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One hundred years ago today, the Melbourne Football Club began the long haul up from wooden spoon status by taking on St Kilda who had missed out on the finals in 1923 by a game and percentage. In 1924, the VFL competition consisted of nine teams of 18 players each on the field and no reserves with teams playing each other twice in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds (16 matches and 2 byes). The Roaring Twenties were well under way, but the world was still recovering from the devastation of the First World War (up to 17 million dead) and the plague of Spanish Flu which infected about a third of the world's population of about 1.5 million killing between 25 and 50 million people from February 1918 to April 1920. Adolf Hitler was sentenced to prison in 1924 for his involvement in a failed coup d’état by the Nazi Party, and J. Edgar Hoover was appointed head of the FBI in the USA. Stanley Baldwin became Prime Minister of Britain for the second time after winning a landslide victory. In Australia, with a population a touch under six million, the prime minister was Stanley Melbourne Bruce. Take note of that middle name; Bruce was born in Melbourne, went to Melbourne Grammar and held the country’s highest office from 1923 to 1929, meaning he was still there when Melbourne won the flag in 1926, its first premiership since Federation. Among those born in 1924 were actor Frank Wilson, actor Patsy Adam-Smith, artist David Boyd, academic and educator Leonie Kramer, tenor and Aboriginal activist Harold Blair, entertainer Bobby Limb, Olympic high jumper John Winter and artist Clifton Pugh. In sports other than Australian football:- • Collingwood premiership player Bill Twomey Senior won the 130-yard Stawell Gift in 12.1 seconds, off a handicap of 8½ yards, as one of the shortest-priced favourites in the event’s history. He also won the Ararat Gift, and three different events in one afternoon at Warracknabeal that year. Three of Twomey’s four sons Mick, Pat and Bill, and grandson, David Twomey – son of his fourth son, Peter – all played with the Magpies. • The Balmain Tigers defeated South Sydney 3-0 in the NSWRFL premiership final. • The Melbourne Cup was won by six-year-old stallion Backwood (ridden by Bunty Brown and trained by Richard 'Dick' Bradfield). The race was won in a time of 3:26.5 with a field of eighteen. Legendary football administrator Charles Brownlow, who also played for and captained Geelong in the VFA before the formation of the VFL, died on 23 January 1924. The Charles Brownlow Trophy (commonly known as the Brownlow Medal) awarded to "the best and fairest player" in the VFL (now the AFL) was instituted in his memory. Decided by the field umpire’s voting at the end of each home-and-away match, only a single vote was cast per game from 1924 to 1930. The VFL introduced new initiatives including the convention of home teams wearing black shorts and away teams wearing white shorts. The fixture was scheduled from 1924 to ensure that neither South Melbourne and St Kilda (who played home games at either end of Albert Park Lake) nor Melbourne and Richmond (who played at the MCG and Punt Road Oval) had home matches on the same day due to the heavy transport and labour burden associated with running the two close venues at the same time. This arrangement continued as long as the clubs played at their nearby locations. The 1924 VFL premiership was determined by an experimental finals system, which the VFL used for this season only. The format was similar to the round-robin used in the 1897 Finals System, but included the minor premier's right to challenge, which existed under the amended Argus System. All four games in the opening round were played on 26 April 1924. The reigning premiers, Essendon suffered an upset 16 point defeat at the hands of Collingwood while Fitzroy withstood a blistering comeback from Carlton to win by two points. Melbourne also lost to St Kilda by the same margin while South Melbourne had a 27 point victory over Richmond. The Fitzroy versus Carlton match was the first in VFL history in which both teams scored 100 points. Geelong had the bye. The Junction Oval located at the western end of Albert Park Lake was the scene of Melbourne’s season opener. The Fuchsias, as they were then known, had appointed Fitzroy champion and premiership player Gordon Rattray as its playing-coach. However, he was still residentially tied to Fitzroy and thus deemed ineligible to play for Melbourne. He therefore served the entire season as its non-playing coach. Round 1 St. Kilda vs Melbourne Saturday 26 April 1924 Venue: Junction Oval Attendance: 15,000 ST. KILDA 1.2.8 4.7.31 8.10.58 12.12.84 MELBOURNE 2.8.20 5.11.41 10.11.71 11.16.82 Goals: Dave Elliman 6 Percy Tulloh 2 Edgar Dunbar George Haines Derek Mollison Melbourne which had finished last in 1923 with three wins, started as favourite against the eventual wooden-spooner but fell short in a thrilling match. The Redlegs appeared more settled with only one newcomer, Jonny Egan, while the Saints had three recruits on their team. Ruckman Bob Corbett put in a strong performance but was let down by his teammates in the middle. Winger Alf Wilson was given a bath on the wing after a late start to training due to cricket commitments. Melbourne had the advantage of the wind in the first quarter but conceded the first goal and was wasteful with conversion, scoring two goals from 10 scoring shots of which one goal came from a free to forward David Elliman. Percy Tulloh, goaled from a free early in the second term and with three goals each in this period, Melbourne held a 10 point lead at half time. Elliman was on target in the third quarter with four of his team’s five goals for the term. St Kilda had rallied at one stage to take the lead but Melbourne responded to lead by 13 points at the last break. St Kilda opened the final quarter strongly with two early goals and the teams traded goals, with the Saints snatching the lead with the last kick of the day. Elliman who finished with six goals had earlier had the opportunity to seal the game but his shot missed. Melbourne's best were Derek Mollison, Percy Tulloh and Erica Donaldson. Field umpire Jack McMurray said it was one of the "most pleasant matches" he had ever officiated. He dished out 54 free kicks to St Kilda and 31 to Melbourne on the day. The father of St Kilda player W. Cubbins suffered a heart attack in the crowd during the exciting finish and later passed away. In the seconds Melbourne 13.19.97 defeated St Kilda 10.4.64 The game gave the club pause to reflect, especially as it had the bye in the following round. To be continued …

Two weeks ago, when the curtain came down on Melbourne’s game against the Brisbane Lions, the team trudged off the MCG looking tired and despondent at the end of a tough run of games played in quick succession. In the days that followed, the fans wanted answers about their team’s lamentable performance that night and foremost among their concerns was whether the loss was a one off result of fatigue or was it due to other factor(s) of far greater consequence. As it turns out, the answer to the major question is still blowing in the wind after the traditional Anzac Day Eve clash between the Demons and the Tigers with the fans forced to wait a little longer for the big reveal. Not surprisingly, the match up between teams in different stages of development was never going to be a definitive guide to those perplexed by the team’s reversal of fortune after such a good week in Adelaide. There were however, some encouraging signs of work in progress towards resolving some of the puzzles presented lately to Simon Goodwin and his coaching panel. Admittedly, they only came later in the game. Circumstance made this event one that most of the 72,840 fans who turned up to the MCG would rather forget. Given the plight of the Richmond Football Club and its ever-expanding injury list and the fact that new Tiger coach Adem Yze was intimately familiar with the way the Demons play, it was inevitable that the game would turn into a slog which is precisely how the first half turned out. The crowd was treated to congested play, skill errors in abundance and a low scoring battle of the defences. A single point favoured the Tigers when the major break delivered us all to twenty minutes of respite. There was nothing more to say other than that Demon fans were entitled to feel a little despair. They had come to the football after a fortnight reflecting on a truly abysmal effort from its much vaunted midfield engine room and even worse from its forwards. Skipper Max Gawn had again been solid and key defenders Jake Lever and Steven May, their usual dependable selves as they marshalled the backline but overall, the team was faltering. Leaving aside the final term against the Lions who slammed on the brakes with the game well and truly won, scoring had seemingly stopped to a trickle. The line of attack was once again looking helpless and impotent. Whatever Goodwin said or did at half time, it worked to great effect. Or perhaps, it was simply his regular game style finally forcing the Tiger hand. The team was suddenly imbued with something - call it the Anzac Spirit if you like - but they lifted their intensity and produced an inspirational ten goal to two second half that witnessed the arrival in football terms of a new key forward. Daniel Turner will definitely be one of the few who will remember this match, along with Jason Taylor who recruited him with a late selection in the midseason draft almost three years ago. The man they call “Disco” announced himself with his three goals on a night when both his side and the opposition managed just three each in the first half. He could hardly be described as an overnight sensation. His progress since he was drafted mainly as a defender has been slow and painful, marred by injuries and a measure of disappointment along the way. And he was almost there when the club prepared him to go forward on the eve of last year’s finals but, alas, others were preferred. Then came another injury setback in the month before the start of this season. Fans will be hoping that he’s not going to be a one hit wonder. The Melbourne cause was aided by two goals each from Bayley Fritsch, Kysaiah Pickett and another newcomer to the club’s goal kicking ranks in the tactical sub, Bailey Laurie, who also will likely not forget the night. Suddenly, there was some versatility in the forward set up adding to the undoubted talent of Fritta and Kozzie. Now for a repeat of that for the full four quarters against the big guns! What we witnessed after half time was a bolder Melbourne emerging upon Max Gawn’s Frank 'Checker' Hughes medal-winning performance in wearing down Toby Nankervis and thereby, the rest of the brave Richmond line up who were by now constantly turning the ball over under pressure. Gawn finished with 23 disposals and 10 marks to go with his 26 hit outs and a goal when it really mattered to start the scoring with the match still an arm wrestle six minutes into the second half. Jake Lever’s game in defence built up to a crescendo and his 26 disposals, 11 marks and 15 intercept possessions were sublime. There’s also a lot to like about how Trent Rivers is maturing into a player of high quality. The Demons got out of the night with a percentage booster and now sit on a 5 - 2 record. They hold a much happier disposition than the one they had at half time. The midfield is still nowhere near its best but no injuries were reported either, which augurs well for their next two matches against two of the competition’s best performed clubs. Perhaps then, supporters will finally discover the answer to the big question troubling them since that problematic game against the Brisbane Lions. Bring it on! MELBOURNE 2.3.15 3.5.23 8.7.55 13.7.85 RICHMOND 1.3.9 3.6.24 4.8.32 5.12.42 GOALS MELBOURNE Turner 3 Fritsch Laurie Pickett 2 Gawn Petracca van Rooyen Windsor RICHMOND Rioli 2 Bolton Lefau Martin BEST MELBOURNE Lever Gawn Turner May Langdon Oliver RICHMOND Lefau Broad Dow Hopper Baker INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil RICHMOND Jacob Hopper (hamstring) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil RICHMOND Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Bailey Laurie (replaced Caleb Windsor in the final quarter) RICHMOND Kamdyn McIntosh (replaced Jacob Hopper in the third quarter) UMPIRES Fisher, Stevic, Broadbent, Adair CROWD 72,840 at the MCG

