Demonland

Thanks people. We have our official votes. I'll post the full standings at the halfway mark of the season later this evening.

Internet draft wizz kid Colin Wisbey has finally put together his predictions for the 2006 AFL National Draft selections. Here they are in full: PREFACE Because I pulled the plug early on posting my profiles at draft time, I've been re-writing my predictions list to include more comprehensive detail for most players than I normally would. This is taking a lot longer than I had anticipated, having to fit it in with more important work priorities. My predictions are based entirely on pre-draft. No consideration has been given to anything that has occurred since then. PREDICTIONS FOR "UNDER 18" 2006 AFL DRAFTEES I judge them to have "made AFL" when they have played a decent number of good AFL games over a sustained period (i.e. not merely getting games when their club's list is decimated by injuries, or due to just their size or pace presenting them with premature opportunities). The categories generally reflect players about whom I feel most confident in making predictions. This was a terrific draft, somewhat like 2001 but with greater depth. I believe there are many serious bargains in that I feel some clubs paid a very high price for certain players and that some others who I consider "sure fire" AFL were allowed to slip because they weren't a sexy height etc. In my honest opinion Essendon did very well in this "bargains" area. The following format is "Player (actual draft pick and club) [my pre-draft ranking]". Note: My ranking number does not necessarily reflect the draft pick I would use or would be necessary. (eg You don't pay a higher draft pick price than you think will be needed to get the player). In designating a ranking number, I try to come up a number that reflects both the relative upside and risk/concerns. Every Recruiting Manager (and staff) wrestles with the same exercise. eg You might think a player has great upside but that there is a significant doubt/concern about his likelihood of achieving it (perhaps through concerns about his current commitment or ability to overcome a current chronic injury etc). You might think another player has less upside but you are far more confident of him achieving it. Which player do you rank higher / get keener on? Furthermore, as of this draft I'm against ranking any specialist ruck in top 15 anyway. (Rucks tend to be more injury prone, take longer to return on investment, are more likely to have queries re bulking up, and there is historically a disproportionate success rate of late ruck picks over early ones). CATEGORY ONE - WILL BE TOP SHELF (roughly in the order of their upside but allowing for my level of confidence in them achieving it): GIBBS, Bryce (1 Carlton) [1] Standout. The footballer's footballer. Class midfielder. Very bottom-age but plug 'n play. Rises to the occasion. Quality kid with a professional approach to his footy already. Only flaws are "somewhat" one-sidedness (although he is one of those smart footballers who, through ability to think his way out of trouble, manages to avoid getting exposed) and lack of zip. Neither will cause him great concern at AFL level because he is smart enough to know where to run and how to cut the angles, and he has a great work-rate both ways (although needs to pay his own opponent more respect). He is neither as slow as his reputation would suggest nor quite as quick as his DC times suggest. The type who will surprise you by finishing up with 30 disposals when you might have guessed about 18. Not the type to carry the ball 50m or break the play open in the manner of a Judd but he just keeps on getting his own ball, keeps being in the right place at the right time, and routinely makes the smart decisions and has all the right hurt factors. There has been no more fail-safe AFL gun prospect since Griffen who I rate the most fail-safe since Hodge/Judd/Ball. In '06 SANFL Seniors, was named in the best in an incredible 10 of his 16 games (although surprisingly receiving Margery Medal votes in just 2), despite only turning 17 in March '06. Classy players are sometimes not noted for their tackling. Gibbs however regularly has a high tackle count and he is a very effective tackler. HAWKINS, Tom (41 Geelong) [2] Will be a gun FF/CHF. Already a man mountain but huge scope once chiselled down and conditioned. Style-wise, think of an early Lockett but who is team-orientated and works very hard both ways. Will take plenty of marks and kick plenty of goals but his career will also be noted for what he does to create opportunities for team-mates. Good hurt factors. Right footer (thumping kick) who rarely uses his left although he is actually quite good on it. Is often described as slow. He is no gazelle but his pace is underrated and I have no concerns whatsoever re his pace for AFL. He does nothing half-paced - he goes full bore and gets the most out of whatever his legs can produce. Terrific ethic and intensity, and not just for a huge man. Routinely chases and chases full bore. eg In game 2 of U18 Champs, chased a WA player for 70m, passing a team mate who couldn't be bothered - opponent had 15m start but Hawkins chased desperately and actually almost caught the opponent (who admittedly was running 3/4 pace). Mouth-watering prospect. JETTA, Leroy (18 Essendon) [5] Great talent if chooses to apply himself. X-factor. Better know by some as a quick, creative, flashy forward but, once he gets his tank right, I believe he will be a gun mid-fielder. Clever, courageous game-breaker. Fairly good decision-making and disposal (although sometimes bites off more than he can chew). Unaccountable, perhaps selfish, and off-field ethic (including time management, commitment) needs improvement. Jetta has been mad keen for AFL centre stage but has yet to embrace the same level of enthusiasm for the hard work and off-field self discipline required for AFL success. His natural game is based more on flamboyance than work ethic but, if he is prepared to get himself in top condition, there is no reason why he can't be very consistent. Immature personality but I've always felt he needed the AFL stage to bring out the best in him. Potential to be the next Kerr (and not just in style). Bargain pick, despite current immaturity. PROUD, Albert (22 Brisbane) [4] Tough, pacy, aggressive, consistent. Ethic, intensity, smarts, physical presence. Chases hard (excellent closing speed), hits hard. Because of his late start to '06 (foot operation) and O.P., he was in poor condition at DC (albeit probably too poor) so I'm not reading anything into his DC athletic results, especially poor endurance times. In my pre-draft profile I suggested "those results might encourage enough clubs to overlook him early draft and see him slipping in the order a bit, providing a bargain to the club who takes him". Would be plug 'n play if free of injury (esp O.P.) and fit. Showed better temper control in '06. Will lift his team when all around him are falling. Style-wise, picture an early Ricciuto. Is somewhat one-sided but his disposal, although not faultless, is fairly reliable. Genuine footballer and has the pace that many of the touted mids this year lack. HOULI, Bachar (42 Essendon) [8] Injury-prone (only major AFL query is durability) but smart, classy midfielder/HFF. Very good OHF and NHF (negative hurt factor). Not outside per se but, so far, has played the game on his own terms at his own pace, Predator style "off the pack" a la Shakleton,, and is on good terms with himself. Very footy-smart and potentially more athletic than his appearance/style have suggested. I've always suspected he treated underage footy with almost contempt. Will leave no stone unturned and I believe he will not only shine at AFL level but show us a more rounded game (re on-field work rate). Historical concerns re his endurance and pace but I am convinced that, when injury-free, he will have excellent endurance and quite good pace. Absolute bargain. DJERRKURA, Nathan (25 Geelong) [9] 176cm electrifying, fierce, dynamic, quick, clean, take-them-on, relentless ball-carrying dasher. Byron Picket with some Wirrpanda. Breaks the play open. Exciting combination of speed, motor, attack, physicality and natural footballer ability. Despite his height, I think he is likely to be something special. X-factor. Trademarks are (1) Come from nowhere to run opponent down with excellent closing speed and fierce tackle ("silent assassin" ), (2) Take-them-on dash then kick into forward 50 (if not nailed in the process!). Other main selling points are intensity, balance, contested ball ability, agility, endurance, overhead, consistency, evasion, traffic management, versatility. Gives away an avg 3 frees per game, virtually all through either (over-)ambitiously taking opponents on and getting nailed, or through over-zealous tackles. He's a smart kid and I'm confident he will learn to be more judicious. Regardless, even though 3 FAs a game is not what a coach would normally like to see, I think it is more than balanced by the pressure he puts opponents under (a la Davey, but with brutality) and the number of times he is actually successful in breaking the play open with his daring. i.e. If you want the benefits of his attack on the man and opening up of the play, you should expect to have to wear occasional slip-ups. Benefit greatly outweighs cost in Djerrkura's case. (I'd rather a kid who dares to dare than one who plays introverted). He is as quick as any '06 draftee. He is as good and as reliable in the air as most of the other good smalls/mediums who are good overhead. Usually a good kick and his disposals often hurt. Has the dash, daring and hurt factor you want from an outside player, the hardness and in-close ability you want from an inside player, plays tall, is versatile, is footballer and athlete in equal doses, is a great kid who will be very coachable, and doesn't have a "go home" query. Add endurance, physicality and ethic (both ways) to that and IMHO no other kid in this draft can lay better claim to that package of traits. I'm less hung up on height than many people are. Recent premiership teams, Brownlow high voters and AA teams prove there is always a place for a smaller player if he is special enough in certain areas or as a package. I rated Djerrkura quite a lot earlier than I knew he would go but am very confident he will be very good AFL. Except for (arguably) height, he is made for today's game and could play anywhere down the flanks. Probably best suited to HBF or wing in his early AFL days. Could play BP too but I believe his talents are best utilised where he can afford more risks. In the backline, will be able to supply both Pickett-like pressure as well as plenty of run out of defence and hardball get ability. Down the track I think he could be a good AFL onballer. Has the capacity to potentially be a run-with or even an inside mid. No doubts about his tank or speed or hardness and he is quite clean under pressure (both getting and disposing). And he should be virtually plug 'n play. Bargain. SELWOOD, Joel (7 Geelong) [11] First Dibs midfielder. Elite play-reader with great ability to win the ball and to pressure opponents from winning it cleanly. Very balanced genuine footballer. Excellent vision, smarts, very good by hand, strong overhead. Gets to a helluva lot of contests and very competitive in any type of contest, ground level or overhead, regardless of pressure, and against different types of opponents. If I had to describe him in "one" word it would probably be either "relentless" or "highly-competitive". Has most of the typical Selwood traits (courage, ethic, endurance, competitiveness, overhead, lack of pace) but has much better decision-making than the twins. His kicking is also better, albeit not one of his strengths. SELLAR, James (14 Adelaide) [3] 195cm skilled, well-built footballer with athleticism, smarts, hands, disposal. Flaky '06, intensity query but you don't physically lose what he had displayed prior. Very bottom-age. I'm prepared to virtually ignore '06 as he apparently had to endure various on and off-field difficulties. In the '04 and '05 U16 Champs, I considered him even more impressive than Gibbs. Started 2006 as #1 in my rankings (Gibbs #2). In the end, Gibbs' performances were just so compelling, and without the queries that Sellar's '06 form raised, that I had to slip Sellar behind but I dropped off him only marginally. Even in his "disappointing" '06, he kicked 4g in 1st half of his 1st SANFL Seniors game (as CHF!), beat the highly rated Gumbleton as CHB, and averaged 17 disposals in the U18 Champs. (How many 195cm types, let alone any who had just lost 8kg through illness, do that in any U18 Champs?). By comparison, we were all quite satisfied with the Champs form of Gumbleton, Hansen and Leunberger, and they averaged 15, 13, and 11 disposals respectively and Sellar's disposal was the best of the lot. He even had 15d in just the 2nd 1/2 of one Champs game (albeit as virtually a loose wingman). Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. He did NOT have a disappointing year for a bottom-age 195cm kid, even a highly rated one. He just had a disappointing year for Sellar, based on our expectations of him specifically. Why did we have such high expectations? Because of the talent he had shown over a 2 year period prior to that. I suspect he has a personal issue to conquer but I would have taken him on the assumption that he can, such is his upside. Should be very versatile but especially has the makings of an outstanding CHB (although his preference is CHF). An exciting, and rare, combination of not only leap, 195cm, marking strength, defensive and negating skills, cool head and smarts but, importantly, the pace and confidence to give regular run and linking out of defence and roost the ball long to a target. I foresee him regularly turning defence into goal-scoring opportunities. I also think he is more suited to the straight ahead aspects of CHB than the "stop/start" of CHF. Excellent ruck skills and could well be a good AFL ruckman/follower a la Goodes (without the freakishness), despite being only 195cm, as he has such a big leap and athleticism and he seems to enjoy ruck contests. Has virtually all the attributes of a modern CHF also and I do rate him highly in that role. Makes the right decisions. Good evasion. Good vision and disposal (including depth), even on the run. Good hurt factors. Trademarks are (1) Fluency - in everything. (Always looks to be doing every action "on the bit", effortlessly). (2) One-grab mark, positioning and timing well, then either a quick, accurate feed or immediately run off his opponent and do a fluent, long, probably accurate kick. (3) Run to link, moving with arms stiff and hanging down, seemingly moving in slow motion until you notice the opponent struggling to keep up. THORP, Mitchell (6 Hawthorn) [6] Versatile tall. Main selling points are contested marking, fantastic endurance / ground coverage, clean hands, vision, spoiling. Accountable, footy smart in many respects. Good courage and wins more than his share of hardball/contested gets. '06 form overall was good but not quite as impressive as I'd hoped but he didn't really do a pre-season (due to O.P., which he is now on top of). Huge leap, very strong overhead (although I would like to see him try to protect the ball a bit more often when possible, a la Carey, instead of taking the ball directly above or a bit behind his head). Young for his age but potential Chris Grant if he stops getting ahead of himself. I rate Thorp behind only Hawkins and Sellar as the best KPP "potential package" in this draft. Capable of making CHF a "permanent" role at AFL but might be best suited to CHB. Main query as a defender would be whether a quick leading forward might show him up for pace over the first few metres. His pace is a little hard to judge as he has had O.P. and also, although he covers a lot of ground, he is not noted for hard chasing or ball-carrying and he sometimes, at least at U18 level, seems casual. I'm comfortable with his pace over a distance - for his size. There have been times when he has looked a little tardy and the main concern would be the 1st few metres. Some surprising pace when he wants to pull it out. eg in a 40m run to the loose ball, Thorp gave Petterd a few metres start but got there first and both seemed flat out. In a VFL game, Thorp kept up with Baird (his opponent) in a 25m run to the ball. Baird recorded a 3.00sec 20m and a 0.96sec 5m time a few years ago. On the other hand, Thorp was left in the wake of another VFL player on a number