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Melbourne and North Melbourne are two teams whose form during the 2015 season is regarded by all and sundry as extremely inconsistent. Their highs and their lows over the year so far have been well documented and fans of both clubs have been heard leaving some of their games muttering the words "inconsistent basterds" as an apt description of the cause of their frustrations. On this basis, one might think it would be a difficult task to select the winner of this week's contest at the MCG and yet the Kangaroos are rightly firm favourites with the pundits to win the match up. The favouritism no doubt stems from the fact that they seem to be finding some consistency at last with wins in their last four matches. But if you look at who they've beaten since their 55-point loss to the Gold Coast Suns on the day of Garry Ablett Junior's comeback game five weeks ago, a different story emerges. They have since beaten Geelong (at a time when the Cats were at their absolute poorest), Essendon, Brisbane and Carlton whilst enjoying the AFL's dream fixture and it's been a while since they've had to fight out a pressure game against one of the competition's power house clubs. Of course, at this stage of the journey Melbourne fans can only dream about winning two games in a row (let alone four) and there's that little matter of North's 13-game winning streak that goes back all the way to late in 2006 when Nathan Jones' career was in its infancy that makes them such firm favourites. When you consider that young Demons like Jesse Hogan, Angus Brayshaw, James Harmes and Alex Neal-Bullen were running around in the Under 11s and 10s when their club last prevailed over this week's opponent, it brings the enormity of the task into perspective. And yet, I have this feeling that the time is ripe for Melbourne to overturn yet another long-running hoodoo. So far this year the club has smashed many of these, starting with the game over the Suns which marked its first opening round win in a decade. On the eve of Anzac Day, it beat Richmond to record its first Friday night win in a long time, Hogan kicked five goals against the Saints (albeit in a losing game) to end several years when the best an individual player had scored in a game was three and the wins against Geelong at Simonds Stadium and last week at Collingwood ended long droughts against those clubs. In the case of those latter victories, they were completely unexpected which is what one expects from inconsistent teams. But if there has been one consistent thing about both clubs this year, it has been the form of their main ruckmen. Todd Goldstein has been great for the Kangaroos all year, is a certain All Australian and has been mentioned as a Brownlow chance. Max Gawn only grabbed the first ruck mantle at Melbourne after half a season at Casey but has been the stand out big man ever since and (pardon the pun) continues to grow in stature. If Maxy can win his battle against Goldstein on Sunday he will consolidate a position among the top three or four ruckmen in the competition and go a long way to putting an end to his club's days as inconsistent basterds. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 9th August, 2015 at MCG at 1.10 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 77 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 35 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Scott 2 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel at 1.00pm (live) RADIO - Triple M 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.60 North Melbourne to win $1.29 LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 19.9.123 defeated Melbourne 14.9.93 at Etihad Stadium in Round 23, 2014 North rested some of their leading lights on the eve of the finals Melbourne the opportunity to stay in the game until the second half when the Roos took control and moved away to win by 5 goals. Nathan Jones and Dom Tyson were the best of the Demons. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Daniel Cross, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe C: Jack Grimes, Dom Tyson, Heritier Lumumba HF: Angus Brayshaw, Chris Dawes, Bernie Vince F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Jack Watts FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C (from): James Harmes, Matt Jones, Viv Michie, Alex Neal-Bullen EMG: Mark Jamar, Ben Newton, Billy Stretch IN: Matt Jones OUT: Aaron vandenBerg (ankle) NORTH MELBOURNE B: Sam Wright, Robbie Tarrant, Lachlan Hansen HB: Nick Dal Santo, Scott Thompson, Ben Jacobs C: Shaun Higgins, Jack Ziebell, Shaun Atley HF: Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Taylor Garner F: Ben Brown, Jarrad Waite, Lindsay Thomas FOLL: Todd Goldstein, Ben Cunnington, Andrew Swallow I/C: Sam Gibson, Luke McDonald, Aaron Mullett, Robin Nahas EMG: Majak Daw, Kayne Turner, Max Warren IN: Lachlan Hansen, Aaron Mullett, Robin Nahas OUT: Ryan Bastinac (omitted), Michael Firrito (suspended), Kayne Turner (omitted) The way things seem to be panning out in the run to the finals, this game is crucial to North's end of year prospects. A defeat in their clash with Melbourne could well prove a disaster for the Kangaroos whose last three games are against teams likely to contest the 2015 finals series. I've already mentioned the ruck contests as being crucial to the outcome but they will also set the scene for an intriguing midfield battle. North has been solid and steady in this area for some time but has lacked brilliance during the long absence of Daniel Wells. A little over twelve months ago this would have been a game decider in favour of North but Nathan Jones has now been joined by Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson and a couple of exciting strong tackling hard youngsters in Jack Viney and Angus Brayshaw and will be no pushovers. With Jack Watts coming of age and a couple of forward targets like Chris Dawes and Jesse Hogan there is every chance that this game will produce an upset. Melbourne by 10 points.

