Whispering_Jack

Hard to say this but Carlton have gone right past us as a football team since we towelled them up in the first quarter of round 2.

This is Melbourne’s line in the sand day. A win would keep the season alive and become a building block for the next phase in this crazy season. Defeat puts us in stage 4 lockdown.

Stefan Martin kicking goals. Brisbane is going to be very hard to beat next week.

Most of the days of this week of mounting numbers of active COVID-19 cases have been sunny - a stark contract to the wet weather that hit Melbourne 56 years ago in the lead up to Round 13. Back then there was no lockdown and hundreds of thousands of Melburnians could still attend a game of football at the highest level or the suburban variety across the town. And more often than not, the Melbourne Football Club celebrated victory. Those were the days, my friend. Round 13, 1964 Melbourne vs North Melbourne Saturday 18 July Venue: MCG Attendance: 29,631 B Crompton Massey Tas Johnson HB Anderson Roet Williams C Dixon H Mann Watson HF Vagg Groom Kenneally F Jacobs Bourke Emselle Foll Wise Barassi Rov Townsend 19/20 Adams Davis Several days in a row of heavy rain were not enough to dampen the Demon spirit as Melbourne scored an emphatic 12 goal victory to record its ninth consecutive win. In doing so, it put North Melbourne out of the finals race. The scene was set for a dull, lacklustre first half which saw the Demons in front by only 12 points at the main break but a withering seven goal to nil third term saw them home safely. Future captain Frank Davis made his debut and goalled with his second kick but it would take until 1973 before he would kick another. At the end of the round the team sat comfortably at the top of the VFL ladder and had assumed the mantle of premiership favourite. Melbourne 2.4.16 7.7.49 14.11.95 18.15.123 North Melbourne 1.5.11 4.10.34 4.11.35 6.15.51 Goals Townsend 4 Emselle Groom Jacobs 3 Kenneally 2 Barassi Davis H Mann Best H Mann Townsend Jacobs Emselle Crompton Williams Reserves North Melbourne 11.5.71 defeated Melbourne 9.13.67 Goals Bartlett Carroll Mounter 2 Andrew Lord Wood Best L Mann Lord Andrew Under 19s Melbourne 8.9.57 defeated North Melbourne 8.8.56 Goals McNab 3 Schultz Stone 2 Reinholdt Best Millard Russell Bird

Did the camera crew get tested positive or something?

Agreed, the closure of schools and the deferment and likely cancellation of junior community sport will have a devastating effect on both the physical and mental well-being of hundreds of thousands of children in the state. Many will be left with little to do in the abundant amount of spare time available but to play on line games and worse endlessly. It’s been a tough time on them and it doesn’t look like getting much better.

And we knocked the Suns out of the 8.

The natural tendency when a team wins is to keep the line up as stable as possible and not to make changes unless absolutely necessary. However, this is not a normal season and all teams are competing in unusual circumstances. The home and away season will be 17 matches if not interrupted by necessity in coping with the pandemic. Games are played with shortened quarters and many teams are situated in interstate hubs. There is no competition available or players outside each week’s 22 players. This is not a normal season and it’s being mooted that rounds will be compacted so that 4 or 5 day breaks will become common and we also have to remember that Melbourne has to make up an extra game. We’ve also had a slow start and are down 2-3 and with a poor percentage. We are therefore both under pressure to catch up to the pack in terms of ladder position and ensure that the team we put out onto the park is able to compete from week to week and maintain optimum performance and energy levels over the next 2½ to 3 months. I wouldn’t be surprised therefore if we do make some changes on a weekly basis simply to ensure that we can keep going and build up momentum even when injuries come or players get tired and need a rest. At this stage, we’re lucky in that we don’t have an injury list as deep as the one we had last year and, after all the disappointment so far we're effectively a game out of the eight with a game in hand and we've already played the last two season's premies in WCE and Richmond and the top team after the 23 rounds in Geelong.

The Herald Sun is reporting that Tom McDonald has been cleared of serious damage to his injured eye and could be back on field against Hawthorn on Sunday after he was taken to hospital as a precaution and found to have a scratched eyeball. The eye area remains quite bruised and closed over and will be monitored by club medical staff during the week. McDonald will be on light duties for the next few days, but the Demons hope he can return to training later in the week and is a chance to play against the Hawks at Giants’ Stadium.

