Demonland

Melbourne v Sydney. City v City. Two top eight sides fighting for finals spots. Sydney having beaten the Demons in ten of their last twelve encounters. In what would turn out to be one of the most hotly contested games for the club in 2022, the physical damage to players was probably the deciding factor in the end. Once again, Melbourne lost Tom McDonald pre-game to a yet unspecified foot injury. More importantly was how much his work up the ground and bullocking influence in the pack scenario was missed. The side was already without Steven May and again that strong body and generalship in the backline was missing. At least a number of players were returning from their own bout of injury ... James Harmes, Ed Langdon and Christian Salem. The problem was, and obvious as the game progressed, is that they just weren’t quite right. Fair enough, given Ed is still carrying rib injury, Salem back with his exquisite skills, but just couldn’t get any penetration with his kicks, and Harmes, just unable to get involved to his usual standard. Then in an almost repeat of last week, Harry Petty gets a kick to the shin, in the first quarter and then a shoulder injury in the second, to go with his knee injury from last week. Christian Petracca looked much better this week, but still not his explosive self, and Bayley Fritsch is carrying a new knee bandage. Still, despite the appearance of the walking wounded, the Demons opened their account with a 5 goal to 1 first quarter. Their position was helped by inaccurate Sydney kicking, but the momentum swung heavily in the second as Sydney then piled on 5 goals to 2, to lead by 2 points at the major break. The fans are starting to get concerned when Melbourne lead by 5 goals early in the match, as the same situation occurred the previous week, only to see the side over-run. Melbourne regained the ascendancy in the third quarter, but could only score a single major while wasting opportunities by kicking 5 behinds. Still, they held Sydney to a paltry 2 behinds for the quarter to set up an exciting final term. Led by Max, the Demons looked threatening, but that was all it turned out to be…threatening as they managed just another single goal for the quarter while the Swans piled on 4 goals to run out eventual 12 point winners. Max had tried his hardest to get the side over the line with his incredible 6 contested marks but despite kicking 3 for the match, he missed a tight shot from only metres out in that final term which would have swung the game at the time. Even Bayley Fritsch couldn’t find any score from a “Bayley certainty” as well which would have done similarly at a critical time. Even with these misses it actually highlighted one of the major failings the side faced. Max and Bayley each kicked 3 goals, but the Browns in the forward line failed to score anything. Likewise the other small forwards weren’t contributing to the scoreboard, although Kozzy Pickett was responsible for creating score out of nothing for others at times. With a banged up backline, and a rag-tag forward line, the side once again lost the structure that has become part of the “Melbourne way”. Tomlinson isn’t May, Mitch Brown isn’t TMac and while these players are more than serviceable, when they are surrounded by a banged up group unable to display their best, then perhaps the result was not unexpected. What to do? Realistically, the cupboard is relatively bare. While May will return from concussion protocols, we can only hope Petty can get on the ground in a fit state. Weideman has obviously been sent to Casey for a long time, and the rumours suggest TMac may be out for an equally long time. The Browns up forward will probably get a reprieve due to the only realistic other forward we have on the list is Jacob Van Rooyen, but he is merely 19 and doesn’t need to be thrown to the wolves like Melbourne had to do in years gone. Jayden Hunt will be facing a stint at Casey as well. A 3 possession game just doesn’t come up to scratch, with Hibberd and Rivers available to take his place if needed. What the side needs is just a bit of a rest, and the 8 days to the next match will help. But what really needs to be found is a little bit of its mojo. A bit of flair and dash, that has simply been missing in the past weeks. While it is hard to produce that mojo when arms, legs, ribs, backs, feet, knees and heads are aching, the inspiration is there in the form of Max Gawn and Jack Viney, who just keep on keeping on despite all the bashing and banging that they suffer. Time to find that mojo again, and bang up Collingwood’s aspirations in front of a big crowd next week. MELBOURNE 5.1.31 7.1.43 8.6.54 9.7.61 SYDNEY SWANS 1.5.11 6.9.45 6.11.47 10.13.73 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch Gawn 3 Jackson Jordan Langdon SYDNEY SWANS McDonald Reid 3 Papley 2 Gulden Heeney BEST MELBOURNE Gawn Fritsch Viney Jordan Oliver Salem SYDNEY SWANS Reid Mills McDonald Parker Papley Heeney INJURIES MELBOURNE Tom McDonald (ankle soreness) replaced by Mitch Brown in the selected side Harry Petty (shin, shoulder) SYDNEY SWANS Colin O’Riordan (head knock) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil SYDNEY SWANS Nil SUBSTITUTES MELBOURNE Toby Bedford (unused) SYDNEY SWANS Ben Ronke (replaced Colin O’Riordan) UMPIRES Nick Foot Matt Stevic Craig Fleer CROWD 32,753 at the MCG

