stage, he executed a brilliant smother and spectators close by heard a sickening thud and saw a brief wince on the face of the captain as if some limb had been smashed in the incident. Within seconds he was up on his feet and in the next passage of play he was there smothering another Werribee kick off the boot. As long as a team has someone setting examples of this nature, even its most inexperienced young player will stand tall. Next Sunday, the Zebras travel across the bay to Burbank Oval where they take on Williamstown which led the competition just three weeks ago. The Seagulls seem to have fallen into a hole lately but are always a dangerous proposition on their windswept home ground. A win to Sandy in these hostile surroundings should consolidate its already strong grip on a top four placing with the finals looming in sight. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jace Bode - easily his best game since coming to the club. He found plenty of the ball, delivered it well and showed heaps of courage. It's marvelous what you can do when you get plenty of time in a game and can build up your confidence. Ryan Ferguson - a standard game in defence from the ever-reliable Ferg. Very solid, backed up strongly, spoiled a lot of opposition thrusts and marked well. Daniel Hayes - a late call up and was played off the interchange. He was tentative to start with and looked a bit lost at times but he showed glimpses of good ball skills. Will benefit from the run in this company but is likely to finish of the year in the reserves. Ben Holland - looked really in the frame and made a good foil up forward for Sautner. He stood out with his marking and finished with three goals but it could easily have been five. Mark Jamar - strong in the ruck against good opposition in Minson. His play around the ground was excellent and he marked strongly whether on the ball or up forward. If only he could replicate that sort of form in the AFL. Brent Moloney - went in hard and strong, got a lot of the ball and delivered it well. However, he had a few sluggish periods possibly suggesting that he still has a way to go before he reaches full fitness. Subject to whatever plan the club's medical people have in place to deal with his groin problem, he might be a chance to play at the Dome next week. Shane Neaves - played second fiddle in the ruck to Jamar and had a relatively easy day. He did nothing wrong and was a good ruck back up on the day. Heath Neville - spent a lot of time on the bench but was reasonable in patches when he was given his chances. Matthew Warnock - a solid game in defence. Kept his opponent in check and went about his job quietly and effectively. Sandringham 7.5.47 15.11.101 23.12.150 26.17.173 Werribee 3.3.21 5.5.35 9.9.63 15.13.103 Goals Sandringham Sautner 7 Holland Poyas 3 Crowe Gilchrist Martyn Paterakis 2 Jamar Liddell Monaghan Sommers Valenti Werribee Gleeson 3 Skipper 2 Ericksen Baird Barham Faulkner Furfaro Hill Minson Robinson Rockefeller Tiller Best Sandringham Lamb Paterakis Poyas Liddell Jamar Monaghan Werribee Skipper Baird Sheringham Wight Tiller Gleeson Report Werribee M Pask for striking N Sautner in the 4th quarter Not surprisingly, the reserves side which was severely weakened as a result of the loss of players copped a bit of a hiding. Sandringham 3.1.19 5.2.32 7.4.46 7.9.51 Werribee 6.4.40 10.11.71 14.18.102 23.19.157 Goals Sandringham Dunne 3 Collyer Gileno Tregear Weetra Werribee Garth 8 Hughes McDougall 3 Gardiner Moloney 2 Batchelor Eddy Penny Stack Twomey Best Sandringham Johnston Richards Martin McKenzie Collyer Dean Werribee Hughes Hudson Garth Gardiner Wormald Batchelor

YOUNG ZEBRAS SHINE by Barry from Beach Road Sandringham grabbed top spot on the VFL ladder after leading all day to record an impressive 70-point win against Werribee at Trevor Barker Oval on Sunday. The win meant that the Zebras displaced Geelong after the Cats suffered a surprise loss by a solitary point at the hands of the Casey Scorpions. Sandy regained full forward Nick Sautner after a week's break with studies but lost Andy Biddlecombe (groin) and Byron Pickett (shoulder) who both pulled out of the selected side with injury. Colin Garland's late recall to the Melbourne team which played in Brisbane and yet another player dropping out through injury (this time it was youngster Phil Zarra who was to have made his senior debut) left the side's playing ranks severely depleted. This made no difference however, to the team which contained a number of players with little experience at this level. They managed to shine as the Zebras rose to the occasion and overpowered the struggling Tigers while treating the crowd to a sterling display of relentless pressure football. Sandringham was quick out of the blocks and with Mark Jamar giving plenty of drive from the ruck and Peter Sommers, Shane Valenti and Brent Moloney dominating in the middle, they provided plenty of ball supply to forwards in Nick Sautner, Ben Holland, Rod Crowe and the dangerous Ezra Poyas. The quarter time lead of 26 points blew out to twelve goals for a brief period before the half time break thanks to some exceptional team football including some stand out displays from the younger brigade who were getting their opportunity after showing good form in the reserves. You can count the number of senior games played by Tom Paterakis, Guy Martyn, Rennie Gilchrist and Sam Monaghan on the fingers of one hand but they were all prominent and among the goalkickers. Their enthusiasm lifted the team a further level and stunned the Werribee faithful who must have thought before the game that their team was a chance to win given the large number of AFL listed players their host club had unavailable through injury. One player whose thoughts were far away from playing this game earlier in the day was young Demon rookie Daniel Hayes who was kitted up to play for the reserves but got the call at 11:00am to come into the main game as a replacement for one of the injured players. He was quiet in his senior VFL debut but still showed some magical ball skills. Another youngster, Heath Neville also played well in only his second senior match. Meanwhile, the Sandy back line was as strong and as dominant as ever. At full back Chris Lamb was solid as a rock and he was well backed up by Ryan Ferguson, Matthew Warnock and the improving Jace Bode. Tomi Johnston looked at home on a wing in only his seventh game and the Zebras coasted to an 87-point lead at the final break. The pressure valve was released in the final term and Werribee kicked a few late goals but their efforts were overshadowed by Sandringham's brilliance. Late in the game Nick Sautner kicked his seventh goal of the game after an incident in which Bulldog rookie Marty Pask had his number taken for allegedly striking the Zebra spearhead. A review of a Sandringham game is never complete without mention of the courage, strength and leadership skills of the skipper Chad Liddell. At one stage, he executed a brilliant smother and spectators close by heard a sickening thud and saw a brief wince on the face of the captain as if some limb had been smashed in the incident. Within seconds he was up on his feet and in the next passage of play he was there smothering another Werribee kick off the boot. As long as a team has someone setting examples of this nature, even its most inexperienced young player will stand tall. Next Sunday, the Zebras travel across the bay to Burbank Oval where they take on Williamstown which led the competition just three weeks ago. The Seagulls seem to have fallen into a hole lately but are always a dangerous proposition on their windswept home ground. A win to Sandy in these hostile surroundings should consolidate its already strong grip on a top four placing with the finals looming in sight. HOW THE DEMONS FARED Jace Bode - easily his best game since coming to the club. He found plenty of the ball, delivered it well and showed heaps of courage. It's marvelous what you can do when you get plenty of time in a game and can build up your confidence. Ryan Ferguson - a standard game in defence from the ever-reliable Ferg. Very solid, backed up strongly, spoiled a lot of opposition thrusts and marked well. Daniel Hayes - a late call up and was played off the interchange. He was tentative to start with and looked a bit lost at times but he showed glimpses of good ball skills. Will benefit from the run in this company but is likely to finish of the year in the reserves. Ben Holland - looked really in the frame and made a good foil up forward for Sautner. He stood out with his marking and finished with three goals but it could easily have been five. Mark Jamar - strong in the ruck against good opposition in Minson. His play around the ground was excellent and he marked strongly whether on the ball or up forward. If only he could replicate that sort of form in the AFL. Brent Moloney - went in hard and strong, got a lot of the ball and delivered it well. However, he had a few sluggish periods possibly suggesting that he still has a way to go before he reaches full fitness. Subject to whatever plan the club's medical people have in place to deal with his groin problem, he might be a chance to play at the Dome next week. Shane Neaves - played second fiddle in the ruck to Jamar and had a relatively easy day. He did nothing wrong and was a good ruck back up on the day. Heath Neville - spent a lot of time on the bench but was reasonable in patches when he was given his chances. Matthew Warnock - a solid game in defence. Kept his opponent in check and went about his job quietly and effectively. Sandringham 7.5.47 15.11.101 23.12.150 26.17.173 Werribee 3.3.21 5.5.35 9.9.63 15.13.103 Goals Sandringham Sautner 7 Holland Poyas 3 Crowe Gilchrist Martyn Paterakis 2 Jamar Liddell Monaghan Sommers Valenti Werribee Gleeson 3 Skipper 2 Ericksen Baird Barham Faulkner Furfaro Hill Minson Robinson Rockefeller Tiller Best Sandringham Lamb Paterakis Poyas Liddell Jamar Monaghan Werribee Skipper Baird Sheringham Wight Tiller Gleeson Report Werribee M Pask for striking N Sautner in the 4th quarter Not surprisingly, the reserves side which was severely weakened as a result of the loss of players copped a bit of a hiding. Sandringham 3.1.19 5.2.32 7.4.46 7.9.51 Werribee 6.4.40 10.11.71 14.18.102 23.19.157 Goals Sandringham Dunne 3 Collyer Gileno Tregear Weetra Werribee Garth 8 Hughes McDougall 3 Gardiner Moloney 2 Batchelor Eddy Penny Stack Twomey Best Sandringham Johnston Richards Martin McKenzie Collyer Dean Werribee Hughes Hudson Garth Gardiner Wormald Batchelor

