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In the space of a month Melbourne has gone from chocolates to boiled lollies in terms of its standing as a candidate for the AFL premiership. The club faces its moment of truth against a badly bruised up Collingwood at the MCG. A win will give it some respite but even then, it won’t be regarded particularly well being against an opponent carrying the burden of an injured playing list. A loss would be a disaster. The Demons have gone from a six/two win/loss ratio and a strong percentage just south of 125 which placed them firmly in the top four after besting the previously unbeaten Cats to where they are now. At seven/five, a percentage barely over 100 and tenth on the ladder, a catastrophic fall from grace on the back of a scoreless opening term against Carlton, a woeful capitulation by 35 points to West Coast and last week’s 92-point drubbing by Fremantle. The only W in this period was against St Kilda. Their opponent this week is not in such good shape either but not for reasons of poor form or a lack of enthusiasm but rather, because they have been decimated by a massive injury list. At Marvel Stadium on Friday night, they came out firing and full of enthusiasm to kick four of the first five goals to lead by 22 points before the Western Bulldogs reeled them in and ultimately dominated the final term scoring five goals to nothing. If the Magpies had nothing to give in the last quarter of that match, then consider the Demons who gave nothing for all but the opening seven minutes of their game against the Dockers in Alice Springs! As former Collingwood coach, Nathan Buckley, said after the game: top four teams “just don’t have a performance like” the Demons’ 92-point loss. “Plenty of sides have got players out at the moment and to only get 37 inside 50s against any opposition is a concern.” Buckley believes there are lingering issues beneath the surface at Melbourne and there are some real questions to be asked. The fans have been asking those questions all week, but nobody has come up with any answers so the task of looking into the crystal ball has been made more difficult because of the lack of clarity coming from the Demon camp. In the normal course of things, I would look at Collingwood and read missing names like De Goey, Mihocek, Cox, Pendlebury and Elliott and declare Melbourne past the post for a win by five goals. However, on current form (and if truth be known, there is no current form that you can trust in the context of this team), you would be justified in arguing that the firm of N & J Daicos could beat them on their own, such is the skill and brilliance of that duo. They never let their team down which, after some of the Demons’ dismal recent performances, you can’t say about any of them other than perhaps Max Gawn and possibly Christian Petracca and the skipper is carrying an enormous burden on his big shoulders at present. The Magpies at least showed plenty of aggression and determination in their last up display which means that they should be able to open up a big enough lead on the Demons to hold off any fast finish that their slow starting opponents are capable of mounting. Collingwood by 5 points. THE GAME Collingwood v Melbourne at the MCG, Monday 10 June 2024 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Collingwood 154 wins Melbourne 85 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Collingwood 86 wins Melbourne 64 wins 3 drawn Last five meetings Collingwood 4 wins Melbourne 1 win The Coaches McCrae 3 wins Goodwin 1 win LAST TIME THEY MET Collingwood 9.6.60 defeated Melbourne 7.11.53 at the MCG in the 2023 Qualifying Final The Demons were jolted early in the 2023 Qualifying Final by the head high hit that ended Angus Brayshaw’s career and helped give the accurate Magpies a big enough start to fall in by 7 points despite a goalless final quarter. Many Melbourne fans argue that hit cost their team a flag and many others are still bemused about the fact that the perpetrator was free to play on in his team’s finals campaign including the winning grand final. THE TEAMS COLLINGWOOD B B. Maynard, D. Moore, C. Dean HB I. Quaynor, B. Frampton, J. Noble C S. Sidebottom, F. Macrae, J. Daicos HF B. Hill, L. Schultz, W. Hoskin-Elliott F B. McCreery, P. Lipinski, J. Howe FOLL D. Cameron, J. Crisp, N. Daicos I/C H. Harrison, N. Kreuger, O. Markov, L. Sullivan SUB J. Bytel EMG E. Allan, T. Jiath, A. Johnson IN W. Hoskin-Elliott, N. Kreuger OUT A. Johnson (omitted), W. Parker (omitted) MELBOURNE B J. Bowey, S. May, T. Rivers HB C. Salem, T. McDonald, J. McVee C E. Langdon, C. Oliver, C. Windsor HF K. Pickett, B. Fritsch, H. Petty FF K. Chandler, J. van Rooyen, A. Neal-Bullen FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, C. Petracca I/C B. Howes, B. Laurie, T. Sparrow, D. Turner SUB J. Billings EMG B. Brown, K. Brown, T. Woewodin IN J. Billings, B. Howes, B. Laurie, IN J. van Rooyen OUT L. Hunter (calf), S. McAdam (omitted), A. Tomlinson (omitted) T. Woewodin (omitted) Injury List: Round 13 Jacob van Rooyen — adductor / Test Marty Hore — calf / 1 - 2 weeks Josh Schache — foot / 1 - 2 weeks Jake Lever — knee / 2 - 3 weeks Jake Melksham — knee / 2 - 4 weeks Lachie Hunter — calf / 4 - 6 weeks Charlie Spargo — Achilles / TBC

Don’t be fooled by the fact that the Demons won this match by a mere four points. They strangled the Magpies through most of the final half and led by 19 points deep into the final term before two late goals pulled in the final Pies deficit. Only inaccuracy in front of goal by Melbourne served to create that situation. Jack Viney played a blinder. MELBOURNE 1.4.10 3.8.26 6.11.47 8.18.66 COLLINGWOOD 3.1.19 5.4.34 6.5.41 9.8.62 THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B T. Rivers S. May J. Lever HB M. Hibberd A. Tomlinson J. Smith C L. Hunter J. Viney T. Sparrow HF C. Spargo B. Fritsch A. Neal-Bullen F J. van Rooyen B. Grundy K. Chandler FOLL M. Gawn C. Petracca K. Pickett I/C A. Brayshaw E. Langdon J. McVee C. Salem SUB J. Jordon EMG J. Melksham J. Schache T. Woewodin IN M. Hibberd OUT J. Bowey (concussion) J. Harmes (suspended) COLLINGWOOD B I. Quaynor D. Moore B. Maynard HB B. Frampton N. Murphy S. Pendlebury C W. Hoskin-Elliott J. Crisp J. Daicos HF A. Johnson B. Mihocek P. Lipinski F R. McInnes D. Cameron B. Hill FOLL M. Cox N. Daicos T. Mitchell I/C T. Adams H. Harrison J. Noble B. McCreery SUB O. Markov EMG T. Bianco F. Macrae IN P. Lipinski OUT J. De Goey (suspended)

Seventeen wins in a row followed by a trio of losses. The invincible Demon juggernaut was simply humbled by the Pies in that third loss, as once again they gave up an early three goal plus lead, to be over-run in the end. Is it loading? Perhaps. Is it the loss of players? Perhaps More likely, they are a combination of the two. Certainly, we have seen the side take an early lead in all of these games only to fade as reflected on the scoreboard where Melbourne has been outscored 25-6 in the second half of the past three games. Without the run and overlap which is so evidently lacking, the side fails to create opportunities. When NQR players are selected and other NQR’s have ball in hand when they ordinarily wouldn’t be called upon, the result is what the coach calls the “breakdown of method”. Make no mistake, Melbourne were seriously depleted both before and during the game. No Steven May and the backline is missing a critical piece to the defensive structure. No TMac up forward and the replacement players in Weideman and Mitch Brown have been inadequate. Then to top it off in this game, Harrison Petty goes off for 20 minutes undergoing a concussion protocol. Daniel Turner in his first game is also concussed and is substituted, by a small mid. Max Gawn is off the ground with a back injury for 20 minutes as well. Small wonder the side struggled for marking talls, and why Mason Cox was able to utilize his height in the absence of a suitable opponent. A 20 year old Luke Jackson was then expected to shoulder the ruck duties, more than usual. Mitch Brown sent to the backline to bolster it, the forward line was Ben Brown and five smalls. Small wonder it didn’t work. Still, the margin at ¾ time was merely 2 points, but then the tired legs factor came into play, and Collingwood piled on four goals, most from running back into space. Incredibly, Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney amassed 105 touches, yet James Harmes & ANB were unable to capitalize on that inside dominance with 54% and 62% disposal efficiency. And when Collingwood scores from intercept and turnover, these are serious deficiencies. The backline held together as best it could, given the injuries, but the forward line still is dysfunctional. One contested mark between the two Browns and Bayley Fritsch is simply not up to par. It certainly isn’t helped with the resting ruck model we currently use, which forces them further up the ground. They need space and the ability to run to space. But then the delivery isn’t all that flash either. The side was humbled. Both on and off the field they have been humbled. There is only one answer and that is to munch down on this humble pie, and rebuild the commitment to the task at hand. A bit of a break (it’s only 10 days though) will help, and a return of a few of the critical elements will also assist. While the loading factor should also be behind as we enter the second half of the season. Then it is time to start humbling the opposition in the same way as we saw in 2021. MELBOURNE 3.1.19 5.4.34 7.6.48 8.8.56 COLLINGWOOD 0.5.5 3.8.26 6.10.46 12.10.82 GOALS MELBOURNE B Brown 2 Fritsch Jackson Jordon Oliver Pickett Viney COLLINGWOOD Mihocek 4 Elliott 3 Cox Crisp Ginnivan Henry McCreery BEST MELBOURNE Oliver Viney Petracca Brayshaw Salem Jordon COLLINGWOOD N Daicos Mihocek Cox Crisp Maynard De Goey Pendlebury INJURIES MELBOURNE Turner (concussion) Gawn (foot) COLLINGWOOD Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil COLLINGWOOD Nil SUBSTITUTES MELBOURNE Kade Chandler (replaced Daniel Turner) COLLINGWOOD Tyler Brown (unused) UMPIRES Hayden Gavine Alex Whetton Simon Meredith CROWD 76,059 at the MCG