It was back in early May last year:- THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B Jordan Lewis Sam Frost Oscar McDonald HB Nathan Jones Tom McDonald Jayden Hunt C James Harmes Christian Salem Billy Stretch HF Bayley Fritsch Christian Petracca Jeff Garlett F Alex Neal-Bullen Declan Keilty Jake Melksham FOLL Max Gawn Clayton Oliver Angus Brayshaw I/C Michael Hibberd Marty Hore Jay Lockhart Josh Wagner EMG Harry Petty Tom Sparrow Corey Wagner Sam Weideman IN Oscar McDonald Josh Wagner OUT Jack Viney (shoulder) Tim Smith (back) Sam Weideman (omitted) HAWTHORN B Blake Hardwick Kaiden Brand Jarman Impey HB Tom Scully Ben Stratton Jack Gunston C Isaac Smith Jaeger O'Meara Daniel Howe HF Paul Puopolo Tim O'Brien James Sicily F Luke Breust Chad Wingard Jarryd Roughead FOLL Ben McEvoy James Worpel Ricky Henderson I/C Shaun Burgoyne Mitchell Lewis Dylan Moore Liam Shiels EMG Jonathon Ceglar Harry Morrison Conor Nash Jack Scrimshaw IN Shaun Burgoyne Dylan Moore OUT James Cousins (suspended) Jack Scrimshaw (managed)

The day when the two heavyweights met ... Round 12, 1964 Geelong vs Melbourne Saturday 11 July Venue: Kardinia Park Attendance: 33,761 B Crompton Tas Johnson Williams HB Anderson Roet Leahy C Dixon H Mann Watson HF Vagg Groom Kenneally F Jacobs Bourke Emselle Foll Wise Barassi Rov Townsend 19/20 McLean Robbie Twelve rounds after their their first meeting for season 1964, Melbourne and Geelong renewed acquaintances at Kardinia Park. The Demons turned the tables on the Cats and claimed top spot on the ladder on percentage from their rival. Geelong had first use of the breeze and wasted opportunity after opportunity in the first quarter kicking 3.7 to 2.1. When Melbourne got its chance, it seized the advantage of the wind to keep its opposition scoreless while kicking four goals to grab a 16 point lead at half time. Geelong came back in the third quarter with four goals to one to go into the final term with a three point lead but that was never going to be enough as the visitors came home with the strong wind at their backs and booted three goals eight in the final term to two points to record their eighth win in a row - this time by a comfortable 21 points. Geelong 3.7.25 3.7.25 7.10.52 7.12.54 Melbourne 2.1.13 6.5.41 7.7.49 10.15.75 Goals Barassi 3 Emselle Jacobs 2 Bourke Townsend Watson Best Anderson Dixon Emselle Barassi Roet Watson Reserves Geelong 7.8.50 defeated Melbourne 6.11.47 Goals Bartlett 3 Carroll Lord Slade Best Leitch Davis Foster Under 19s Melbourne 11.22.88 defeated Geelong 8.5.53

It’s not how you start Gameday that counts, Cards. If we can turn that stat around today, we can have our happy ending.

Here’s a damning stat if there ever was one. The Dees have scored from just 32.2 per cent of inside 50s this year, which is the worst conversion rate on record. What makes this all the more damning are two things:- (a) this was a problem last year - clearly hasn’t been addressed; and (b) the statistic includes what was a very high rate of conversion for the first 1½ quarters of the game v Carlton in round 2 - without that period the conversion rate overall would be substantially worse. Why are we failing so badly in such a fundamental area of the game?

The selectors have made four changes. The question is whether changes to the team makeup is what’s necessary to end the current losing streak?

True but we’d like to see a definitive list of who the others are who have been left marooned in Melbourne. Once we have that we’ll run with the additional list.

MFC Past & Present Players and Officials Association reports with sadness:- All involved with the Melbourne Football Club were saddened to hear of the death of G N (Mike) Kostos. A part of the club community for over fifty years – particularly through Coterie - Mike filled a number of roles. Chairman of Coterie between 1979 and 1981, he also served as a club director in 1984, and was made a Life Member in 1986. As well as being the club’s No. 1 ticket holder in the early 1990s, Mike was Foundation Hero No. 165, and the recipient of the Ronald Dale Barassi Medal in 2018, both honours acting as testament to his love of the Melbourne Football Club. This was summed up even further when he was a recipient of the OAM in 2016, with the citation reading: ‘For service to the community through a range of sporting organisations.’ No truer word was spoken. We will all miss Mike very much, and offer our sincerest condolences to his wife Loula, his family, and his friends. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, funeral attendance will be confined to family members. The team will be wearing black arm bands on Saturday night in recognition of Mike’s passing.