The writing was on the wall from the very first bounce of the football. The big men went up, Max Gawn more often than not, decisively won the ruck hit out and invariably a Brisbane Lions onballer either won the battle on the ground or halved the contest and they went at it repeatedly until they finally won out. Melbourne managed the first goal from Alex Neal-Bullen but after that the visitors shut out every area of Demon presence around the ground except in the ruck duels. It was a mauling. However, even Gawn’s herculean dominance throughout the night in that division worked to the advantage of the Lions. There, the numbers told the story of the game in stark detail. For the night, Melbourne won 58 hit outs to Brisbane’s 27, a figure that might at first brush indicate a thrashing in favour of the Demons. The clearance figures had them down by 35 to 44 (it would have been worse, but Brisbane released the pressure valve near the end). The Lions were so successful at brushing off the Dees and sharking Gawn’s hit outs that I found myself at times hoping that McInerney would win the tap out so that the rhythm of the game would be disrupted sufficiently to afford a clearance opportunity to Melbourne. The match had been dubbed as “season defining” for the Lions, one that could spell the end of their 2024 top four hopes even this early in the season. On the other hand, a win would have them in the frame to getting their season back on track. And given that it was dual Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale's 250th game, they had a further purpose in their plans to unseat the Demons and put to bed their Melbourne hoodoo after last year’s narrow defeat in the Grand Final and in the last encounter between the two sides in Round 18 2023 when they were monstered in the midfield late in the game in an epic come-from-behind thriller. This time, it would be different. Cam Rayner was on fire in the midfield from the very beginning. He dominated the game inside and out with 12 first quarter disposals, seven of them contested, six clearances and seven inside 50s. By the end of the game, his count was 25 disposals, 14 contested possessions, ten inside 50s, nine clearances, and seven score involvements. Josh Dunkley finished with 30 disposals and nine marks while Neale himself knocked up 24 disposals and eight clearances. To put it simply, they were first to the ball. I place emphasis of these numbers because Brisbane left Melbourne in their wake with the much-vaunted trio of Christian Petracca, Jack Viney, and Clayton Oliver notching up a mere 61 disposals and 10 clearances combined for the game – also improved late by the release of the Lions’ pressure. So dominant were the Brisbane mid-size brigade in the first half that Neale, who usually leads this group numerically, had the only sixth highest number of team possessions with 12 which equalled Melbourne’s best, namely Kade Chandler and Max Gawn. The latter’s figures were exemplary, he finished equal top in possessions with Jack Viney and accumulated 149 Dream Team points which was 57 points greater than Ed Langdon who was next in his side. The Demons were clearly flat after their successful trip to Adelaide where fans could have noticed that writing on the wall when they were goalless in final quarter against the Crows. This was their fourth match in 19 days, the third in 12 days but the fans were expecting so much more after the success of their business trip to the City of Churches. Before they left Adelaide, the team should have stepped into one of those churches and prayed for more strength and energy because the first three quarters of last night’s game were emblematic of a group that was perilously low on petrol tickets. It left them with an aggregate of three goals over their past four quarters, a figure they exceeded in the final term when the Lions had well and truly taken their feet off the pedal. At half time, the crowd was treated on the MCG screens with a magic act from Magic Mike, a Demon fan. The club would have done better employing him to work some magic and remove the wall that the team was about to hit because the mounting pressure on the field and on the scoreboard induced a sense of panic that left supporters frustrated. Two examples of the panic were Petracca’s attempt to goal from well outside range that was easily mopped up by a Brisbane defender and Caleb Windsor’s blistering run of three bounces which ended similarly. A more measured approach in both cases would almost certainly have resulted in a score, most likely a goal. Petracca should have done better in the circumstances; Windsor will learn from his experience. It was a bad night for the many young players in the team including first gamer, Koltyn Tholstrop who looked a little overawed but did show some good signs for the future. Like Windsor, he will also learn from the experience. The failure to win clearances clearly added pressure on the team and made it harder to score. Moreover, Melbourne struggled to move the ball from its defensive fifty throughout the game with 28 of 47 chains intercepted by Brisbane and only six going inside fifty for a single goal. All of this reflected in the embarrassing statistics in terms of possessions and marks for the likes of Ben Brown, Bayley Fritsch, Harrison Petty and Jacob van Rooyen (at least he was giving Max a chop out in the ruck) – again made to look better in the last half of that final stanza when the Lions went for a well-earned end of game nap. Of course, the Lions’ midfield dominance added to the pressure on the defence which did well in the circumstances to hold the opposition to 82 points for the night. At times, Brisbane was able to use pace to slice through Melbourne’s defences with ease, but credit should also go to Steven May, Jake Lever and Tom McDonald in holding them to that score, and in the end, the difference of 22 points, was enormously flattering to the club. Melbourne simply couldn’t take a trick. The loss of Christian Salem early to a hamstring injury was compounded by the injury to Jake Bowey and retirement of Angus Brayshaw. By way of contrast, the Lions so comfortably negotiated the evening that they didn’t bother employing the tactical sub, so James Tunstill sat on the bench for 100 minutes. The bye could not have come any sooner. MELBOURNE 2.0.12 2.4.16 3.7.25 8.12.60 BRISBANE LIONS 4.2.26 7.4.46 10.8.68 12.10.82 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch 2 Brown Chandler Gawn Lever Neal-Bullen van Rooyen BRISBANE LIONS Cameron 3 Daniher Hipwood McCluggage 2 Bailey Fletcher Lohmann BEST MELBOURNE Gawn Chandler Viney Rivers Langdon McDonald BRISBANE LIONS Rayner McCluggage Dunkley Neale Andrews Bailey INJURIES MELBOURNE Christian Salem (hamstring) BRISBANE LIONS Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil BRISBANE LIONS Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Taj Woewodin (replaced Christian Salem in the first quarter) BRISBANE LIONS James Tunstill (unused) UMPIRES Findlay Gavine Nicholls Power CROWD 43,098 at the MCG

I have just been presented with an HOUR of COMPELLING evidence that we DESPERATELY need another midfielder Cometh down, Macrae! You won't be sub here!

No longer one of us, but perhaps of interest in the context of current discussions re “culture” at the Dees, given that he was moved on. Hope he finds a good place. https://houseoffooty.com.au/i-was-crying-myself-to-sleep-watts-reflects-on-his-toughest-period/

