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I defy anyone to come up with six good players.

There is no more appropriate time in the course of Demon events than today for our football team to take a stand for truth, justice and the Australian way. Over the past eight years we've been ravaged, beaten and humiliated by the least worthy of participants in the AFL competition. Twelve months ago, we had our faces rubbed into it by this noxious vermin at some god foresaken wilderness to our north. We went back there again earlier this year and they flogged us within an inch of our lives. Enough with the humiliation! Now that the game's back on the MCG let's teach these suckers the meaning of humility. It's time to draw a line in the sand and not be satisfied to win by 7 goals to 5 which is where we were heading a fortnight ago content to drift home against Brisbane before our wheels fell off. No. In the words of Winston Churchill, today we're going to fight:-

WHO GIVES A PETRACCA? by Whispering Jack Melbourne's last home game for yet another dismal season could not have been played at a more suitable time for the game it promises to be, nor against a more appropriate opponent. It happens at the end of a week during which the game itself has been on trial, when the competition has been exposed in a court as having questionable scruples and considering itself in many ways above the law. This is a competition which favours the strong and gives lip service to helping its weak by doing it favours like giving out meagre compensation to those who are drawn to play at times that are unattractive, making it difficult for them to gather the crowds from which they can draw their life blood. And so it happens that this game which is so important to the clubs, perversely because it will determine how low they will finish and therefore decide the only thing that remains important to them at this time of the season (and how high in draft order), will be played out at the MCG in front of a small crowd in the late afternoon/early evening out of the gaze of a football world that doesn't really care and will shun the game in favour of other potentially more exciting things to watch on their television sets on a late winter's afternoon. Like the test pattern. Does this game therefore even merit a preview? Most likely not because if you take a look at the size of GWS Giants' injury list, with so many of its players out for the remainder of the season, you get the feeling that they might barely muster up a squad to make the flight down to Tullamarine for the game. The last time I saw an injury list so extensive was that of Melbourne circa 2009 and we all know how that ended up. The wags are describing the game as the "Petracca Cup" in honour of the upcoming draft's flavour of the month and the word is that he's the man most wanted by the Giants whose ladder position stunningly dropped below that of Melbourne last week despite the fact that the Dees suffered a 50-point defeat. Now, if they could achieve that in a home game, it's going to be mighty hard not to lose to them on your own dung heap. That is not to say that the Demons at home and in front of a small but strongly partisan crowd will definitely have their own way in this affair. They demonstrated a fortnight ago how limited their appetite and capacity was for playing attacking football when they had another lowly opponent in Brisbane at their mercy early in the final quarter. Coach Paul Roos was quoted in this weeks Inside Football that the defensive mindset that enveloped his team in the final term of the loss to Brisbane wasn't a direction from the coach's box, but was player driven but surely thats been their focus for most of the year? And that's why they could easily lose this time against football's babes if they decide to play sloppy pedestrian football in the super defensive style that has marked a team that struggles regularly to kick ten goals in two hours of football. THE GAME Melbourne v GWS Giants at the MCG Sunday 17 August, 2014 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 3 wins GWS Giants 2 wins At the MCG Melbourne 2 wins GWS Giants 0 wins Past five years Melbourne 3 wins GWS Giants 2 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Cameron 1 win MEDIA TV Fox Sports Channel 3 at 3.00pm (live) RADIO - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $1.48 GWS Giants to win - $2.65 THE LAST TIME THEY MET GWS Giants 10.19.79 defeated Melbourne 7.5.47 at Spotless Stadium Round 3, 2014 Bereft of any key forwards and light on for ruck power against a keen opposition in difficult conditions, Melbourne got to within a point early in the final quarter and then simply gave up the ghost against a team inspired by the dominance of Shane Mumford. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Colin Garland HB: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes C: Bernie Vince, Jack Watts, Daniel Cross HF: Viv Michie, James Frawley, Jack Viney F: Dean Kent, Chris Dawes, Max Gawn FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Dom Barry, Matt Jones, Aidan Riley, Christian Salem EMG: Rohan Bail, Jack Fitzpatrick, Jordie McKenzie IN: Jack Grimes, Christian Salem OUT: Rohan Bail, Jay Kennedy-Harris (both omitted) GWS GIANTS B: Adam Kennedy, Lachie Plowman, Heath Shaw HB: Jono O'Rourke, Phil Davis, Matt Buntine C: Devon Smith, Adam Treloar, Toby Greene HF: Rhys Palmer, Adam Tomlinson, Will Hoskin-Elliott F: Joshua Kelly, Jonathon Patton, Tom Boyd FOLL: Shane Mumford, Callan Ward, Dylan Shiel I/C: Tomas Bugg, James Stewart, Mark Whiley, Nathan Wilson EMG: Jon Giles, Tim Golds, Zac Williams IN: James Stewart, Mark Whiley, Nathan Wilson OUT: Tim Golds, Jed Lamb, Zac Williams (all omitted) NEW: James Stewart (Sandringham U18), Mark Whiley (Finley) If anyone believes that I'm suggesting that Melbourne is even remotely considering tanking they should think again. While the "Petracca Cup" might be how most of the football world perceives a game such as this, where the teams are essentially playing off for 16th spot, Melbourne certainly cannot afford to lose a game that would be its seventh defeat on the way to nine losses in a row to end its first season under coach Roos. A win means a lot more to a club which needs to retain membership numbers and hope for the future after eight barren seasons without seeing finals action. Their opposition continues to be propped up by its AFL creator and benefactor and can therefore survive on home crowds of six to seven thousand and little local support but the Demons know that, unless they begin to show significant on field improvement, they will remain on the precipice. Moreover, the draft experts keep saying that there are a number of different candidates for the top four or five draft picks so if it comes down to pick 2 or 3 then it means only that there are some minor strategic differences between success or failure in this game. The common measure among conspiracy theorists on whether a team is "tanking" or not is the number of players for who stumps have been pulled up early and have undergone season ending surgery. While the Giants qualify under this scenario, with almost half their players missing from their round three win over the club, the opposite applies with the Demons who actually have players returning to the ranks. Back in round three, the game was dominated and won by the Giants after three close quarters, by a single player in the guise of Shane Mumford who was simply outstanding with 60 hit outs and who thereby set up numerous attacking moves with his outstanding work around the ground and at the stoppages. The Demons have Mark Jamar and Max Gawn working the ruck this time and whilst one simply mustn't underestimate the work of Mumford for the Giants they now have the opportunity to be at least competitive in an area where they were not when they met earlier in the season. Gawn's major role is expected to be up forward where he will also be partnered by Chris Dawes who is due for a day out after a few quiet weeks. James Frawley will also no doubt play in attack as well. The last time they met he was there for the first time and was the only key in a very undersized, undermanned and dysfunctional attack. If Roos maintains that his team's recent over the top negativity was player driven and not coach driven then surely, against a lesser side like GWS, his charges will have faith in the players he has selected up forward and they will take the game on to go forward the direct way enough times to kick a winning score? The Giants' other advantage when they met at Spotless Stadium earlier in the season was its young, fit, running midfield which is now showing signs of fatigue after a long season. They have plenty of their guns now missing and with two newcomers on the field on Sunday, they cannot be expected to perform in front of what will be a small but hostile pro Melbourne crowd willing their players home. And if they lose the right to Petracca, then so be it. Over the past decade, they have acquired enough first round draft picks for then to be entirely justified in asking, "who gives a Petracca?"