After 15 rounds we can't separate two Demonland veterans. 1. (1) 75 Clyde_Cabbie 1. (2) 75 Whispering_Jack 3. (3) 72 demon_davey 4. (3) 71 canberrademon(herb) 4. (8) 71 deanox 4. (5) 71 deesthisyear 4. (5) 71 Demonland 4. (5) 71 great_gatsby 4. (8) 71 slamevil 10. (14) 70 bl3281 10. (11) 70 DeMoNiC 12. (11) 69 BigKev Demon 12. (16) 69 Pinball_Wizard 12. (8) 69 snarler_0 15. (11) 68 Go_Ds 15. (14) 68 Scoop Junior 17. (16) 67 Alpha_33 17. (16) 67 Rivers Run Red 19. (19) 65 achirnside 19. (20) 65 petejh2000 21. (21) 64 frangas 22. (23) 61 Jackieboy_0 22. (22) 61 paliosiana 24. (24) 60 dee'viator 25. (24) 58 KrazyJay 26. (26) 57 TimDees 27. (27) 55 Goodvibes 28. (29) 54 No Cigar 29. (28) 53 rusty_corner 30. (30) 47 Kieranbj 31. (31) 46 demon_fanatic 32. (32) 45 Dees_Fan16 33. (33) 44 CarnTheDees 34. (34) 43 Fingers Power 35. (35) 42 Dappadan 36. (36) 36 melon22 37. (37) 35 jaded24 38. (38) 27 rusty_kingswood

I'm also accepting Bananabender's votes as follows:- Melbourne McLean Brown White Wheatley Davey Sylvia That makes the standings after Round 15:- 77. Nathan Jones 69. James McDonald 65. Cameron Bruce 63. Aaron Davey 62. Colin Sylvia Jeff White 54. Daniel Bell 51. Matthew Bate 44. Brad Green 41. Travis Johnstone 37. Simon Godfrey 35. Brent Moloney 30. Ben Holland Russell Robertson 28. Paul Wheatley 27. Brock McLean 25. Nathan Brown David Neitz 24. Adem Yze 21. Clint Bizzell 20. Brad Miller Ricky Petterd 18. Jared Rivers 9. Nathan Carroll 4. Daniel Ward 2. Paul Johnson 1. Lynden Dunn Michael Newton

Apparently only Garland, Newton and Buckley turned up to the post match function according to Demon Storm on the Match Review thread.

I've just received an SMS from Bananabender which I think is in response to your post. It reads:- "Shit, we forgot the dog!"

THE WILD COLONIAL BOY by Whispering Jack Casey Fields in Cranbourne was the venue for the final day of the Australian Under 18 Champions and I was there last Wednesday just to watch the footy and to see if I could pick a favourite or two among the prospective draftees who the AFL clubs will be lining up to recruit when the 2007 NAB AFL Draft is held on the Gold Coast during Schoolies Week in November. I've been interested in this level of football for many years since one of my own sons was a member of the squad that trained together under the legendary Ray Jordan and the late "Nobby" Clarke on the very first day of training for the then Central (later Prahran and now Sandringham) Dragons in 1991. He dislocated a shoulder on the eve of the team's first practice match and never got to play for them but my godson later became a member of the Dragons' team in the mid nineties and I followed them closely for a while. The standard of the TAC Cup competition was pretty high in those days – probably even higher than the standard I saw from the teams at Casey Fields on Wednesday where a lot of athletes ran around in perfect conditions playing a form of basketball on grass in front of a thousand spectators, most of them AFL talent scouts, parents, family friends and interested onlookers. There was of course an exception to the rule about the standard of the teams and that was the West Australians – they were head and shoulders above the South Australians and dominated them as they did the Victorian Metro and the Victorian Country teams before them. Needless to say, when the All Australian Under 18 team for the championships was read out, the Sandgropers dominated as well providing eight out of 22 and that was after leaving quite a few who were unlucky to miss out. Between the two Victorian teams there were seven All Australians while South Australia provided only one player. The rest came from three of the Division Two states with last year's surprise packet Queensland, failing to produce any this year. Those states had played their finals a day earlier at a different venue and I didn't get to see them either in the flesh or on film this year. I was watching the game in close proximity to Michael Voss might have had other things on his mind that day in light of the release of certain video film of a late night brawl that took place after last year's grand final. Voss handled a film crew that approached him with the sort of steely eyed firmness that you want to see from a future coach. Anyhow, Voss was there because he's had something to do with preparing some of the players on show when he was an assistant to AIS/AFL high-performance coach Alan McConnell with the AIS/AFL academy squad in 2006-07. He has gone on record as saying that he is greatly highly impressed by 2007 All-Australian midfielder/forward Brad Ebert who he regards as having "the necessary equipment to step up in 2008". So if he gets the gig at Carlton or Melbourne, there’s a possible pointer to how the first draft selection at that club might fall. I'm not a talent scout and I probably view these games far differently to the way the professionals would. For my part, I was more specifically focussing on which player I would adopt as my favourite from the carnival to be selected first at the end of the year by my team, the Demons. Two years ago, I saw Nathan Jones playing in the middle for Vic Metro and he caught my fancy knowing that Melbourne would be getting a late first rounder that year. It was a fluke that he was eventually was taken at # 12 by our very own Craig Cameron but it gave me some bragging rights for a while – until 2006 when I plumbed for Bachar Houli who was Essendon's fifth selection at number 42 overall. I must admit that James Frawley wasn't even on my radar but I applaud the selection with the advantage of hindsight. My interest in the draft has of course been heightened during the course of the year because the selections in the draft work in reverse proportion to the way your team performs and my team’s performance in 2007 thus far has been pretty much diabolical. However, while the Demons are sitting second from last, my expectation is that they will climb the ladder by one position before year's end. That's on the basis of my suspicion that Carlton will continue to play as a rabble while the Dennis Pagan fiasco continues and that the Blues will be content to muddle their way through the remainder of the season without winning a game thereby gaining the dubious distinction of being the inaugural charity case first round priority draft pick "winner" under the new priority system. This scenario would leave Melbourne with pick # 4 as its first selection. The process of selecting my draft "hero" from the games I saw was complicated by the fact that I didn't have the advantage that the experts have of seeing these players in their normal environments during the season as I was only going on one "live" viewing. Another complication was the fact that a few of the most talented players I saw going around are too young for this year's draft. All Australian kids like Nicholas Naitanui (WA), Daniel Rich (WA), Michael Hurley (VM) and Nick Suban (VC) are going to be the headline names in 12 months time but not this year. The same goes for Tasmania’s Aaron Cornelius who I didn't see but who, according to the track watchers, is going to be an absolute ripper. Still, I was more interested in finding the absolute ripper of 2007 and not 2008. The general view before the Carnival was that two Northern Knights players, Matthew Kreuzer and Trent Cotchin would quinella the draft. Kreuzer, a 199cm ruckman who can also play as a key forward and plays on the ball almost like a midfielder had a good enough carnival to make All Australian. He was pretty impressive against Vic Country with his cat like movement that is so uncharacteristic of a player closing in on two metres in height. He remains the favourite for the # 1 pick. Cotchin, on the other hand, had a poor carnival. Previously touted as a player with Judd like qualities, he was heavily tagged in the opening game against WA and he struggled throughout. On Wednesday, he showed glimpses of ability playing off halfback but was off for the last quarter. The word is that he might have been carrying an injury, that he remains in top five contention and is still