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After the game, Simon Goodwin bemoaned the fact that his team’s performance against St Kilda was far from perfect but given it was an important contest between fourth and fifth, it matters little that the win against a team battered from pillar to post and minus key players was ugly. The win was the main objective as it is again this week against the Brisbane Lions. The Demons desperately needed validation in the form of victory in their third straight game away from the MCG in a season where the advantage of playing on your home turf can not be underestimated. More than a month since their victory from left field over Collingwood, they return to take a 7 - 1 win/loss record at the home of football into their game against third placed Brisbane who seem to have a primeval fear of this neck of the woods — for the Lions it’s the ultimate hoodoo ground. Up north they’re called Brizvegas suggesting they’re bright and glitzy (except when their light towers crash) but the minute they hit the concourse at Yarra Park they turn into Brizghanistan, a mostly dark place where lights flicker only intermittently. And we know too well how poorly they play in those circumstances. I’m discounting the outcome of last year’s semi final between the clubs as an aberration, the result of a banged up Melbourne side running out of puff and bereft of the fitness required to win a finals matchup. Still, while the Demons’ form has by no means been decisive and they need to improve considerably to beat Brisbane on Friday night. The Lions might have a blind spot when it comes to playing on the MCG but you need do more than just turn up to the ground if you want to win. Since Round 10, Melbourne has undergone what’s known as a “midseason slump” but things definitely started to turn around last week with some subtle changes to the team mix caused by the necessity to take on new challenges after failing to grab winning opportunities in their previous two matches against Geelong and GWS. Despite the fact that Melbourne had less time in the forward half against St Kilda, it managed 50% more goals than in any of its past five games. It marked a desperately needed correction in the way the team converts its opportunities when transitioning into attack, in the first instance delivering much better efficiency in front of goal. This came in a number of forms, resulting from the inclusion of Ben Brown, Christian Petracca spending more time up forward, playing fewer small forwards and a changed midfield mix. The Demons still have the ability to defend ball movement with precision and control from the backline through the middle, an important aspect both against the opposition and in taking field position into attack. But … … still have to lift a few extra cogs if they want to seriously return to the race for the flag and they have all the incentive in the world to do so on Friday night against the Lions. They must surely recall the smarmy way their former captain Dayne Zorko and his entourage acted in their meetings late in the season, the humiliating fall out of the finals in straight sets on home territory and the touch up meted out in their Round 2 encounter up north until the lights went out. All emotional stuff but in every high powered game, there’s always an element of bottled up emotion and energy a team needs to unleash in order to set up victory. The time is right for the Demons to step up to home plate and I’m tipping them to do exactly that. Melbourne to win by 41 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Brisbane Lions at The MCG, Friday 14 July, 2023 at 7.50pm HEAD TO HEAD * Overall: Melbourne 29 wins Brisbane Lions 24 wins At The MCG Melbourne 15 wins Brisbane 4 wins Last Five Meetings: Melbourne 3 wins Brisbane Lions 2 wins The Coaches: Goodwin 7 wins Fagan 4 wins * does not include Brisbane Bears or Fitzroy games LAST TIME THEY MET Brisbane Lions 14.9.93 defeated Melbourne 13.4.82 at The Gabba, Round 2, 2023 It was best known as the night when the lights went out at the Gabba but also for Max Gawn’s early exit from a knee injury and Melbourne’s inability to handle the footy in the humid, soppy conditions in the opening term. The Lions had a big lead when the darkness set in but when the lights went back on the accurate Demons stormed home and came close to bridging the gap before time ran out. Ben Brown claimed his second four goal bag in a row. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE 