Melbourne's last home game for yet another dismal season could not have been played at a more suitable time for the game it promises to be, nor against a more appropriate opponent. It happens at the end of a week during which the game itself has been on trial, when the competition has been exposed in a court as having questionable scruples and considering itself in many ways above the law. This is a competition which favours the strong and gives lip service to helping its weak by doing it favours like giving out meagre compensation to those who are drawn to play at times that are unattractive, making it difficult for them to gather the crowds from which they can draw their life blood. And so it happens that this game which is so important to the clubs, perversely because it will determine how low they will finish and therefore decide the only thing that remains important to them at this time of the season (and how high in draft order), will be played out at the MCG in front of a small crowd in the late afternoon/early evening out of the gaze of a football world that doesn't really care and will shun the game in favour of other potentially more exciting things to watch on their television sets on a late winter's afternoon. Like the test pattern. Does this game therefore even merit a preview? Most likely not because if you take a look at the size of GWS Giants' injury list, with so many of its players out for the remainder of the season, you get the feeling that they might barely muster up a squad to make the flight down to Tullamarine for the game. The last time I saw an injury list so extensive was that of Melbourne circa 2009 and we all know how that ended up. The wags are describing the game as the "Petracca Cup" in honour of the upcoming draft's flavour of the month and the word is that he's the man most wanted by the Giants whose ladder position stunningly dropped below that of Melbourne last week despite the fact that the Dees suffered a 50-point defeat. Now, if they could achieve that in a home game, it's going to be mighty hard not to lose to them on your own dung heap. That is not to say that the Demons at home and in front of a small but strongly partisan crowd will definitely have their own way in this affair. They demonstrated a fortnight ago how limited their appetite and capacity was for playing attacking football when they had another lowly opponent in Brisbane at their mercy early in the final quarter. Coach Paul Roos was quoted in this weeks Inside Football that the defensive mindset that enveloped his team in the final term of the loss to Brisbane wasn't a direction from the coach's box, but was player driven but surely thats been their focus for most of the year? And that's why they could easily lose this time against football's babes if they decide to play sloppy pedestrian football in the super defensive style that has marked a team that struggles regularly to kick ten goals in two hours of football. THE GAME Melbourne v GWS Giants at the MCG Sunday 17 August, 2014 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 3 wins GWS Giants 2 wins At the MCG Melbourne 2 wins GWS Giants 0 wins Past five years Melbourne 3 wins GWS Giants 2 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Cameron 1 win MEDIA TV Fox Sports Channel 3 at 3.00pm (live) RADIO - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $1.48 GWS Giants to win - $2.65 THE LAST TIME THEY MET GWS Giants 10.19.79 defeated Melbourne 7.5.47 at Spotless Stadium Round 3, 2014 Bereft of any key forwards and light on for ruck power against a keen opposition in difficult conditions, Melbourne got to within a point early in the final quarter and then simply gave up the ghost against a team inspired by the dominance of Shane Mumford. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Colin Garland HB: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes C: Bernie Vince, Jack Watts, Daniel Cross HF: Viv Michie, James Frawley, Jack Viney F: Dean Kent, Chris Dawes, Max Gawn FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Dom Barry, Matt Jones, Aidan Riley, Christian Salem EMG: Rohan Bail, Jack Fitzpatrick, Jordie McKenzie IN: Jack Grimes, Christian Salem OUT: Rohan Bail, Jay Kennedy-Harris (both omitted) GWS GIANTS B: Adam Kennedy, Lachie Plowman, Heath Shaw HB: Jono O'Rourke, Phil Davis, Matt Buntine C: Devon Smith, Adam Treloar, Toby Greene HF: Rhys Palmer, Adam Tomlinson, Will Hoskin-Elliott F: Joshua Kelly, Jonathon Patton, Tom Boyd FOLL: Shane Mumford, Callan Ward, Dylan Shiel I/C: Tomas Bugg, James Stewart, Mark Whiley, Nathan Wilson EMG: Jon Giles, Tim Golds, Zac Williams IN: James Stewart, Mark Whiley, Nathan Wilson OUT: Tim Golds, Jed Lamb, Zac Williams (all omitted) NEW: James Stewart (Sandringham U18), Mark Whiley (Finley) If anyone believes that I'm suggesting that Melbourne is even remotely considering tanking they should think again. While the "Petracca Cup" might be how most of the football world perceives a game such as this, where the teams are essentially playing off for 16th spot, Melbourne certainly cannot afford to lose a game that would be its seventh defeat on the way to nine losses in a row to end its first season under coach Roos. A win means a lot more to a club which needs to retain membership numbers and hope for the future after eight barren seasons without seeing finals action. Their opposition continues to be propped up by its AFL creator and benefactor and can therefore survive on home crowds of six to seven thousand and little local support but the Demons know that, unless they begin to show significant on field improvement, they will remain on the precipice. Moreover, the draft experts keep saying that there are a number of different candidates for the top four or five draft picks so if it comes down to pick 2 or 3 then it means only that there are some minor strategic differences between success or failure in this game. The common measure among conspiracy theorists on whether a team is "tanking" or not is the number of players for who stumps have been pulled up early and have undergone season ending surgery. While the Giants qualify under this scenario, with almost half their players missing from their round three win over the club, the opposite applies with the Demons who actually have players returning to the ranks. Back in round three, the game was dominated and won by the Giants after three close quarters, by a single player in the guise of Shane Mumford who was simply outstanding with 60 hit outs and who thereby set up numerous attacking moves with his outstanding work around the ground and at the stoppages. The Demons have Mark Jamar and Max Gawn working the ruck this time and whilst one simply mustn't underestimate the work of Mumford for the Giants they now have the opportunity to be at least competitive in an area where they were not when they met earlier in the season. Gawn's major role is expected to be up forward where he will also be partnered by Chris Dawes who is due for a day out after a few quiet weeks. James Frawley will also no doubt play in attack as well. The last time they met he was there for the first time and was the only key in a very undersized, undermanned and dysfunctional attack. If Roos maintains that his team's recent over the top negativity was player driven and not coach driven then surely, against a lesser side like GWS, his charges will have faith in the players he has selected up forward and they will take the game on to go forward the direct way enough times to kick a winning score? The Giants' other advantage when they met at Spotless Stadium earlier in the season was its young, fit, running midfield which is now showing signs of fatigue after a long season. They have plenty of their guns now missing and with two newcomers on the field on Sunday, they cannot be expected to perform in front of what will be a small but hostile pro Melbourne crowd willing their players home. And if they lose the right to Petracca, then so be it. Over the past decade, they have acquired enough first round draft picks for then to be entirely justified in asking, "who gives a Petracca?"