probably top three. West Australia's outstanding carnival threw up a few real contenders who could upset the equation of a Northern Knights quinella on draft day. The most obvious improver in the rankings was Larke Medal winner Cale Morton, brother of West Coast's Mitch and Hawthorn's Jarryd. The 17 year old is a tall midfielder at 192cm and is all class. I couldn't detect any weaknesses in his play which was reminiscent of James Hird. The Bomber champion was a bargain when selected at pick # 79 in the 1990 National Draft but Morton won't come so cheap. He is certain to push his way into the top three and could even go at number one - he's that good! Well, that's the top three at the moment but if Melbourne is to collect pick # 4 at the November Draft, then I have to look further for my draft "hero" who will come from the following players:- Ben McEvoy - like Kreuzer, he stands at 199cm and plays ruck, is mobile and could also play in a key position. On the day, he marked more strongly than Kreuzer and, though I was told he looked tired after a hard, tough slog in the mud on the previous Friday, he appeared to me to be getting stronger as the game went on. He's a bit like St. Kilda’s Justin Koschitzke (when he’s playing well) but tougher. Brad Ebert - a tough midfielder with polish who comes from the famous SA footballing family. Ebert was one of the few prospects who showed anything in SA's capitulation to WA. Chris Masten - one of WA's ball magnet midfielders, Masten is a hard worker and already a leader having captained his state to the Teal Cup victory. Others to impress and who will feature in the running for top ten were West Australians David Myers (a dashing half back flanker), Patrick McGinnity (a midfielder used in a run with role), Alex Rance (a key position defender and son of a former West Coast skipper and Bulldog player, Murray Rance) and Rhys Palmer who gets a lot of the ball but his disposal wasn't all that great on Wednesday. Another player who could figure high in the selections would be Vic Metro skipper Jack Grimes who is a well balanced midfielder and an outstanding leader who has good hands. I've also been told that one can't overlook Tasmanians Tom Collier and Tom Bellchambers or NT's Cyril Rioli. For the moment however, I have to stick with Ben McEvoy who hails from Kelly Country. His name reminds me of the words of that immortal Aussie classic about a famous bushranger who gets fixed up by a judge of the same name. The McEvoys might have been on the right side of the law but this young fellow is my wild colonial boy for 2007. [KEVIN SHEEHAN AGREES] AFL NATIONAL UNDER 18 CHAMPIONSHIPS DIVISION 1 Western Australia 15.16.106 defeated Vic Metro 8.10.58 Goals WA Palmer 5 Ellard Jacky Sampey Yarran 2 Garlett Morton Vic Metro Maric 3 Grimes 2 Kreuzer Meredith Sullivan Best WA Palmer McGinnity Morton Starling Pears Ellard. Vic Metro Kreuzer Hurley Farmer Simpson Sullivan Lobbe at Subiaco Oval (June 30) South Australia 17. 10 (112) defeated Vic Country 9.8 (62) Goals SA Wright 4 Hartlett 3 Carr Jesson 2 Broadbent Ebert Hicks Millar Stable White Vic Country Kay 3 Blaser Hockey McKenna Michaelides Normington Steven Best SA Greenwood Stable Petrenko Ebert Blesing Wright Walsh Fairclough Vic Country McKenna Kangars Hockey Suban Kay Curnow At AAMI Stadium (July 1) Western Australia 9.14.68 defeated Vic Country 3.7.25 Goals WA Ellard Masten Morton 2 Garlett Palmer Yarran Vic Country Bell Hobbs McKenna Best WA Palmer Pears Myers Masten Garlett Morton Rich Vic Country Hobbs Suban Selwood Austin McEvoy Hinkley at MC Labour Park (July 6) Vic Metro 7.7.49 defeated South Australia 3.5.23 Goals Vic Metro Potts 4 DeBruin Grant Maric SA Holmes Staple White Best Vic Metro Farmer Polkinghorne Potts Kreuzer Hurley Grimes SA McNamara Day Broadbent Greenwood Ebert Blesing at MC Labour Park (July 6) Vic Metro 17.8.110 defeated Vic Country 9.8.62 Goals Vic Metro Maric 4 Grant Grimes 3, Arrowsmith Cattapan Daniher Kreuzer Polkinghorne Potts Simpson Vic Country Gaylor 3 Kay 2 Ford Hall Normington Selwood Best Vic Metro Hurley Simpson Cattapan Farmer Grimes Kreuzer Maric Vic Country McEvoy Suban Austin Curnow Kangars Normington Selwood at Casey Fields (July 11) Western Australia 20.11.131 defeated South Australia 8.6.54 Goals WA Gourdis Notte Palmer 3 McGinnity Morton Sampey 2 Browne DeBoer Ellard Jacky Yarrin SA Staple 3 Carr Day Jesson Hartlett Wright Best WA Naitanui Browne Morton Palmer Pears Rance Rich SA Goodwood Petrenko Blesing Day Thompson Stable at Casey Fields (July 11) Western Australia won Division One remaining undefeated during the Championships. The Larke Medal for the Division One best and fairest was awarded to Western Australia's Cale Morton (Claremont). DIVISION 2 Tasmania 17.14.116 defeated Queensland 13.13.91 Goals Tasmania Bowden Cornelius 5 Bellchambers Collier Grima Joseph Mihocek Murphy O'Garey Queensland Stewart 5 Zorko 2 Davis Enright Jones Mulligan Rolfe Savage Best Tasmania Bowden O'Brien Bellchambers Grima Williams Cornelius. Queensland Gibson Stewart Headland Whitecross Daye. at SCG. (June 23) NSW/ACT 20.11.131 defeated Northern Territory 12.11.83 Goals NSW/ACT Walker 5 McGregor 4 McIntyre 3 Colvin Davis 2 Cleaver Davies Drum Terlich NT Rolfe 3 Stokes Motlop Campbell Calma-Holt Farmer Fittock Oliver C Rioli Shannon Rioli Best NSW/ACT McGregor Bird Wilson Woods Davis Overs. NT Fittock Oliver Sharples C Rioli Snowdon Stokes. at Telstra Stadium (June 23) Northern Territory 13.12.90 defeated Tasmania 5.15.45 Goals NT Rolfe 4 Whitehurst 3 Motlop 2 Calma-Holt Phoenix Shannon Rioli Talbot Tasmania Bowden 2 McShane O’Garey Rohizat Best NT Wonaeamirri C Rioli Fittock Liddle Rolfe Motlop Stokes Tasmania Williams Bowden Joseph Murphy Sheean Collier at Skilled Stadium (July 5) NSW/ACT 15.19.109 defeated Queensland 7.5.47 Goals NSW/ACT Bird McGregor McIntyre 3 Breust 2 Armstrong Davies Terlich Walker Queensland Daye Fewkes Magin Mulligan Spackman Whitecross Zorko Best NSW/ACT Ediriwickrama Davies Drum Bruce Breust Bird Queensland Gibson Mulligan Zorko Pantic Headland at Skilled Stadium (July 5) Northern Territory 17.9.111 defeated Queensland 12.13.85 Goals NT C Rioli 7 Rolfe Whitehurst 4 Motlop Stewart Rioli Queensland Zorko 3 Magin Mulligan Stewart 2 Enright Fewkes Hill Best NT Oliver C Rioli Wonaeamirri Liddle Rolfe Sharples Whitehurst Queensland Zorko Gibson Stewart Brittain Headland Reid at Victoria Park Collingwood (July 10) NSW/ACT 20.13.133 defeated Tasmania 13.14.92 Goals NSW/ACT McGregor 3 Breust Colvin Davies Davis Ediriwickrama Terlich 2 Bird Reed Stroobants Walker Wilson Tasmania Bowden Shade Cornelius Shade 2 Collier Hewitt Hislop Joseph Mihocek O’Garey Salter Best NSW/ACT Bird Ediriwickrama Breust McGregor Reed Davies Cleaver Tasmania Joseph Salter Cornelius Bowden Collier Bellchambers at Victoria Park, Collingwood (July 10) NSW-ACT won Division Two remaining undefeated during the Championships The Hunter Harrison Medal for the Division Two best and fairest was awarded to Craig Bird (Nelson Bay, NSW). THE NAB MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS Vic Metro - Matthew Kreuzer Vic Country - Nick Suban South Australia - Levy Greenwood Western Australia - Rhys Palmer Tasmania - Aaron Joseph Queensland - Dayne Zorko Northern Territory - Austin Wonaeamirri NSW/ACT - Craig Bird 2007 UNDER 18 ALL-AUSTRALIA TEAM Defenders Nick Suban (Vic Country) Michael Hurley (Vic Metro) Alex Rance (Western Australia) Scott Selwood (Vic Country) Tom Collier (Tasmania) David Myers (Western Australia) Midfielders Daniel Rich (Western Australia) Rhys Palmer (Western Australia) Cale Morton (Western Australia) Matthew Kreuzer (Vic Metro) Craig Bird (NSW/ACT) Chris Masten (Western Australia) Forwards Brad Ebert (South Australia) Ben McEvoy (Vic Country) Jack Grimes (Vic Metro) Addam Maric (Vic Metro) Aaron Cornelius (Tasmania) Cyril Rioli (Northern Territory) Interchange Nick Naitanui (Western Australia) Aaron Joseph (Tasmania) Patrick McGinnity (Western Australia) Taylor Walker (NSW/ACT) Coach Gerard McNeill Assistant Coach Danny Stevens