Melbourne’s fortunes took a dramatic turn for the worst on the day the Anthony Albanese was elected as Prime Minister. Since that fateful day, Steven May pinged his hamstring early in the match against the Dockers, Harry Petty came off the ground in consecutive games feeling the worse for wear, it was revealed that Tom McDonald’s foot was in messy shape, the Herald Sun exclusively reported that two years ago, Demon committee members exchanged emails critical of the team after it lost a game by 51 points coming off a four-day break, full forward Ben Brown hasn’t kicked a goal since marking his ballot paper, Christian Petracca was ripped for surmising that the weather kept fans away from a football match played at night during a cold snap and the said Steven May and teammate Jake Melksham engaged in fisticuffs, smashing up an upmarket restaurant where members of the team were eating dinner. Both are out this week for different reasons. Unsurprisingly then, the club lost both of its matches in the interim since the Federal Election and the Demons have collapsed from first place on the ladder to first place on the ladder. It’s shades of 1965 when the reigning premiers won their first eight games and fell into a screaming heap and failed to make the finals. That sort of thing happened in the days of Bob Menzies, but it’s now the 21st Century. Is history repeating? This week, the team faces the mortal enemy, former traditional rival and eighth placed Collingwood coming off a roll, ready to mercilessly demolish them and consign them to a place in Hell. After all, they did it last year when the Demons had May and McDonald and their coach was on the nose with their supporters. Now they have a clean skin coach and the shadowy figure of a seven foot tall behemoth in dark glasses looms over all, instilling fear into the hearts of Demon fans, unable to afford the cost of petrol to escape to the snowfields for Queens Birthday, and forced to queue up in droves to acquire passports to get themselves to safe places like Europe, Africa, the Middle East or just about any American city. When former PM, Scott Morrison was asked about how he would fix the Melbourne malaise, he responded, “It’s not my job! Things are so bad that we’re almost at the stage where people are wondering whether, in 56 or 57 year’s time, the topic for discussion will be how Anthony Albanese tripped them up. Or they blame the Simon Goodwin Curse given that according to the aspiring Pulitzer Prize winners at the little tabloid paper who claim to have ringside seats at the “Demons Fight Club”, it all started with a tipple and a $5.00 each way TAB ticket at Sorrento? Wait! Let’s all take a really deep breath and look at reality. The world isn’t coming to an end. Nor is the Melbourne dynasty if you want to call it that. By mid-week, sanity was starting to prevail when the skipper Max Gawn, who was in dominant form in the Demon’s loss against the Swans, stood up for his club and while he admitted that some recent events were somewhat embarrassing, the truth emerged. The club is upholding the standards required of a leading team. Contrast May’s treatment with that of Collingwood’s De Goey who didn’t miss a second of game time over his New York escapades. The Demons can regroup for this season-defining Queen's Birthday that honours former coach Neale Daniher and highlight the man’s integrity. You don’t win premierships without that ingredient! There is a view that the Demons are somewhat tired and off the mark as a result of loading but I’m not buying that entirely. There’s a lot of improvement to come this week in the form of players like Christian Salem, Ed Langdon, James Harmes, Adam Tomlinson and Christian Petracca who were flat last week coming back from injury, illness and/or a stint at Casey. There wasn’t enough in them to get them through an arm-wrestle against the Swans even though they still won the contested football. The fact that they will have had a nine-day break by the time game day arrives on Monday should see them refreshed and ready to take on the Pies who have just fallen over the line in their recent matches. Melbourne by 15 points and Maxy still won’t bounce the footy. He doesn’t have to! THE GAME Melbourne v Collingwood at the MCG Monday 13 June, 2022 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Collingwood 151 wins, Melbourne 84 wins, 5 drawn At at the MCG Collingwood 83 wins, Melbourne 63 wins, 3 drawn Last five meetings Collingwood 4 wins, Melbourne 1 win, The Coaches McCrae 0 wins, Goodwin 0 wins MEDIA TV live and on demand on Kayo and live on Foxtel. Check your local guides. Radio - check your local guides. LAST TIME THEY MET Collingwood defeated Melbourne at the MCG in Round 13, 2021 Yet another Melbourne lockdown forced the game to be relocated to Sydney where a combination of emotion for Nathan Buckley’s last game as coach, a ground that suits the Pies and some lethargy on the part of the Demons saw them go down in an upset. THE TEAMS COLLINGWOOD B: B.Maynard 37 D.Moore 30 N.Murphy 28 HB: S.Pendlebury 10 J.Howe 38 I.Quaynor 3 C: W.Hoskin-Elliott 32 P.Lipinski 1 John Noble 9 HF: J.Crisp 25 B.Mihocek 41 J.De Goey 2 F: J.Ginnivan 33 J.Elliott 5 S.Sidebottom 22 Foll: D.Cameron 14 T.Adams 13 J.Daicos 7 I/C: M.Cox 46 N.Daicos 35 O.Henry B. McCreery 31 Sub: T.Brown 6 Emerg: I.Chugg F.Macrae 18 T.Ruscoe 21 In: J.Elliott Out: R.McInnes (shoulder) MELBOURNE B: C.Salem 3 H.Petty 35 J.Bowey 17 HB: J.Jordon 23 J.Lever 8 A.Brayshaw 10 C: T.Sparrow 32 A.Neal-Bullen 30 E.Langdon 15 HF: M.Brown 38 B.Fritsch 31 C.Petracca 5 F: C.Spargo 9 B.Brown 50 K.Pickett 36 Foll: M.Gawn11 C.Oliver 13 J.Viney 7 IC: J.Harmes 4 M.Hibberd 14 L.Jackson 6 D.Turner 42 Sub: K.Chandler 37 Emerg: O.Baker 33 A.Tomlinson 20 S.Weideman 26 In: K.Chandler M.Hibberd D.Turner Out: T.Bedford (omitted) J.Hunt (omitted) A.Tomlinson (omitted) Injury and Suspension List: Round 13 Harry Petty - Shoulder | Test Steven May - Club Discipline | 1 Week Jake Melksham - Hand | 1 Week Fraser Rosman - Hamstring | 1 Week Joel Smith - Ankle | 4-6 Weeks Blake Howes - Foot | 5-7 Weeks Tom McDonald Foot | TBC

Look at this team! How could they have possibly lost? MELBOURNE B: M Hibberd 14 S. May 1 J. Lever 8 HB: J. Hunt 29 H. Petty 35 C. Salem 3 C: A. Brayshaw 10 C. Petracca 5 J. Jordon 23 HF: J. Harmes 4 T. McDonald 25 A. Neal-Bullen 30 F: C. Spargo 9 S. Weideman 26 B. Fritsch 31 Foll: M. Gawn 11 C. Oliver 13 K. Pickett 36 I/C: L Jackson 6 E Langdon 15 T Rivers 24 T Sparrow 32 Sub: K Chandler 37 Emerg: O. Baker 33 M. Brown 38 J Melksham 18 IN: K. Chandler E. Langdon OUT: O. Baker (omitted) J. Melksham (omitted) COLLINGWOOD B: J. Noble 9 J. Roughead 23 B. Maynard 37 HB: I. Quaynor 3 D. Moore 30 C. Mayne 16 C: W. Hoskin-Elliott 32 S. Sidebottom 22 C. Poulter 27 HF: N. Murphy 28 D. Cameron 14 T. Bianco 8 F: J. De Goey 2 B. Mihocek 41 J. Elliott 5 Foll: M. Lynch 15 S. Pendlebury 10 J. Crisp 25 IC: J. Daicos 7 J. Madgen 44 B. McCreery 31 J. Thomas 24 Sub: J. Rantall 1 Emerg: C. Brown 17 M. Cox 46 T. Wilson 12 IN: B. McCreery C. Mayne OUT: C. Brown (omitted) B. Sier (jaw)