We haven't beaten this team since very early in Nathan Jones' career. It's about time. Our last meeting was on 30th August last year when they beat us easily in a high scoring shoot out. NORTH MELBOURNE B: Lachlan Hansen, Scott Thompson, Jamie Macmillan HB: Shaun Atley, Nathan Grima,Sam Wright C: Nick Dal Santo, Andrew Swallow, Ben Jacobs HF: Kayne Turner, Ben Brown, Daniel Wells F: Mason Wood, Drew Petrie, Aaron Black FOLL: Daniel Currie, Ben Cunnington, Jack Ziebell EMG: Trent Dumont, Brad McKenzie, Scott McMahon IN: Daniel Currie, Lachlan Hansen, Jamie Macmillan, Daniel Wells, Mason Wood OUT: Michael Firrito (soreness), Todd Goldstein (soreness), Levi Greenwood (calf), Luke McDonald (back), Lindsay Thomas (knee) NEW: Mason Wood (Geelong Falcons) MELBOURNE B: Lynden Dunn, James Frawley, Neville Jetta HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Bernie Vince C: Jordie McKenzie, Daniel Cross, Rohan Bail HF: Viv Michie, Max Gawn, Christian Salem F: Jack Fitzpatrick, Chris Dawes, Dean Kent FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Matt Jones, Aidan Riley, Jack Viney, Jack Watts EMG: Dom Barry, Daniel Nicholson, Cameron Pedersen IN: Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley OUT: Colin Garland (knee), Cameron Pedersen (omitted)

NO ILLUSIONS by The Oracle The euphoria of last week's dramatic final minute victory over Essendon was quickly well and truly consigned into past history not long after the Melbourne team ran onto the MCG for its game against North Melbourne. The reason for this was that the Demons' pedestrian style of football, limited skills and an insatiable capacity to constantly turn the ball over into an opponent's lap was never going to be enough to win them a game against quality opposition. Indeed it was only their accuracy in the first half that fully prevented the game from turning into a 2013 style blowout of epic proportions and instead they were left with a reality check and a 41-point defeat. The Kangaroos applied the early heat but thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Bernie Vince who maintained great composure throughout the game, the Demons were still in the contest at the first break and clawed their way back in the second term after they fell four goals in arrears through some sloppy football. Early in the third, they threatened again when Chris Dawes goaled to leave them only seven points down despite being far inferior in almost every aspect of play. It was at this stage that North upped the ante, applied the blow torch and booted six goals in ten minutes, most of them on the back of fumbly turnovers caused by poor disposal and stupid decision making. To its credit, Melbourne managed to regroup thanks to some positional changes at the end but the mistakes continued and prevented it from making any semblance of a come back. The truth is that there is still a lack of players with the quality and flair of Vince who produced a stunning 41-possession game and the attack simply does not have the potency or depth of the better sides in the competition. There were times when one wondered where the next goal would come from. The ball was constantly bombed into an attack where the team was outnumbered and if the ball hit the ground there were no crumbing forwards to finish off the goals as we saw from the Kangaroos who had twelve goal kickers on the day to Melbourne's six. This imbalance of forward strength was a major difference and a problem that will continue to dog the club for the remainder of the season with games against some of the competition's big hitters including Port Adelaide, Hawthorn, Fremantle, Geelong and a return game against North Melbourne to come. Despite the club's big steps forward the result of this game should leave us with no illusions that there is a long way to go. Melbourne 3.0.18 6.0.36 8.4.52 10.6.66 North Melbourne 4.5.29 7.8.50 14.12.96 15.17.107 Goals Melbourne Dawes Vince 3 Bail Frawley Pedersen Reilly North Melbourne Greenwood Mullett Thomas 2 Atley Black Brown Cunnington Harvey Nahas Petrie Swallow Ziebell Best Melbourne Vince N Jones Cross Dunn M Jones Pedersen North Melbourne Greenwood Dal Santo Thompson Petrie Harvey Ziebell Cunnington Changes Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Injuries Melbourne Watts (back) North Melbourne Nahas (shoulder) Swallow (knee) Reports Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Umpires Rosebury Bannister Fleer Crowd 26,615 at the MCG

Your votes please - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ... Jones rule applies.

