Demonland

Shadows form over Middle-Earth as the two oldest football clubs in the land Melbourne and Geelong take battle for the very first time for 4-points, down at Kardinia Park (aka Mordor). If you dare, come venture down the highway and support our talented team. Melbourne’s Season Eight form line is 4 zip and we’ve been playing some scintillating footy. The fanbase is growing. It needs to be said that our opponents so far have hardly been top shelf: Collingwood sits 12th on the ladder with one win and a percentage of 74.7%, Hawthorn (15th, 1 win, 56.5%), Western Bulldogs (16th, 0 wins, 58.3%) and GWS Giants (17th, 0 wins, 45.0%). Geelong on the other hand have beaten Western Bulldogs, the Swans and Power (both good wins away), and only lost to North at Mordor after leading well at half time. Lord Dan Lowther has his charges coming out breathing fire, they are fast starters. No team has scored a goal against the Cats in first quarters this season. Let’s spoil that party on Thursday! In comparison, no team has scored a last quarter goal against the Demons this season (actually not since Round 4 Season Seven, 2022). Meggs was pleased to see that Libby Birch, who has been building slowly this season, was named in the backline for the Round 4 Team of the Week. Other TOTW Melbourne inclusions were our superstar leaders Tyla Hanks and Kate Hore. Nice recognition girls. It’s Maddison Gay’s 50th this week (including 7 games for Carlton). Congratulations and Happy Birthday Maddi! Selection this week Gaby Colvin will play her first game back since her ACL and Maddi Gay was rested lasted week to be primed for this vital clash. Maeve Chaplin and the injured Tayla Harris (hamstring soreness) will make way. Meggs expects Tahlia Gillard (190 cms) to help Loz out in the ruck against the Cats beanpole Erin Hoare who is 194 cms. Tahls played well in the ruck during the 2023 VFLW season. Geelong reported no injuries last week. Our opponents, Geelong The Cats have elite young midfielders in Georgie Prespakis and Nina Morrison who have great support from the bullocking Becky Webster and Amy McDonald. Bowen and Crockett-Grills provide speed and pressure from the wings. The Cats’ defence is led brilliantly by Meg McDonald, with support from former Dee Chantel Emonson who takes the kickouts using her neat skills. Watch out for defenders, Claudia Gunjaca, a strong intercept mark, and Georgie Rankin. Chloe Scheer is equal second on the AFLW goalkicking table with 10 goals, equal with Captain Kate. While Ex Dee Jacqui Parry is equal 4th with 8 goals, alongside our girl Eden Zanker. Meggs view Expectations are high for an entertaining twilight match and a much closer contest than the Demons have seen so far in Season Eight. The Cats' home ground is narrow like last week at Frankston so hopefully that experience helps us. They are strong on every line and have several match winners. However, in their Round 4 top of the table clash against North only nine Cats players managed more than 10 possessions. Stopping Prespakis and Scheer would surely be gameday planning considerations. Heathy and or Hanksy to Georgie P, maybe Goldie runs with Chloe Scheer. Birch a likely option for the one-paced Parry or even the super competitor Gaby Colvin now that she’s back. Mick Stinear has shown us the power of versatility with this playing group. If gameday demands action, then expect Mick to shuffle his team and conjure moves. Our forward line is our ace. We have clever, talented goalkicking players everywhere you look. It will challenge the Cats backline, especially given our mid field support and trademark quick ball movement. It won’t surprise if Geelong lead at some point but our resilience and trust in #demonspirit is strong. Let’s bring the pressure over four full quarters like we have each game this season and, if so, Meggs is confident we can win the Battle of Mordor. Go Dees! Melbourne by 13 points THE GAME Melbourne v Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, Wadawurrung, on Thursday 28 September 2023 at 6:15pm (Melbourne time) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 0 wins Geelong 0 wins At GMHBA, Geelong Melbourne 0 wins Geelong 0 wins The Coaches Stinear 0 wins Lowther 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy, Kayo. Mobile – AFL Live Official App Radio - check your local guides. THE LAST TIME THEY MET This is the first meeting between the two clubs. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B L. Birch T. Gillard HB S. Goldrick M. Gay S. Heath C B. Mackin T. Hanks E. McNamara HF C. Sherriff O. Purcell A. Bannan F E. Zanker K. Hore FOLL L. Pearce P. Paxman L. Mithen I/C G. Campbell G. Colvin S. Lampard A. Mackin EMG M. Chaplin M. Fitzsimon J. Ivey IN G. Colvin M. Gay OUT M. Chaplin (omitted) T. Harris (hamstring) GEELONG B M. Bragg C. Gunjaca HB C. Emonson M. McDonald G. Rankin C M. Bowen G. Prespakis N. Morrison HF K. Surman J. Parry D. Moloney F C. Scheer A. Moloney FOLL E. Hoare R. Webster A. McDonald I/C J. Crockett-Grills K. Darby Z. Friswell R. Garing Ab. McDonald EMG G. Featherston I. Houtsma B. Plummer IN J. Crockett-Grills Ab. McDonald 
OUT R. Kearns (knee) B. Plummer (omitted) Injury List: Round 5 Sammie Johnson - calf | Test Tayla Harris - hamstring | 1 Week