A 41 point loss to Collingwood, combined with yet another meagre output from the Melbourne forwards, saw the Demons pantsed by the Collingwood in the Queens Birthday match. For the nth week in a row, Melbourne failed to produce a score that would trouble most sides - it’s inaccuracy alone was again enough to seal the outcome. If that final score of 7.15 were 15.7, the game would have been very different. That sort of output was exactly a repeat of the previous week against Adelaide, when forwards could not muster a goal at the pointy end of the game and a loss resulted. Once again the selection committee stuffed it up with our own man mountain – Braydon Preuss, languishing at Casey. He is not the answer to everything but neither is Mason Cox, and Collingwood used him to good effect today. Once again, the problem is when Gawn goes off the ground for a well deserved rest. We press-gang either Weidemann or Tom McDonald which depletes the forward line and exhausts them to boot! Today Weidemann could barely get up a trot after having Cox bounce into him for 10 minutes. So we are down another forward, when he has to come off the ground. To top it off, as an example, in the third quarter, we had Gawn and McDonald off the ground, for breaks or injury attention. Weidemann into the ruck. Petracca into the middle. That left a forward line of Spargo, Hannan, Hunt and Garlett. Small wonder Crisp, Moore, Howe and Roughead had a party and once again, Melbourne failed to trouble the score during that period. Failing to score has become the mark of the side. In the first quarter it was only a Jeff Garlett “cheapie” out the back which avoided yet another goalless quarter. We simply don’t have a target, and poor Tom Mac cannot run or jump (and hasn’t been able to all season….wait for the end of season surgery to his foot/feet). Jeff Garlett refuses to engage with any opponent, and even when moved to the wing for a while, simply let firstly Sidebottom and then Mayne race downfield to set up two successive goals for the Pies. If he hasn’t got the interest in doing his job any more, then Lockhart or even Dunkley who each put in such good performances at Casey, could fill that role more than adequately. Sam Weidemann is still a work in progress, but he needs support and he sure isn’t getting it at the moment. Charlie Spargo tries, knows where to go, but is he big enough for AFL football? A player of his size needs to have something special, but what is it? Hannan is still returning from a long lay-off and has improved in the past two weeks, as he is getting more of the ball. Petracca, puts in his weekly cameo, and then disappears. He has to “take the game on”, and that means kicking for goal when inside 50m, not trying to dish it off to someone else. Just do it…as Nike say! The backs welcomed the return of May and Lever, and there was an instant cohesion among them as a result. Marty Hore continues to impress, as he fills the hole courageously and knows how to read the ball in flight. It helps now that he has May and Lever holding back the main forwards, so we will see him shine even more. The loss of Frost to concussion in the opening minutes hurt badly, and we lacked his drive from the half-back line. Salem was more than useful after that collision with Frost, but not up to his usual standards, considering he had already lost a week with concussion concerns. Max Gawn put paid to the argument about who is the best ruckman in the competition, for while he matched Grundy in hitouts, it was his 10 clearances and 19 contested possessions which separated the two by the country mile. Surely the result should have been closer with his output and the fact that the Demons had four players with over 30 possessions against the Pies who only had one in Treloar reaching that mark? It was the other end of the statistical spectrum where the failing are happening, as not a single Collingwood player failed to reach double figure disposals, but Melbourne had two, with three more on 11 and 12 disposals. In other words, Collingwood had a far better output across the ground, whereas Melbourne depended upon just a few. With a bye now to come, it is a chance to regroup. The season is well and truly lost, and that was the case weeks ago. We will see the return from injury of even more players, but the remainder of the year should be an exercise in giving opportunity to those who are prepared to take it. We need to still be aggressive, and intend to win each and every game, while not playing young players just to give them a chance. We want players who want to play senior football each and every week, like Oskar Baker and Marty Hore. This is how you build a winning culture. This is how you build expectations for the following season for players and supporters. We do not need any more embarrassing games like was played out today. And we have a return game against Collingwood on 10th August, so that is the perfect opportunity to show whether we are serious about where we stand for the future. Melbourne 1.2.8 3.5.23 5.7.37 7.15.57 Collingwood 3.5.23 6.8.44 11.8.74 15.8.98 Goals Melbourne Weideman 2 Garlett Hannan Hunt Petracca Spargo Collingwood De Goey Hoskin-Elliott Stephenson 3 Cox Grundy Mihocek Sidebottom Thomas Treloar Best Melbourne Gawn Harmes May Weideman Brayshaw Oliver Collingwood Moore Stephenson Sidebottom Treloar Hoskin-Elliott De Goey Howe Aish Injuries Melbourne Tim Smith (flu) replaced in selected side by J.Wagner Sam Frost (concussion) Collingwood Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Umpires Stevic, Deboy, Whetton, Ryan Official Crowd 74,036 at MCG

SO YOU THINK THIS NEVER HAPPENED by Whispering Jack Those of you who have spent the last four or five days moping around wondering what might have been obviously have no imagination. Let me take you back to what you really did miss on Saturday. Things were looking desperate for Melbourne when Eagle Josh Kennedy kicked his third goal for the game and second for the term, just two and a half minutes after the start of the second quarter. The score stood at West Coast 6.8.44 to Melbourne, a mere 0.3.3. However, it was just a minute or so later that a strange phenomenon occurred. The path of a recently discovered and unusual asteroid “Oumuamua” crossed South Western Australia in very close proximity to the earth, momentarily plunging Optus Stadium into darkness As the dense object veered across the outer reaches of the atmosphere, it released a plume of gaseous matter over the City of Perth that settled slowly over the ground where nearly 60,000 stunned fans had been watching a somewhat one-sided spectacle. Suddenly, all television and radio transmission of the game was cut off completely. There was no mobile or WIFI reception to and from the ground and the entire State of WA was cut off from the rest of the world for several days. In their panic, Gillon McLauchlan and the AFL sent vision to the rest of Australia of a simulated game based on what they thought was taking place at the ground but they really had no clue as to what was really happening. The world’s leading scientists have been unable to come up with an explanation as to the phenomenon or its cause but there is no doubt that the events that took place on the football field below the path of the mysterious asteroid were certainly exceptional and unprecedented. Two minutes later, Luke Shuey limped off the field to join Jeremy McGovern on the interchange bench and the fortunes of the two adversaries turned around 180 degrees. At the eight minute mark of the quarter, Luke Ryan flew high over a pack in front of the Eagles’ goal and momentarily had the ball in his grasp but it fell into the waiting hands of Neville Jetta who took off, bounced the ball four times and sent it flying into a vacant Demon forward line. He took chase followed by Willie Rioli and, just as Jetta grabbed the ball, the first year Eagle clutched at his hamstring and his day was over. Jetta’s goal, his team’s first for the day, saw the margin reduced to 35 points. Time passed and some moments later, a Clayton Oliver shot at goal that looked to be going through the wrong side of the goalpost, suddenly veered and appeared to just make it through for a major. The review was inconclusive and, as the goal umpire had paid it to Melbourne, the goal stood. Charlie Spargo was awarded a rare first half Demon free and the resultant 50 metre penalty put him close enough for a third unanswered goal to the visitors. Christian Petracca’s after-the-siren goal left Melbourne just 14 points down at the main break as Kennedy limped off the ground with a recurrence of the shin injury that had dogged him for much of the last half of the season. The rest is history. The Demons lifted in the third quarter through Max Gawn’s ruck dominance to level the scores with a point on the siren that welcomed the final break and then Angus Brayshaw went berserk with four final quarter goals - some said it was in revenge for the uncalled for “Gaff attack” on his brother from two months earlier. The Eagles were powerless in the 27 degree heat without the ability to rotate any players and when Clayton Oliver, who had been carrying the team on his shoulders for most of the season, scored his second just before the bell, the margin stood at 27 points (as predicted by yours truly on Demonland just days before the game). Melbourne was in its first grand final since 2000! Oumuamua is hurtling through space and already a million miles away but all that has to be forgotten now. Nathan Buckley and his men will be surprised when they see the team that runs out against them in Saturday’s grand final and your task is to select that team. THE GAME Melbourne v Collingwood at the MCG Saturday 30 September, 2018 at 2.300pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins, Collingwood 148 wins, 5 drawn At the MCG Melbourne 63 wins, Collingwood 81 wins, 3 drawn Last Five Meetings Melbou rne 3 wins, Collingwood 2 wins The Coaches Goodwin 1 win, B uckley 2 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Sports Footy Channel, live at 2.00pm Radio - Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand LAST TIME THEY MET Collingwood 20.13.133 defeated Melbourne 14.7.91 at the MCG in Round 12, 2018 Shortly before the start of the game, a meteor shower sprayed cosmic dust over the South Eastern corner of the country, causing a partial mental paralysis to take hold of the coaches and selectors. The result of the game is best forgotten. THE TEAMS COLLINGWOOD B: HB: ? HF: F: Foll: I/C: Emg: MELBOURNE B: HB: ? HF: F: Foll: I/C: Emg:

Your votes please people 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Well ... that was fairly conclusive, wasn't it?