The euphoria of last week's dramatic final minute victory over Essendon was quickly well and truly consigned into past history not long after the Melbourne team ran onto the MCG for its game against North Melbourne. The reason for this was that the Demons' pedestrian style of football, limited skills and an insatiable capacity to constantly turn the ball over into an opponent's lap was never going to be enough to win them a game against quality opposition. Indeed it was only their accuracy in the first half that fully prevented the game from turning into a 2013 style blowout of epic proportions and instead they were left with a reality check and a 41-point defeat. The Kangaroos applied the early heat but thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Bernie Vince who maintained great composure throughout the game, the Demons were still in the contest at the first break and clawed their way back in the second term after they fell four goals in arrears through some sloppy football. Early in the third, they threatened again when Chris Dawes goaled to leave them only seven points down despite being far inferior in almost every aspect of play. It was at this stage that North upped the ante, applied the blow torch and booted six goals in ten minutes, most of them on the back of fumbly turnovers caused by poor disposal and stupid decision making. To its credit, Melbourne managed to regroup thanks to some positional changes at the end but the mistakes continued and prevented it from making any semblance of a come back. The truth is that there is still a lack of players with the quality and flair of Vince who produced a stunning 41-possession game and the attack simply does not have the potency or depth of the better sides in the competition. There were times when one wondered where the next goal would come from. The ball was constantly bombed into an attack where the team was outnumbered and if the ball hit the ground there were no crumbing forwards to finish off the goals as we saw from the Kangaroos who had twelve goal kickers on the day to Melbourne's six. This imbalance of forward strength was a major difference and a problem that will continue to dog the club for the remainder of the season with games against some of the competition's big hitters including Port Adelaide, Hawthorn, Fremantle, Geelong and a return game against North Melbourne to come. Despite the club's big steps forward the result of this game should leave us with no illusions that there is a long way to go. Melbourne 3.0.18 6.0.36 8.4.52 10.6.66 North Melbourne 4.5.29 7.8.50 14.12.96 15.17.107 Goals Melbourne Dawes Vince 3 Bail Frawley Pedersen Reilly North Melbourne Greenwood Mullett Thomas 2 Atley Black Brown Cunnington Harvey Nahas Petrie Swallow Ziebell Best Melbourne Vince N Jones Cross Dunn M Jones Pedersen North Melbourne Greenwood Dal Santo Thompson Petrie Harvey Ziebell Cunnington Changes Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Injuries Melbourne Watts (back) North Melbourne Nahas (shoulder) Swallow (knee) Reports Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Umpires Rosebury Bannister Fleer Crowd 26,615 at the MCG

ANOTHER BAD MEMORY TO ERASE by George on The Outer With Carlton maintaining its losing streak of 12 straight losses against Hawthorn, the pressure is now on Melbourne to remove the miserable record that it has against North Melbourne of a similar 11 straight losses. The last time the Demons managed to overcome the Roos was way back in Round 20, 2006 when we defeated them in front of 29K at the MCG by 20.12 (132) to 12.10 (82). It was one of current skipper Nathan Jones' first games. That was certainly an eternity ago, and the memories of a Melbourne side kicking 132 points in any game has long since faded. The more recent memory is far, far more painful as North demolished the Demons less than twelve months ago - in Round 18, 2013. That result was Melbourne's second largest losing margin in a year that the club and its supporters would surely want to forget completely. Times are a little different nowadays. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 22nd June 2014 at MCG at 4.