Demonland

It seems like only yesterday that these two sides faced off against each other in the centre of the continent. It was when Melbourne was experiencing a rare period of success with five wins from its previous six matches including victories over both of last year’s grand finalists. Well, it wasn’t yesterday but it was early last month and it remains etched clearly in the memory. The Saints were going through a slump and the predicted outcome of their encounter at TIO Traeger Park was a virtual no-brainer. A Melbourne victory and another step closer to a possible rise into finals contention. Something that was unthinkable after opening the season with five straight defeats. After kicking the first goal of the game and holding St Kilda scoreless for the opening twelve minutes of the game, the dream was still alive but what happened next was nothing short of embarrassing as Melbourne relinquished its focus and conceded six goals in rapid succession before the first bell. To make matters worse, it subsequently squandered chance after chance with some dreadfully poor finishing when kicking for goal, a pattern of self-inflicted setbacks characteristic of the club over the last two seasons. The result; a 28-point defeat despite winning almost everywhere else on the ground but the scoreboard. The question is whether history will repeat when the teams clash at Marvel Stadium and I hate to say it in a match preview but your guess is as good as mine. Going by Melbourne’s pattern of play in recent times, it’s likely that the Demons will not be able to produce four quarters of top football to assure their fans of a winning result. On the other hand, the Saints have also been unable to string together strong performances. They haven’t won a game since that matchup in the country’s red centre, albeit they seem to have had to contend with some strong opposition during that time. In short, what you are about to see if you choose to attend Marvel Stadium on Sunday afternoon into the early evening is two very underwhelming teams. The least underwhelming will probably bring home the four premiership points which (and let’s face it) are of very little importance at this stage of the season. Where to start? Well, Melbourne’s perspective, the two main defensive cornerstones of its successful run earlier this decade in Steven May and Jake Lever will be missing, both possibly for the good part of the remainder of the season. So the time has come for a major defensive reset at the club. This might not be such a bad thing for the club as it will allow Simon Goodwin to experiment with an eye on the future. The Demon defence is no longer as feared as it was three or four years ago and it’s time to work out whether there’s scope for new defensive strategies to add some pressure in the team’s back half. The midfield is also experiencing a degree of sameness and, aside from the captain’s consistent ruck dominance and the excitement generated by Kozzy when he ventures into stoppage areas, we are not witnessing sufficient match-winning performances from Melbourne’s top-tier midfielders this year. Spice the mix up a little Goody. Let’s see what some of the players who knocked on the door at Casey last week can do! Same thing goes with the forwards and please, let’s have something a lot better than the miserable 25% conversion rate that we were treated to last month! On the St Kilda side, the issue is whether Melbourne can hold the much sought after Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and the underrated Jack Sinclair from dominating because if it can limit their impact, it will go a long way to winning this contest. It’s worth noting that the Saints’ two main goal scorers from their Alice Springs victory in Dan Butler and Isaac Keeler who managed to score seven goals one behind between them to equal Demons’ goal tally for the game are sitting out with injury this week. I can’t imagine the visitors kicking anywhere near as badly as the deplorable 1.12 after half time. Surely, it’s time for Melbourne to kick with accuracy in windless conditions in a covered stadium. Melbourne by 5 points. THE GAME St Kilda v Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Sunday 27 July 2025 at 