A guaranteed finals berth was on offer - a chance to stamp some authority on the season and to not be the Melbourne of old. It was all there in the final match of the home and away season against Collingwood. The team came out killers. Not the ones that are ruthless and single minded, but season killers. Supporter killers. Killers of hope and aspiration. From the very first bounce it was obvious which was the team who was going to win the match, and it wasn’t Melbourne. The old “turn up and win” attitude was on full display as players simply trotted around and failed to get to the contests. There was no grit and determination, no tackling and no willingness to put in the extra effort needed to justify a finals berth. It wasn’t until the third quarter that any effort was forthcoming, but even then the lack of skill and multiple stupid turnovers cost dearly. The final quarter was the same with supposed senior players failing to show the necessary calmness under pressure. The momentum that had been gained by coming back from a five goal deficit was stifled and killed, as the usual culprits handballed when not needed, or failed to kick sufficiently accurately to hit Melbourne players on the chest. All around the ground Melbourne players were beaten. Max Gawn continued his poor form as he was not only beaten in the ruck, but around the ground as well with only eight touches in total and only three marks to his name for the game . Even Mason Cox managed five, while Max’s regular opponent in Grundy took eight as well. Dom Tyson put in yet another shocker and continues to turn the ball over by failing to kick it when getting possession. He puts teammates under extreme pressure, when the ball should be 40 metres downfield instead. A midfielder running at below 60% efficiency is damaging to the side, and today, he was a killer. Mitch Hannan and James Harmes failed to trouble the statisticians too much and one could ask whether they were on the field for the game at all such was their lack of influence. Things weren’t helped when Jesse Hogan went down in the second quarter with a hamstring, leaving the side one short. Fortunately, Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca started something in the third term by bullocking and putting in, even though the results didn’t come immediately. Being five goals down was too much to ask, and even when there seemed like a glimmer of hope in the final quarter, Tom McDonald managed a couple of howlers in the backline and up forward to kill the game. Even Bernie Vince fluffed an easy snap in the dying seconds, which we can only hope doesn’t mean the difference between finals and not. All round it was a killer of a day. There was little to be taken away and now the whole season outcome is out of our hands. We still haven’t learnt the lessons shown by the likes of Sydney and Hawthorn, who in dire circumstances will always stand up. Melbourne 1.3.9 4.8.32 9.10.64 12.11.83 Collingwood 6.5.41 9.6.60 12.10.82 14.15.99 Goals Melbourne Melksham 3 Garlett Neal-Bullen Petracca 2 Hannan Pedersen Watts Collingwood Elliott 3 Cox Hoskin-Elliott Phillips 2 Adams Broomhead Daicos Grundy Sidebottom Best Melbourne Oliver Petracca Lewis Melksham Jones Watts Collingwood Elliott Adams Hoskin-Elliott Sidebottom Treloar Dunn Changes Melbourne Nil Collingwood Reid (general soreness) replaced by Kirby in the selected side Injuries Melbourne Hogan (hamstring) Collingwood Sidebottom (hamstring) Reports Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Umpires Rosebury, Deboy, Pannell Official crowd 51,223 at the MCG

KILLERS by George on the Outer A guaranteed finals berth was on offer - a chance to stamp some authority on the season and to not be the Melbourne of old. It was all there in the final match of the home and away season against Collingwood. The team came out killers. Not the ones that are ruthless and single minded, but season killers. Supporter killers. Killers of hope and aspiration. From the very first bounce it was obvious which was the team who was going to win the match, and it wasn’t Melbourne. The old “turn up and win” attitude was on full display as players simply trotted around and failed to get to the contests. There was no grit and determination, no tackling and no willingness to put in the extra effort needed to justify a finals berth. It wasn’t until the third quarter that any effort was forthcoming, but even then the lack of skill and multiple stupid turnovers cost dearly. The final quarter was the same with supposed senior players failing to show the necessary calmness under pressure. The momentum that had been gained by coming back from a five goal deficit was stifled and killed, as the usual culprits handballed when not needed, or failed to kick sufficiently accurately to hit Melbourne players on the chest. All around the ground Melbourne players were beaten. Max Gawn continued his poor form as he was not only beaten in the ruck, but around the ground as well with only eight touches in total and only three marks to his name for the game . Even Mason Cox managed five, while Max’s regular opponent in Grundy took eight as well. Dom Tyson put in yet another shocker and continues to turn the ball over by failing to kick it when getting possession. He puts teammates under extreme pressure, when the ball should be 40 metres downfield instead. A midfielder running at below 60% efficiency is damaging to the side, and today, he was a killer. Mitch Hannan and James Harmes failed to trouble the statisticians too much and one could ask whether they were on the field for the game at all such was their lack of influence. Things weren’t helped when Jesse Hogan went down in the second quarter with a hamstring, leaving the side one short. Fortunately, Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca started something in the third term by bullocking and putting in, even though the results didn’t come immediately. Being five goals down was too much to ask, and even when there seemed like a glimmer of hope in the final quarter, Tom McDonald managed a couple of howlers in the backline and up forward to kill the game. Even Bernie Vince fluffed an easy snap in the dying seconds, which we can only hope doesn’t mean the difference between finals and not. All round it was a killer of a day. There was little to be taken away and now the whole season outcome is out of our hands. We still haven’t learnt the lessons shown by the likes of Sydney and Hawthorn, who in dire circumstances will always stand up. Melbourne 1.3.9 4.8.32 9.10.64 12.11.83 Collingwood 6.5.41 9.6.60 12.10.82 14.15.99 Goals Melbourne Melksham 3 Garlett Neal-Bullen Petracca 2 Hannan Pedersen Watts Collingwood Elliott 3 Cox Hoskin-Elliott Phillips 2 Adams Broomhead Daicos Grundy Sidebottom Best Melbourne Oliver Petracca Lewis Melksham Jones Watts Collingwood Elliott Adams Hoskin-Elliott Sidebottom Treloar Dunn Changes Melbourne Nil Collingwood Reid (general soreness) replaced by Kirby in the selected side Injuries Melbourne Hogan (hamstring) Collingwood Sidebottom (hamstring) Reports Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Umpires Rosebury, Deboy, Pannell Official crowd 51,223 at the MCG

There's a sense of history about today - much like it was with the final round of 1987 when many of us travelled to Footscray and watched Melbourne's famous victory. Back then, we depended on Hawthorn to beat Geelong and Jason Dunstall's late goal saw us in into the finals. We went all the way to the preliminary final and the Jim Stynes 15 metre penalty that deprived us of a grand final appearance. This time, it's clear - we depend on no one - it's up to us. Let's do it!