When the announcement came in November last year that South Australia’s 2024 Gather Round opener was to be a clash between Adelaide and Melbourne, it was taken as a compliment to both clubs as the ones chosen to showcase the sport in a big moment. At the time, the Crows were one of the AFL’s emerging clubs known for their exciting brand of football; the competition’s highest scorer of 2023 and terribly unlucky to miss the finals after a failure to call a score review deprived them of victory against Sydney in Round 23. The Demons could reasonably argue that their progress to finals glory was blocked on more than one count by bad luck on matters of controversy involving an injured player as well as some questionable score reviews late in the season. There was even a suggestion that such benefits were awarded as a payoff for the silent acquiescence of the clubs, but who on earth could believe such nonsense about the AFL? The events of the intervening months have led the clubs to this week’s football festival in the City of Churches with unfortunately, a much less appealing opening for the weekend than the one which the organizers had originally anticipated. The much-vaunted home team is winless and seems to not only have lost the ability to score but also, its confidence, its strength and its capacity for a fight. At least Melbourne, which had a troubled summer on a number of levels and rightly or wrongly, was targeted by scuttlebutt within the game’s social bubble, has managed to overcome the noise and a disappointing opening round in Sydney by galvanizing its playing group and emerging with an impressive run of wins over the past three rounds. The victories include a meritorious win over the highly fancied Port Adelaide at the venue for Thursday night’s game. One only needs to compare the form of the respective teams in Round 3 to draw a definitive conclusion about the outcome of this game. The competition’s highest-scoring team of 2023 looked insipid and managed only four goals against Fremantle while Melbourne shrugged off the media attacks on its culture to win a high standard finals-like contest and affirmed that at the very least, they ARE the AFL’s culture club. Of course, the risk remains that in a very fickle sport like football, the five day break could prove a bridge too far for Demons. They might suffer from fatigue or a let down or underestimate an opponent desperate for redemption in the eyes of their home crowd. But I doubt it. For their part, the Crows are coming back from an interstate defeat with only one extra day’s break. Their coach Matthew Nicks certainly has the job in front of him to turn around the team’s 0-3 record and admitted at the weekend that too many of his players are out of form and “collectively not playing at the standard expected.” In playing the Demons, they can expect to come up against a team that is aware of what it means to play at that standard. They can expect a culture shock. Melbourne by 31 points. THE GAME Adelaide v Melbourne at The Adelaide Oval on Thursday 4 April 2024 at 7.40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall - Adelaide 26 wins Melbourne 19 wins At Adelaide Oval - Adelaide 2 wins Melbourne 5 wins Past five meetings - wins Adelaide 1 win Melbourne 4 The Coaches - Matthew Nicks 1 win Simon Goodwin 4 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 14.13.97 defeated Adelaide 13.15.93 at The MCG, Round 19, 2023 This was a game of huge momentum swings. Melbourne took hold of the game in the third quarter and, at one stage were up by five goals. The Crows came back, the Demons regrouped but the visitors kept coming and the scores were level with 15 minutes to play. Melbourne opened up another two goal plus lead, and finally got over the line by four points. THE TEAMS ADELAIDE B J. Worrell, J. Butts, B. Smith HB P. Parnell, M. Keane, M. Michalanney C M. Hinge, J. Dawson, C. Jones HF J. Soligo, I. Rankine, J. Rachele F B. Cook, D. Fogarty, T. Walker FOLL R. 0 Brien, R. Laird, B. Keays. I/C C. Burgess, M. Crouch, N. McHenry, L. Nankervis SUB S. Berry EMG J. Borlase, L. Gollant, L. Pedlar IN S. Berry, J. Butts, B. Cook, L. Nankervis, P. Parnell OUT J. Borlase (omitted), W. Milera (knee), L. Murphy (knee), L. Pedlar (omitted), L. Sholl (omitted) MELBOURNE B T. Rivers, S. May, T. McDonald HB B. Howes, J. Lever, J. McVee C E. Langdon, C. Petracca, J. Billings HF A. Neal-Bullen, H. Petty, K. Pickett F J. van Rooyen, B. Brown, B. Fritsch FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, C. Oliver I/C K. Chandler, C. Salem, T. Sparrow, C. Windsor SUB T. Woewodin EMG B. Laurie, J. Schache, A. Tomlinson IN S. May OUT M. Hore (thumb) Injury List: Round 4 Lachie Hunter — calf/ available Kade Chandler — knee / test Steven May — ribs/ test Daniel Turner — hip/ 1 week Charlie Spargo — Achilles/ 2 - 4 weeks Shane McAdam — hamstring/ 2 - 4 weeks Marty Hore — thumb / 3 - 4 weeks Jake Bowey — shoulder/ 6 weeks Jake Melksham — knee/ 11 - 13 weeks

Congratulations to Jack Viney on 200 games bleeding Red & Blue for the Demons. From arriving at a club in crisis to raging like a bull to help lead us to a flag. A true club champion & the player you want right beside you in the trenches. Jack’s heart beats true ❤️💙 Here’s to 100 more Vines 🔴🔵😈

The jubilation on the coach’s face as he danced a celebratory jig by the playing bench after the final siren sounded to record his team’s four-point victory over the Demons when the teams last met, said it all. On that rainy Friday night at the Adelaide Oval, Ken Hinkley’s young midfield secured much more than four points on offer. The victory over one of the big dogs of the competition after a succession of wins over some of its lesser lights gave his team respect and validation for their 2023 premiership campaign. Saturday’s rematch promises much the same for the winning team — respect and validation for that which lies ahead. We know such things mean very little at this early stage of the year but the confidence and momentum gained can make a difference as a season unfolds. Melbourne’s quest to achieve validation after a turbulent summer that left its list short by two primary list players was made even more difficult by the end of Round 2 with two All Australian key position defenders under an injury cloud. Steven May was in hospital with two broken ribs and a small transverse process fracture while Jake Lever was sitting on the bench wearing a tracksuit top on the bench, nursing a sore knee that turned out to be not as bad as first thought. But the injury list is long and a five day break before the Gather Round clash against the Crows will test the club’s depth. You can take it straight from the coach’s mouth that the possible absence of the two keys on top of the Bowey injury from Round Zero isn’t the end of the world. The coach, Simon Goodwin, spoke immediately after the Hawthorn game and maintained that he has plenty of material necessary to cover the loss of players: “I thought Harrison Petty, Tom McDonald, and Marty Hore did a great job down back for us. “We’ve got guys that can play those roles. Clearly Harrison’s done it previously. We’ve got some other guys, Adam Tomlinson will play tomorrow in the VFL.” (Tomlinson worked hard under adversity for Casey and did well enough to be considered if required). “So, we’ve got some options in that space which is pleasing, so we’ll assess that during the week.” And while the issue of depth (especially in the big man department) will be crucial against Port Adelaide, I think it could be a double-edged sword for the home team on a hot Autumn night. They have key forwards Dixon, Finlayson and Marshall, at one end with tall defenders in Aliir, Ratugolea and Zerk-Thatcher. They have plenty of height, but their issue might be one of having to handle the Demon small brigade, particularly if the Melbourne midfield gains the initiative. The engine room will, as usual, be the place where the game will ultimately be won and this is where things get interesting. Melbourne’s ace is Max Gawn who should beat Ivan Soldo even if the Demon skipper is subjected to the usual roughhouse tactics that are emblematic of Port’s routine strategy against him. Problem with that is the umpiring fraternity is onto this and paying greater attention to such an approach these days. Then there are the midfield pieces on both the inside and outside. Melbourne has the advantage of the bulls in Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Tom Sparrow and (congratulations to 200 gamer) Jack Viney with occasional appearances from Kozzie Pickett, Christian Salem, Trent Rivers and the peripatetic Alex Neal-Bullen and, on the outside, Ed Langdon, Caleb Windsor and Jack Billings adding class. Port’s equivalent is led by Butters who took the game by the throat last year to bring home the bacon for a rampant Port Adelaide assisted by Rozee and Horne-Francis (who has a hamstring injury and in doubt to play). They also have Brownlow Medallist Wines, Drew, Farrell, Houston and the evergreen Boak. In the final analysis, I put the Demon engine room ahead by a small margin, perhaps one per cent. There are a few other one percenters that should work in Melbourne’s favour. Despite last year’s Gather Round fiasco and the loss to Port Adelaide in Round 10, both can be considered as outliers because of the conditions in which they were played. Otherwise, the Demons have a good record at the Adelaide Oval including a strong finals win over the Lions in the club’s premiership year. The club is treating the next week or so with far more thought for the playing group than it did last year. Sticking around the City of Churches for an extended period will galvanize the group, and partially offset home ground advantage. And the bottom line is that the Demons not only have the depth, but they have an extra charge in terms of greater all-round flexibility. This will be a major factor in a game where whoever is available, you must play well enough on the day to beat your opponent in your next game. And beat them is what Melbourne will do. By 27 points. THE GAME Port Adelaide v Melbourne on Saturday 30 March 2024 at 7.30pm at Adelaide Oval. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 22 wins Melbourne 16 wins At Adelaide Oval Port Adelaide 4 wins Melbourne 3 wins Past five meetings Port Adelaide 2 win, Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Hinkley 4 wins Goodwin 4 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 11.14.80 defeated Melbourne 11.10.76 in Round 10, 2023 at Adelaide Oval The game was a slog in wet conditions. Port dominated early but the Demons came back strongly to lead by 17 points only seconds before the final break. The game that was there to be won was to be prelude to Melbourne’s end of season issues. Clayton Oliver’s hamstring pinged in its frenetic latter stages. Lachie Hunter’s backside collision with Connor Rozee led to his suspension and a Port Adelaide goal. This happened late in the third term just after a controversial umpiring decision against Tom McDonald (his opponent was suspended in the aftermath) - potentially caused a twelve point turnaround. The home side took the initiative and a late goal sealed the deal for them. All things considered, the four premiership points would have seen Melbourne finish with a home qualifying final against Brisbane rather than Collingwood, perhaps a better outcome given the way things panned out for them. THE TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE B R. Burton, E. Ratugolea, B. Zerk-Thatcher 
HB L. Jones, A. Allir, D. Houston
 C M. Bergman, W. Drew, T. Boak
 HF D. Byrne-Jones, T. Marshall, C. Rozee 
F J. Finlayson, C. Dixon, W. Rioli 
FOLL I. Soldo, O. Wines, Z. Butters 
I/C F. Evans, K. Farrell, J. McEntee, J. Mead
 SUB J. Burgoyne EMG T. Clurey T. McKenzie, D. Visentini, IN J. McEntee OUT D. Williams (omitted) MELBOURNE B J. McVee, J. Lever, B. Howes HB T. Rivers, T. McDonald, C. Salem C E. Langdon, C. Petracca, C. Windsor HF T. Sparrow, B. Fritsch, K. Pickett F A. Neal-Bullen, J. Van Rooyen, K. Chandler FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, C. Oliver I/C J. Billings, B. Brown, M. Hore, H. Petty SUB T. Woewodin EMG T. Fullarton B. Laurie, A. Tomlinson IN T. Woewodin OUT S. May (ribs) Injury List: Round 3 Jake Lever — knee/ Test Clayton Oliver — hand/ Test Ollie Sestan — concussion/ Test Lachie Hunter — calf/ 1 week Steven May — ribs/ 1 week Daniel Turner — hip/ 2 - 3 weeks Charlie Spargo — Achilles/ 2 - 4 weeks Shane McAdam — hamstring/ 3 - 5 weeks Jake Bowey — shoulder/ 7 weeks Jake Melksham — knee/ 12 - 14 weeks

