Demonland

SEN have their finger on the pulse.

lol. Dees/Dockers game is in Alice Springs

Situated roughly in Australia's geographic centre, Alice Springs has for many years been a troubled town suffering from intermittent crime waves, particularly among its younger residents. There was a time a little while ago when things were so bad that some even doubted the annual AFL game in the town would proceed. Now, the hope is that this Sunday’s Melbourne vs Fremantle encounter will bring joy to the residents of the town and that through the sport and the example of the participants, better times will perhaps come to the people of Australia’s red heart, so bring it on! This week’s round involves the first of the second group of byes in 2024 and added attention to the two teams fighting for ascendancy in the logjam of clubs in the race for one of the competition’s vital top four spots. While the Demons will be keen to win this one to create a buffer against the other contenders, the Dockers have had the edge on them since they won their premiership in the West in 2021. Those defeats in 2022 and 2023 were particularly galling as not only were they unexpected, but because they were also played on Melbourne’s home ground at the MCG. This time, the match up is on neutral territory. The Demons are not yet to be entitled to call TIO Traeger Park their home away from home. Last year, the weather played its tricks when unseasonal rain turned the ground into a sodden mess so that despite their dominance everywhere around the ground, they lost to the Giants by two points thanks to an ugly score line of 5.15.45 to 7.5.47. Melbourne’s score was the lowest ever in AFL history at the venue. But if history means anything then this could be a turning point for the Dees against the Dockers. Their midfield, which came back well against the Saints last week, usually fares well at the ground. Jack Viney is due to register his tenth game at the ground on Sunday to become the first AFL player to make double figures in this category and last year, he became the first player to record 40 possessions at the ground. His midfield partners in crime, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca are regular high disposal winners at the ground. Kozzie Pickett has the record number of goals in a match there - six (scored against Port Adelaide in 2022). Of course, records mean very little when the team plays there more often than others, especially when their Freo counterparts have never played there at all, but there’s no doubt about the Demons’ capacity to play good footy in the Red Centre. I wouldn’t underestimate the opposition’s midfielders either with Brayshaw, Serong and Young all racking up good numbers in the middle recently and Jackson backing them up as a mobile ruckman. Whoever gets on top in this department, will go a long way to winning this game. I also put the Demons ahead marginally in measuring the strength of the respective defences even in the absence of Jake Lever. The Melbourne forwards looked better and more balanced last week with the return of Jacob van Rooyen. Essentially, Melbourne will win the battle of the nation’s red heart if it can bring its usual intensity to this troubled area. The Demons have put a lot of effort into working with the local community. They won’t let them down. Melbourne to win by 13 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs on Sunday 2 June, 2024 at 1.00pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 18 wins Fremantle 25 wins At TIO Traeger Park Melbourne 0 wins Fremantle 0 wins Last five meetings Melbourne 2 wins Fremantle 3 wins The Coaches Goodwin 2 wins Longmuir 3 wins LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 12.7.79 defeated Melbourne 10.12.72 at The MCG, Round 20, 2023 The Demons were on top of the Dockers early with Gawn and Grundy dominating the rucks and Petracca and Brayshaw controlling ground level. Freo ground its way back into the game with their superior kicking for goal and held Melbourne out to record a 7 point victory away from home. TEAMS MELBOURNE B J. Bowey, S. May, T. Rivers HB C Salem, A. Tomlinson, T. McDonald C E. Langdon C. Oliver, C. Windsor HF S. McAdam, B. Fritsch, K. Chandler F K. Pickett, H. Petty A. Neal-Bullen FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, C. Petracca I/C L. Hunter, J. McVee, T. Sparrow, D. Turner SUB T. Woewodin EMG J. Billings, B.Brown, B. Laurie IN D. Turner OUT J. van Rooyen (adductor) FREMANTLE B H. Chapman, A. Pearce, J. Draper HB J. Aish, L. Ryan, J. Clark C J. Sharp, A. Brayshaw, H. Young HF J. O'Meara, S. Switkowski, M. Frederick F J. Treacy, J. Amiss, L. Jackson FOLL S. Darcy, C. Serong, N. Fyfe I/C B. Banfield, S. Sturt, B. Walker, M. Walters SUB C. Wagner EMG T. Emmett, N. Erasmus, M. Johnson IN M. Frederick, S. Sturt OUT T. Emmett (omitted), M. Johnson (managed) Injury List: Round 12 Tom Fullarton — hamstring / Test Harrison Petty — ankle / Test Daniel Turner — calf / Test Marty Hore — calf / 2 - 3 weeks Josh Schache — Achilles / 2 - 3 weeks Jake Lever — knee / 3 - 4 weeks Jake Melksham — knee / 3 - 5 weeks Charlie Spargo — Achilles/ TBC

