Demonland

Max rumbles his way further ahead ... 173. Max Gawn 142. Clayton Oliver 117. Christian Salem 101. James Harmes 73. Angus Brayshaw 66. Jack Viney 49. Sam Frost 48. Nathan Jones 42. Marty Hore 31. Jake Melksham 28. Jayden Hunt Steven May 27. Tom McDonald 24. Christian Petracca 14. Bayley Fritsch 12. Michael Hibberd Jay Lockhart 7. Harry Petty 5. Oskar Baker Braydon Preuss 4. Josh Wagner 3. Corey Wagner Sam Weideman 2. Alex Neal-Bullen 1. Jeff Garlett Neville Jetta Oscar McDonald Billy Stretch

Melbourne was still suffering from the same old story - a lack of AFL capable players from which to choose at the selection table - and the Western Bulldogs got to sing their song again. But wait, that wasn’t the Doggie’s song we’ve been hearing for the last 30 years, it was some other concoction and no-one knew the words to it but whatever it was, they got to mumble it with gusto after a huge 8 point win! The sad thing is that the Bulldogs (or Footscray or whatever they choose to call themselves this week) are now within 1 game of the final 8 while the Demons languish near the bottom of the ladder, with the Blues nipping at their feet. Were the teams really that far apart? Or is the difference between making finals this year coming down to a couple of decisions either way in the matches? Probably all of the above, as Melbourne had plenty of chances to kick goals, or as coaches love to say “take on the game”, but few Melbourne players did exactly that. Errant handballs, inability to kill the ball in defence, unwillingness to kick the ball through the sticks, giving the responsibility to others, just meant those chances were squandered. It is truly, truly frustrating for the fans to watch such rubbish, and have now been watching exactly the same for the past 16 weeks. Yes a lot can be sheeted home to the injuries that the club has faced. We still have the longest list of players unavailable of any clubs, and that has forced us to play sub-standard players to fill the gaps. Worse is that the injuries have happened to “first 22” selections for long periods of time, and even when those players have returned, they are far from being in touch with the game. Todays example was Neville Jetta. The ever-reliable Neville, who never loses a contest, who saves the unsavable. Not today. Likewise Jake Lever, who was all at sea in his first game back after yet another inj Losing key forwards Sam Weidemann and Tom McDonald (on top of the missing Tim Smith) meant we had a 19-year-old player in Harrison Petty, with the grand total of seven games under his belt, and having played as a backman during his time at the club, facing up at full forward! That is how desperate this club is for a body to fill the role. That he did remarkably, and kicked three goals to boot, and took 5 marks is a true credit to the youngster. He will get the job again next week because we have no-one else but he has earned it for next week. The game was really a close battle all the time with barely a point separating the two sides at the first and second change. The Dogs opened that to 6 points at ¾ time, but that was only courtesy of 1 goal 8 behinds. Without the work of the backline, ably led by Stephen May, they really didn’t get an unpressured shot on goal. It kept us in the game. And in fact the Demons hit the front in the final quarter, but then the forwards ( because we don’t have any) were unable to kick a winning score, managing 2 goals 5 behinds. Just a couple of those should have won the game, but when we have ANB and Mitch Hannan just running around and not doing much other than running around, then the Demons were never going to be winners. Finally we got to see the Preuss/Gawn combination and it worked a treat. This will continue, as we have no other options available, but it is still a good outcome. Sadly we have too few in the middle who can take advantage of this dominance, with Angus Brayshaw way, way off his best with only 12 touches, and Clayton Oliver down to 17 for the game. That was in sharp contrast to the four Bulldogs players with over 30 touches, including Dunkley (of the other brother variety) with 39 disposals including 24 contested possessions. We were forced to use Jordan Lewis in the middle again, and he did a good job at keeping Bontempelli quiet, but it means we are losing the grunt that we have had before. Once again this is a sign that there is something wrong with the likes of Brayshaw, that we are not using him around the ball, but we have no-one else. Critics here will call for this player or that to be dropped, but while there were some very, very ordinary performances in this game, the fact is still unanswered….who would you bring into the side to replace them? JKH, Wagner x2? Or others that have been tried and failed when given the chance earlier in the season. Our stocks are at an all time low. Yet, we just lost out in this game with a squad of beaten up players with too good a smattering of NQR’s filling the g If only one thing is certain, then it is that when we have a half decent group on the field, it will be The Grand Old Flag that will be sung instead of some concocted drivel….but equally that will probably not happen again until next year. Melbourne 3.2.20 6.4.40 7.7.49 9.12.66 Western Bulldogs 3.3.21 6.5.41 7.13.55 10.14.74 Goals Melbourne Petty 3 Fritsch 2 Dunkley Hunt Lewis Petracca Western Bulldogs Dunkley Lloyd R Smith 2 Hunter Richards Schache B Smith Best Melbourne Gawn Viney Salem May Petty Harmes Western Bulldogs Dunkley Hunter Duryea Macrae Lloyd Bontempelli Injuries Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs McLean (hamstring) Reports Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Dalgleish, Williamson, Mitchell Official crowd 26,781 at Marvel Stadium

