Search the Community

DEMONLAND - Good evening, Demon fans and welcome back to the Demonland 2024 Grand Final Podcast ... before we took that last phone call from a Demonlander, we were discussing how the club overcame it’s midseason slump, the season-ending injury to Christian Petracca and the loss for a brief period of skipper Max Gawn due to a crack to the base of his right fibula, to slowly surge up the ladder turning our detractors into believers and how it ended the year triumphant in the finals with our captain holding aloft the premiership cup on the MCG for the first time in six decades. Oops... um, I'm not supposed to reveal that part of the script yet so … it’s back into our DMC DeLorean as we return to the present where it's your turn to make your feelings known about how the game will pan out. The Third Eye - It’s true that Melbourne is faced with a monumental challenge but it’s not about turning around a negative 15½ goal outcome against Fremantle which is where it finished in Alice Springs early last month. It’s all about winning a game where both sides start with the score at 0.0.0 each, play under different conditions, on a different ground in a different city (albeit the home of the Dockers), with different players and with many of the same players of differing stages of physical freshness and mental attitude. There’s been an outcry and a lot of tears about the fact that the Demons were forced to soldier on without two AFL top liners in Max Gawn (possibly) and Christian Petracca but when you compare the makeup of the Melbourne team of round 12 with the team of round 18, there are some significant changes for the better even if you can never replace Max and Christian. These are the changes between the two games - Out Max Gawn, Lachie Hunter, Christian Petracca, Shane McAdam, Adam Tomlinson In Jake Lever, Jake Melksham, Andy Moniz-Wakefield, Koltyn Tholstrup, Jacob van Rooyen. That’s a mixed bag of players coming in which includes two experienced players in Lever and Melksham. One adds cohesion to the defence, the other adds steel to the attack which was not functioning properly on 2 June 2024 when Melbourne flopped badly to the purple people. The other three are JvR who is in massive form as a forward and relief ruckman, and the two youngsters playing with great enthusiasm. They replace McAdam who was held scoreless, Hunter who was ineffective before he was subbed off at half time with a calf injury and Adam Tomlinson who worked hard but can compare with Lever’s impact of the entire defensive structure of the team. There are a number of Melbourne players who have lifted several notches including wingers Ed Langdon and Caleb Windsor. Their current form is uplifting and their attacking mindset is setting a different tone to the team’s performance. The last time they met, it was said that the Dockers were switched on and primed to the max beat the Demons. They had an extra two days to prepare themselves for the game but this time it’s different as they are coming off a shattering loss to Hawthorn. Certainly, Freo will have an advantage in the ruck if Max isn’t ruled fit to play but in every other respect, the goalposts have been removed 180 degrees over the past six or seven weeks. Even Optus Stadium is Melbourne’s home away from home. Ollie Fan - I don't know what was going on at Alice Springs but that is NOT the benchmark to start from. We can win because our backs are better than their forwards, and our forward line is starting to work- thanks to Kozzie, Melksham and hard work by the others. whatwhat say what - it's going to be a pretty different team so the main thing is to bring the right attitude to the contest, attack via defence and get a bit of scoreboard momentum early. At the end of the match, Melbourne will either be in a better position in the eight or three games from second. It’s a funny ol' season and there's a lot to play out still. MO FINE - I think it should be mentioned that since that terrible day at Alice Springs, the coach has benefited from some “learnings” and he is managing the players so much better. An example is the way Clarry is being managed to get the best out of him in light of his highly interrupted preseason which limited his performance from time to time. On Saturday, he spent time on the bench early in the first quarter and was limited to just one disposal. He got into the thick of things as soon as the second quarter started and added 10 possessions to his belt by half time and finished with 25 disposals. It was telling that Goody went to him soon after the final siren and looked so pleased with Clarry and his contribution on the night. OhMyDees - In 2022, I was at a wet Optus Stadium watching us dismantle the Dockers. We did this by keeping a strong zoned defence and forcing them to the wing instead of the corridor. They just couldn’t move the ball quickly in the wet, couldn’t switch it and this played into our strengths. Our game plan if executed with vigour should stack up well against Fremantle. The conditions will be wet which again suits us given how well we adapted last week. Pinball Wizard - is ruck domination overrated? I heard an interesting statistic on one of the football shows on tv last night. The match winning percentage of teams that win the hit outs is 49%. We don’t necessarily have to win the hit outs to win the game. Goodwin should be spending much of his time this week watching vision of the Dockers to get an insight on how they turned his team into a bumbling rabble on that fateful day in Alice Springs. He will notice that their midfield destroyed us. Players like Serong, Brayshaw, Young, O’Meara, Fyfe and Clark helped them win the clearance count by more than double, 48 to 23. This was despite the fact that thanks to Max, the Dees won the hit outs by 35 to 32. The Fremantle defence was impressive that day and didn’t let the wind get through let alone any of the Melbourne forwards. The lesson from the day was to be switched on, more desperate and get your hands on the pill first. That’s the tale in a nutshell. That could be easier said than done but it might also be worthwhile for Goody to cast an eye over the tape of Freo’s game on Saturday in Tassie where the young Hawks plugged away and got the W in the end. Roger Mellie - Goodwin said at the start of the season that in 2023 we started like a train and limped home. The “learnings” from that, were that the team would be primed to finish the season strongly rather than start. The way we are playing at the moment it looks like it's going to plan - e.g. Caleb Windsor looked cooked a few weeks ago and now is playing brilliant footy. The players, with few exceptions, look fit and fresh. Only one team has won a premiership at that ground too! DEMONLAND – it sounds like the fitness people might have been doing some “loading” back in June. I wonder if that had something to do with it? binman - As a generalisation, the form of teams in the weeks leading into their bye, and in the one or two weeks after their bye should be ignored. As a footy punter it is a treacherous period and I tread warily. But it does throw up some real value as many punters think of form in terms of week to week performances or blocks of two games. So Port Adelaide were great value against the Bulldogs because in their previous two games they got absolutely thrashed by the Lions and scraped in against the Saints. This made them terrific value at the line at home against the dogs, who had been in good form. Port thrashed the Dogs, so people jumped off them making them great value at the line against the Blues. But Melbourne has now passed that phase and form is now more trustworthy. The way to think about this game is not how they played last time against the Dockers but what its best football looks like versus their best football. The same can be applied to all matches from here on in. The first 6-7 rounds give the best guide, injuries notwithstanding. I don't bet on Dees games, but if I did I would launched into us at the line against the Bombers because their best football is better than that of the Bombers. Leave it to Deever - I wonder how difficult it is for coaching staff to get that into the player's mindset? With fixtures these days allowing for teams to play one another twice without a significant amount of time since previous encounters, it doesn't help. That was a humiliating loss for Melbourne but it wasn't isolated. They were playing some good football and some shocking football. They were all over the place and in the game against the Blues, the Dees’ inconsistent play was evident from quarter to quarter. Going in this time Melbourne seems a lot more stable. I just hope that the last loss to them hasn't left any deep scar tissue. Perhaps it will work for the Demons with the Dockers being overconfident. In any event it's a massive game for the club. A chance to take a big scalp. Freo, for me are above the Blues and second favourite to win a flag . Win this one and the Demons will definitely be playing finals. Quite possibly a real chance to finish top four. No pressure … 😀 buck_nekkid - Back to the future, We return to Optus Stadium - the site of a terrible loss to West Coast - to face Freemantle - who put us to the sword by nearly 100 points. Seems like we should be shaking in our boots. We are now also without Gawn and Trac, yet after the victory over the Bombers, we have sky-rocketed into the eight. So, how are we going to go? Only a Nostradamus could know! At our best, we will control the contest and the ground ball, Our defence will be all strangling and hold them to under 72 points whilst our slick hands and smart plays will open our front 50 for a number of our forwards to cash in. Provided we play four quarters (which we have not done for a while but we’re building up to it), we have this. At our worst, we will lose the momentum early and never get it back. We will mind grass and watch them sail away to the win. The difference between these teams is really small. They are about the same place on the ladder as us, they have excellence in the midfield and a few good sorts around the ground, and we could be anything! With my hopes running high, i say Dees by 22 points THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Sunday 2 June 2024 at 1.00pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Fremantle 26 wins Melbourne 18 wins At Optus Stadium Fremantle 0 wins Melbourne 1 win Last five meetings Fremantle 3 wins Melbourne 2 wins The Coaches Longmuir 4 wins Goodwin 2 win LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 22.9.141 defeated Melbourne 7.7.49 at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs, Round 12, 2024 Maxie - an interesting stat or a boomer with too much time on his hands? The Demons have played Freo and lost in three games at almost the exact time of the season in the past three seasons - Round 11 in 2022 & 2023 at the G and round 12 this year at Tregear Park. I remember going to those MCG games and noted how cooked we seemed. Round 12 at the Alice was like watching a team with concrete in their boots but, as has been said above, this is a different time and a different place. Binman’s loading theory looking sound. TEAMS MELBOURNE B T. McDonald, S. May, J. McVee HB C. Salem, J. Lever, A. Moniz-Wakefield C E. Langdon, C. Oliver, T. Sparrow HF K. Pickett, J van Rooyen, K. Chandler F A. Neal-Bullen, B. Fritsch, J. Melksham FOLL H. Petty, J. Viney, T. Rivers I/C J. Billings, J. Bowey, K. Tholstrup, D. Turner, C. Windsor EMG T. Fullarton, B. Laurie, A. Tomlinson IN J. Billings OUT T. Woewodin (managed) FREMANTLE B H. Chapman, A. Pearce, B. Cox HB C. Wagner, L. Ryan, J. Clarke C J. Sharp, N. Fyfe, H. Young HF B. Banfield, S. Switkowski, M. Frederick F J. Treacy, J. Amiss, L. Jackson FOLL S. Darcy, C. Serong, A. Brayshaw I/C J. Aish, J. O'Meara, S. Sturt, B. Walker, M. Walters SUB W. Brodie, P. Voss, K. Worner IN S. Darcy, A. Pearce, B. Walker OUT J. Draper (omitted), M. Johnson (injured), P. Voss (omitted) Injury List: Round 19 Max Gawn — ankle / test Lachie Hunter — calf / 1 week Charlie Spargo — Achilles / season Christian Petracca — spleen / indefinite

