Demonland

A month is a long time in AFL football. The proof of this is in the current state of the two teams contesting against each other early this Saturday afternoon at the MCG. It’s hard to fathom that when Melbourne and Fremantle kicked off the 2025 season, the former looked like being a major player in this year’s competition after it came close to beating one of the favourites in the GWS Giants while the latter was smashed by Geelong to the tune of 78 points and looked like rubbish. Fast forward to today and the Demons are low on confidence and appear panic stricken as their winless streak heads towards an even half dozen and pressure mounts on the coach and team leadership. Meanwhile, the Dockers have recovered their composure and now sit in the top eight. They are definitely on the up and up and look most likely winners this weekend against a team which they have recently dominated and which struggles to find enough passages to the goals to trouble the scorers. And with that, Fremantle will head to the MCG, feeling very good about itself after demolishing Richmond in the Barossa Valley with Josh Treacy coming off a six goal haul and facing up to a Melbourne defence already without Jake Lever and a shaky Steven May needing to pass a fitness test just to make it onto the field of play. Six goal Treacy kicked more majors on Sunday in SA than any Demon forward managed in five games which just about sums up the glaring deficiencies in an attack that averages just 61 points a match this season. Moreover, Freo has Jye Amiss up there as well and he kicked four goals in each of their encounters in 2024. They might be the least of Melbourne’s problems because there’s a huge elephant in the room as far as it’s concerned and that’s the vexed question of the will to win of this combination which has been relying heavily on a week by week basis on its experienced old heads like Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca to do the job even though each of them has had to fight hard to perform in a lacklustre squad in difficult circumstances. And Kozzie Pickett who is one of only a small number of explosive players in an otherwise currently docile team and who might end up on the purple side of the Nullarbor next year, is also facing a fitness test. Arrayed against them will be the likes of Angus Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and the hard to contain Shai Bolton. Sorry, but Melbourne and Simon Goodwin’s misery will be extended for at least another week. Fremantle by 57 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday 19 April 2025 at 1.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 18 wins Fremantle 27 wins At the MCG Melbourne 9 wins Fremantle 9 wins Last five meetings Melbourne 1 win Fremantle 4 wins The Coaches Goodwin 2 wins Longmuir 5 wins LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 17.14.116 defeated Melbourne 10.6.66 at Optus Stadium, Round 19, 2024 The Dockers have beaten the Demons three times in a row, with the cumulative winning margin in both 2024 games (in Alice Springs and at Optus Stadium respectively) an embarrassing 142 points. Freo was in complete control of both games and had no trouble in their last encounter when Melbourne went into the game without Max Gawn and was smashed around the ball. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B J. Bowey, H. Petty, T. McDonald HB X. Lindsay, B. Howes, C. Salem C C. Windsor, J. Viney, E. Langdon HF K. Tholstrup, T. Fullarton, K. Pickett F K. Chandler, D. Turner, C. Spargo FOLL M. Gawn, C. Petracca, H. Langford I/C J. Melksham, C. Oliver, T. Rivers, H. Sharp, T. Sparrow EMG J. Adams, J. Henderson, B. Fritsch IN B. Howes, T. Fullarton K. Tholstrup D. Turner OUT B. Fritsch (omitted), J. Henderson (omitted), S. May (groin), J. van Rooyen (omitted) FREMANTLE B L. Ryan, A. Pearce, B. Cox HB H. Chapman, K. Worner, J. Clark C J. Sharp, H. Young, J. O’Meara HF M. Frederick, S. Switkowski, S. Bolton F M. Reid, J. Treacy, M. Amiss FOLL S. Darcy, C. Serong, A. Brayshaw I/C B. Banfield, J. Draper, I. Dudley, M. Johnson, O. McDonald EMG J. Aish, N. Erasmus, L. Reidy IN O. McDonald OUT P. Voss (suspended) Injury List: Round 6 Matt Jefferson — hand / available Judd McVee — hamstring / available Tom Campbell — hamstring / test Steven May — foot / test Marty Hore — calf / 4 - 5 weeks Jake Lever — ankle / 7 - 8 weeks Shane McAdam — Achilles / next season Andy Moniz-Wakefield — knee / next season

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The last time you sat next to me at the footy was the 2000 Grand Final.

Users still have the same limitations on the size of the images they can upload. You can use sites like imgur to upload an image and then copy the link and paste it here. https://imgur.com/

Apologies for the blue language.

