Demonland

If Fritta is out does TMac or Laurie come in?

Who are tipping this week?

Which team has the bye for that Gather Round?

Melbourne great Nathan Jones was 18 years of age and four matches into his AFL career when the Demons steamrolled the Kangaroos by 50 points on the MCG in Round 20, 2006. After that game, the club toiled for years to beat North Melbourne and had to endure the embarrassment of a 17-game losing streak that finally ended in 2018. By that time, Jones was a 30 year old veteran of 242 games and most of Demonkind was bedeviled by the memory of those multiple losses over a dozen seasons. Times have changed. Jones went on to play in a couple more wins against the Kangaroos but he has retired and someone else is wearing the famous #2 guernsey. The club won a flag, the Kangaroos fell on hard times and picked up a couple of wooden spoons. The Demons have started their own three game mini streak over the Roos and are looking to add to that on Saturday night when the two meet at the MCG for the first time since that streak-breaking game of 2018. We’ve heard a great deal about Alastair Clarkson’s efforts to convert the hapless Kangaroos into a more competitive unit this year but after two early wins, they are falling behind the pack. Nobody is under any illusions that the process is long and slow and it would be easy to think of this week’s encounter as an opportunity for revenge or to humiliate a wounded opponent. But that’s something for hyped up fans, not for clubs, coaches, players and most true supporters. The reality is that you can never take any opponent for granted. In 2021, a premiership year for Melbourne, the team lowered its colours to the reigning wooden spooner, Adelaide which tell us that there’s no place for complacency against any opponent these days. Clarko is a crafty and experienced coach and he would have observed how Brad Scott and to a lesser extent, Damien Hardwick managed to trouble Melbourne’s defensive capabilities over the past two weeks. The problem for him is that to replicate such a scenario, he needs to have his side playing at their early season form. That’s a big ask. Meanwhile, Simon Goodwin is carrying out a not so subtle reboot of the team’s systems after Melbourne‘s disappointing straight sets exit from the AFL 2022 finals. After a great preseason and a promising opening match, his team has been affected by injuries to key personnel and a fixture that took them interstate three times in four weeks, a combination which has produced a mixed bag of super performances interspersed with games highlighted by a lack of intensity and pressure that led to defeat and near defeat. And while the team has been relieved of carrying the burden of the “premiership favourite” tag — one it didn’t wear well in the latter half of 2022 — the challenges keep on coming. This week it’s the five day break in between games which places additional pressure on the fitness staff and the selectors. The season is long, entailing lots of travel and heavy training loads adding to stress on players and the need for management of players young and old. Melbourne’s much vaunted depth is about to be tested. Fortunately for the Demons, they have the edge in football experience and know how over the young Kangaroos. Irrespective of the team’s makeup this week, it’s strength in the ruck and midfield should be too great in the end. The problem for Clarkson is that he’s working with a young and inexperienced, albeit enthusiastic group and, as Demon fans will recall from the times when their team had exactly such a makeup a decade ago, you need a lot more to beat a winning streak. Melbourne by 45 points. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Saturday 29 April, 2023 at The MCG at 7.25pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 87 wins North Melbourne 82 wins 1 draw At The MCG Melbourne 55 wins North Melbourne 37 wins Last five times Melbourne 4 wins North Melbourne 1 win The coaches Goodwin 0 wins Clarkson 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Narrm 14.16.100 defeated North Melbourne 8.5.53 at Marvel Stadium, Round 10, 2022 The Demons played in their first game as Narrm Football Club in recognition of the indigenous name for the region in which the club plays as part of the celebrations of the Indigenous Round. North challenged early but by the third quarter their scoring dried up and 'Narrm' kicked away to win comfortably to make it 10 wins on end to start the season. The victory against a plucky opponent marked the last of a long run of 17 consecutive wins that included the club’s 13th Premiership in September 2021. Clayton Oliver was outstanding with his 45 possessions in a dominant midfield. The club was struck hard by injury with Ed Langdon subbed off with broken ribs and it was also Tom McDonald’s last game for the season as he missed the remainder of 2021 with a foot injury. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B J. Bowey S. May J. Lever HB A. Brayshaw B. Fritsch T. Rivers C E. Langdon C. Oliver T. Sparrow HF J. Viney J. Schache M. Hibberd F J. Jordon J van Rooyen J. McVee FOLL M. Gawn C. Petracca K. Chandler I/C B. Grundy L. Hunter A. Neal-Bullen K. Pickett SUB J. Harmes EMG B. Laurie T. McDonald D. Turner IN J. Harmes J. Schache OUT B. Laurie (omitted) H. Petty (concussion) NORTH MELBOURNE B G. Logue B. McKay J. Ziebell HB L. McDonald A. Hall H. Sheezel C C. Taylor T. Powell L. Shiels HF P. Curtis C. Comben J. Stephenson F J. Simpkin N. Larkey C. Coleman-Jones FOLL T. Goldstein D. Tucker C. Zurhaar I/C A. Corr B. Cunnington B. Scott K. Turner SUB D. Howe EMG B. Drury H. Greenwood D. Howe W. Phillips IN C. Coleman-Jones D. Howe J. Simpkin OUT L. Davies-Uniacke (heel) D. Howe (omitted) W. Phillips (omitted) Injury List: Round 7 (TBC)