On Sunday, the Casey Demons met the Footscray VFL under the roof at the same venue where their nemesis took them down in the 2017 grand final and the result left them with the same feeling of disappointment - this time with a seven point defeat that ended the club’s four game winning streak and made things a lot harder in terms of playing in this year’s final series. And, as has so often happened this year, the Demons let the game get away from them with but failing to take advantage of the opportunities that came their way early while allowing their opponents to slip away to score easy goals, often against the run of play. As a result, the Bulldogs were already up by four goals when Oskar Baker took a strong mark and scored his team’s first major a minute before the quarter time siren. That was basically the difference between the sides for most of the remainder of the game until the Demons made their final lunge at victory with the game’s last three goals and even then, after James Jordon kicked the team’s last goal, there was still time left to win the game but it was simply not to be and the team was left to lament the wasted opportunites that are evident when a team dominates the possession count by 353 to 305 but is unable to convert that to a win on the scoreboard. Corey Maynard was the pick of the Demon players. He kicked a team lifting snap goal in the second term on the way to a 30 possession game which also included 11 tackles. Baker was also in good form with his run and pace and put his hand up for promotion with 26 touches. Jay Kennedy Harris, one of only two Melbourne listed players (along with Oscar McDonald) with more than double figure AFL experience was prolific with a game high 31 disposals which would have done his chances of promotion for next week’s heart of the nation clash against West Coast, very little harm. James Jordon again showed promise and had some very good moments when played in the middle. Of the VFL listed players, the ever-reliable Jimmy Munro and former skipper Jack Hutchins were strong in the contest and Cory Stockdale was a strong performer on the day but in the final analysis the team lacked the finishing class of the Bulldogs. And that was the story of the day for a team with just 10 AFL-listed players of who only six have experience at the highest level. The team simply lacked the strength and experience of their opponents and it told in those vital moments when there was a game to be won. The Demons remain in ninth place on the ladder and face a season defining game next week at Casey Fields against eighth placed Geelong VFL. Yakka / Totally Workwear VFL Casey Demons 1.3.9 4.5.29 7.9.51 10.13.73 Footscray VFL 4.2.26 7.4.46 11.6.72 12.8.80 Goals Casey Demons Bradtke Wagner 2 Baker Bedford Jordon Lefau Wale-Buxton White Footscray VFL William 3 Dale Jong Scott Wallis 2 Hayes Best Casey Demons C Wagner Hutchins Kennedy Harris Munro Maynard Baker Footscray VFL Jong Morris Hayes Roberts Porter William Statistics Oskar Baker 1 goal 14 kicks 12 handballs 26 disposals 8 marks 2 tackles 105 dream team points Toby Bedford 1 goal 4 kicks 3 handballs 7 disposals 2 marks 7 tackles 58 dream team points Austin Bradkte 2 goals 2 kicks 2 handballs 4 disposals 1 mark 1 tackles 29 dream team points Jaxon Briggs 1 behind 4 kicks 6 handballs 10 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 46 dream team points Kade Chandler 8 kicks 1 handballs 9 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles 52 dream team points Wayne Collis 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 2 marks 6 tackles 67 dream team points Tom Freeman 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 4 marks 1 tackles 39 dream team points Mitch Gent 6 kicks 4 handballs 10 disposals 2 marks 1 tackles 33 dream team points Jack Hutchins 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 8 marks 2 tackles 70 dream team points James Jordon 1 goal 1 behind 9 kicks 8 handballs 17 disposals 10 tackles 90 dream team points Declan Keilty 3 behinds 6 kicks 8 handballs 14 disposals 4 marks 1 tackles 18 hit outs 71 dream team points Jay Kennedy Harris 1 behind 18 kicks 13 handballs 31 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 104 dream team points Mykelti Lefau 1 goal 2 behinds 7 kicks 4 handballs 11 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 66 dream team points Ariek Lual 3 kicks 3 handballs 6 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 25 dream team points Oscar McDonald 9 kicks 8 handballs 17 disposals 6 marks 1 tackle 65 dream team points Corey Maynard 13 kicks 12 handballs 25 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 89 dream team points James Munro 1 behind 9 kicks 20 handballs 29 disposals 1 mark 9 tackles 108 dream team points Aiden Quigley 1 behind 4 kicks 5 handballs 9 disposals 1 mark 8 tackles 59 dream team points Cory Stockdale 9 kicks 9 handballs 18 disposals 6 marks 3 tackles 76 dream team points Luke Tynan 8 kicks 8 handballs 16 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 56 dream team points Corey Wagner 2 goals 21 kicks 9 handballs 30 disposals 2 marks 11 tackles 131 dream team points Liam Wale-Buxton 1 goal 8 kicks 6 handballs 14 disposals 1 marks 1 tackles 33 hit outs 79 dream team points Mitch White 1 goal 5 kicks 6 kicks 11 handballs 4 disposals 4 marks tackles 63 dream team points

