Demonland

I wish that was actually a mullet.

You only have to look at the emergencies to see that there is no concern with having to cover that type of player. I guess Weid can come in and TMac can go back as a defender to cover Riv. Weid is there mainly for a ruck or key forward or back (TMac back/Weed forward) going down. Bedford will likely be the sub again. Dunstan covers the mids too. Melk?

More Thursday nights and floating fixtures for Blockbusters.

NO CHANGE

Better news

Yeah you’d expect one of those calling mum and dad videos or the boys getting around him at Training after Goody informs them prior to or after the session.

Who are you tipping this week?

Melbourne fans have been living with the premiership glow for six months since their team won its first premiership flag in almost six decades. Supporters are now getting used to following what is officially a powerhouse, one that’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, travel to different parts of the country, play in difficult humid conditions on soggy grounds and win matches under adversity. The Demons’ victory over the Suns at the weekend wasn’t pretty and some might say it’s a sign that the team might be coming back to the field after tasting the glory of a flag, but the fact remains that they alone of the 2021 Preliminary Finalists remain undefeated after two rounds. Indeed, two of last year’s big four have yet to record a victory at a time when the AFL ladder is being held up by recent cellar dwellers in Hawthorn and Carlton. Meanwhile, Melbourne’s opponent this week is under the pump and staring at a history-making 0-3 start, something that hasn’t happened at Windy Hill since 1967. You might think on this basis that the Demons are in line for an easy night on the MCG but don’t be fooled. Coming off a six-day break after an interstate trip is never easy and when you have to go back more than half a century in their history to find such a poor start to a season, then you know the Bombers can never be taken lightly. After all, there are some respected pundits among football’s commentariat who, less than a fortnight ago, had Essendon as the flag favourite. On their day, they have a midfield that has a few prolific ball gatherers and is strong enough to challenge their Demon counterparts. The running defenders will test the Melbourne forwards who aren’t exactly setting the world alight at this time. Fortunately for the Dees, their accuracy kept them in the game early last week but the progression from 10.1 after Bayley Fritsch’s goal in the third term to 12.10 at the end was testament to a haphazard approach to goal in the second half — something they can’t afford to repeat against a team like Essendon. Much has been made of the premiership defenders missing through injury at the moment but despite having A-listers Jake Lever, Christian Salem, Harry Petty and Michael Hibberd on the sidelines, this division has been holding up well with players admirably filling in who, for one reason or another, missed out on last year’s glory. They will be anxious to impress and to hold their places in the side. Together with the pressure coming from those in the VFL team, this means the club is so well placed to continue its successful streak in the future. And above all, there’s the mobility and strength of Melbourne’s ruckmen. Max Gawn and Luke Jackson are proving a formidable big man division that are tough to beat in the air and on the ground. If Maxy’s not at his best, then you can rely on Dogga to get the job done and vice versa. Therefore, on the 1st day of April, I would be fooling if I didn’t think the Demons will go into the game as strong favourite to make it three in a row for 2022 and ten on the trot overall. Melbourne to win by 25 points. THE GAME Essendon v Melbourne at the MCG Friday 1 April, 2022 at 7.50pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 85 wins 2 draws Essendon 130 wins At the MCG Melbourne 46 wins Essendon 67 wins 1 draw The last five meetings Melbourne 3 wins Essendon 2 wins The Coaches Goodwin 1 win Rutten 0 wins MEDIA TV live and on demand on Kayo and live on Foxtel. Check your local guides. Radio - check your local guides. THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 9.14.68 defeated Essendon 8.9.57 at The MCG, Round 15, 2021 The Demons were going through something of a mid-season trough but they managed to work their way through to an ugly victory in a low scoring game. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: T.Rivers 24 A. Tomlinson 20 S.May 1 HB: J.Hunt 29 J.Smith 44 J.Jordon 23 C: T.Sparrow 32 C.Petracca 5 E.Langdon 15 HF: L.Jackson 6 T.McDonald 25 J.Viney 7 F: B.Fritsch 31 S.Weideman 26 C.Spargo 9 Foll: M.Gawn - C 11 C.Oliver 13 K.Pickett 36 I/C: J.Bowey 17 A.Brayshaw 10 J.Harmes 4 A.Neal-Bullen 30 Sun: T. Bedford 12 Emerg: M.Brown 38 J.Melksham 18 L.Dunstan 27 In: Sam Weideman Out: Ben Brown (H&S protocols) ESSENDON B: J. Stewart 17 J. Laverde 15 J. Kelly 29 HB: M. Redman 27 D. Heppell - C 21 N. Hind 19 C: A. McGrath 1 J. Caldwell 6 T. Cutler 12 HF: J. Stringer 25 M. Guelfi 35 N. Martin 37 F: A. Perkins 16 P. Wright 20 T. Wanganeen 40 Foll: S. Draper 2 D. Parish 3 S. Durham 22 I/C: B. Ham 33 A. Phillips 34 J. Ridley 14 D. Shiel 9 Sub: D.Smith 5 Emerg: B. Hobbs 8 A. Waterman 44 B. Zerk-Thatcher 30 In: Nic Martin Andrew Phillips Dylan Shiel Out: Nik Cox (ankle) Aaron Francis (omitted) Zach Merrett (ankle) Devon Smith (omitted) Round 3: Injury List Kade Chandler - Quad | Test Jake Lever - Foot | 1 - 2 weeks Harry Petty - Calf | 2-3 Weeks Michael Hibberd - Calf | 2 - 4 weeks Daniel Turner - Foot | 4-6 weeks Christian Salem - Knee | 5-7 weeks

Join @george_on_the_outer, @binman & I on the Demonland Podcast tonight LIVE @ 8:30pm for breakdown of the Round 2 match against the Suns. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

Let me guess; 4 to 6 weeks?