Round 1, 2021 MELBOURNE B: N. Jetta 39 S. May 1 A. Tomlinson 20 HB: C. Salem 3 J. Lever 8 J. Hunt 29 C: J. Harmes 4 C. Petracca 5 E. Langdon 15 HF: N. Jones 2 T. McDonald 25 A. Neal-Bullen 30 F: C. Spargo 9 L. Jackson 6 B. Fritsch 31 Foll: M. Gawn - C 11 C. Oliver 13 T. Sparrow 32 I/C: K. Pickett 36 J. Jordon 23 T. Rivers 24 A. Brayshaw 10 Sub: K. Chandler 37 Emerg: O. Baker 33 J. Bowey 17 H. Petty 35 FREMANTLE B: T. Watson 38 J. Hamling 21 A. Pearce 25 HB: R. Conca 6 B. Cox 36 L. Ryan 13 C: J. Aish 11 N. Fyfe - C 7 B. Acres 9 HF: C. Serong 3 A. Cerra 5 T .Colyer 33 F: S. Switkowski 39 M. Taberner 20 L. Schultz 28 Foll: L. Meek 22 A. Brayshaw 8 D. Mundy 16 I/C: L. Henry 23 H. Young 26 E. Hughes 15 C. Blakely 19 Sub: S. Giro 42 Emerg; S. Darcy 4 H. Chapman 27 L. Thomas 24

The Demons ran out for their Qualifying Final match against the Fremantle Dockers at Casey Fields as the sounds of Midnight Oils’ “Power and the Passion cascaded over the mainly friendly pro-Melbourne crowd. It was a far cry from the season opener at Carrara in late January where few of their fans were in attendance in high 20’s heat and humidity and silence greeted every score from the slow-starting Demons. They ran away from the lowly Suns, won comfortably in the end and followed that with another easy win against the Tigers. But there were no easy games after that and a mid season two-game slump had coach Mick Stinear and his assistants burning the midnight oil to get the team’s season back on track. They did so to stunning effect bringing a more attacking style to the table and the results have been evident ever since with win after win over highly ranked opponents The Qualifying Final victory - Melbourne’s second in a fortnight against the early season premiership favourites - was emblematic of the team’s new power and passion. The conditions were just as hot as in their opening game but this time the team was strong out of the blocks even against a stiff breeze. Youngster Alyssa Bannan scored the only goal for the opening quarter and the feat of holding the Dockers to a mere two points during that stanza was to prove decisive. Two quick goals to Shelley Scott in the opening five minutes of the second term saw the visitors gasping for air and in arrears by 19 points at the main break. But this was a finals game and the Dockers hadn’t travelled across the continent to be brushed aside so easily. They pushed hard for ten minutes to narrow the gap to 11 points before a goal to Melbourne’s Brenna Tarrant steadied the ship. Then followed another surge that netted two more goals and, at the final break, it was game on with the Demons’ lead cut to a mere four points. Except that the ill winds that often sweep across Casey Fields were in full operation. For the remainder of the game, the ball was mainly in Melbourne’s forward line but goals were hard to score. Seven consecutive behinds were punctuated by a couple of shots out of bounds. The weight of those points had already made the game safe when Maddy Gay finally goaled from a free kick with a minute left to go. Gay (19 touches, 9 tackles) had been great in an all round team effort but, as usual, perennial All Australian Karen Paxman (20 possessions and five tackles) challenged her for the best on ground. Lily Mithen was tigerish in her attack on the footy, Scott’s two goals invaluable, Tegan Cunningham at her best for a while and Eden Zanker demonstrated why she’s regarded as one of the best young talents in the game. Lauren Pearce won in the ruck. The other Pearce — the team’s spiritual leader, Daisy — sat this one out with a knee injury and might not be back out on the field again this season. Whatever the case may be, her Demons proved yesterday that they have the power and the passion to take on Adelaide next week and continue on the path to ultimate success. MELBOURNE 1.2.8 3.3.21 4.3.27 5.10 (40) FREMANTLE DOCKERS 0.2.2 0.2.2 3.5.23 3.5 (23) GOALS Melbourne: Scott 2, Bannan, Gay, Tarrant Fremantle Dockers: Duffy, Houghton, Sharp BEST Melbourne: Paxman, Gay, Scott, Mithen, Cunningham, Zanker Fremantle Dockers: Bowers, Miller, Sergeant, Cain, Seth INJURIES Melbourne: Nil Fremantle Dockers: Nil REPORTS: Nil VENUE: Casey Fields