THE EQUATION by Whispering Jack The equation is really simple now. Win the game and you finish in seventh place and face a trip to either Adelaide or Sydney in the first week of the finals or lose and sweat it out until Sunday night when the result of the West Coast v Adelaide game is known. It's a situation of the club's own making, the result of a failure to win games against lesser credentialed teams and/or failure to apply the blowtorch when you're in full control in games like Port Adelaide or last week against the Brisbane Lions when the lead was by 32 points at the 5 minute mark of the final quarter. But it's water under the bridge now and all that stands between Melbourne and the finals is the old arch nemesis in Collingwood. There are no excuses either. There's an air of desperation about the Magpies. There's confusion, uncertainty and doubt about the coaching position. Eddie seems to no longer be the golden haired saviour who could be relied upon to find a way to revive their flagging fortunes. The club seems to be on its knees. The Melbourne injury list appears to be more or less under control, give or take a Jack Viney and a few players who provide depth and for once, the Demons face a side that has far more top players sidelined with injury. Bernie Vince and Jack Watts have both escaped possible suspensions from the weekend's games and Christian Salem is back after doing his penance for a week. The selectors have available to them, close to the best material to enable them to pick a winning team to lift the club out of the pit of misery it has occupied for more than a decade. What could possibly go wrong? THE GAME Collingwood v Melbourne at MCG Saturday 26 August 2017 at 1.45pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Collingwood 146 wins, Melbourne 83 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Collingwood 79 wins, Melbourne 63 wins 3 drawn Last Five Meetings Collingwood 1 win, Melbourne 4 wins The Coaches Buckley 0 wins, Goodwin 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel, live at 1.30pm. Radio - Triple M 3AW ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Collingwood $2.30 to win, Melbourne $1.62 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 15.14.104 defeated Collingwood 15.10.100 at MCG in Round 12, 2017 The Demons were staring defeat in the face at half time when the Magpies held a 23 point lead but they dug deep and turned their game around in the second half. When Jack Watts kicked the sealer, the home crowd erupted. THE TEAMS COLLINGWOOD B: Brayden Maynard, Lynden Dunn, Tyson Goldsack HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom Langdon, Jack Crisp C: Steele Sidebottom, Taylor Adams, Tom Phillips HF: Josh Daicos, Darcy Moore, Callum Brown F: Jamie Elliott, Mason Cox, Will Hoskin-Elliott FOLL: Brodie Grundy, Josh Thomas, Adam Treloar I/C: James Aish, Tim Broomhead, Kayle Kirby, Matthew Scharenberg EMG: Jarryd Blair, Jackson Ramsay, Josh Smith IN: Tyson Goldsack, Brodie Grundy, Kayle Kirby OUT: Jarryd Blair, Josh Smith (omitted), Ben Reid (soreness) MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Nathan Jones, Tom McDonald, Jayden Hunt C: Jordan Lewis, Christian Petracca, Christian Salem HF: Clayton Oliver, Jesse Hogan Jake Melksham F: Jeff Garlett, Cameron Pedersen, James Harmes FOLL: Max Gawn, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Mitch Hannan, Alex Neal-Bullen, Jack Watts EMG: Declan Keilty, Corey Maynard, Josh Wagner IN: Christian Salem, Jack Watts OUT: Billy Stretch (omitted), Josh Wagner (omitted) Melbourne and Collingwood are both known for being hard at it, high disposal teams that are usually unable to sustain the pressure for the full 100 minutes of a game. They are therefore inconsistent both between games and within them. However, the seventh-placed Demons have everything to fight for in this match while the Magpies are limping towards the line after what has been another disappointing season. They haven't completely given up the fight but they do go into the final-round clash without some of their stars who gave their season a boost soon after these teams met in mid-year. They are missing skipper Scott Pendlebury, Jordan De Goey, Alex Fasolo, Levi Greenwood, Travis Varcoe and Daniel Wells and yet have given some of the top sides plenty of trouble over the past month or so. Melbourne which has this week selected possibility its strongest possible side bar the injured co-skipper Viney, struggled last week to hold off the bottom side, the Brisbane Lions, and not long ago lost for the second time this year to the other wooden spoon contender, North Melbourne. On that basis, it's a wonder that the Demons are still in contention and if they lose to another team outside the top 8 in Collingwood, then they truly are not yet ready for finals football. The ruck duel between Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy shapes up as one of prime importance. The Demon midfield and forward line looks capable of besting the Pies, particularly if Jesse Hogan and Cam Pedersen can emulate last week's form and if the Jack Watts of the middle part of the season turns up to play. There are a lot of ifs in this game but with the equation down to a very simple win or lose scenario, I expect Melbourne to end its finals drought and win by 20 points.

The equation is really simple now. Win the game and you finish in seventh place and face a trip to either Adelaide or Sydney in the first week of the finals or lose and sweat it out until Sunday night when the result of the West Coast v Adelaide game is known. It's a situation of the club's own making, the result of a failure to win games against lesser credentialed teams and/or failure to apply the blowtorch when you're in full control in games like Port Adelaide or last week against the Brisbane Lions when the lead was by 32 points at the 5 minute mark of the final quarter. But it's water under the bridge now and all that stands between Melbourne and the finals is the old arch nemesis in Collingwood. There are no excuses either. There's an air of desperation about the Magpies. There's confusion, uncertainty and doubt about the coaching position. Eddie seems to no longer be the golden haired saviour who could be relied upon to find a way to revive their flagging fortunes. The club seems to be on its knees. The Melbourne injury list appears to be more or less under control, give or take a Jack Viney and a few players who provide depth and for once, the Demons face a side that has far more top players sidelined with injury. Bernie Vince and Jack Watts have both escaped possible suspensions from the weekend's games and Christian Salem is back after doing his penance for a week. The selectors have available to them, close to the best material to enable them to pick a winning team to lift the club out of the pit of misery it has occupied for more than a decade. What could possibly go wrong? THE GAME Collingwood v Melbourne at MCG Saturday 26 August 2017 at 1.45pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Collingwood 146 wins, Melbourne 83 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Collingwood 79 wins, Melbourne 63 wins 3 drawn Last Five Meetings Collingwood 1 win, Melbourne 4 wins The Coaches Buckley 0 wins, Goodwin 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel, live at 1.30pm. Radio - Triple M 3AW ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Collingwood $2.30 to win, Melbourne $1.62 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 15.14.104 defeated Collingwood 15.10.100 at MCG in Round 12, 2017 The Demons were staring defeat in the face at half time when the Magpies held a 23 point lead but they dug deep and turned their game around in the second half. When Jack Watts kicked the sealer, the home crowd erupted. THE TEAMS COLLINGWOOD B: Brayden Maynard, Lynden Dunn, Tyson Goldsack HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom Langdon, Jack Crisp ? Steele Sidebottom, Taylor Adams, Tom Phillips HF: Josh Daicos, Darcy Moore, Callum Brown F: Jamie Elliott, Mason Cox, Will Hoskin-Elliott FOLL: Brodie Grundy, Josh Thomas, Adam Treloar I/C: James Aish, Tim Broomhead, Kayle Kirby, Matthew Scharenberg EMG: Jarryd Blair, Jackson Ramsay, Josh Smith IN: Tyson Goldsack, Brodie Grundy, Kayle Kirby OUT: Jarryd Blair, Josh Smith (omitted), Ben Reid (soreness) MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Nathan Jones, Tom McDonald, Jayden Hunt ? Jordan Lewis, Christian Petracca, Christian Salem HF: Clayton Oliver, Jesse Hogan Jake Melksham F: Jeff Garlett, Cameron Pedersen, James Harmes FOLL: Max Gawn, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Mitch Hannan, Alex Neal-Bullen, Jack Watts EMG: Declan Keilty, Corey Maynard, Josh Wagner IN: Christian Salem, Jack Watts OUT: Billy Stretch (omitted), Josh Wagner (omitted) Melbourne and Collingwood are both known for being hard at it, high disposal teams that are usually unable to sustain the pressure for the full 100 minutes of a game. They are therefore inconsistent both between games and within them. However, the seventh-placed Demons have everything to fight for in this match while the Magpies are limping towards the line after what has been another disappointing season. They haven't completely given up the fight but they do go into the final-round clash without some of their stars who gave their season a boost soon after these teams met in mid-year. They are missing skipper Scott Pendlebury, Jordan De Goey, Alex Fasolo, Levi Greenwood, Travis Varcoe and Daniel Wells and yet have given some of the top sides plenty of trouble over the past month or so. Melbourne which has this week selected possibility its strongest possible side bar the injured co-skipper Viney, struggled last week to hold off the bottom side, the Brisbane Lions, and not long ago lost for the second time this year to the other wooden spoon contender, North Melbourne. On that basis, it's a wonder that the Demons are still in contention and if they lose to another team outside the top 8 in Collingwood, then they truly are not yet ready for finals football. The ruck duel between Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy shapes up as one of prime importance. The Demon midfield and forward line looks capable of besting the Pies, particularly if Jesse Hogan and Cam Pedersen can emulate last week's form and if the Jack Watts of the middle part of the season turns up to play. There are a lot of ifs in this game but with the equation down to a very simple win or lose scenario, I expect Melbourne to end its finals drought and win by 20 points.

