Demonland

Hard to under a May blanket

To all our fabulous commentors and questioners; Feel free to ask questions about the Blues match but as the podcast is on Tuesday night this week please ask questions about the King's Birthday match too as we'll do an extended preview this week.

The Demons take on the Magpies in a massive Top Four clash on King's Birthday at the MCG with over 90,000 fans expected to be in attendance. Who will come in and who goes out for this huge clash between traditional rivals at the home of football?

The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Tuesday, 6th May @ 8:30pm. Join Binman, George z& I as we analyse the Demons win over the Blues. You 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. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

It was an ugly affair on the Big Stage at the MCG on Friday night but the Demon's defence held strong holding Carlton to six goals to grind out a win and keep their spot on the Top Four for another week.

The injured Clayton Oliver holds a very narrow lead of two votes over Christian Petracca in the Demonland Player of the Year Award with Max Gawn and Jack Viney tied for third place. Your votes please 6,5,4,3,2,1 in our win over the Blues on Friday Night at the MCG …

SOUTHPORT SHARKS vs CASEY DEMONS Saturday 3 June, 12:05pm, Fankhauser Reserve Head-to-head: Casey Demons 2-0. At Fankhauser Reserve: Never Met. Streak: Casey Demons 2 SOUTHPORT SHARKS B: J. Foggo (22), M. Spencer (6), D. Charlesworth (23) HB: Z. Molloy (26), M. McGuinness (14), M. Gahan (32) C: J. Heron (5), J. Dawson (3), J. Foon (18) HF: M. Manteit (4), T. Fields (11), J. Lockhart (12) F: J. Lockett (41), B. Crossley (20), J. Sexton (28) R: F. Thurlow (15), J. Joyce (25), B. Woodcock (1) INT: C. Joyce (34), J. McQueen (29), J. Edwards (21), R. Banks-Smith (24), M. Shannon (16) EMG: R. Bowman (31), C. Offermans (30), C. Anderson (39), B. Finch (35), M. Doran (33) IN: J. McQueen OUT: C. Offermans CASEY DEMONS B: T. Freeman (67), J. Adams (26), D. Smith (34) HB: M. Shepherd (77), D. Turner (42), M. Buntine (71) C: B. Howes (22), J. Jordon (23), R. Steele (54) HF: A.Moniz-Wakefield (45), J. Schache (19), T. Woewodin (40) F: B. Laurie (16), B. Brown (50), M. Jefferson (21) R: J. Bell (73), M. White (52), J. Harmes (4) INT: R. Galvin (79)*, R. Baldi (56), G. Grey (68), H. Neocleous (75), O. Sestan (38) EMG: T. McRae (76), C. MacDonald (59), N. Moodie (74), F. Emile-Brennan (69), R. Valentine (65) IN: T. Freeman, R. Galvin, J. Harmes, J. Jordon, H. Neocleous, M. Shepherd OUT: J. Smith, A. Tomlinson (AFL), M. Gregory (hamstring), C. Peters (concussion), J. Melksham (suspended), T. Mcrae NEW: Rhys Galvin, 18, Warragul/Gippsland Power

Oh boy

That would be glorious. 6,845 days and counting.

This one says different Every AFL team’s fixture ranked from hardest to easiest as shock Grand Final reality emerges

Who are you tipping this week?

The Blues season is on the line and their captain and coach have been in the firing line all week. If the Dees cough this one up the media's crosshairs will do a 180 and will surely be directed at the Demons who have only won 13 games from their last 25 outings. This is a must win game for the Melbourne Football Club too.

Here's the entire article.

All my Carlton mates have already conceded. They haven't met the Dees playing a team on the ropes before. Harry will not miss a single one this week. Biggest certainty this week.