After what seemed like an eternity without Footy in Melbourne, the Demons and their fans produced a scrappy, sloppy yet successful return to the MCG. Yet is was against an interstate team from the furthest reaches of the country, but the 21K fans who made it through the gates, was way below expectations for numbers. Sure it can’t have helped with all the difficulty that Ticketek imposed just to get a ticket, and since you just couldn’t walk up, perhaps the number wasn’t that surprising. For those that turned up, all their efforts were hardly cause for excitement, as the Demons, while running out eventual winners by 22 points, had put on a display which simply lacked polish and execution of some basic skills. This wasn’t the showpiece of AFL football at its best, as Fremantle matched the sloppiness themselves, and watched on as the Demons had kicked 6 majors in the first quarter and a bit, before they troubled the goal-umpires two fingers. This continued for the remainder of the game, with Melbourne increasing their lead, only to see it whittled back again, then increased again. Both sides could only register kicking percentages of 44% in front of goal making for an ordinary outcome for work up the field. The Demons always seemed in control of the game, but just didn’t show the “anger” which they claimed to have and emphatically put away the opposition. Still Melbourne were able to bank the points, to record their first Round 1 win in 4 years, and Fremantle is one of the sides that they will have to beat and stay ahead of in the Premiership and Finals race. Down back, supporters should be grateful to the recruitment team who had brought Steven May and Jake Lever to the club. May would have to have been BOG with his 24 possessions, 8 marks and 8 intercepts. Ably backed up by Lever with 18 touches and 5 rebound 50’s the pair repelled the Fremantle attacks time and time again. With Tomlinson showing much more confidence and reading of the play than previously seen, and Nev Jetta and Christian Salem producing their usual gritty performances, the backline really held their own. In the middle it was a mixed bag. Rotations were hard to fathom, as we saw Jordon, Sparrow, Oliver, Petracca, ANB, Pickett and Harmes all in there at some stage, yet Brayshaw was never given time, and Jones only got the last 5 minutes of the game. Perhaps the coach was trying to give the young ones exposure, but it was really sloppy all-round, especially since Gawn was emphatically delivering the ball with 30 hitouts while his opponent barely managed 13. The forward line was notable for not being a forward line. The absence of Ben Brown and Weidemann left us with Jackson and McDonald as the only two talls. Then we did the old rob Peter to pay Paul, when Jackson doubled in the ruck. Tom McDonald did well and provided the target necessary, but he can’t run the whole show, and we look forward to when we have more than the one big up forward, and the rucks can rest on the bench. Fritsch chimed in with his usual two goals, but still had a number of easy set shots not converted. He wasn’t alone and as stated before, when the conversion rate from set shots is 44%, it doesn’t make for a pretty spectacle. And those shots weren’t difficult ones, rather a majority inside 40m and very gettable. Those chances will have to be successfully converted against better sides. With the next game against the Saints, there were a number of players who left question marks against their performances. Jayden Hunt looked all at sea again as a defender, and if he can’t produce his run and carry, then he is of little value. ANB and Harmes were good at times, and then shocking, with both unable to hit targets at critical times. They will get another chance, but cannot continue with that sort of inconsistency. Without injury from this game, and with Viney, Hibberd, Melksham and Daw all putting in claims following the Casey practice match, there could be a number of changes to come. MELBOURNE 4.4.28 7.6.48 9.8.68 11.14.80 FREMANTLE 0.4.4 3.8.26 6.9.45 8.10.58 GOALS Melbourne Fritsch McDonald Petracca 2 Harmes Jordon Langdon Pickett Spargo Fremantle Taberner 3 Blakely Brayshaw Henry Schultz Switkowski BEST Melbourne May Langdon Lever Petracca Oliver McDonald Fremantle Brayshaw Cerra Serong Ryan Aish INJURIES Melbourne Nil Fremantle Pearce knee Hamling ankle REPORTS Melbourne Nil Fremantle Nil SUBSTITUTES Melbourne Chandler unused Fremantle Giro replaced Pearce UMPIRES DeBoy Stephens Harris CROWD 21,365 at the MCG