of occasions in one game when playing FB(?) whenever that player was on a lead. I query there though, how much was due to lack of pace on Thorp's part and how much was due to poor anticipation of, and reaction to, the opponent's take-off on the lead. Kicking is currently mixed bag but has the potential to be very good and I'm confident will be. Sometimes he seems a bit too casual under no pressure. Genuinely dual-sided. Nice economical, fluent kicking style, good depth. I noticed at 1/4, 3/4 time huddles that he seemed intelligent and very switched on. When deciding to carry the ball, he has a fairly regular tendency (more often at U18 level than VFL) to ignore the nearby presence of an opponent and approach his kick preparation as if he was in complete space (through arrogance? lack of awareness?) and becomes vulnerable to being bumped from the side as he kicks, to the detriment of his kicking effectiveness. He has some evasive ability and I'd like to see him work harder in those situations to create space before kicking. At the very least, he often takes a bit too long to dispose and his lateral awareness in such situations is not great. Thorp is very committed and I would have drafted him myself and prepared to part with a pick as early as #3 (Hawkins not being available) if I strongly wanted a KP and felt such an early pick was necessary. However, if height didn't need to factor into drafting considerations, I would prefer to take either Jetta or Proud (not that anything like pick #3 was ever going to be needed for them). CATEGORY TWO - WILL BE AT LEAST GOOD (I didn't bother too much about the order but its very (!) roughly in the order of their upside, with some allowance for my level of confidence in them achieving it): (Some are extremely late picks but I call it as I see it). HANSEN, Lachlan (3 Kangaroos) [7] Likely AFL long-termer (probably CHB) and would have been my #4 if not for disappointing OHF (offensive hurt factor) due to iffy kicking and tunnel vision on the run. (Needs to more frequently look for options to feed off to, tends to too often just get and kick long and direct without displaying good vision or looking for best option). Even when not on the run, is too inclined to kick off virtually one step. Very strong overhead (hands, judgement, balance). Excellent endurance / coverage, ethic, courage. Pace when injury-free is at least "OK", although a bit slower than his DC times suggest. Backs his endurance and loves to run his opponent up and around the ground. Missed a couple of weeks with a hip complaint prior to '06 U18 Champs (cleaned up post-draft) and I felt he never looked completely free in his movement for the rest of the season, despite generally good form. HISLOP, Tom (20 Essendon) [10] Aggressive powerhouse. Plug n play. Versatile bullish onballer/flanker who can play small or above his height, has fairly good pace, takes no prisoners, always gives a contest and gets a lot of contested ball but currently doesn't look for, take or hit the right option often enough - too often kicks long instead of looking for short options (hand or foot). Other main concern AFL-wise might be over-aggression. Main selling points are physicality, competitiveness, courage, intensity, overhead, endurance, balance, strength, consistency. Trademarks are (1) Hardball get, then hurried disposal, (2) Crunch a pack or an opponent, perhaps taking a very strong mark that he has no right to take. Often clean, especially at ground level in "static" situations (although not "routinely: clean overall). If not for the somewhat high number of blind and other inaccurate kicks, I would rank him about #5. I love his competitiveness and aggression at both man and ball but he must start getting better return from his possession tally. Kicking was better in VFL than at U18. He is not a bad kick per se. Good depth and dual-sided. The issue is reliability. Kicking style needs work. He tilts to the left, which limits your error margin over a short distance, and his arm movements need work. IMHO it is important for both arms to work virtually in sync, helping your body stay balanced, both laterally and vertically. Hislop's arms are way out of synch and affect his centre-of-mass transfer and his ability to kick directly through the ball. Left arm often spends time bent at 90 degrees upwards then comes forward and across his body, while his right arm stays back, hangs down and does nothing. By the end of his kick he is often off-balance. Those faults should be fairly "easily" fixed and will make a big difference to his kicking reliability. Hislop and Armitage are similar types, age, great endurance and both are virtually plug 'n play. Both courageous hardnuts with good work rate and both with sub-optimal disposal. Hislop has more pace, is a bit physically stronger, and is the better kick. Hislop arguably has greater impact too. I would definitely take Hislop over Armitage, much as I admire Armitage. Jetta is X-factor vs risk but is a very quick, electrifying magician and is capable of being a quality user (not that he is yet). Hislop is none of those but he will deliver for you every time, whereas Jetta will switch on when it suits him. Jetta's pace, daring, flair and disposal makes him potentially much more of an impact player. Hislop is more a player who stops the opposition having impact through his hardness at man and ball but he too can turn a game. Likes to take opponents on and carry the ball and is often, although not routinely, judicious. Astute in corralling an opponent but usually prefers the bone-crunching tackle or bump. I have been impressed re how very switched on and intelligent he is at the 1/4, 3/4 huddles. With ever-increasing sophistication of team game plans, being able to be on the same page as the coach is more important than ever. Exceptionally strong overhead for his size, especially the big screamer from behind but can mark from any angle/position and attacks his marks / hits the pack like there's no tomorrow. He is on the slower end of the "quick midfielder" scale rather than the quicker end of the "slightly slowish midfielder" scale. Probably best suited to HBF or onball but, despite being only 184cm, is versatile enough to play anywhere down the flanks. Could be exposed by a very quick or very tall opponent but, even then, is likely to be at least mainly competitive, such is his ability to play tall yet also have enough pace and smarts to know where to run, how to cut angles and how to pressure both aerially and at ground level. Has the motor and competitiveness to become an excellent run-with (in time) and that's the role in which I possibly favour him. ARMITAGE, David (9 St. Kilda) [19] Smart goer with heart, motor. Iffy pace. Definite AFL but MUST improve kicking. TIPPETT, Kurt (32 Adelaide) [12] Versatile, mobile newby ruck/KP. Works hard. No very major fault. 19yo but big upside. I'm generally sceptical about kids who are in their first year of footy. That's because such kids usually show only tiny snippets that excite you. I'm far less willing than many are to extrapolate from such little data, no matter how impressed I may have been with the kid's snippets. With Tippett, he has shown a lot, not just random cameos. I think he has terrific potential. What really impresses me is the amount of footy smarts he already has, albeit that he is still in the early stages of the learning curve. Although still raw, I doubt anyone who knew nothing about him would realise when they first saw him play that he was new to footy. 201cm types who are likely to be able to play any KP or ruck, have the pace of a quite quick midfielder, are physically virtually plug 'n play, can leap over tall buildings, can get their own ball, are at least competitive overhead, have a sharp brain and have the ethics/intensity of an inside mid don't grow on trees. Many of the things I like about Tippett would be good in any player but I could add "especially for 201cm" to a lot of my comments. I am rating him as a ruck who can play KP but I would be almost as confident rating him as a KPP who can ruck. I rate him "definite" AFL, despite being a newby. DICK, Brad (44 Collingwod) [24] Enigmatic but magical when en song. Risky ranking but huge upside EDWARDS, Shane (26 Richmond) [26] Skinny but nimble, slick, innovative, goes hard. Ranked on upside COLLARD, Clayton (31 Fremantle) [13] Highly skilled midfielder/ flanker. Painfully shy and naive about the workload required for AFL so will need quality mentoring but definitely has AFL ability. Query re ability to adapt so is some risk but he has big upside, class and some X-factor. Other main selling points are X-factor, smarts / vision, clean hands, evasion, balance, overhead. Trademarks are (1) Vacuum the ball off the carpet on the run, take on and perhaps make a fool of the oncoming opponent, then dob a nice goal or set a team mate up to do so, (2) Screamer. He might lose concentration before getting to the last page of the team's play book but, for every hair he might make you tear out, he'll give you a moment where you will feel smug that he is on your list. Has mainly played outside roles (HFF) but I am confident he will furnish into an inside mid option in time if/when he can get his endurance up enough. I compare him in style somewhat to Tyson Edwards but I also think he will be able (in time) to play all the roles that Tyson has played. Has always lived in the shadow, on and off-field, of his best mate, Jetta, It's often "Jetta, the star footballer, and his mate Collard". If both play AFL and get the most out of themselves, I believe Jetta will be the better player but with Collard probably not far behind. There seems a tendency in recruiting circles to talk as if Jetta is Collard's better performed younger brother. However Collard was the better performed in WAFL Seniors, was also named in '06 WA Seniors (!) state squad, and Jetta is actually 5 months older. On sheer ability, I rate Collard's AFL potential as "Definite" and only one aspect made me downgrade him to "Likely", viz "How well and quickly is he likely to settle in and feel like he belongs?". My only other significantly concern is the O.P. he has been battling. His DC weight was listed as 86kg but his fighting weight would currently be around 80kg. He "couldn't" (?) keep himself in good condition while suffering O.P. late season. Career-wise, Collard and Jetta getting split up into different states may be the best thing for both boys. Clayton can stop living in Leroy's shadow and that will be a watershed point in his development. I would definitely have been prepared to draft him with a pick around my ranking if necessary (not that it ever would have been). Assuming he settles in reasonably OK (!!), I am confident Collard will make as big a splash as most of this draft's first rounders, perhaps ready to debut in '07. HARBROW, Jarrod (R27 Western Bulldogs) [29] Clever slick improver. Risk but I'm more a fan than others are. GRIGG, Shaun (19 Carlton) [39] Consistent tall mid but burns ball way too often by foot. I have identified basic flaws in his kicking technique which should be fixable. If I somehow knew for certain that such flaws would be identified and fixed, he'd be one of the first be in this category, would have earned a very much earlier ranking from me, and I would have confidently labelled him "definite AFL 200 gamer". Kicking is probably his only major flaw as he is otherwise a very attractive package. His current kicking reliability is almost a show-stopper though. THOMAS, Lindsay (53 Kangaroos) [27] Top-age surprise early ranking but clever & works both ways. Needs endurance ADAMS, Leigh (R 3 Kangaroos) [35] Rover/FP/BP. Smart, inside. Honesty over class but no real flaw. LEUENBERGER, Matthew (4 Brisbane) [16] Promising ruck. Query balance but ... KRAKOUER, Nathan (39 Port Adelaide) [48] Lightning. Great user, smarts. If 75kg, serious AFL and would be in my top category. 61kg the only worry but a huge one. He will literally have to create history (re the modern era) as his BMI represents easily the skinniest build on record. His diet opportunities will be better now and that's the big hope. MOSS, Gary (56 Hawthorn) [17] Skinny & not lightning but every kg is footballer. Likely bargain due to build. URQUHART, Gavin (21 Kangaroos) [28] OP killed his '06 but definite AFL potential HBF. O.P. worries me and he makes this category on the explicit assumption that he overcomes his O.P.. REIMERS, Kyle (47 Essendon) [21] Take-them-on ball-carrying utility. Good overhead. Iffy decision-making but has real flair and presence and has been a rapid improver both on and off-field (and the latter in particular needed to improve). Still has to be a query re ability to meet the off-field demands of a professional AFL footballer so I can understand why he wasn't taken until pick 47 but I ranked him much earlier on the assumption that he will choose to sustain his recent improvement trend in this aspect. ANDERSON, Joseph (67 Carlton) [15] Rapidly improving 188cm, virtually bottom-age, hard-running utility. Still raw, not silky, but made for today's game. Great endurance, "handy" pace, huge leap, reads the play well, knows how to find the pill, routinely looks for best option, fairly often delivers accurately, is courageous and crashes packs. Proven himself against men. Main queries (all mentality-related) are: plays off the pack / too reactive / too Predator, defensive smarts, accountability. I've ranked him mainly on upside. He still has a heap of improvement in him. The sealers for me were (1) he will leave no stone unturned (2) his rapid improvement since mid '05 including radical changes to his on-field presence, impact, and physical attributes. Even if he can't fix the flaws I've identified, he still has enough going for him to be a fairly handy 60-100 gamer. In the '05 U18 and subsequent '05 U16 Champs I observed he was vanilla-size and build, introverted and played vanilla and introverted. I was staggered to hear that, just 8 months later, he won Darwin Seniors B&F (as 17yo) and was runner-up to Daryl White for B&F medal in the '06 NT Seniors GF. Come the '06 TAC trials, I couldn't believe the dramatic transformation. He was now a few centimetres taller, had filled out really well, had significantly lifted his pace, and played with a flair, confidence and physicality that were virtually non-existent a year earlier. Even his appearance and persona were markedly different. I was very impressed with what he did at the '06 U18 Champs, and quite impressed with much from his lead-up games. However I was still less than impressed with what he did NOT do. Much of the time, he played virtually loose man across half-back, presumably to coach's instructions, which makes assessing him a bit more difficult. He was still too reactive a bit too often and still a bit too often "played off the pack". In AFL he won't be able to wait to see how the play in his immediate area unfolds before deciding to involve himself, or letting an opponent have first crack, or not displaying appropriate defensive effort or defensive smarts. He is not a "natural footy brain for all situations" type like M Voss but he does sometimes displays a quickish brain. He strikes me as the 2yo colt who has all the energy in the world and looks a real prospect but needs more racing experience to knock some rough edges off and you're not quite sure what distance will suit him best in the long term but you reckon he moves better than most of the other colts in the paddock. His package has so many potential goodies in it that are at least at the 80% stage that, even if he doesn't later shine in a couple of the aspects I expect him to, he will still be value for his other attributes. I would have drafted him myself, although he was never going to need a pick as early as my ranking denoted. Suited to HBF where he can give some run and linking. "Wing" should suit too. Unlikely onballer (unless perhaps as run-with, in time). Will probably turn out to be a bargain. WELLINGHAM, Sharrod (R10 Collingwood) [37] Promising ball magnet. Slippery, smart. Quick but should carry ball more. Upside BEDFORD, Liam (R23 Geelong) [38] Skinny, outside, slippery, quick, clean. Needs to do more. Punt on upside vs wt SMITH, Chris (R13 Fremantle) [34] Honest, committed, versatile. No obvious fault, no special strength. Underrated. Additional comments: HAYES, Daniel (R12 MEL) [] Has the football ability to be in this group. A troubled outside flashy wing/HFF who, regardless of ability, needs 10 mentors. Way too risky for me to even consider including in my rankings, let alone have confidence in him adapting to AFL requirements.