The Easter Round kicks off in style with a Thursday night showdown between Brisbane and Collingwood, as both sides look to solidify their spots inside the Top 4 early in the season. Good Friday brings a double-header, with Carlton out to claim consecutive wins when they face the struggling Kangaroos, while later that night the Eagles host the Bombers in Perth, still chasing their first victory of the year. Saturday features another marquee clash as the resurgent Crows look to rebound from back-to-back losses against a formidable GWS outfit. That evening, all eyes will be on Marvel Stadium where Damien Hardwick returns to face his old side—the Tigers—coaching the Suns at a ground he's never hidden his disdain for. Sunday offers two crucial contests where the prize is keeping touch with the Top 8. First, Sydney and Port Adelaide go head-to-head, followed by a fierce battle between the Bulldogs and the Saints. Then, Easter Monday delivers the traditional clash between two bitter rivals, both desperate for a win to stay in touch with the top end of the ladder. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons?

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Scouting Notes: AFL Academy vs. Richmond VFL

Freo thrashed Melbourne twice last year and if the players have any pride in their standing in the game, they will do everything in their power to turn those results around. This is how they went in Round 19 last year in the absence of Max Gawn who was nursing an ankle injury and Christian Petracca who was out long term with his injured spleen. MELBOURNE 0.2.2 3.3.21 6.5.41 10.6.66 FREMANTLE 3.5.23 7.9.51 11.11.77 17.14.116 GOALS MELBOURNE Chandler van Rooyen 2 Billings Langdon Melksham Petty Turner Windsor FREMANTLE Amiss Walters 4 Sturt Treacy 3 Clark Jackson Serong BEST MELBOURNE van Rooyen May McVee Rivers Billings Petty FREMANTLE Brayshaw Treacy Serong Darcy Young Walters Clark THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B T. McDonald, S. May, J. McVee
 HB C. Salem, J. Lever, A. Moniz-Wakefield 
C E. Langdon, C. Oliver, T. Sparrow
 HF K. Pickett, J van Rooyen, K. Chandler 
F A. Neal-Bullen, B. Fritsch, J. Melksham
 FOLL H. Petty, J. Viney, T. Rivers
 I/C J. Billings, J. Bowey, K. Tholstrup, D. Turner, C. Windsor
 EMG T. Fullarton, B. Laurie, A. Tomlinson IN J. Billings OUT T. Woewodin (managed) FREMANTLE B H. Chapman, A. Pearce, B. Cox
 HB C. Wagner, L. Ryan, J. Clarke
 C J. Sharp, N. Fyfe, H. Young
 HF B. Banfield, S. Switkowski, M. Frederick
 F J. Treacy, J. Amiss, L. Jackson
 FOLL S. Darcy, C. Serong, A. Brayshaw
 I/C J. Aish, J. O'Meara, S. Sturt, M. Walters SUB B. Walker EMG W. Brodie, P. Voss, K. Worner IN S. Darcy, A. Pearce, B. Walker OUT J. Draper (omitted), M. Johnson (injured), P. Voss (omitted)

Thank you to everyone for their contributions. It really is appreciated and these questions and comments form the backbone of our podcast which in essence is an extension of this forum. I am going to cut the questions off here. We certainly have enough questions. Let's see if my cohosts have any answers. I certainly don't and that's not even factoring in any MFCSS.

Dear Members, I’m writing to acknowledge what has been a disappointing start to the season. Sitting at 0–5 isn’t the standard we expect of ourselves, and we know it’s frustrating, for our members, supporters, and everyone inside the club. What I can assure you of is that we have a determined group of players and coaches who will drive the team’s response. We saw during the third quarter of Saturday night’s match the style of game we want to play. If we can focus on delivering that style of play more consistently and effectively, keep training hard and sharpening our game, we’ll see better results. That’s the only way forward, and we must stay focused on improving. We also know there’s been a lot of external commentary about our performances – that is to be expected when we are not playing well. Our values – Trust, Respect, Unity, and Excellence – have guided us through difficult periods before, and we’ll rely on them again to return us to a club where you feel proud to belong. I want to thank our members for the role you play in helping the club through difficult times. We appreciate your passion and loyalty, and the support you provide our players and coaches is essential. Our next game is against Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday at 1:20pm. It’s a new opportunity to show what we’re made of. The players and coaches are determined to lift and give our fans a performance we can all be proud of. Off the field, our search for a new CEO is nearing its conclusion. We’re looking for someone who truly fits our long-term vision, and we look forward to sharing more news with you shortly. Thanks for staying with us. I look forward to seeing you at the MCG as we push for a better result. Go Dees! Brad Green President Melbourne Football Club