B J. McVee H. Petty J. Lever HB J. Bowey S. May A. Brayshaw C T. Rivers J. Viney T. Woewodin HF K. Pickett J. Melksham E. Langdon F J. Jordon B. Brown C. Spargo FOLL M. Gawn C. Petracca L. Hunter I/C A. Neal-Bullen C. Salem T. Sparrow J. van Rooyen SUB J. Smith EMG K. Chandler L. Dunstan B. Grundy IN J. van Rooyen OUT B. Grundy (omitted) BRISBANE B B. Starcevich H. Andrews J. Payne HB C. McKenna R. Lester K. Coleman C H. McCluggage Z. Bailey J. Fletcher HF C. Cameron E. Hipwood L. McCarthy F D. Zorko J. Daniher C. Rayner FOLL O. McInerney L. Neale W. Ashcroft I/C J. Berry J. Gunston J. Lyons D. Wilmot 
SUB D. Robertson EMG D. Fort D. Joyce K. Lohmann IN J. Berry L. McCarthy OUT J. Madden (shoulder) K. Lohmann (omitted) Injury List: Round 18 Harry Petty - Ribs | Available Michael Hibberd - Kidney | Test Tom McDonald - Ankle | 3 - 5 Weeks Clayton Oliver - Hamstring | 4 Weeks Bayley Fritsch - Foot | 6 - 7 Weeks Daniel Turner - Hand | 6 - 7 Weeks Kye Turner - Groin | TBC STATS HURT by Sam the Stats Man Melbourne has had a moderate run with injuries this year although the loss of a few key players here and there to various ailments has hurt the club’s 2023 campaign. The loss of Max Gawn through a knee injury in the equivalent game against the Lions in the capital of the sunshine state was the early blow. The impact was felt immediately under the shock of the skipper’s painful departure from the ground and the action. He was out for a month which included the then surprise defeat during the Gather Round at the hands of the Bombers in Adelaide. Christian Salem’s thyroid and knee woes saw him miss a large slab of games early while key talls Ben Brown and Tom McDonald have injuries and form to blame for prolonged absences which affected the team’s forward performance. The biggest loss to injury by far has been the well-documented saga of Clayton Oliver’s hamstring compounded by a week in hospital with infected blisters on the foot and further compounded by further hamstring damage of a complex nature that sees his return pushed back to somewhere near the finals. Bayley Fritsh is out until the finals - the club having to make do with others up forward in the vital games to come in the interim. One other statistic stands out to my mind. The Demon’s exciting and electric goalkicking sensation Kozzie Pickett, who booted four goals and earned a two week suspension in Round 1. Since his return from the sin bin, his productivity has gone into decline and from Round 11, he has kicked only four goals in five games. Considering that he booted six in one game against Port Adelaide last year, his lack of productivity in goal scoring is a worry even if the number of his pressure acts may have improved slightly. The playing list details to date:- ADAMS, Jed CDFC games 14, CDFC goals 0 BOWEY Jake MFC games 14, MFC goals 1, CDFC game 1, CDFC goals 0 BRAYSHAW, Angus MFC games 16, MFC goals 0 BROWN, Ben MFC games 5, MFC goals 9, CDFC games 7, CDFC goals 11 CHANDLER, Kade MFC games 14, MFC goals 13, CDFC game 1, CDFC goals 0 DUNSTAN, Luke CDFC games 10, CDFC goals 5 FARRIS-WHITE, Kyah CDFC games 4, CDFC goals 0 FRITSCH, Bayley MFC games 15, MFC goals 16 GAWN, Max MFC games 13, MFC goals 3 GRUNDY, Brodie MFC games 16, MFC goals 3 HARMES, James MFC games 7, MFC goals 0, CDFC games 6, CDFC goals 4 HIBBERD, Michael MFC games 9, MFC goals 0, CDFC games 1, CDFC goals 0 HOWES, Blake CDFC games 14, CDFC goals 0 HUNTER, Lachie MFC games 15, MFC goals 3 JEFFERSON, Matthew CDFC games 14, CDFC goals 18 JORDON, James MFC games 12, MFC goals 3, CDFC games 4, CDFC goals 4 LANGDON , Ed MFC games 16, MFC goals 1 LAURIE, Bailey MFC games 2, MFC goals 0, CDFC games 13, CDFC goals 9 LEVER, Jake MFC games 15, MFC goals 0 MCDONALD, Tom MFC games 6, MFC goals 5, CDFC games 3, CDFC goals 5 MCVEE, Judd MFC games 16, MFC goals 0 MAY, Steven MFC games 14, MFC goals 0 MELKSHAM, Jake MFC games 6, MFC goals 4, CDFC games 6, CDFC goals 17 MONIZ-WAKEFIELD, Andy CDFC games 13, CDFC goals 10 NEALE-BULLEN, Alex MFC games 16, MFC goals 7 OLIVER, Clayton MFC games 10, MFC goals 4 PETRACCA, Christian MFC games 16, MFC goals 8 PETTY, Harrison MFC games 11, MFC goals 2 PICKETT, Kysaiah MFC games 14, MFC goals 22 RIVERS, Trent MFC games 16, MFC goals 1 SALEM, Christian - MFC games 7, MFC goals 0 SCHACHE, Josh- MFC games 1, MFC goal 1, CDFC games 11, CDFC goals 27 SESTAN, Oliver CDFC games 14, CDFC goals 11 SMITH, Deakyn CDFC games 14, CDFC goals 0 SMITH, Joel - MFC games 5, MFC goal 0, CDFC games 5, CDFC goals 11 SPARGO, Charlie MFC games 12, MFC goals 6. CDFC games 2, CDFC goal 1 SPARROW, Tom MFC games 15, MFC goals 3 TOMLINSON, Adam MFC games 5, MFC goals 0, CDFC games 8, CDFC goals 0 TURNER, Daniel - MFC game 1, MFC goal 0, CDFC games 9, CDFC goals 0 TURNER, Kye CDFC games 2, CDFC goals 0 VAN ROOYEN, Jacob MFC games 12, MFC goals 10, CDFC games 3, CDFC goals 6 VERRALL, Will CDFC games 3, CDFC goals 0 VINEY, Jack MFC games 15, MFC goals 3 WOEWODIN, Taj - MFC game 1, MFC goal 0, CDFC games 9, CDFC goals 6