MORE PERFORMANCE ENHANCING? by George on the Outer It was looking like another week from Hell for the Demon supporters Nineteen points down at ¾ time against the other cellar dweller on the league ladder, with a more dispirited and heartless performance on show up to that point. The opening music of Enter Sandman was prophetic as the Demons sought to put their supporters to sleep. But a Nathan Jones goal early, followed by a Max Gawn grab in the goal-square and suddenly the game was on again, instead of being all over. Even then an unaccountable performance by certain individuals, and a goal to GWS allowed the momentum to be sucked from the Demons, yet again. Finally it was the two Cols who stood up! Firstly, Col Garland who decided that enough was enough and marked strongly on the wing against four others. Had he not, the ball was surely to finish up with another GWS score. Then Col Sylvia also decided that enough was enough and burst through the centre pack to connect with Michael Evans and another major resulted. Another attack then repulsed by Garland alone and the life and hope of GWS disappeared as they watched the Demons pile on their greatest single quarter score in the history of the club. With all the talk about performance enhancing drugs in the past week, it was that old fashioned drug called guts and determination that produced the result. However, if the message had gone out earlier, the pain wouldnt have been so hard to suffer as the 20K of Melbourne fans watched only a couple of solitary gutsy performances by the likes of Nathan and Matt Jones and Mitch Clark that kept the team in any sort of decent position up to the ¾ time break. In contrast there were some simply appalling displays on show. Cameron Mooney is right to suggest Jack Watts needs to be given an accountable role. He continues to fluff around in the backline, expecting others to do the work, while he refuses to man up when needed. Neville Jetta is in the side for his pace, but his speed today was comparable to treacle moving. He will probably get some time on the sidelines by the MRC courtesy of a stupid hit on Lachie Whitfield. The Demons were cut to pieces in the middle. Mark Jamar continues to disappoint, and fails to provide any advantage to his team with his hit-outs. Who would believe he did so 31 times today? Trouble was his more junior opponent had 29 hitouts, and were it not for Max Gawn getting twice the number as his opponents, then the ruck contests would have favoured GWS. Mark could find himself as a 3rd option for ruck if he keeps playing the way he has been this season. He could start by jumping off the ground at contests instead of trying to body out, and then not getting a hand on the ball. The centre-line continues to be problematic. With Jack Viney under some sort of cloud today, we simply didnt have enough talent to put in the centre square. Jones x 2 were superb with 28 and 21 disposals respectively, and both kick the ball when under pressure. Sharp contrast to the handball nellies who almost invariably turn it over. When you have giants of the non-Sydney variety in the goal-square the quicker and easiest way to get it to them is by foot. It shouldnt take brain surgeons to work that out. It was good to winyes. Yet it was hardly a convincing win when the likes of Brogan, Patton and Hoskins-Elliot werent there. We were taken apart by Tom Scully and the contrast to his 11 possession performance last week against the Saints, demonstrates the lack of pressure that was applied around the packs. It was good to be able to eke out a win without Clark & Viney on the ground in the final quarter. It was good for the 20K of Melbourne supporters who showed up, yet again, to demonstrate their solidarity. It was good ... because a win enhances performance. It is the drug that we need to build ANY sort of belief and confidence. The players now know they can turn around and are capable of electrifying scoreboard performances ... if they just set their minds on it. With the equally impressive performance by Casey against Essendon, there will be plenty of players genuinely vying for senior selection. There are senior players who will be offering their roles to those more hungry than was shown in their performances of the first ¾ of todays game. It is Guts and Determination that is the drug of choice. There can be no other way. Melbourne 4.5.29 7.7.49 10.10.70 22.12.144 Greater Western Sydney 3.3.31 8.8.56 13.11.89 15.13.103 Goals Melbourne Howe 4 Byrnes Evans 3 Davey Gawn Pedersen 2 Bail Clark Jamar N Jones Sylvia Trengove Greater Western Sydney O'hAilpin 5 Palmer 2 Cameron Giles Greene Scully Shiel Sumner Treloar Ward Best Melbourne Garland Sylvia N Jones M Jones Gawn Grimes Clark Greater Western Sydney Scully Shiel Treloar Whitfield O'hAilpin Greene Ward Injuries Melbourne TBC Greater Western Sydney TBC Changes Melbourne Nil Greater Western Sydney Nil Substitutes Melbourne Aaron Davey replaced Jack Viney in the third quarter Greater Western Sydney Anthony Miles replaced Nick Haynes at three-quarter time Reports Melbourne Neville Jetta reported for engaging in rough conduct on Lachie Whitfield (Greater Western Sydney) Greater Western Sydney Nil Umpires Bannister, Margetts, Harris Official crowd 20,018 at the MCG

Jack Trengove was almost effusive about his team's first half against the Eagles last week repeatedly saying things to the effect that it was "some of the most enjoyable footy I've played in years". And really, apart from a few lapses at the end of each of the first two quarters, their play was a thing to behold except for the fact that they were still ten points in arrears at the main break. The fans liked it too because they applauded the team off the ground. Perhaps they should have kept the applause for later in the day because after half time, their team was monstered by bigger and much stronger bodied opponents and it reverted to type. The team was pressured into making error upon error as the West Coast Eagles piled in goal after goal outscoring the hapless Demons by 14 goals in one half of football. The coaches had no idea as to how to stem the bleeding and, for the third week in a row, Melbourne was utterly destroyed. This week, the pressure hits Mark Neeld and his young charges tenfold. Playing at home against the fledgling GWS Giants, they have little to gain and everything to lose. A loss of any sort against this bunch of mainly pimply faced teenagers missing a handful of their bigger bodied players like Patton (injured) and Brogan (suspended) is unacceptable. A win against this new franchise is unlikely to mean a great deal. The result of the game is therefore irrelevant and in that respect, not many people really give a rat's clacker about the outcome. What matters for Melbourne is the way in which the team approaches this game. After a poor debut season under coach Mark Neeld, the fans were entitled to expect substantial improvement this year. The players should have been fitter, stronger, more skilled and playing with greater confidence. None of that has been evident in the three games to date which have seen their average losing margin skyrocket to 107 points. And nothing short of a spectacular turnaround in form and attitude will save heads from rolling. THE GAME Melbourne v. GWS Giants at the MCG Sunday 21 April 2013 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 2 wins GWS Giants 0 wins At the MCG Melbourne 1 win GWS Giants 0 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 2 wins GWS Giants 0 wins The Coaches Neeld 2 wins Sheedy 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 & Fox Footy Channel, 1:00pm live. RADIO - THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.58 to GWS Giants to win $2.40 [Note: Inside Football's Robert Shaw has GWS as his safe bet of the week] LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 11.18.84 defeated GWS Giants 9.5.59 in Round at Manuka Melbourne was by far the superior team in size and skill but did the Giants field their best possible team and were they concentrating on other prizes like Lauchie Whitfield? The AFL, which had already launched a tanking inquisition against the Demons weren't taking any notice. Once the Giants had the game well and truly lost, they made a spirited fightback and even Tom Scully looked half good, kicking a goal in the last quarter. Nobody really cared. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Jack Watts James Frawley Dean Terlich Half backs Neville Jetta Tom McDonald Colin Garland Centreline Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Jack Viney Half forwards Aaron Davey Mitch Clark Jeremy Howe Forwards Luke Tapscott Max Gawn Shannon Byrnes Followers Mark Jamar Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange (from) Rohan Bail Michael Evans Matt Jones Cam Pedersen Emergencies James Sellar Jake Spencer Jimmy Toumpas GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY Backs Adam Kennedy Tim Mohr Phil Davis Half backs Thomas Bugg Stephen Gilham Nick Haynes Centreline Tom Scully Callan Ward Rhys Palmer Half Forwards Jacob Townsend Jeremy Cameron Sam Reid Forwards Liam Summer Setanta O'hAilpin Sam Frost Followers Jonathan Giles Adam Treloar Dylan Shiel Interchange Stephen Coniglio Toby Greene Anthony Miles Lachie Whitfield Emergencies Tim Golds Lachie Plowman Adam Tomlinson In Sam Frost Nick Haynes Anthony Miles Setanta O'hAilpin Rhys Palmer Jacob Townsend Out Dean Brogan (suspended) Curtly Hampton Will Hoskin-Elliott Jonathon Patton (knee) Lachie Plowman Devon Smith (suspended) THE COACH KILLERS by JVM Last year's wooden spooners aren't much chop. Their buffoon of a coach who passed his use bye date a decade ago gets his thrills from denigrating the opposition in order to drum some enthusiasm up in an area that was once heavily into rugby league but which has fast become a world football stronghold thanks to the success story that is the Western Sydney Wanderers FC. In comparison, Sheedy's mob have been nothing short of abject failures, led by their red nosed clown of a coach and their highly paid boy wonder whose old man's pay cheque is included in the club's bloated salary cap. The only major triumph in their short history to date is that they managed to send Port Adelaide's Matthew Primus into the football wilderness after his side lost to the Giants' in round 19 last year. Mark Neeld's Demons will almost certainly make their coach Sheedy's second scalp on the space of less than half a season if they fail tomorrow. And because the smell of failure has followed Melbourne around both on and off the field for well over half a decade now, its on the cards that the kids from western Sydney could write the final epitaph to the Demon coach's brief, unspectacular and troubled AFL coaching career. The big question is how will the Melbourne players react to yet another week in which their club has been in the news again and for all the wrong reasons. We've seen the Bombers respond with some scintillating football that's done great things to hearten and lift the spirits of their supporters. By contrast, Melbourne has shown little other than a bit of fight for most of their first half against the Eagles before capitulating in disastrous fashion in the second half. The Demons have otherwise failed in every test of character they've faced so far this season. We know that players like Colin Sylvia, James Frawley, Jack Watts, Colin Garland and Mark Jamar are just so much better than what they've served up so far. If they can't improve on that against the young Giants who this week lost a couple of their real giants in Patton and Brogan then they will have given Sheedy a rare victory, lost the faith of their team's supporters and killed their coach. I don't think they're that bad so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt about whether they really give a dead rat's clacker. Melbourne by 10 points. Demons' plan 'working perfectly': Neeld

It was looking like another week from Hell for the Demon supporters Nineteen points down at ¾ time against the other cellar dweller on the league ladder, with a more dispirited and heartless performance on show up to that point. The opening music of Enter Sandman was prophetic as the Demons sought to put their supporters to sleep. But a Nathan Jones goal early, followed by a Max Gawn grab in the goal-square and suddenly the game was on again, instead of being all over. Even then an unaccountable performance by certain individuals, and a goal to GWS allowed the momentum to be sucked from the Demons, yet again. Finally it was the two Cols who stood up! Firstly, Col Garland who decided that enough was enough and marked strongly on the wing against four others. Had he not, the ball was surely to finish up with another GWS score. Then Col Sylvia also decided that enough was enough and burst through the centre pack to connect with Michael Evans and another major resulted. Another attack then repulsed by Garland alone and the life and hope of GWS disappeared as they watched the Demons pile on their greatest single quarter score in the history of the club. With all the talk about performance enhancing drugs in the past week, it was that old fashioned drug called guts and determination that produced the result. However, if the message had gone out earlier, the pain wouldnt have been so hard to suffer as the 20K of Melbourne fans watched only a couple of solitary gutsy performances by the likes of Nathan and Matt Jones and Mitch Clark that kept the team in any sort of decent position up to the ¾ time break. In contrast there were some simply appalling displays on show. Cameron Mooney is right to suggest Jack Watts needs to be given an accountable role. He continues to fluff around in the backline, expecting others to do the work, while he refuses to man up when needed. Neville Jetta is in the side for his pace, but his speed today was comparable to treacle moving. He will probably get some time on the sidelines by the MRC courtesy of a stupid hit on Lachie Whitfield. The Demons were cut to pieces in the middle. Mark Jamar continues to disappoint, and fails to provide any advantage to his team with his hit-outs. Who would believe he did so 31 times today? Trouble was his more junior opponent had 29 hitouts, and were it not for Max Gawn getting twice the number as his opponents, then the ruck contests would have favoured GWS. Mark could find himself as a 3rd option for ruck if he keeps playing the way he has been this season. He could start by jumping off the ground at contests instead of trying to body out, and then not getting a hand on the ball. The centre-line continues to be problematic. With Jack Viney under some sort of cloud today, we simply didnt have enough talent to put in the centre square. Jones x 2 were superb with 28 and 21 disposals respectively, and both kick the ball when under pressure. Sharp contrast to the handball nellies who almost invariably turn it over. When you have giants of the non-Sydney variety in the goal-square the quicker and easiest way to get it to them is by foot. It shouldnt take brain surgeons to work that out. It was good to winyes. Yet it was hardly a convincing win when the likes of Brogan, Patton and Hoskins-Elliot werent there. We were taken apart by Tom Scully and the contrast to his 11 possession performance last week against the Saints, demonstrates the lack of pressure that was applied around the packs. It was good to be able to eke out a win without Clark & Viney on the ground in the final quarter. It was good for the 20K of Melbourne supporters who showed up, yet again, to demonstrate their solidarity. It was good ... because a win enhances performance. It is the drug that we need to build ANY sort of belief and confidence. The players now know they can turn around and are capable of electrifying scoreboard performances ... if they just set their minds on it. With the equally impressive performance by Casey against Essendon, there will be plenty of players genuinely vying for senior selection. There are senior players who will be offering their roles to those more hungry than was shown in their performances of the first ¾ of todays game. It is Guts and Determination that is the drug of choice. There can be no other way. Melbourne 4.5.29 7.7.49 10.10.70 22.12.144 Greater Western Sydney 3.3.31 8.8.56 13.11.89 15.13.103 Goals Melbourne Howe 4 Byrnes Evans 3 Davey Gawn Pedersen 2 Bail Clark Jamar N Jones Sylvia Trengove Greater Western Sydney O'hAilpin 5 Palmer 2 Cameron Giles Greene Scully Shiel Sumner Treloar Ward Best Melbourne Garland Sylvia N Jones M Jones Gawn Grimes Clark Greater Western Sydney Scully Shiel Treloar Whitfield O'hAilpin Greene Ward Injuries Melbourne TBC Greater Western Sydney TBC Changes Melbourne Nil Greater Western Sydney Nil Substitutes Melbourne Aaron Davey replaced Jack Viney in the third quarter Greater Western Sydney Anthony Miles replaced Nick Haynes at three-quarter time Reports Melbourne Neville Jetta reported for engaging in rough conduct on Lachie Whitfield (Greater Western Sydney) Greater Western Sydney Nil Umpires Bannister, Margetts, Harris Official crowd 20,018 at the MCG

I have a feeling that one way or another today is going to be an important one on the club's history.