The slippery surface of the MCG was a minor detail for the Casey Demons as they waltzed away from the Sydney Swans to record their tenth win on end in their Saturday afternoon curtain raiser. The Demons conceded the first goal of the game before recording the next three (two to Sam Weideman) to hold a 16 point lead at the first break before the Swans pegged that back to a mere three points at half time. Casey dominated the third term with four goals to nil and thereafter the Swans’ resistance dropped off with the Demons home in a canter to win by 39-points. Weideman is proving enigmatic. In between his six goals a few weeks ago against North Melbourne VFL and yesterday’s three-goal and 10-mark performance, he failed to have any impact at AFL level against Fremantle and yet Ben Brown’s poor form and the doubt on Tom McDonald’s ankle mandates that he be given another chance at the higher level. That would also be a consideration for Jacob Van Rooyen but he failed to trouble the scorers on his return from illness. Yet he used his body well and provided Majak Daw with a chop out in ruck duels. And of course, who ever heard of selecting a blond rookie key forward to play Collingwood on Queens Birthday? One player who would be a certainty to play against the Magpies is Trent Rivers (25 disposals, six marks) who was strong in defence all day. Both Oskar Baker and Luke Dunstan picked up 24 touches. Kade Chandler, Jake Melksham and Michael Hibberd were handy. Daniel Turner underlined his improvement - he is marking strongly and learning to ply the backman’s trade. Of the Casey listed players George Grey showed some touches of brilliance and kicked three goals. Jimmy Munro (23 disposals, 10 clearances) and defender Corey Ellison also continued his recent strong form of late. CASEY DEMONS 3.4.22 4.8.32 8.10.58 12.11.83 SYDNEY SWANS 1.0.6 4.5.29 4.8.32 6.8.44 Goals Casey Demons Grey Weideman 3 Buntine Chandler Laurie Moniz-Wakefield Steele White Sydney Swans Bell Collis Maguire McLean Roberts Warner Best Casey Demons Rivers Weideman Dunstan Ellison Grey Hibberd Turner Smith Munro Sydney Swans Clarke Taylor Sinclair Gould Bell McLean Statistics Oskar Baker 1 behind 13 kicks 11 handballs 24 disposals 8 marks 1 tackle 88 dream team points Matt Buntine 1 goal 7 kicks 3 handballs 10 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 43 dream team points Jack Bell 1 behind 4 kicks 4 handballs 8 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 3 hit outs 36 dream team points Kade Chandler 1 goal 10 kicks 8 handballs 18 disposals 8 marks 3 tackles 85 dream team points Majak Daw 4 kicks 3 handballs 7 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 34 hit outs 63 dream team points Luke Dunstan 12 kicks 12 handballs 28 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 73 dream team points Corey Ellison 10 kicks 5 handballs 15 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 59 dream team points George Grey 3 goals 9 kicks 5 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 66 dream team points Michael Hibberd 13 kicks 4 handballs 17 disposals 8 marks 69 dream team points Ryan Koo 3 kicks 4 handballs 7 disposals 1 tackles 21 dream team points Bailey Laurie 1 goal 8 kicks 6 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 6 tackles 70 dream team points Judd McVee 9 kicks 5 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 59 dream team points Jake Melksham 2 behinds 10 kicks 5 handballs 15 disposals 7 marks 64 dream team points Andy Moniz-Wakefield 1 goal 1 behinds 8 kicks 2 handballs 10 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 55 dream team points James Munro 10 kicks 13 handballs 23 disposals 2 marks 5 tackles 73 dream team points Trent Rivers 18 kicks 7 handballs 25 disposals 6 marks 2 handballs 94 dream team points Deakyn Smith 8 kicks 4 handballs 12 disposals 2 marks 35 dream team points Roan Steele 1 goal 6 kicks 4 handballs 10 disposals 2 marks 2 tackles 43 dream team points Daniel Turner 11 kicks 2 handballs 13 disposals 6 marks 2 tackles 35 dream team points Jacob Van Rooyen 2 kicks 3 handballs 5 disposals 1 mark 4 tackles 4 hit outs 32 dream team points Mitch White 1 goal 2 behinds 15 kicks 4 handballs 19 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 93 dream team points Sam Weideman 3 goals 1 behind 11 kicks 1 handball 12 disposals 10 marks 2 tackles 1 hit out 90 dream team points Taj Woewodin 6 kicks 4 handballs 10 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 37 dream team points