The last time I quoted former Kangaroos champion and Foxtel commentator David King in a match preview, the Demons played one of their best games to date of 2023 and beat Collingwood at the MCG on Kings Birthday. This has led me to return to the guru of all things football strategy, tactics and wisdom for another crack because I’m genuinely concerned that Melbourne is not achieving the things of which it is capable. Speaking on Fox Footy at the weekend, King delivered a significant reality check about the Demons’ forward line arguing that it’s “on life support” and their current mix up forward “is not winning a prelim final” this year. The current mix includes playing elite ruckmen in key forward posts. And based on their recent struggles up forward, the moment of truth is coming quickly for the Melbourne Football Club which earlier in the season was averaging more than 100 points per game (to Round 9) and was leading all AFL clubs for scoring at around that time. However, the past five matches have seen its match totals plummet with scores of 76 (vs Port Adelaide), 72 (Fremantle), 61 (Carlton), 66 (Collingwood) and 63 (Geelong). The team is suddenly bleeding from turnovers, battling to convert scores from inside 50 and in the past four matches has been in the mid 30s goal accuracy percentage range. Of course, it wasn’t just the forward line that was responsible for capitulating against Geelong, Fremantle and Port Adelaide or the near victory from defeat snatch against Collingwood. It was however, the lapses in the forward line where insufficient pressure was asserted on the Cats’ defence in the forward half that turned momentum in the space of three minutes that destroyed three quarters of hard work in their most recent encounter. That’s a red flag that brings the team to its moment of truth. I’m not sure whether the match committee is on top of this because we’re seeing minor patch up jobs with the forward line on a weekly basis with the same flat line forward scoring outcomes, little signs of pressure exerted on opposing defences and low possession statistics for the small forwards. This was not happening earlier this season and King is right to state the situation is not sustainable — the club remains strong in defence and has an elite level midfield (albeit missing its goat in the hamstrung Clayton Oliver) but to maintain a reasonable prospect of getting to a preliminary final, let alone winning one, it requires the forwards to make more of a contribution to the team effort than eight goals and many more behinds over the course of a game. The GWS Giants are no slouches. They not long ago bested Geelong at GMHBA Stadium and in their last game thrashed Fremantle on their home turf. This means the trip to Traeger Park, Melbourne’s home away from home, will present it with more than a few problems. Toby Greene is a likely handful for whoever is chosen to take him on, the Giants have excellent midfield talent in Kelly, Green and Coniglio and a very handy defence. Fortunately for the Demons, the Giants will have little support in the crowd and have to contend with the post bye hoodoo that’s ravaging AFL clubs this year. By way of a strange twist of fate the weather bureau is predicting heavy rain in the days leading up to the game. This should clear by game day and the Demons will be hoping that the ground drains well because they haven’t handled wet, greasy conditions well this year. On their last visit to the Alice, the Demons overturned a last start defeat against Geelong with the help of a six goal masterclass from Kozzy Pickett and the performances of Christian Petracca and Jack Viney in the middle. They overcame a slow start and focused on maintaining momentum throughout the game. They need to repeat that on Sunday at TIO Traeger Park and the best way to achieving that is by improving their inside 50 efficiency and scoring accuracy. With the moment of truth facing them in the heart of the country, the time has come to prove that there’s plenty of life left in their 2023 campaign. Melbourne by 15 points. THE GAME Melbourne v GWS Giants at TIO Traeger Park, Sunday 2 July, 2023 at 3:20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall – Melbourne 9 wins GWS Giants 7 wins At TIO Traeger Park – Melbourne 0 wins GWS Giants 0 wins Past five meetings – Melbourne 3 wins GWS Giants 2 wins The Coaches – Goodwin 0 wins Kingsley 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 19.6.120 defeated GWS Giants 7.11.53 at The MCG, Round 5 2022 This was one of Melbourne’s few big victories of the 2022 season, predicated on strong running, heavy defensive pressure and yes, sublime attacking football and superb accuracy when kicking for goal. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B J. McVee S. May C. Salem HB T. Sparrow J. Lever T. Rivers C L. Hunter J. Viney E. Langdon HF C. Petracca B. Fritsch J. Smith F A. Neal-Bullen B. Grundy K. Chandler FOLL M. Gawn A. Brayshaw J. Harmes I/C J. Bowey B. Brown H. Petty K. Pickett SUB J. Melksham EMG J. van Rooyen C. Spargo A. Tomlinson IN J. Bowey B. Brown J. Harmes J. Melksham OUT M. Hibberd (kidney) James Jordon (omitted) C. Spargo (omitted) J. van Rooyen GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS B J. Buckley S. Taylor C. Idun HF L. Ash H. Himmelberg N. Haynes C J. Kelly C. Ward F. Callaghan HF D. Lloyd J. Riccardi T. Bedford F X. O'Halloran J. Hogan T. Greene FOLL K. Briggs S. Coniglio T. Green I/C C. M. Brown I. Cumming L. Keefe H. Perryman SUB R. Angwin EMG A. Cadman J. Fahey M. Flynn IN R. Angwin I. Cumming J. Hogan OUT A. Cadman (omitted) J. Fahey (omitted) Whitfield (suspension) Injury List: Round 16 Clayton Oliver - Hamstring | 1 - 2 Weeks Michael Hibberd - Kidney | TBC Tom McDonald - Foot | 4 - 6 Weeks Kye Turner - Groin | TBC

“If Melbourne are to finish top four, they have to beat Collingwood next week” — David King (First Crack 4 June 2023) Monday’s Kings Birthday blockbuster will mark the first of its kind after a seven decade reign by Queen Elizabeth II and, if David King is to be believed, it will be a season-defining game for Melbourne. Even though the the Demons seem to be well ensconced in the top four, this situation is in many ways a mirage given the number of teams yapping at their heels a rung or two below them ready to pounce. With a bye and a game against the resurgent Cats to follow, it’s clear how critical the game is for the club which currently only has only one top eight scalp under its belt. To make matters even more dire, the team’s form has been in apparent decline over the past few weeks. The inaccuracy in kicking for goal highlighted further by a seemingly sudden surge of impotency in attack has some supporters up in arms but you don’t lose skills overnight. This is an issue that historically can vary from week to week among teams and there’s no reason why Melbourne can’t revert back to that early season deadly form in front of goal. And if they do, then watch out because the word is out that they were inspired this week by former coach and MND sufferer Neale Daniher’s moving address ahead of Monday’s Big Freeze. Speaking of reverting back, it’s worth freezing the frame and looking at where Melbourne stood last year when it came up against Collingwood in Round 21 last year. The Demons were coming off a series of interstate trips combined with six day breaks and absolutely blitzed the Magpies in the first half. Absent the latter’s accuracy in front of goal (8 goals from 10 shots), it would have been all over by half time. As it was, the Pies’ accuracy persisted (3.2 to 1.4) as they pegged the Dees back in the third term before they overcame them in the final quarter. It will be interesting to see how differently Melbourne comes up this week with the benefit of a ten day break against a team that’s had a run of easy wins against lowly sides over the past month or so. In fact, it would be fair to say that the last month for Collingwood has a similar feel to the Melbourne experience of 2022 including games against the likes of North Melbourne and the West Coast Eagles where they each won easily in cruise mode and came out with some important personnel unavailable. Sure, the Magpies work hard, play for each other and are a tough running side but it’s been a while since they’ve been tested and are coming into Monday’s blockbuster game without some handy playmakers in De Goey and Sidebottom out of the side and others under a cloud. Luckily for Collingwood, Melbourne’s hand could not be strengthened by the return of Clayton Oliver, hospitalized with blisters on his feet after recovering from a hammy. I was hoping to see him recover on the morning of the game and turn up still connected to a saline drip and still pick up 40 touches in the afternoon. Still, the Demon midfield did okay against Carlton without Clarrie so it’s not the end of the world. There’s also been a noticeable lift in the form of Melbourne’s defence which is returning to the high standards it achieved in 2021. They will miss Jake Bowey but with the tall backs in good form, Christian Salem hitting his straps and Michael Hibberd back after resting his Achilles, expect to see Collingwood tested to the limit and frozen out of the game. Melbourne to ice a game for the ages by two points. Donate to fight