Demonland paid its tribute to Peter with the Oracle dedicating his match preview the week he passed away - see OVER THE RAINBOW. Tributes were allso paid to him here.

This letter appears in today's print edition of the Herald Sun so for those who don't get the paper, here's my letter of the week written by Demon fan Sally Cordner to Mike Sheahan together with Sheahan's response:- Proud old Dees REGARDING your article at the weekend about the Melbourne Football Club and its lack of heart, lack of supporters and the question about "Where are the families of the '50s and the '60s"? Well, in effect myself and my family are one of those from the '50s and '60s and we are well and truly still here. We attend on a weekly basis, feel every loss, debrief after every game and are as loyal as we were when our grandfather, great uncle, fathers, uncles and cousin played. The Cordner boys - Denis (my father), Donald, Ted and John produced 15 children, with David playing for the Dees in the '80s. I can honestly say that 10 of these offspring regularly attend games and the others when they can. And by the way, very few of us ski. Sally Cordner, email MIKE SAYS: The day the Cordners abandon Melbourne is the day the footy club dies. Crowds this year suggest more Cordners needed. I NEVER crack snow jokes.

THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD by Whispering Jack Brad Green's game against the Adelaide Crows last Saturday was just sensational. He made the most of his return to the midfield to surpass anything he had previously achieved in the red and blue colours. His contribution to the side's unexpected victory over an Adelaide team set to make an impact on the AFL finals again this season was exceptional. Almost as good as it gets. However, I was equally impressed with his statement after the game when he uttered those beautiful words: "we're still in the race for the eight." I personally loved this comment although admittedly I also found it hard to suppress a little giggle when I read his words embedded in Adam Cooper's article on melbournefc.com.au. "We're still in the race for the eight." Green's optimism and self-belief was enough to bring warmth and joy to my heart because it rekindled memories of bygone days; of a time some two or three decades ago when you reached a certain stage of a season and you knew your team was a long way out of contention but you held onto your dreams and religiously followed time worn adages about the "mathematical possibility" of making the finals. Most of the time that hope was illusory but you felt that by simply following another football cliché and you took things one week at a time there was an ever so slim chance that your team might somehow slip into the finals if luck fell its way. Like some desperado with a poor poker hand and few chips left in front of him (and therefore a very slight mathematical possibility of winning), you waited for the turn of a friendly card. The friendly card finally did turn Melbourne's way twenty years ago in 1987 when the Dees stormed home to win the last six home and away games on end. They fell into the final five and once there, went on to taste finals victory after a twenty-three year drought on no less than two occasions. The fairy tale only came to an end when tragedy struck in the form of a last minute infringement by a young Jimmy Stynes that resulted in the after siren Buckenara goal that cost the team victory in the preliminary final. The following year, they played off in a grand final. These days things are different. You need more than luck and mathematical possibility to achieve success in the highly competitive AFL and Melbourne is a long way further back than the 6-10 Demons of '87. Nobody in the history of the game has ever managed to come from anywhere near 0-9 to make the finals. Long ago and far away, nine games were half of a home and away season. This week's Round 11 clash marks the half way point. We might be midway through our winter of discontent but thanks to Brad Green, a tiny spark has been rekindled. Of course I will always have a problem with this "mathematically possible" scenario. After all, the team is five games plus percentage out of the top eight after ten rounds. As Green so rightly pointed out, the Demons will have to win at least 11 of the 12 remaining games and even if there are some allegedly easy games in that dozen you need to ask what is an easy game when you've only managed to win once in almost half a season? The real question is whether Melbourne is capable of turning everything around on its head and performing better than even the most optimistic of the pundits predicted it would when looking at the club's prospects before the start of the season? The answer could well depend on how the Demons fare on the injury front for the remainder of the season after its well documented problems in the first half. Writing in yesterday's Herald Sun, Mike Sheahan made the point that the Demons are facing their moment of truth. He rightly asked whether injuries were an excuse, an explanation or a cop-out in football and pointed out that "the Demons are averaging four changes a week, with most of them compulsory," while, at the other end of the scale, top side West Coast and fifth placed Adelaide average the fewest changes with 1.3 a week. Those figures reinforce the long-held view that a settled team is more likely to be successful. That being the case, it's not only mathematically but physically and mentally possible for Melbourne to double its winning run this week against Collingwood because, for the first time this season, the Demons are likely to go into the game with no forced changes. Adem Yze's inclusion will be a plus for them given Collingwood's past inability to counter Adem Yze in Queens Birthday games. The fact that they are able to carry names like Brown, Miller, Pickett and Whelan at Sandringham is proof that things are getting better. On the other hand, the Magpies go into the game without key defenders Jimmy Clement and Simon Prestigiacomo and with Anthony Rocca and Heath Shaw under injury clouds. So the signs are positive for Melbourne on this front at least for the first time in 2007 and although it would be a stretch to think that the club could possibly string together enough consecutive victories to even draw within sight of the finals, it's something we can dream about on this long weekend. Before anyone gets carried away about the "mathematical possibility" theory, I have to add a further word of warning. I'm not a mathematician so I decided to consult the closest thing I know to mathematical genius - Demonland's resident mathematics expert, Sam the Stats Man. After feeding all of the relevant data into his computer, Sam's conclusion was that the real odds of Melbourne making the finals from the position it currently occupies are roughly around 4,096 to 1 which means the Brad Green scenario of a Melbourne appearance in this season's AFL finals will remain little more than a dream for a while. In the meantime of course, we need to keep our feet firmly on the ground and take it all in the same way it has always been done in football - one week at a time! THE GAME: Melbourne v. Collingwood at the MCG - 11 June 2007 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Melbourne 78 wins Collingwood 136 wins 4 draws At the G: Melbourne 53 wins Collingwood 69 wins Since 2000: Melbourne 4 wins Collingwood 3 wins The Coaches: Daniher 5 wins Malthouse 4 wins MEDIA: TV Channel 10 at 3pm (delayed telecast) RADIO Triple M 3AW 7774ABC SEN THE BETTING: Melbourne to win $2.15 Collingwood to win $1.65 LAST TIME THEY MET: Melbourne 22.9.141 d Collingwood 14.10.94, Round 11, 2006, at MCG. This was one of Melbourne's finest victories of 2006. The Demons were quick out of the blocks with their ferocious tackling and direct football and by half time they held a five goal lead which was stretched to a resounding 47 point victory over the highly fancied third placed Magpies who boasted a better win-loss record (8-2) than they do in the current season. Cameron Bruce was hot, Aaron Davey was simply too quick and Adem Yze up forward was deadly with four goals. THE TEAMS: MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll Cameron Bruce Half backs Paul Wheatley Clint Bizzell Daniel Bell Centreline Travis Johnstone James McDonald Aaron Davey Half forwards Brad Green Russell Robertson Simon Godfrey Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange James Frawley Paul Johnson Ricky Petterd Adem Yze Emergencies Nathan Brown Simon Buckley Ben Holland In Adem Yze Out Nathan Brown COLLINGWOOD Backs Tarkyn Lockyer Shane Wakelin Brodie Holland Half backs Heath Shaw Harry O'Brien Rhyce Shaw Centreline Scott Pendlebury Paul Medhurst Leon Davis Half forwards Nick Maxwell Travis Cloke Alan Didak Forwards Dane Swan Anthony Rocca Ben Johnson Followers Josh Fraser Shane O'Bree Scott Burns Interchange Chris Bryan Tyson Goldsack Dale Thomas Alan Toovey Emergencies Shannon Cox Paul Licuria Danny Stanley In Chris Bryan Shane Wakelin Out Simon Prestigiacomo (foot) Guy Richards (omitted) THE OLD RIVALRY J. V. McKay wrote last year about the rivalry between Melbourne and Collingwood as follows:- "A long, long time ago the strongest rivalry in our game was that which existed between Melbourne and Collingwood. For a decade between 1955 and 1964 there wasn't a hotter ticket in town than the one that got you into a game between the Demons and the Magpies. The newspapers would build it up as a gigantic clash between the silver tails and the working classes but it was much more than that. It was THE clash of traditional rivals and the crowds would come to their games in their droves. "All of those who are old enough to remember will nod their heads and agree, saying 'wasn't that a time?' "If you're too young or just can't remember, consider this: - "The two rivals contested five grand finals during that decade including the one in 1956 when Melbourne beat Collingwood in front of a then record crowd of 115,802 to win the premiership flag for a second year in a row, they attracted a home and away record crowd of 99,346 on Queens Birthday, 1958. It's a record that still stands today. Between them, the two sides won 7 out of the 10 premierships on offer. They had some wonderful players too - men like Ron Barassi, Brian Dixon, Laurie Mithen and Frank "Bluey" Adams and Ian Ridley were the Demon heroes while Murray Weideman, Bill Twomey and Ray Gabelich were Magpie stars. Sure, it was a great time but those days have long gone and it's now time for the teams to rewrite the own histories. At the beginning of the year many good judges put Melbourne down as a top four prospect while Collingwood was considered a likely candidate for an early draft choice. As things have transpired, it's looking the other way around. This year, the Magpies have set the standard and their old rivals are lagging a long way behind. Collingwood has the momentum, the confidence and the winning form and that is probably more important than dissecting individual members of the team or looking at match ups, tactics and strategies. Nevertheless, a staunch Magpie fan told me today that he felt this was a danger game for his club but that they would win because of their stronger midfield. He mentioned names like Burns, O'Bree, Lockyer and the younger brigade of Thomas, Pendlebury and Swan. Hmmm... I'm willing to match them with Brock McLean, now in his third game back from injury, Nathan Jones, Cam Bruce, Travis Johnstone, Green, McDonald and a couple of the others. In the big man department, the Pies have struggled with their rucks for years and I can't see any change in that when they take on Jeff White and the improving Paul Johnson. I like Melbourne's forward set up now that David Neitz, Russell Robertson, Matthew Bate and Colin Sylvia are all together in the same team. A couple of them are ready to fire and the fact that this coincides with a weakening in Collingwood's defensive capacity, could tip the balance in favour of the Demons. At the other end of the ground, one duel that will be of enormous interest will be Daniel Bell on Alan Didak. Last year, Didak wasted Bell early and set back the young defender's season as he was banished to Sandringham for more than a month and a half in the wake of his poor form that day. Fast forward a year later and Bell is playing with strength, confidence and poise. He's much more aware of what's needed to mind a quality opponent and won't give any latitude to the clever Magpie forward. If Bell can hold his own in this contest, then the Demons will have turned over another friendly card in their week by week quest to find some redemption from what has been a sad and sorry season to this point in time. Melbourne by a whisker - 1 point.

by Whispering Jack Brad Green's game against the Adelaide Crows last Saturday was just sensational. He made the most of his return to the midfield to surpass anything he had previously achieved in the red and blue colours. His contribution to the side's unexpected victory over an Adelaide team set to make an impact on the AFL finals again this season was exceptional. Almost as good as it gets. However, I was equally impressed with his statement after the game when he uttered those beautiful words: "we're still in the race for the eight." I personally loved this comment although admittedly I also found it hard to suppress a little giggle when I read his words embedded in Adam Cooper's article on melbournefc.com.au. "We're still in the race for the eight." Green's optimism and self-belief was enough to bring warmth and joy to my heart because it rekindled memories of bygone days; of a time some two or three decades ago when you reached a certain stage of a season and you knew your team was a long way out of contention but you held onto your dreams and religiously followed time worn adages about the "mathematical possibility" of making the finals. Most of the time that hope was illusory but you felt that by simply following another football cliché and you took things one week at a time there was an ever so slim chance that your team might somehow slip into the finals if luck fell its way. Like some desperado with a poor poker hand and few chips left in front of him (and therefore a very slight mathematical possibility of winning), you waited for the turn of a friendly card. The friendly card finally did turn Melbourne's way twenty years ago in 1987 when the Dees stormed home to win the last six home and away games on end. They fell into the final five and once there, went on to taste finals victory after a twenty-three year drought on no less than two occasions. The fairy tale only came to an end when tragedy struck in the form of a last minute infringement by a young Jimmy Stynes that resulted in the after siren Buckenara goal that cost the team victory in the preliminary final. The following year, they played off in a grand final. These days things are different. You need more than luck and mathematical possibility to achieve success in the highly competitive AFL and Melbourne is a long way further back than the 6-10 Demons of '87. Nobody in the history of the game has ever managed to come from anywhere near 0-9 to make the finals. Long ago and far away, nine games were half of a home and away season. This week's Round 11 clash marks the half way point. We might be midway through our winter of discontent but thanks to Brad Green, a tiny spark has been rekindled. Of course I will always have a problem with this "mathematically possible" scenario. After all, the team is five games plus percentage out of the top eight after ten rounds. As Green so rightly pointed out, the Demons will have to win at least 11 of the 12 remaining games and even if there are some allegedly easy games in that dozen you need to ask what is an easy game when you've only managed to win once in almost half a season? The real question is whether Melbourne is capable of turning everything around on its head and performing better than even the most optimistic of the pundits predicted it would when looking at the club's prospects before the start of the season? The answer could well depend on how the Demons fare on the injury front for the remainder of the season after its well documented problems in the first half. Writing in yesterday's Herald Sun, Mike Sheahan made the point that the Demons are facing their moment of truth. He rightly asked whether injuries were an excuse, an explanation or a cop-out in football and pointed out that "the Demons are averaging four changes a week, with most of them compulsory," while, at the other end of the scale, top side West Coast and fifth placed Adelaide average the fewest changes with 1.3 a week. Those figures reinforce the long-held view that a settled team is more likely to be successful. That being the case, it's not only mathematically but physically and mentally possible for Melbourne to double its winning run this week against Collingwood because, for the first time this season, the Demons are likely to go into the game with no forced changes. Adem Yze's inclusion will be a plus for them given Collingwood's past inability to counter Adem Yze in Queens Birthday games. The fact that they are able to carry names like Brown, Miller, Pickett and Whelan at Sandringham is proof that things are getting better. On the other hand, the Magpies go into the game without key defenders Jimmy Clement and Simon Prestigiacomo and with Anthony Rocca and Heath Shaw under injury clouds. So the signs are positive for Melbourne on this front at least for the first time in 2007 and although it would be a stretch to think that the club could possibly string together enough consecutive victories to even draw within sight of the finals, it's something we can dream about on this long weekend. Before anyone gets carried away about the "mathematical possibility" theory, I have to add a further word of warning. I'm not a mathematician so I decided to consult the closest thing I know to mathematical genius - Demonland's resident mathematics expert, Sam the Stats Man. After feeding all of the relevant data into his computer, Sam's conclusion was that the real odds of Melbourne making the finals from the position it currently occupies are roughly around 4,096 to 1 which means the Brad Green scenario of a Melbourne appearance in this season's AFL finals will remain little more than a dream for a while. In the meantime of course, we need to keep our feet firmly on the ground and take it all in the same way it has always been done in football - one week at a time! THE GAME: Melbourne v. Collingwood at the MCG - 11 June 2007 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Melbourne 78 wins Collingwood 136 wins 4 draws At the G: Melbourne 53 wins Collingwood 69 wins Since 2000: Melbourne 4 wins Collingwood 3 wins The Coaches: Daniher 5 wins Malthouse 4 wins MEDIA: TV Channel 10 at 3pm (delayed telecast) RADIO Triple M 3AW 7774ABC SEN THE BETTING: Melbourne to win $2.15 Collingwood to win $1.65 LAST TIME THEY MET: Melbourne 22.9.141 d Collingwood 14.10.94, Round 11, 2006, at MCG. This was one of Melbourne's finest victories of 2006. The Demons were quick out of the blocks with their ferocious tackling and direct football and by half time they held a five goal lead which was stretched to a resounding 47 point victory over the highly fancied third placed Magpies who boasted a better win-loss record (8-2) than they do in the current season. Cameron Bruce was hot, Aaron Davey was simply too quick and Adem Yze up forward was deadly with four goals. THE TEAMS: MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll Cameron Bruce Half backs Paul Wheatley Clint Bizzell Daniel Bell Centreline Travis Johnstone James McDonald Aaron Davey Half forwards Brad Green Russell Robertson Simon Godfrey Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Brock McLean Nathan Jones Interchange James Frawley Paul Johnson Ricky Petterd Adem Yze Emergencies Nathan Brown Simon Buckley Ben Holland In Adem Yze Out Nathan Brown COLLINGWOOD Backs Tarkyn Lockyer Shane Wakelin Brodie Holland Half backs Heath Shaw Harry O'Brien Rhyce Shaw Centreline Scott Pendlebury Paul Medhurst Leon Davis Half forwards Nick Maxwell Travis Cloke Alan Didak Forwards Dane Swan Anthony Rocca Ben Johnson Followers Josh Fraser Shane O'Bree Scott Burns Interchange Chris Bryan Tyson Goldsack Dale Thomas Alan Toovey Emergencies Shannon Cox Paul Licuria Danny Stanley In Chris Bryan Shane Wakelin Out Simon Prestigiacomo (foot) Guy Richards (omitted) THE OLD RIVALRY J. V. McKay wrote last year about the rivalry between Melbourne and Collingwood as follows:- "A long, long time ago the strongest rivalry in our game was that which existed between Melbourne and Collingwood. For a decade between 1955 and 1964 there wasn't a hotter ticket in town than the one that got you into a game between the Demons and the Magpies. The newspapers would build it up as a gigantic clash between the silver tails and the working classes but it was much more than that. It was THE clash of traditional rivals and the crowds would come to their games in their droves. "All of those who are old enough to remember will nod their heads and agree, saying 'wasn't that a time?' "If you're too young or just can't remember, consider this: - "The two rivals contested five grand finals during that decade including the one in 1956 when Melbourne beat Collingwood in front of a then record crowd of 115,802 to win the premiership flag for a second year in a row, they attracted a home and away record crowd of 99,346 on Queens Birthday, 1958. It's a record that still stands today. Between them, the two sides won 7 out of the 10 premierships on offer. They had some wonderful players too - men like Ron Barassi, Brian Dixon, Laurie Mithen and Frank "Bluey" Adams and Ian Ridley were the Demon heroes while Murray Weideman, Bill Twomey and Ray Gabelich were Magpie stars. Sure, it was a great time but those days have long gone and it's now time for the teams to rewrite the own histories. At the beginning of the year many good judges put Melbourne down as a top four prospect while Collingwood was considered a likely candidate for an early draft choice. As things have transpired, it's looking the other way around. This year, the Magpies have set the standard and their old rivals are lagging a long way behind. Collingwood has the momentum, the confidence and the winning form and that is probably more important than dissecting individual members of the team or looking at match ups, tactics and strategies. Nevertheless, a staunch Magpie fan told me today that he felt this was a danger game for his club but that they would win because of their stronger midfield. He mentioned names like Burns, O'Bree, Lockyer and the younger brigade of Thomas, Pendlebury and Swan. Hmmm... I'm willing to match them with Brock McLean, now in his third game back from injury, Nathan Jones, Cam Bruce, Travis Johnstone, Green, McDonald and a couple of the others. In the big man department, the Pies have struggled with their rucks for years and I can't see any change in that when they take on Jeff White and the improving Paul Johnson. I like Melbourne's forward set up now that David Neitz, Russell Robertson, Matthew Bate and Colin Sylvia are all together in the same team. A couple of them are ready to fire and the fact that this coincides with a weakening in Collingwood's defensive capacity, could tip the balance in favour of the Demons. At the other end of the ground, one duel that will be of enormous interest will be Daniel Bell on Alan Didak. Last year, Didak wasted Bell early and set back the young defender's season as he was banished to Sandringham for more than a month and a half in the wake of his poor form that day. Fast forward a year later and Bell is playing with strength, confidence and poise. He's much more aware of what's needed to mind a quality opponent and won't give any latitude to the clever Magpie forward. If Bell can hold his own in this contest, then the Demons will have turned over another friendly card in their week by week quest to find some redemption from what has been a sad and sorry season to this point in time. Melbourne by a whisker - 1 point.

... and the leader is .... 1. (1) 49 Whispering_Jack 2. (5) 48 canberrademon(herb) 2. (2) 48 Clyde_Cabbie 2. (2) 48 Demonland 2. (2) 48 great_gatsby 6. (5) 47 deanox 6. (5) 47 demon_davey 8. (8) 46 frangas 8. (11) 46 paliosiana 8. (8) 46 Scoop Junior 8. (8) 46 TimDees 12. (11) 45 Alpha_33 12. (16) 45 BigKev Demon 12. (11) 45 bl3281 12. (21) 45 deesthisyear 12. (11) 45 DeMoNiC 12. (16) 45 Go_Ds 12. (11) 45 petejh2000 19. (16) 44 KrazyJay 19. (16) 44 Pinball_Wizard 19. (16) 44 slamevil 22. (21) 43 snarler_0 23. (24) 42 achirnside 23. (23) 42 dee'viator 23. (27) 42 Jackieboy_0 23. (24) 42 Rivers Run Red 27. (24) 41 Goodvibes 28. (29) 39 rusty_corner 29. (28) 38 Kieranbj 30. (29) 37 demon_fanatic 31. (31) 36 Dees_Fan16 32. (32) 34 Fingers Power 33. (33) 33 Dappadan 34. (34) 32 No Cigar 35. (35) 27 melon22 36. (36) 26 jaded24 37. (37) 25 CarnTheDees 38. (38) 18 rusty_kingswood