3.15pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall St Kilda 95 wins Melbourne 126 wins 1 drawn At Marvel Stadium St Kilda 9 wins Melbourne 7 wins Past five meetings St Kilda 1 win Melbourne 4 wins The Coaches Lyon 1 win Goodwin 2 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET St Kilda 14.7.91 defeated Melbourne 7.21.63 at TIO Traeger Park in Round 12 2025 The Saints demonstrated in this game that they possessed the system to exploit the weaknesses of the Demons. In what turned out to be a scrappy, hard-fought contest, they seized the initiative early in the game and forced Melbourne into numerous errors, particularly in front of goal where they were absolutely pathetic. THE TEAMS ST KILDA B A. Tauru, C. Wilkie, A. Caminiti HB L. Stocker, N. Wanganeen-Milera, J. Sinclair C M. Windhager, H. Boxshall, A. Hastie HF B. Hill, M. Hall, J. Higgins F M. Owens, M. Wood, C. Sharman FOLL R. Marshall, J. Macrae, J. Steele I/C H. Clark, L. Collard, Z. Jones , A. Schoenmaker SUB H. Boxshall EMG M. Heath, L. Henry, A. McLennan IN L.Collard, Z. Jones, A. Schoenmaker OUT M. Heath (omitted), L. Henry (omitted), D. Wilson (concussion) MELBOURNE B J. Bowey, T. McDonald, J. McVee HB C. Windsor, D. Turner, C. Salem C K. Chandler, C. Petracca, H. Langford HF J. Viney, B. Fritsch, T. Sparrow F J. Melksham, J. Van Rooyen, K. Pickett FOLL M. Gawn, C. Oliver, T. Rivers I/C B. Howes, E. Langdon, X. Lindsay, H. Petty SUB C. Spargo EMG J. Adams, J. Culley, M. Jefferson IN B.Howes, H. Petty, C. Spargo, T. Sparrow OUT S. May (concussion), M. Jefferson (omitted), H. Sharp (omitted), K. Tholstrup (omitted) Injury and Suspension List: Round 20 Tom Sparrow — concussion / Test Jack Henderson — groin / 1 week Steven May — concussion & suspension / 3 weeks Oliver Sestan — face / 4 weeks Jake Lever — ankle/ TBC Marty Hore — knee, shoulder / season Shane McAdam — Achilles / season Andy Moniz-Wakefield — knee / season

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It seems like only yesterday that Melbourne embarrassed itself completely by falling asleep in the first quarter and giving away six goals in 20 minutes and then kicking themselves out of the game as only the Demons can. MELBOURNE 2.2.14 6.9.45 7.13.55 7.21.63 ST KILDA 6.2.38 9.4.58 11.6.72 14.7.91 GOALS MELBOURNE Petracca 2 Chandler Fritsch Johnson Melksham Petty ST KILDA Butler 4 Keeler 3 Hall 2 Clark Higgins Hill Owens Travaglia BEST MELBOURNE Gawn May McVee Petracca Bowey Turner ST KILDA Wanganeen-Milera Wilkie Windhager Sinclair Butler Hill THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B J. Bowey, S. May, C. Salem HB C. Windsor, J. Lever, X. Lindsay C K. Chandler, C. Petracca, E. Langdon HF H. Langford, B. Fritsch, H. Petty F J. Melksham, H. Petty, K. Pickett FOLL M. Gawn, C. Oliver, T. Sparrow I/C A. Johnson, B. Laurie, J. McVee, D. Turner, T. Rivers EMG J. Adams, J. Henderson, J. van Rooyen IN B. Laurie OUT C. Spargo (scapula) ST KILDA B I. Keeler, C. Wilkie, J. Webster HB M. Windhager, N. Wanganeen-Milera, T. Travaglia C M. Wood, J. Sinclair, B. Hill HF J. Higgins, M. Phillipou, D. Butler F C. Sharman, A. Caminiti, M. Owens FOLLR. Marshall, Z. Jones, J. Steele I/C H. Boxshall, R. Byrnes, J. Carroll, H. Clark, M. Hall EMG A. Hastie, M. Heath, L. O Connell IN D. Butler, J. Carroll, A. Hastie OUT L. O’Connell (omitted), D. Wilson (omitted)

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The Casey Demons smashed the Carlton Reserves off the park at Casey Fields on Sunday to retain a hold on an end of season wild card place. It was a comprehensive 108 point victory in which the home side was dominant and several of its players stood out but, in spite of the positivity of such a display, we need to place an asterisk over the outcome which saw a net 100 point advantage to the combined scores in the two contests between Demons and Blues over the weekend. The disparity between the opposition's AFL and VFL teams is substantial. They are experiencing an abundance of injuries and their playing depth is weak, as evidenced by the inclusion of multiple debutants in the team this week, which is unusual for this time of year. Additionally, with the Demons' senior team in the dumps on Saturday night, the incentive was there for Casey players to stand up and make a