THE RAT'S CLACKER CUP by JVM Jack Trengove was almost effusive about his team's first half against the Eagles last week repeatedly saying things to the effect that it was "some of the most enjoyable footy I've played in years". And really, apart from a few lapses at the end of each of the first two quarters, their play was a thing to behold except for the fact that they were still ten points in arrears at the main break. The fans liked it too because they applauded the team off the ground. Perhaps they should have kept the applause for later in the day because after half time, their team was monstered by bigger and much stronger bodied opponents and it reverted to type. The team was pressured into making error upon error as the West Coast Eagles piled in goal after goal outscoring the hapless Demons by 14 goals in one half of football. The coaches had no idea as to how to stem the bleeding and, for the third week in a row, Melbourne was utterly destroyed. This week, the pressure hits Mark Neeld and his young charges tenfold. Playing at home against the fledgling GWS Giants, they have little to gain and everything to lose. A loss of any sort against this bunch of mainly pimply faced teenagers missing a handful of their bigger bodied players like Patton (injured) and Brogan (suspended) is unacceptable. A win against this new franchise is unlikely to mean a great deal. The result of the game is therefore irrelevant and in that respect, not many people really give a rat's clacker about the outcome. What matters for Melbourne is the way in which the team approaches this game. After a poor debut season under coach Mark Neeld, the fans were entitled to expect substantial improvement this year. The players should have been fitter, stronger, more skilled and playing with greater confidence. None of that has been evident in the three games to date which have seen their average losing margin skyrocket to 107 points. And nothing short of a spectacular turnaround in form and attitude will save heads from rolling. THE GAME Melbourne v. GWS Giants at the MCG Sunday 21 April 2013 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 2 wins GWS Giants 0 wins At the MCG Melbourne 1 win GWS Giants 0 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 2 wins GWS Giants 0 wins The Coaches Neeld 2 wins Sheedy 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 & Fox Footy Channel, 1:00pm live. RADIO - THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.58 to GWS Giants to win $2.40 [Note: Inside Football's Robert Shaw has GWS as his safe bet of the week] LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 11.18.84 defeated GWS Giants 9.5.59 in Round at Manuka Melbourne was by far the superior team in size and skill but did the Giants field their best possible team and were they concentrating on other prizes like Lauchie Whitfield? The AFL, which had already launched a tanking inquisition against the Demons weren't taking any notice. Once the Giants had the game well and truly lost, they made a spirited fightback and even Tom Scully looked half good, kicking a goal in the last quarter. Nobody really cared. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Jack Watts James Frawley Dean Terlich Half backs Neville Jetta Tom McDonald Colin Garland Centreline Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Jack Viney Half forwards Aaron Davey Mitch Clark Jeremy Howe Forwards Luke Tapscott Max Gawn Shannon Byrnes Followers Mark Jamar Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange (from) Rohan Bail Michael Evans Matt Jones Cam Pedersen Emergencies James Sellar Jake Spencer Jimmy Toumpas GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY Backs Adam Kennedy Tim Mohr Phil Davis Half backs Thomas Bugg Stephen Gilham Nick Haynes Centreline Tom Scully Callan Ward Rhys Palmer Half Forwards Jacob Townsend Jeremy Cameron Sam Reid Forwards Liam Summer Setanta O'hAilpin Sam Frost Followers Jonathan Giles Adam Treloar Dylan Shiel Interchange Stephen Coniglio Toby Greene Anthony Miles Lachie Whitfield Emergencies Tim Golds Lachie Plowman Adam Tomlinson In Sam Frost Nick Haynes Anthony Miles Setanta O'hAilpin Rhys Palmer Jacob Townsend Out Dean Brogan (suspended) Curtly Hampton Will Hoskin-Elliott Jonathon Patton (knee) Lachie Plowman Devon Smith (suspended) THE COACH KILLERS by JVM Last year's wooden spooners aren't much chop. Their buffoon of a coach who passed his use bye date a decade ago gets his thrills from denigrating the opposition in order to drum some enthusiasm up in an area that was once heavily into rugby league but which has fast become a world football stronghold thanks to the success story that is the Western Sydney Wanderers FC. In comparison, Sheedy's mob have been nothing short of abject failures, led by their red nosed clown of a coach and their highly paid boy wonder whose old man's pay cheque is included in the club's bloated salary cap. The only major triumph in their short history to date is that they managed to send Port Adelaide's Matthew Primus into the football wilderness after his side lost to the Giants' in round 19 last year. Mark Neeld's Demons will almost certainly make their coach Sheedy's second scalp on the space of less than half a season if they fail tomorrow. And because the smell of failure has followed Melbourne around both on and off the field for well over half a decade now, its on the cards that the kids from western Sydney could write the final epitaph to the Demon coach's brief, unspectacular and troubled AFL coaching career. The big question is how will the Melbourne players react to yet another week in which their club has been in the news again and for all the wrong reasons. We've seen the Bombers respond with some scintillating football that's done great things to hearten and lift the spirits of their supporters. By contrast, Melbourne has shown little other than a bit of fight for most of their first half against the Eagles before capitulating in disastrous fashion in the second half. The Demons have otherwise failed in every test of character they've faced so far this season. We know that players like Colin Sylvia, James Frawley, Jack Watts, Colin Garland and Mark Jamar are just so much better than what they've served up so far. If they can't improve on that against the young Giants who this week lost a couple of their real giants in Patton and Brogan then they will have given Sheedy a rare victory, lost the faith of their team's supporters and killed their coach. I don't think they're that bad so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt about whether they really give a dead rat's clacker. Melbourne by 10 points.