by Whispering Jack Casey Fields in Cranbourne was the venue for the final day of the Australian Under 18 Champions and I was there last Wednesday just to watch the footy and to see if I could pick a favourite or two among the prospective draftees who the AFL clubs will be lining up to recruit when the 2007 NAB AFL Draft is held on the Gold Coast during Schoolies Week in November. I've been interested in this level of football for many years since one of my own sons was a member of the squad that trained together under the legendary Ray Jordan and the late "Nobby" Clarke on the very first day of training for the then Central (later Prahran and now Sandringham) Dragons in 1991. He dislocated a shoulder on the eve of the team's first practice match and never got to play for them but my godson later became a member of the Dragons' team in the mid nineties and I followed them closely for a while. The standard of the TAC Cup competition was pretty high in those days – probably even higher than the standard I saw from the teams at Casey Fields on Wednesday where a lot of athletes ran around in perfect conditions playing a form of basketball on grass in front of a thousand spectators, most of them AFL talent scouts, parents, family friends and interested onlookers. There was of course an exception to the rule about the standard of the teams and that was the West Australians – they were head and shoulders above the South Australians and dominated them as they did the Victorian Metro and the Victorian Country teams before them. Needless to say, when the All Australian Under 18 team for the championships was read out, the Sandgropers dominated as well providing eight out of 22 and that was after leaving quite a few who were unlucky to miss out. Between the two Victorian teams there were seven All Australians while South Australia provided only one player. The rest came from three of the Division Two states with last year's surprise packet Queensland, failing to produce any this year. Those states had played their finals a day earlier at a different venue and I didn't get to see them either in the flesh or on film this year. I was watching the game in close proximity to Michael Voss might have had other things on his mind that day in light of the release of certain video film of a late night brawl that took place after last year's grand final. Voss handled a film crew that approached him with the sort of steely eyed firmness that you want to see from a future coach. Anyhow, Voss was there because he's had something to do with preparing some of the players on show when he was an assistant to AIS/AFL high-performance coach Alan McConnell with the AIS/AFL academy squad in 2006-07. He has gone on record as saying that he is greatly highly impressed by 2007 All-Australian midfielder/forward Brad Ebert who he regards as having "the necessary equipment to step up in 2008". So if he gets the gig at Carlton or Melbourne, there’s a possible pointer to how the first draft selection at that club might fall. I'm not a talent scout and I probably view these games far differently to the way the professionals would. For my part, I was more specifically focussing on which player I would adopt as my favourite from the carnival to be selected first at the end of the year by my team, the Demons. Two years ago, I saw Nathan Jones playing in the middle for Vic Metro and he caught my fancy knowing that Melbourne would be getting a late first rounder that year. It was a fluke that he was eventually was taken at # 12 by our very own Craig Cameron but it gave me some bragging rights for a while – until 2006 when I plumbed for Bachar Houli who was Essendon's fifth selection at number 42 overall. I must admit that James Frawley wasn't even on my radar but I applaud the selection with the advantage of hindsight. My interest in the draft has of course been heightened during the course of the year because the selections in the draft work in reverse proportion to the way your team performs and my team’s performance in 2007 thus far has been pretty much diabolical. However, while the Demons are sitting second from last, my expectation is that they will climb the ladder by one position before year's end. That's on the basis of my suspicion that Carlton will continue to play as a rabble while the Dennis Pagan fiasco continues and that the Blues will be content to muddle their way through the remainder of the season without winning a game thereby gaining the dubious distinction of being the inaugural charity case first round priority draft pick "winner" under the new priority system. This scenario would leave Melbourne with pick # 4 as its first selection. The process of selecting my draft "hero" from the games I saw was complicated by the fact that I didn't have the advantage that the experts have of seeing these players in their normal environments during the season as I was only going on one "live" viewing. Another complication was the fact that a few of the most talented players I saw going around are too young for this year's draft. All Australian kids like Nicholas Naitanui (WA), Daniel Rich (WA), Michael Hurley (VM) and Nick Suban (VC) are going to be the headline names in 12 months time but not this year. The same goes for Tasmania’s Aaron Cornelius who I didn't see but who, according to the track watchers, is going to be an absolute ripper. Still, I was more interested in finding the absolute ripper of 2007 and not 2008. The general view before the Carnival was that two Northern Knights players, Matthew Kreuzer and Trent Cotchin would quinella the draft. Kreuzer, a 199cm ruckman who can also play as a key forward and plays on the ball almost like a midfielder had a good enough carnival to make All Australian. He was pretty impressive against Vic Country with his cat like movement that is so uncharacteristic of a player closing in on two metres in height. He remains the favourite for the # 1 pick. Cotchin, on the other hand, had a poor carnival. Previously touted as a player with Judd like qualities, he was heavily tagged in the opening game against WA and he struggled throughout. On Wednesday, he showed glimpses of ability playing off halfback but was off for the last quarter. The word is that he might have been carrying an injury, that he remains in top five contention and is still probably top three. West Australia's outstanding carnival threw up a few real contenders who could upset the equation of a Northern Knights quinella on draft day. The most obvious improver in the rankings was Larke Medal winner Cale Morton, brother of West Coast's Mitch and Hawthorn's Jarryd. The 17 year old is a tall midfielder at 192cm and is all class. I couldn't detect any weaknesses in his play which was reminiscent of James Hird. The Bomber champion was a bargain when selected at pick # 79 in the 1990 National Draft but Morton won't come so cheap. He is certain to push his way into the top three and could even go at number one - he's that good! Well, that's the top three at the moment but if Melbourne is to collect pick # 4 at the November Draft, then I have to look further for my draft "hero" who will come from the following players:- Ben McEvoy - like Kreuzer, he stands at 199cm and plays ruck, is mobile and could also play in a key position. On the day, he marked more strongly than Kreuzer and, though I was told he looked tired after a hard, tough slog in the mud on the previous Friday, he appeared to me to be getting stronger as the game went on. He's a bit like St. Kilda’s Justin Koschitzke (when he’s playing well) but tougher. Brad Ebert - a tough midfielder with polish who comes from the famous SA footballing family. Ebert was one of the few prospects who showed anything in SA's capitulation to WA. Chris Masten - one of WA's ball magnet midfielders, Masten is a hard worker and already a leader having captained his state to the Teal Cup victory. Others to impress and who will feature in the running for top ten were West Australians David Myers (a dashing half back flanker), Patrick McGinnity (a midfielder used in a run with role), Alex Rance (a key position defender and son of a former West Coast skipper and Bulldog player, Murray Rance) and Rhys Palmer who gets a lot of the ball but his disposal wasn't all that great on Wednesday. Another player who could figure high in the selections would be Vic Metro skipper Jack Grimes who is a well balanced midfielder and an outstanding leader who has good hands. I've also been told that one can't overlook Tasmanians Tom Collier and Tom Bellchambers or NT's Cyril Rioli. For the moment however, I have to stick with Ben McEvoy who hails from Kelly Country. His name reminds me of the words of that immortal Aussie classic about a famous bushranger who gets fixed up by a judge of the same name. The McEvoys might have been on the right side of the law but this young fellow is my wild colonial boy for 2007. [KEVIN SHEEHAN AGREES] AFL NATIONAL UNDER 18 CHAMPIONSHIPS DIVISION 1 Western Australia 15.16.106 defeated Vic Metro 8.10.58 Goals WA Palmer 5 Ellard Jacky Sampey Yarran 2 Garlett Morton Vic Metro Maric 3 Grimes 2 Kreuzer Meredith Sullivan Best WA Palmer McGinnity Morton Starling Pears Ellard. Vic Metro Kreuzer Hurley Farmer Simpson Sullivan Lobbe at Subiaco Oval (June 30) South Australia 17. 