The Melbourne Football Club has unfinished business with Fremantle after that unexpected loss in their previous clash at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns cost it a place in last year’s finals campaign. Back then, the tired Demons spluttered listlessly through the humid conditions in tropical far North Queensland playing in and losing two games in the space of four days and against two lowly clubs. The end result was much more than an embarrassment for the club given what was at stake at the time. For many supporters, the humiliation of missing out on what was a unique finals series while dwelling in an interstate hub has lingered through the ensuing months. Now, as we sit on the cusp of a new season with the club playing on home soil with supporters in attendance for the first time in about 580 days, the time has come for the club to cast off some of the insults and slurs attributed to it by pundits such as former Carlton forward Mark Maclure who maintains that it’s woes are all a matter of poor culture ... “it’s soft, a soft culture they’ve got.” I’m not so sure that that’s the definitive answer to the complex issues that make the club such an enigma but it’s a convenient line to use when making a casual analysis, especially when you have not much to go on after a limited pre-season that saw practice match highs and lows against Richmond and the Western Bulldogs. Yes, they were only practice matches and they mattered little in terms of ladder position at the end of the year or anything else for that matter, but the inconsistency of effort in those games was not what you would expect from a professional sporting outfit. That has to come to an immediate end. I’m giving Melbourne the benefit of the doubt although it has been hit hard by injury in the early months of the new year, particularly to its key forwards and the midfield stocks. There’s no respite in the former case with Ben Brown and Sam Weideman still weeks away from appearing but relief would appear on the way with the return of some of the team’s most important midfielders. Against that, the visitors are also far from full strength and that is why I think Melbourne should emerge victors on Saturday at the G for the first time since, well ... a long, long time ago. The overwhelming numbers in attendance will be supporting the Demons so it’s up to the fans to get down to the ground and let their collective crowd noise play a role in getting their team home. It’s a factor when they play interstate, now is our chance to make it work for us. The great unknown of 2021 will be how teams adapt to the longer quarters and reduced rotations. It’s been suggested that fitness and fatigue will come into play, particularly at the end of quarters. Therefore, I would expect a conservative approach to team selection so that players who have had reduced preseasons will have to prove their ability to see out a full game before selection in the team. The noises coming from the club suggest this will be the case. Jack Viney was ruled out well before the time came for team selection and I believe that a couple of others who might be counted as regulars will be kept back out of an abundance of caution. (I thank the premier for that line). The Dockers are not to be taken lightly as they have the dangerous Nat Fyfe heading an emerging midfield group that is chock full of talent but their lack of depth in the ruck and in the key forward and back positions will be their undoing. The absence of Michael Walters who is always a thorn in the Demons’ side will hurt them. In their last encounter, he kicked half of his team’s goals and was the difference between the two competing sides. Melbourne by 22 points THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle on Saturday 20 March 2020 at 1.45pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 16 wins Fremantle 23 wins At the MCG Melbourne 8 wins Fremantle 7 wins Last five meetings Melbourne 2 wins Fremantle 3 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Longmuir 1 win MEDIA TV live and on demand on Kayo and live on Foxtel Radio - check your local guides LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 6.11.47 defeated Melbourne 4.9.33 at Cazaly’s Stadium, Round 16, 2020 In view of what was at stake, Melbourne’s effort was nothing short of insipid. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: N. Jetta 39 S. May 1 A. Tomlinson 20 HB: C. Salem 3 J. Lever 8 J. Hunt 29 C: J. Harmes 4 C. Petracca 5 E. Langdon 15 HF: N. Jones 2 T. McDonald 25 A. Neal-Bullen 30 F: C. Spargo 9 L. Jackson 6 B. Fritsch 31 Foll: M. Gawn - C 11 C. Oliver 13 T. Sparrow 32 I/C: K. Pickett 36 J. Jordon 23 T. Rivers 24 A. Brayshaw 10 Sub: K. Chandler 37 Emerg: O. Baker 33 J. Bowey 17 H. Petty 35 FREMANTLE B: T. Watson 38 J. Hamling 21 A. Pearce 25 HB: R. Conca 6 B. Cox 36 L. Ryan 13 C: J. Aish 11 N. Fyfe - C 7 B. Acres 9 HF: C. Serong 3 A. Cerra 5 T .Colyer 33 F: S. Switkowski 39 M. Taberner 20 L. Schultz 28 Foll: L. Meek 22 A. Brayshaw 8 D. Mundy 16 I/C: L. Henry 23 H. Young 26 E. Hughes 15 C. Blakely 19 Sub: S. Giro 42 Emerg; S. Darcy 4 H. Chapman 27 L. Thomas 24 INJURY LIST: Round 1 Angus Brayshaw (foot) — Available Michael Hibberd (ankle) — Available Steven May (concussion) — Available Jake Melksham (hamstring) — Available Clayton Oliver (soreness) — Available Christian Salem (hamstring) — Available Jack Viney (foot) — Available Mitch Brown (calf) — 1 to 2 Weeks Joel Smith (finger) — 2 Weeks Jay Lockhart (testicles) — 2 to 3 Weeks Sam Weideman (leg) — 4 to 6 Weeks Ben Brown (knee) — 5 to 7 Weeks Marty Hore (knee) — Season Aaron Nietschke (knee) — Season

Ah shucks

Your votes for tonight’s atrocity please - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

It's been put to me that tonight's game is all about whether Melbourne’s players can positively put into effect the learnings that have been pumped into them since they bowed out of season 2018.

The ute barely made it up to Cairns in time for us to check into the motel, fling a cane toad out the bathroom. and head over to Cazaly’s Stadium where we took up our position on the wing. There, we saw a completely different Melbourne to the one we watched on the screen only a few nights earlier from Alice Springs. This lot wore similar colours and Maxy dominated the ruck but the similarities ended there - the Demons were simply dreadful against the Swans. They started sluggishly, were spectators for most of the first half and then they wasted opportunity after opportunity with sloppy play and appalling kicking for goal in the second when they blew plenty of chances for a famous comeback victory. In the end, they didn’t even come close. And now, I’m expected to come up with reasons why Melbourne is going to come up trumps against Freo just a few weeks after the Dockers kept the same Swans down to just two goals for an entire game. No way Jose - it ain’t gunna happen! Fremantle showed a fair amount against Richmond the night before and, despite the fact that they only managed four goals for the game, they were up for the fight and showed more determination and more heart in their game than Melbourne did against Sydney. Remember, it was the Demons who had all the incentive in the world in fighting to consolidate their place in the finals after their disappointing 2019. Melbourne’s season is now on the line and their second game in four days at the same location and conditions - the heat and humidity of Cairns has the word “danger” written all over it. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge about the conditions in tropical, coastal Cairns would be aware that you need to field teams with players with young legs who can run. The Swans did that and it paid dividends in the first half. The same can be expected from the Dockers who will come into this game with the boundless enthusiasm of a young team with nothing to lose against an opponent that constantly struggles under the pressure of expectation. The also have Jesse Hogan who has done nothing for two years but cause them angst, but watch him explode this week against his old side. There seems to be a feeling at the club that the selection process involves the repeat inclusion of players up forward who don’t chase and won’t tackle while respecting opponents is out of the question. That policy came home to roost in Cairns on Thursday evening and will put an end to their finals aspirations for 2020 on Monday night when the Dockers give them the heave ho. Fremantle by 25 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at Cazaly's Stadium Monday 7 September 2020 at 7.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 16 wins Fremantle 22 wins At Cazaly’s Stadium Melbourne 0 wins Fremantle 0 wins Last five meetings Melbourne 3 wins Fremantle 2 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Longmuir 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel live at 7.00pm Radio - TBA LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.7.85 defeated Fremantle 11.5.71 at the MCG, Round 14, 2019 Max Gawn dominated the rucks with 46 hit outs and gave the midfield an armchair ride and they took full toll on the Dockers. Tom McDonald and Tim Smith each kicked three goals THE TEAMS MELBOURNE FB Michael Hibberd Steven May Joel Smith HB Trent Rivers Jake Lever Christian Salem C Ed Langdon Christian Petracca Adam Tomlinson HF Alex Neal-Bullen Sam Weideman Aaron vandenBerg FF Kysaiah Pickett Bayley Fritsch Jake Melksham FOL Max Gawn Jack Viney Clayton Oliver I/C Oskar Baker Toby Bedford Jayden Hunt Braydon Preuss EMG Mitch Brown Neville Jetta Jay Lockhart Charlie Spargo IN Oskar Baker Bedford Michael Hibberd Jayden Hunt Kysaiah Pickett Braydon Preuss Aaron vandenBerg OUT Angus Brayshaw (foot) Mitch Brown (omitted) James Harmes (hamstring) Nathan Jones (quad) Oscar McDonald (omitted) Charlie Spargo (omitted) Josh Wagner (omitted) FREMANTLE FB Brennan Cox Reece Conca Nathan Wilson HB Taylin Duman Luke Ryan Ethan Hughes C Adam Cerra Nat Fyfe James Aish HF Michael Walters Matt Taberner Mitch Crowden FF Lachie Schultz Rory Lobb Jesse Hogan FOL Sean Darcy David Mundy Andrew Brayshaw I/C Blake Acres Michael Frederick Stephen Hill Caleb Serong EMG Connor Blakely Travis Colyer Luke Valente Tobe Watson NO CHANGE Round 17: Injury List Michael Hibberd (ankle) — available Marty Hore (quad) — available James Harmes (hamstring) — test Tom Sparrow (collarbone) — 1 week James Jordon (finger) — 1-2 Weeks Luke Jackson (hamstring) — 1-2 Weeks Angus Brayshaw (foot) — 2-3 Weeks Nathan Jones (quad) — 2-3 Weeks Harry Petty (groin) — season Aaron Nietschke (knee) — season Kade Kolodjashnij (head) — indefinite