Who comes in and who goes out?

Ugh …

Your votes please 6,5,4,3,2,1 …

Absolutely broke them.

Dissent gone out the window.

Doggies are not going to be playing finals this year based on the first 8 minutes of this match.

Hopefully he gets rewarded with a game soon.

Who are you tipping this week? Also what are the best results for the Demons?

How will Melbourne react to losing a game after such a long time since tasting defeat? That question is on everybody’s lips after the complete collapse of the team in the second half against Fremantle last week. When Bayley Fritsch missed his shot at goal 23 minutes into the second term, the Demons were 30 points ahead but from that point onward they were comprehensively overwhelmed as their structures fell apart all over the park. Unlike what occurred on a number of occasions during their 17-game winning streak, there was no dramatic revival in the end to get them across the winning line. The final losing margin of 38 points represented a more than eleven goal turnaround - staggering result for the reigning premiers. The pundits have explained the Demons’ fall from grace in terms of a combination of injury and illness during and immediately before the game, missing key personnel and declining form and confidence from some players. But with the impending return of a number of players for Saturday’s game against the Swans, that’s all in the past and even having one very key defender in Steven May on the sidelines will be offset to an extent by the absence of the suspended Buddy Franklin and the return of Adam Tomlinson. Still, you can never underestimate the Swans. Like the Dockers, they came back from a 30-point deficit last week. Even without Buddy, they have a good range of mid sized forwards and midfielders who can step up and kick goals and the two McCartins in defence to stop them. Their wily coach, John Longmire, will have watched the Demons’ demise closely, seen how they were run into the ground by the Dockers who closed down so many of their prime movers and dictated the way the game was played in the second half. This is what happens when one team is successful for so long. Others endlessly seek to find the magic formula to beat them — but the problem for the Swans is that the conditions and the set up that led to the Demons’ demise last week won’t apply this time around. This week won’t see the sort of disruption engendered by the late withdrawal of one key forward, injuries during the game of two key defenders and a Norm Smith Medalist so sick that he was anchored to the full forward line instead of causing his usual havoc in the middle. With the likes of James Harmes, Ed Langdon, Tom McDonald, Christian Salem and Tomlinson back in to bolster the side in the very areas where they fell down last week, you can be certain that the Demons won’t give in without a whimper two weeks in a row. Melbourne to make a comeback to the victory dais and win by 36 points. THE GAME Melbourne vs Sydney Swans at The MCG Saturday 4 June, 2022 at 7.25pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 94 wins Sydney Swans 115 wins 2 drawn At The MCG Melbourne 50 wins Sydney Swans 45 wins 2 drawn Last 5 meetings Melbourne 2 wins Sydney Swans 3 wins The Coaches Goodwin 2 wins Longmire 5 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 10.7.67 defeated Sydney Swans 8.10.58 in Round 8, 2021 at The MCG This was a grueling match up from start to end with neither team giving any quarter. The Demons led for most of the game and, although they had the upper hand over the Swans, the opposition never gave in with Max Gawn’s ruck dominance proving to be the difference. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: J.Bowey 17 A.Tomlinson 20 H.Petty 35 HB: J.Harmes 4 J.Lever 8 J. Hunt 29 C: A.Brayshaw 10 J.Viney 7 E.Langdon 15 HF: L.Jackson 6 M.Brown 38 C.Petracca 5 F: B.Fritsch 31 B.Brown 50 C.Spargo 9 Foll: M.Gawn 11 C.Oliver 13 K.Pickett 36 I/C: J.Jordon 23 A.Neal-Bullen 30 C.Salem 3 T.Sparrow 32 Sub: T.Bedford 12 Emerg: J.Melksham 18 T.Rivers 24 In: M.Brown J.Harmes E.Langdon C.Salem A.Tomlinson Out: T.Bedford (omitted) L.Dunstan (omitted) S.May (concussion) J.Melksham (omitted) T.Rivers (omitted) S.Weideman (omitted) SYDNEY SWANS B: C. O'Riordan 38 D. Rampe 24 T. McCartin 30 HB: J. Lloyd 44 P.McCartin 39 O. Florent 13 C: N. Blakey 22 C. Mills 14 E. Gulden 21 HF: C. Warner 1 I.Heeney 5 J.McInerney 27 F: T. Papley 11 L.McDonald 6 J.Amartey 36 Foll: P.Ladhams 19 L.Parker 26 J.Rowbottom 8 I/C: R. Fox 42 W. Hayward 9 S.Reid 20 S. Wicks 15 Sub: B.Ronke 25. Emerg: B.Campbell 16 H.McLean 2 D. Stephens 3 In: J.Amartey
 N.Blakey B.Ronks Out: B.Campbell (omitted) L.Franklin (suspension) M.Roberts (omitted) Injury List: Round 12 James Harmes - Hamstring | Test
 Ed Langdon - Ribs | Test Tom McDonald Ankle | Test
 Christian Salem - Knee | Test Steven May - Concussion | 1 Week
 Joel Smith - Ankle | 5-7 Weeks
 Blake Howes - Foot | 6-8 Weeks