It wasn't all that long ago and we dominated them in the last half after a really poor start. MELBOURNE B: Jayden Hunt, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Michael Hibberd, Sam Frost, Jordan Lewis C: Christian Salem, Clayton Oliver, Nathan Jones HF: Dom Tyson, Jack Watts, Mitch Hannan F: Alex Neal-Bullen, Christian Petracca, Jeff Garlett FOLL: Cam Pedersen, Bernie Vince, Jack Viney I/C: Tomas Bugg, James Harmes, Oscar McDonald, Jake Melksham EMG: Jay Kennedy-Harris, Jake Spencer, Josh Wagner IN: Christian Salem OUT: Josh Wagner COLLINGWOOD B: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Brayden Maynard HB: Josh Smith, Tom Langdon, Matthew Scharenberg C: Steele Sidebottom, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Phillips HF: Jordan De Goey, Alex Fasolo, Will Hoskin-Elliott F: Callum Brown, Darcy Moore, Tim Broomhead FOLL: Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Adam Treloar I/C: James Aish, Jack Crisp, Ben Crocker, Levi Greenwood EMG: Mason Cox, Chris Mayne, Jackson Ramsay IN: James Aish, Callum Brown, Alex Fasolo, Tom Langdon OUT: Jamie Elliott (ankle), Tyson Goldsack (shoulder), Jackson Ramsay (omitted), Daniel Wells (calf) NEW: Callum Brown

MAIDEN VICTORY by Bewitched After a week of soul searching after a dramatic fade out in the lightning, thunder and rain at Casey in the AFLW's opening round, the women of Melbourne had a lot to be concerned about at half time at Ikon Park last night. They were down by 19 points and being totally outplayed after recording just one goal in their past four quarters of football and staring into oblivion in a seven game competition that allows only two teams to advance to the grand final. Moana Hope, the much vaunted Magpie strong lady had wreaked havoc in the early going, setting up her team's first goal and scoring its second before Jessica Anderson's running goal opened the Demons' account but that was the team's only joy as their opponents streamed ahead. However, this time there was no storm to blunt Melbourne's style in the second half and instead, the team kept Collingwood scoreless after the main break to record their first AFLW win. The move of Mel Hickey onto Hope was a good one. The dangerous Magpie forward was hardly seen as the Demons took over. Skipper Daisy Pearce provided lots of run in the back half and Karen Paxman moved the ball forward to the likes of Cat Phillips, the ultimate Frisbee player, and Alyssa Mifsud and the flood gates opened. Phillips' goal from an impossible angle was a highlight. The team that had been starved of scoring opportunities was now alight and winning in the middle. They scored 4.1 for the term to grab the lead at the final break. The Magpie fade out continued despite some strong arm tactics which saw a late head high hit on Meg Downie force a delay in play as the Demon was concussed and stretchered off in a neck brace. Coach Mick Stinear later said his player had been cleared of any serious damage but the likely outcome should see the first tribunal sitting in AFLW history. The Dees kept on running when play resumed and finally ran out winners 7.2.44 to 5.1.31. The class of Pearce and Paxman should ensure that Melbourne remains a contender in this competition. Elise "Junior" O'Dea is a great prospect and kept going all night and Lily Mithen lived up to the family name with a solid contribution. All in all, it was a great maiden victory for the women of the Melbourne Football Club who now take on their foundation rivals, the Western Bulldogs at Whitten Oval on Saturday night. The men's JLT Community Series game will be the curtain raiser to this historic match. Melbourne 1.0.6 1.0.6 5.1.31 7.2.44 Collingwood 3.1.19 0 4.1.25 4.1.25 4.1.25 Goals Melbourne Phillips 2 Anderson Jolly Mifsud Paxman Scott Collingwood Cameron Edwards Grant Hope Best Melbourne Pearce Phillips Paxman O'Dea Mithen Collingwood D'Arcy Eva Barden Chiocci Crowd 6,917 at Ikon Park

After a week of soul searching after a dramatic fade out in the lightning, thunder and rain at Casey in the AFLW's opening round, the women of Melbourne had a lot to be concerned about at half time at Ikon Park last night. They were down by 19 points and being totally outplayed after recording just one goal in their past four quarters of football and staring into oblivion in a seven game competition that allows only two teams to advance to the grand final. Moana Hope, the much vaunted Magpie strong lady had wreaked havoc in the early going, setting up her team's first goal and scoring its second before Jessica Anderson's running goal opened the Demons' account but that was the team's only joy as their opponents streamed ahead. However, this time there was no storm to blunt Melbourne's style in the second half and instead, the team kept Collingwood scoreless after the main break to record their first AFLW win. The move of Mel Hickey onto Hope was a good one. The dangerous Magpie forward was hardly seen as the Demons took over. Skipper Daisy Pearce provided lots of run in the back half and Karen Paxman moved the ball forward to the likes of Cat Phillips, the ultimate Frisbee player, and Alyssa Mifsud and the flood gates opened. Phillips' goal from an impossible angle was a highlight. The team that had been starved of scoring opportunities was now alight and winning in the middle. They scored 4.1 for the term to grab the lead at the final break. The Magpie fade out continued despite some strong arm tactics which saw a late head high hit on Meg Downie force a delay in play as the Demon was concussed and stretchered off in a neck brace. Coach Mick Stinear later said his player had been cleared of any serious damage but the likely outcome should see the first tribunal sitting in AFLW history. The Dees kept on running when play resumed and finally ran out winners 7.2.44 to 5.1.31. The class of Pearce and Paxman should ensure that Melbourne remains a contender in this competition. Elise "Junior" O'Dea is a great prospect and kept going all night and Lily Mithen lived up to the family name with a solid contribution. All in all, it was a great maiden victory for the women of the Melbourne Football Club who now take on their foundation rivals, the Western Bulldogs at Whitten Oval on Saturday night. The men's JLT Community Series game will be the curtain raiser to this historic match. Melbourne 1.0.6 1.0.6 5.1.31 7.2.44 Collingwood 3.1.19 0 4.1.25 4.1.25 4.1.25 Goals Melbourne Phillips 2 Anderson Jolly Mifsud Paxman Scott Collingwood Cameron Edwards Grant Hope Best Melbourne Pearce Phillips Paxman O'Dea Mithen Collingwood D'Arcy Eva Barden Chiocci Crowd 6,917 at Ikon Park

COMING SOON by Whispering Jack I have lost count of the number of times the old adage about the need to ignore pre season form has been proven to be correct and this year's AFL NAB Challenge is yet another case in point. Fremantle, Melbourne and Collingwood were the only undefeated teams in that series but the former has yet to record a win in the opening three rounds of AFL competition while the other two have managed only one win each and in both cases, they fell in by a solitary point. This week those other two front runners and old time traditional Victorian rivals meet in what will be a do or die struggle at the MCG. The loser of the Magpies v Demons clash will be sitting in tatters close to the foot of the table while the winner will have some hope restored for the season ahead. Strangely enough for the AFL and despite the early disappointing form of their respective teams' performances, both coaches can rest comfortably in the knowledge that their positions are safe for this year at least. Paul Roos is departing anyway as part of the succession plan he set up which has installed Simon Goodwin as coach in waiting. Nathan Buckley was reappointed to his position just three weeks ago and whilst three weeks is a long time in football, Eddie McGuire keeps on insisting that his man is safe. There's been little to differentiate the two teams' performances to date this season so, in determining the final outcome of this battle, little things can mean a lot. As between these competitors, Collingwood will gain the advantage of Tribunal outcomes because it stands to benefit from the return of Steele Sidebottom from suspension while Melbourne's Bernie Vince who was good last week against North Melbourne is out this week. Last year's best and fairest winner Vince, starred when these teams last met and he will be sorely missed this weekend. On the other side of "little" things are the ruck battles. Melbourne has been getting great value from Max Gawn who comprehensively beat the AFL's number one in this area last week but for the second week in a row, the opposition exposed the Demons' weakness in back up tall timber in the last line of defence. Two weeks ago, they couldn't counter Joe Daniher's height at full forward and in Hobart, it was Goldstein who was the destroyer with five goals. Melbourne has not been as dangerous up forward with its own talls despite the fact that for the first time in ages, it is regularly getting the ball inside its own forward 50 more times than the opposition. That statistic is the diametrically opposite to what was taking place with this team only two years ago and it is what contributes to my belief that there will be major improvements to the team's overall performances coming soon. Perhaps, even as soon as this Sunday. Melbourne to win by 15 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Collingwood at MCG Sunday 17 April 2016 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Collingwood 146 wins Melbourne 80 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Collingwood 79 wins Melbourne 55 wins 3 drawn Last Five Meetings Collingwood 4 wins Melbourne 1 win The Coaches: Buckley 2 wins Roos 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3, Channel 7 live at 3.00pm Radio - Triple M 3AW THE BETTING Collingwood $1.53 to win Melbourne $2.50 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.13.91 defeated Collingwood 7.12.54 at MCG in Round 18, 2015 The Demons shrugged off some indifferent form to record their first win over the Magpies in seven years - a comprehensive 37-point victory that had many supporters scratching their heads over why the team was unable to consistently produce such form on a regular basis. Jesse Hogan and Bernie Vince kicked two goals each and the latter was best on the ground. THE TEAMS COLLINGWOOD B: Ben Sinclair, Nathan Brown, Tom Langdon HB: Goldsack, Ben Reid, Alan Toovey C: Adam Oxley, Adam Treloar, Steele Sidebottom HF: Travis Varcoe, Darcy Moore, Jordan De Goey F: Alex Fasolo, Travis Cloke, Jeremy Howe FOLL: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams I/C: James Aish, Jarryd Blair, Jack Crisp, Levi Greenwood EMG: Mason Cox, Matthew Goodyear, Brent Macaffer, IN: Steele Sidebottom, Alan Toovey, Travis Varcoe OUT: Matthew Goodyear (omitted), Brayden Maynard (hamstring), Marley Williams (foot) MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg HB: Lynden Dunn, Heritier Lumumba, Christian Salem C: James Harmes, Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver HF: Jack Watts, Sam Frost, Matt Jones F: Dean Kent, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Jayden Hunt, Cameron Pedersen, Josh Wagner EMG: Jack Grimes, Alex Neal-Bullen, Billy Stretch In: Angus Brayshaw, Jayden Hunt, Cam Pedersen Out: Aaron vandenBerg (ankle), Bernie Vince (suspension), Billy Stretch (omitted) New: Jayden Hunt (21, Brighton Grammar)