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 75 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 34 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel at 4:30pm (live) RADIO - 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.70 North Melbourne to win $1.28 LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 22.18.150 defeated Melbourne 4.4.28 at Etihad Stadium in Round 18, 2013 In modern day terms the Demons played like a lifeless pack of spuds (see also below) THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Jack Grimes C: Bernie Vince, Jack Viney, Daniel Cross HF: Rohan Bail, James Frawley, Cameron Pedersen F: Dean Kent, Chris Dawes, Jack Watts FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Matt Jones, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley, Christian Salem EMG: Sam Blease Dan Nicholson Dean Terlich NO CHANGE NORTH MELBOURNE B: Luke McDonald, Scott D Thompson, Lachlan Hansen HB: Shaun Atley, Michael Firrito, Aaron Mullett C: Sam Gibson, Andrew Swallow, Levi Greenwood HF: Nick Dal Santo, Robbie Tarrant, Brent Harvey F: Aaron Black, Drew Petrie, Lindsay Thomas FOLL: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Ben Cunnington I/C: Leigh Adams, Ryan Bastinac, Brad McKenzie, Robin Nahas EMG: Liam Anthony, Ben Brown, Trent Dumont IN: Brad McKenzie OUT: Liam Anthony It is interesting to contrast this with the side the Demons sent out onto the field that miserable day: B: Dunn Pedersen Tapscott HB: McDonald Frawley Clisby C: Viney Trengove Grimes HF: M Jones Watts Howe F: Davey Dawes Fitzpatrick FOLL : Gawn Sylvia N Jones I/C: Blease Byrnes Toumpas SUB: Kent What a vastly different side that will present for the Red and Blue this week, less than 12 months later. Not only do we find Paul Roos coaching the side, and rebuilding confidence following all those shattering years, but the line-up across every line has been altered. In some cases, we have the same players but their form is a striking improvement over what they were producing last year (Dunn, Pedersen). The painful outcome of last year looked like this: MELBOURNE 1.0 3.2 4.4 4.4 (28) NORTH MELBOURNE 3.5 6.9 14.12 22.18 (150) GOALS Melbourne: Tapscott Fitzpatrick Dawes Byrnes North Melbourne: Bastinac 4 Black 4 Wells 2 Adams 2 Cunnington 2 Petrie 2 Mullett 2 Goldstein 2 Harvey Ziebell BEST Melbourne: N.Jones (some things never change) Sylvia McDonald Gawn Dunn Toumpas North Melbourne: Goldstein Cunnington Harvey Hansen Thompson Bastinac Adams Ziebell With a heart stopper of a result against the Bombers and a build-up of faith among the players and the supporters as a result, a very, very different outcome can be expected. A 4.40pm start wont suit most supporters and North are notorious for low crowd numbers. However, the Demon army is rolling again. The last time they met a paltry 16K people turned up, but it was at Etihad stadium as well. This time its at the G and finally we have a team that we can be proud of, so far greater numbers should be on the agenda.

With Carlton maintaining its losing streak of 12 straight losses against Hawthorn, the pressure is now on Melbourne to remove the miserable record that it has against North Melbourne of a similar 11 straight losses. The last time the Demons managed to overcome the Roos was way back in Round 20, 2006 when we defeated them in front of 29K at the MCG by 20.12 (132) to 12.10 (82). It was one of current skipper Nathan Jones' first games. That was certainly an eternity ago, and the memories of a Melbourne side kicking 132 points in any game has long since faded. The more recent memory is far, far more painful as North demolished the Demons less than twelve months ago - in Round 18, 2013. That result was Melbourne's second largest losing margin in a year that the club and its supporters would surely want to forget completely. Times are a little different nowadays. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 22nd June 2014 at MCG at 4.40 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 75 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 34 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Footy Channel at 4:30pm (live) RADIO - 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win $3.70 North Melbourne to win $1.28 LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 22.18.150 defeated Melbourne 4.4.28 at Etihad Stadium in Round 18, 2013 In modern day terms the Demons played like a lifeless pack of spuds (see also below) THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Jack Grimes C: Bernie Vince, Jack Viney, Daniel Cross HF: Rohan Bail, James Frawley, Cameron Pedersen F: Dean Kent, Chris Dawes, Jack Watts FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson I/C: Matt Jones, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley, Christian Salem EMG: Sam Blease Dan Nicholson Dean Terlich NO CHANGE NORTH MELBOURNE B: Luke McDonald, Scott D Thompson, Lachlan Hansen HB: Shaun Atley, Michael Firrito, Aaron Mullett C: Sam Gibson, Andrew Swallow, Levi Greenwood HF: Nick Dal Santo, Robbie Tarrant, Brent Harvey F: Aaron Black, Drew Petrie, Lindsay Thomas FOLL: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Ben Cunnington I/C: Leigh Adams, Ryan Bastinac, Brad McKenzie, Robin Nahas EMG: Liam Anthony, Ben Brown, Trent Dumont IN: Brad McKenzie OUT: Liam Anthony It is interesting to contrast this with the side the Demons sent out onto the field that