play for senior selection. And a number did put their hands up. The VFL Demons took control of the game early and showed great hunger for the footy. The catalyst for the good start was Aidan Johnson who had a big game after a lengthy layoff from a suspension and ankle surgery. He moved well and marked strongly to have four goals on the board by the main break and finished with five to go with his 22 disposals and 11 marks for a best on ground performance. Melbourne’s two concussion victims from the Gold Coast game three weeks ago in Harry Petty (two goals) and defender Blake Howes also staked their claims for senior selection. The latter was unlucky not to win promotion this week after a strong showing last Saturday night against Werribee. Yesterday, he mopped up everything in defence with a strong running game. Casey benefited from a dominant midfield. Tom Campbell and Will Verrall gave their on ballers an armchair ride in the ruck and the likes of Jai Culley, Riley Bonner, Bailey Laurie, Jack Billings and Riley Baldi constantly got their hands on the ball at stoppages and in general play. Mitch Hardie continues to produce in a roving role in the forward line and kicked three goals. Charlie Spargo kicked a couple and must also be in the selection mix for Saturday’s game against St Kilda. Two players who are coming along nicely and will be part of promotion consideration in the very near future are Luker Kentfield and Ricky Mentha Junior. Kentfield was drafted last year in midseason and had health problems over summer so he has yet to benefit from an AFL preseason. Last year, he was often unsighted but this time around he is playing with confidence, clunking his marks and finishing well. He impressed yesterday with four goals in the second half and if he can continue to progress at this rate, he will become a great asset to the club. An NGA from Alice Springs, Mentha showed up with his pace and line breaking ability and when he joins his mentor in Kozzy Pickett, they are going to provide opposition teams with plenty of headaches. With these two however, my advice is to heed the caveat at the start of this piece. Give them time and the results will come. Casey’s next assignment is against Sandringham next Sunday morning at Casey Fields in a curtain raiser of sorts for the match up between their senior partners at Marvel Stadium later in the day. The Demons must overcome their tendency to lose games to teams below them on the ladder to maintain their September aspirations. CASEY DEMONS 5.4.34 11.7.73 17.10.112 22.18.150 CARLTON VFL 2.3.15 3.3.21 5.4.34 6.6.42 GOALS CASEY DEMONS Johnson 5 Kentfield 4 Hardie 3 Campbell Ferraro Petty 2 Billings Culley Kirkwood-Scott Laurie CARLTON VFL Warburton 2 Grainger-Barras Harvey Lemmey Riley BEST CASEY DEMONS Johnson Campbell Culley Laurie Billings Hardie CARLTON VFL Wilson Hayes Charleson Boyd Phillips Warburton

I am now certain that the decline in fortunes of the Melbourne Football Club from a premiership power with the potential for more success to come in the future, started when the team ran out for their Round 9 match up against Carlton last year. After knocking over the Cats in a fierce contest the week before, the Demons looked uninterested at the start of play and gave the Blues a six goal start. They recovered to almost snatch victory but lost narrowly with a score of 11.10.76 to 12.5.77. Yesterday, they revisited the scene and provided their fans with a similar display of ineptitude early in the proceedings. Their attitude at the start was poor, given that the game was so winnable. Unsurprisingly, the resulting score was almost identical to that of last year and for the fourth time in succession, the club has lost a game against Carlton despite having more scoring opportunities. That’s the problem with Melbourne these days. It keeps repeating the same errors, time and time again, expecting a different outcome but things never change. And it no longer has the killer instinct so evident in a club like Collingwood that would never lose a game like this one. That’s what made it so unpalatable. It wasn’t just the poor conversion against straight shooting or the sloppiness and lack of direction further downfield or that the team failed to handle the