MND here THE GAME Melbourne v Collingwood at the MCG, Monday 12 June, 2023 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 84 wins Collingwood 153 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Melbourne 63 wins Collingwood 85 wins 3 drawn Last five meetings Melbourne 1 win Collingwood 4 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins McCrae 2 wins LAST TIME THEY MET Collingwood 15.6.96 defeated Melbourne 13.11.89 at the MCG in Round 21, 2022 Melbourne led by a point at 23½ minutes into the final term when Ash Johnson kicked the goal that put a remarkably accurate Collingwood in front. The Demons had almost 100 more disposals, won the clearances 52-32 and went inside 50 on 65-41 occasions but couldn’t match the Magpies’ shooting accuracy for goal which finished at 71% but was in the 80s for most of the game. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B T. Rivers S. May J. Lever HB M. Hibberd A. Tomlinson J. Smith C L. Hunter J. Viney T. Sparrow HF C. Spargo B. Fritsch A. Neal-Bullen F J. van Rooyen B. Grundy K. Chandler FOLL M. Gawn C. Petracca K. Pickett I/C A. Brayshaw E. Langdon J. McVee C. Salem
 SUB J. Jordon EMG J. Melksham J. Schache T. Woewodin IN M. Hibberd OUT J. Bowey (concussion) J. Harmes (suspended) COLLINGWOOD B I. Quaynor D. Moore B. Maynard HB B. Frampton N. Murphy S. Pendlebury C W. Hoskin-Elliott J. Crisp J. Daicos HF A. Johnson B. Mihocek P. Lipinski F R. McInnes D. Cameron B. Hill FOLL M. Cox N. Daicos T. Mitchell I/C T. Adams H. Harrison J. Noble B. McCreery SUB O. Markov EMG T. Bianco F. Macrae IN P. Lipinski OUT J. De Goey (suspended) Injury and Suspension List: Round 13 Clayton Oliver - Hamstring | Test Luke Dunstan - Knee | Test James Harmes - Suspension | 1 Week Jake Bowey - Concussion | 1 Week Harry Petty - Foot | 1 - 2 Weeks Will Verrall - Pelvis | 1 - 2 Weeks Kye Turner - Groin | 3 - 4 Weeks Tom McDonald - Foot | 6 - 8 Weeks

Just a few weeks ago when nobody had ever heard or knew about Walyalup, the outcome of Saturday’s clash at the MCG with Narrm would have been considered a foregone conclusion in favour of the Demons. The Purple Haze were wallowing in the depths. They had even lost their Round 2 matchup against North Melbourne at Optus Stadium — that’s how badly they were traveling! Meanwhile, the Demons were monstering weak opponents like the aforementioned North Melbourne to the tune of 15 goals. They were up there along with Collingwood and Brisbane in the race for flag favouritism but, after a rain-soaked night and a narrow defeat in Adelaide and a hamstring strain to one Clayton Oliver, the sky appears to be caving in. The arrival from across the Nullarbor of a Walyalup combination fresh from victories over both of last season’s grand finalists, has some Demon fans quaking in their boots with fear. The fact is that neither the Cats nor the Swans of the last fortnight are the Geelong or Sydney of September, 2022. The Dockers aren’t exactly Fremantle either because they changed their name to Walyalup Football Club for the duration of Sir Doug Nicholls Round. ‘Walyalup’ is Noongar country in and around the Fremantle region. The change of name certainly brought about a change of luck because they’ve come up against opponents stricken with injuries just as they themselves are striking form and benefiting from some crucial returnees, notably former skipper Nat Fyfe who missed the early part of the season. While the Dockers are gaining momentum, the elephant in the room for the Demons is the absence of Clayton Oliver for what seems to be at least a fortnight due to hamstring issues and Lachie Hunter for a week due to suspension. The two were close to the team’s best last week. When the Oliver/Hunter door to that room closes, another one necessarily opens for Simon Goodwin. It could invite disaster but it also could well be for the ultimate good of the club. Despite its elite standard rucks and midfielders, Melbourne/Narrm has been exposed of late in terms of winning clearances and contested ball. It wasn’t just Port Adelaide/ Yartapuulti’s Butters and Rozee last week, it was evident for more than a few brief moments against the Hawks and for much of the game against the Suns as well as in the two defeats earlier in the season. There’s no respite this week with Walyalup boasting ruck pair Darcy and Jackson to go with talented young mids Serong and Brayshaw backed up by dual Brownlow Medallist Fyfe. Demons need not go into panic however, Oliver was there when they last met but it was Viney, Petracca and the elder Brayshaw who did the damage in the engine room. The club’s two way running and tackling from the small forwards which was so effective in the premiership season has