miserable day: B: Dunn Pedersen Tapscott HB: McDonald Frawley Clisby C: Viney Trengove Grimes HF: M Jones Watts Howe F: Davey Dawes Fitzpatrick FOLL : Gawn Sylvia N Jones I/C: Blease Byrnes Toumpas SUB: Kent What a vastly different side that will present for the Red and Blue this week, less than 12 months later. Not only do we find Paul Roos coaching the side, and rebuilding confidence following all those shattering years, but the line-up across every line has been altered. In some cases, we have the same players but their form is a striking improvement over what they were producing last year (Dunn, Pedersen). The painful outcome of last year looked like this: MELBOURNE 1.0 3.2 4.4 4.4 (28) NORTH MELBOURNE 3.5 6.9 14.12 22.18 (150) GOALS Melbourne: Tapscott Fitzpatrick Dawes Byrnes North Melbourne: Bastinac 4 Black 4 Wells 2 Adams 2 Cunnington 2 Petrie 2 Mullett 2 Goldstein 2 Harvey Ziebell BEST Melbourne: N.Jones (some things never change) Sylvia McDonald Gawn Dunn Toumpas North Melbourne: Goldstein Cunnington Harvey Hansen Thompson Bastinac Adams Ziebell With a heart stopper of a result against the Bombers and a build-up of faith among the players and the supporters as a result, a very, very different outcome can be expected. A 4.40pm start wont suit most supporters and North are notorious for low crowd numbers. However, the Demon army is rolling again. The last time they met a paltry 16K people turned up, but it was at Etihad stadium as well. This time its at the G and finally we have a team that we can be proud of, so far greater numbers should be on the agenda.

Last week we turned around a 148 point loss into a 1 point win against Essendon. This week the turnaround needed is a mere 122 points to tie the game and 123 for a 1 point win. MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Cameron Pedersen Dean Terlich Half backs Tom McDonald James Frawley Mitchell Clisby Centreline Jack Viney Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Shannon Byrnes Jack Watts Jeremy Howe Forwards Aaron Davey Chris Dawes Jack Fitzpatrick Followers Max Gawn Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Sam Blease Matt Jones Dean Kent Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies Daniel Nicholson Jake Spencer Luke Tapscott NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Lachlan Hansen Scott Thompson Cameron Delaney Half backs Aaron Mullett Nathan Grima Taylor Hine Centreline Daniel Wells Sam Gibson Shaun Atley Half forwards Ben Cunnington Drew Petrie Brent Harvey Forwards Aaron Black Robbie Tarrant Lindsay Thomas Followers Todd Goldstein Andrew Swallow Jack Ziebell Interchange Leigh Adams Ryan Bastinac Jamie Macmillan Brad McKenzie Emergencies Luke Delaney Ben Jacobs Sam Wright

Yes the Demons have done it again! Played one hundred minutes of football and managed a lousy four goals for a whole game. At least at Geelong a couple of weeks ago there was the reasonable excuse of a river running through the ground. We are truly setting the record books alight this year as this was our ninth game where we have kicked less than ten goals. And since this was round 18, thats ½ of the games played! How we dream of the old days. Saturday afternoon at the footy. Playing against another Melbourne based side. The memories ... and if it were the old days, the season would be over by now. Although our season has in truth long been over. Could it be that Mark Neeld really wasnt the problem? Darwin aftermath perhaps? Or is the truth much simpler: We just have a team full of absolute lazy spuds! The coach doesnt stop a player chasing, or contesting. Tropical heat doesnt mean you cant stand alongside your opponent, even more so if you didnt actually play in Darwin. The sheer number of spectators on the ground should have been brought to the attention of security. Sadly, even removing them wouldnt have made any difference to the score or the result. Fining them the $7K that was flashed up so often on the screen would have been a good starting point. Taking them to the Metropolitan Assessment Prison next door would have been an even better option. Nine Melbourne players had 10 possessions or less. What hope do we have when half the team is simply bludgeing? And bludgeing off the backs of Nathan Jones and Max Gawn who once again showed what is required at AFL level football. Or a young Jack Viney who is prepared to put in 110% even in his first year of football. Things were certainly not helped by our own ineptitude, with the grand total of 41 clangers for the team. No wonder North won by over twenty goals; they simply had a couple of extra players on the ground. Except they were wearing Red and Blue jumpers. Seven years of this we have been watching now. Any more of this and there will be more spectators on the ground than in the seats in the stands. Melbourne 1.0.6 3.2.20 4.4.28 4.4.28 North Melbourne 3.5.23 6.9.45 14.12.96 22.18.150 Goals Melbourne Byrnes Dawes Fitzpatrick Tapscott North Melbourne Bastinac Black 4 Adams Cunnington Goldstein Mullett Petrie Wells 2 Harvey Ziebell Best Melbourne Sylvia N Jones Frawley N Jones McDonald Dunn North Melbourne Cunnington Harvey Hansen Bastinac Goldstein Gibson Injuries Melbourne James Frawley (hamstring strain) North Melbourne Swallow (achilles) Changes Melbourne Dean Terlich replaced by Luke Tapscott North Melbourne Nil Reports Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Umpires Findlay Bannister Burgess Official Attendance 16,959, at Etihad Stadium