11. Melbourne - Luker Kentfield Subiaco/WAFL Key forward 194cm 10/09/05 A tall forward from WA, Kentfield had some interest from AFL clubs last year after impressing in the WAFL but was overlooked. He's returned bigger, faster and stronger in 2024 and has kicked nine goals in 10 games for Subiaco this season. His 8.42 seconds for the agility test at the state Draft Combine last year was a strong indicator of his mobility. With the Dees short of forward options as they look toward September, Kentfield is yet another tall in the front half to consider.

In summary: AFL umpires are receiving in-game feedback via earpieces from officials at the ground, raising concerns among senior coaches about the potential impact on the game's integrity. An investigation revealed that some coaches were unaware of this practice and worried it might influence decision-making. AFL umpiring boss Steve McBurney clarified that the communication is meant for positive affirmation during breaks and not to direct in-play decisions. While this system has been in place since 2013, its usage has increased recently, sparking debates on whether it compromises the sport’s fairness. Despite assurances from McBurney that the system does not affect game integrity, some coaches remain uncomfortable with it. The league confirmed that these communications are recorded but not publicly shared, and umpires can opt out of receiving in-game feedback.

Kevin Sheehan’s 2023 AFL Draft top prospects: WA Tall forwards and rucks STATE COMBINE Luker Kentfield State: Western Australia State League Club: Subiaco Community Club: Carine Date of Birth: 10/09/05 Height: 194cm A well-built and aggressive tall forward who progressed this year from the under 18s to play 10 matches at senior level for Subiaco. His physical presence and marking are both features of his play. Showed strength in the air and mobility as a target forward in three appearances for Western Australia at the National Championships. Kicked 22 goals across 20 matches this season at various levels in the talent pathway. His 8.42 seconds for the agility test at the state Draft Combine was a strong indicator of his mobility.

AFL talent guru provides mid-season draft lowdown Luker Kentfield (Subiaco) “He was very close at the end of last year. He’s a 196cm key forward who can pinch-hit in the ruck. “He is super competitive, and we don’t say that very often about young men of that size. It’s just instinctive to him. “He’s another one that hasn’t had a lot of air time but one to keep an eye on. “I don’t have a club for him, but I think he will go.”

WAFL Showreel, R19: Luker Kentfield highlights

With the Melbourne Football Club's first pick in the 2024 AFL Mid-Season Draft and pick number 11 overall the Demon's selected Western Australian key forward Luker Kentfield from Subiaco.

You can watch LIVE here: WATCH LIVE from 7pm AEST: Mid-Season Rookie Draft

North have the Bye 😜 They're investigating whether it was directed towards the AFL officials on the sidelines.

Port Adelaide IN: Charlie Dixon, Ivan Soldo, Francis Evans OUT: Willie Rioli (Injured), Jordon Sweet (Omitted), Connor Rozee (Injured) B: Kane Farrell, Esava Ratugolea, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher HB: Miles Bergman, Aliir Aliir, Dan Houston C: Travis Boak, Ollie Wines, Willem Drew HF: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Todd Marshall, Mitch Georgiades F: Zak Butters, Charlie Dixon, Lachie Jones FOLL: Ivan Soldo, Jason Horne-Francis, Jed McEntee I/C: Jackson Mead, Jeremy Finlayson, Francis Evans, Ryan Burton, Jase Burgoyne Emerg: Jordon Sweet, Tom Clurey, Tom Anastasopoulos Carlton IN: - OUT: - B: Adam Saad, Jacob Weitering, Zac Williams HB: Brodie Kemp, Mitch McGovern, Nic Newman C: Oliver Hollands, Patrick Cripps, Elijah Hollands HF: Lachie Fogarty, Harry McKay, Matt Owies F: George Hewett, Charlie Curnow, Matt Kennedy FOLL: Tom De Koning, Sam Walsh, Alex Cincotta I/C: Lachie Cowan, Jack Carroll, Blake Acres, Jordan Boyd, Orazio Fantasia Emerg: Corey Curdin, Caleb Marchbank, Lewis Young