This week Melbourne takes on Hawthorn hot on the heels of a six-day break after its encouraging response to a disappointing season opener in steamy Sydney. The Hawks were disappointingly wasteful last week, but they also failed to bring sufficient pressure into the contest and, as a consequence, the Bombers scored goals at will. Against the Demons, a repeat would be fatal. The Hawks are still in the rebuilding phase and need everything to go right against Melbourne which is gradually building up to overcome some of the deficiencies felt by its fall from grace in departing last year’s finals series in straight sets. Hawthorn is no pushover. Despite being in development mode, the Hawks managed to upset both 2023 grand finalists, Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions during the home and away season. Against the former, they completely took apart the Magpies’ system including shutting down a rampant Nick Daicos until he was injured. The problem was that which many young, inexperienced teams face - a lack of consistency. But more about the Hawks later. One of the consequences of the Demons’ tumultuous offseason has been the debate about its standing in the competition. While some observers were willing to write the club off even before a single ball was bounced, others believed the intrinsic strength of the list, coaches and support staff ensures its status as a premiership contender. I read a piece this week that was critical of the Demons for their lack of key forwards, an explanation for its poor “forward connection”, and for its aging list with most of its elite players being in the mid 20s and over. I’m not impressed by these lines of criticism because neither can be validated statistically. Melbourne’s forward woes in the latter part of last season were more in terms of conversion and the absence of key forwards through injury. As for aging, there are several other clubs with far worse age demographics (Geelong and Collingwood for example) and Sunday’s outing showed the club’s mix of players to be in solid shape. I tend to look at the playing group in terms of its binary nature with many of the club’s qualities coming in twos:- Leadership - ruckman Max Gawn, the best ruckman in the country, and the toughest midfielder in the game, Jack Viney leading by example. Midfielders - Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, the best midfield duo going around and still young enough to be in that mix for half a decade. Defenders - How can anyone go past key defenders Jake Lever and Steven May? Mature age recruits - Jack Billings and Marty Hore are great mature age pick ups, adding to the club’s needs in attack and defence respectively. Emerging talents - Trent Rivers and Tom Sparrow are premiership players. Each is primed for a break out season. Debutants - Blake Howes and Caleb Windsor made their respective AFL debuts less than a fortnight ago and are already making an impact. Comeback kids - how about Ben Brown (key forward) and Tom McDonald (key back), both of who were virtually written off over the summer? The odd couple - Alex Neal-Bullen, a relentless running machine in the forward line and Jake Bowey who doesn’t cover as much ground but has great disposal skill. Second year talent - Judd McVee and Jacob van Rooyen. Both were kept on the back burner in the VFL in their first seasons, both were outstanding debutants last year and both are kicking on in 2024. Small forwards - the attack looked so much more potent with Kozzy Pickett in the team and Kade Chandler back in form and kicking goals. There’s more of that in the club’s armoury but let’s return to Saturday afternoon and Hawthorn who face up to Melbourne and a game plan that works in modern football. A team that dominates defensively and through the middle and is now primed to play more directly when going forward. I believe the six day break should not worry the Demons as it will be offset by the benefit of the extra game in their legs at this stage of the season. Hawthorn has a long injury list including Will Day, Denver Grainger-Barras, Changkuoth Jiath and Chad Wingard and are lucky to have James Sicily after his visit to the AFL Tribunal. The Hawks still have a decent midfield but will have their hands full with the Melbourne engine room. In the last encounter between the teams, tagger-in-chief Finn Maginness was given the task on Clayton Oliver and fulfilled it admirably but that was in the early days of Clarrie’s return from a long term injury. Even if Maginness gets the job again and succeeds in keeping him down, there are plenty of options available to the Demons which is something the Hawks lack. That’s where the club’s binary kit bag makes it such a difficult proposition to overcome and why the Demons will win this after a tough tussle. Melbourne by 31 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Hawthorn at the MCG Saturday 23 March 2024 at 4.35pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Hawthorn 87 wins Melbourne 82 wins 1 draw At the MCG Hawthorn 46 wins Melbourne 42 wins 1 draw Last 5 meetings Hawthorn 0 wins Melbourne 4 wins 1 draw The Coaches Mitchell 0 wins Goodwin 2 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.9.87 defeated Hawthorn 9.6.60 in Round 23, 2023 at The MCG The Demons locked in a top four spot on the AFL 2023 ladder on Sunday with a 27-point victory against the Hawks in the penultimate round of the season. It was a tough, hard tussle with barely a goal or two in it until the Demons broke the shackles in the final term. Jake Melksham was the their best player with three telling three goals. THE TEAMS HAWTHORN B J. Weddle, S. Frost, J. Sicily HB J. Impey, J. Scrimshaw, M. D'Ambrosio C K. Amon, D. Moore, C. Macdonald HF J. Ginnivan, M. Lewis, C. Nash F L. Breust, M. Chol, Nick Watson FOLL N. Reeves, J. Newcombe, J. Worpel I/C B. Hardwick, C. Mackenzie, F. Maginness, J. Ward SUB J. Gunston EMG H. Hustwaite, H. Morrison M. Ramsden NO CHANGE MELBOURNE B J. McVee, S. May, B. Howes HB T. Rivers, J. Lever, C. Salem C E. Langdon, C. Petracca, A. Neal-Bullen HF T. Sparrow, B. Brown, K. Pickett F B. Fritsch, J. Van Rooyen, K. Chandler FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, J. Billings I/C T. McDonald, C. Oliver, H. Petty, C. Windsor SUB M. Hore EMG T. Fullarton, B. Laurie, T. Woewodin IN H. Petty OUT T. Woewodin (omitted) Injury and Suspension List: Round 2 Harrison Petty — toe/ available Ollie Sestan — concussion/ 1 week Lachie Hunter — calf/ 2 weeks Daniel Turner — hip/ 5 - 6 weeks Jake Bowey — shoulder/ 8 weeks Shane McAdam — hamstring/ TBC Jake Melksham — knee/ TBC Charlie Spargo — Achilles/TBC Joel Smith — suspended/ TBC