Cast your votes please - 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

ETIHAD INVADED BY SPECTATORS! ... CALL SECURITY by George on The Outer Yes the Demons have done it again! Played one hundred minutes of football and managed a lousy four goals for a whole game. At least at Geelong a couple of weeks ago there was the reasonable excuse of a river running through the ground. We are truly setting the record books alight this year as this was our ninth game where we have kicked less than ten goals. And since this was round 18, thats ½ of the games played! How we dream of the old days. Saturday afternoon at the footy. Playing against another Melbourne based side. The memories ... and if it were the old days, the season would be over by now. Although our season has in truth long been over. Could it be that Mark Neeld really wasnt the problem? Darwin aftermath perhaps? Or is the truth much simpler: We just have a team full of absolute lazy spuds! The coach doesnt stop a player chasing, or contesting. Tropical heat doesnt mean you cant stand alongside your opponent, even more so if you didnt actually play in Darwin. The sheer number of spectators on the ground should have been brought to the attention of security. Sadly, even removing them wouldnt have made any difference to the score or the result. Fining them the $7K that was flashed up so often on the screen would have been a good starting point. Taking them to the Metropolitan Assessment Prison next door would have been an even better option. Nine Melbourne players had 10 possessions or less. What hope do we have when half the team is simply bludgeing? And bludgeing off the backs of Nathan Jones and Max Gawn who once again showed what is required at AFL level football. Or a young Jack Viney who is prepared to put in 110% even in his first year of football. Things were certainly not helped by our own ineptitude, with the grand total of 41 clangers for the team. No wonder North won by over twenty goals; they simply had a couple of extra players on the ground. Except they were wearing Red and Blue jumpers. Seven years of this we have been watching now. Any more of this and there will be more spectators on the ground than in the seats in the stands. Melbourne 1.0.6 3.2.14 4.4.28 4.4.28 North Melbourne 3.5.23 6.9.41 14.12.9622.18.150 Goals Melbourne Byrnes Dawes Fitzpatrick Tapscott North Melbourne Bastinac Black 4 Adams Cunnington Goldstein Mullett Petrie Wells 2 Harvey Ziebell Best Melbourne Sylvia N Jones Frawley N Jones McDonald Dunn North Melbourne Cunnington Harvey Hansen Bastinac Goldstein Gibson Injuries Melbourne James Frawley (hamstring strain) North Melbourne Swallow (achilles) Changes Melbourne Dean Terlich replaced by Luke Tapscott North Melbourne Nil Reports MelbourneNil North Melbourne Nil Umpires Findlay Bannister Burgess Official Attendance 16,959, at Etihad Stadium

A LUCKY DAY ... FOR SOME by JVM With a little bit of luck, North Melbourne will continue its recent record of domination over Melbourne when the two clubs meet at Etihad Stadium this weekend. On face value the timing of the game at 2:10pm on a Saturday afternoon suggests a return to traditional values but there is nothing truly traditional about this game. The venue is an enclosed stadium which has a roof that might be closed for the game depending on the weather conditions. Although this is Melbourne's "home" game, the ground is actually home to the "visiting" club and given that nobody remembers the last time that the Demons won a game at the place or indeed, when they last won a game against the Kangaroos, one wonders where the term "home ground advantage" fits into the equation. This has not been a particularly memorable year for either club. The horror stretch that Melbourne has endured over the past seven years is continuing and has been well documented but for North fans, it has also been a series of disasters and bad luck despite the club having a near injury-free list for the third or fourth year in a row. Last year, they had a dream fixture which helped them make it into the finals before they