Cast your votes please 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Fremantle, the Perth pretenders at sixth on the premiership table should have easily accounted for the Demons, sitting barely a game off the bottom of the ladder. And for the majority of the game, it certainly looked that would be the case, until the final quarter, when the Demons stopped giving the Dockers easy chances, or making plain, dumb decisions. Not that their situation was helped by some simply appalling umpiring during the match, that kept gifting Fremantle easy scores. The Demons chances were boosted in the first quarter, when former player, Jesse Hogan went down with yet another foot injury, and despite what Ross Lyon has said post game, this is looks very muck like a repeat of his previous ongoing issues that were a contributing factor in his trade back home. Still, Melbourne has missed his presence up front for 2019, as its own forward line is still utterly dysfunctional. At ¾ time it was the same old story, many more inside 50’s and marks in that zone than the Dockers, and yet they trailed on the scoreboard. Tom McDonald couldn’t get into the game early, Sam Weideman barely had a touch, and only for Tim Smith and Jay Lockhart the scoreboard barely kept ticking over. Then whatever they put in the refreshments in the ¾ time break worked a treat. McDonald went berserk, and after struggling to kick more than 35m in the first half of the season, he nailed a long outside 50 set shot, and the Demons were away. He followed up with a brilliant snap along the ground from the pocket and the game was as good as over, especially with James Harmes marking and scoring from the goal square, that followed a series of accurate and precise kicks started in the backline. That in itself represented a first for the Demons in this game, as time and time again, they had squandered chances. Finally they hit targets and the game was over. The addition of Stephen May to the backline was one of the big positives. He generalled the players around him, and provided a rock solid wall to Fremantle attacking moves. Ably assisted by Sam Frost, with some telling intercept marks and dashes out of defence, which he has become famous for, the backline is starting to look composed. Even so, we have to remember that up to this point in the season we have been missing Nev Jetta, Michael Hibberd, Jake Lever, Jordan Lewis, May himself and Christian Salem from defence at some point or other. Now we are seeing stability and none more so than Marty Hore, who just keeps popping up with those telling marks at critical points in the game. He reads the ball and the play beautifully, and when the fully contingent of players become available, it will be hard to overlook him. As usual, Max Gawn dominated in the middle and around the ground. Even with 46 hitouts, his opponent managed 31, but it was Max’s 20 disposals to Darcy’s 8 and his 8 contested possessions with 7 clearances that was telling. Assisted in the middle by Clayton Oliver with 28 touches (16 contested) and Jack Viney also with 28 (15 contested), they provided plenty of drive. Unfortunately, Nate Fyfe gave James Harmes a bath, with 31 touches, but it would have been a job that nobody could have done better, as Fyfe was in as good form as he has been since his Brownlow season. Jay Lockhart was a brilliant promotion into the side, and with a 21 possession, 10 contested, two goal game, he has cemented a spot in the side as that small forward that we have been lacking since the season started. He simply has “football smarts” and knows where to be, when to go and when to sit off the pack. Harrison Petty did his job again, and while not exemplary, this is what development of young players is all about. He is finding his feet when surrounded with older, wiser heads, and hopefully by season end he will have a dozen games to his name, and be a more regular fixture in the backline. Tim Smith likewise did his job on his return, and contributed three telling goals to keep the side in the hunt in those poor first ¾’s. He at least provides a target and takes a strong defender, especially when Weideman is so far off contributing in a meaningful way. We probably will persist for the remainder of the season, just to get games and valuable experience into him, but he doesn’t read the ball well in flight, and is too slow to react to movement of the ball at the moment. Before this game Melbourne was four points off the bottom of the ladder, and this win probably keeps it away from this position. To be sitting three games and percentage outside the top eight is unfortunate, and once again a season of lost opportunities is looming. But the second half of this season also gives plenty of those opportunities to build and showcase and provide hope and expectations for the future, something that was lacking with the horrible injury situation the Demons found themselves in for the first half. Melbourne must prove that it isn’t just making up the numbers, that we are not pretenders after a Preliminary final position last year - unlike Fremantle which on Saturday’s effort will struggle to make it to September. Melbourne 2.1.13 5.4.34 9.6.60 13.7.85 Fremantle 4.1.25 6.4.40 10.5.65 11.5.71 Goals Melbourne T McDonald T Smith 3 Lockhart 2 Gawn Harmes Oliver Petracca Weideman Fremantle Matera Walters 3 Brayshaw Cox Darcy Langdon Tucker Best Melbourne Oliver Gawn T McDonald Viney Lockhart Brayshaw Fremantle B Hill Fyfe Matera Walters Conca Langdon Injuries Melbourne Nil Fremantle Stephen Hill (hamstring) Jesse Hogan (foot) Reports Melbourne Nil Fremantle Michael Walters (Fremantle) reported for headbutting Umpires Deboy Dore Findlay Foot Official Crowd 20,211 at MCG

They’re due for a fall. Hope we kick straight for once and send them home with their tails between their legs.