by Ice Station Zebra Sandringham's golden run of victories stretching from Round 18 of last year finally ended with a 35 point defeat at the hands of a committed North Ballarat at AUSTAR Arena, Ballarat on Saturday. North Ballarat had plenty of time to plan their tilt at the reigning triple premiers and they did it well. Their pre game publicity signalled early that the Zebras were going to have to be at their best to deny their hard running game and high work rate. The Roosters' attack on the football was fierce all day and was a major factor in their well deserved victory. The trip north is always a daunting one and Sandy's task was compounded by something of a hangover from the Victorian State game of the previous week, a heavy injury toll and a suspension. Two players from the sensational victory over the Sandgropers - Ezra Poyas and Shane Valenti - were late withdrawals from Saturday's team. Nick Sautner who starred with nine goals in that match struggled to have an impact in his 200th game on Saturday and was well held by Rooster skipper Shaune Moloney. Chris Lamb missed this week with his one game striking suspension incurred during the Williamstown game while Ben Holland also had to pull out of the selected side. With Chris Johnson hurt early, the Zebras were well down on their usual quota of experienced players for most of the game. Still, this gave a number of younger players the opportunity to step up into the side and Jace Bode, Heath Neville, Tomi Johnston, Rennie Gilchrist, Peter McGettigan, Stefan Martin and Tom Paterakis all came in to the team highlighting its youthful nature. Byron Pickett was the only Demon listed player in the side with a sizeable amount of AFL experience. Gilchrist, from the Sandringham Dragons was playing his first senior game. The proceedings opened in cold but sunny conditions with a light breeze running across a heavy ground. It was a lively start and the Zebras began well but unfortunately twice hit the post in the opening five minutes. Young ruckman Martin was given a tough job on state representative and former Bomber ruckman Tristan Cartledge and he more than held his own in this department. Lynden Dunn was lively up forward in the early stages but with Sautner well covered, the Sandringham attack looked somewhat jaded and the visitors trailed by a point at the first break. Sandy was poised to make a charge and two early goals saw them take a 10 point lead. Chad Liddell's soccer goal off the ground was inspirational. The Roosters responded even more strongly with four unanswered goals including three in two minutes by half forward Dean Chester. You could almost see the home team's self-confidence surge as a result of this burst of inspirational football and North Ballarat went in at the half time break with a 14 point lead. Peter Summers was the only Sandy state representative who was on song all day and the team really missed the hard drive that Valenti usually gives, particularly in the packs. Tom Paterakis was given the difficult task of holding the slippery Djaran Whyman and did a fair job in the circumstances. Sandringham looked lethargic at the start of the third quarter and the home side soon slipped away to a handy 32 point lead after booting three goals in four minutes. Dunn and Michael Newton kicked goals to keep Sandy within touch but it still went into the three quarter time huddle facing defeat and 20 points in arrears. Sautner's solitary goal for the game had come late in the quarter. The visitors tried hard in the last with Newton on fire and kicking three goals but the Roosters had all the answers and a fifty metre penalty followed by a goal to Cartledge put an end to the Zebras' hopes of an unlikely comeback. The Roosters ran out comfortable winners by 35 points in the end. Sandringham will be keen to atone for the disappointing performance but it has its work cut out with another danger game at Coburg on Queen's Birthday weekend. Sandringham 2.4.16 6.6.42 9.10.64 13.10.88 North Ballarat 2.5.17 8.8.56 12.12.84 18.15.123 Goals Sandringham Newton 5 Dunn 4 T Johnston Liddell Martin Sautner North Ballarat Chester 4 George 3 Dignan Feery Whyman 2 Cartledge Gregg Riggio Ryall Trotter Best Sandringham Summers Dunn Martin Pickett Warnock Liddell North Ballarat Cartledge Sansbury Lower Moloney Whyman Chester UNDERMANNED RESERVES BATTLE HARD With a number of regulars promoted to the Seniors, an undermanned reserves were smashed by a stronger and more committed North Ballarat. Shane Tregear and Sam Monaghan worked tirelessly while young Demon rookie Daniel Hayes impressed. He was making his return to the game after personal issues kept him out of football for the past two months and he looked good in passages kicking a very clever goal at half forward. The team remains out of the top five by a game and will need to work harder this week to snare the points against the Coburg Tigers and remain in the finals race. These teams met a few weeks ago at Frankston when the Tigers' seniors had a bye and their team was stacked with Richmond players. The opposition will be much different this time and the young Sandy side will have added incentive to win. Reserves Sandringham 2.2.14 4.5.29 4.6.30 5.6.36 North Ballarat 1.2.8 8.5.53 13.10.88 16.16.112 Goals Sandringham Dunne Gileno Henry Lyall Monaghan North Ballarat Micallef 3 Schultz 2 Gilmour Hartigan Horbury McDougall McHug Raworth Searle Sharkey Spolding Urquhart Waight Best Sandringham Tregear Monaghan Hayes Zarra Gribbin Dunne North Ballarat Searle Micallef Caldow Raworth Head Schultz

Beach Road Bazza couldn't make it to North Ballarat (Kingswood trouble again) so thanks to Ice Station Zebra for his report. GOLDEN RUN ENDS by Ice Station Zebra Sandringham's golden run of victories stretching from Round 18 of last year finally ended with a 35 point defeat at the hands of a committed North Ballarat at AUSTAR Arena, Ballarat on Saturday. North Ballarat had plenty of time to plan their tilt at the reigning triple premiers and they did it well. Their pre game publicity signalled early that the Zebras were going to have to be at their best to deny their hard running game and high work rate. The Roosters' attack on the football was fierce all day and was a major factor in their well deserved victory. The trip north is always a daunting one and Sandy's task was compounded by something of a hangover from the Victorian State game of the previous week, a heavy injury toll and a suspension. Two players from the sensational victory over the Sandgropers - Ezra Poyas and Shane Valenti - were late withdrawals from Saturday's team. Nick Sautner who starred with nine goals in that match struggled to have an impact in his 200th game on Saturday and was well held by Rooster skipper Shaune Moloney. Chris Lamb missed this week with his one game striking suspension incurred during the Williamstown game while Ben Holland also had to pull out of the selected side. With Chris Johnson hurt early, the Zebras were well down on their usual quota of experienced players for most of the game. Still, this gave a number of younger players the opportunity to step up into the side and Jace Bode, Heath Neville, Tomi Johnston, Rennie Gilchrist, Peter McGettigan, Stefan Martin and Tom Paterakis all came in to the team highlighting its youthful nature. Byron Pickett was the only Demon listed player in the side with a sizeable amount of AFL experience. Gilchrist, from the Sandringham Dragons was playing his first senior game. The proceedings opened in cold but sunny conditions with a light breeze running across a heavy ground. It was a lively start and the Zebras began well but unfortunately twice hit the post in the opening five minutes. Young ruckman Martin was given a tough job on state representative and former Bomber ruckman Tristan Cartledge and he more than held his own in this department. Lynden Dunn was lively up forward in the early stages but with Sautner well covered, the Sandringham attack looked somewhat jaded and the visitors trailed by a point at the first break. Sandy was poised to make a charge and two early goals saw them take a 10 point lead. Chad Liddell's soccer goal off the ground was inspirational. The Roosters responded even more strongly with four unanswered goals including three in two minutes by half forward Dean Chester. You could almost see the home team's self-confidence surge as a result of this burst of inspirational football and North Ballarat went in at the half time break with a 14 point lead. Peter Summers was the only Sandy state representative who was on song all day and the team really missed the hard drive that Valenti usually gives, particularly in the packs. Tom Paterakis was given the difficult task of holding the slippery Djaran Whyman and did a fair job in the circumstances. Sandringham looked lethargic at the start of the third quarter and the home side soon slipped away to a handy 32 point lead after booting three goals in four minutes. Dunn and Michael Newton kicked goals to keep Sandy within touch but it still went into the three quarter time huddle facing defeat and 20 points in arrears. Sautner's solitary goal for the game had come late in the quarter. The visitors tried hard in the last with Newton on fire and kicking three goals but the Roosters had all the answers and a fifty metre penalty followed by a goal to Cartledge put an end to the Zebras' hopes of an unlikely comeback. The Roosters ran out comfortable winners by 35 points in the end. Sandringham will be keen to atone for the disappointing performance but it has its work cut out with another danger game at Coburg on Queen's Birthday weekend. Sandringham 2.4.16 6.6.42 9.10.64 13.10.88 North Ballarat 2.5.17 8.8.56 12.12.84 18.15.123 Goals Sandringham Newton 5 Dunn 4 T Johnston Liddell Martin Sautner North Ballarat Chester 4 George 3 Dignan Feery Whyman 2 Cartledge Gregg Riggio Ryall Trotter Best Sandringham Summers Dunn Martin Pickett Warnock Liddell North Ballarat Cartledge Sansbury Lower Moloney Whyman Chester UNDERMANNED RESERVES BATTLE HARD With a number of regulars promoted to the Seniors, an undermanned reserves were smashed by a stronger and more committed North Ballarat. Shane Tregear and Sam Monaghan worked tirelessly while young Demon rookie Daniel Hayes impressed. He was making his return to the game after personal issues kept him out of football for the past two months and he looked good in passages kicking a very clever goal at half forward. The team remains out of the top five by a game and will need to work harder this week to snare the points against the Coburg Tigers and remain in the finals race. These teams met a few weeks ago at Frankston when the Tigers' seniors had a bye and their team was stacked with Richmond players. The opposition will be much different this time and the young Sandy side will have added incentive to win. Reserves Sandringham 2.2.14 4.5.29 4.6.30 5.6.36 North Ballarat 1.2.8 8.5.53 13.10.88 16.16.112 Goals Sandringham Dunne Gileno Henry Lyall Monaghan North Ballarat Micallef 3 Schultz 2 Gilmour Hartigan Horbury McDougall McHug Raworth Searle Sharkey Spolding Urquhart Waight Best Sandringham Tregear Monaghan Hayes Zarra Gribbin Dunne North Ballarat Searle Micallef Caldow Raworth Head Schultz

Standings after round 10:- 56. Cameron Bruce 52. Aaron Davey 49. Nathan Jones 46. Daniel Bell 43. Brad Green 39. James McDonald 35. Brent Moloney 34. Travis Johnstone 31. Jeff White 28. Colin Sylvia 26. Simon Godfrey 24. Adem Yze 20. Brad Miller David Neitz 18. Matthew Bate Ricky Petterd Jared Rivers 15. Nathan Brown 13. Clint Bizzell Ben Holland 11. Russell Robertson 9. Nathan Carroll 6. Paul Wheatley 3. Daniel Ward 2. Paul Johnson 1. Lynden Dunn

It's been corrected - I had Belly down twice, he's been that good.

It's been corrected - I had Belly down twice, he's been that good.

by the Oracle At long last a win. I've been saying it on a weekly basis for as long as I can remember this year and it finally came true at the G yesterday. With every passing week, a Melbourne victory was getting closer and the Demons' hard-earned 17-point victory against Adelaide was as sweet as they come. It was sweet because in many respects it was a mirror image of last week's one point debacle against the Kangaroos. This time however, it was Melbourne who fought hard to hold the ascendency at the final break. The Demons were at it tooth and nail for the first three quarters as they worked desperately for every touch of the football, tackled hard and tirelessly worked the ball up the ground to their advantage. This time the floodgates opened up in Melbourne's favour with an eight goal second quarter that virtually blew the then third placed Adelaide off the park. And this time, it was the Dees' fans whose hearts fluttered as the opposition made their comeback in the final quarter and it was their own team that went ultra defensive in an attempt to stave off defeat. Even the umpires went about their duties in total contrast to the way in which they officiated last week's game. For the first three quarters, holding the ball had vanished from the rulebook but it came back with a vengeance in the last (to Melbourne's detriment I might add). As far as the hands in the back rule is concerned, it comes and goes into and out of vogue like ladies' fashions. You just never know when it's going to be paid (although in David Neitz' case you don't even have to wonder because he never gets them). A 44 point lead is hard to crack at the best of times and fortunately for the home side it managed to cling on grimly even if it had to produce some really ugly defensive football at the end to effectively deprive the Crows of possession in the final two minutes. Still, given that Neita had already slammed one through from 60 metres out, I don't quite get why he didn't give it a crack after he marked from about that distance out late in the game. Throughout the long weeks when its injury crisis was at its height, we knew Melbourne was going to come good once some semblance of its team could be put together on the park. However, the situation was seemingly becoming more and more desperate as with every player returning from injury, another was falling by the wayside. In recent weeks we've seen the return of David Neitz, Russell Robertson and Brock McLean. Yesterday's inclusions were Matthew Bate, Colin Sylvia and Paul Wheatley. Nevertheless, the injury list at the club still sits at eleven - Clint Bartram, Ryan Ferguson, Ben Holland, Mark Jamar, Brad Miller, Brent Moloney, Jared Rivers, Isaac Weetra, Matthew Whelan, Adem Yze and rookie Daniel Hughes (and you can make the suspended Byron Pickett the twelfth man unavailable). The club's continuing inability to select so many players all made yesterday's win even more meritorious. Although neither Neitz nor Robertson is setting the world on fire, their mere presence has changed the equation on the Demon forward line. Suddenly opposition defences have to hold down two potentially dangerous forwards and this allows others the opportunity to chip in and cause damage. Neita and Robbo are slowly coming good and will cause plenty of headaches to opposition defences from now on. And what a captain's goal that was when the skipper sealed the game in the last quarter? Similarly, Brock McLean's return to the midfield has been an absolute revelation. The cobwebs are still there after his lengthy lay off through injury, but the youngster is all class and his 50th game was typical of what the emerging young future leader brings to the team. And he has a great sidekick in Nathan Jones who improves as each week goes by. Both of these kids are as hard and tough as nails! One of the by products of coming into a game against a top four prospect like Adelaide when you're sitting on a record of 0-9 is that sometimes your opponent will refuse to show you any respect. That's the impression I had of Adelaide, particularly at the start of the game. The Crows looked as if they came to this city carrying a smug disregard of Melbourne's capacity to compete with them. They made little attempt to cover the Demon playmakers and, as a result Brad Green simply ran rampant all day on his way to 37 disposals and 18 marks, some of which were as courageous as they come. Cameron Bruce was also allowed to do as he pleased and he amassed 29 touches and 10 marks. With these two getting their hands on the ball, the team's confidence grew and grew until it was too late for the Crows to readjust to the fact that they were facing disaster. On the other side of the ledger, Melbourne did a good job covering Adelaide's danger men in McLeod, Ricciuto and former Demon Scott Thompson who was restricted to just four kicks and eight handballs by Simon Godfrey, a player who continues to wrack up an impressive list of scalps on his way to his 100th AFL game. Godfrey himself only managed six disposals but he was as tight as the proverbial and he would have relished the fact that he was playing on such a nice guy like Thompson who, unlike some of his recent opponents, resisted the urge to sink his elbow into Godders' orchestra stalls. Then there was Daniel Bell who was simply magnificent and miserly in defence against Scott Welsh who usually destroys Melbourne. The sight of Bell running him down on at least two occasions was a revelation to those who have waited patiently for such a day as this. The young bloke has arrived! If Bell's arrival has been long awaited, what can you say about Paul Wheatley? His game was laced with long accurate disposal: he got the ball 22 times and he provided something that has been missing in Melbourne's make up all season: a player who could move the ball with pace and gain plenty of distance with his kicks. Wheatley, who has endured a couple of years of persistent injury woes, was written off by many at Melbourne but after yesterday, they will have to think again. A couple of youngsters who impressed were 2006 National Draft choices Rickey Petterd and James Frawley who will be looking forward to long and successful careers at the club after each experienced his first victory on the big stage. Next week it's Collingwood in the Queens Birthday clash of rivals. For the first time this season, the Demons will be playing in front of a crowd in excess of 50,000 - in fact it should go well beyond that figure. The Pies are sitting close to the top with a 7-3 record and, based on ladder position, the game looks like a cakewalk for the black and the white. But there is no team in the competition that Melbourne likes beating more than the old enemy and a repeat of yesterday's performance would be equally as sweet. Melbourne 2.3.15 10.5.65 12.10.82 13.11.89 Adelaide 3.1.19 4.5.29 5.8.38 10.12.72 Goals Melbourne Neitz 3 Bate Jones Robertson 2 Bruce Davey Petterd Wheatley Adelaide Porplyzia Ricciuto Stevens 2 Doughty Perrie Torney Welsh. Best Melbourne Green Bruce Bell Wheatley Carroll Jones Adelaide Goodwin Edwards Johncock Doughty Porplyzia Injuries Melbourne Davey (ankle) Adelaide Perrie (shoulder) Reilly (ankle) Umpires Margetts Hendrie Goldspink. Crowd 23,657 at MCG.