ran into a brick wall and a 16 goal crushing at Patersons Stadium at the hands of the Eagles. This year the luck of the draw eluded them. They have also played a number of quality games for 2½ quarters or so and then allowed opposition teams to come back from substantial deficits to win games at the last gasp. After a series of such games, they failed to reverse the trend by 1 point last week against Carlton when they came back from a six goal deficit late in the third term. Late in the evening, when the game was there to be won, an unlucky bounce robbed Brent Harvey of a chance to kick the winning goal for North. Such has been its luck for the whole season. But if there is to be any respite for the beleaguered Roos then it has to be this week against the Dees. It's not as if Melbourne hasn't improved by any of the usual measures since Neil Craig took over as coach. A change of coaching regime will do that simply because it brings in the refreshing winds of change usually after a difficult period in which self-doubt and a lack of confidence has prevailed over a losing group. However, it's often not enough to bring about sustainable improvement which might have to wait until the permanent new coach is appointed and installed. In the interim, the Demons are likely to meander through the season showing the odd glimpse of promise amid some more of the same frustrating shortcomings that have been their hallmark over the past five or so years. And all this points to the fact that Saturday promises to be North Melbourne's lucky day. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Saturday 27th July 2013 at Etihad Stadium at 2.10 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 69 wins 1 draw At Etihad Stadium Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 6 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins North Melbourne 13 wins The Coaches Craig 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports Channel 3 live at 1:30pm. RADIO - TripleM THE BETTING Melbourne to win $15.00 North Melbourne to win $1.01 LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 19.13.127 defeated Melbourne 11.7.73 at Etihad Stadium in Round 18, 2012 It was almost exactly a year ago to the day that these teams clashed at Etihad and the finals bound Kangaroos were in control from go to whoa as they coasted their way to a comfortable nine goal win to make it five wins from five encounters between the teams at this venue. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Cameron Pedersen Dean Terlich Half backs Tom McDonald James Frawley Mitchell Clisby Centreline Jack Viney Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Shannon Byrnes Jack Watts Jeremy Howe Forwards Aaron Davey Chris Dawes Jack Fitzpatrick Followers Max Gawn Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Sam Blease Matt Jones Dean Kent Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies Daniel Nicholson Jake Spencer Luke Tapscott NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Lachlan Hansen Scott Thompson Cameron Delaney Half backs Aaron Mullett Nathan Grima Taylor Hine Centreline Daniel Wells Sam Gibson Shaun Atley Half forwards Ben Cunnington Drew Petrie Brent Harvey Forwards Aaron Black Robbie Tarrant Lindsay Thomas Followers Todd Goldstein Andrew Swallow Jack Ziebell Interchange Leigh Adams Ryan Bastinac Jamie Macmillan Brad McKenzie Emergencies Luke Delaney Ben Jacobs Sam Wright Had the Kangaroos won those five games lost by under a goal this season they would be 7th on the ladder and not in 13th place which is where they sit at the present time. Of course, my aunt would be my uncle if she had a hairy chest but what this means to me is that Melbourne is not taking on a team whose form is that of an outfit struggling in the bottom six in the competition. Had the breaks gone their way, this team could easily be in the mix to play deep into the finals. Whilst it is is true that under caretaker coach Neil Craig the Demons have shown some improvement, they continue to lag well below most sides in the competition in every key performance indicator. From centre clearances to inside 50s to average disposals and scores, they are far enough behind the likes of North Melbourne that they simply dont have the ammunition to crack even a quirky side like the Kangaroos on their home turf. This leaves us with but one conclusion. North Melbourne by 60 points.

Today is the day of the game; the game is on today. Hence the title. Duh. So ... is anyone else very interested to see how Cam Pedersen will go today against his old team? The guy is 26 and is in the first year of a THREE YEAR CONTRACT (I know, right?). He is in his prime, and should be a leader on the field. This is his chance to make something of himself. Let's hope he can. And ... Go!