10 (112) defeated Vic Country 9.8 (62) Goals SA Wright 4 Hartlett 3 Carr Jesson 2 Broadbent Ebert Hicks Millar Stable White Vic Country Kay 3 Blaser Hockey McKenna Michaelides Normington Steven Best SA Greenwood Stable Petrenko Ebert Blesing Wright Walsh Fairclough Vic Country McKenna Kangars Hockey Suban Kay Curnow At AAMI Stadium (July 1) Western Australia 9.14.68 defeated Vic Country 3.7.25 Goals WA Ellard Masten Morton 2 Garlett Palmer Yarran Vic Country Bell Hobbs McKenna Best WA Palmer Pears Myers Masten Garlett Morton Rich Vic Country Hobbs Suban Selwood Austin McEvoy Hinkley at MC Labour Park (July 6) Vic Metro 7.7.49 defeated South Australia 3.5.23 Goals Vic Metro Potts 4 DeBruin Grant Maric SA Holmes Staple White Best Vic Metro Farmer Polkinghorne Potts Kreuzer Hurley Grimes SA McNamara Day Broadbent Greenwood Ebert Blesing at MC Labour Park (July 6) Vic Metro 17.8.110 defeated Vic Country 9.8.62 Goals Vic Metro Maric 4 Grant Grimes 3 Arrowsmith Cattapan Daniher Kreuzer Polkinghorne Potts Simpson Vic Country Gaylor 3 Kay 2 Ford Hall Normington Selwood Best Vic Metro Hurley Simpson Cattapan Farmer Grimes Kreuzer Maric Vic Country McEvoy Suban Austin Curnow Kangars Normington Selwood at Casey Fields (July 11) Western Australia 20.11.131 defeated South Australia 8.6.54 Goals WA Gourdis Notte Palmer 3 McGinnity Morton Sampey 2 Browne DeBoer Ellard Jacky Yarrin SA Staple 3 Carr Day Jesson Hartlett Wright Best WA Naitanui Browne Morton Palmer Pears Rance Rich SA Goodwood Petrenko Blesing Day Thompson Stable at Casey Fields (July 11) Western Australia won Division One remaining undefeated during the Championships. The Larke Medal for the Division One best and fairest was awarded to Western Australia's Cale Morton (Claremont). DIVISION 2 Tasmania 17.14.116 defeated Queensland 13.13.91 Goals Tasmania Bowden Cornelius 5 Bellchambers Collier Grima Joseph Mihocek Murphy O'Garey Queensland Stewart 5 Zorko 2 Davis Enright Jones Mulligan Rolfe Savage Best Tasmania Bowden O'Brien Bellchambers Grima Williams Cornelius. Queensland Gibson Stewart Headland Whitecross Daye. at SCG. (June 23) NSW/ACT 20.11.131 defeated Northern Territory 12.11.83 Goals NSW/ACT Walker 5 McGregor 4 McIntyre 3 Colvin Davis 2 Cleaver Davies Drum Terlich NT Rolfe 3 Stokes Motlop Campbell Calma-Holt Farmer Fittock Oliver C Rioli Shannon Rioli Best NSW/ACT McGregor Bird Wilson Woods Davis Overs. NT Fittock Oliver Sharples C Rioli Snowdon Stokes. at Telstra Stadium (June 23) Northern Territory 13.12.90 defeated Tasmania 5.15.45 Goals NT Rolfe 4 Whitehurst 3 Motlop 2 Calma-Holt Phoenix Shannon Rioli Talbot Tasmania Bowden 2 McShane O’Garey Rohizat Best NT Wonaeamirri C Rioli Fittock Liddle Rolfe Motlop Stokes Tasmania Williams Bowden Joseph Murphy Sheean Collier at Skilled Stadium (July 5) NSW/ACT 15.19.109 defeated Queensland 7.5.47 Goals NSW/ACT Bird McGregor McIntyre 3 Breust 2 Armstrong Davies Terlich Walker Queensland Daye Fewkes Magin Mulligan Spackman Whitecross Zorko Best NSW/ACT Ediriwickrama Davies Drum Bruce Breust Bird Queensland Gibson Mulligan Zorko Pantic Headland at Skilled Stadium (July 5) Northern Territory 17.9.111 defeated Queensland 12.13.85 Goals NT C Rioli 7 Rolfe Whitehurst 4 Motlop Stewart Rioli Queensland Zorko 3 Magin Mulligan Stewart 2 Enright Fewkes Hill Best NT Oliver C Rioli Wonaeamirri Liddle Rolfe Sharples Whitehurst Queensland Zorko Gibson Stewart Brittain Headland Reid at Victoria Park Collingwood (July 10) NSW/ACT 20.13.133 defeated Tasmania 13.14.92 Goals NSW/ACT McGregor 3 Breust Colvin Davies Davis Ediriwickrama Terlich 2 Bird Reed Stroobants Walker Wilson Tasmania Bowden Shade Cornelius Shade 2 Collier Hewitt Hislop Joseph Mihocek O’Garey Salter Best NSW/ACT Bird Ediriwickrama Breust McGregor Reed Davies Cleaver Tasmania Joseph Salter Cornelius Bowden Collier Bellchambers at Victoria Park, Collingwood (July 10) NSW-ACT won Division Two remaining undefeated during the Championships The Hunter Harrison Medal for the Division Two best and fairest was awarded to Craig Bird (Nelson Bay, NSW). THE NAB MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS Vic Metro - Matthew Kreuzer Vic Country - Nick Suban South Australia - Levy Greenwood Western Australia - Rhys Palmer Tasmania - Aaron Joseph Queensland - Dayne Zorko Northern Territory - Austin Wonaeamirri NSW/ACT - Craig Bird 2007 UNDER 18 ALL-AUSTRALIA TEAM Defenders Nick Suban (Vic Country) Michael Hurley (Vic Metro) Alex Rance (Western Australia) Scott Selwood (Vic Country) Tom Collier (Tasmania) David Myers (Western Australia) Midfielders Daniel Rich (Western Australia) Rhys Palmer (Western Australia) Cale Morton (Western Australia) Matthew Kreuzer (Vic Metro) Craig Bird (NSW/ACT) Chris Masten (Western Australia) Forwards Brad Ebert (South Australia) Ben McEvoy (Vic Country) Jack Grimes (Vic Metro) Addam Maric (Vic Metro) Aaron Cornelius (Tasmania) Cyril Rioli (Northern Territory) Interchange Nick Naitanui (Western Australia) Aaron Joseph (Tasmania) Patrick McGinnity (Western Australia) Taylor Walker (NSW/ACT) Coach Gerard McNeill Assistant Coach Danny Stevens

by Bananabender It was not for the first time this year that the Demons turned up for a game of football unprepared. A little under thirty minutes into their "home" match they were scoreless, trailed the 13th placed Brisbane Lions by 41 points and had been well and truly pantsed for at least the second time in the day. The first "pantsing" came when the team arrived in Brisbane and it was discovered that the property steward had mistakenly packed a set of white away shorts for the game. Given that this was only the seventh year in a row that Melbourne had "sold out" a "home" match to play at the Gabba, you would have thought the organization could have gotten such a simple task as choice of attire right? I travelled from Far North Queensland with two other Demon supporters, departing in the early hours of Friday the Thirteenth and arriving only hours before the game. Despite the fact that we're all a bunch of uncouth slobs, we managed to pack our supplies almost perfectly. We had the ciggies in the glove box, the tinnies packed in the esky sitting down back in the station wagon and the only thing any one of us forgot was Moose's toothbrush and that's more or less superfluous anyway on account of him not being used to regular brushing and the fact that he lacks quite a few teeth anyway. At least he remembered to bring his only pair of matching thongs for the journey! But for a so-called professional football club to come out in that fashion is an unforgivable lapse. If the people running the team are confused, then what can you expect from the players? Don’t try to answer that question. It's rhetorical! In any event, we got exactly the confusion we should expect after that in the form of the second "pantsing". This came in the manner in which the team was so completely outplayed in every facet of the game that the fat lady sitting in the row in front of me began warbling well before the siren mercifully ended the first quarter. At the time when she started limbering up her vocal chords, the Demons had still not troubled the scorer while the Lions had put six goals five behinds on the board thanks to four from Jonathan Brown who out muscled an embarrassed Brad Miller to the tune of four goals. That wasn't entirely Miller's fault because the Brisbane midfield was pretty much dominant and, if the on ballers didn't push the ball forward with immediacy, then their defence was in total control so it didn't matter very much; the Demons were simply swamped. By some miracle however, they managed to finally get the ball to another Brown (Nathan) for a goal late in the first term. Hallelujah! I mustn't be too harsh on the Demons. They did have a young side on the park and a coach who was in control of a team at this level for only the second time up against a wily veteran who has been doing his thing for two decades and four premiership flags. Before that, he was a champion player for a long time - possibly the best of them all. In the event, Melbourne's lack of winning experience and its overall lack of preparation showed out on the night. Riley certainly can't be held responsible for the team's horrendous injury list or the way the team has been prepared this year. It's been well publicised that the Demons went through a pre season that saw most of the players lose weight and reduce their skinfolds in order to bring out the athleticism required to play the game. I have to believe on what I saw that the experiment was ill founded. The theory appears to overlook the fact that, despite the efforts of the rules committee, the game still requires an element of muscle and physicality that simply isn't evident among most of the Melbourne players. If Brad Miller is supposed to be a key position player, then he'll inevitably come up against a brute like Jonathan Brown at some stage. His pre season training certainly hasn't equipped him for that task. Nor did that training add any pace to the side because the Demons were generally outrun for most of the night. And then you have to question why there are so many players out with soft tissue injuries. There are some areas however, that the coach is responsible for and I question his slow reaction time to Brisbane's initial onslaught. Melbourne has been slow to start most of the year (recent examples are the Richmond and Essendon games) but I didn't see much of an effort to close up the game until we were into the second quarter. And the space in front of the leading Brown was more or less open for most of the evening. Then there was the poor discipline on the field with Aaron Davey, Colin Sylvia and youngster Michael Newton all losing their cool at times. Such things are unacceptable and Riley needs to deal with them before things really get out of hand. Perhaps the most obvious problem however, was the one-dimensional nature of the forward line. The team seemed focussed on going to Robbo who was well covered by an extra man dropping back into his region. Melbourne's delivery to him was appalling so it wasn't difficult for the Lions defenders to swoop on the ball and move it from defence to attack with consummate ease. The Demons badly needed another avenue to goal but unfortunately, this was only opened up in junk time in the final quarter when a number of goals to different individuals made things look a bit more respectable. There wasn't much for the fans to be happy about but I suppose young blokes like Brock McLean (the standout for mine), Sylvia, Nathan Jones, Matthew Bate, Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, James Frawley, Chris Johnson, Paul Johnson and Newton all learned a valuable lesson on what's