HOW SWEET IT IS by the Oracle At long last a win. I've been saying it on a weekly basis for as long as I can remember this year and it finally came true at the G yesterday. With every passing week, a Melbourne victory was getting closer and the Demons' hard-earned 17-point victory against Adelaide was as sweet as they come. It was sweet because in many respects it was a mirror image of last week's one point debacle against the Kangaroos. This time however, it was Melbourne who fought hard to hold the ascendency at the final break. The Demons were at it tooth and nail for the first three quarters as they worked desperately for every touch of the football, tackled hard and tirelessly worked the ball up the ground to their advantage. This time the floodgates opened up in Melbourne's favour with an eight goal second quarter that virtually blew the then third placed Adelaide off the park. And this time, it was the Dees' fans whose hearts fluttered as the opposition made their comeback in the final quarter and it was their own team that went ultra defensive in an attempt to stave off defeat. Even the umpires went about their duties in total contrast to the way in which they officiated last week's game. For the first three quarters, holding the ball had vanished from the rulebook but it came back with a vengeance in the last (to Melbourne's detriment I might add). As far as the hands in the back rule is concerned, it comes and goes into and out of vogue like ladies' fashions. You just never know when it's going to be paid (although in David Neitz' case you don't even have to wonder because he never gets them). A 44 point lead is hard to crack at the best of times and fortunately for the home side it managed to cling on grimly even if it had to produce some really ugly defensive football at the end to effectively deprive the Crows of possession in the final two minutes. Still, given that Neita had already slammed one through from 60 metres out, I don't quite get why he didn't give it a crack after he marked from about that distance out late in the game. Throughout the long weeks when its injury crisis was at its height, we knew Melbourne was going to come good once some semblance of its team could be put together on the park. However, the situation was seemingly becoming more and more desperate as with every player returning from injury, another was falling by the wayside. In recent weeks we've seen the return of David Neitz, Russell Robertson and Brock McLean. Yesterday's inclusions were Matthew Bate, Colin Sylvia and Paul Wheatley. Nevertheless, the injury list at the club still sits at eleven - Clint Bartram, Ryan Ferguson, Ben Holland, Mark Jamar, Brad Miller, Brent Moloney, Jared Rivers, Isaac Weetra, Matthew Whelan, Adem Yze and rookie Daniel Hughes (and you can make the suspended Byron Pickett the twelfth man unavailable). The club's continuing inability to select so many players all made yesterday's win even more meritorious. Although neither Neitz nor Robertson is setting the world on fire, their mere presence has changed the equation on the Demon forward line. Suddenly opposition defences have to hold down two potentially dangerous forwards and this allows others the opportunity to chip in and cause damage. Neita and Robbo are slowly coming good and will cause plenty of headaches to opposition defences from now on. And what a captain's goal that was when the skipper sealed the game in the last quarter? Similarly, Brock McLean's return to the midfield has been an absolute revelation. The cobwebs are still there after his lengthy lay off through injury, but the youngster is all class and his 50th game was typical of what the emerging young future leader brings to the team. And he has a great sidekick in Nathan Jones who improves as each week goes by. Both of these kids are as hard and tough as nails! One of the by products of coming into a game against a top four prospect like Adelaide when you're sitting on a record of 0-9 is that sometimes your opponent will refuse to show you any respect. That's the impression I had of Adelaide, particularly at the start of the game. The Crows looked as if they came to this city carrying a smug disregard of Melbourne's capacity to compete with them. They made little attempt to cover the Demon playmakers and, as a result Brad Green simply ran rampant all day on his way to 37 disposals and 18 marks, some of which were as courageous as they come. Cameron Bruce was also allowed to do as he pleased and he amassed 29 touches and 10 marks. With these two getting their hands on the ball, the team's confidence grew and grew until it was too late for the Crows to readjust to the fact that they were facing disaster. On the other side of the ledger, Melbourne did a good job covering Adelaide's danger men in McLeod, Ricciuto and former Demon Scott Thompson who was restricted to just four kicks and eight handballs by Simon Godfrey, a player who continues to wrack up an impressive list of scalps on his way to his 100th AFL game. Godfrey himself only managed six disposals but he was as tight as the proverbial and he would have relished the fact that he was playing on such a nice guy like Thompson who, unlike some of his recent opponents, resisted the urge to sink his elbow into Godders' orchestra stalls. Then there was Daniel Bell who was simply magnificent and miserly in defence against Scott Welsh who usually destroys Melbourne. The sight of Bell running him down on at least two occasions was a revelation to those who have waited patiently for such a day as this. The young bloke has arrived! If Bell's arrival has been long awaited, what can you say about Paul Wheatley? His game was laced with long accurate disposal: he got the ball 22 times and he provided something that has been missing in Melbourne's make up all season: a player who could move the ball with pace and gain plenty of distance with his kicks. Wheatley, who has endured a couple of years of persistent injury woes, was written off by many at Melbourne but after yesterday, they will have to think again. A couple of youngsters who impressed were 2006 National Draft choices Rickey Petterd and James Frawley who will be looking forward to long and successful careers at the club after each experienced his first victory on the big stage. Next week it's Collingwood in the Queens Birthday clash of rivals. For the first time this season, the Demons will be playing in front of a crowd in excess of 50,000 - in fact it should go well beyond that figure. The Pies are sitting close to the top with a 7-3 record and, based on ladder position, the game looks like a cakewalk for the black and the white. But there is no team in the competition that Melbourne likes beating more than the old enemy and a repeat of yesterday's performance would be equally as sweet. Melbourne 2.3.15 10.5.65 12.10.82 13.11.89 Adelaide 3.1.19 4.5.29 5.8.38 10.12.72 Goals Melbourne Neitz 3 Bate Jones Robertson 2 Bruce Davey Petterd Wheatley Adelaide Porplyzia Ricciuto Stevens 2 Doughty Perrie Torney Welsh. Best Melbourne Green Bruce Bell Wheatley Carroll Jones Adelaide Goodwin Edwards Johncock Doughty Porplyzia Injuries Melbourne Davey (ankle) Adelaide Perrie (shoulder) Reilly (ankle) Umpires Margetts Hendrie Goldspink. Crowd 23,657 at MCG.

Jerry - why not go to The Oracle's Match Review on Demonland? It's a much more level headed and unbiased treatment of the game!

by Sam the Stats Man When decisions are made to give out the duties around here, the powers that be rarely think of me so I was chuffed to learn that after nine straight defeats the gig of previewing Melbourne v Adelaide at the G this week is mine. I learned later that the others had refused to take up the challenge which suggests that my assignment is something of a poisoned chalice. However, I’m delighted to step up to the plate and to take on the task. In view of the fact that Melbourne is taking on one of those upstart new boys on the block from outside Victoria and that our own CEO Steve Harris has weighed into the interstate debate, I thought I would start at exactly that point. Harris is of the view that the non-Victorians have an advantage over the Melbourne based clubs. He has warned that football spending has escalated into an "arms race" with the potential to blow up in the faces of battling Victorian clubs. The fear is that the AFL is at risk of turning into a version of the lop-sided English Premier League where a few rich clubs have dominated the past decade or so. Without wishing to steal Steve's thunder, I want to expand on his theory and go one step beyond the "arms race" and look at another race which has seen Melbourne at such a disadvantage this year – the "legs race"! Whichever way you look at the Melbourne list this season, you'll find that the Demons have been getting it in the legs - stress fractures, hamstrings, groins, ankles, knees and the like. It's a bloody pestilence and they have to do something about it! Earlier this year, the Crows were complaining about their own injury list on account of the fact that they had a few blokes injured in the off-season. In addition, a few of their untried players and rookies were injured but so what? The statistics show that the things are going quite nicely for the Crows in the legs race. Of the 22 players in Saturday's Adelaide team, 18 of them will be lining up for their 10th game this season - an AFL high. One of the 22 is Jonathon Griffin who was virtually ruled out earlier this week with an ankle injury while skipper Mark Mark Ricciuto makes his return after being out since Round 20 last year. On the other hand, with Brad Miller's demise through a wrist injury, Melbourne will field only six who will have played in every game this season - an AFL low! A statistical look at the Melbourne list reveals just how badly the club is faring in the legs race: - BARTRAM, Clint MFC - 1 game 0 goals - after spending almost all summer in rehab recovering from an ankle injury, Bartram was recalled for the opening game of the season and was used sparingly. Injured a knee at training before Round 2 and isn't due back for another two or three weeks. BATE, Matthew MFC - 8 games 6 goals - another late withdrawal from last week's game with a hamstring injury. Pity because he was just starting to show some real confidence and a belief in his capacity to play well at the highest level. BELL, Daniel MFC - 9 games 1 goal - starting to fulfill his early promise and has done some great work week in, week out under extreme pressure in an often beleaguered defence. BIZZELL, Clint MFC - 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 0 goals - after a long period dogged by injury, Biz played his best game in over two years last week against the Kangaroos and helped in nearly getting the team over the line. BODE, Jace ® MFC - SFC Seniors - 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves - 4 games 1 goal - hasn't really kicked on but is back in the senior team this week. BROWN, Nathan MFC - 8 games 1 goal - gets the ball but sometimes you never know where it's going. Was dropped last week but received some respite due to two late withdrawals. In the twilight of his career. BRUCE, Cameron MFC - 9 games 4 goals - probably close to leading the club's best and fairest without being a world beater this season. Seems to grow in stature when he has other experienced team leaders around him. BUCKLEY, Simon SFC Seniors - 6 games 1 goal – coming along slowly at Sandringham. CARROLL, Nathan MFC - 9 games 0 goals - feeling the pressure in a weak defence but has done some nice things and impressed last week at full back. DAVEY, Aaron MFC - 9 games 8 goals - another player who was completely out of form in the early games but is coming good with a vengeance in recent times. DUNN, Lynden MFC - 6 games 5 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 2 goals - a serious facial injury kept him out of the first couple of rounds and has been hot and cold on return to the Melbourne side and he’s out this week. FERGUSON, Ryan MFC - 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 5 goals - The injury prone defender can't take a trick. Broke a thumb after struggling early against West Coast and will be out for another month. 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 and was concussed in the first quarter and hospitalised. Was then promoted to the seniors at Sandringham and obviously impressed enough to gain further promotion to the AFL where he struggled against the Kangaroos. GARLAND, Colin MFC - 1 game 0 goals SFC Seniors - 5 games 3 goals - was given a cameo role in Sydney but failed to impress and is back in development mode at Sandringham. GODFREY, Simon MFC - 8 games 3 goals - disposal and decision making have improved marginally and he has been terrific as the hardworking tagger. Closing in on 100 games which would be 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 - 7 games 8 goals - an average season. Was taken apart by Shannon Grant against the Kangaroos and look better when he went forward. HAYES, Daniel ® - was unable to train due to personal reasons and suspended from playing. Picked this week for the Zebra reserves. HOLLAND, Ben MFC - 4 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 3 games 1 goal - struggles at AFL level where he doesn't have the agility or accurate disposal to hurt the opposition in any way. Dropped this week. HUGHES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors - 4 games 5 goals SFC Reserves - 2 games 4 goals - showing some promise with the Zebras. JAMAR, Mark MFC - 5 games 3 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals - just went as the second ruckman before he was dropped to Sandringham where he suffered a hamstring injury and has missed the past two or three weeks. JOHNSON, Chris MFC - 3 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 2 goals - failed to come up after a stellar pre season but has played some impressive football at Sandringham. JOHNSON, Paul MFC - 7 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 1 goal - grabbed the opportunity in the absence of Mark Jamar and now seems to have a firm hold on the second ruck position. JOHNSTONE, Travis MFC - 8 games 4 goals - has been strongly tagged in a few games but is slowly working his way into form after a sluggish start. JONES, Nathan MFC - 8 games 3 goals - missed just one game with injury and is a definite rising star among the Demon young guns. McDONALD, James MFC - 9 games 2 goals - struggling 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 nine games. McLEAN, Brock MFC - 2 games 0 goals - another early season casualty, McLean fractured a foot in the opening round but showed his worth with a 22 possession game on return with limited ground time. MILLER, Brad MFC - 9 games 7 goals - hasn't really set the world on fire and really struggled when the other guns of the forward line were absent. A wrist injury this week means that Miller will be absent. MOLONEY, Brent MFC - 6 games 4 goals - returned after an injury wracked 2006 and was probably close to Melbourne's best until a recurrence of groin problems took its toll. Still a week or two away. NEAVES, Shane ® SFC Seniors - 6 games 0 goals - continues to impress as a developing ruckman at Sandringham. NEITZ, David MFC - 6 games 12 goals - averaging two goals a game but missed a few with a knee injury and has taken a while to come good after his return a few weeks ago. NEVILLE, Heath MFC - SFC Reserves - 6 games 2 goals - languishing in the VFL reserves but gets his chance this week at senior VFL level. NEWTON, Michael MFC - SFC Seniors - 6 games 16 goals - has been freakish at Sandringham, kicking bags of six and five goals but still struggles to break into the AFL. What are they waiting for? PETTERD, Ricky MFC - 4 games 2 goals SFC Seniors - 3 games 1 goal - a breath of fresh air, this young recruit has shown enormous poise and ability in his debut season. Hasn't missed out on the club's injury plague either as he missed the Round 7 game v Western Bulldogs with a hammy. PICKETT, Byron MFC - 3 games 1 goals SFC Seniors - 3 games 4 goals - came into the season unfit, overweight and with family problems. Currently under suspension and confined to Sandringham for a couple of weeks after an indiscretion on the eve of the Bulldogs' game. RIVERS, Jared MFC - 3 games 0 goals - a succession of injuries continues to keep Melbourne's best and most talented defender out of the team. ROBERTSON, Russell MFC - 3 games 7 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 4 goals - suffered a knee injury late in the Round 2 game against Hawthorn and returned last week with a three goal performance that helped to livened up a forward line that has been virtually comatose for much of the year. SYLVIA, Colin MFC - 5 games 6 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 3 goals - was just starting to show the form that made him a high draft pick when a hamstring injury kept him out of the Kangaroos game. WARD, Daniel MFC - 7 games 1 goal SFC Seniors - 2 games 0 goals - has seized his opportunities with vacancies caused in defence due to injuries and loss of form but his delivery and decision making is a problem. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC - 2 games 1 goal SFC Seniors - 4 games 0 goals - has shown some glimpses of form at AFL level but still unable to grab a regular spot in the red and blue. WEETRA, Isaac MFC - SFC Reserves - 1 game 0 goals - injured hamstring during the preseason and was due to return when it went again. When he recovered from that injury, Weetra broke his wrist first up in the Zebra twos. WHEATLEY, Paul MFC - 3 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals - injuries have curtailed his season, the latest being a shoulder problem. WHELAN, Matthew MFC - 5 games 0 goals - an early casualty in Round 1 after a clash of heads with Luke Ball and has missed recently with a foot injury. Can't seem to stay on the park with regularity and his absences are hurting the team. WHITE, Jeff MFC - 9 games 4 goals - has been hot and cold this season and is finding things tougher against the bigger opponents but still capable of some good football and still holding down the number 1 ruck position. YZE, Adem MFC - 7 games 4 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 2 goals - - missed selection in Round 2 to end a remarkable run of 226 consecutive matches dating back a decade. Fought his way back into the team and played some good games before he was a late withdrawal from the Demons' team that lost to the Kangaroos by a point last week with a groin injury. Will miss again this week against Adelaide. In all, the Demons have tried 36 players this year (ten more than Adelaide) and, of the remaining four listed players, there’s a fair chance that Simon Buckley and Michael Newton will eventually get a run in Melbourne colours at some time later this year. That is, if their legs can keep them in the race for a game. THE GAME: Melbourne v. Adelaide at the MCG – 2 June 2007 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Melbourne 8 wins Adelaide 16 wins At the G: Melbourne 4 wins Adelaide 4 wins Since 2000: Melbourne 3 wins Adelaide 8 wins The Coaches: Daniher 1 wins Craig 4 wins MEDIA: TV Channel 10 at 3pm (delayed telecast) RADIO MMM 3AW 774ABC THE BETTING: Melbourne to win $2.95 Adelaide to win $1.35 LAST TIME THEY MET: Adelaide 23.14.152 d Melbourne 14.10.94, Round 22, 2006, at AAMI Stadium. This was the game that really destroyed Melbourne's season. The Demons turned up chock full of confidence playing an injury ravaged and out of form Adelaide side that was on the skids. The Crows gave the Demons a hammering from start to finish. Clint Bartram damaged his ankle early and Brock McLean was reported for making head high contact. David Neitz booted five goals but the rest were lamentable and the Crows, with Welsh and Goodwin running rampant had the easiest of ins to tune up for the finals series. It was one of the pathetic displays at an interstate venue that probably convinced the powers that be in the football department that the team needed to adopt the "run and carry" style of game that has been a feature of Melbourne's season to date. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll Ricky Petterd Half backs James Frawley Clint Bizzell Daniel Bell Centreline Travis Johnstone James McDonald Aaron Davey Half forwards Brad Green Russell Robertson Cameron Bruce Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Simon Godfrey Nathan Jones Interchange Nathan Brown Paul Johnson Brock McLean Paul Wheatley Emergencies Lynden Dunn Ben Holland Chris Johnson In Matthew Bate Colin Sylvia Paul Wheatley Out Brad Miller (wrist) Lynden Dunn Ben Holland ADELAIDE Backs Martin Mattner Ben Rutten Nathan Bassett Half backs Andrew McLeod Scott Stevens Jason Torney Centreline Michael Doughty Robert Shirley Nathan van Berlo Half forwards Simon Goodwin Nathan Bock Chris Knights Forwards Scott Welsh Ian Perrie Mark Ricciuto Followers Ben Hudson Scott Thompson Tyson Edwards Interchange Jonathon Griffin Graham Johncock Jason Porplyzia Brent Reilly Emergencies Luke Jericho Ken McGregor Kris Massie In Mark Ricciuto Out Luke Jericho Umpires Margetts Hendrie Goldspink How do you think the 0-9 Demons are going to fare against 6-3 Crows? The bookies have decided that it is not going to be pleasant. They have Melbourne at $2.95 to win a two horse race on their own home ground but to my mind (and speaking statistically of course) it's not always wise to ignore home ground advantage. Melbourne and Adelaide have met five times since Neil Craig took over the helm of the Crows late in 2004. Strangely enough (and fitting in with the Harris theory of non Victorian club advantage), four of those games have been held in a state other than Victoria. Three of the games were played at AAMI Stadium and one at Carrara last year when Adelaide fell in by 5 points after a goal umpire judged that Aaron Davey had failed to touch a shot for goal before it crossed the goal line. The other game played in 2005 at the MCG was Neale Daniher's only triumph over Craig. I'm tipping him to do it again this Saturday. Home ground advantage however, is not the overriding factor. I believe the Crows are overrated and I say this because I say them struggle to win against a talentless Carlton at the Dome last week and indeed, it was the talent of a former Demon in Scott Thompson that got them over the line. You might argue that the Demons are equally talentless given that we're now into Round 10 and they haven't broken the ice yet but, as my statistical analysis of the team has shown, they've been pretty stiff with injury. Despite losing players on a regular basis to the leg race, I think the team selected for this week is the best that the Demons have put on the park all year. With Neitz and Robertson together showing some semblance of form on the forward line, the return of Matthew Bate and Colin Sylvia gives the Melbourne attack some potency that has been missing all season. Brock McLean has a game under his belt after his two month absence and with Nathan Jones improving in front of our eyes in the midfield, the Demons are moving in the right direction. I'm very confident of a Melbourne win at home. And if the Dees get up by the 10 point margin I predict, then I'll really be chuffed.