With a little bit of luck, North Melbourne will continue its recent record of domination over Melbourne when the two clubs meet at Etihad Stadium this weekend. On face value the timing of the game at 2:10pm on a Saturday afternoon suggests a return to traditional values but there is nothing truly traditional about this game. The venue is an enclosed stadium which has a roof that might be closed for the game depending on the weather conditions. Although this is Melbourne's "home" game, the ground is actually home to the "visiting" club and given that nobody remembers the last time that the Demons won a game at the place or indeed, when they last won a game against the Kangaroos, one wonders where the term "home ground advantage" fits into the equation. This has not been a particularly memorable year for either club. The horror stretch that Melbourne has endured over the past seven years is continuing and has been well documented but for North fans, it has also been a series of disasters and bad luck despite the club having a near injury-free list for the third or fourth year in a row. Last year, they had a dream fixture which helped them make it into the finals before they ran into a brick wall and a 16 goal crushing at Patersons Stadium at the hands of the Eagles. This year the luck of the draw eluded them. They have also played a number of quality games for 2½ quarters or so and then allowed opposition teams to come back from substantial deficits to win games at the last gasp. After a series of such games, they failed to reverse the trend by 1 point last week against Carlton when they came back from a six goal deficit late in the third term. Late in the evening, when the game was there to be won, an unlucky bounce robbed Brent Harvey of a chance to kick the winning goal for North. Such has been its luck for the whole season. But if there is to be any respite for the beleaguered Roos then it has to be this week against the Dees. It's not as if Melbourne hasn't improved by any of the usual measures since Neil Craig took over as coach. A change of coaching regime will do that simply because it brings in the refreshing winds of change usually after a difficult period in which self-doubt and a lack of confidence has prevailed over a losing group. However, it's often not enough to bring about sustainable improvement which might have to wait until the permanent new coach is appointed and installed. In the interim, the Demons are likely to meander through the season showing the odd glimpse of promise amid some more of the same frustrating shortcomings that have been their hallmark over the past five or so years. And all this points to the fact that Saturday promises to be North Melbourne's lucky day. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Saturday 27th July 2013 at Etihad Stadium at 2.10 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 69 wins 1 draw At Etihad Stadium Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 6 wins Since 2000 Melbourne 7 wins North Melbourne 13 wins The Coaches Craig 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV Fox Sports Channel 3 live at 1:30pm. RADIO - TripleM THE BETTING Melbourne to win $15.00 North Melbourne to win $1.01 LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 19.13.127 defeated Melbourne 11.7.73 at Etihad Stadium in Round 18, 2012 It was almost exactly a year ago to the day that these teams clashed at Etihad and the finals bound Kangaroos were in control from go to whoa as they coasted their way to a comfortable nine goal win to make it five wins from five encounters between the teams at this venue. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE Backs Lynden Dunn Cameron Pedersen Dean Terlich Half backs Tom McDonald James Frawley Mitchell Clisby Centreline Jack Viney Jack Trengove Jack Grimes Half forwards Shannon Byrnes Jack Watts Jeremy Howe Forwards Aaron Davey Chris Dawes Jack Fitzpatrick Followers Max Gawn Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Sam Blease Matt Jones Dean Kent Jimmy Toumpas Emergencies Daniel Nicholson Jake Spencer Luke Tapscott NORTH MELBOURNE Backs Lachlan Hansen Scott Thompson Cameron Delaney Half backs Aaron Mullett Nathan Grima Taylor Hine Centreline Daniel Wells Sam Gibson Shaun Atley Half forwards Ben Cunnington Drew Petrie Brent Harvey Forwards Aaron Black Robbie Tarrant Lindsay Thomas Followers Todd Goldstein Andrew Swallow Jack Ziebell Interchange Leigh Adams Ryan Bastinac Jamie Macmillan Brad McKenzie Emergencies Luke Delaney Ben Jacobs Sam Wright Had the Kangaroos won those five games lost by under a goal this season they would be 7th on the ladder and not in 13th place which is where they sit at the present time. Of course, my aunt would be my uncle if she had a hairy chest but what this means to me is that Melbourne is not taking on a team whose form is that of an outfit struggling in the bottom six in the competition. Had the breaks gone their way, this team could easily be in the mix to play deep into the finals. Whilst it is is true that under caretaker coach Neil Craig the Demons have shown some improvement, they continue to lag well below most sides in the competition in every key performance indicator. From centre clearances to inside 50s to average disposals and scores, they are far enough behind the likes of North Melbourne that they simply dont have the ammunition to crack even a quirky side like the Kangaroos on their home turf. This leaves us with but one conclusion. North Melbourne by 60 points.