All of a sudden the Demons are blessed with a bounty of riches! Despite the heartache of a last gasp loss to North last week, they have bounced back in an emphatic fashion to completely obliterate Collingwood, and send them spiralling toward the bottom of the ladder. Much rested upon this match for the Demons; another loss would have put them in a similar position to the Pies, with both sides having just scraped over the line for their solitary win to date. But that was not to be and a first quarter blitz of six goals to one solitary major from Collingwood, almost had the match sewn up at the first change. Another five straight in the second quarter should have sealed the game but a series of awful turnovers saw five of Collingwood's next six goals come directly from Melbourne errors. The accuracy of the Melbourne forwards put plenty of breathing space between the two sides, with Jack Watts contributing four up to the major break, including two pearlers from on the boundary line. Even though Collingwood were pressing, it was these clutch goals that just kept on putting them “back in their box”. Fortunately, they also provided some classic howlers in their backline to give easy goals to Jack Viney and Dean Kent. The second half became much of a slog with really no change to the quarter time margin, but again for the Melbourne supporters, it was comforting to see players still putting in for the whole game. No more head-dropping as we are now seeing a new confidence building among the playing group. Collingwood seem to have long passed their premiership window and are quickly heading for a long time in oblivion. Without Swan and Pendelbury injured, they lacked any real ball getting ability. Now with Cloke also injured and mostly disinterested, they don’t have too many other options up forward either. A truly delightful situation! Contrast that with the situation in which the Demons now find themselves. Despite some misgivings, the coaching staff introduced two new additions to the side in the past fortnight- Josh Wagner and Jayden Hunt. They held their spots admirably; Josh Wagner in particular with 24 possessions in defence. And the backline is looking much more solid with each of the defenders working as a team to nullify the opposition’s chances. With Lynden Dunn back on the goal line the team just looks so much more stable. It gives Tom McDonald the opportunity to take those critical marks and spoils in front, and Dunn's kicking gives more options to exit the defensive zone. If Nev Jetta could switch on some time before half time, the whole unit would be even better. His position and role must be under threat from Jack Grimes next week following a good game at Casey. And after a solid win like this one, it is such a contrast with the situation we faced last year and the year before and ... boom recruit Christian Petracca is in the background steadily mounting a solid case for a senior spot with Jack Trengove doing likewise. Even more satisfying is the fact that Jeff Garlett and Aaron vandenBerg should be available for next week together with last year's best and fairest winner Bernie Vince returns from suspension ... and we have Grimes and Viv Michie named among the best at Casey also in the mix. Our cup filled up during this game. Confidence is building and the competition for places is getting seriously hot. If this translates into the ruthless game style that we saw during the first quarter of this match, then Richmond are facing another miserable result next week, to top off the shellacking they copped at the weekend against the Eagles. That would really make out cup run over ... Melbourne 6.2.38 11.2.68 14.4.98 16.6.102 Collingwood 1.2.8 6.5.41 8.10.58 9.13.67 Goals Melbourne Watts 4 Hogan Pedersen Tyson 2 Brayshaw Frost Gawn Kennedy Kent Viney Collingwood Cloke Sidebottom 2 Fasolo Moore Sinclair Treloar Varcoe Best Melbourne Gawn Viney Watts Wagner Tyson N Jones Bugg Collingwood Pendlebury Treloar Sidebottom Adams Langdon Changes Melbourne Nil Collingwood Goldsack (illness) replaced in selected side by White Injuries Melbourne Brayshaw (concussion) Collingwood Cloke (elbow) Reid (knee) Sinclair (concussion), Reports Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Umpires O'Gorman Meredith Ryan Official Crowd 47,558 at the MCG

I have lost count of the number of times the old adage about the need to ignore pre season form has been proven to be correct and this year's AFL NAB Challenge is yet another case in point. Fremantle, Melbourne and Collingwood were the only undefeated teams in that series but the former has yet to record a win in the opening three rounds of AFL competition while the other two have managed only one win each and in both cases, they fell in by a solitary point. This week those other two front runners and old time traditional Victorian rivals meet in what will be a do or die struggle at the MCG. The loser of the Magpies v Demons clash will be sitting in tatters close to the foot of the table while the winner will have some hope restored for the season ahead. Strangely enough for the AFL and despite the early disappointing form of their respective teams' performances, both coaches can rest comfortably in the knowledge that their positions are safe for this year at least. Paul Roos is departing anyway as part of the succession plan he set up which has installed Simon Goodwin as coach in waiting. Nathan Buckley was reappointed to his position just three weeks ago and whilst three weeks is a long time in football, Eddie McGuire keeps on insisting that his man is safe. There's been little to differentiate the two teams' performances to date this season so, in determining the final outcome of this battle, little things can mean a lot. As between these competitors, Collingwood will gain the advantage of Tribunal outcomes because it stands to benefit from the return of Steele Sidebottom from suspension while Melbourne's Bernie Vince who was good last week against North Melbourne is out this week. Last year's best and fairest winner Vince, starred when these teams last met and he will be sorely missed this weekend. On the other side of "little" things are the ruck battles. Melbourne has been getting great value from Max Gawn who comprehensively beat the AFL's number one in this area last week but for the second week in a row, the opposition exposed the Demons' weakness in back up tall timber in the last line of defence. Two weeks ago, they couldn't counter Joe Daniher's height at full forward and in Hobart, it was Goldstein who was the destroyer with five goals. Melbourne has not been as dangerous up forward with its own talls despite the fact that for the first time in ages, it is regularly getting the ball inside its own forward 50 more times than the opposition. That statistic is the diametrically opposite to what was taking place with this team only two years ago and it is what contributes to my belief that there will be major improvements to the team's overall performances coming soon. Perhaps, even as soon as this Sunday. Melbourne to win by 15 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Collingwood at MCG Sunday 17 April 2016 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Collingwood 146 wins Melbourne 80 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Collingwood 79 wins Melbourne 55 wins 3 drawn Last Five Meetings Collingwood 4 wins Melbourne 1 win The Coaches: Buckley 2 wins Roos 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3, Channel 7 live at 3.00pm Radio - Triple M 3AW THE BETTING Collingwood $1.53 to win Melbourne $2.50 to win LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.13.91 defeated Collingwood 7.12.54 at MCG in Round 18, 2015 The Demons shrugged off some indifferent form to record their first win over the Magpies in seven years - a comprehensive 37-point victory that had many supporters scratching their heads over why the team was unable to consistently produce such form on a regular basis. Jesse Hogan and Bernie Vince kicked two goals each and the latter was best on the ground. THE TEAMS COLLINGWOOD B: Ben Sinclair, Nathan Brown, Tom Langdon HB: Goldsack, Ben Reid, Alan Toovey C: Adam Oxley, Adam Treloar, Steele Sidebottom HF: Travis Varcoe, Darcy Moore, Jordan De Goey F: Alex Fasolo, Travis Cloke, Jeremy Howe FOLL: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams I/C: James Aish, Jarryd Blair, Jack Crisp, Levi Greenwood EMG: Mason Cox, Matthew Goodyear, Brent Macaffer, IN: Steele Sidebottom, Alan Toovey, Travis Varcoe OUT: Matthew Goodyear (omitted), Brayden Maynard (hamstring), Marley Williams (foot) MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg HB: Lynden Dunn, Heritier Lumumba, Christian Salem C: James Harmes, Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver HF: Jack Watts, Sam Frost, Matt Jones F: Dean Kent, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Jayden Hunt, Cameron Pedersen, Josh Wagner EMG: Jack Grimes, Alex Neal-Bullen, Billy Stretch In: Angus Brayshaw, Jayden Hunt, Cam Pedersen Out: Aaron vandenBerg (ankle), Bernie Vince (suspension), Billy Stretch (omitted) New: Jayden Hunt (21, Brighton Grammar)