required to succeed at this level. However, they still have a long way to go. Of the more experienced players, Jeff White, Paul Wheatley, Nathan Brown and Nathan Carroll (when moved onto Brown) played their hearts out but that's not enough when your team's being pantsed. The club's lack of professionalism was demonstrated when only a few of the younger players were introduced to the waiting crowd of fans at the after game function. The young blokes were good but that's not good enough. The senior players should have fronted the fans if only for a few minutes. Some of these fans have waited a long time for their team to come to this part of the world. Others travelled a long way to see the game. They deserved to have been treated with a bit more respect by the club and by the team. But what do you expect from an outfit that displayed such an appalling lack of professionalism as was shown to the football world both on and off the field last night? The only thing that's left to be said is that whatever review the club undertakes now that the season's "done and dusted" will need to be a lot more far reaching than just the coaching position if its 150th anniversary year is to be both successful and memorable. Meanwhile, despite the fact that the boys and I have nothing to celebrate this morning, we're going to spend the day working on demolishing the contents of our esky if for nothing else than to forget everything that happened last night. Melbourne 1.0.6 3.4.22 5.8.38 12.10.82 Brisbane Lions 6.5.41 7.12.54 14.14.98 18.18.126 Goals Melbourne Davey 4 White 2 Brown Godfrey Jones McLean Robertson Sylvia Brisbane Lions Brown 6 Copeland 3 Brennan 2 Adcock Drummond Leuenberger McGrath Notting Power Rischitelli Best Melbourne McLean Brown White Wheatley Davey Sylvia Brisbane Lions Brown Power Lappin Copeland Drummond Changes Cameron Bruce (hamstring) replaced in the selected side by Colin Garland Injuries Nil Reports Joel Macdonald (Brisbane Lions) for wrestling in the third quarter. Colin Sylvia (Melbourne) for wrestling in the third quarter. Umpires Ellis Nicholls Pannell Crowd 22,708 at the Gabba

Our correspondent travelled a long way to make it to last night's game and he's not happy ... PANTSED by Bananabender It was not for the first time this year that the Demons turned up for a game of football unprepared. A little under thirty minutes into their "home" match they were scoreless, trailed the 13th placed Brisbane Lions by 41 points and had been well and truly pantsed for at least the second time in the day. The first "pantsing" came when the team arrived in Brisbane and it was discovered that the property steward had mistakenly packed a set of white away shorts for the game. Given that this was only the seventh year in a row that Melbourne had "sold out" a "home" match to play at the Gabba, you would have thought the organization could have gotten such a simple task as choice of attire right? I travelled from Far North Queensland with two other Demon supporters, departing in the early hours of Friday the Thirteenth and arriving only hours before the game. Despite the fact that we're all a bunch of uncouth slobs, we managed to pack our supplies almost perfectly. We had the ciggies in the glove box, the tinnies packed in the esky sitting down back in the station wagon and the only thing any one of us forgot was Moose's toothbrush and that's more or less superfluous anyway on account of him not being used to regular brushing and the fact that he lacks quite a few teeth anyway. At least he remembered to bring his only pair of matching thongs for the journey! But for a so-called professional football club to come out in that fashion is an unforgivable lapse. If the people running the team are confused, then what can you expect from the players? Don’t try to answer that question. It's rhetorical! In any event, we got exactly the confusion we should expect after that in the form of the second "pantsing". This came in the manner in which the team was so completely outplayed in every facet of the game that the fat lady sitting in the row in front of me began warbling well before the siren mercifully ended the first quarter. At the time when she started limbering up her vocal chords, the Demons had still not troubled the scorer while the Lions had put six goals five behinds on the board thanks to four from Jonathan Brown who out muscled an embarrassed Brad Miller to the tune of four goals. That wasn't entirely Miller's fault because the Brisbane midfield was pretty much dominant and, if the on ballers didn't push the ball forward with immediacy, then their defence was in total control so it didn't matter very much; the Demons were simply swamped. By some miracle however, they managed to finally get the ball to another Brown (Nathan) for a goal late in the first term. Hallelujah! I mustn't be too harsh on the Demons. They did have a young side on the park and a coach who was in control of a team at this level for only the second time up against a wily veteran who has been doing his thing for two decades and four premiership flags. Before that, he was a champion player for a long time - possibly the best of them all. In the event, Melbourne's lack of winning experience and its overall lack of preparation showed out on the night. Riley certainly can't be held responsible for the team's horrendous injury list or the way the team has been prepared this year. It's been well publicised that the Demons went through a pre season that saw most of the players lose weight and reduce their skinfolds in order to bring out the athleticism required to play the game. I have to believe on what I saw that the experiment was ill founded. The theory appears to overlook the fact that, despite the efforts of the rules committee, the game still requires an element of muscle and physicality that simply isn't evident among most of the Melbourne players. If Brad Miller is supposed to be a key position player, then he'll inevitably come up against a brute like Jonathan Brown at some stage. His pre season training certainly hasn't equipped him for that task. Nor did that training add any pace to the side because the Demons were generally outrun for most of the night. And then you have to question why there are so many players out with soft tissue injuries. There are some areas however, that the coach is responsible for and I question his slow reaction time to Brisbane's initial onslaught. Melbourne has been slow to start most of the year (recent examples are the Richmond and Essendon games) but I didn't see much of an effort to close up the game until we were into the second quarter. And the space in front of the leading Brown was more or less open for most of the evening. Then there was the poor discipline on the field with Aaron Davey, Colin Sylvia and youngster Michael Newton all losing their cool at times. Such things are unacceptable and Riley needs to deal with them before things really get out of hand. Perhaps the most obvious problem however, was the one-dimensional nature of the forward line. The team seemed focussed on going to Robbo who was well covered by an extra man dropping back into his region. Melbourne's delivery to him was appalling so it wasn't difficult for the Lions defenders to swoop on the ball and move it from defence to attack with consummate ease. The Demons badly needed another avenue to goal but unfortunately, this was only opened up in junk time in the final quarter when a number of goals to different individuals made things look a bit more respectable. There wasn't much for the fans to be happy about but I suppose young blokes like Brock McLean (the standout for mine), Sylvia, Nathan Jones, Matthew Bate, Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, James Frawley, Chris Johnson, Paul Johnson and Newton all learned a valuable lesson on what's required to succeed at this level. However, they still have a long way to go. Of the more experienced players, Jeff White, Paul Wheatley, Nathan Brown and Nathan Carroll (when moved onto Brown) played their hearts out but that's not enough when your team's being pantsed. The club's lack of professionalism was demonstrated when only a few of the younger players were introduced to the waiting crowd of fans at the after game function. The young blokes were good but that's not good enough. The senior players should have fronted the fans if only for a few minutes. Some of these fans have waited a long time for their team to come to this part of the world. Others travelled a long way to see the game. They deserved to have been treated with a bit more respect by the club and by the team. But what do you expect from an outfit that displayed such an appalling lack of professionalism as was shown to the football world both on and off the field last night? The only thing that's left to be said is that whatever review the club undertakes now that the season's "done and dusted" will need to be a lot more far reaching than just the coaching position if its 150th anniversary year is to be both successful and memorable. Meanwhile, despite the fact that the boys and I have nothing to celebrate this morning, we're going to spend the day working on demolishing the contents of our esky if for nothing else than to forget everything that happened last night. Melbourne 1.0.6 3.4.22 5.8.38 12.10.82 Brisbane Lions 6.5.41 7.12.54 14.14.98 18.18.126 Goals Melbourne Davey 4 White 2 Brown Godfrey Jones McLean Robertson Sylvia Brisbane Lions Brown 6 Copeland 3 Brennan 2 Adcock Drummond Leuenberger McGrath Notting Power Rischitelli Best Melbourne McLean Brown White Wheatley Davey Sylvia Brisbane Lions Brown Power Lappin Copeland Drummond Changes Cameron Bruce (hamstring) replaced in the selected side by Colin Garland Injuries Nil Reports Joel Macdonald (Brisbane Lions) for wrestling in the third quarter. Colin Sylvia (Melbourne) for wrestling in the third quarter. Umpires Ellis Nicholls Pannell Crowd 22,708 at the Gabba