The Coodabeen Champions have called it a day after more than forty years on various radio stations across Melbourne. When the lads chose the theme from the spaghetti western "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" as their signature tune, the game was uncomplicated with little time for scientific strategy. Summertime was for easy living and games of cricket, footy teams assembled in February, played practice matches in March and the season opened in mid-April. In their time, the Coodabeens saw changes upon changes that have turned the game on its head and, very late in the piece, they bore witness to a modern day miracle — the resurgence of the game’s perennial ugly duckling into a fully fledged premiership team. They saw the ugly, the bad and the good but in September 2023, the ugly returned with a vengeance. Collingwood won a flag and it was time for them to go. We usually judge a club’s off season by two measures, the quality of its list management in the transition from the past year to the present and then, by the way it prepares for season ahead with the aim of the team approaching the opening round in a positive frame of mind. The list management side of things always involves an element of conjecture about how the new blood introduced will fare and whether any departing players will leave gaps that the club might struggle to fill. The trading, free agency and draft process of October/November saw the following changes to the club’s lists:- In: Jack Billings (St Kilda), Shane McAdam (Adelaide), Tom Fullarton (Brisbane), Caleb Windsor (Eastern Ranges), Koltyn Tholstrup (Subiaco), Kynan Brown (Oakleigh Chargers), Marty Hore (Williamstown) Out: Brodie Grundy (Sydney), Michael Hibberd (Port Colts), James Harmes (Western Bulldogs), James Jordon (Sydney), Luke Dunstan (retired), Deakyn Smith (delisted), Kye Turner (delisted) As stated, such things are open to conjecture. Time will eventually tell the tale but the vibe for me is a little bit of good mixed with a touch of bad in that there isn’t much coverage in ruck for an injury to Max Gawn in the short term or, down the track when his career ends, and the ongoing issue of the need for key forwards in light of the impending retirements at the end of the year of Ben Brown, Tom McDonald and Jake Melksham and potential flight risk back to South Australia of Harry Petty. The other side of the off season is the need for peace, quiet and harmony in preparing for the year ahead. This was, for the most part, ugly and bad. The staff had barely finished packing the team’s equipment away for the summer when Joel Smith was provisionally suspended over an alleged positive drug test for cocaine from the Round 22 game vs Hawthorn and more recently, he was accused of trafficking or attempted trafficking. Smith faces a long stretch out of the game if his guilt is proved. Quick upon the heels of that news, followed revelations of Clayton Oliver’s now well-documented health and legal problems, an extended stint on the sidelines after a brief but disastrous appearance at the club’s December training camp in Lorne amid questions surrounding his future. No sooner had we finished singing Auld Lang Syne and the team came back to train, that the injury list started to grow. When the time came for the first scratch match against the Tigers, there were more than a dozen players unavailable through injury and suspension (including a raft of tall forwards). The Demons made a bright start at Casey Fields but things turned ugly and the defence leaked ten successive goals against an unfancied opposition forward line. They came back but the ebb and flow left some bad vibrations as Richmond’s new coach won the bragging rights if such things belong to match simulations in the month of February. The fans were digesting all of the above when the shock news came in of the forced early retirement of Angus Brayshaw, a much loved and experienced team leader and premiership star. A brilliant career cut short was a massive blow to the player as it was to all who love the club. The off field bickering and the fallout dating all the way back to the replacement of the club’s former chair in 2021, continued as mediation talks fell apart. The media had its fun and games, somebody mentioned “culture” and then, amid all the gloom and doom and ugly fake rumour mongering and speculation about the coach’s premature demise, the fans were finally treated to some very good as Max Gawn led the team to a demolition of the Blues at Ikon Park. And we noticed some rising fortunes among maturing players, new strategies and the emergence of new blood but wait - it was still only a scratch match. Which brings us here to Round Zero, 2024 at the end of a cycle of The Ugly, The Bad and The Good. I was surprised to see the early betting odds from last week heavily favouring the Swans to win Thursday night’s game. That was before the AFL Community Series matches but even then, Melbourne’s form turnaround against Carlton and Sydney’s insipid display in the NSW Derby in Canberra and injuries to Luke Parker and Taylor Adams were insufficient to bridge the gap. What it did take to even things up odds-wise was the announcement by Demons coach Simon Goodwin on Monday confirming that Clayton Oliver had been selected to face the Swans. Suddenly, we seem to have a standoff but I’m not buying. I will gladly concede that even in the absence of Callum Mills, Parker and Adams, Sydney has substantial midfield depth led by the likes of Eric Gulden, Chad Warner and a bevy of mid size players but … Melbourne’s midfield setup headed by skipper Max Gawn in dominant form in the ruck and the class of Oliver, Christian Petracca, Jack Viney, a resurgent Christian Salem back to full fitness and rising midfielder Tom Sparrow is miles ahead of whatever the Swans can produce. Brodie Grundy might have a point to prove but in cold, hard light of the evening, he won’t hold a candle to Gawn. Sydney farewelled Buddy Franklin well before the end of the last season but his replacement key forwards, McDonald and Amartey are hardly in his postcode at this early stage of their careers. And it’s a bad time for them to come up against Steven May and Jake Lever while their remaining forwards (and I include Tom Papley in that lot) are unfortunate in that they are likely to be strangled by the desperate defence of the likes of Jake Bowey, Judd McVee and Trent Rivers. There’s been a lot of talk lately about the culture of the Melbourne Football Club but little understanding that it’s actually a strong point because it’s a culture of hard work, attention to detail and hating defeat on the field of play. Cop that, Swans! Because Melbourne kicked away the chance to win both of its finals matches in 2023 (and a few others in the latter half of the season), there’s a perception out there that it has a weak attack. That’s a total misperception because even with those “connection” issues in the second half of the season it was still the sixth highest scoring team in the competition. The Demons have a good ground ball game and, as they showed last Thursday at Ikon Park, they’re handy in the air when the ball travels forward. Straighten them up a few percent and they would be top two or three in that category. And they have recruited well with youngster Caleb Windsor and Jack Billings — both of them excellent disposers of the football — to go with Bayley Fritsch and Jacob Van Royen who are no slouches with football in hand. On the small, spaceless SCG, Melbourne should be well suited to the size of ground and conditions expected on the day, even without Kozzy Pickett, Harry Petty, Ben Brown and Shane McAdam who are still to come into the forward mix. There’s something else to consider and it’s a factor of the early start to the season and the fact that the Swans have played their practice matches in oppressive heat and have not finished off strongly. That’s a sign for me that it’s unlikely for this matchup to turn into a standoff. To the contrary, it’s going to be a good, old wild, west ugly massacree with Melbourne winning bad by 49 points. THE GAME Sydney Swans v Melbourne at the SCG Thursday 7 March 2024 at 7.30pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Sydney Swans 117 wins Melbourne 96 wins 2 drawn At the SCG Sydney Swans 14 wins Melbourne 9 wins Last 5 meetings Sydney Swans 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Longmire 7 wins Goodwin 4 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 11.11.77 defeated Sydney Swans 7.14.56 in Round 24, 2023 at the SCG The Demons prevailed after a see saw game, thanks mainly to its midfield dominance in the personage of Jack Viney, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver and an outstanding return from injury of Bayley Fritsch who overcame a knock to his foot in mid game to finish with five goals. Scores were close until three quarter time but a four goal to nil final term sealed the deal. In form forward Jake Melksham suffered a devastating blow with an ACL injury that placed his career in jeopardy. THE TEAMS Injury and Suspension List: Round 0 Ben Brown — knee/ available Charlie Spargo — Achilles/ available Kysaiah Pickett — suspended/ 1 week Harrison Petty — toe/ 2 weeks Lachie Hunter — calf/ 3 - 4 weeks Daniel Turner — hip/ 7 - 8 weeks Shane McAdam — hamstring/ TBC Jake Melksham — knee/ TBC Joel Smith — suspended/ TBC

If the week when preseason training melds into scratch matches with other clubs, is the first marker for the beginning of a new season, then this has certainly been a torrid opener for the Melbourne Football Club in its campaign to remain a leading AFL premiership contender in 2024. The Demons were already under enormous scrutiny from the media and football’s fan base (including their own) after consecutive straight-sets finals exits, with Clayton Oliver’s well documented woes, the Joel Smith ban for a positive drug test, a mounting injury list that is heavily skewed against its forwards as well as the spectre of the off field scuttlebutt surrounding the long running battle in court with a former club chairman. It would be fair to say that very little improvement was seen in the situation during the week although, I do maintain that some small rays of light still presented themselves on the horizon. More of that later. Sunday’s match simulation was a bit like Melbourne’s recent weather. The game against Richmond opened brightly with 20 minutes of magical sunshine and five goals, followed by an hour of drenching rain and ten consecutive goals against, during which time the team’s style and cohesion was neither recognisable nor existent. There were moments of sunshine in the next stanza, the lead regained and lost again, then the heavy weather returned in the final term when the Tigers were more fierce in general play against a team lacking the rhythm of life required to win four points that weren’t even on offer. Jack Viney and Christian Petracca were the standouts and Kozzy Pickett was at times special a la Bruce McAvaney among many others who played out small cameo roles. Like Jacob van Rooyen who was clunking the ball well in the early proceedings. Newcomers Jack Billings, Caleb Windsor and young pup, Kynan Brown all showed something, youthful Will Verrall had nice half leaping around in the ruck (but perhaps not yet ready for senior action) when he replaced skipper Max Gawn who called it a day after two quarters (of seven) but not before booting a late goal at the end of the deluge. He then joined the 14 absentees, the ill, the injured and suspended, sitting on the sidelines as the team limped to a 23-point defeat after four quarters. But all was not lost … yet. Clayton Oliver and Christian Salem returned to the football fray in the fifth quarter, several classes above what was a VFL level after-game in three stanzas. Clarry warmed the cockles of our hearts, picking up hardball gets at will and booting the goal of the year deep on the boundary. Let’s hope he gets himself fully right for the all clear to play ASAP because he has too much talent for it to be wasted. First round draft pick Koltyn Tholstrup impressed in his outing as Melbourne slowly edged closer to Richmond and finished two points in arrears at the final bell. Some people still believed the end of the world had come. The team was given three days off but if you thought the rest period would be uneventful, you were wrong. By Monday morning, the critical reaction to the first up February scratch match loss ranged from indifference to apocalyptic. Some felt for the club’s safety in the wake of its various woes and things got worse on Tuesday with the news that Joel Smith was facing four new anti-doping rule violations from Sport Integrity Australia — three for trafficking cocaine and one for possession after his phone records revealed text messages to other players allegedly offering the drug. A news item appeared in the Murdoch press which quoted an unnamed source suggesting the 28-year-old was being "scapegoated" by the club which prompted the response from the club that "Joel has made it very clear that he has no issues or concerns with anyone at the Melbourne Football Club." Some not unexpected editorialising followed from the usual suspects in the media who appear to have been carrying on a vendetta about the club’s culture for a number of years. Read between the lines and the verdict was that the club’s dynasty was over with only one premiership to show for it. I want to comment about some of the editorialising in the media on the Joel Smith situation and allegations of poor culture at the club. Perhaps the more prominent critics need to take look in the mirror and reflect on their own behaviours in response to other such controversies of the past and, in particular, the way a certain club reacted in not dissimilar circumstances. I expect when the outcome of the current investigation is revealed, that our club faces up to what occurred with the proper responsibility that the situation warrants. No denial, no obfuscation nor blame-shifting as we saw elsewhere a decade ago. The acceptance of responsibility if and when the circumstances so deserve will be one of the measures of our culture. More turbulence on Wednesday with rumours swirling that the career of Angus Brayshaw who played such a pivotal role in the achievements of that dynasty was about to end due to ongoing issues with concussion that have stalked him throughout his career. The hammer blow came on the following day when it was confirmed that the Demon champion was retiring from the sport at the age of 28 after recent scans revealed microscopic changes in his brain after he was knocked out in last year's qualifying final by a mistimed smother from Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard, for which the Pies player somehow avoided suspension. A premiership player highly regarded for his football prowess and strong leadership, Brayshaw, who has been at the Club for nine years is much loved by the players, coaches, staff and supporters. Brayshaw walks away with five more seasons still to run on his multimillion-dollar contract, which expires at the end of the 2028 season, having played 167 games for the club. He finished third in the 2018 Brownlow Medal count and had two top five finishes in the Bluey Truscott Trophy for club champion. He will always be remembered for his courage and resilience epitomised in the goal that put the Demons in front in the third quarter of the 2021 Grand Final, after which the team was never headed. Some quotes from a shattered hero of the club:- “I am devastated that I can no longer play the game that I love, but I respect the verdict of the medical professionals, and the importance of putting my health before my career. “I am really proud of what I have achieved over the past decade. I have been able to live out my childhood dream and while it’s been cut short, I am forever grateful to everyone who has been involved. “Concussion is a massive issue facing our game. I hope from this, a terrible result for me personally, can come some positive outcomes for the future of player safety.” Brayshaw is certain to maintain some role with the club in 2024, his loss as a player will be difficult to cover. The manner of his leaving, his wonderful words in the hour of disappointment at the premature retirement and his positive demeanour together affirmed the solid culture of resilience that his legacy at the club will hold forever. The weekend couldn’t arrive too soon after all that but I did promise some rays of hope on the horizon. There was no apparent sign of any organized training during the week so no new injuries that we know about so far plus … There was a well attended season opener at the MCG which marked a welcome return to football after the venue was used for three concerts by an NFL groupie which decimated the surface of the ground which is now under repair. The Coterie sponsored function, on the other hand, saw a lift in spirits. Firstly, there seemed to be much optimism about the return to training of a number of the injured brigade. I won’t go into any detail because nothing was “official” and therefore best to wait until we see visual evidence of their return. Secondly, the speeches from coach, captain and the club chair were all positive, inspiring and reflective of a fair degree of confidence for the coming season. Similarly, the interviews with players from every line including the newbies. There was a wonderful tribute to Gus who understandably wasn’t in attendance only hours after his retirement announcement. I sense that the composition of next week’s Community Series Practice Match against Carlton at IKON Park will be as close as possible to the expected Round Zero lineup in Sydney, give or take Kozzy Pickett who isn’t available for the latter match up. I think that after all these years, I’m pretty good at reading a room. There seemed to be an undercurrent from players and officials that they are quietly seething at the poor rap, some of it insulting, they’ve received from sections of the media of late and that they are ready to show their resilience emphatically on the field of play which is, of course, the only sane way to respond.