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What were they thinking? I mean by “they” the coaching panel and team selectors who chose the team to play against an opponent who, like Melbourne, had made a poor start to the season and who they appeared perfectly capable of beating in what was possibly the last chance to turn the season around. It’s no secret that the Demons’ forward line is totally dysfunctional, having opened the season barely able to average sixty points per game which means there has been no semblance of any system from the team going forward into attack. Nevertheless, on Saturday night at the Adelaide Oval in one of the Gather Round showcase games, Melbourne, with Max Gawn dominating the hit outs against a depleted Essendon ruck resulting from Nick Bryan’s early exit, finished just ahead in clearances won and found itself inside the 50 metre arc 51 times to 43. The end result was a final score that had the Bombers winning 15.6 (96) to 8.9 (57). On balance, one could expect this to result in a two or three goal win, but in this case, it translated into a six and a half goal defeat because they only managed to convert eight times or 11.68% of their entries. The Bombers more than doubled that. On Thursday night at the same ground, the losing team Adelaide managed to score 100 points from almost the same number of times inside 50. The message there is clear. The ball wasn’t delivered to the forwards in a manner that made it easy for them to score, they went into attack in a predictable manner and the forward line make up was totally unsuited for the task. It has become the dream of every AFL defensive line coach to play against the Demons because you can beat them the same way each week and this brings us to the point about team selection of forwards who managed to take only 8 marks inside the forward 50 arc (against 15 from their counterparts up forward). When their season opened a month ago, Melbourne went into the first game on a wet day with four tall forwards - van Rooyen, Turner, Jefferson and Johnson. Only the former remained in the Round 5 selection and he has been completely out of form since those back spasms put him out in the first minute of the Fremantle practice match. Turner, who kicked five in a master class for Casey a fortnight ago, was given short shrift after one further try and 200cm Tom Fullarton, recruited as a ruckman/forward at the end of 2023, was overlooked after a bag of five in the curtain raiser against the Cats last week. The message for me is that “they” have little time for tall players who can take a contested mark and have the ability to kick five goals in a match, albeit at a lesser level. At least the two of them were kicking goals - something which the team is struggling to do! The game started with the plodding Demons giving an inaccurate Essendon a clear run to a two goal lead at the first break. The Demon mids were slow off the mark but starting to get their hands on the ball but the Bombers with captain Zach Merrett dominating on the ball (he finished with 38 disposals) found their mark and kicked four straight goals to take a 29 point lead into the Adelaide Oval rooms at the half. This was extended with Essendon kicking the first goal of the second half before a Melbourne revival that saw it turn the tide with four consecutive goals in a 15-minute burst when Bayley Fritsch scored twice and Kozzy Pickett added his second. Suddenly, they were within 11 points and it could so easily have been even closer had one or two chances been taken and one or two poor errors not been committed. There’s no use labouring the point. There are a lot of things happening at the club, the coach is not doing well, the team is not switched on, it lacks direction from top to bottom and is bereft of confidence. In that way, the opportunity to comeback is lost and the opposition swoops on your mistakes. This was in complete contrast to what was occurring across town at Norwood Oval where the Lions had earlier completed their comeback from 39 points to beat the Bulldogs by 21 points with their 200cm forward, Eric Hipwood instrumental in that comeback kicking five goals for the match. MELBOURNE 1.4.10 2.5.17 7.7.49 8.9.57 ESSENDON 3.4.22 7.4.46 10.5.65 15.6.96 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch Pickett 2 Langdon Petty Sharp Sparrow ESSENDON Menzie 4 Caddy Hobbs 2 Duursma Gresham Jones Martin Perkins Redman Shiel BEST MELBOURNE Langdon Gawn Pickett Petracca Oliver Bowey ESSENDON Merrett Martin Menzie Ridley Durham Shiel INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil ESSENDON Nick Bryan (knee) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil ESSENDON Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Harry Sharp, replaced Jack Henderson in the third quarter ESSENDON Saad El-Hawli, replaced Nick Bryan in the first quarter UMPIRES Nathan Williamson Andrew Heffernan Eleni Tee Matthew Young CROWD 45,039 at Adelaide Oval

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Super proud of Kalani getting his Australian jumper for his first game tomorrow, love ya bud <a href="https://t.co/8WdPn0ep3B">pic.twitter.com/8WdPn0ep3B</a></p>&mdash; Jeff White (@JeffWhite34) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffWhite34/status/1911011348160692311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

You had an Annual Subscription which incidentally expired 23 hours ago. An invoice to renew the subscription was created by the system on March 30.

I don’t think it ever went away. If you are using the dark mode the colour blends in and doesn’t stand out as much so you might not have noticed it.

The Demons return home to the MCG in search of their first win for the 2025 Premiership season when they take on the Fremantle Dockers on Saturday afternoon. Who comes in and who goes out?