Demonland

I'd prefer it was 70 plus or even a record margin in a granny to wipe Geelong's record. Wouldn't even mind them wiping the record winning margin in any match while they are at it.

Jane Bunn Geelong 6 First goal Tom Papley Norm Smith Jeremy Cameron Top of the ladder, smashed the Lions. Injury at the Swans. Scott Gullan Geelong 28 First goal Will Hayward Norm Smith Patrick Dangerfield Best team for the year for a reason. Reliance on stars gone, have a sense of destiny about them Sam Landsberger Sydney 2 First goal Errol Gulden Norm Smith Tom Papley Greatest season gets the greatest Grand Final as the greatest of all time gets his first premiership medal in the last game of a Buddy long contract. Gerard Whateley Geelong 18 First goal Tom Hawkins Norm Smith Patrick Dangerfield Perfectly poised to complete a brilliantly orchestrated campaign. Rebecca Williams Geelong 6 First goal Tyson Stengle Norm Smith Jeremy Cameron The dominant side of the competition all year with the weapons to get the job done. Glenn McFarlane Geelong 16 First goal Lance Franklin Norm Smith Jeremy Cameron Sixteen wins in a row would be fitting end for the most consistent and best team of the season. Jay Clark Geelong 15 First goal Tyson Stengle Norm Smith Tom Stewart Cats will play with a spare defender to take sting out of Sydney pressure. Lauren Wood Geelong 16 First goal Tom Papley Norm Smith Sam De Koning Experience counts for plenty and these Cats have it in spades. It’s Danger time. Mark Robinson Geelong 28 First goal Tyson Stengle Norm Smith Tom Stewart Perfectly balanced between offence and defence. Will make it 16 in a row and end one of the more dominant season by a club. Simeon Thomas-Wilson Sydney 4 First goal Brad Close Norm Smith Chris Cavanagh Geelong 18 First goal Tyson Stengle Norm Smith Tom Stewart The Cats have been the best team all year and don’t have many weak links. Jon Ralph Geelong 9 First goal Patrick Dangerfield Norm Smith Tyson Stengle Cameron and Stengle the game-breakers despite Sydney’s pressure turning this into an old-fashioned scrap. Tim Watson Geelong 22 First goal Tyson Stengle North Smith Jeremy Cameron Geelong’s form is compelling. The Cats have shown few weaknesses in their 15-game winning streak. Liz Walsh Sydney 8 First goal Isaac Heeney Norm Smith Mick Malthouse Geelong 36 First goal Jeremy Cameron Norm Smith Patrick Dangerfield Geelong is in great form, fit, and has been the master of all. Sydney may be unbalanced without Sam Reid. Kath Loughnan Sydney 15 First goal Tom Papley Norm Smith Luke Parker Sydney’s elite pressure over four quarters coupled with their dynamic forward line and underrated backline will deliver the Swans an earlier than expected premiership. Ebony Marinoff Sydney First goal Chad Warner Norm Smith Sally Capp Geelong 56 First goal Brad Close Norm Smith Gary Rohan The Grand Final is back where it belongs in Australia’s sporting capital. The city is the winner. David King Geelong 22 First goal Tom Hawkins Norm Smith Jeremy Cameron Healthy, too much experience, too many match winners forward of centre. Mick McGuane Geelong 15 First goal Will Hayward Norm Smith Cam Guthrie Geelong’s defensive mechanisms will disrupt the Swans ball movement and their attack is potent. Dermott Brereton Geelong 5 First goal Patrick Dangerfield Norm Smith Patrick Dangerfield Sarah Jones Geelong 14 First goal Tom Hawkins Norm Smith Jeremy Cameron I’d love to see Joel Selwood - a champion on & off the field lift the cup. Matt Turner Geelong 6 First goal Gary Rohan Norm Smith Mitch Duncan Have looked like the premiers for a long time now and should be a bit too strong on Saturday. James Hird Geelong 10 First goal Tom Hawkins Norm Smith Joel Selwood Graham Cornes Geelong 41 First goal Isaac Heeney Norm Smith Chloe Molloy Geelong First goal Will Hayward Norm Smith Jeremy Cameron The best team all year prove why, with the best player in the competition firing.

Our last morning as the reigning Premiers.