Fox Sports have had a crack at team selection in this article - AFL Round 6 Team Tips: Tigers scramble to replace SIX stars, Nat Fyfe set for mind-blowing return B: Joel Smith, Steven May, Michael Hibberd HB: James Harmes, Jake Lever, Christian Salem C: Ed Langdon, Clayton Oliver, Adam Tomlinson HF: Mitch Hannan, Tom McDonald, Angus Brayshaw F: Christian Petracca, Sam Weideman, Bayley Fritsch FOLL: Max Gawn, Jake Melksham, Jack Viney I/C: Harley Bennell, Trent Rivers, Kysaiah Pickett, Neville Jetta

If it’s Sunday, we must be playing Richmond

Gold Coast doing a better job at the moment at countering Geelong’s movement of the football than we did last week.

Can’t wait to get the Pies on the G on Queen’s Birthday ... erm, no wait ...

As Americans celebrated the 188th anniversary of their independence, we went down to the lakeside oval to celebrate another Demon victory Round 11, 1964 South Melbourne vs Melbourne Saturday 4 July Venue: Lake Oval Attendance: 10,490 B Crompton Massey Williams HB Anderson Roet Leahy C Dixon H Mann Adams HF Vagg Jacobs Kenneally F Tas Johnson Bourke Zinko Foll Wise Barassi Rov Townsend 19/20 Emselle McLean After a thumping win over the Tigers, the Demons went in as overwhelming favourites against the lowly Swans, but though the home side was vastly outmatched they restricted the damage to 46 points, carried by a purple patch in the second quarter that had them seven points ahead at the main break. It took an eight goal to one third quarter to break the shackles as the Demons were led by their dynamic on ball division of Barassi and Townsend who fed Graeme Jacobs to a tally of five goals. The Demons has now played all teams in the competition and were eyeing the coming return clash with Geelong in the battle for leadership of the competition. South Melbourne 1.2.8 6.8.44 7.10.52 12.11.83 Melbourne 4.7.31 7.9.51 15.14.104 18.21.129 Goals Jacobs 5 Townsend Zinko 3 Vagg 2 Barassi Emselle Tas Johnson Kenneally Leahy Best Barassi Kenneally Townsend Adams H Mann Jacobs Reserves Melbourne 18.10.118 defeated South Melbourne 5.10.40 Goals Carroll Lynch Reinholdt Vearing 3 Robbie 2 Andrew Leitch Lord Slade Best Lynch Rowe Davis Under 19s Melbourne 15.23.113 defeated South Melbourne 8.3.51 Goals Schultz 6 McNabb 3 Marr 2 Jones Pritchard Russell Stone Best Russell Schultz Feldman

THE TEAMS RICHMOND B Nathan Broad David Astbury Dylan Grimes HB Nick Vlastuin Shane Edwards Bachar Houli C Brandon Ellis Dion Prestia Kamdyn McIntosh HF Daniel Rioli Jack Ross Jason Castagna F Jack Riewoldt Tom J Lynch Dustin Martin FOLL Toby Nankervis Josh Caddy Kane Lambert I/C Liam Baker Noah Balta Jack Higgins Sydney Stack EMG Shai Bolton Jack Graham Connor Menadue Ivan Soldo IN Jack Riewoldt OUT Shai Bolton (Omitted) MELBOURNE B Marty Hore Sam Frost Jordan Lewis HB Bayley Fritsch Michael Hibberd Christian Salem C Nathan Jones Jack Viney Jayden Hunt HF James Harmes Sam Weideman Christian Petracca F Alex Neal-Bullen Tom McDonald Jake Melksham FOLL Max Gawn Clayton Oliver Angus Brayshaw I/C Jeff Garlett Jay Lockhart Tim Smith Billy Stretch EMG Declan Keilty Oscar McDonald Tom Sparrow Corey Wagner IN Jeff Garlett Jay Lockhart Alex Neal-Bullen Tim Smith Billy Stretch OUT Neville Jetta (knee) Braydon Preuss (shoulder) Charlie Spargo (omitted) Corey Wagner (omitted) Josh Wagner (omitted)

Will Queensland allow the Swans into their state when they learn about this? Tuberculosis outbreak at St Vincent's Hospital leaves hundreds vulnerable

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Welcome to our first home game in 10½ months. Can we continue our post lockdown winning spree?