CHUFFED by Sam the Stats Man When decisions are made to give out the duties around here, the powers that be rarely think of me so I was chuffed to learn that after nine straight defeats the gig of previewing Melbourne v Adelaide at the G this week is mine. I learned later that the others had refused to take up the challenge which suggests that my assignment is something of a poisoned chalice. However, I’m delighted to step up to the plate and to take on the task. In view of the fact that Melbourne is taking on one of those upstart new boys on the block from outside Victoria and that our own CEO Steve Harris has weighed into the interstate debate, I thought I would start at exactly that point. Harris is of the view that the non-Victorians have an advantage over the Melbourne based clubs. He has warned that football spending has escalated into an "arms race" with the potential to blow up in the faces of battling Victorian clubs. The fear is that the AFL is at risk of turning into a version of the lop-sided English Premier League where a few rich clubs have dominated the past decade or so. Without wishing to steal Steve's thunder, I want to expand on his theory and go one step beyond the "arms race" and look at another race which has seen Melbourne at such a disadvantage this year – the "legs race"! Whichever way you look at the Melbourne list this season, you'll find that the Demons have been getting it in the legs - stress fractures, hamstrings, groins, ankles, knees and the like. It's a bloody pestilence and they have to do something about it! Earlier this year, the Crows were complaining about their own injury list on account of the fact that they had a few blokes injured in the off-season. In addition, a few of their untried players and rookies were injured but so what? The statistics show that the things are going quite nicely for the Crows in the legs race. Of the 22 players in Saturday's Adelaide team, 18 of them will be lining up for their 10th game this season - an AFL high. One of the 22 is Jonathon Griffin who was virtually ruled out earlier this week with an ankle injury while skipper Mark Mark Ricciuto makes his return after being out since Round 20 last year. On the other hand, with Brad Miller's demise through a wrist injury, Melbourne will field only six who will have played in every game this season - an AFL low! A statistical look at the Melbourne list reveals just how badly the club is faring in the legs race: - BARTRAM, Clint MFC - 1 game 0 goals - after spending almost all summer in rehab recovering from an ankle injury, Bartram was recalled for the opening game of the season and was used sparingly. Injured a knee at training before Round 2 and isn't due back for another two or three weeks. BATE, Matthew MFC - 8 games 6 goals - another late withdrawal from last week's game with a hamstring injury. Pity because he was just starting to show some real confidence and a belief in his capacity to play well at the highest level. BELL, Daniel MFC - 9 games 1 goal - starting to fulfill his early promise and has done some great work week in, week out under extreme pressure in an often beleaguered defence. BIZZELL, Clint MFC - 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 0 goals - after a long period dogged by injury, Biz played his best game in over two years last week against the Kangaroos and helped in nearly getting the team over the line. BODE, Jace ® MFC - SFC Seniors - 2 games 0 goals SFC Reserves - 4 games 1 goal - hasn't really kicked on but is back in the senior team this week. BROWN, Nathan MFC - 8 games 1 goal - gets the ball but sometimes you never know where it's going. Was dropped last week but received some respite due to two late withdrawals. In the twilight of his career. BRUCE, Cameron MFC - 9 games 4 goals - probably close to leading the club's best and fairest without being a world beater this season. Seems to grow in stature when he has other experienced team leaders around him.BUCKLEY, Simon SFC Seniors - 6 games 1 goal – coming along slowly at Sandringham. CARROLL, Nathan MFC - 9 games 0 goals - feeling the pressure in a weak defence but has done some nice things and impressed last week at full back. DAVEY, Aaron MFC - 9 games 8 goals - another player who was completely out of form in the early games but is coming good with a vengeance in recent times. DUNN, Lynden MFC - 6 games 5 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 2 goals - a serious facial injury kept him out of the first couple of rounds and has been hot and cold on return to the Melbourne side and he’s out this week. FERGUSON, Ryan MFC - 2 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 5 goals - The injury prone defender can't take a trick. Broke a thumb after struggling early against West Coast and will be out for another month. 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 and was concussed in the first quarter and hospitalised. Was then promoted to the seniors at Sandringham and obviously impressed enough to gain further promotion to the AFL where he struggled against the Kangaroos. GARLAND, Colin MFC - 1 game 0 goals SFC Seniors - 5 games 3 goals - was given a cameo role in Sydney but failed to impress and is back in development mode at Sandringham. GODFREY, Simon MFC - 8 games 3 goals - disposal and decision making have improved marginally and he has been terrific as the hardworking tagger. Closing in on 100 games which would be 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 - 7 games 8 goals - an average season. Was taken apart by Shannon Grant against the Kangaroos and look better when he went forward. HAYES, Daniel ® - was unable to train due to personal reasons and suspended from playing. Picked this week for the Zebra reserves. HOLLAND, Ben MFC - 4 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 3 games 1 goal - struggles at AFL level where he doesn't have the agility or accurate disposal to hurt the opposition in any way. Dropped this week. HUGHES, Daniel ® SFC Seniors - 4 games 5 goals SFC Reserves - 2 games 4 goals - showing some promise with the Zebras. JAMAR, Mark MFC - 5 games 3 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals - just went as the second ruckman before he was dropped to Sandringham where he suffered a hamstring injury and has missed the past two or three weeks. JOHNSON, Chris MFC - 3 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 4 games 2 goals - failed to come up after a stellar pre season but has played some impressive football at Sandringham. JOHNSON, Paul MFC - 7 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 1 goal - grabbed the opportunity in the absence of Mark Jamar and now seems to have a firm hold on the second ruck position. JOHNSTONE, Travis MFC - 8 games 4 goals - has been strongly tagged in a few games but is slowly working his way into form after a sluggish start. JONES, Nathan MFC - 8 games 3 goals - missed just one game with injury and is a definite rising star among the Demon young guns. McDONALD, James MFC - 9 games 2 goals - struggling 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 nine games. McLEAN, Brock MFC - 2 games 0 goals - another early season casualty, McLean fractured a foot in the opening round but showed his worth with a 22 possession game on return with limited ground time. MILLER, Brad MFC - 9 games 7 goals - hasn't really set the world on fire and really struggled when the other guns of the forward line were absent. A wrist injury this week means that Miller will be absent. MOLONEY, Brent MFC - 6 games 4 goals - returned after an injury wracked 2006 and was probably close to Melbourne's best until a recurrence of groin problems took its toll. Still a week or two away. NEAVES, Shane ® SFC Seniors - 6 games 0 goals - continues to impress as a developing ruckman at Sandringham. NEITZ, David MFC - 6 games 12 goals - averaging two goals a game but missed a few with a knee injury and has taken a while to come good after his return a few weeks ago. NEVILLE, Heath MFC - SFC Reserves - 6 games 2 goals - languishing in the VFL reserves but gets his chance this week at senior VFL level. NEWTON, Michael MFC - SFC Seniors - 6 games 16 goals - has been freakish at Sandringham, kicking bags of six and five goals but still struggles to break into the AFL. What are they waiting for? PETTERD, Ricky MFC - 4 games 2 goals SFC Seniors - 3 games 1 goal - a breath of fresh air, this young recruit has shown enormous poise and ability in his debut season. Hasn't missed out on the club's injury plague either as he missed the Round 7 game v Western Bulldogs with a hammy. PICKETT, Byron MFC - 3 games 1 goals SFC Seniors - 3 games 4 goals - came into the season unfit, overweight and with family problems. Currently under suspension and confined to Sandringham for a couple of weeks after an indiscretion on the eve of the Bulldogs' game. RIVERS, Jared MFC - 3 games 0 goals - a succession of injuries continues to keep Melbourne's best and most talented defender out of the team. ROBERTSON, Russell MFC - 3 games 7 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 4 goals - suffered a knee injury late in the Round 2 game against Hawthorn and returned last week with a three goal performance that helped to livened up a forward line that has been virtually comatose for much of the year. SYLVIA, Colin MFC - 5 games 6 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 3 goals - was just starting to show the form that made him a high draft pick when a hamstring injury kept him out of the Kangaroos game. WARD, Daniel MFC - 7 games 1 goal SFC Seniors - 2 games 0 goals - has seized his opportunities with vacancies caused in defence due to injuries and loss of form but his delivery and decision making is a problem. WARNOCK, Matthew MFC - 2 games 1 goal SFC Seniors - 4 games 0 goals - has shown some glimpses of form at AFL level but still unable to grab a regular spot in the red and blue. WEETRA, Isaac MFC - SFC Reserves - 1 game 0 goals - injured hamstring during the preseason and was due to return when it went again. When he recovered from that injury, Weetra broke his wrist first up in the Zebra twos. WHEATLEY, Paul MFC - 3 games 0 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 0 goals - injuries have curtailed his season, the latest being a shoulder problem. WHELAN, Matthew MFC - 5 games 0 goals - an early casualty in Round 1 after a clash of heads with Luke Ball and has missed recently with a foot injury. Can't seem to stay on the park with regularity and his absences are hurting the team. WHITE, Jeff MFC - 9 games 4 goals - has been hot and cold this season and is finding things tougher against the bigger opponents but still capable of some good football and still holding down the number 1 ruck position. YZE, Adem MFC - 7 games 4 goals SFC Seniors - 1 game 2 goals - - missed selection in Round 2 to end a remarkable run of 226 consecutive matches dating back a decade. Fought his way back into the team and played some good games before he was a late withdrawal from the Demons' team that lost to the Kangaroos by a point last week with a groin injury. Will miss again this week against Adelaide. In all, the Demons have tried 36 players this year (ten more than Adelaide) and, of the remaining four listed players, there’s a fair chance that Simon Buckley and Michael Newton will eventually get a run in Melbourne colours at some time later this year. That is, if their legs can keep them in the race for a game. THE GAME: Melbourne v. Adelaide at the MCG – 2 June 2007 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Melbourne 8 wins Adelaide 16 wins At the G: Melbourne 4 wins Adelaide 4 wins Since 2000: Melbourne 3 wins Adelaide 8 wins The Coaches: Daniher 1 wins Craig 4 wins MEDIA: TV Channel 10 at 3pm (delayed telecast) RADIO MMM 3AW 774ABC THE BETTING: Melbourne to win $2.95 Adelaide to win $1.35 LAST TIME THEY MET: Adelaide 23.14.152 d Melbourne 14.10.94, Round 22, 2006, at AAMI Stadium. This was the game that really destroyed Melbourne's season. The Demons turned up chock full of confidence playing an injury ravaged and out of form Adelaide side that was on the skids. The Crows gave the Demons a hammering from start to finish. Clint Bartram damaged his ankle early and Brock McLean was reported for making head high contact. David Neitz booted five goals but the rest were lamentable and the Crows, with Welsh and Goodwin running rampant had the easiest of ins to tune up for the finals series. It was one of the pathetic displays at an interstate venue that probably convinced the powers that be in the football department that the team needed to adopt the "run and carry" style of game that has been a feature of Melbourne's season to date. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll Ricky Petterd Half backs James Frawley Clint Bizzell Daniel Bell Centreline Travis Johnstone James McDonald Aaron Davey Half forwards Brad Green Russell Robertson Cameron Bruce Forwards Colin Sylvia David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Simon Godfrey Nathan Jones Interchange Nathan Brown Paul Johnson Brock McLean Paul Wheatley Emergencies Lynden Dunn Ben Holland Chris Johnson In Matthew Bate Colin Sylvia Paul Wheatley Out Brad Miller (wrist) Lynden Dunn Ben Holland ADELAIDE Backs Martin Mattner Ben Rutten Nathan Bassett Half backs Andrew McLeod Scott Stevens Jason Torney Centreline Michael Doughty Robert Shirley Nathan van Berlo Half forwards Simon Goodwin Nathan Bock Chris Knights Forwards Scott Welsh Ian Perrie Mark Ricciuto Followers Ben Hudson Scott Thompson Tyson Edwards Interchange Jonathon Griffin Graham Johncock Jason Porplyzia Brent Reilly Emergencies Luke Jericho Ken McGregor Kris Massie In Mark Ricciuto Out Luke Jericho Umpires Margetts Hendrie Goldspink How do you think the 0-9 Demons are going to fare against 6-3 Crows? The bookies have decided that it is not going to be pleasant. They have Melbourne at $2.95 to win a two horse race on their own home ground but to my mind (and speaking statistically of course) it's not always wise to ignore home ground advantage. Melbourne and Adelaide have met five times since Neil Craig took over the helm of the Crows late in 2004. Strangely enough (and fitting in with the Harris theory of non Victorian club advantage), four of those games have been held in a state other than Victoria. Three of the games were played at AAMI Stadium and one at Carrara last year when Adelaide fell in by 5 points after a goal umpire judged that Aaron Davey had failed to touch a shot for goal before it crossed the goal line. The other game played in 2005 at the MCG was Neale Daniher's only triumph over Craig. I'm tipping him to do it again this Saturday. Home ground advantage however, is not the overriding factor. I believe the Crows are overrated and I say this because I say them struggle to win against a talentless Carlton at the Dome last week and indeed, it was the talent of a former Demon in Scott Thompson that got them over the line. You might argue that the Demons are equally talentless given that we're now into Round 10 and they haven't broken the ice yet but, as my statistical analysis of the team has shown, they've been pretty stiff with injury. Despite losing players on a regular basis to the leg race, I think the team selected for this week is the best that the Demons have put on the park all year. With Neitz and Robertson together showing some semblance of form on the forward line, the return of Matthew Bate and Colin Sylvia gives the Melbourne attack some potency that has been missing all season. Brock McLean has a game under his belt after his two month absence and with Nathan Jones improving in front of our eyes in the midfield, the Demons are moving in the right direction. I'm very confident of a Melbourne win at home. And if the Dees get up by the 10 point margin I predict, then I'll really be chuffed.