𝗜𝗡𝗦: Harmes, Langdon, McDonald, Salem, Tomlinson 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗦: May (concussion), Bedford, Melksham, Rivers, Weideman (omitted), Dunstan (used medi-sub) SYDNEY 𝗜𝗡𝗦: N.Blakey, J.Amartey 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗦: L.Franklin (suspension), M.Roberts (omitted), B.Campbell (omitted) Last week's sub: R.Fox (unused)

Triple M made an Allies Team (QLD, NSW, TAS & NT)

MELBOURNE Three word analysis Simply the best What’s gone right Barring the loss to Fremantle on the weekend, pretty much everything. There’s barely been one real concern for Melbourne so far this season, with the side looking well and truly the premiership favourites we thought they’d be heading into the season. It still doesn’t even feel like they’re that close to their best at the moment and still they’re a game clear on top of the ladder. Clayton Oliver continues to dominate, Luke Jackson continues to improve and the team’s defence is the best in the game. The draw will get tougher for them from here but they’ve passed virtually every test bar one this season, so it’s hard to see them falling from top spot based on what we’ve seen so far. No team punishes you more and denies you as much on turnover than the Dees. What’s gone wrong Steven May’s concussion on the weekend was far from ideal given his importance to the side and the Dockers reminded us the Dees are only human. Their efficiency going inside 50 has been lacking somewhat by their lofty standards. Also, this isn’t the Richmond side that had pressure as its hallmark; Melbourne is 17th in the competition for pressure applied. They break you in different ways, the Dees. Still, there isn’t a whole lot of concern for a side that looks to be building while still banking wins. Contract and trade priorities Luke Jackson is the big one, figuratively and literally. He’ll likely command a steep price and will attract interest from both West Australian sides. With Tim English about to re-sign, it means the interest will only grow, and the longer Jackson waits to sign the more worrying it becomes for the Dees. Angus Brayshaw is another member of the premiership core who is yet to commit beyond this year. Other than that there aren’t too many pressing contract issues. From a draft standpoint the club could definitely get further up, with their first pick at the moment No.36. They’ve been mentioned as a team with some interest in Port Adelaide’s Karl Amon. Grade A+