by The Oracle Saturday night's game between Melbourne and Brisbane will be an historic occasion. Hopefully, it will be the last time ever that Melbourne hosts the Lions at their own home ground. For half a decade the Demons have defied that old slogan about never giving a sucker an even break by doing that and more. They have given up valuable home ground advantage to a rival club from interstate for thirty pieces of silver or some near modern day equivalent. This week's game is between the 13th and the 15th placed sides in the competition which suggests they are both evenly matched and therefore home ground advantage must be considered significant in these circumstances. Unfortunately, money talks all languages and, as a consequence, it's been a matter of financial survival ahead of on-field results for the Demons. Thankfully, this situation will soon be a thing of the past and Melbourne will never have to call The Gabba "home" again. The lowly placing of the competing teams and their poor win/loss records also suggest that this contest is unlikely to create much interest among the general football public. However, that changed significantly in the past week or so with both clubs recording dramatic wins at their last up starts. The Brisbane Lions produced what you would have to call a rare coup these days for coach Leigh Matthews. His team took advantage of the Eagles' apparent cockiness and the brouhaha surrounding the selection/non-selection of Ben Cousins to give their hosts a real mauling on their home turf at Subiaco. To my mind, the Lions played the game and the ground in the way that former Melbourne coach Neale Daniher might have envisaged at the beginning of the year when he tried to instill the "run and carry" formula into his team. What Matthews did better however, was that he ensured his charges maintained constant pressure on the Eagles. It started in their midfield and consequently the pressure was maintained all around the ground. In this way the Lions managed to starve the West Coast forward line where they were perceived to have weaknesses. The ploy worked and now the Lions deserve their heavy favouritism to make it two in a row against the Dees. But Melbourne also had a rare victory at the weekend, even if it wasn't against such an illustrious opponent as the reigning premier. Indeed, the Demons won their game against a pitiful Carlton combination bereft of its three most influential players Nick Stevens, Lance Whitnall and the erratic and the unpredictable Brendan Fevola. Of course the Demons also had a cast of thousands missing from the game. They were without names like Neitz, Johnstone, Bartram. Bell, Bruce, Green, Moloney, Pickett, Rivers and Yze leaving them with one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams to run out on the MCG in recent years. To their credit, they rose to the occasion and came home with the points for new coach Mark Riley and recorded their highest score for the year along the way. I have a good feeling about this game and I say that without even consulting my crystal ball. The logic behind my thinking is that the Lions' victory was so unexpected in an otherwise barren year that it has been magnified into what was virtually the club’s grand final victory for 2007. What usually follows such occasions is one gigantic let down. That is exactly what I predict for the Lions on Saturday night. THE GAME Melbourne v. Brisbane at the Gabba, Saturday, July 14, 7.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 17 wins Brisbane 12 wins At the Gabba Melbourne 5 wins Brisbane 8 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 3 wins Brisbane 4 wins The Coaches Riley 0 wins Matthews 0 wins MEDIA: TV - Foxtel Channel 1 @ 7:00pm RADIO - ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $2.40 Brisbane to win $1.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 14.14.98 defeated Brisbane 13.12.90, Round 14, 2006, at the Gabba It was a lacklustre game and the Demons couldn't get out of first gear as they struggled against a Brisbane combination that was inspired by full forward Daniel Bradshaw's damaging work in front of goal. The Lions' spearhead finished with 8 goals and was virtually unbeatable on the night. Melbourne surged a number of times and it took some Davey magic to steady the ship and see the Demons home by 8 points in an unconvincing display. The game will also be remembered for the way Mal Michael nonchalantly booted the ball right through Melbourne's goals to concede a point even though he could easily have cleared the ball the other way. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll James Frawley Half backs Lynden Dunn Clint Bizzell Nathan Brown Centreline Paul Wheatley James McDonald Cameron Bruce Half forwards Simon Godfrey Russell Robertson Aaron Davey Forwards Colin Sylvia Brad Miller Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Chris Johnson Paul Johnson Michael Newton Emergencies Colin Garland Ben Holland Brent Moloney In Cameron Bruce Out Ricky Petterd (punctured lung) BRISBANE Backs Robert Copeland Daniel Merrett Jason Roe Half backs Jed Adcock Josh Drummond Jared Brennan Centreline Tim Notting Nigel Lappin Cheynee Stiller Half forwards Joel Macdonald Jonathan Brown Troy Selwood Forwards Michael Rischitelli Matthew Leuenberger Joel Patfull Followers Jamie Charman Simon Black Luke Power Interchange Will Hamill Rhan Hooper Ashley McGrath Wayde Mills Emergencies Richard Hadley Scott Harding Cameron Wood In Ashley McGrath Out Colm Begley (shoulder) MATCHING UP I wanted to look at this game in the traditional way by considering some of the possible match ups. I started with the man who I believe to be the most influential player on both sides - Brisbane's Jonathan Brown. The Demons have no obvious match up and the prospect of the Lions' key power forward breaking loose at the Gabba is frightening. Centre half back Jared Rivers has already been ruled out for the season while Nathan Carroll suffered a bout of concussion last week as a result of that courageous mark in the last quarter. His chances of playing were 50:50 earlier in the week so he is an unlikely starting match up. I guess that leaves our old ever-reliable Clint Bizzell who was back with a vengeance in a most timely manner. He produced a strong performance last week with 22 touches and 15 marks. It would be wishful thinking to expect him to deliver such a wonderful set of figures against Brown but if he can keep up his form we are certain to be treated to an interesting duel in the Brisbane forward line. Staying with the big men, the contest in the ruck between Jamie Charman and Jeff White looms as another one of significance. Last week White blitzed in the ruck against Carlton but the Blues' midfielders sharked enough of his hit outs to win the clearance statistics. A recurrence of that this week is an awesome prospect to consider given that the opposition midfield boasts Nigel Lappin, Simon Black, Luke Power and co. Melbourne needs Brock McLean, who has endured some heavy tagging of recent weeks, to come back to his best form. James McDonald is sure to be his usual reliable hard tackling self and Nathan Jones will work hard in the packs. Simon Godfrey will probably take on Lappin or Black but the Dees will need to be at their very best here. The midfield duels, as always, be the key and the Demons are at a disadvantage with so many of their talented outside midfielders looking on from over the other side of the fence. However, they have some interesting youngsters standing by in the wings whose youthful exuberance and enthusiasm could surprise. Melbourne will again be relying on the younger brigade to continue its improvement of recent weeks. Matthew Bate, Lynden Dunn and Michael Newton are all starting to show something above the ordinary. The trio was recruited in the same draft and they played in the same team in an AFL game for the first time against Carlton last week giving them a 100% success rate together. I would suggest that this will be the first of many. Speaking of a 100% success rate, let's not forget that Melbourne coach Mark Riley remains unbeaten as coach of the club. However, that statistic might not make up for the unevenness in experience when matching him up with rival coach Leigh Matthews who has been around for a long time and coached four premiership teams. In the final analysis I'm going for the Demons to win because, as I suggested above, I believe that the effort from the Lions on the other side of the continent last week will have left them emotionally drained for this contest. They will return home to reality and succumb on Saturday night to an enthusiastic young Melbourne team by 10 points.