The Demons prevailed by 25 points despite going the snooze at ¾ time after which the GWS Giants managed five goals straight in the last quarter at Manuka. Not sure if Sheedy wanted to win though but nobody cares about teams tanking because it doesn't ever happen, does it? GWS GIANTS Backs Adam Kennedy Phil Davis Matthew Buntine Half backs Curtly Hampton Chad Cornes Sam Darley Centreline Tom Scully Luke Power Will Hoskin-Elliott Half forwards Tim Golds Nick Haynes Shaun Edwards Forwards Devon Smith Israel Folau Taylor Adams Followers Jonathan Giles Anthony Miles Toby Greene Interchange Steve Clifton James McDonald Andrew Phillips Dom Tyson MELBOURNE Backs Joel Macdonald James Sellar Tom McDonald Half backs James Strauss James Frawley Colin Garland Centreline Jack Trengove Jordie McKenzie Jack Grimes Half forwards Lynden Dunn Brad Green Rohan Bail Forwards Jeremy Howe Jared Rivers Sam Blease Followers Jake Spencer Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Thomas Couch Neville Jetta Luke Tapscott Jack Watts

MONEY CAN'T BUY ME LOVE by Mean Gene Melbourne displayed great emotion when it monstered the young guns from Greater Western Sydney in their long-awaited clash at the MCG. While the board, the football department and the players have long moved on from the departure at the end of 2011 of Tom Scully, the majority of the fans needed to vent at their former player who not only jumped ship for the money but also who many believe acted disrepectfully to the club in the way he and his connections dealt with his departure. The fans got what they wanted. Like most of his fellow Giants, Scully started well enough. He was collecting his share of boos with every possession in the game's first 25 minutes as the Sydneysiders scored five of the game's first eight goals but then the wheels swiftly fell off as Melbourne went in for the kill. By game's end, they were no longer Giants and more in the nature of midgets in the presence of a superior opposition. It was hard to believe that this was the same team that went to Geelong and stayed with the reigning premiers or was in with a chance late in the game last week against Richmond. For that matter, it's still hard to get the head around the fact that one of their number is really cashing in to the tune of $2 million for this season alone. Hard to fathom that from the 25 minute mark of the first term until the siren blared to end the third quarter, another team that had been pushed from pillar to post in the first nine rounds of the season and only won its first game a few weeks ago, could outscore an opponent by 15.8 to 1.1. The fact is that money can't buy what that scoreline provided to the people who collectively make up the Melbourne Football Club. It could only happen with emotion, with integrity, with hard work and with some healthy improvement in every facet of the club over recent weeks. The hero of the early part of the game was Mitch Clark who was absolutely superb with four first goals before he came off with a foot injury and a knock to the head. At one stage, it would not have been unreasonable to expect him to finish with double figures. His departure allowed others to take over as forward targets, notably former defenders Jared Rivers and Colin Garland who finished with four and three goals respectively (although the former was already in the goals by the time Clark left the field). Multiple goalkickers are always the heroes but it was another Demon who has stood consistently as a beacon among his teammates in Nathan Jones who ran all day to pick up 34 disposals and who led the way all day. So too did Mark Jamar in the ruck against a couple of the Giants big men in Brogan and Giles who might be unsung but have taken some significant scalps this year. Speaking of unsung heroes Matthew Bate has been in football's no man's land for the past few years but he was superb against the Giants amassing 27 touches, seven marks and a super goal. Then there were Melbourne's early draft picks in Jack Watts (27 touches), co-captains Jack Grimes and Jack Trengove, James Frawley and the much-maligned Colin Sylvia. All of them turned it on and showed their worth and the fact that they were deserving of their early draft slots. One should add some plaudits to Jordie McKenzie who quelled Scully's early start and put him out of the game. Similarly, Tom McDonald took the other GWS number one pick Jonathon Patton to the cleaners in a true break out performance in defence. The game could well turn out to be a turning point for the Melbourne Football Club and it was only fitting that former skipper James McDonald was on hand to watch his old club take its first steps towards future greatness. Perhaps I'm getting a bit carried away but it's been a while since the Demons had such a convincing victory but I suspect there will be many more against plastic franchises built on dollars yet lacking in the emotional aspects of the game that money can't buy, a principle no better exemplified than by the emotionless robot who got paid more than anyone else on the day. Melbourne 6.1.37 11.4.70 18.8.116 20.15.135 GWS Giants 5.1.31 6.2.38 6.2.38 9.3.57 Goals Melbourne Clark Rivers 4 Garland 3 Davey Sylvia 2 Blease, Bate Blease Howe Jamar Trengove GWS Giants Cameron 3 Wilson 2 Adams Bugg Greene Patton Best Melbourne Jones Watts McDonald Bate Grimes Clark GWS Giants Ward Adams Treloar Shiel Greene McDonald Injuries Melbourne Mitch Clark (foot) GWS Giants Nil Changes Melbourne Rohan Bail (concussion) replaced in the selected side by Sam Blease. GWS Giants Nil Reports Melbourne Nil GWS Giants Nil Umpires McBurney, Ryan, Hay Crowd 20,070 at the MCG

MONEY CAN'T BUY ME LOVE by Mean Gene Melbourne displayed great emotion when it monstered the young guns from Greater Western Sydney in their long-awaited clash at the MCG. While the board, the football department and the players have long moved on from the departure at the end of 2011 of Tom Scully, the majority of the fans needed to vent at their former player who not only jumped ship for the money but also who many believe acted disrepectfully to the club in the way he and his connections dealt with his departure. The fans got what they wanted. Like most of his fellow Giants, Scully started well enough. He was collecting his share of boos with every possession in the game's first 25 minutes as the Sydneysiders scored five of the game's first eight goals but then the wheels swiftly fell off as Melbourne went in for the kill. By game's end, they were no longer Giants and more in the nature of midgets in the presence of a superior opposition. It was hard to believe that this was the same team that went to Geelong and stayed with the reigning premiers or was in with a chance late in the game last week against Richmond. For that matter, it's still hard to get the head around the fact that one of their number is really cashing in to the tune of $2 million for this season alone. Hard to fathom that from the 25 minute mark of the first term until the siren blared to end the third quarter, another team that had been pushed from pillar to post in the first nine rounds of the season and only won its first game a few weeks ago, could outscore an opponent by 15.8 to 1.1. The fact is that money can't buy what that scoreline provided to the people who collectively make up the Melbourne Football Club. It could only happen with emotion, with integrity, with hard work and with some healthy improvement in every facet of the club over recent weeks. The hero of the early part of the game was Mitch Clark who was absolutely superb with four first goals before he came off with a foot injury and a knock to the head. At one stage, it would not have been unreasonable to expect him to finish with double figures. His departure allowed others to take over as forward targets, notably former defenders Jared Rivers and Colin Garland who finished with four and three goals respectively (although the former was already in the goals by the time Clark left the field). Multiple goalkickers are always the heroes but it was another Demon who has stood consistently as a beacon among his teammates in Nathan Jones who ran all day to pick up 34 disposals and who led the way all day. So too did Mark Jamar in the ruck against a couple of the Giants big men in Brogan and Giles who might be unsung but have taken some significant scalps this year. Speaking of unsung heroes Matthew Bate has been in football's no man's land for the past few years but he was superb against the Giants amassing 27 touches, seven marks and a super goal. Then there were Melbourne's early draft picks in Jack Watts (27 touches), co-captains Jack Grimes and Jack Trengove, James Frawley and the much-maligned Colin Sylvia. All of them turned it on and showed their worth and the fact that they were deserving of their early draft slots. One should add some plaudits to Jordie McKenzie who quelled Scully's early start and put him out of the game. Similarly, Tom McDonald took the other GWS number one pick Jonathon Patton to the cleaners in a true break out performance in defence. The game could well turn out to be a turning point for the Melbourne Football Club and it was only fitting that former skipper James McDonald was on hand to watch his old club take its first steps towards future greatness. Perhaps I'm getting a bit carried away but it's been a while since the Demons had such a convincing victory but I suspect there will be many more against plastic franchises built on dollars yet lacking in the emotional aspects of the game that money can't buy, a principle no better exemplified than by the emotionless robot who got paid more than anyone else on the day. Melbourne 6.1.37 11.4.70 18.8.116 20.15.135 GWS Giants 5.1.31 6.2.38 6.2.38 9.3.57 Goals Melbourne Clark Rivers 4 Garland 3 Davey Sylvia 2 Blease, Bate Blease Howe Jamar Trengove GWS Giants Cameron 3 Wilson 2 Adams Bugg Greene Patton Best Melbourne Jones Watts McDonald Bate Grimes Clark GWS Giants Ward Adams Treloar Shiel Greene McDonald Injuries Melbourne Mitch Clark (foot) GWS Giants Nil Changes Melbourne Rohan Bail (concussion) replaced in the selected side by Sam Blease. GWS Giants Nil Reports Melbourne Nil GWS Giants Nil Umpires McBurney, Ryan, Hay Crowd 20,070 at the MCG