YEAR PLAYER 2001 Adem Yze 2002 Adem Yze 2003 Clint Bizzell 2004 Jeff White 2005 Travis Johnstone 2006 Cameron Bruce 2007 Nathan Jones 2008 Brad Green 2009 Aaron Davey 2010 James Frawley 2011 Jack Trengove 2012 Nathan Jones 2013 Nathan Jones 2014 Nathan Jones 2015 Jack Viney 2016 Max Gawn 2017 Clayton Oliver 2018 Clayton Oliver 2019 Max Gawn 2020 Christian Petracca 2021 Clayton Oliver 2022 Clayton Oliver PLAYER VOTES 1 Clayton Oliver 78 2 Christian Petracca 54 3 Brodie Grundy 32 4 Jake Lever 29 4 Jack Viney 29 6 Max Gawn 26 7 Lachie Hunter 18 8 Ed Langdon 16 9 Kysaiah Pickett 13 10 Trent Rivers 11 11 Ben Brown 9 12 Charlie Spargo 7 12 Judd McVee 7 14 Jake Bowey 5 14 Tom McDonald 5 16 Angus Brayshaw 4 16 Bayley Fritsch 4 16 Tom Sparrow 4 19 James Jordon 3 19 Alex Neal-Bullen 3 21 Jacob van Rooyen 2 22 Kade Chandler 1 22 Michael Hibberd 1 22 Harry Petty 1 22 Steven May 1

MELBOURNE is in discussions for an extension for 2021 flag winner Alex Neal-Bullen. Neal-Bullen qualifies as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this year, having re-signed for two years in 2021. He is one of four free agents at the Dees, alongside James Jordon, Jake Melksham and Luke Dunstan. But talks are underway for a new deal to extend Neal-Bullen's stay at Melbourne, where he remains a key member and popular player in its squad having played every game this season

Same height as Big Rooey

Brother?

No not the creative underground handballs as discussed in this thread. The Bulldog Handball aka A Throw

Cal Twomey believes Melbourne will attempt to secure the No. 1 Pick in the 2023 Draft by packaging up at least three First Round selections Pick 1 is almost certain to be Bendigo prospect, Harley Reid who is drawing comparisons to Dustin Martin

Just this season but assume that the Gather Round skews it a little bit.

The AFL produce a video clip each week of the Top 10 things from the round. We are shafted almost every week. Often our game won't even crack a mention when some poxy game between the suns and kangaroos will cop two mentions in the Top 10. Sometimes, like this week, sometimes our losing opposition does gets a mentions, like Dusty's last quarter goal which was nice but it was at a time when the game was lost and tired legs helped his goal. No mention of Rooey's match winning last quarter.

Let's keep footy threads on topic. If you want to debate other topics please take it to the PMs or other forums.

This is correct because Hardwick 10000% gave Hibberd the 4 because of the job he did on Cumberland when moved onto him. Love how Hardwick hates us. You'd think they won by 10 goals and he only gave Hibberd 4 votes to stick it up Cumberland for his poor effort after 1/4 time. Edit: Perhaps Hardwick gave Oliver the 2 and Goody gave Short 2. Goody more likely to give short 2.