Please permit me to begin this rather tragic pathetic preview of Melbourne’s forthcoming game against Fremantle with some personal reflections. Two years ago, we had visitors staying with us who are all sports fans so we arranged tickets for the entire family for the Melbourne vs Fremantle game at the MCG. The Dockers were struggling at the time while the Demons were on the up and up so I was fairly confident about the outcome. Naturally, we all left the ground bitterly disappointed. The Dees picked up their game and came perilously close to making the finals that year and would have done so had they scored about 10 points more over the 22 rounds or one goal more in that particular match against Freo. Naturally, we were bitterly disappointed. Things were better last year. Our American friends from Philadelphia celebrated a Super Bowl victory and the Demons made the finals at last. Naturally, we were bitterly disappointed when they lost the penultimate game of the season - the Preliminary Final. Still, we thought things would get better in 2019. After all, we had the best ruckman in the competition (now supported by another monster sized tall) and a powerful midfield that was capable of bullocking its way through opposition defences and causing havoc in the competition. We had picked up a strong key defender with experience and leadership qualities who would be joined by an elegant key defender due to return early from a season ending injury incurred in the middle of last year? Whatever could go wrong? Melbourne certainly hasn’t lost the ability to move the ball into attack. The Demons have won the inside 50 count in nine of its 12 games to date which really says something. Indeed, if a team’s percentage was determined by its ability to get inside 50 metres from goal, they would be well ensconced in the top four with a healthy percentage of around 130. Naturally, we are bitterly disappointed that the team’s efforts have been translated into only 3 wins with a measly percentage of 76. In the immortal words of the late Professor Julius Sumner-Miller, I am moved to ask the question, “Why is it so?” For starters, they have scored a goal from just 16.98% of inside 50 entries so far this year which is the lowest figure ever recorded by a team in an AFL season since collection of such data began in 1998. And while they haven’t fared well with their kicking for goal in scoring 118 goals 130 behinds, their opponents have been making hay by scoring 166 goals 106 against the hapless Dees. That statistic has been even more pronounced in the latter stages of games. In the last six games the opposition have kicked an amazing 27.4 in final quarters to 16.26 (and that includes Melbourne’s aberration of 7.2 in the last against GWS). With these things in mind, I took my grandkids to the Queens Birthday game at the G against Collingwood and at half time commented to my oldest grandson that there were some signs of improvement in the first half but a turnaround in fortunes in front of each team’s goals was needed to provide a confidence restoring win. As it turned out, the Demons did perform better everywhere but in that particular area of the game. They won the inside 50 contest but Collingwood scored nine straight second half goals to Melbourne’s four goals eight behinds. Naturally, we all left the ground bitterly disappointed. I was relieved when last weekend’s fixture gave us all a break from the AFL and the Demon yips so I set off to the grandson’s Under 15 game where his team played against an opposition which apparently gave the coaching reins for the day to Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson (his son is a member of the side) because their regular coach Trent Dennis-Lane was unavailable. Grandson’s team led from the start but faltered in the final quarter and lost when a goal was kicked in the game’s dying seconds. The winners scored four straight second half goals to two goals five behinds. I just can’t get away from this. Naturally, we all left the ground bitterly disappointed. So on Saturday, Melbourne faces a Fremantle side on the rise chasing its fourth win in a row. The Dockers have beaten the Dees in eight of its past 10 games. Fyfe and Walters are on fire and Jesse Hogan is starting to hit form. Despite all that, I’m impressed that the Demons have finally done something to alter the pattern of the season to date. They’ve changed their coaching structure and we all know what that means in football. Prediction: Melbourne by 2 points failing which we will all leave the ground bitterly disappointed and most likely in the hands of the game’s Orwellian Behavioural Awareness Officers. THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at the MCG Saturday 22 June 2019 at 1.45pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 15 wins Fremantle 22 wins At MCG: Melbourne 7 wins Fremantle 7 wins Last five meetings: Melbourne 2 wins Fremantle 3 wins The Coaches: Goodwin 1 win Lyon 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel live at 1.30pm Radio - Triple M SEN 3AW ABC LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.24.102 defeated Fremantle 7.6.48 at TIO Stadium, Darwin, Round 16, 2018 The Dockers were struck by injury and only avoided a complete slaughter because the Demons, well ... they kept missing shots in front of goal. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B Jay Lockhart Steven May Josh Wagner HB Marty Hore Sam Frost Christian Salem C Nathan Jones Clayton Oliver James Harmes HF Oskar Baker Sam Weideman Jayden Hunt F Mitch Hannan Bayley Fritsch Tom McDonald FOLL Max Gawn Jack Viney Angus Brayshaw I/C Alex Neal-Bullen Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Tim Smith EMG Jordan Lewis Braydon Preuss Charlie Spargo Billy Stretch IN Jay Lockhart Alex Neal-Bullen Harry Petty Tim Smith OUT Jeffrey Garlett (shoulder) Michael Hibberd (collarbone) Jake Lever (knee) Charlie Spargo (omitted) FREMANTLE B Joel Hamling Nathan Wilson Luke Ryan HB Stephen Hill Griffin Logue Brett Bewley C Bradley Hill Nat Fyfe Ed Langdon HF Andrew Brayshaw Brennan Cox Michael Walters F Sam Switkowski Jesse Hogan Brandon Matera FOLL Sean Darcy Reece Conca David Mundy I/C Connor Blakely Taylin Duman Ethan Hughes Darcy Tucker EMG Adam Cerra Travis Colyer Cam McCarthy Lloyd Meek NO CHANGE Injury List: Round 14 Jeff Garlett (shoulder) – TBC Jake Lever (knee) – TBC Michael Hibberd (collarbone) – 1-2 weeks Neville Jetta (knee) – 4 weeks Jake Melksham (foot) – 4-6 weeks Tom Sparrow (knee) – 6-8 weeks Aaron vandenBerg (foot) – TBC Joel Smith (groin) – TBC Guy Walker (shoulder) – indefinite Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season

THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B Joel Smith, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB Angus Brayshaw, Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis C James Harmes, Clayton Oliver, Nathan Jones HF Bayley Fritsch, Jesse Hogan, Jake Melksham F Charlie Spargo, Sam Frost, Tom McDonald Foll Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Christian Salem I/C Jeff Garlett, Alex Neal-Bullen, Christian Petracca, Billy Stretch, Emg Mitch Hannan, Declan Keilty, Bernie Vince, Sam Weideman In Sam Frost, Jeff Garlett, Charlie Spargo, Billy Stretch Out: Mitch Hannan (omitted), Harry Petty (omitted), Dom Tyson (omitted), Sam Weideman (omitted) FREMANTLE B Adam Cerra, Joel Hamling, Nathan Wilson HB Stephen Hill, Alex Pearce, Ethan Hughes C Tommy Sheridan, Lachie Neale, Stefan Giro HF Andrew Brayshaw, Shane Kersten, Michael Walters F Ed Langdon, Michael Apeness, Brandon Matera Foll Sean Darcy, David Mundy, Bradley Hill I/C Bailey Banfield, Brennan Cox, Luke Ryan, Darcy Tucker Emg Taylin Duman, Scott Jones, Ryan Nyhuis, Cameron Sutcliffe In Sean Darcy, Bradley Hill, Ethan Hughes Out Hayden Ballantyne (injured), Nat Fyfe (Injured), Ryan Nyhuis (omitted)

Open for discussion...