DOGGED by KC from Casey On Sunday, the Casey Demons met the Footscray VFL under the roof at the same venue where their nemesis took them down in the 2017 grand final and the result left them with the same feeling of disappointment - this time with a seven point defeat that ended the club’s four game winning streak and made things a lot harder in terms of playing in this year’s final series. And, as has so often happened this year, the Demons let the game get away from them with but failing to take advantage of the opportunities that came their way early while allowing their opponents to slip away to score easy goals, often against the run of play. As a result, the Bulldogs were already up by four goals when Oskar Baker took a strong mark and scored his team’s first major a minute before the quarter time siren. That was basically the difference between the sides for most of the remainder of the game until the Demons made their final lunge at victory with the game’s last three goals and even then, after James Jordon kicked the team’s last goal, there was still time left to win the game but it was simply not to be and the team was left to lament the wasted opportunites that are evident when a team dominates the possession count by 353 to 305 but is unable to convert that to a win on the scoreboard. Corey Maynard was the pick of the Demon players. He kicked a team lifting snap goal in the second term on the way to a 30 possession game which also included 11 tackles. Baker was also in good form with his run and pace and put his hand up for promotion with 26 touches. Jay Kennedy Harris, one of only two Melbourne listed players (along with Oscar McDonald) with more than double figure AFL experience was prolific with a game high 31 disposals which would have done his chances of promotion for next week’s heart of the nation clash against West Coast, very little harm. James Jordon again showed promise and had some very good moments when played in the middle. Of the VFL listed players, the ever-reliable Jimmy Munro and former skipper Jack Hutchins were strong in the contest and Cory Stockdale was a strong performer on the day but in the final analysis the team lacked the finishing class of the Bulldogs. And that was the story of the day for a team with just 10 AFL-listed players of who only six have experience at the highest level. The team simply lacked the strength and experience of their opponents and it told in those vital moments when there was a game to be won. The Demons remain in ninth place on the ladder and face a season defining game next week at Casey Fields against eighth placed Geelong VFL. Yakka / Totally Workwear VFL Casey Demons 1.3.9 4.5.29 7.9.51 10.13.73 Footscray VFL 4.2.26 7.4.46 11.6.72 12.8.80 Goals Casey Demons Bradtke Wagner 2 Baker Bedford Jordon Lefau Wale-Buxton White Footscray VFL William 3 Dale Jong Scott Wallis 2 Hayes Best Casey Demons C Wagner Hutchins Kennedy Harris Munro Maynard Baker Footscray VFL Jong Morris Hayes Roberts Porter William Statistics Oskar Baker 1 goal 14 kicks 12 handballs 26 disposals 8 marks 2 tackles 105 dream team points Toby Bedford 1 goal 4 kicks 3 handballs 7 disposals 2 marks 7 tackles 58 dream team points Austin Bradkte 2 goals 2 kicks 2 handballs 4 disposals 1 mark 1 tackles 29 dream team points Jaxon Briggs 1 behind 4 kicks 6 handballs 10 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 46 dream team points Kade Chandler 8 kicks 1 handballs 9 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles 52 dream team points Wayne Collis 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 2 marks 6 tackles 67 dream team points Tom Freeman 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 4 marks 1 tackles 39 dream team points Mitch Gent 6 kicks 4 handballs 10 disposals 2 marks 1 tackles 33 dream team points Jack Hutchins 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 8 marks 2 tackles 70 dream team points James Jordon 1 goal 1 behind 9 kicks 8 handballs 17 disposals 10 tackles 90 dream team points Declan Keilty 3 behinds 6 kicks 8 handballs 14 disposals 4 marks 1 tackles 18 hit outs 71 dream team points Jay Kennedy Harris 1 behind 18 kicks 13 handballs 31 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 104 dream team points Mykelti Lefau 1 goal 2 behinds 7 kicks 4 handballs 11 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 66 dream team points Ariek Lual 3 kicks 3 handballs 6 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 25 dream team points Oscar McDonald 9 kicks 8 handballs 17 disposals 6 marks 1 tackle 65 dream team points Corey Maynard 13 kicks 12 handballs 25 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 89 dream team points James Munro 1 behind 9 kicks 20 handballs 29 disposals 1 mark 9 tackles 108 dream team points Aiden Quigley 1 behind 4 kicks 5 handballs 9 disposals 1 mark 8 tackles 59 dream team points Cory Stockdale 9 kicks 9 handballs 18 disposals 6 marks 3 tackles 76 dream team points Luke Tynan 8 kicks 8 handballs 16 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 56 dream team points Corey Wagner 2 goals 21 kicks 9 handballs 30 disposals 2 marks 11 tackles 131 dream team points Liam Wale-Buxton 1 goal 8 kicks 6 handballs 14 disposals 1 marks 1 tackles 33 hit outs 79 dream team points Mitch White 1 goal 5 kicks 6 kicks 11 handballs 4 disposals 4 marks tackles 63 dream team points