also been effectively reduced if not worked out altogether. Goodwin and the brains trust have been tinkering with the system and I don’t think it needs an overhaul, but the forced changes in personnel mean that these issues have to be met head on this week. So watch closely the changes that will be made to the lineup. The expected and logical will happen — Tom Sparrow back from suspension, James Harmes in and James Jordon from sub duties and possibly even more midfield moments from Trent Rivers and Kozzie Pickett but the Demons need a little more in the mix to meet the challenge of not only this week, but also the month to come. The 2022 story of the clashes between these teams was interesting with one win each away from their home turf. Narrm have been unmovable at home this year while Walyalup’s only win away from Noongar country, apart from an unconvincing effort on neutral territory against the Suns in the Gather Round, was over the hugely injury-depleted Swans at the SCG a fortnight ago. The Demons are goals better at home and, while I don’t condone or encourage gambling, just take a look at the odds framed by the bookies - and they know their stuff! Besides, it’s about time that the Demons proved themselves in what surely is a cutthroat game. I’m tipping them to do that and win by 25 points. THE GAME Narrm v Walyalup on Saturday 27 May 2023 at the MCG at 2.10pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Narrm 18 wins Walyalup 24 wins At the MCG Narrm 9 wins Walyalup 8 wins Last five meetings Narrm 3 wins Walyalup 2 wins The Coaches Goodwin 2 wins Longmuir 2 wins LAST TIME THEY MET Narrm 12.13.85 defeated Walyalup 5.9.39 at Optus Stadium, Round 20, 2022 It was a vital game for both sides in terms of protecting their final four aspirations and the Demons were on top of the Dockers from the outset as they overturned their loss at the MCG from earlier in the season. Jack Viney, Christian Petracca and Angus Bradshaw were the team’s shock troops that dominated in the midfield in an emphatic 46 point victory that stunned the West. TEAMS NARRM B M. Hibberd J. Lever J. McVee HB C. Salem S. May A. Brayshaw C E. Langdon J. Viney T. Sparrow HF B. Fritsch T. McDonald K. Pickett F K. Chandler B. Grundy C. Spargo FOLL M. Gawn C. Petracca A. Neal-Bullen I/C J. Bowey J. Harmes T. Rivers J. van Rooyen SUB J. Jordon EMG B. Laurie J. Smith T. Woewodin IN J. Harmes T. Sparrow OUT L. Hunter (suspended) C. Oliver (hamstring) WALYALUP B B. Cox A. Pearce H. Young HB B. Walker L. Ryan J. Aish C J. Clark J. O'Meara N. O'Driscoll HF S. Switkowski N. Fyfe M. Frederick F M. Johnson J. Amiss L. Schultz FOLL S. Darcy A. Brayshaw L. Jackson I/C B. Banfield E. Hughes C. Serong J. Treacy SUB S. Sturt EMG W. Brodie N. Erasmus K. Worner IN S. Sturt OUT M. Walters (calf) Injury and Suspension List: Round 11 Jake Bowey - Calf | Test Clayton Oliver - Hamstring | TBC Lachie Hunter - Suspension | One Week Luke Dunstan - Knee | 1 - 2 Weeks Kye Turner - Groin | 3 - 4 Weeks Will Verrall - Pelvis | 3 - 4 Weeks Harry Petty - Foot | 3 - 5 Weeks

The much vaunted midfield of the Narrm Football Club came crashing to the sodden earth of Adelaide Oval at the hands of Yartapuulti‘s young guns. The local youngsters were headed by three scintillating quarters of magic in the midfield from ZaK Butters and Connor Rozee and a few magical party tricks from the makeshift Yartapuulti forward line such as Sam Powell-Pepper‘s goal over the shoulder early in the game and Rozee’s late match winner. A controversial mark paid to Ollie Lord that appeared to have touched the grass helped, as did after-the-siren goals at the end of the first and third quarters. Together the grabbed the limelight on the AFL’s Friday Night stage. Narrm had just one quarter of glory when an uncharacteristically quiet Christian Petracca together with Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney restored life and clearance dominance to the team. They surged with seven goals from a game-high deficit of 25 points to a 17 point lead in the driving rain. It was also the only period of time in the game when their defence, led valiantly by Steven May (who can be proud of his Sir Doug Nicholls Round performance). Unfortunately, a couple of late frees that culminated in that last ditch goal gave succor to the home side. The Demons’ final term was weak, with some poor decision-making that let Yartapuulti back into the game and rewarded them with their ultimately well deserved victory. Overall, there were too many passengers among the Narrm small brigade up forward that went missing in the wet. The taller forwards were often caught behind during the first, second and last quarters when the game was won and