THE CIRCLE GAME by Whispering Jack "We're captive on the carousel of time We can't return, we can only look behind From where we came And go round and round and round In the circle game." Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game The first hour and three quarters of Sunday's Melbourne v Kangaroos game at the MCG evoked memories of the message contained in the supple chorus of this classic folk song written in another generation by a singer/songwriter who would be unknown to good many of those in the crowd. That however, did not prevent me from wondering how was it possible that this young Canadian woman, writing in the 1960's (and in all probability breathing in the smoky fog-like mist that was so reminiscent of the times) could have so accurately predicted how the Demons would play out the first three quarters of a game of football some forty years in the future? What's that you say - can't understand what I'm talking about? Well, if that's the case, then you didn't live through the sixties and you probably weren't at the game on Sunday either. It was simply apalling what the Melbourne team was able to do on the football field while playing the Circle Game. It wasn't as if the Kangaroos were any good either, because they weren't (any good). It was just that while Melbourne fiddled around with the football, playing on when they should have gone back for a kick, taking their time when they should have been playing on, handballing at the feet of players who weren't moving or expecting to receive the handball or just plain stuffing things up. The skipper started it when his opening shot for goal from the Andrew Swallow flank went right across the goals and out of bounds. Travis Johnstone's snap hit the post before Robbo showed how it was done and then Nathan Jones ran into goal but missed. After ten minutes on top, the Demons allowed two easy goals to Corey Jones (one from a stupid free) and within thirty seconds, the lead had evaporated. There was a momentary respite when what looked to be a Robbo miskick found the skipper for a goal but then the Kangaroos' more direct play gave them a handy little lead at quarter time. The second quarter belonged to Shannon Grant who for some strange reason was being looked after by Brad Green and the umpires. His four goals for the quarter was more than the difference between the teams. Melbourne was as ragged as it has possibly ever been - its players running around in circles, giving away needless free kicks by failing to recognise the umpring trend (which was to ping the bloke at the bottom of the pack for holding the ball every time). I seem to remember it was at some stage in this quarter that Jess Sinclair got hold of the footy in the centre of the ground and he did something incredible. He sunk the boot into it and it landed on a pack within ten to fifteen metres from goal. Grant snaffled up the loose ball and goaled. You would have thought that the Demon players might have taken the hint from that example but it was not to be the case. They just kept going round and round and round. Thankfully, a late goal on the half time siren to Robbo gave the supporters some heart as they marched off to play their own circle game looking for a place where they could by some pies and chips without having to mortgage the house in the process. After the break it was more of the same but it was even worse because both sides were now infested with the fuglies. They say that your ineptitude can rub off on others around you and, in the case of this game, it certainly did that with the Kangaroos developing the kicking yips; it was only Grant's fifth goal that kept the crowd awake. That and some strong defensive play from Nathan Carroll who was great taking some strong contested marks but somewhat lackadaisical with his kicking. Surely he hadn't been breathing Joni Mitchell's air? During the three quarter time break I sensed that certain Demon fans were already deserting the ground but I turned to my neighbour rather unconvincingly told him that "we can still win this if we stop going around in circles and start playing a bit more direct." He nodded in agreement but, when the Roos kicked the first goal of the quarter, I felt my optimisism might have lacked some credibility in his eyes. I would have asked him if that was the case but, by the time I thought of it he had already left the ground clutching his return train ticket in his hands and muttering swear words below his breath no doubt. I suppose that it was just then that the carousel turned and Melbourne forgot about the run and carry and tempo and shmempo and started playing football just like it was doing at this time last year and, in the space of a quarter of an hour, it had seemingly turned its season on its head with seven unanswered goals. A lead of six points with time running out and the Kangaroos appearing to be out of puff. One more foray into the forward line would have done it. A single point could possibly have been enough but it wasn't to be. A few years ago, Andrew Swallow was considered a likely first round draft selection until the recruiting community decided he couldn't kick if his life depended on it. The Kangaroos took him in the forties and the kid who supposedly couldn't kick managed to sink the ball with the exact pinpoint accuracy and over the precise distance required to clear the goals by a poofteenth before it was touched by Nathan Carroll’s outstretched fingers. That was enough to deprive Melbourne of its first victory of the season. After the game, coach Neale Daniher lamented the fact that his team was unable to keep possession on the last point kick-in when there was a little over a minute or so to go before the siren. The Reverend was trying to be poetic and philosophical after the game when he said, "Footy sucks sometimes." It sure does, but he should leave the poetic stuff to experts like Joni Mitchell, forget about the Circle Game and concentrate on getting his team to play as it did in that final quarter throughout every game and during every week. Melbourne 2.4.16 4.8.32 4.10.34 11.12.78 Kangaroos 3.5.23 7.7.49 8.14.62 10.19.79 Goals Melbourne Neitz 4 Robertson 3 Bruce 2 Green Jones Kangaroos Grant 5 Jones 2 Campbell Swallow Thomas Best Melbourne Bruce Jones Bell McDonald Carroll McLean Neitz Bizzell Kangaroos Grant Simpson Harvey Sinclair Petrie Swallow Gibson Rawlings Injuries Melbourne Nil Kangaroos Nil Reports Nil Changes Melbourne Bate (hamstring) replaced in selected side by McLean. Yze (groin) replaced in selected side by Brown Kangaroos Watt replaced in selected side by Hale. Umpires McLaren Kamolins Pannell Crowd 30,662 at MCG

by Whispering Jack "We're captive on the carousel of time We can't return, we can only look behind From where we came And go round and round and round In the circle game." Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game The first hour and three quarters of Sunday's Melbourne v Kangaroos game at the MCG evoked memories of the message contained in the supple chorus of this classic folk song written in another generation by a singer/songwriter who would be unknown to good many of those in the crowd. That however, did not prevent me from wondering how was it possible that this young Canadian woman, writing in the 1960's (and in all probability breathing in the smoky fog-like mist that was so reminiscent of the times) could have so accurately predicted how the Demons would play out the first three quarters of a game of football some forty years in the future? What's that you say - can't understand what I'm talking about? Well, if that's the case, then you didn't live through the sixties and you probably weren't at the game on Sunday either. It was simply apalling what the Melbourne team was able to do on the football field while playing the Circle Game. It wasn't as if the Kangaroos were any good either, because they weren't (any good). It was just that while Melbourne fiddled around with the football, playing on when they should have gone back for a kick, taking their time when they should have been playing on, handballing at the feet of players who weren't moving or expecting to receive the handball or just plain stuffing things up. The skipper started it when his opening shot for goal from the Andrew Swallow flank went right across the goals and out of bounds. Travis Johnstone's snap hit the post before Robbo showed how it was done and then Nathan Jones ran into goal but missed. After ten minutes on top, the Demons allowed two easy goals to Corey Jones (one from a stupid free) and within thirty seconds, the lead had evaporated. There was a momentary respite when what looked to be a Robbo miskick found the skipper for a goal but then the Kangaroos' more direct play gave them a handy little lead at quarter time. The second quarter belonged to Shannon Grant who for some strange reason was being looked after by Brad Green and the umpires. His four goals for the quarter was more than the difference between the teams. Melbourne was as ragged as it has possibly ever been - its players running around in circles, giving away needless free kicks by failing to recognise the umpring trend (which was to ping the bloke at the bottom of the pack for holding the ball every time). I seem to remember it was at some stage in this quarter that Jess Sinclair got hold of the footy in the centre of the ground and he did something incredible. He sunk the boot into it and it landed on a pack within ten to fifteen metres from goal. Grant snaffled up the loose ball and goaled. You would have thought that the Demon players might have taken the hint from that example but it was not to be the case. They just kept going round and round and round. Thankfully, a late goal on the half time siren to Robbo gave the supporters some heart as they marched off to play their own circle game looking for a place where they could by some pies and chips without having to mortgage the house in the process. After the break it was more of the same but it was even worse because both sides were now infested with the fuglies. They say that your ineptitude can rub off on others around you and, in the case of this game, it certainly did that with the Kangaroos developing the kicking yips; it was only Grant's fifth goal that kept the crowd awake. That and some strong defensive play from Nathan Carroll who was great taking some strong contested marks but somewhat lackadaisical with his kicking. Surely he hadn't been breathing Joni Mitchell's air? During the three quarter time break I sensed that certain Demon fans were already deserting the ground but I turned to my neighbour rather unconvincingly told him that "we can still win this if we stop going around in circles and start playing a bit more direct." He nodded in agreement but, when the Roos kicked the first goal of the quarter, I felt my optimisism might have lacked some credibility in his eyes. I would have asked him if that was the case but, by the time I thought of it he had already left the ground clutching his return train ticket in his hands and muttering swear words below his breath no doubt. I suppose that it was just then that the carousel turned and Melbourne forgot about the run and carry and tempo and shmempo and started playing football just like it was doing at this time last year and, in the space of a quarter of an hour, it had seemingly turned its season on its head with seven unanswered goals. A lead of six points with time running out and the Kangaroos appearing to be out of puff. One more foray into the forward line would have done it. A single point could possibly have been enough but it wasn't to be. A few years ago, Andrew Swallow was considered a likely first round draft selection until the recruiting community decided he couldn't kick if his life depended on it. The Kangaroos took him in the forties and the kid who supposedly couldn't kick managed to sink the ball with the exact pinpoint accuracy and over the precise distance required to clear the goals by a poofteenth before it was touched by Nathan Carroll’s outstretched fingers. That was enough to deprive Melbourne of its first victory of the season. After the game, coach Neale Daniher lamented the fact that his team was unable to keep possession on the last point kick-in when there was a little over a minute or so to go before the siren. The Reverend was trying to be poetic and philosophical after the game when he said, "Footy sucks sometimes." It sure does, but he should leave the poetic stuff to experts like Joni Mitchell, forget about the Circle Game and concentrate on getting his team to play as it did in that final quarter throughout every game and during every week. Melbourne 2.4.16 4.8.32 4.10.34 11.12.78 Kangaroos 3.5.23 7.7.49 8.14.62 10.19.79 Goals Melbourne Neitz 4 Robertson 3 Bruce 2 Green Jones Kangaroos Grant 5 Jones 2 Campbell Swallow Thomas Best Melbourne Bruce Jones Bell McDonald Carroll McLean Neitz Bizzell Kangaroos Grant Simpson Harvey Sinclair Petrie Swallow Gibson Rawlings Injuries Melbourne Nil Kangaroos Nil Reports Nil Changes Melbourne Bate (hamstring) replaced in selected side by McLean. Yze (groin) replaced in selected side by Brown Kangaroos Watt replaced in selected side by Hale. Umpires McLaren Kamolins Pannell Crowd 30,662 at MCG

Standings after round 9 :- 49. Cameron Bruce 48. Aaron Davey 44. Nathan Jones 39. James McDonald 35. Brent Moloney 34. Travis Johnstone 31. Jeff White 28. Daniel Bell Brad Green Colin Sylvia 26. Simon Godfrey 24. Adem Yze 20. Brad Miller 19. Daniel Bell 18. Jared Rivers 17. Matthew Bate Ricky Petterd 16. David Neitz 15. Nathan Brown 13. Clint Bizzell Ben Holland 11. Russell Robertson 7. Nathan Carroll 3. Daniel Ward 2. Paul Johnson 1. Lynden Dunn

1. (1) 46 Whispering_Jack 2. (3) 45 Clyde_Cabbie 2. (1) 45 Demonland 2. (6) 45 great_gatsby 5. (3) 44 canberrademon(herb) 5. (6) 44 deanox 5. (6) 44 demon_davey 8. (19) 43 frangas 8. (6) 43 Scoop Junior 8. (6) 43 TimDees 11. (6) 42 Alpha_33 11. (6) 42 bl3281 11. (14) 42 DeMoNiC 11. (3) 42 paliosiana 11. (6) 42 petejh2000 16. (19) 41 BigKev Demon 16. (16) 41 Go_Ds 16. (14) 41 KrazyJay 16. (19) 41 Pinball_Wizard 16. (19) 41 slamevil 21. (24) 40 deesthisyear 21. (16) 40 snarler_0 23. (16) 39 dee'viator 24. (23) 38 achirnside 24. (26) 38 Goodvibes 24. (26) 38 Rivers Run Red 27. (29) 37 Jackieboy_0 28. (24) 36 Kieranbj 29. (26) 35 demon_fanatic 29. (32) 35 rusty_corner 31. (29) 34 Dees_Fan16 32. (31) 32 Fingers Power 33. (33) 31 Dappadan 34. (34) 29 No Cigar 35. (35) 25 melon22 36. (36) 24 jaded24 37. (37) 20 CarnTheDees 38. (38) 16 rusty_kingswood

OVER THE RAINBOW by The Oracle The last time I wrote a preview of a Melbourne game, I noted that we were into the month of May and the Demons had yet to break their duck for the 2007 season. That was a few weeks ago when they were preparing to take on one of the top teams in the competition in Port Adelaide. Today we are closing in on the end of the month and nothing's changed except for the fact that the defeats keep piling up. We're sitting on 0-8 and nearing the point in time when supporters are beginning to wonder if it's worth winning matches at all because there's the reward of a top four draft pick somewhere over the rainbow at the end of the season. The club has been everywhere but on the winning list so far this season and the place where it has most resided is in hell because just about everything that can go wrong goes worse than we expected. Judging by this week's team changes with a further three injury caused omissions, there's no pot of gold to won anywhere for the Melbourne Football Club they way it's travelling at the moment. On Sunday at the MCG, the Demons will be wearing black armbands over the loss of former Club Director Peter Hayes whose tragic and unfortunate passing just about sums up the sort of season we, as a club, have been having. I say this without wishing to diminish the meaning of a loss of life but it is a fact that many of us are pretty passionate about our team and what's been happening hurts. Our condolences go out to Peter's family and let's hope that things will finally turn around for Neale Daniher, his team and all of us at the Melbourne Football Club when the boys run out to face the Kangaroos. THE GAME: Melbourne v. Kangaroos at the MCG – 27 May 2007 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Melbourne 83 wins Kangaroos 59 wins 1 draw At the G: Melbourne 54 wins Kangaroos 29 wins Since 2000: Melbourne 8 wins Kangaroos 3 wins The Coaches: Daniher 4 wins Laidley 1 win MEDIA: TV Channel 7 (delayed telecast commencing at 3.00pm) RADIO 3AW MMM THE BETTING: Melbourne to win $2.35 Kangaroos to win $1.55 LAST TIME THEY MET: Melbourne 20.12.132 d Kangaroos 12.10.82, Round 20, 2006, at MCG The Demons played poorly in the first half and went in at the main break 20 points in arrears. After that however, it was all Melbourne as the Kangaroos, with very little to fight for, were blown off the park principally by David Neitz who booted eight goals and Aaron Davey who snagged four. Nathan Jones was impressive in one of his first few games for the club. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll Ricky Petterd Half Backs James Frawley Ben Holland Daniel Bell Centreline Travis Johnstone James McDonald Aaron Davey Half Forwards Brad Green Russell Robertson Cameron Bruce Forwards Adem Yze David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Simon Godfrey Nathan Jones Interchange Clint Bizzell Lynden Dunn Paul Johnson Brad Miller Emergencies Nathan Brown Chris Johnson Brad Miller In Clint Bizzell James Frawley Ben Holland Russell Robertson Out Ryan Ferguson (broken thumb) Colin Sylvia (hamstring soreness) Matthew Whelan (foot) Nathan Brown (omitted) New James Frawley (North Ballarat) KANGAROOS Backs Daniel Pratt Michael Firrito Scott McMahon Half Backs Jesse Smith Shannon Watt Jess Sinclair Centreline Adam Simpson Andrew Swallow Brady Rawlings Half Forwards Daniel Harris Aaron Edwards Corey Jones Forwards Lindsay Thomas Leigh Brown Drew Petrie Followers Hamish McIntosh Shannon Grant Brent Harvey Interchange Glenn Archer Matt Campbell Josh Gibson Blake Grima Emergencies Kasey Green David Hale Ed Lower In Archer Out Green Field umpires McLaren, Kamolins, Pannell BREAKTHROUGH All of the signs are pointing to a Kangaroo victory. The Roos have won five on the trot, are playing with confidence and they welcome back club icon Glenn Archer who sat out last week for family reasons. On the other hand, Melbourne loses three more players from the West Coast debacle, all with injuries to go with Brent Moloney who strained his groin during the previous game and Jared Rivers who pulled out before the game. Neither of them have recovered from their injuries and nor has future skipper Brock McLean come up from his injury incurred in round 1. So what we basically have is five more injuries to a squad that was already straining under the weight a bad season and playing like that as well. My optimism however is raised by the return of Russell Robertson, a major revamp to the back line and the fact that the Demons have matched up well against the Kangaroos in recent years. In fact, they have won their last four encounters and haven't lowered their colours to the Roos since 2003 (and they should have won that one anyway!). The return of Robertson is significant for the Demons who have struggled to kick winning scores since the Neitz/Robertson forward duet was separated in round 2. With Robbo back in harness, things are going to be a lot more difficult for the opposition. It's hard double teaming on Neita when you have Robbo prancing around the place like a jack in the box and he showed that he has recoved with a sparkling four goal performance last week at Sandringham. I have no doubt that an extra forward of quality would have come in very handy in those narrow defeats against the Power and the Bulldogs. Neitz has been particularly quiet in the past fortnight against quality full backs in Harris and Glass. Michael Firrito has been in fine form this season for the Kangaroos so Neitz will need to be on his game but I have a strong feeling that he will relish the return to the G and the fact that he has a size and strength advantage over his opponent. All we really need now is for the umpires to acknowledge that Neita also has a back and to be aware that opponents often put their hands in the vicinity of that part of his anatomy too! Hamish McIntosh is a big man who is having a reasonably good season but he comes up against an opponent on Sunday in Jeff White who has a lot of pride in his performance and would have spent the past week brooding over the humiliation caused to him and fellow ruckman Paul Johnson by Dean Cox and Mark Seaby. White is one who won't let his team down after last week's effort. That back line revamp is significant. The change might be regarded only as subtle but the emergence of the club's first choice from the 2006 National Draft, James Frawley at the expense of veteran Nathan Brown signals that the club is changing direction. Doggy's been a tremendous servant of the club but he's going to find it hard to return. With Frawley and young Ricky Petterd lining up in defence, there's a message there for a number of others if they don't pull their weight. Old heads will roll and be replaced by younger men in the absence of a dramatic turn around in form. That applies not just to the defence but to the whole side. With their backs to the wall, a number of Melbourne players need to perform in order for their team to rediscover the pot of gold and I think this week will see them take a step in the right direction. Melbourne by 7 points.