DIGGING DEEP by Whispering Jack That wily old campaigner Kevin Sheedy had to dig deep into his bag of tricks to come up with a message for this week's game between the fledgling GWS Giants and Melbourne. Instead of informing all and sundry that his team, composed of mainly pimply faced teenagers mixed in with a handful of broken down old hacks and two or three players poached for nothing from other clubs considered it an honour to grace the wonderful ground which really gave birth to our native game, Sheedy couldn't help but go feral by baiting Melbourne fans with stereotypes about visiting the snow and with tales about how his club lured Tom Scully away from the club and into the fleshpots of Rooty Hill. As with much of what Sheedy says and does these days, it's all smoke and mirrors stuff - deception to mask the inadequacy of his team which was put together with the money and influence of a higher power being the AFL. There was no recruiting acumen and no finesse involved. The Giants' recruiters picked heir marks, offered more than their current clubs could possibly pay and had them hook, line and sinker. Clubs whose investments in the game were garnered through a century and a half of the hard slog had players pirated by people using their money. Talk about insult and injury! The truth of the matter is that Sheedy's new franchise is bleeding the AFL of millions of dollars to gain the sport a foothold in a new heartland in the western suburbs of a city that isn't interested the game at all. You only had to look at the rows and rows of empty seats at Skoda Stadium where the visiting Tiger fans almost outnumbered the bewildered looking locals at last week's affair to tell you that it's just not working. The truth is that Sheedy's ploy is a total distraction. An attempt to move the focus away from the fact that there's a game to be played and won and onto personalities like Scully, who jumped ship at the first opportunity to make a bigger buck (and good luck to him if he can get paid for routinely producing less on the field than half a dozen of his pubescent teammates) or James McDonald who, quite frankly, must have been embarrassed by the coach's suggestion that he be made captain for the day just so he could stick it up the fans who supported Junior so well for more than a decade. The first game between Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney Giants deserves much more than the piffling build up and humbuggery of Kevin Sheedy. It deserves to be taken seriously as a game of football for four points and not as a circus. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Sheedy has made it. Hopefully, Mark Neeld won’t take the bait. THE GAME Melbourne v. GWS Giants at the MCG – Sunday 26 June 2012 at 3.15pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 0 wins GWS Giants 0 wins At the MCG Melbourne 0 wins GWS Giants 0 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 0 wins GWS Giants 0 wins The Coaches Neeld 0 wins Sheedy 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 & Fox Footy Channel live at 3.00pm. RADIO - ABC774 3AW Triple M THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.31 GWS to win $3.55 LAST TIME THEY MET Never. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James Sellar James Frawley Jared Rivers Half backs Daniel Nicholson Tom McDonald Jack Watts Centreline Rohan Bail Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Jeremy Howe Lynden Dunn Nathan Jones Forwards Mitch Clark Colin Garland Colin Sylvia Followers Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Jordie McKenzie Interchange Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Joel Macdonald James Magner Emergencies Sam Blease Troy Davis Cale Morton In Rohan Bail Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Joel Macdonald Out Sam Blease Brad Green (hip) Cale Morton Luke Tapscott (suspension) GWS GIANTS Backs Jack Hombsch Tim Mohr Sam Darley Half backs Shaun Edwards Phil Davis Toby Greene Centreline Tom Scully Callan Ward Adam Treloar Half forwards Taylor Adams Jeremy Cameron Rhys Palmer Forwards Nathan Wilson Jonathan Patton Mark Whiley Followers Dean Brogan James McDonald Dylan Shiel Interchange Tomas Bugg Jonathan Giles Devon Smith Luke Power Emergencies Chad Cornes WIlliam Hoskin-Elliot Andrew Phillips In Jonathan Giles Jack Hombsch Nathan Wilson Out Chad Cornes (rested) Andrew Phillips Sam Schulz (calf) THE PERILS OF LONG RANGE FORECASTING Let's face it. The minute the AFL issued its programme of matches way back twhen the full roster of Greater Western Sydney players was far from finalised, we were all smacking our chops in anticipation of what shaped not only as an eminently winnable game for Melbourne but also as a probable crushing of the club we had quickly grown to loathe because of the tactics used to lure Tom Scully away from the club. After all, Melbourne's first encounter in 2011 with that year's debutants from the Gold Coast had resulted in a 15 goal victory even though most judges felt the team didn't even raise a gallop until the final quarter. Surely, this would be another massacre of similar proportions? Well, we've seen some changes since then. Things have not gone well for Melbourne with injuries, loss of form, a slow adaptation to a new style of play and some extraordinary and well documented on and off field events derailing the first half of the club's season. Not even in our wildest nightmares did we expect Melbourne to be on only one win at this juncture. A similar thing could be said of Greater Western Sydney who most expected to go through 2012 winless. Not only did they beat the Suns earlier in the season, but they have been impressive with some real competitive performances, particularly in recent times. It's no mean feat to be on even terms with Geelong on its home turf even if the Cats are seemingly on their way down and the Giants did well last week to be within sniffing distance late in their game against the Tigers. On Sunday, the Giants will experience the MCG for the first time and the big ground should suit them because they run and spread well, a feature which has for the most part been lacking at Melbourne this year. The Demons have loaded up with big bodies in order to exploit the youthful Giants and it will be interesting to see how the game plays itself out. What puzzles me is the GWS decision to omit Chad Cornes who routinely stars against Melbourne and whose form this year had been widely acknowledged as one of the reasons why his team has been so competitive. Last week he had 23 touches against Richmond and whilst not as prolific against Geelong in the game before that, his contribution was significant. In his team's only win this year, Cornes had 28 possessions, took 12 marks and was easily best on the ground. It's hard to believe that he's been rested for this game on this ground and in the heavy conditions anticipated for Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised if this was yet another Sheedy ploy and a late change will see Cornes running out for the game. What Melbourne needs to win on Sunday is a good start. After a couple of weeks of competitive starts against Carlton and Essendon, the Demons were woeful for almost a quarter and a half as they conceded more than eight goals as a result of some sloppy play, loose checking and poor kicking for goal against the Pies on Queens Birthday. A similar start will lead to a day of embarrassment. On the other hand, the Giants will need everything to go their way much as it did last week against the Tigers when virtually every foray into the forward line resulted in a goal while Richmond was extremely wasteful up forward. The result was that the home side needed only fourteen shots to achieve twelve goals while the visitors scored one less goal with 31 attempts in their two goal win. In other words, it was only a matter of accuracy in front of goal that was the difference between a close result and an absolute thumping. These things rarely happen two weeks in a row and, on that basis I believe the time has come for Melbourne to kick off a better half of the season and I'm tipping Melbourne and Black Caviar to make it a double for the weekend. Both will end up saluting the judges. Demon fans - prepare to wave your jackets in the direction of the GWS coaches box at the end of the game! Melbourne by 36 points.