Date of Birth: 13 April 1994 Height: 179cm Weight: 93kg Games MFC 2023: 24 Career Total: 196 Goals MFC 2023: 8 Career Total: 56 Brownlow Medal Votes: 24 Melbourne Football Club: Sid Anderson Memorial Trophy Runner-Up Club Champion 527 Votes Everybody’s most feared opponent, the hard nosed midfielder had a fantastic season. He was called upon for more minutes in the middle after Clayton Oliver’s injury and stood up to the challenge putting enormous pressure on opposing midfields.

A FINAL NOD TO RON by Whispering Jack I sat down a little while ago to document the Melbourne Football Club’s 2023 in a “That was the Year that Was” format and I soon hit a snag in putting it all together. You see, it was a year that by all rights should have been a shining light in the club’s history after the club achieved such great heights at both men’s and women’s levels that it took out the revamped McClelland Trophy, adding $1m to its coffers. The format now includes the AFLW and is a combined award presented to the 'Champion Club' for the men and women. The Demons finished both competitions with the double chance but failed to make a Preliminary Final in either one of them; a crushing blow for all at the club, from the point of view of the administration, players, staff and supporters alike. Particularly so, because in both competitions, the club was not far off the mark which is a testament to how competitive our game is at the highest level these days. And as if that wasn’t enough, Melbourne suffered a further blow within a day of its semi final exit against Carlton, with the news of the passing of the man who was arguably the greatest player to ever wear the Red and the Blue, Ronald Dale Barassi. Former skipper Stan Alves, who made his debut in 1965 which was the season after Barassi left the club for Carlton, said, “No greater person has been involved in the game than Ron Barassi.” The dark cloud hanging over the club has barely lifted over the past few months with issues facing one of the great players of our present but time will surely heal. The players will be back on the track in no time to begin preparations in earnest for the season. What would the great Ronald Dale Barassi advise the players as they embark on their next campaign after letting the opportunity for greatness slip twice in a row? It would have to be encapsulated by the elements that made him famous — his resilience, his determination and his heroic feats. During his playing days, it was always Barassi who demonstrated the ability to rise to the occasion. He did so throughout his life and his career, both inside and outside of the game. Barassi was born in Castlemaine in the goldfields region of Victoria in 1936 and was five years old when his father, a former Melbourne player Ron Barassi Sr., died in action at Tobruk during World War II. I recently found this news item from the Castlemaine History Group that demonstrated his potential as a young sportsman of 11 years of age. Not long after this, he and his mother moved to the big smoke of the city and when she married and moved to Tasmania, he was taken in by Melbourne’s Coach Norm Smith, the father/son rule was devised and by the time he was 17 years and two months old, he was a senior footballer with the Demons. Two years later, a premiership and on the way to six flags in a decade as a player. Ronald Dale Barassi could turn a game on its head with a single bound. He was a hero to every second kid on the block. From his modest start in life and with the difficult circumstances of losing a father in wartime through his outstanding playing career, his brilliant coaching and even in the later years of his life, by his chivalry in saving a damsel in distress, he was not only the quintessential hero. He was a winner and while he was as tough as nails, played the game in the right spirit, was a happy, personable friend to all. That was Ron - heroism, sportsmanship and resilience personified, the very person for the Melbourne Football Club to honour in the season to come and, in return, his legacy will give inspiration from on high to take us forward to a bright premiership filled future.

I’d be interested in picking up Jack Billings. Saints are pushing him out so hardly going to cost much in draft capital. I think if we spread his 2 year contract over 3 years he’s a good james jordan replacement. Think we would like him to push into the midfield and he has ability. We need some depth in the mid with dunstan and jordan and likely harmes off our list.

* Ducks for Cover *

With Hawthorn pretty far down the line with other forward line trades - could we swoop in? I would love to see Gunston lining up for goal in the red and blue… Could pick 41 make it happen or a future 2nd? https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/10/12/report-gunston-seeking-return-to-hawks-after-brief-brisbane-stint/

Hear me out, if there was an opportunity to bring either onto our list next year as a player to then transition as a forwards development coach would you take up that opportunity? A Jack Riewoldt or Tom Hawkins would have been such a huge upgrade on Tom McDonald in both finals series. Tom Hawkins played 20 games and still kicked 49 goals this year. Remarkable effort. Jack Riewoldt played 21 games for 33 goals this year also. Could you imagine the leadership and development impact this would have on JVR, Petty and Jefferson?

Well done Jack and Trac. Would love to see Viney at least get on the bench. 2023 AFL ALL-AUSTRALIAN SQUAD: Oscar Allen, Noah Anderson, Harris Andrews, Nick Blakey, Marcus Bontempelli, Luke Breust, Zak Butters, Charlie Cameron, Stephen Coniglio, Patrick Cripps, Charlie Curnow, Josh Daicos, Nick Daicos, Joe Daniher, Jordan Dawson, Jordan de Goey, Tim English, Tom Green, Toby Greene, Errol Gulden, Daniel Houston, Luke Jackson, Kyle Langford, Nick Larkey, Tom Liberatore, Rowan Marshall, Dustin Martin, Zach Merrett, Darcy Moore, Lachie Neale, Jai Newcombe, Christian Petracca, Isaac Quaynor, Mason Redman, Connor Rozee, Luke Ryan, Caleb Serong, James Sicily, Jack Sinclair, Tom Stewart, Jack Viney, Taylor Walker, Jacob Weitering, Callum Wilkie Squad members by club 5 - Collingwood 4 - Brisbane 3 - Carlton, Essendon, Fremantle, GWS, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs 2 - Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide 1 - Geelong, Gold Coast, North Melbourne, Richmond, West Coast

