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The Melbourne Football Club has unfinished business with Fremantle after that unexpected loss in their previous clash at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns cost it a place in last year’s finals campaign. Back then, the tired Demons spluttered listlessly through the humid conditions in tropical far North Queensland playing in and losing two games in the space of four days and against two lowly clubs. The end result was much more than an embarrassment for the club given what was at stake at the time. For many supporters, the humiliation of missing out on what was a unique finals series while dwelling in an interstate hub has lingered through the ensuing months. Now, as we sit on the cusp of a new season with the club playing on home soil with supporters in attendance for the first time in about 580 days, the time has come for the club to cast off some of the insults and slurs attributed to it by pundits such as former Carlton forward Mark Maclure who maintains that it’s woes are all a matter of poor culture ... “it’s soft, a soft culture they’ve got.” I’m not so sure that that’s the definitive answer to the complex issues that make the club such an enigma but it’s a convenient line to use when making a casual analysis, especially when you have not much to go on after a limited pre-season that saw practice match highs and lows against Richmond and the Western Bulldogs. Yes, they were only practice matches and they mattered little in terms of ladder position at the end of the year or anything else for that matter, but the inconsistency of effort in those games was not what you would expect from a professional sporting outfit. That has to come to an immediate end. I’m giving Melbourne the benefit of the doubt although it has been hit hard by injury in the early months of the new year, particularly to its key forwards and the midfield stocks. There’s no respite in the former case with Ben Brown and Sam Weideman still weeks away from appearing but relief would appear on the way with the return of some of the team’s most important midfielders. Against that, the visitors are also far from full strength and that is why I think Melbourne should emerge victors on Saturday at the G for the first time since, well ... a long, long time ago. The overwhelming numbers in attendance will be supporting the Demons so it’s up to the fans to get down to the ground and let their collective crowd noise play a role in getting their team home. It’s a factor when they play interstate, now is our chance to make it work for us. The great unknown of 2021 will be how teams adapt to the longer quarters and reduced rotations. It’s been suggested that fitness and fatigue will come into play, particularly at the end of quarters. Therefore, I would expect a conservative approach to team selection so that players who have had reduced preseasons will have to prove their ability to see out a full game before selection in the team. The noises coming from the club suggest this will be the case. Jack Viney was ruled out well before the time came for team selection and I believe that a couple of others who might be counted as regulars will be kept back out of an abundance of caution. (I thank the premier for that line). The Dockers are not to be taken lightly as they have the dangerous Nat Fyfe heading an emerging midfield group that is chock full of talent but their lack of depth in the ruck and in the key forward and back positions will be their undoing. The absence of Michael Walters who is always a thorn in the Demons’ side will hurt them. In their last encounter, he kicked half of his team’s goals and was the difference between the two competing sides. Melbourne by 22 points THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle on Saturday 20 March 2020 at 1.45pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 16 wins Fremantle 23 wins At the MCG Melbourne 8 wins Fremantle 7 wins Last five meetings Melbourne 2 wins Fremantle 3 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Longmuir 1 win MEDIA TV live and on demand on Kayo and live on Foxtel Radio - check your local guides LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 6.11.47 defeated Melbourne 4.9.33 at Cazaly’s Stadium, Round 16, 2020 In view of what was at stake, Melbourne’s effort was nothing short of insipid. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: N. Jetta 39 S. May 1 A. Tomlinson 20 HB: C. Salem 3 J. Lever 8 J. Hunt 29 C: J. Harmes 4 C. Petracca 5 E. Langdon 15 HF: N. Jones 2 T. McDonald 25 A. Neal-Bullen 30 F: C. Spargo 9 L. Jackson 6 B. Fritsch 31 Foll: M. Gawn - C 11 C. Oliver 13 T. Sparrow 32 I/C: K. Pickett 36 J. Jordon 23 T. Rivers 24 A. Brayshaw 10 Sub: K. Chandler 37 Emerg: O. Baker 33 J. Bowey 17 H. Petty 35 FREMANTLE B: T. Watson 38 J. Hamling 21 A. Pearce 25 HB: R. Conca 6 B. Cox 36 L. Ryan 13 C: J. Aish 11 N. Fyfe - C 7 B. Acres 9 HF: C. Serong 3 A. Cerra 5 T .Colyer 33 F: S. Switkowski 39 M. Taberner 20 L. Schultz 28 Foll: L. Meek 22 A. Brayshaw 8 D. Mundy 16 I/C: L. Henry 23 H. Young 26 E. Hughes 15 C. Blakely 19 Sub: S. Giro 42 Emerg; S. Darcy 4 H. Chapman 27 L. Thomas 24 INJURY LIST: Round 1 Angus Brayshaw (foot) — Available Michael Hibberd (ankle) — Available Steven May (concussion) — Available Jake Melksham (hamstring) — Available Clayton Oliver (soreness) — Available Christian Salem (hamstring) — Available Jack Viney (foot) — Available Mitch Brown (calf) — 1 to 2 Weeks Joel Smith (finger) — 2 Weeks Jay Lockhart (testicles) — 2 to 3 Weeks Sam Weideman (leg) — 4 to 6 Weeks Ben Brown (knee) — 5 to 7 Weeks Marty Hore (knee) — Season Aaron Nietschke (knee) — Season

We will be speaking with Melbourne Football Club CEO Gary Pert in the next day or 2 in the lead up to Round 1. I've pretty much put together the questions I want to ask but thought I would put it out there to the Demonland faithful in case I have missed anything. Yes I will be asking about our search for a home base. ? I will post links here to the interview once it is done.

Way up in FNQ - the team that dropped the ball and helped us finish 9th THE TEAMS MELBOURNE FB Michael Hibberd Steven May Joel Smith HB Trent Rivers Jake Lever Christian Salem C Ed Langdon Christian Petracca Adam Tomlinson HF Alex Neal-Bullen Sam Weideman Aaron vandenBerg FF Kysaiah Pickett Bayley Fritsch Jake Melksham FOL Max Gawn Jack Viney Clayton Oliver I/C Oskar Baker Toby Bedford Jayden Hunt Braydon Preuss EMG Mitch Brown Neville Jetta Jay Lockhart Charlie Spargo IN Oskar Baker Bedford Michael Hibberd Jayden Hunt Kysaiah Pickett Braydon Preuss Aaron vandenBerg OUT Angus Brayshaw (foot) Mitch Brown (omitted) James Harmes (hamstring) Nathan Jones (quad) Oscar McDonald (omitted) Charlie Spargo (omitted) Josh Wagner (omitted) FREMANTLE FB Brennan Cox Reece Conca Nathan Wilson HB Taylin Duman Luke Ryan Ethan Hughes C Adam Cerra Nat Fyfe James Aish HF Michael Walters Matt Taberner Mitch Crowden FF Lachie Schultz Rory Lobb Jesse Hogan FOL Sean Darcy David Mundy Andrew Brayshaw I/C Blake Acres Michael Frederick Stephen Hill Caleb Serong EMG Connor Blakely Travis Colyer Luke Valente Tobe Watson

Here is the full interview:

For future reference. Paste first barcode in box, hit enter and then paste your second barcode (repeat for multiple barcodes up to six) and then hit the Next button. Your barcodes will be together.

Secured my Finals ... err ... Round 1 ticket.

Are these new training jumpers?

13 points at half time Melbourne 3.3.21 Adelaide 1.2.8

No junk time goals please

Dees up by 13. great pressure in the past few minutes.

Conditions help us.