conditions. It wasn’t even the team’s inability to handle pressure because the Blues weren’t all that good in applying pressure themselves. What really hurt was that it was against an opponent that was down in the dumps, low on confidence and the opportunity was there to make an early statement. But the Demons simply weren’t switched on and ready for the kill. They blew it. In fact, they allowed the Blues to take the initiative in the early going, giving the out of form Charlie Curnow the opportunity to kick his first goal in over a month. By the six minute mark, he had his second straight and things flowed that way until he kicked the sealer, his third straight, late in the game. Between them, Brisbane, Collingwood, Port Adelaide and even North Melbourne had kept Curnow to a goalless 0.9 but it was Melbourne that faltered to a switched on Carlton. The Blues took the advantage in the second quarter by allowing no breathing room for lazy, insipid play. The were a few bright lights in the mess. Kozzy Pickett was in rare form and a danger man from the start. He came to the rescue almost single handedly early in the third quarter after the team’s lacklustre first half. His pressure and accuracy in front of goal helped put the team in front during a four goal spree that should have caused Carlton to crumble. Max Gawn, with 19 disposals and 38 hitouts progressively grew in influence with his ability to maneuver across the ground and Bayley Fritsch’s resurgence continued with his attack on the ball and his proficient conversion. Once again however, it was all left to far too few. The Blues were led brilliantly in defence by All-Australian Weitering who lowered the colours of everyone he played on including Jake Melksham who has been in rare form lately. The young Demon keys were given a lesson and, with the exception of Harvey Langford who continues to show maturity beyond his years, the team’s younger brigade appeared tired and listless. There were far too many changers committed in the game and you can’t blame the umpires for the free kick count and 50 metre penalties when you’re often second to the football. There also seems to be a tendency for the team’s intensity and skill sets to drop dramatically after a strong run of goals. It happened once again in the third quarter after Kozzy kicked the team’s fourth goal for the term at the twelve minute mark. They had the Blues by the throat but in the next twenty minutes of play both sides had four shots for goal. The Blues scored 3.1 to the Demons’ 0.4. Good sides don’t allow that sort of thing - Melbourne does it far too often. Clayton Oliver worked hard in his 200th game but his energy and enthusiasm was not enough to bring victory for his coach in his own 200th for the club. With five games remaining, it's time to explore some alternatives. Perhaps, the introduction of more pace, something different in the way of personnel and who knows? A bit of a shakeup at this time might bring more desperation, a fresh attitude and some positive results. MELBOURNE 3.0.18 3.3.21 7.7.49 10.10.70 CARLTON 4.2.26 6.4.40 9.5.59 12.6.78 GOALS MELBOURNE Pickett 5 Fritsch 2 Jefferson Melksham van Rooyen CARLTON Moir 4 Curnow 3 Carroll Cerra Docherty Evans Young BEST MELBOURNE Pickett Gawn Oliver Fritsch Rivers Salem CARLTON Weitering Cripps Carroll Moir Cerra Curnow Docherty INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil CARLTON Evans (concussion) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil CARLTON Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Xavier Lindsay (replaced Koltyn Tholstrup in the third quarter) CARLTON Corey Durdin (replaced Francis Evans in the third quarter) UMPIRES Tom Bryce Craig Fleer Eleni Tee Cameron Jones CROWD 40,869 at The MCG