lost. The ultimate four point final margin was flattering to say the least. Coach Simon Goodwin has some work to do as his team has a tough month ahead and if it doesn’t revert to a more desperate kind of play, they might well lose touch with a top four berth. NARRM 1.2.8 3.5.23 10.7.67 11.10.76 YARTAPUULTI 3.2.20 5.7.37 8.8.56 11.14.80 GOALS NARRM Fritsch McDonald 2 Chandler Hunter Grundy Petracca Pickett Spargo van Rooyen YARTAPUULTI Butters Finlayson Lord 2 Burton Horne-Francis Houston Powell-Pepper Rozee BEST NARRM Oliver Rivers May Hunter Viney YARTAPUULTI Butters Houston Rozee Bergman Burton Horne-Francis INJURIES NARRM J. Bowey (calf) YARTAPUULTI Boak (ribs) McKenzie (concussion) REPORTS NARRM L. Hunter for rough conduct on C. Rozee YARTAPUULTI Nil SUBSTITUTIONS NARRM J. Jordon (replaced J. Bowey in the third quarter) YARTAPUULTI J. Mead (replaced T. Boak in the third quarter) UMPIRES Curtis Deboy Hayden Gavine Jamie Broadbent Leigh Haussen CROWD 37,565 at Adelaide Oval

The Narrm Football Club found a second way in the space of 12 months less a day to unexpectedly lose a home game against Walyalup on Saturday afternoon. The equivalent match of last year has been described as Melbourne’s “ground zero” of 2022 where things went wrong for the club after a long run of wins that included its 57 year drought-breaking premiership triumph. Unfortunately for the Demons, the 2023 version was a case of deja vu with the Dockers overcoming a half time deficit and running over the home team in the decisive third quarter. During that term last year, the visitors won the centre clearances 7-0 to shock the reigning premiers and end their 17-game winning sequence. This time our Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca was healthy enough to hold up his end and Tom Sparrow did as good a job as any human can do in filling the cavernous hole left by the absence of Clayton Oliver but the Demons still fell apart badly in the middle of the ground. This was especially so even after Walyalup’s Sean Darcy was subbed off the ground with a hamstring injury leaving Narrm’s All Australian ruck duo Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy to contend with previously out of form former Demon premiership ruckman Luke Jackson. It should have been a ruck mauling to lead the team to a big massacre but, once again, there was a major deficiency in the engine room that led to an anomalous statistic in take always from stoppages. How does a side that dominates the ruck hit outs by 56 to 28 lose the clearance battle by 37 to 39? Simple answer (for the second week in a row). The Walyalup midfield had enough talent and was prepared to work a damn sight harder than its counterpart to get their hands on the football. The consequence was that like Butters and Rozee of last week, Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong busted the Demons open and won the day for the Dockers. It wasn’t all the fault of the Demon defence which battled manfully to stem the tide in the first half but the dam wall broke in the third term, ironically when Jackson split the middle to put his team ahead by more than a goal, after which they were never headed. The problem was that the attack was horrible, bordering on dysfunctional once again. The powerful defensive pressure that this line once applied was missing and Walyalup’s defenders were able to out position their small foes, outmark the talls, worry them with their own persistence and eventually get out of their backline methodically where, in the past, the ball would have been retrieved and returned without much trouble. The writing was on the wall last week when Narrm succumbed to Yartapuulti. The selectors ignored the signs and the team lost. NARRM 3.2.20 4.5.29 6.8.44 10.12.72 WALYALUP 2.0.12 4.3.27 9.5.59 12.7.79 GOALS NARRM Fritsch Pickett 2 Grundy Harmes McDonald Sparrow van Rooyen Viney WALYALUP Amiss 3 Banfield Treacy 2 Aish Frederick Jackson Schultz Serong BEST NARRM Petracca Gawn Brayshaw Pickett Sparrow Grundy WALYALUP Jackson Brayshaw Serong O'Meara Young INJURIES NARRM Nil WALYALUP Sean Darcy (hamstring) REPORTS NARRM Nil WALYALUP Nil SUBSTITUTIONS NARRM James Jordon (replaced Kade Chandler in fourth quarter) WALYALUP Sam Sturt (replaced Sean Darcy in second quarter) UMPIRES Chris Donlon Leigh Haussen Mathew Nicholls Andre Gianfagna CROWD 29,154 at the MCG