I was talking about the flag. I would never waste a wish on a single player. Well I guess I just did but the footy gods no longer speak to me. At least not in the last two years. Perhaps I need to start small.

I'm not sure it's even a rumour. I'm just putting it out to the universe. Has only worked once in nearly 47 years for me. Thought I might try something smaller.

If you will it he will come ... Can't hurt to put it out there and dream ...

It’s been exactly 2 years since we won a flag. Too soon?

4 more flags for the outright lead for the first time.

Shoutout to this guy …

Found this on Facebook for you @Jaded No More

In the twilight at Frankston Oval, for the first ever match between Melbourne and Hawthorn, the Demons were clinical winning by 59 points and remain undefeated in Season Eight. The Melbourne team ran out to a wonderful #DeeArmy banner paying tribute to Ron Barassi, ‘a football legend, the greatest Demon’. So true! Meggs was super excited to see Irish recruit Aimee Mackin playing her first game. Aimee quickly showed us that she belongs out there with composure, game sense and footy skills. She even outshone her li’l sister in the disposal count (13/11). Our competition-leading forwards group just got a bit better. Vice-captain Tyla Hanks starred again amassing 26 disposals, 3 clearances, 10 contested possessions and 10 score involvements, surely another 10 coaches’ votes. Eden Zanker (14 disposals, 8 marks) was a shining presence in our post-Daisy forward line and delivered a purple patch in the third quarter kicking a career-high three goals in as many minutes. Superstar Edo! Tayla Harris has been awesome this season with her 1%ers and contested marking. Her strength at the contest must lift her teammates. Other mentions include Pearce and Campbell who won the ruck contest, game-high possession winner Liv Purcell (29) was everywhere, as was Mithen, Westy, McNamara and Paxy. Hore and Heathy continue their fine seasons too. Thirteen players on the ground had less than ten disposals for the match but only two of them were Demons. Such an even team contribution makes us difficult to stop. The setting sun was playing havoc with TV camera people, commentators, coaches, and players. Presumably this timeslot was scheduled to suit the Men’s Preliminary Final. Not ideal. The Hawks had taken some learnings from their earlier practice match against us by winning the tackle count (79/57) and the inside 50s (31/30) but ultimately the Demons were unstoppable. The Hawks midfield group including Bates, Lucas-Rodd, Kashy, and young Fleming got their hands on the ball enough and tried to unsettle the Dees at times with great pressure. Irishwoman Aine McDonagh impressed with her goal and Stratton took a couple of forward 50 marks but one goal for a match won’t win you many games. In terms of the game: Q1 With under 5 minutes left to play, the Demons using their trademark run and carry, take the ball from deep in Hawthorn’s forward 50 all the way to the goal square where resting ruck Lauren Pearce kicks the opener. Meggs’ favourite bit of this play was Georgia Campbell bumping Hawk midfield maestro Bates out of the contest so she loses control of the footy, allowing Maeve Chaplin to intercept and kick downfield. Hanks then