We’ve seen it all before. Club in turmoil. Coach under pressure. Club President caught up in a tax scandal. Club board not seeing eye to eye with one board member resigning amid questions about whether he was pushed or did he jump? Unrest bordering on hysteria among the supporters. Team dropping from undefeated after four rounds to 13th after ten. Allegations of favoured treatment of players. Players out of form, forwards with the kicking yips, a bruising injury list with some facing the knife while another up before the AFL Tribunal. The media camped waiting on the club’s doorstep with those furry microphone things, pointed at every employee who comes out for some fresh air or a smoko, ready to pounce with some of the most inane questions imaginable. Yes, it’s crisis time at Carlton, the club designated by the AFL as its Friday night favourite playing the Melbourne Football Club at the home of football to kick off the first bye round on … checks, yep … Friday night. Right on cue, the AFL comes to the rescue. The MRO decided that Blues player Adam Cerra has a case to answer for a dangerous tackle on Swans’ ruckman Tom Hickey but for the first time this year, a dangerous tackle charge is thrown out by the AFL Tribunal. Instead of the requirement being on the alleged perpetrator to do something to avoid the collision of the head, it’s the victim who had the onus of using one of his arms to break the fall. Anyway, it was allegedly Hickey’s bouffant hair arrangement that actually banged the SCG turf and not the head he was rubbing in pain after the incident, so justice AFL style prevailed again. And in an ominous move for the Demons, the Blues’ legal team will make up their half forward line on Friday night at the MCG to ensure that the free kick count sits at 24 to 9 in their favour. Meanwhile, for the second year in a row, the Carlton skipper is expected to make a surprise appearance for his team in a game against Melbourne. This time it comes after making a miraculous recovery from having his ankle stepped on late in the game against the Swans. When someone steps on anything remotely near that part a Demon player’s anatomy it usually escalates rapidly from nothing to a 4 to 6 week injury. But the Blues’ medics are almost as good as their lawyers. Still, I’m not really paranoid and I don’t believe in conspiracy theories. In fact, there would have be something seriously wrong with Melbourne that even the world’s best team of doctors, lawyers and administrators can’t fix if it can’t overcome an ailing Carlton at the MCG on Friday night. After all, this is a team that embarked upon season 2023 boasting about being the fittest team in the competition, with great depth in every position on the football field, and focused on regaining lost prestige from last season’s finals stumble. They couldn’t possibly lose to that rabble. Surely? I’m confidently tipping them to win. By a point. THE GAME Melbourne v Carlton at the MCG Friday 2 June 2023 at 7.50pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 96 wins Carlton 117 wins Drawn 2 At the MCG Melbourne 55 wins Carlton 50 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 5 Carlton 0 wins The Coaches Goodwin 1 wins Voss 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 11.13.79 defeated Carlton 10.14.74 at the MCG Round 22, 2022 The Blues looked to have had this game won as the clock wound down with less than two minutes to go. Then Jake Melksham* took a great contested mark in the middle of three Carlton defenders and his fourth goal for the match gave the team hope which translated into a win when Kozzie Pickett converted truly with seconds to go. * Melksham was given a two week suspension (reduced to one for an early plea) by the VFL Match Review Panel for a striking offence against a Werribee player in the fourth quarter of the match last Saturday. Nothing suspicious about the timing of the suspension of the hero of last year’s clash against the Blues, is there? THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B A. Tomlinson S. May J. McVee HB J. Bowey J. Lever C. Salem C T. Sparrow J. Viney E. Langdon HF K. Chandler Fritsch Pickett F C. Spargo Grundy Neal-Bullen FOLL M. Gawn C. Petracca L. Hunter I/C A. Brayshaw T. Rivers J. Smith J. van Rooyen SUB J. Harmes EMG B. Brown D. Turner T. Woewodin IN L. Hunter J. Smith A. Tomlinson OUT M. Hibberd (managed) J. Jordon (omitted) T. McDonald (ankle) CARLTON B A. Cincotta J. Weitering B. Kemp HB L. Young M. McGovern A. Saad C S. Walsh P. Cripps B. Acres HF J. Motlop C. Curnow J. Silvagni F Z. Fisher H. McKay M. Owies FOLL T. De Koning A. Cerra M. Kennedy I/C J. Boyd M. Cottrell S. Docherty L. O'Brien SUB P. Dow EMG E. Curnow L. Fogarty L. Plowman IN A. Cincotta P. Dow Z. Fisher L. O'Brien J. Silvagni L. Young OUT C. Durdin (knee) E. Curnow (omitted) G. Hewett (concussion) O. Hollands (collarbone) N. Newman ((hamstring) M. Pittonet (hand) Injury List: Round 12 Clayton Oliver - Hamstring | 1 Week Luke Dunstan - Knee | 1 - 2 Weeks Harry Petty - Foot | 2 - 3 Weeks Kye Turner - Groin | 3 - 4 Weeks Will Verrall - Pelvis | 3 - 4 Weeks

Embarrassing record broken. Back on track ...