Demonland

MELBOURNE Ample to choose from here, particularly in the midfield. It’s hard to think of a more improved player in the league than Christian Petracca. Remarkably, he’s the best player in the league according to the AFL Player Ratings, averaging a career-high 24.5 disposals per game despite the shortened quarters. He’s also ranked among the league’s top 10 for score involvements, contested possessions, ranking points and inside 50s. Jack Viney also seems to be thriving without the captaincy, averaging 21.7 disposals and ranking inside the league’s top 10 for clearances and contested possessions. Max Gawn will be in the mix for a fourth All-Australian jacket in five seasons, while Clayton Oliver’s ability to win more effective disposals and drive the Dees forward could also catch the eye of selectors. Steven May has also turned himself into an even more versatile key defender. Not only is he spoiling and competing well one-on-one, he’s providing ample drive out of the back 50.

Round 13

Melbourne is, not for the first time, paying for lapses in matches whereby the club leaks multiple goals without answer and which usually cost the club in those all-important eight point games as it did last week against the Western Bulldogs which replaced the Demons in the AFL top eight. And this week, they come up against a team that reputedly plays in the same mode as the Bulldogs but has been able to prevail over better opponents than Melbourne. It’s not that the Demons are out of form or a poor side. Over the course of the last four matches they have been beaten comprehensively in only one quarter - that being the third term or the “premiership quarter” last week where they were completely destroyed, conceding 6 goals 1 behind to a few points. St Kilda is still in the race for a double chance while for Melbourne, this week’s clash is virtually a case of the last chance saloon. The Demons are likely to be buoyed by the return of captain Max Gawn and former skipper Nathan Jones who would both have come in handy last week in the face of the Bulldogs’ onslaught. A major challenge for Melbourne is to take advantage of a winning ruck by winning clearances at the stoppages. When opponents gain the upper hand moving the ball out of scrimmages and into the open and they gain territory by run or by swift ball movement, it’s often panic stations for the Demons. The ace card for the Saints this week could be Jack Steele who last year bested Clayton Oliver. Steele is a class act and if he’s on Oliver again this week, it could spell trouble for Melbourne and their leading midfielder who last week managed only 15 touches. While people might think that the midfield is the be all and end all to the puzzle of the team’s inconsistency, you can’t ignore the almost complete breakdown last week of Melbourne’s forward line in terms of its failure to exert the pressure necessary to keep the ball inside the attacking region, to gain possession and to score goals. Most of the mid and small forwards were dysfunctional at the weekend while Mitch Wallis on his own showed them up with four goals. And even Sam Weideman’s goal scoring for the day was done and dusted one minute into the second quarter when he kicked the last of his two goals. The club needs a four quarter effort of pressure football from all players, especially the forwards, if it’s to maintain touch with the top eight. It’s do or die for the Dees ... and unfortunately, on form, I have to tip the Saints by 22 points. THE GAME St Kilda v Melbourne at TIO Traeger Park on Saturday 29 August 2020 at 7.40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 121 wins St Kilda 94 wins 1 drawn At TIO Traeger Park Melbourne 0 wins St Kilda 0 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 2 wins St Kilda 3 wins The Coaches Ratten 1 Goodwin 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 Live at 7.30pm Fox Footy Channel Live at 7.30pm RADIO - THE LAST TIME THEY MET St Kilda 15.14.104 defeated Melbourne 13.7.85 at Marvel Stadium, Round 19, 2019 The Demons held sway in the first half and led by as much as 19 points in the second quarter before the Saints reeled them in early in the third term and the game see sawed until early in the last when they took control to win by 19 points. For the second time in the season it was St Kilda’s outside run that enabled it to prevail. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE FB Adam Tomlinson Steven May Jake Lever HB Christian Salem Oscar McDonald Michael Hibberd C Aaron vandenBerg Jack Viney Ed Langdon HF Trent Rivers Sam Weideman Angus Brayshaw FF Mitch Hannan Mitch Brown Jake Melksham FOL Max Gawn Christian Petracca Clayton Oliver I/C Nathan Jones Kysaiah Pickett Charlie Spargo Josh Wagner EMG Oskar Baker James Harmes Tom McDonald Braydon Preuss IN Mitch Brown Max Gawn Nathan Jones Oscar McDonald Trent Rivers Josh Wagner OUT Bayley Fritsch (omitted) James Harmes (omitted) Jay Lockhart (omitted) Tom McDonald (omitted) Braydon Preuss (omitted) Tom Sparrow (shoulder) ST KILDA FB Jarryn Geary Callum Wilkie Nick Coffield HB Ben Paton Hunter Clark Dougal Howard C Jack Billings Zak Jones Sebastian Ross HF Bradley Hill Josh Battle Dan Butler FF Tim Membrey Max King Rowan Marshall FOL Paddy Ryder Jack Steele Dean Kent I/C Nick Hind Ben Long Ed Phillips Jack Sinclair EMG Jack Lonie Daniel McKenzie Jonathon Marsh Dylan Roberton IN Hunter Clark Ed Phillips OUT Jack Bytel (omitted) Jake Carlisle (omitted) Injury/Suspension List: Round 14 Max Gawn (knee) – available Nathan Jones (quad) - available Alex Neal-Bullen (suspension) – 1 match Luke Jackson (hamstring) – 4 weeks Tom Sparrow (collarbone) – 4 weeks James Jordon (finger) – 4 - 6 weeks Marty Hore (toe and quad) – indefinite Harry Petty (groin) – indefinite Kade Kolodjashnij (head) – indefinite Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season

Apologies for audio lag issues between the hosts. I think I've nailed it down to my main podcast computer. It's running as slow as dogs balls and I think this contributed to the lag between myself and the two hosts on separate computers. Thinking of either replacing this old beast or doing a clean install.

Well aware.

Maybe 6. 7 if we're lucky.

We'll be LIVE @ 8:30pm Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

I'm not sure it's as simple as 2018 being the aberration. I think the game has evolved since 2018 and we haven't. On the plus side I don't think we're a bottom 4 side anymore. I just don't believe we can match it with the Top 8 sides and it's questionable whether we can match it with the teams knocking on the door of the 8. The next 3 weeks will be telling. I'm not very confident about being able to match it with the Saints. The two weeks after that will confirm for me whether we are truly not bottom 4 material.

Join @george_on_the_outer, @binman & I as we discuss getting collared by the dogs tonight @ 8:30pm Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

Would certainly give Jones a chance to reach 300.

Not changing .... our jumpers this week.

The big mover this week is Steven May who pushed Max into 5th place. 121. Christian Petracca 96. Clayton Oliver 93. Jack Viney 87. Steven May 84. Max Gawn 52. Jake Lever 44. Ed Langdon 36. Michael Hibberd 29. Angus Brayshaw 15. Jay Lockhart 14. Christian Salem 13. Oscar McDonald 10. Jake Melksham Sam Weideman 8. Kysaiah Pickett 7. James Harmes Luke Jackson 6. Mitch Hannan Trent Rivers 5. Adam Tomlinson 4. Tom McDonald Charlie Spargo 3. Jayden Hunt 1. Braydon Preuss