CENTURIONS by KC from Casey The Casey Demons smashed the Carlton Reserves off the park at Casey Fields on Sunday to retain a hold on an end of season wild card place. It was a comprehensive 108 point victory in which the home side was dominant and several of its players stood out but, in spite of the positivity of such a display, we need to place an asterisk over the outcome which saw a net 100 point advantage to the combined scores in the two contests between Demons and Blues over the weekend. The disparity between the opposition's AFL and VFL teams is substantial. They are experiencing an abundance of injuries and their playing depth is weak, as evidenced by the inclusion of multiple debutants in the team this week, which is unusual for this time of year. Additionally, with the Demons' senior team in the dumps on Saturday night, the incentive was there for Casey players to stand up and make a play for senior selection. And a number did put their hands up. The VFL Demons took control of the game early and showed great hunger for the footy. The catalyst for the good start was Aidan Johnson who had a big game after a lengthy layoff from a suspension and ankle surgery. He moved well and marked strongly to have four goals on the board by the main break and finished with five to go with his 22 disposals and 11 marks for a best on ground performance. Melbourne’s two concussion victims from the Gold Coast game three weeks ago in Harry Petty (two goals) and defender Blake Howes also staked their claims for senior selection. The latter was unlucky not to win promotion this week after a strong showing last Saturday night against Werribee. Yesterday, he mopped up everything in defence with a strong running game. Casey benefited from a dominant midfield. Tom Campbell and Will Verrall gave their on ballers an armchair ride in the ruck and the likes of Jai Culley, Riley Bonner, Bailey Laurie, Jack Billings and Riley Baldi constantly got their hands on the ball at stoppages and in general play. Mitch Hardie continues to produce in a roving role in the forward line and kicked three goals. Charlie Spargo kicked a couple and must also be in the selection mix for Saturday’s game against St Kilda. Two players who are coming along nicely and will be part of promotion consideration in the very near future are Luker Kentfield and Ricky Mentha Junior. Kentfield was drafted last year in midseason and had health problems over summer so he has yet to benefit from an AFL preseason. Last year, he was often unsighted but this time around he is playing with confidence, clunking his marks and finishing well. He impressed yesterday with four goals in the second half and if he can continue to progress at this rate, he will become a great asset to the club. An NGA from Alice Springs, Mentha showed up with his pace and line breaking ability and when he joins his mentor in Kozzy Pickett, they are going to provide opposition teams with plenty of headaches. With these two however, my advice is to heed the caveat at the start of this piece. Give them time and the results will come. Casey’s next assignment is against Sandringham next Sunday morning at Casey Fields in a curtain raiser of sorts for the match up between their senior partners at Marvel Stadium later in the day. The Demons must overcome their tendency to lose games to teams below them on the ladder to maintain their September aspirations. CASEY DEMONS 5.4.34 11.7.73 17.10.112 22.18.150 CARLTON VFL 2.3.15 3.3.21 5.4.34 6.6.42 GOALS CASEY DEMONS Johnson 5 Kentfield 4 Hardie 3 Campbell Ferraro Petty 2 Billings Culley Kirkwood-Scott Laurie CARLTON VFL Warburton 2 Grainger-Barras Harvey Lemmey Riley BEST CASEY DEMONS Johnson Campbell Culley Laurie Billings Hardie CARLTON VFL Wilson Hayes Charleson Boyd Phillips Warburton

The Demons come face to face with St. Kilda for the second time this season for their return clash at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. Who comes in and who goes out?

A near full strength Demons were outplayed all night against a Blues outfit that was under the pump and missing at least 9 or 10 of the best players. Time for some hard decisions to be made across the board.

The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Tuesday, 22nd July @ 8:00pm. Join Binman & I as we dissect the Dees disappointing loss to Carlton at the MCG. Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

Captain Max Gawn still has a massive lead in the Demonland Player of the Year Award from Christian Petracca, Jake Bowey, Kozzy Pickett & Clayton Oliver. Your votes please; 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

It's Game Day and Clarry's 200th game and for anyone who hates Carlton as much as I do this is our Grand Final. Go Dees.