artfully directs this play (with three handballs), and Westy, Zanker, B Mackin, Sherriff and Banno are all involved. Scintillating stuff. Then two minutes later, that sibling moment! A Mackin traps the ball, baulks, and left foots it toward goal and B Mackin is waiting near the goalpost. We all think the ball will bounce through for a goal but it’s a Sherrin and has its own ideas. No probs for Blaithin who controls the footy under pressure from two Hawks and finishes off her sister’s good work. ¼ time: Dees 2.4.16 Hawks 0.1.1 Q2 Mithen hits up Hore who goals. How many times has Lil passed to Kate? (And vice versa?) Another end-to-end Demon goal results in a Bannan major. Casey Sherriff is down with what looks like a corkie but Banno’s ankle seems fine. A goalless first half by Hawthorn. Defenders doing well. ½ time: Dees 4.6.30 Hawks 0.3.3 Q3 Tyla Hanks hits up Kate Hore on a nice lead inside 50. Kate then passes to Eliza Mac directly in front. Lize goals and celebrates in her unique dancing style. Number 22 is a joy to watch. Hawthorn’s Aine McDonagh wins a free kick and slots a lovely left foot goal from the boundary line. Next is that hat-trick of goals by Eden Zanker. The last one features a ‘don’t argue’ from Hanksy, a brilliant defensive smother by Loz Pearce who recovers and handballs to Hore who kicks to the top of the square to Edo. We are blitzing them. Interestingly our ¾ time score of 8.7.55 was the same as it was against the Bulldogs last week, but the Bulldogs had scored 5 more goals. ¾ time: Dees 8.7.55 Hawks 1.5.11 Q4 No one scores a goal against Melbourne in last quarters (well not for a long time). This game was to be no different with the Hawks failing to even score a point. Kate kicks one goal and Tayla the other (after some nice work from the busy Liv Purcell). The siren sounds and it’s a convincing 59-point win. Dees 10.10.70 Hawks 1.5.11. Coaches and next week Melbourne Assistant Shae Sloane was the matchday coach. She was pleased with how her team was able to stay calm with ball in hand under heaps of Hawthorn pressure. Hawks coach Bec Goddard was pleased with her team’s pressure and happy the Hawks won the inside 50 count. Next week Melbourne take on Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday September 28 at 6:15pm. The Cats will be a much stiffer opponent, especially at home. MELBOURNE 2.4.16 4.6.30 8.7.55 10.10.70 HAWTHORN 0.2.2 0.3.3 1.5.11 1.5.11 GOALS MELBOURNE Zanker 3 Hore 2 Bannan Harris B. Mackin McNamara Pearce HAWTHORN McDonagh BEST MELBOURNE Hanks Purcell Paxman Zanker Heath Mithen HAWTHORN Bates Lucas-Rodd McDonagh Wales Eardley Fleming INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil HAWTHORN Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil HAWTHORN Nil UMPIRES Bailes Dore Talbot CROWD 2,917 at Kinetic Stadium, Frankston

We would never kick a goal like the one Crisp just kicked.

No politics in footy threads.

A couple of other names to throw out there. Stewie Dew McQualtor Ratten

During the $cully $aga I never thought I'd say this but "Go GW$ Giant$"

I mentioned on the podcast a few weeks ago that I think we should make Ben Brown our Forward coach.

It's not you it's me and my OCD.

Let’s stay on topics folks and please refrain from personal attacks.

GawnStein 2024