At half time in the 1975 Grand final against North Melbourne, legendary Hawthorn coach entered Australian sporting folklore when he implored his charges who were lagging behind their opponents to ‘do something’: "At least do something. Do. Don't think. Don't hope. Do. At least you can come off saying 'I did this'," Kennedy said. Kennedy’s plea failed but he had made his point and the Hawks rose again in 1976 when they took the premiership flag from the Kangaroos. The same frustrations which Kennedy faced in 1975 have been felt by the Demon faithful at times throughout 2022 and again, in parts of 2023. Last Thursday, as we sat and watched the train wreck of another slow start against Collingwood, followed by the last quarter and a half of a game in which opportunity after opportunity was butchered by poor decision making and execution in the forward line, many of us were moved to let out that helpless primal scream of ‘do something’! Melbourne won only one first quarter from Round 20 onwards (against an inaccurate Sydney team). The opposition put scoreboard pressure on the Demons, forcing them to work hard to get back into the game and win. Against, better teams such as Carlton (Round 22: 8.8.56 to 9.6.60) and Collingwood (EF: 7.11.53 to 9.6.60) the win simply did not eventuate even though Melbourne ran out the far stronger team in these match ups. Melbourne has as strong a defence and midfield as any in the competition. The defence has, for the most part, been playing out its role and has curbed the dangerous Charlie Curnow and his cohort of little men twice this year but the midfield needs to do something to lift its intensity rating when the battle starts. The contest between the midfields will be of paramount importance as the Blues’ Cripps, Walsh and Cerra, at their best can match the Demons’ gold star rated mids in Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Jack Viney. It might well devolve into a question of who among the bit parts of the respective mids can stand up and be counted, particularly when they play their opening gambit. The other something needed from Melbourne is its efficiency when going forward. They need to be less predictable as otherwise, the Blues’ defence headed by Weitering will pick the Demons apart. Any attack that has 32 more inside-50 entries than its opponent but kicks only seven goals in a match has to be classified as bordering on dysfunctional so the Melbourne selectors have to do something to turn that situation around. That’s easier said than done without the forward line trio of Harrison Petty, Jake Melksham and Jacob van Rooyen who, between them, managed 14 goals straight in Round 20 against Richmond but will all be absent on Friday night. Does the club have the depth of talent necessary to enable it to take advantage in front of goal if the midfield stands up to give them scoring opportunities as expected? Much is being made about claims that Max Gawn and Oliver might be going into battle on Friday night but a little bluebird tells me that Cripps and Marchbank will also be carrying their own injuries into the game. The Demons have the ability to select some seasoned players including All-Australian ruckman Brodie Grundy and James Jordon and Charlie Spargo who have both played in a premiership team, along with the likes of Bayley Fritsch, Kozzy Pickett and Tom McDonald who had major roles in the same campaign for that 2021 flag. There is plenty of scope left for coach Simon Goodwin and his team to do something. And, I’m tipping that they will do so and overcome the Blues by the slender margin of a solitary point. THE GAME Melbourne v Carlton at the MCG Friday 15 September 2023 at 7.50pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Carlton 118 wins Melbourne 97 wins Drawn 2 At the MCG Carlton 51 wins Melbourne 56 wins Past five meetings Carlton 1 win Melbourne 4 The Coaches Voss 1 win Goodwin 2 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Carlton 9.6.60 defeated Melbourne 8.8.56 at the MCG Round 22, 2023 The Demons made a poor start to the game but somehow were close enough to be well in the contest at each interval before falling asleep again in the opening minutes of the final term when they conceded three goals. Inaccuracy and a Carlton fingernail cost them the win that might have secured them a second place finish and an easier run to a Preliminary Final. Angus Brayshaw’s 31 touches were pivotal to the Demons’ ultimately unsuccessful lunge toward victory. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B J. Lever A. Tomlinson J. Bowey HB J. McVee S. May C. Salem C L. Hunter C. Oliver E. Langdon HF J. Jordon B. Fritsch C. Petracca F T. Sparrow McDonald A. Neal-Bullen FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, K. Pickett I/C K. Chandler T. Rivers J. Smith C. Spargo SUB J. Schache EMG B. Grundy M. Hibberd B. Laurie IN J. Jordon J. Schache C. Spargo A. Tomlinson OUT A. Brayshaw (concussion) M. Hibberd (omitted) B. Laurie (omitted) J. van Rooyen (suspended) CARLTON B B. Kemp J. Weitering N. Newman HB A. Cincotta M. McGovern A. Saad C B. Acres P. Cripps M. Cottrell HF S. Docherty T. De Koning M. Owies F L. Fogarty C. Curnow J. Motlop FOLL M. Pittonet A. Cerra S. Walsh I/C D. Cunningham G. Hewett M. Kennedy C. Marchbank SUB O. Hollands EMG P. Dow S. Durdin Z. Fisher IN O. Hollands M. Kennedy OUT H. McKay (hamstring) J. Martin (suspended) Injury and Suspension List: Semi Final Ben Brown - Knee | Test James Harmes - Hamstring | Test Angus Brayshaw - Concussion | TBC Jacob van Rooyen Suspended | 1 Week Luke Dunstan - Knee | Season Blake Howes - Hand | Season Jake Melksham - Knee | Season Harrison Petty - Foot | Season Oliver Sestan - Elbow | Season

The coming of Springtime brings about a renewal in the cycle of life in all walks and on all levels. We feel the warmer weather, we work better and the changes affect the way we live and how we rest and play. This includes our pastimes and, in particular, our sports. In the AFL, they say that when the home-and-away season ends, a new season begins. On Thursday evening, Melbourne and Collingwood will embark on this new season in a game that could well be pivotal in determining which of the remaining eight teams will be triumphant at the end of the month on that one day in September. The fact that Collingwood is the minor premier and led the field for most of the regular season to finish on top of the league table is certainly of significance but it’s not as important in terms of finals outcome as the recent form of the respective clubs. So let’s look at how they’ve been travelling in the lead up to the finals? From Round 20 onwards, the Pies lowered their colours on three occasions. They also managed to just scramble in to beat the Cats and they finished with a huge victory over the basket case Bombers in a pressure-free meaningless environment after an opening moments when it was clear they were playing against witches hats. No team in recent memory has won a premiership with a record of so many losses in the run home to an AFL/VFL finals series. While it’s true that, Collingwood will welcome back captain Darcy Moore and Nathan Murphy to add some steel to their often chaotic defensive lineup, the question remains whether the skipper and his offsider will be ready for the pressure cooker conditions of a finals campaign and whether the team can regain the confidence and composure it held over the season and a half prior to its recent form reversal. On the other hand, Melbourne’s recent form has been more impressive with six wins from the last seven matches with the solitary loss in that time coming at the hands of the competition’s form team in Carlton and only after a controversial goal review late in the game. The finals of course, are a different beast and, in that regard, finals experience and particular, a record of high performance in finals is crucial. An index of players at clubs in the finals race with the highest average AFL Player ratings in finals has four Demons in the top eight rankings with Clayton Oliver coming in first at an average of 17.2, Brodie Grundy fourth (14.9), Christian Petracca fifth (14.3) and Max Gawn seventh (13.9) with only two Magpies — Moore (14.1) and Scott Pendlebury (13.8) filling in at sixth and eighth respectively. And on recent form, the latter while still dangerous is slowing down appreciably. Of the Demons in this group, Grundy is only an outside chance to play, but this only highlights the strength and depth of the Demons. In addition to this, is the fact that during Oliver’s prolonged absence due to hamstring issues, Melbourne covered his loss remarkably well. Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw and a number of others stepped up from their comfort levels to fill the breach in the middle and Petracca even went forward with telling effect. The upshot is that we have a Demon midfield that is in no way reliant on one or two star players at the very time when the Magpies are exposed for speed and feeling the effect of the loss of their ace card in Nick Daicos. And meanwhile, Ed Langdon and Lachle Hunter lie in wait for that player’s older sibling on the wings. Much has been made of Melbourne’s supposed forward line woes and the absence of Harry Petty and Jake Melksham who booted ten straight goals in their last full game together. Again, the club’s depth will be tested, but the return of Bayley Fritsch and the likely return of Tom McDonald should be enough to confront the Collingwood defence which, notwithstanding its last up start when it conceded a miserable 31 points to a dysfunctional Essendon forward line, has been problematic in the run home to the finals. I haven’t mentioned Melbourne’s defence yet but it really should be recognised for its strength and effectiveness as demonstrated in its last game, one which had little meaning in terms of where the club was going to finish and who was to be its first finals opponent against a team desperate to win a home final. The high pressure applied by the Demons for much of the game was impressive and a fantastic tune up for September action. Melbourne has timed its run to perfection. It sits in the top six in every recognised premiership indicator and is number one in four of them including inside 50 differential, metres gained differential and inside 50s. The Demons are primed to continue their decades long run in finals of dominance over the Magpies. That run will continue on Thursday night when Melbourne takes its first step to premiership glory with a 27-point victory over the old enemy. THE GAME Melbourne v Collingwood at the MCG, Thursday 7 September, 2023 at 7.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 85 wins Collingwood 153 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Melbourne 64 wins Collingwood 85 wins 3 drawn Last five meetings Melbourne 2 wins Collingwood 3 wins The Coaches Goodwin 1 win McCrae 2 wins LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 8.18.66 defeated Collingwood 9.8.62 at the MCG in Round 13, 2023 The Pies were off to a flying start with the opening three goals of the game but managed just six for the remainder including two in the final moments to make it a close finish but, in reality the inaccurate Demons were in control for most of the contest. THE TEAMS COLLINGWOOD B N. Murphy D. Moore I. Quaynor HB B. Maynard O. Markov S. Pendlebury C S. Sidebottom T. Adams J. Daicos HF B. Hill B. Mihocek J. Howe F J. Elliott D. McStay J. De Goey FOLL M. Cox B. McCreery J. Crisp I/C D. Cameron W. Hoskin-Elliott P. Lipinski T. Mitchell SUB J. Ginnivan EMG B. Frampton F. Macrae J. Noble IN B. McCreery D. Moore N.Murphy OUT B. Frampton (omitted) F. Macrae (omitted) J.Noble (omitted) MELBOURNE B M. Hibberd S. May J. Bowey HB J. McVee J. Lever A. Brayshaw C K. Pickett J. Viney E. Langdon HF L. Hunter T. McDonald A. Neal-Bullen F T. Sparrow J. van Rooyen K. Chandler FOLL M.Gawn C. Oliver C. Petracca I/C B. Fritsch T. Rivers C. Salem J. Smith SUB B. Laurie EMG B. Grundy J. Jordon A. Tomlinson IN M. Hibberd T. McDonald OUT J.Melksham (knee) D. Turner (omitted) Injury List: Qualifying Final Michael Hibberd - Concussion | Available Bayley Fritsch - Foot | Test Ben Brown - Knee | TBC Luke Dunstan - Knee | Season Blake Howes - Hand | Season Jake Melksham - Knee | Season Harrison Petty - Foot | Season Oliver Sestan - Elbow | Season