We got the wrong brother again.?

Darn

There you go folks! 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

It's not the ideal situation that we wanted to see the 2 rucks in given our lack of an actual forward line.

That free against Max for the Bulldogs goal was one of the worst frees I've ever seen.

Our kicking into the forward line is putrid.

Clarry only 2 possessions.

I'm in the forward pocket and Trac gave him a spray for not running up the field when the ball when out of the forward 50 and up the ground.

Is there a late season draft? Any decent forwards going around?

Should not be playing AFL.

And Preuss is off.

My apologies to the 20th century. Spencer Street station.

Walking from Southern Cross Station to the ground there are way more Bulldogs than Demons.

Calf injury

Weideman out with a calf injury.

Which results leave the back door open for our dream run to the finals?

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There was so much hype proliferating about Melbourne’s prospects for season 2019 a mere four months ago, that one could be forgiven for thinking anyone contemplating the prospect of a bottom four finish for the Demons at the time was barking mad. That however, is the prospect that they face at the moment and a loss to the Bulldogs on Sunday would make it a virtual certainty. The club’s downward spiral after several years of moving steadily on an upward trajectory has been well documented if not well understood. The factors leading to its demise have also been discussed and debated ever since the opening round debacle on the MCG at the hands of Port Adelaide. I don’t propose to go into them here except to bring up the element of continuity. One of the main ingredients in successful teams in our competition is the ability to achieve coherence in play from week to week meaning that teams that have changes forced upon them on a regular basis both between and within games will ultimately fail. This has been the lot of the Melbourne Football Club in 2019 and when we look at that injury list we can get an understanding of the disaster of a season that has confronted the team. The silver lining in the future may well be that a number of individuals who might not otherwise have received their opportunity as early as they have done this year but the fact remains that the continuity that can ensure that teams play well to their game plan has not been in place this season. And so on to Marvel Stadium against the Western Bulldogs who have been almost as flakey as the Demons this year. The two sides look evenly matched on the ground that Melbourne is visiting for the first time this year. It’s also a ground at which they have enjoyed recent success against their opposition and though the Dogs have struck a rare vein of form beating ladder leaders Geelong and finals aspirant Port Adelaide in Adelaide after coming close to victory over Collingwood, I’m not convinced about them. The tightness of the stadium strikes me as suiting Melbourne’s style of play far better than the MCG these days. Who knows, they might even discover ways of kicking goals from 35 metres out on a ground of this configuration given that they still have the ability to win the midfield