THE DEE IN DARWIN by George on the Outer A nine goal win against the hapless Dockers helped to cement the status of the Demons in Darwin and likewise with their current position in the top eight in the quest for September action. If there was any doubt about the value of the Darwin enterprise to the Melbourne Football Club, you only had to look at the street banners (pictured) that heralded its arrival in town although the big question still remains as to whether the exercise is advantageous to the team as well. While it was truly lovely to leave the environs of Melbourne in the depth of winter, to come to a 33 degree day, with the temperature still in the low 20’s at the start of the game, it was the draining humidity and its possible effects on the players in the week’s to come that remain at the heart of the question. It was hardly a factor this time last year but on Saturday evening, the humidity rose dramatically just before game start, and it remained so for the rest of the evening. The effect of the steamy conditions would not necessarily have been evident to television viewers but as the game went on, the players struggled for their breath, and had to work hard to maintain repeat efforts. More importantly was the lack of clean football due to the slippery ball, so marking and fumbling became the order of the day. Without that clean possession, turnovers happened again and again with the Demons putting their noses in front courtesy of the cleaner work around the ball of Max Gawn, Angus Brayshaw, Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver. Nor should we be under any illusions about the quality of the opposition. Fremantle, without Fyfe and Sandilands, were complete and utter rubbish. The Ross Lyon style of play was to stifle the game, defend in huge numbers and try to snatch the odd score from turnover down the field. It certainly kept them in the game for half the match, but then Melbourne started to score majors instead of behinds that they had amassed up to half-time with 15 misses in their attack on the big sticks. The game should really have been over by quarter time, Melbourne having 11 shots to 2, with the inside 50m count so one sided, that in normal circumstances a +50 margin would have seen a 15+ goal win. Gawn was simply magnificent in the ruck with 42 hitouts, but given his junior opponent, that was not surprising. What was surprising was his 20 disposals as well, and his rapport with Brayshaw in the hitouts a sight to behold. The sight of those clean clearances, particularly in the second half, was well worth the cost of the airfare to the Top End! Angus really is hitting his straps with 35 touches including 16 contested possessions, although he came off slightly the worse against his brother in one tackle. Still we would much rather the brother who has 16 contested possessions ahead of the one who only managed two. Viney was simply a bull around the packs, and he was joined by Petracca - 28 and 29 disposals for that pair was only overshadowed by another 3 vote game from Clayton Oliver with 35 touches including 19 contested possessions! This relentless attack on the ball in the contest was what kept the Melbourne juggernaut pushing goalward. If only that effort was rewarded more on the scoreboard, the game would have been a complete whitewash. In the second half, the Demons finally got their targeting correct and piled on a more respectable 8 goals 6 behinds. Tags were put on Mundy, primarily by Brayshaw (which makes his game even more special) after he probably had 10 touches in the first quarter. There weren’t any other Freo players to worry about, and don’t take note of their stats, because their touches come from those cheap outside efforts. Given the conditions you can see this, with Sheridan and Cerra being two of their top performers each with 23 disposals, but only six of them contested. For those who weren’t at the game, Joel Smith was injured in the first quarter with what initially looked like a hamstring but turned out to be more a hip or heavy “corky” to the top of the hamstring. The result was he could barely run, so was sent forward to fill a gap and maintain the rotations. Leaving a player who couldn’t run in the backline would have been disastrous. However, Sam Frost cemented a place for himself in following weeks down back. He killed every marking contest that came his way. There was no mucking around trying to mark the slippery ball, it was just sent OOB or downfield out of danger. He backed that up with dashes through the lines, which has been so lacking in past weeks. Behind him Oscar McDonald really had little to do, but when called upon both him, Michael Hibberd and the ever reliable Nev Jetta mopped up. The other additions of Jeff Garlett and Charlie Spargo had little opportunity to show their wares, due to Freo stacking the backline, leaving little space for them to operate. However, they did their job when possible, and were an every present threat and also providing that link down the flanks when needed. Billy Stretch was a positive addition as well, although he may not be the answer until his delivery and awareness improve. He has the run, which was desperately needed, so he too can be sure of future selection. Nathan Jones had a quiet game by his standards, but Goodwin isn’t playing him in the middle much in recent games. Supporters should be aware that the coach is getting games in the engine room into the likes of Brayshaw and Christian Petracca and James Harmes, so that the future is more assured, and should finals eventuate, then we have more experienced options. Jonesy can go in there anytime, but when you are killing it in the middle, these are the times the younger ones get the go. In this game, Darwin was a success. A good win built on the back of relentless pressure. Four points produced when much was at stake in terms of the ladder, as we now sit with 4 other sides on 36 points and the Giants just back on 34. The town loves the Demons, and to see and speak with the locals about how excited they are about AFL and Melbourne the team, is a real positive. We have succeeded in putting the Dees into Darwin, and now with an equally telling game against the Dogs next week, lets put the M into Melbourne town and produce a similar result. Melbourne 2.9.21 5.15.45 9.18.72 13.24.102 Fremantle 2.0.12 4.2.26 6.5.41 7.6.48 Goals Melbourne Hogan Oliver 2 Garlett Gawn Harmes Jones T McDonald Melksham Neal-Bullen Salem Spargo Fremantle Cox Sheridan Walters 2 Mundy Best Melbourne Oliver Gawn Brayshaw T McDonald Viney Petracca Hogan Fremantle S Hill Mundy Cerra Walters Sheridan Injuries Melbourne J Smith (hip) Fremantle Nil Reports Nil Umpires O'Gorman, Chamberlain, Pannell Official crowd 8,689 at TIO Stadium

Taking your votes now thank you - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...