After Melbourne beat Carlton in an MCG snore fest on the first Friday night of winter, most of those who witnessed this insipid event would have been hard put to believe that the return match nine weeks hence would gain billing as a showcase encounter between the two in-form teams of the AFL competition. The Blues started the season strongly, but they had hit a wall. Struck by injuries and form lapses, they were behaving as nervous wrecks, botching their targets, making poor decisions and appearing like deer standing frozen in an approaching car’s headlights. Sensing their team was heading for football’s scrap heap to fight for choice draft picks in the second half of the season, the fans were not happy — they were baying for blood. Anyone’s blood. Meanwhile, the Demons, who started the year positively, were also in a rut having lost their last two games: both winnable. Faced with the prospect of having to live for a while without the driving force of champion on baller Clayton Oliver as well as with a dysfunctional forward line that had forgotten how to score goals, they managed to prevail in this forgettable clash against the lamentable Blues but it was clear that both clubs were in need of an infusion of some magical power to get them to move forward. It was surely by magic then, that Michael Voss was able to uncover the right chemistry to turn his club on its head with seven straight wins, many of them by large amounts with their closest opponent being the ladder leader Collingwood where the margin was seventeen points. Last week, the Blues faltered in the first half against the Saints, but they blasted their way into fifth position on the ladder in the face a typically ultra negative defence from Ross Lyon whose charges managed a single goal in the last half. Melbourne also found a winning trajectory, albeit without the same huge margins but it endured a similarly slow last start against the lowly Kangaroos before a ten-goal turnaround saw them move into second place on the table. Suddenly, it’s second versus fifth in what promises to be an intriguing matchup between two teams that have key personnel missing from their line ups. At least there can be no more perfect venue for such an encounter with the Blues coming off the soulless Marvel Stadium contrasting with the Demons’ last venue in a suburban setting at Blundstone Arena in Hobart. On Saturday night, it will be a full-throated reception from 80,000 fans at the magical MCG. A fortnight ago, Melbourne thought it had discovered the perfect forward line formula after a search that lasted almost two years. Harrison Petty, Jacob van Rooyen and Jake Melksham were deadly in hitting the target fourteen times in a score of 130 points but the loss of Petty through injury will cause a rethink and a reshuffle. The outcome will be crucial in this match as Carlton’s brilliant defender Jacob Weitering awaits his next prey. At the other end of the ground, Carlton’s attack has discovered the magic formula for a newfound potency since the last encounter between these teams. Charlie Curnow has blossomed in the absence of Harry McKay, assisted by a bevy of dangerous small to medium forwards ever-ready to swoop on ground balls set up when aerial contests are smothered. At the time of writing, before team selection, it’s not known exactly who will line up in the respective teams’ midfields. The expected return of Clayton Oliver could be decisive but who knows how he will fare after being on the missing list since a rainy night in Adelaide in the middle of May. In his absence, the Demons’ changed midfield structure has served the team well and allowed Christian Petracca to go forward at times with great success while Jack Viney lifted several notches, Angus Brayshaw added his delicate touch and others came to the aid of the party. Clarrie’s return will add a touch of spice to this game as will the possible change to the forward line resulting from Harrison Petty’s absence. Will Simon Goodwin find some more magical powers in his chemistry set to influence the outcome of this game? This week Melbourne has claimed top place on the Musashi Power Rankings ahead of Collingwood who have been leading the pack for most of the year. Carlton have climbed into fourth place. This is the pointer that swayed my decision about who wins — I’m tipping a magical 5-point victory for the Demons. THE GAME Melbourne v Carlton at the MCG Saturday 12 August 2023 at 7.30pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Carlton 117 wins Melbourne 97 wins Drawn 2 At the MCG Carlton 50 wins Melbourne 56 wins Past five meetings Carlton 0 wins Melbourne 5 The Coaches Voss 0 wins Goodwin 2 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 8.13.61 defeated Carlton 6.8.44 at the MCG Round 12, 2023 It was a dour struggle between two teams intent on defence. Christian Petracca with thirty-two touches and six marks was outstanding as the Demons returned to the winner’s list after a couple of close defeats. THE TEAMS CARLTON B A. Cincotta J. Weitering A. Saad HB N. Newman C. Marchbank B. Kemp C B. Acres P. Cripps O. Hollands HF J. Martin T. De Koning D. Cuningham F L. Fogarty C. Curnow M. Owies FOLL M. Pittonet S. Docherty G. Hewett I/C M. Cottrell P. Dow Z. Fisher J. Motlop SUB E. Curnow EMG J. Boyd S. Durdin J. Honey NO CHANGE MELBOURNE B C. Salem S. May T. Rivers HB J. Bowey J. Lever A. Brayshaw C L. Hunter J. Viney A. Neal-Bullen HF C. Petracca J. Smith K. Chandler F J. Melksham J. van Rooyen Jordon FOLL M. Gawn C. Oliver K. Pickett I/C B. Grundy E. Langdon J. McVee T. Sparrow SUB M. Hibberd EMG J. Harmes J. Schache C. Spargo IN B. Grundy C. Oliver OUT J. Harmes (omitted) H. Petty (foot) Injury List: Round 22 Tom McDonald - Ankle | Test Clayton Oliver - Hamstring | Test Kye Turner - Groin | Test Ben Brown - Knee | 1 Week Daniel Turner - Hand | 1 - 2 Weeks Bayley Fritsch - Foot | 2 - 3 Weeks Blake Howes - Hand | Season Harrison Petty - Foot | Season Oliver Sestan - Elbow | Season

At this point we don't know whether the Grundy experiment works or continues into the further seasons. Someone who fits what we need in a FWD/Ruck is Jack Silvagni who is reported as "unlikely" to remain at the Blues. He is also an Unrestricted FA and if we are to move grundy on I think he fits our needs as a 30% game time ruck who has shown he can kick a goal. What are the thoughts? Would he be too expensive?

The search to discover the real Melbourne continues. Most of the search centres on its forward line but there’s more to it than that. The attack worked reasonably well for the first nine rounds despite the disruption of injuries to key position players. The Demons averaged 107 points per game to feature as the competition’s leading scorer, had a 7-2 win/loss record and were heading for a possible top two placing. But as wet weather and goal front inaccuracy bedeviled the team over rounds 10 to 16, that average plummeted dramatically to 64 points as they lost four out of six games by narrow margins — games that were eminently winnable and people were asking, “what is the real Melbourne?” It was then that coach Simon Goodwin undertook a new tack, mixing things around in the midfield and up forward due in part to form and to necessity as a result injuries, notably to star players like Clayton Oliver and Bayley Fritsch. This involved some clever and inspired innovation. Brodie Grundy was sent to Casey to work on his forward craft, some of the team’s smaller forwards were also sent to the VFL, others were given more midfield minutes and Christian Petracca’s spent extra time up forward yielding four goals twice in a row. In the three matches since, the team has started hitting the target more regularly, the average score surged upwards by 30 points, and the wins have come. But despite the improvement in forward connection, Goodwin is still searching. "We are still not finished in what we are doing and we have got to find ways to continue to improve … ," he said after last week’s game. One area where his team needs to improve is in bridling opposition run ons such as those we’ve seen recently from Geelong, GWS Giants, Brisbane and Adelaide. Stop these and the Demons will really be on their way. And that brings us to this week’s game against Richmond which finished last week’s game against Hawthorn with six consecutive goals after they languished in the shadows of defeat shortly before three quarter time. The Tigers rose Phoenix-like from the dead to revive their finals hopes and with the new belief engendered by their last ditch win, they present danger to Melbourne if they can repeat that effort. As it is, they gave the Demons a hard time at their last encounter on Anzac Day Eve when under the coaching of Damien Hardwick who not long after, quit the club having lost the desire to continue in the job. His replacement, Andrew McQualter has them buzzing along nicely with the likes of Taranto, Bolton and Baker starring and Dustin Martin returning to his dangerous form of old. The Demons will have to produce their very best in terms of applying maximum pressure for four quarters. They can’t afford a repeat of their recent final term fadeouts against the Cats and the Crows because the Tigers have come back from the dead in two of their last three games which is the reason why the sit outside the top eight on percentage only. I’m backing Goodwin to succeed in his search for the answer to the puzzle. The Demons are due to perform for the full four quarters and to prove once again that they are the true masters of the MCG. Melbourne by 55 points. THE GAME Richmond v Melbourne on Sunday 30 July 2023 at 3.20pm at the MCG HEAD TO HEAD Overall Richmond 107 wins Melbourne 78 wins Drawn 2 At the MCG Richmond 72 wins Melbourne 66 wins Drawn 1 Past five meetings Richmond 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches McQualter 0 wins Goodwin 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 15.6.96 defeated Richmond 11.12.78 at the MCG, Round 6, 2023 The Demons looked sluggish on their return from the Gather Round in Adelaide. Richmond opened up a decent lead in the third term but thanks to the midfield brilliance of Jack Viney, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca, Melbourne was able to take control early in the final term to win by three goals. THE TEAMS RICHMOND B N. Balta, D. Grimes T. Young HB N. Vlastuin N. Broad D. Rioli C K. McIntosh T. Taranto J. Ross HF J. Graham J. Hopper L. Baker F J. Riewoldt D. Martin M. Pickett FOLL I. Soldo D. Prestia S. Bolton I/C S. Banks, T. Cotchin R. Mansell B. Miller SUB M. Coulthard EMG N. Cumberland H. Ralphsmith S. Ryan No Change MELBOURNE B T. Rivers, S. May, J. Lever HB C. Salem A. Tomlinson J. Bowey C L. Hunter J. Viney E. Langdon HF K. Chandler J. Melksham J. Jordon F A. Neal-Bullen J. Van Rooyen K. Pickett FOLL M. Gawn A. Brayshaw C. Petracca I/C J. Harmes J. McVee H. Petty T. Woewodin SUB J. Smith EMG B. Grundy M. Hibberd C. Spargo IN J. Harmes H. Petty OUT B. Brown (omitted) T. Sparrow Injury List: Round 20 Harry Petty - Ribs | Test Clayton Oliver - Hamstring | 2 - 3 Weeks Tom McDonald - Ankle | 2 - 3 Weeks Kye Turner - Groin | 3 - 4 Weeks Bayley Fritsch - Foot | 4 - 5 Weeks Daniel Turner - Hand | 4 - 5 Weeks Blake Howes - Hand | Season