The Hawks recognised our emergency workers and volunteers at half time on Saturday night against the Demons and it was just as well because they were in the midst of a major emergency of their own at the time. The MCG scoreboard had Melbourne 8.6.54 to Hawthorn 1.3.9, a lead that should have been far greater than 45 points bar for a different anomaly that occurred in each of the first two quarters. The first anomaly was errant goal kicking. The pressure metre for the Demons was on high early in the game but their usually exemplary kicking for goal by this year’s standards, was way off the mark as they banged on five behinds in the opening ten minutes. Indeed, they had nine inside 50s before Charlie Spargo marked his return to the team with their opening goal for the match. Thereafter, they straightened up and the goals flowed with four more added as the team greeted the first break with just a solitary point against. They added a further goal early in the second term before conceding the only goal of the half at which time the second anomaly started creeping into their game. In the words of 200-gamer Steven May who was leading their rock solid defence, they played “Hollywood football” — a form of the game whereby players try to be far too cute, such as when May himself ran to take a hand pass from Christian Petracca but his kick for goal went out on the full (yes, it was a milestone game but …). So, the Dees came off the ground with a 45-point lead at half time leaving the Hawks in the hands of the good folk in emergency services while one can surmise that coach Simon Goodwin was giving his charges a little bake for their shenanigans. One player who could have been spared that was Harry Petty who was best on ground to that time with six strong marks and two goals. But he had a problem in the form of a bruised foot and was subbed off during the break. Officially, the injury is not considered a problem which means he’s in doubt for Friday night’s blockbuster in Adelaide. Whatever it was that was administered to them by the emergency folk, the Hawks came out in the third term, full of energy. It was their turn to exert the pressure. They won all the clearances, forced errors and kicked three goals in three minutes that restarted proceedings. The Demons had become sloppy with their play and momentarily lost momentum but they took a deep breath and accepted the challenge with goals to Clayton Oliver and Ed Langdon. Hawthorn kept coming but Melbourne had the answers and by the end of the term was still in full control with a 35-point lead which it stretched to percentage boosting 54 points victory at the finish. The Demons are developing a very special attacking division that relies not on any one individual but rather, on spreading the load among many. This week, twelve players shared the goalkicking spoils for their fourth win in a row. Every time, they have had at least ten different goalkickers for the match. As has often been the case in the past, it was their champion midfielders Clayton Oliver (34 disposals), Jack Viney (31) and Christian Petracca (30) who were instrumental in the win. The Demons more than doubled the Hawks’ score, won the inside 50 count by 66 to 41, out marked them 105 to 71, won the hit outs 38 to 23, and the contested possessions 147 to 135. Of some possible concern, considering it was a spanking, was the fact that they finished with only six more disposals and one more clearance than the Hawks. The question is: does this indicate that the Demons failed to make the most of their opportunities, is it the result of the fact that Goodwin is still experimenting with personnel and structure or are we simply asking too much of a team that, after all is said and done, currently sits on top of the table? Whatever the case, as the quality of opposition rises in the coming few weeks heading into the bye, the Demons will have to lift their intensity and work rate even further. When they transform into Narrm and take on Yartapuulti on Friday night for the first game of the two weeks of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, things promise to become really interesting. MELBOURNE 5.5.35 8.6.54 11.10.76 15.13.103 HAWTHORN 0.1.1 1.3.9 6.5.41 7.7.49 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch Petty Spargo 2 Gawn Grundy Langdon Oliver Pickett Rivers Sparrow van Rooyen Viney HAWTHORN Breust Butler Lewis Mackenzie Meek Newcombe Weddle BEST MELBOURNE Viney Petracca Rivers Oliver Neal-Bullen Brayshaw HAWTHORN Sicily Day Newcombe Hardwick Nash Mitchell LATE CHANGES MELBOURNE Nil HAWTHORN N Reeves replaced in selected side by J Koschitzke INJURIES MELBOURNE C Petracca (foot) H Petty (bruised foot) HAWTHORN J Blanck (corked thigh) C Jiath (leg) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil HAWTHORN Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE J Jordon (replaced H Petty at half-time) HAWTHORN L Bramble (replaced J Blanck in the second quarter) UMPIRES Hayden Gavine Alex Whetton Eleni Tee Nicholas McGinness CROWD 39,818 at The MCG