DIGGING DEEP by Whispering Jack That wily old campaigner Kevin Sheedy had to dig deep into his bag of tricks to come up with a message for this week's game between the fledgling GWS Giants and Melbourne. Instead of informing all and sundry that his team, composed of mainly pimply faced teenagers mixed in with a handful of broken down old hacks and two or three players poached for nothing from other clubs considered it an honour to grace the wonderful ground which really gave birth to our native game, Sheedy couldn't help but go feral by baiting Melbourne fans with stereotypes about visiting the snow and with tales about how his club lured Tom Scully away from the club and into the fleshpots of Rooty Hill. As with much of what Sheedy says and does these days, it's all smoke and mirrors stuff - deception to mask the inadequacy of his team which was put together with the money and influence of a higher power being the AFL. There was no recruiting acumen and no finesse involved. The Giants' recruiters picked heir marks, offered more than their current clubs could possibly pay and had them hook, line and sinker. Clubs whose investments in the game were garnered through a century and a half of the hard slog had players pirated by people using their money. Talk about insult and injury! The truth of the matter is that Sheedy's new franchise is bleeding the AFL of millions of dollars to gain the sport a foothold in a new heartland in the western suburbs of a city that isn't interested the game at all. You only had to look at the rows and rows of empty seats at Skoda Stadium where the visiting Tiger fans almost outnumbered the bewildered looking locals at last week's affair to tell you that it's just not working. The truth is that Sheedy's ploy is a total distraction. An attempt to move the focus away from the fact that there's a game to be played and won and onto personalities like Scully, who jumped ship at the first opportunity to make a bigger buck (and good luck to him if he can get paid for routinely producing less on the field than half a dozen of his pubescent teammates) or James McDonald who, quite frankly, must have been embarrassed by the coach's suggestion that he be made captain for the day just so he could stick it up the fans who supported Junior so well for more than a decade. The first game between Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney Giants deserves much more than the piffling build up and humbuggery of Kevin Sheedy. It deserves to be taken seriously as a game of football for four points and not as a circus. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Sheedy has made it. Hopefully, Mark Neeld won't take the bait. THE GAME Melbourne v. GWS Giants at the MCG – Sunday 26 June 2012 at 3.15pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 0 wins GWS Giants 0 wins At the MCG Melbourne 0 wins GWS Giants 0 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 0 wins GWS Giants 0 wins The Coaches Neeld 0 wins Sheedy 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7 & Fox Footy Channel live at 3.00pm. RADIO - ABC774 3AW Triple M THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.31 GWS to win $3.55 LAST TIME THEY MET Never. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs James Sellar James Frawley Jared Rivers Half backs Daniel Nicholson Tom McDonald Jack Watts Centreline Rohan Bail Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Jeremy Howe Lynden Dunn Nathan Jones Forwards Mitch Clark Colin Garland Colin Sylvia Followers Mark Jamar Brent Moloney Jordie McKenzie Interchange Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Joel Macdonald James Magner Emergencies Sam Blease Troy Davis Cale Morton In Rohan Bail Matthew Bate Aaron Davey Joel Macdonald Out Sam Blease Brad Green (hip) Cale Morton Luke Tapscott (suspension) GWS GIANTS Backs Jack Hombsch Tim Mohr Sam Darley Half backs Shaun Edwards Phil Davis Toby Greene Centreline Tom Scully Callan Ward Adam Treloar Half forwards Taylor Adams Jeremy Cameron Rhys Palmer Forwards Nathan Wilson Jonathan Patton Mark Whiley Followers Dean Brogan James McDonald Dylan Shiel Interchange Tomas Bugg Jonathan Giles Devon Smith Luke Power Emergencies Chad Cornes WIlliam Hoskin-Elliot Andrew Phillips In Jonathan Giles Jack Hombsch Nathan Wilson Out Chad Cornes (rested) Andrew Phillips Sam Schulz (calf) THE PERILS OF LONG RANGE FORECASTING Let's face it. The minute the AFL issued its programme of matches way back twhen the full roster of Greater Western Sydney players was far from finalised, we were all smacking our chops in anticipation of what shaped not only as an eminently winnable game for Melbourne but also as a probable crushing of the club we had quickly grown to loathe because of the tactics used to lure Tom Scully away from the club. After all, Melbourne's first encounter in 2011 with that year's debutants from the Gold Coast had resulted in a 15 goal victory even though most judges felt the team didn't even raise a gallop until the final quarter. Surely, this would be another massacre of similar proportions? Well, we've seen some changes since then. Things have not gone well for Melbourne with injuries, loss of form, a slow adaptation to a new style of play and some extraordinary and well documented on and off field events derailing the first half of the club's season. Not even in our wildest nightmares did we expect Melbourne to be on only one win at this juncture. A similar thing could be said of Greater Western Sydney who most expected to go through 2012 winless. Not only did they beat the Suns earlier in the season, but they have been impressive with some real competitive performances, particularly in recent times. It's no mean feat to be on even terms with Geelong on its home turf even if the Cats are seemingly on their way down and the Giants did well last week to be within sniffing distance late in their game against the Tigers. On Sunday, the Giants will experience the MCG for the first time and the big ground should suit them because they run and spread well, a feature which has for the most part been lacking at Melbourne this year. The Demons have loaded up with big bodies in order to exploit the youthful Giants and it will be interesting to see how the game plays itself out. What puzzles me is the GWS decision to omit Chad Cornes who routinely stars against Melbourne and whose form this year had been widely acknowledged as one of the reasons why his team has been so competitive. Last week he had 23 touches against Richmond and whilst not as prolific against Geelong in the game before that, his contribution was significant. In his team's only win this year, Cornes had 28 possessions, took 12 marks and was easily best on the ground. It's hard to believe that he's been rested for this game on this ground and in the heavy conditions anticipated for Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised if this was yet another Sheedy ploy and a late change will see Cornes running out for the game. What Melbourne needs to win on Sunday is a good start. After a couple of weeks of competitive starts against Carlton and Essendon, the Demons were woeful for almost a quarter and a half as they conceded more than eight goals as a result of some sloppy play, loose checking and poor kicking for goal against the Pies on Queens Birthday. A similar start will lead to a day of embarrassment. On the other hand, the Giants will need everything to go their way much as it did last week against the Tigers when virtually every foray into the forward line resulted in a goal while Richmond was extremely wasteful up forward. The result was that the home side needed only fourteen shots to achieve twelve goals while the visitors scored one less goal with 31 attempts in their two goal win. In other words, it was only a matter of accuracy in front of goal that was the difference between a close result and an absolute thumping. These things rarely happen two weeks in a row and, on that basis I believe the time has come for Melbourne to kick off a better half of the season and I'm tipping Melbourne and Black Caviar to make it a double for the weekend. Both will end up saluting the judges. Demon fans - prepare to wave your jackets in the direction of the GWS coaches box at the end of the game! Melbourne by 36 points.