clearances and get the ball inside their forward fifty metre arc. They simply need to finish things off. I’ve been clamouring all year for more of the Maxy/Preuss combination but my pleas have, until now, fallen on deaf ears. It might now be forced heavily upon the selectors by virtue to injuries to the likes of Tom McDonald and Tim Smith (strangely, the latter isn’t even on the club’s injury list but he missed last week and was with the rehab group at training this week) which, together with Preuss’ form against the Blues, makes him a big chance to play up forward on Maxy’s return. In his previous games in that role he kicked two goals in both matches. When he’s up there in the forward line, his teammates stand taller. So you can call me barking mad but I can see an upset brewing and accordingly, I’m tipping the Demons to get the better of the Bulldogs on Sunday and win by 25 points. THE GAME Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, Sunday 14 July, 2019 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Western Bulldogs 76 wins Melbourne 88 wins 1 draw At Marvel Stadium Western Bulldogs 9 wins Melbourne 8 wins Last Five Meetings Western Bulldogs 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Beveridge 0 wins Goodwin 3 wins MEDIA TV – Channel 7 Fox Sports3 live at 3.00pm Radio – TBA THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 18.11.119 defeated Western Bulldogs 10.9.69 at the MCG, Round 17, 2018 The Doggies provided tough opposition until the main break but in the last half, Max Gawn put on a clinic in the ruck and gave his midfield an armchair ride as the team coasted to a 50 point victory. The Bulldogs however, did badly miss their hero, Marcus Bontempelli. THE TEAMS WESTERN BULLDOGS B Jason Johannisen Jackson Trengove Hayden Crozier HB Taylor Duryea Zaine Cordy Easton Wood C Lachie Hunter Bailey Smith Patrick Lipinski HF Matthew Suckling Josh Schache Sam Lloyd F Aaron Naughton Marcus Bontempelli Tory Dickson FOLL Tim English Josh Dunkley Jack Macrae I/C Toby McLean Ed Richards Roarke Smith Bailey Williams EMG Bailey Dale Dale Morris Rhylee West Lachie Young NO CHANGE MELBOURNE B Jake Lever Steven May Neville Jetta HB Michael Hibberd Sam Frost Christian Salem C Jayden Hunt Jordan Lewis Nathan Jones HF James Harmes Christian Petracca Bayley Fritsch F Mitch Hannan Braydon Preuss Angus Brayshaw FOLL Max Gawn Jack Viney Clayton Oliver I/C Kyle Dunkley Jay Lockhart Alex Neal-Bullen Harrison Petty EMG: Jay Kennedy Harris Oscar McDonald Corey Wagner Josh Wagner IN Max Gawn Neville Jetta Jake Lever Oscar McDonald Corey Wagner Josh Wagner OUT Marty Hore (collarbone) Tom McDonald (knee) Sam Weideman (calf) Injury List: Round 17 Jake Lever (knee) – available Neville Jetta (knee) – available Max Gawn (ankle) – test Harry Petty (concussion) – test Marty Hore (collarbone) – 2-4 weeks Billy Stretch (foot) – 3-4 weeks Jake Melksham (foot) – 4-5 weeks Tom Sparrow (knee) – 4-5 weeks Tom McDonald (knee) – TBC Kade Kolodjashnij (head) – TBC Aaron vandenBerg (foot) – TBC Jeff Garlett (shoulder) – season Joel Smith (groin) – season Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season Guy Walker (shoulder) – indefinite

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