The Fuchsias were third on the VFL ladder and enjoying their best start for many years when they made the short trip to Punt Road Oval to face seventh placed Richmond in front of a huge crowd that witnessed a hard fought slog . At the end of the game neither side could be separated and the clubs shared the premiership points on offer between them. Round 6 Richmond vs Melbourne Saturday 6 June Venue: Punt Road Attendance: 38,000 MELBOURNE 2.2.14 8.4.52 8.7.55 10.10.70 RICHMOND 2.5.17 5.8.38 6.13.49 9.16.70 Goalkickers: Col Deane 3, Derek Mollison 2, Harry Moyes 2, Harry Davie 1, Bill Shelton 1, Stan Wittman 1 Richmond was kicking to the end favored by a slight wind but managed only a three point lead at quarter time. The visitors pounced after the break and looked at one stage as if they were heading for a big lead but they were reined back to finish the half 14 points in front. Both sides missed their opportunities in the third term with poor kicking for goal but the home side was able to narrow the deficit to six points with a late goal before three quarter time. The match hung precariously in the balance in the last quarter, with the teams trading goals. Richmond hit the front at one stage after converting a free kick into a goal after ten minutes and it was a neck and neck struggle until the final bell rang. With seconds remaining, a snap on goal was narrowly touched through by Coy to ensure the clubs would share the points. Chadwick, Deane, and Corbett were the standout players for Melbourne, which slipped slightly into fourth place on the table. Seconds Richmond 16.16.112 d. Melbourne 10.7.67 The game marked the debut appearance for 28-year-old Harry Moyes, who kicked two goals, including a crucial one in the final quarter. He was also the player responsible for the team's poor kicking for goal in the third term, having missed three shots, but he was to redeem himself as his career at the club progressed. Moyes was recruited from St Kilda ten years after both clubs had initially battled for the services of the promising left footed forward from South Yarra. He topped St Kilda's goalkicking with 32 goals in 1915 but enlisted in the military and didn't return to the club until 1919, leading the Saints' goalkicking in every season from 1921 to 1923. Melbourne finally got its man after persuading him to come out of retirement at the beginning of 1925. It proved to be a wise move. Following his debut season, where he scored 26 goals in 12 games, Moyes became instrumental in the club's 1926 premiership season, scoring 55 goals that year. He kicked three goals in Melbourne's grand final win over Collingwood, and his end-of-season tally was the third highest in the league. He played his last game in Round 18, 1927 against Footscray at Western Oval for a total of 45 games (106 goals) for the club which is a record for the wearer of jumper 22 for Melbourne. Moyes died on 18 September 1968, aged 72. The club’s next assignment was against ladder leader Fitzroy at the MCG, where it dispelled any notion that its excellent early season form was fleeting with a comprehensive victory. Round 7 Melbourne vs Fitzroy Saturday 13 June Venue: MCG Attendance: 23,601 MELBOURNE 3.4.22 7.6.48 9.8.62 12.11.83 FITZROY 1.2.8 1.3.9 3.8.26 6.9.45 Goalkickers: Stan Wittman 3, Jimmy Davidson 2, Harry Davie 2, Col Deane 2, Derek Mollison 1, Harry Moyes 1, Ivor Warne-Smith 1 The Redlegs were primed to impress their fans and led from start to finish in a dominant display of strength, speed and skill, winning in the air and around the ball. Coy and Thomas were impassable in defence and even the loss of Taylor through injury late in the second quarter did not stop them. The Maroons were restricted to a single goal in the opening half and received massive applause from the members' reserve as they left the field as 38-point winners. Best were Thomas, Coy and Chadwick. Seconds Fitzroy 15.16 d. Melbourne 8.9 Goals - Duff 3, Unknown 5 Best - Cannon, Forty, White Round 8 South Melbourne vs Melbourne Saturday 20 June Venue: Lake Oval Attendance: 16,000 MELBOURNE 3.7.25 4.11.35 11.14.80 14.16.100 SOUTH MELBOURNE 3.1.19 5.4.34 5.8.38 7.12.54 Goalkickers: Harry Davie 5, Harry