by The Oracle The last time I wrote a preview of a Melbourne game, I noted that we were into the month of May and the Demons had yet to break their duck for the 2007 season. That was a few weeks ago when they were preparing to take on one of the top teams in the competition in Port Adelaide. Today we are closing in on the end of the month and nothing's changed except for the fact that the defeats keep piling up. We're sitting on 0-8 and nearing the point in time when supporters are beginning to wonder if it's worth winning matches at all because there's the reward of a top four draft pick somewhere over the rainbow at the end of the season. The club has been everywhere but on the winning list so far this season and the place where it has most resided is in hell because just about everything that can go wrong goes worse than we expected. Judging by this week's team changes with a further three injury caused omissions, there's no pot of gold to won anywhere for the Melbourne Football Club they way it's travelling at the moment. On Sunday at the MCG, the Demons will be wearing black armbands over the loss of former Club Director Peter Hayes whose tragic and unfortunate passing just about sums up the sort of season we, as a club, have been having. I say this without wishing to diminish the meaning of a loss of life but it is a fact that many of us are pretty passionate about our team and what's been happening hurts. Our condolences go out to Peter's family and let's hope that things will finally turn around for Neale Daniher, his team and all of us at the Melbourne Football Club when the boys run out to face the Kangaroos. THE GAME: Melbourne v. Kangaroos at the MCG – 27 May 2007 at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD: Overall: Melbourne 83 wins Kangaroos 59 wins 1 draw At the G: Melbourne 54 wins Kangaroos 29 wins Since 2000: Melbourne 8 wins Kangaroos 3 wins The Coaches: Daniher 4 wins Laidley 1 win MEDIA: TV Channel 7 (delayed telecast commencing at 3.00pm) RADIO 3AW MMM THE BETTING: Melbourne to win $2.35 Kangaroos to win $1.55 LAST TIME THEY MET: Melbourne 20.12.132 d Kangaroos 12.10.82, Round 20, 2006, at MCG The Demons played poorly in the first half and went in at the main break 20 points in arrears. After that however, it was all Melbourne as the Kangaroos, with very little to fight for, were blown off the park principally by David Neitz who booted eight goals and Aaron Davey who snagged four. Nathan Jones was impressive in one of his first few games for the club. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Daniel Ward Nathan Carroll Ricky Petterd Half Backs James Frawley Ben Holland Daniel Bell Centreline Travis Johnstone James McDonald Aaron Davey Half Forwards Brad Green Russell Robertson Cameron Bruce Forwards Adem Yze David Neitz Matthew Bate Followers Jeff White Simon Godfrey Nathan Jones Interchange Clint Bizzell Lynden Dunn Paul Johnson Brad Miller Emergencies Nathan Brown Chris Johnson Brad Miller In Clint Bizzell James Frawley Ben Holland Russell Robertson Out Ryan Ferguson (broken thumb) Colin Sylvia (hamstring soreness) Matthew Whelan (foot) Nathan Brown (omitted) New James Frawley (North Ballarat) KANGAROOS Backs Daniel Pratt Michael Firrito Scott McMahon Half Backs Jesse Smith Shannon Watt Jess Sinclair Centreline Adam Simpson Andrew Swallow Brady Rawlings Half Forwards Daniel Harris Aaron Edwards Corey Jones Forwards Lindsay Thomas Leigh Brown Drew Petrie Followers Hamish McIntosh Shannon Grant Brent Harvey Interchange Glenn Archer Matt Campbell Josh Gibson Blake Grima Emergencies Kasey Green David Hale Ed Lower In Archer Out Green Field umpires McLaren Kamolins Pannell BREAKTHROUGH All of the signs are pointing to a Kangaroo victory. The Roos have won five on the trot, are playing with confidence and they welcome back club icon Glenn Archer who sat out last week for family reasons. On the other hand, Melbourne loses three more players from the West Coast debacle, all with injuries to go with Brent Moloney who strained his groin during the previous game and Jared Rivers who pulled out before the game. Neither of them have recovered from their injuries and nor has future skipper Brock McLean come up from his injury incurred in round 1. So what we basically have is five more injuries to a squad that was already straining under the weight a bad season and playing like that as well. My optimism however is raised by the return of Russell Robertson, a major revamp to the back line and the fact that the Demons have matched up well against the Kangaroos in recent years. In fact, they have won their last four encounters and haven't lowered their colours to the Roos since 2003 (and they should have won that one anyway!). The return of Robertson is significant for the Demons who have struggled to kick winning scores since the Neitz/Robertson forward duet was separated in round 2. With Robbo back in harness, things are going to be a lot more difficult for the opposition. It's hard double teaming on Neita when you have Robbo prancing around the place like a jack in the box and he showed that he has recoved with a sparkling four goal performance last week at Sandringham. I have no doubt that an extra forward of quality would have come in very handy in those narrow defeats against the Power and the Bulldogs. Neitz has been particularly quiet in the past fortnight against quality full backs in Harris and Glass. Michael Firrito has been in fine form this season for the Kangaroos so Neitz will need to be on his game but I have a strong feeling that he will relish the return to the G and the fact that he has a size and strength advantage over his opponent. All we really need now is for the umpires to acknowledge that Neita also has a back and to be aware that opponents often put their hands in the vicinity of that part of his anatomy too! Hamish McIntosh is a big man who is having a reasonably good season but he comes up against an opponent on Sunday in Jeff White who has a lot of pride in his performance and would have spent the past week brooding over the humiliation caused to him and fellow ruckman Paul Johnson by Dean Cox and Mark Seaby. White is one who won't let his team down after last week's effort. That back line revamp is significant. The change might be regarded only as subtle but the emergence of the club's first choice from the 2006 National Draft, James Frawley at the expense of veteran Nathan Brown signals that the club is changing direction. Doggy's been a tremendous servant of the club but he's going to find it hard to return. With Frawley and young Ricky Petterd lining up in defence, there's a message there for a number of others if they don't pull their weight. Old heads will roll and be replaced by younger men in the absence of a dramatic turn around in form. That applies not just to the defence but to the whole side. With their backs to the wall, a number of Melbourne players need to perform in order for their team to rediscover the pot of gold and I think this week will see them take a step in the right direction. Melbourne by 7 points.

THE BAD, THE UGLY AND CHRIS JUDD by The Oracle In my younger days before I was wise in the ways of the world, I always associated the West with Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns. You know the stuff I'm talking about - The Good, the Bad and The Ugly and the rest of that collection of ultra bad movies about the early days of America that were usually made in Italy by directors who did a poor job of covering up their lack of authenticity. Well, I travelled west last week to attend a business conference on the west coast of our great nation, and to catch the footy, but I only got two out of three. I was rewarded for my troubles by enormous lashings of the Bad, great dollops of the Ugly but there was precious little of anything good. Those footballing vultures from the West were so mean and ornery that they gave away nothing as they inflicted Melbourne's eighth consecutive defeat of the season. It wasn't just a common garden variety defeat - this was an absolute shellacking; a 77-point mauling that allowed the small band of red and blue fanatics who made the trip across the Nullarbor no place at all in which to hide their heads in shame. I can't believe that I entered the Subiaco Oval with so much hope in my heart before the game. The Demons were coming off two consecutive narrow losses while West Coast has been demolished to the tune of 39 points by Geelong at Skilled Stadium so I turned up half thinking that Melbourne might just make a good fist of things on the day. However, only two or three minutes had elapsed when it became crystal clear that the Dees were out of their league. The visitors were literally blown (or at least pushed) off the park by a side that was so far superior that it wasn't funny. And it would have been even less funny had the Eagles managed to kick accurately for goal. Midway through the first quarter they had seven scoring shots on the board to one but led by only a solitary goal - 1.6.12 to 1.0.6. After that, the goals started coming and despite, a few short spirited bursts from the Demons in the third and fourth quarters, the home side powered to the easiest of victories - 19.23.137 to 9.6.60. Our game starts with the ruck duels at the centre bounce and that's exactly where the rout started on Sunday. Mark Seaby and Dean Cox dominated proceedings in the big man department to the extent that they turned Jeff White and Paul Johnson into virtual onlookers for the day. The statistics of hit outs and possessions from this division tells the story very vividly with the Eagles gaining more two out of every three hit outs for the game. Now, that's really Bad! The sad part of this is that I came to the realisation that, at the other end of the continent, one of Melbourne's ruck discards of recent years, Darren Jolly, managed to collect 17 hit outs for Sydney playing second fiddle to Peter Everitt against Port Adelaide - the same number of hit outs achieved by Demons for the whole game (and that figure includes third men up and the like as well as the nominated ruckmen who got six each). Now, that's really Ugly! The ruck dominance gave the Eagle on ball brigade an armchair ride with virtually every early clearance taken by a West Coast player. There was so little resistance from the Demons that they seemed to be wasting their time standing there flatfooted as their counterparts ran rings around them pumping the ball up to their forward line with consumate ease. They were lucky that Quinten Lynch had the kicking yips up forward because he looked as if he was on his way to an all time goalkicking record the way he was amassing possessions early in the game. You might want to add that Melbourne was also unlucky to lose Ryan Ferguson with a broken thumb early in the first quarter but the reality was that Ashley Hansen was already leading him a merry dance when he was injured. By then, the back line was already buckling under the pressure and Demon defenders were being brushed aside with ease. Melbourne could do very little to stem the utter dominance of Eagle midfielders Chris Judd (31 touches, three goals) and Daniel Kerr (29 disposals). So good was Judd's performance, that the player who supported the Demons as a youngster, had half time statistics that bettered all but a small handful of Melbourne players total outputs for the whole day. Now, that's really Chris Judd and he is Bloody Good! For the Demons, there were very few winners because very few players were prepared to play accountable football. Out of the disaster, I could find only Colin Sylvia (three goals) and Travis Johnstone (29 touches, two goals) who could hold their heads high after the game. The rest played like members of team that is sitting with an 0-8 win-loss record - the club's worst start to a season since they lost nine straight at the beginning of 1974. There's little more that I can add to that other than to say that, for once, the umpires did nothing to influence the outcome of the game. Looking to the near future, I think it's time to stop mollycoddling players at Sandringham with the tired excuse about them not being ready for the hurly burly of the big show. When your top goalkicker is averaging one goal per game then why not give a chance to a kid who kicked 6 and 5 goals in consecutive games at VFL level? The worst thing he could do is fail which is no worse than what I saw from almost the entire team on Sunday. Looking further out to the end of the year, I think it's time to reprise another Clint Eastwood shocker and suggest to the Football Department that it might not be such a bad idea for them to consider luring Chris Judd back home with the early pre season draft selection that will inevitably come its way at the end of the year. And in order to do just that I imagine that it's going to take a Fistful of Dollars. Melbourne 1.0.6 3.3.21 7.4.46 9.6.60 West Coast 5.8.38 8.14.62 13.18.96 19.23.137 Goals Melbourne Sylvia 3 Johnstone 2 McDonald Neitz Petterd White West Coast Lynch 5 Judd Morton Wirrpanda 3 Hansen Hurn Kerr Staker Stenglein Best Melbourne Johnstone Sylvia McDonald Petterd Green Bell West Coast Judd Kerr Judd Lynch Judd Hansen Judd Stenglein Judd Wirrpanda Judd Hurn Judd B Jones Judd Kerr Injuries Melbourne Ferguson (broken thumb) West Coast Nil Reports Kerr (WC) for front-on contact on Bruce (Mel) by umpire McBurney in the first quarter. Team Changes Nil Umpires McBurney Head Hendrie Crowd 40,068 at Subiaco Oval

by The Oracle In my younger days before I was wise in the ways of the world, I always associated the West with Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns. You know the stuff I'm talking about - The Good, the Bad and The Ugly and the rest of that collection of ultra bad movies about the early days of America that were usually made in Italy by directors who did a poor job of covering up their lack of authenticity. Well, I travelled west last week to attend a business conference on the west coast of our great nation, and to catch the footy, but I only got two out of three. I was rewarded for my troubles by enormous lashings of the Bad, great dollops of the Ugly but there was precious little of anything good. Those footballing vultures from the West were so mean and ornery that they gave away nothing as they inflicted Melbourne's eighth consecutive defeat of the season. It wasn't just a common garden variety defeat - this was an absolute shellacking; a 77-point mauling that allowed the small band of red and blue fanatics who made the trip across the Nullarbor no place at all in which to hide their heads in shame. I can't believe that I entered the Subiaco Oval with so much hope in my heart before the game. The Demons were coming off two consecutive narrow losses while West Coast has been demolished to the tune of 39 points by Geelong at Skilled Stadium so I turned up half thinking that Melbourne might just make a good fist of things on the day. However, only two or three minutes had elapsed when it became crystal clear that the Dees were out of their league. The visitors were literally blown (or at least pushed) off the park by a side that was so far superior that it wasn't funny. And it would have been even less funny had the Eagles managed to kick accurately for goal. Midway through the first quarter they had seven scoring shots on the board to one but led by only a solitary goal - 1.6.12 to 1.0.6. After that, the goals started coming and despite, a few short spirited bursts from the Demons in the third and fourth quarters, the home side powered to the easiest of victories - 19.23.137 to 9.6.60. Our game starts with the ruck duels at the centre bounce and that's exactly where the rout started on Sunday. Mark Seaby and Dean Cox dominated proceedings in the big man department to the extent that they turned Jeff White and Paul Johnson into virtual onlookers for the day. The statistics of hit outs and possessions from this division tells the story very vividly with the Eagles gaining more two out of every three hit outs for the game. Now, that's really Bad! The sad part of this is that I came to the realisation that, at the other end of the continent, one of Melbourne's ruck discards of recent years, Darren Jolly, managed to collect 17 hit outs for Sydney playing second fiddle to Peter Everitt against Port Adelaide - the same number of hit outs achieved by Demons for the whole game (and that figure includes third men up and the like as well as the nominated ruckmen who got six each). Now, that's really Ugly! The ruck dominance gave the Eagle on ball brigade an armchair ride with virtually every early clearance taken by a West Coast player. There was so little resistance from the Demons that they seemed to be wasting their time standing there flatfooted as their counterparts ran rings around them pumping the ball up to their forward line with consumate ease. They were lucky that Quinten Lynch had the kicking yips up forward because he looked as if he was on his way to an all time goalkicking record the way he was amassing possessions early in the game. You might want to add that Melbourne was also unlucky to lose Ryan Ferguson with a broken thumb early in the first quarter but the reality was that Ashley Hansen was already leading him a merry dance when he was injured. By then, the back line was already buckling under the pressure and Demon defenders were being brushed aside with ease. Melbourne could do very little to stem the utter dominance of Eagle midfielders Chris Judd (31 touches, three goals) and Daniel Kerr (29 disposals). So good was Judd's performance, that the player who supported the Demons as a youngster, had half time statistics that bettered all but a small handful of Melbourne players total outputs for the whole day. Now, that's really Chris Judd and he is Bloody Good! For the Demons, there were very few winners because very few players were prepared to play accountable football. Out of the disaster, I could find only Colin Sylvia (three goals) and Travis Johnstone (29 touches, two goals) who could hold their heads high after the game. The rest played like members of team that is sitting with an 0-8 win-loss record - the club's worst start to a season since they lost nine straight at the beginning of 1974. There's little more that I can add to that other than to say that, for once, the umpires did nothing to influence the outcome of the game. Looking to the near future, I think it's time to stop mollycoddling players at Sandringham with the tired excuse about them not being ready for the hurly burly of the big show. When your top goalkicker is averaging one goal per game then why not give a chance to a kid who kicked 6 and 5 goals in consecutive games at VFL level? The worst thing he could do is fail which is no worse than what I saw from almost the entire team on Sunday. Looking further out to the end of the year, I think it's time to reprise another Clint Eastwood shocker and suggest to the Football Department that it might not be such a bad idea for them to consider luring Chris Judd back home with the early pre season draft selection that will inevitably come its way at the end of the year. And in order to do just that I imagine that it's going to take a Fistful of Dollars. Melbourne 1.0.6 3.3.21 7.4.46 9.6.60 West Coast 5.8.38 8.14.62 13.18.96 19.23.137 Goals Melbourne Sylvia 3 Johnstone 2 McDonald Neitz Petterd White West Coast Lynch 5 Judd Morton Wirrpanda 3 Hansen Hurn Kerr Staker Stenglein Best Melbourne Johnstone Sylvia McDonald Petterd Green Bell West Coast Judd Kerr Judd Lynch Judd Hansen Judd Stenglein Judd Wirrpanda Judd Hurn Judd B Jones Judd Kerr Injuries Melbourne Ferguson (broken thumb) West Coast Nil Reports Kerr (WC) for front-on contact on Bruce (Mel) by umpire McBurney in the first quarter. Team Changes Nil Umpires McBurney Head Hendrie Crowd 40,068 at Subiaco Oval