This Round 5 clash against the Blues at Princes Park (officially known as Ikon Park) is a great chance for the Dees to bounce back to the winning circle following our top-of-the-table loss to Brisbane last week. Carlton will be missing several key players with the pundits calling 10 to nil. Raging favouritism is never a comfortable thing for Melbourne supporters but we simply must deliver on Friday night. History has seen these teams play four times since 2017 with the Dees winning three and the Blues one. In the only match played at Princes Park, way back in 2018, the Dees won by 35 points. Melbourne and Carlton played an AFLW curtain raiser practice match at the MCG prior to the AFL Men’s Round 22 game. On that occasion the Dees kicked 6 first quarter goals, by winning the contested footy and moving skilfully across the ground to a dominant forward set up. Daniel Harford and his Carlton brains trust will have taken some ‘learnings’ from this and it will be interesting to see what tactics he deploys on Friday night. Mick Stinear said the team has some things to work on following their defeat at the hands of Brisbane last Sunday. In particular, their work around the contest, delivering forward and the lack of effectiveness when in defence. Eliza McNamara was sorely missed with Sophie Conway running hot on her wing. Happily, the return of Tayla Harris and Sinead Goldrick will strengthen this week’s team. Georgia Campbell and ex-Blue Charlotte Wilson, the likely omissions. There may be other changes. How long before we see goal-sneak Sabreena Duffy in the red and blue? Not long! Unfortunately for Carlton, tall forward Phoebe McWilliams has been ruled out for the rest of the season, experienced forward Darcy Vescio is out this week with a fractured finger and defenders Velardo and Trudgeon will miss due to concussion protocols. Unfortunately, ex Dee and midfielder Maddy Guerin is out for the season having injured her ACL in Round 3. In Season 7, Carlton has had one win by a point over Essendon, drew against Port Adelaide and Fremantle and lost to Collingwood by 3 goals. The Dees have gone 2:1 against heavyweight contenders Adelaide, North and Brisbane and comfortably defeated St Kilda. With Harris returning our offence will reset and be too strong for a weakened Carlton defensive unit. Hopefully Bannan shines and others like Zanker can gain some confidence. It has been great seeing our Vice Captain, Hore, having such a great season in attack and around the ground. We’d like to see her make more of her chances in front of goal. The midfield should be a great battle. Carlton has a great ruck in Breann Moody who always challenges our own star, Lauren Pearce. Abbie Mackay, a father-daughter selection whose Dad is 1995 Carlton premiership player Andrew Mackay, is having a ripper season in the midfield. Her, Mimi Hill, ex-Dee Elise O’Dea will line up against our excellent mids led by Tyla Hanks, Purcell, Lily Mithen, West and Paxy. Expectations are for a solid Dees win but no doubt Carlton will have plans to try and stop our run and handball game. We should be too strong. Melbourne by 15 points THE GAME Carlton v Melbourne at Ikon Park, on Friday 23 September 2022 at 7:30pm (Melbourne time) HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 3 wins Carlton 1 win At Princes Park Melbourne 1 win Carlton 0 wins The Coaches Stinear 1 win Harford 1 win MEDIA TV - live on 7 and Kayo. Check your local guides. Radio - check your local guides. THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 5.4 (34) defeated Carlton 5.3 (33) at Casey Fields, 12 March 2022 In the last home and match of season 6, in what was a real wake-up call for Melbourne, the Dees hung on for a nail-biting 1-point win. The Dees victory locked up a top-two berth and helped them on their way to a Grand Final. In this match Carlton subdued Melbourne’s overlap and free-flowing style in what could be a template for Daniel Harford in the upcoming match on Friday night. Captain Daisy Pearce went into defence in the frantic final minutes and helped save the game. Harris was kept quiet but up bobbed Bannan to the side’s rescue with 3 nice set shot goals. Hanks, Mithen and Paxman amongst the best for Melbourne. Ominously for Carlton, four of their best players last time are not playing this time. Three have left the club (Stevens, Prespakis & Egan), while one is injured (Guerin). GOALS Melbourne: Bannan 3, D. Pearce 2 Carlton: Stevens 3, Good, Sherar BEST Melbourne: Hanks, Bannan, Mithen, Paxman, D. Pearce Carlton: Stevens, Guerin, Hill, Prespakis, Egan Injury and Suspension List: Round 5 Sinead Goldrick - knee | test Georgia Gall - foot | 3 weeks Gab Colvin - knee | season Eliza McNamara back | season Rhi Watt - knee | season