Moyes 5, Col Deane 2, George Haines 1, Frank Jorgensen 1 Despite being held to a single point lead in the opening half, Melbourne decisively defeated South Melbourne at the Lakeside Oval with a dominant 7.3 to 0.4 third quarter, ultimately securing a commanding 46-point victory that solidified its position in third place. Mollison led the way in the ruck where he combined well with former Geelong rover Haines and Moyes, Davie and Wittman were all prominent. Seconds: South Melbourne 16.18.114 d. Melbourne 5.12.42 The trip down Princes Highway to Corio Oval is always a challenge and the Fuchsias certainly met their match against Geelong on the following Saturday when they were virtually blown off the park. Round 9 Geelong vs Melbourne Saturday 27 June Venue: Corio Oval Attendance: 19,500 MELBOURNE 0.1.1 4.5.29 6.10.46 10.15.75 GEELONG 6.4.40 9.5.59 13.8.86 15.9.99 Goalkickers: Harry Moyes 6, Harry Davie 2, Col Deane 1, Ivor Warne-Smith 1 After scoring the first point of the game, Melbourne was forced into submission by a six goal onslaught that saw them trailing by 39 points at the first break. Despite kicking with the advantage of a slight breeze in the second quarter, the gallant visitors were unable to make inroads and four behinds in a row immediately after half time was hardly helpful. Melbourne kicked four goals in the last quarter, three of which came from Moyes, but Geelong had been given too great a start and ran out winners by four goals. It was the team’s first loss since Round 2. Warne-Smith, Chadwick and Davidson were their best. Seconds: Geelong 10.12 d. Melbourne 6.1 Goals - Hazzell 2, Forness 2, Fergeus 1, Parker It was time for redemption after a fortnight’s break and it came in the form of a hard fought victory against second placed Essendon in the cold and the wet on a grey day at the MCG. Round 10 Melbourne vs Essendon Saturday 11 July Venue: MCG Attendance: 22,872 MELBOURNE 4.1.25 6.2.38 7.3.45 8.7.55 ESSENDON 1.1.7 4.4.28 5.6.36 5.8.38 Goalkickers: Harry Moyes 3, Stan Wittman 2, Harry Davie 1, Col Deane 1, Gerry Donnelly 1 Still reeling from their defeat on the road to Geelong, the bigger, stronger Fuschias commenced strongly in atrocious conditions with a dominant opening term with the advantage of the wind against the reigning premier. They opened up a four goals to one lead and were able to hold off Essendon in the driving rain by playing a hard, tough brand of football as evidenced by it giving away 58 to 35 free kicks. Essendon fought hard to get back into the game for the next three quarters and despite closing the gap and even looking the likely winner at stages, Melbourne was able steady and keep the visitors goalless in the final quarter. It was Wittman who kicked the sealer through to extend the margin to 15 points with a few minutes left. Warne-Smith, Thomas and Donnelly were Melbourne's best. Seconds: Essendon 14.20.104 d. Melbourne 6.12.48 On this day, 100 years ago, Melbourne and Hawthorn clashed for the first time ever in their match at the Glenferrie Oval, with Harry Davie kicking six goals in the visitors’ 56-point victory. Round 11 Hawthorn vs Melbourne Saturday 18 July Venue: Glenferrie Oval Attendance: 6,000 MELBOURNE 1.5.11 6.11.47 10.12.72 14.18.102 HAWTHORN 2.4.16 3.5.23 5.7.37 6.10.46 Goalkickers: Harry Davie 6, Carlyle Jones 2, Harry Moyes 2, Stan Wittman 2, Col Deane 1, George Haines 1 Hawthorn was positioned at the bottom of the VFL ladder in its inaugural season in the league; its sole victory for the season having come at home in Round 5 against fellow newcomers Footscray. They managed to trouble the Fuchsias early in the wet, muddy conditions on the small, sardine can shaped Glenferrie Oval to hold a five-point lead at quarter time, but the resistance was short-lived as Melbourne took control and had little trouble in running away to record an easy win. Corbett, Chadwick, Collins, and Streeter were the standout players. Seconds: Hawthorn 8.10.58 defeated Melbourne 5.19.49 Goals - Fergens 3, Parker 1, Duff 1 It was past the halfway mark of the season and the Redlegs were in second place in the standings and well placed to make it all the way to the finals.

Who are you tipping this week?