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME by The Oracle Saturday night's game between Melbourne and Brisbane will be an historic occasion. Hopefully, it will be the last time ever that Melbourne hosts the Lions at their own home ground. For half a decade the Demons have defied that old slogan about never giving a sucker an even break by doing that and more. They have given up valuable home ground advantage to a rival club from interstate for thirty pieces of silver or some near modern day equivalent. This week's game is between the 13th and the 15th placed sides in the competition which suggests they are both evenly matched and therefore home ground advantage must be considered significant in these circumstances. Unfortunately, money talks all languages and, as a consequence, it's been a matter of financial survival ahead of on-field results for the Demons. Thankfully, this situation will soon be a thing of the past and Melbourne will never have to call The Gabba "home" again. The lowly placing of the competing teams and their poor win/loss records also suggest that this contest is unlikely to create much interest among the general football public. However, that changed significantly in the past week or so with both clubs recording dramatic wins at their last up starts. The Brisbane Lions produced what you would have to call a rare coup these days for coach Leigh Matthews. His team took advantage of the Eagles' apparent cockiness and the brouhaha surrounding the selection/non-selection of Ben Cousins to give their hosts a real mauling on their home turf at Subiaco. To my mind, the Lions played the game and the ground in the way that former Melbourne coach Neale Daniher might have envisaged at the beginning of the year when he tried to instill the "run and carry" formula into his team. What Matthews did better however, was that he ensured his charges maintained constant pressure on the Eagles. It started in their midfield and consequently the pressure was maintained all around the ground. In this way the Lions managed to starve the West Coast forward line where they were perceived to have weaknesses. The ploy worked and now the Lions deserve their heavy favouritism to make it two in a row against the Dees. But Melbourne also had a rare victory at the weekend, even if it wasn't against such an illustrious opponent as the reigning premier. Indeed, the Demons won their game against a pitiful Carlton combination bereft of its three most influential players Nick Stevens, Lance Whitnall and the erratic and the unpredictable Brendan Fevola. Of course the Demons also had a cast of thousands missing from the game. They were without names like Neitz, Johnstone, Bartram. Bell, Bruce, Green, Moloney, Pickett, Rivers and Yze leaving them with one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams to run out on the MCG in recent years. To their credit, they rose to the occasion and came home with the points for new coach Mark Riley and recorded their highest score for the year along the way. I have a good feeling about this game and I say that without even consulting my crystal ball. The logic behind my thinking is that the Lions' victory was so unexpected in an otherwise barren year that it has been magnified into what was virtually the club’s grand final victory for 2007. What usually follows such occasions is one gigantic let down. That is exactly what I predict for the Lions on Saturday night. THE GAME Melbourne v. Brisbane at the Gabba, Saturday, July 14, 7.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 17 wins Brisbane 12 wins At the Gabba Melbourne 5 wins Brisbane 8 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 3 wins Brisbane 4 wins The Coaches Riley 0 wins Matthews 0 wins MEDIA: TV - Foxtel Channel 1 @ 7:00pm RADIO - ABC774 SEN THE BETTING Melbourne to win $2.40 Brisbane to win $1.50 LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 14.14.98 defeated Brisbane 13.12.90, Round 14, 2006, at the Gabba It was a lacklustre game and the Demons couldn't get out of first gear as they struggled against a Brisbane combination that was inspired by full forward Daniel Bradshaw's damaging work in front of goal. The Lions' spearhead finished with 8 goals and was virtually unbeatable on the night. Melbourne surged a number of times and it took some Davey magic to steady the ship and see the Demons home by 8 points in an unconvincing display. The game will also be remembered for the way Mal Michael nonchalantly booted the ball right through Melbourne's goals to concede a point even though he could easily have cleared the ball the other way. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll James Frawley Half backs Lynden Dunn Clint Bizzell Nathan Brown Centreline Paul Wheatley James McDonald Cameron Bruce Half forwards Simon Godfrey Russell Robertson Aaron Davey Forwards Colin Sylvia Brad Miller Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange Simon Buckley Chris Johnson Paul Johnson Michael Newton Emergencies Colin Garland Ben Holland Brent Moloney In Cameron Bruce Out Ricky Petterd (punctured lung) BRISBANE Backs Robert Copeland Daniel Merrett Jason Roe Half backs Jed Adcock Josh Drummond Jared Brennan Centreline Tim Notting Nigel Lappin Cheynee Stiller Half forwards Joel Macdonald Jonathan Brown Troy Selwood Forwards Michael Rischitelli Matthew Leuenberger Joel Patfull Followers Jamie Charman Simon Black Luke Power Interchange Will Hamill Rhan Hooper Ashley McGrath Wayde Mills Emergencies Richard Hadley Scott Harding Cameron Wood In Ashley McGrath Out Colm Begley (shoulder) MATCHING UP I wanted to look at this game in the traditional way by considering some of the possible match ups. I started with the man who I believe to be the most influential player on both sides - Brisbane's Jonathan Brown. The Demons have no obvious match up and the prospect of the Lions' key power forward breaking loose at the Gabba is frightening. Centre half back Jared Rivers has already been ruled out for the season while Nathan Carroll suffered a bout of concussion last week as a result of that courageous mark in the last quarter. His chances of playing were 50:50 earlier in the week so he is an unlikely starting match up. I guess that leaves our old ever-reliable Clint Bizzell who was back with a vengeance in a most timely manner. He produced a strong performance last week with 22 touches and 15 marks. It would be wishful thinking to expect him to deliver such a wonderful set of figures against Brown but if he can keep up his form we are certain to be treated to an interesting duel in the Brisbane forward line. Staying with the big men, the contest in the ruck between Jamie Charman and Jeff White looms as another one of significance. Last week White blitzed in the ruck against Carlton but the Blues' midfielders sharked enough of his hit outs to win the clearance statistics. A recurrence of that this week is an awesome prospect to consider given that the opposition midfield boasts Nigel Lappin, Simon Black, Luke Power and co. Melbourne needs Brock McLean, who has endured some heavy tagging of recent weeks, to come back to his best form. James McDonald is sure to be his usual reliable hard tackling self and Nathan Jones will work hard in the packs. Simon Godfrey will probably take on Lappin or Black but the Dees will need to be at their very best here. The midfield duels, as always, be the key and the Demons are at a disadvantage with so many of their talented outside midfielders looking on from over the other side of the fence. However, they have some interesting youngsters standing by in the wings whose youthful exuberance and enthusiasm could surprise. Melbourne will again be relying on the younger brigade to continue its improvement of recent weeks. Matthew Bate, Lynden Dunn and Michael Newton are all starting to show something above the ordinary. The trio was recruited in the same draft and they played in the same team in an AFL game for the first time against Carlton last week giving them a 100% success rate together. I would suggest that this will be the first of many. Speaking of a 100% success rate, let's not forget that Melbourne coach Mark Riley remains unbeaten as coach of the club. However, that statistic might not make up for the unevenness in experience when matching him up with rival coach Leigh Matthews who has been around for a long time and coached four premiership teams. In the final analysis I'm going for the Demons to win because, as I suggested above, I believe that the effort from the Lions on the other side of the continent last week will have left them emotionally drained for this contest. They will return home to reality and succumb on Saturday night to an enthusiastic young Melbourne team by 10 points.

He'll get as many as he wants to drink free! PS It's a secret recipe so the contents can't be revealed.

Nathan Jones and James McDonald overtook Cameron Bruce in his absence this week but it's a close call. 71. Nathan Jones 66. James McDonald 65. Cameron Bruce 57. Aaron Davey 55. Colin Sylvia 54. Daniel Bell 53. Jeff White 50. Matthew Bate 44. Brad Green 41. Travis Johnstone 37. Simon Godfrey 35. Brent Moloney 30. Ben Holland Russell Robertson 25. David Neitz 24. Adem Yze 23. Paul Wheatley 21. Clint Bizzell 20. Brad Miller Ricky Petterd 18. Jared Rivers 16. Nathan Brown 10. Brock McLean 9. Nathan Carroll 4. Daniel Ward 2. Paul Johnson 1. Lynden Dunn Michael Newton