We beat them at last! COLLINGWOOD B: Tom Langdon, Nathan Brown, Marley Williams HB: Alan Toovey, Jack Frost, Brayden Maynard C: Paul Seedsman, Dane Swan, Steele Sidebottom HF: Sam Dwyer, Darcy Moore, Jordan De Hoey F: Alex Fasolo, Brodie Grundy, Jamie Elliott Foll: Jarrod Witts, Jack Crisp, Scott Pendlebury I/C: Tyson Goldsack, Levi Greenwood, Paul Seedsman, Travis Varcoe EMG: Jarryd Blair, Jonathon Marsh, Matthew Scharenberg IN: Taylor Adams, Sam Dwyer, Jamie Elliott, Paul Seedsman OUT: Jarryd Blair (omitted), Ben Kennedy (omitted), Adam Oxley (rested), Jesse White (omitted) MELBOURNE B: Colin 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: James Harmes, Viv Michie, Alex Neal-Bullen, Aaron vandenBerg EMG: Mark Jamar, Matt Jones, Jordie McKenzie IN: Alex Neal-Bullen OUT: Billy Stretch (omitted)

EBBS AND FLOWS by Whispering Jack For a tiny bit over three quarters it was a game of ebbs and flows with Melbourne holding the ascendancy for the most part after dominating the opening stanza with four goals to one. It should have been more but Jack Viney and Dom Tyson missed easy shots late in the term after Jesse Hogan nailed his second goal for the game after just 23 minutes. That was the sort of thing that we've seen before this season with the game against the Crows at the Adelaide Oval a case in point so it came as no surprise that Collingwood was able to hit the front at the midpoint of the next quarter when Travis Varcoe goaled. At that point, we feared the worst - that the tide was turning the game in the direction of debacles like the GWS and Port Adelaide games but the Demons surprised us, regrouped and went into the main break with an eleven point lead thanks to the brilliance of Bernie Vince and emerging big man Max Gawn. The Demons' dominance continued into the what they call the premiership quarter which for Melbourne is a concept so far embedded in its distant past as to be rendered almost meaningless. But there's a new kid on the block who might just change that one day and his name his Jesse Hogan. After a wide kick at goal spoiled what would have been a dream start to the second half, he had the presence of mind to tickle the ball of the ground after a spillage and the Demons were away. The Pies fought back but goals to Vince and another to Jack Watts who keeps getting better and better, opened up a 23 point lead before the flow of the game changed once more. It was all Collingwood in the second half of the third term leading to heart flutters among the Demon faithful in the crowd. It was as if the fact that the team had hit the magical 60 point mark meant that everything came to a grinding halt. The tide ebbed as Collingwood clawed the deficit back to a manageable 8 points by the final break and narrowed it further thanks to a rushed behind early in the last. Then Vince re-entered the scoring fray and it was over. Goals flowed and the opposition capitulated in a reversal of the situation when the teams met on Queens Birthday. Of course, back then it was Melbourne that was ravaged with injury. Now it was Collingwood whose main weapons were missing. No Cloke meant no seven straight goals and Tom McDonald was able to play the monster on young Darcy Moore. Once Neville Jetta shut Alex Fasolo down, the Pies had very little potency up forward. Nathan Jones did his job as usual but the most pleasing aspect of recent weeks for Melbourne is the emergence of Max Gawn towards the fringes of the elite among the competition's ruckmen and Jack Viney's growth in the midfield. The defining aspect was that despite the presence of five first year players, Melbourne was the more experienced team in terms of games in legs - a vast difference to the week before when St. Kilda's match winners were all on the other side of thirty. That's exactly why the lamentations of many supporters and independent observers were a bit off the mark with their panic stations wrist slashing of last week. The form of young sides will always ebb and flow from week to week. The main thing is that the tide is taking you in the right direction. Melbourne 4.4.28 6.5.41 9.6 .60 13.13.91 Collingwood 1.4.10 4.6.30 7.10.52 7.12.54 Goals Melbourne Hogan Vince 3 Garlett 2 Harmes Howe N Jones vandenBerg Watts Collingwood Fasolo 3 Adams Pendlebury Varcoe Witts Best Melbourne Vince Jones Gawn Viney Garland Watts Cross Collingwood Swan Fasolo Varcoe Williams Adams Langdon Changes Melbourne Nil Collingwood Matt Scharenberg replaced Tyson Goldsack (tight quad) in the selected side. Injuries Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Substitutions Melbourne James Harmes replaced Viv Michie in the third quarter. Collingwood Jamie Elliott replaced Paul Seedsman in the third quarter. Umpires Donlon Kamolins Jeffery Official crowd 37,894 at the MCG.

Please cast your votes 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...

For a tiny bit over three quarters it was a game of ebbs and flows with Melbourne holding the ascendancy for the most part after dominating the opening stanza with four goals to one. It should have been more but Jack Viney and Dom Tyson missed easy shots late in the term after Jesse Hogan nailed his second goal for the game after just 23 minutes. That was the sort of thing that we've seen before this season with the game against the Crows at the Adelaide Oval a case in point so it came as no surprise that Collingwood was able to hit the front at the midpoint of the next quarter when Travis Varcoe goaled. At that point, we feared the worst - that the tide was turning the game in the direction of debacles like the GWS and Port Adelaide games but the Demons surprised us, regrouped and went into the main break with an eleven point lead thanks to the brilliance of Bernie Vince and emerging big man Max Gawn. The Demons' dominance continued into the what they call the premiership quarter which for Melbourne is a concept so far embedded in its distant past as to be rendered almost meaningless. But there's a new kid on the block who might just change that one day and his name his Jesse Hogan. After a wide kick at goal spoiled what would have been a dream start to the second half, he had the presence of mind to tickle the ball of the ground after a spillage and the Demons were away. The Pies fought back but goals to Vince and another to Jack Watts who keeps getting better and better, opened up a 23 point lead before the flow of the game changed once more. It was all Collingwood in the second half of the third term leading to heart flutters among the Demon faithful in the crowd. It was as if the fact that the team had hit the magical 60 point mark meant that everything came to a grinding halt. The tide ebbed as Collingwood clawed the deficit back to a manageable 8 points by the final break and narrowed it further thanks to a rushed behind early in the last. Then Vince re-entered the scoring fray and it was over. Goals flowed and the opposition capitulated in a reversal of the situation when the teams met on Queens Birthday. Of course, back then it was Melbourne that was ravaged with injury. Now it was Collingwood whose main weapons were missing. No Cloke meant no seven straight goals and Tom McDonald was able to play the monster on young Darcy Moore. Once Neville Jetta shut Alex Fasolo down, the Pies had very little potency up forward. Nathan Jones did his job as usual but the most pleasing aspect of recent weeks for Melbourne is the emergence of Max Gawn towards the fringes of the elite among the competition's ruckmen and Jack Viney's growth in the midfield. The defining aspect was that despite the presence of five first year players, Melbourne was the more experienced team in terms of games in legs - a vast difference to the week before when St. Kilda's match winners were all on the other side of thirty. That's exactly why the lamentations of many supporters and independent observers were a bit off the mark with their panic stations wrist slashing of last week. The form of young sides will always ebb and flow from week to week. The main thing is that the tide is taking you in the right direction. Melbourne 4.4.28 6.5.41 9.6 .60 13.13.91 Collingwood 1.4.10 4.6.30 7.10.52 7.12.54 Goals Melbourne Hogan Vince 3 Garlett 2 Harmes Howe N Jones vandenBerg Watts Collingwood Fasolo 3 Adams Pendlebury Varcoe Witts Best Melbourne Vince Jones Gawn Viney Garland Watts Cross Collingwood Swan Fasolo Varcoe Williams Adams Langdon Changes Melbourne Nil Collingwood Matt Scharenberg replaced Tyson Goldsack (tight quad) in the selected side. Injuries Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Collingwood Nil Substitutions Melbourne James Harmes replaced Viv Michie in the third quarter. Collingwood Jamie Elliott replaced Paul Seedsman in the third quarter. Umpires Donlon Kamolins Jeffery Official crowd 37,894 at the MCG.

One of the big questions for today is whether people will bother to turn up for the game given that it's a clash between two out of form (at least I think that's a description of how Melbourne is playing at the moment) and out of luck teams occupying 11th and 15th spots on the ladder. The early morning weather out there looks foreboding - it's cold and bleak although the forecast says "rain clearing, wind easing" and it's true that Collingwood fans stick fat so you can still expect them to turn up in numbers for their home game on a ground they occupy and consider their own. But how many of our own will turn up to watch, given we're playing the type of game that's produced an average of 56½ points in the past four games which have involved opposition currently sitting in 13th, 14th and 18th spots on the ladder?