A nine goal win against the hapless Dockers helped to cement the status of the Demons in Darwin and likewise with their current position in the top eight in the quest for September action. If there was any doubt about the value of the Darwin enterprise to the Melbourne Football Club, you only had to look at the street banners (pictured) that heralded its arrival in town although the big question still remains as to whether the exercise is advantageous to the team as well. While it was truly lovely to leave the environs of Melbourne in the depth of winter, to come to a 33 degree day, with the temperature still in the low 20’s at the start of the game, it was the draining humidity and its possible effects on the players in the week’s to come that remain at the heart of the question. It was hardly a factor this time last year but on Saturday evening, the humidity rose dramatically just before game start, and it remained so for the rest of the evening. The effect of the steamy conditions would not necessarily have been evident to television viewers but as the game went on, the players struggled for their breath, and had to work hard to maintain repeat efforts. More importantly was the lack of clean football due to the slippery ball, so marking and fumbling became the order of the day. Without that clean possession, turnovers happened again and again with the Demons putting their noses in front courtesy of the cleaner work around the ball of Max Gawn, Angus Brayshaw, Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver. Nor should we be under any illusions about the quality of the opposition. Fremantle, without Fyfe and Sandilands, were complete and utter rubbish. The Ross Lyon style of play was to stifle the game, defend in huge numbers and try to snatch the odd score from turnover down the field. It certainly kept them in the game for half the match, but then Melbourne started to score majors instead of behinds that they had amassed up to half-time with 15 misses in their attack on the big sticks. The game should really have been over by quarter time, Melbourne having 11 shots to 2, with the inside 50m count so one sided, that in normal circumstances a +50 margin would have seen a 15+ goal win. Gawn was simply magnificent in the ruck with 42 hitouts, but given his junior opponent, that was not surprising. What was surprising was his 20 disposals as well, and his rapport with Brayshaw in the hitouts a sight to behold. The sight of those clean clearances, particularly in the second half, was well worth the cost of the airfare to the Top End! Angus really is hitting his straps with 35 touches including 16 contested possessions, although he came off slightly the worse against his brother in one tackle. Still we would much rather the brother who has 16 contested possessions ahead of the one who only managed two. Viney was simply a bull around the packs, and he was joined by Petracca - 28 and 29 disposals for that pair was only overshadowed by another 3 vote game from Clayton Oliver with 35 touches including 19 contested possessions! This relentless attack on the ball in the contest was what kept the Melbourne juggernaut pushing goalward. If only that effort was rewarded more on the scoreboard, the game would have been a complete whitewash. In the second half, the Demons finally got their targeting correct and piled on a more respectable 8 goals 6 behinds. Tags were put on Mundy, primarily by Brayshaw (which makes his game even more special) after he probably had 10 touches in the first quarter. There weren’t any other Freo players to worry about, and don’t take note of their stats, because their touches come from those cheap outside efforts. Given the conditions you can see this, with Sheridan and Cerra being two of their top performers each with 23 disposals, but only six of them contested. For those who weren’t at the game, Joel Smith was injured in the first quarter with what initially looked like a hamstring but turned out to be more a hip or heavy “corky” to the top of the hamstring. The result was he could barely run, so was sent forward to fill a gap and maintain the rotations. Leaving a player who couldn’t run in the backline would have been disastrous. However, Sam Frost cemented a place for himself in following weeks down back. He killed every marking contest that came his way. There was no mucking around trying to mark the slippery ball, it was just sent OOB or downfield out of danger. He backed that up with dashes through the lines, which has been so lacking in past weeks. Behind him Oscar McDonald really had little to do, but when called upon both him, Michael Hibberd and the ever reliable Nev Jetta mopped up. The other additions of Jeff Garlett and Charlie Spargo had little opportunity to show their wares, due to Freo stacking the backline, leaving little space for them to operate. However, they did their job when possible, and were an every present threat and also providing that link down the flanks when needed. Billy Stretch was a positive addition as well, although he may not be the answer until his delivery and awareness improve. He has the run, which was desperately needed, so he too can be sure of future selection. Nathan Jones had a quiet game by his standards, but Goodwin isn’t playing him in the middle much in recent games. Supporters should be aware that the coach is getting games in the engine room into the likes of Brayshaw and Christian Petracca and James Harmes, so that the future is more assured, and should finals eventuate, then we have more experienced options. Jonesy can go in there anytime, but when you are killing it in the middle, these are the times the younger ones get the go. In this game, Darwin was a success. A good win built on the back of relentless pressure. Four points produced when much was at stake in terms of the ladder, as we now sit with 4 other sides on 36 points and the Giants just back on 34. The town loves the Demons, and to see and speak with the locals about how excited they are about AFL and Melbourne the team, is a real positive. We have succeeded in putting the Dees into Darwin, and now with an equally telling game against the Dogs next week, lets put the M into Melbourne town and produce a similar result. Melbourne 2.9.21 5.15.45 9.18.72 13.24.102 Fremantle 2.0.12 4.2.26 6.5.41 7.6.48 Goals Melbourne Hogan Oliver 2 Garlett Gawn Harmes Jones T McDonald Melksham Neal-Bullen Salem Spargo Fremantle Cox Sheridan Walters 2 Mundy Best Melbourne Oliver Gawn Brayshaw T McDonald Viney Petracca Hogan Fremantle S Hill Mundy Cerra Walters Sheridan Injuries Melbourne J Smith (hip) Fremantle Nil Reports Nil Umpires O'Gorman, Chamberlain, Pannell Official crowd 8,689 at TIO Stadium

A day when just about anything could happen.

THE JOKERS by The Oracle It’s difficult to imagine that the Melbourne side which defeated the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium by almost 50 points a month ago (and is due to play them again next week - go figure?) hasn’t won a game since that day. The team which so completely demolished Adelaide in the nation’s red centre and then made it 6 in a row against the Bullies seems to have fallen apart before our very eyes going from a top four contender to a side fighting for its existence in the top eight and the team most likely to bow out of the battle. The loss of in-form defender Jake Lever obviously has had something to do with the fall from grace as the selectors struggle to put together the defensive unit that was so good at keeping opposing forwards at bay but, it’s clear that the cracks have really returned to the forward line, now brittle and despite their 100 points plus last week, unable to make the most of the opportunities provided by a dominant ruckman of the calibre of Max Gawn. If the team is going to overcome its current slump then it’s opposition this week is a perfect candidate. Although Melbourne has lost 8 out of its last 9 games against Fremantle, the solitary win came at TIO Stadium. If the Demons can’t win against a flakey and inexperienced Docket outfit without the two of its main aces Nat Fyfe (hamstring) and Aaron Sandilands (calf) leaving them no jokers in their pack, then they never will. THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at TIO Stadium Saturday 7 July 2018 at 7.40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 14 wins Fremantle 22 wins At TIO Stadium: Melbourne 1 win Fremantle 1 win Last five meetings: Melbourne 1 win Fremantle 4 wins The Coaches: Goodwin 0 wins Lyon 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3 Live at 7.30pm Radio - SEN LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 16.10.106 defeated Melbourne 15.14.104 at the MCG, Round 4, 2017 In what was a major disappointment for the Demons coming off their loss to Geelong, they once again demonstrated their penchant for losing games they should win at the MCG. This time they surrendered a 21 point half time lead with a poor third quarter, then failed to close off a victory in a close finish. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Joel Smith, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Angus Brayshaw, Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis ? James Harmes, Clayton Oliver, Nathan Jones HF: Bayley Fritsch, Jesse Hogan, Jake Melksham F: Charlie Spargo, Sam Frost, Tom McDonald Foll: Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Christian Salem I/C: Jeff Garlett, Alex Neal-Bullen, Christian Petracca, Billy Stretch, Emg: Mitch Hannan, Declan Keilty, Bernie Vince, Sam Weideman In: Sam Frost, Jeff Garlett, Charlie Spargo, Billy Stretch Out: Mitch Hannan (omitted), Harry Petty (omitted), Dom Tyson (omitted), Sam Weideman (omitted) FREMANTLE B: Adam Cerra, Joel Hamling, Nathan Wilson HB: Stephen Hill, Alex Pearce, Ethan Hughes ? Tommy Sheridan, Lachie Neale, Stefan Giro HF: Andrew Brayshaw, Shane Kersten, Michael Walters F: Ed Langdon, Michael Apeness, Brandon Matera Foll: Sean Darcy, David Mundy, Bradley Hill I/C: Bailey Banfield, Brennan Cox, Luke Ryan, Darcy Tucker Emg: Taylin Duman, Scott Jones, Ryan Nyhuis, Cameron Sutcliffe In: Sean Darcy, Bradley Hill, Ethan Hughes Out: Hayden Ballantyne (injured), Nat Fyfe (Injured), Ryan Nyhuis (omitted) This week's team selection at Melbourne is instructive. It's not just that there have been changes wrung in after the teams surprise loss to lowly St Kilda, it’s a case of admitting that the strategies undertaken in the wake of Jake Lever’s injury in Round 11 have been a dismal failure. Among the inclusions are key defender Sam Frost and Billy Stretch who were showing solid form at Casey before the Lever injury and have continued to be among the best in recent weeks. Charlie Spargo, who was unlucky to be dropped in the first place is back, as is Jeff Garlett who, whilst not at his best, adds an element of danger in front of goal that was missing against Collingwood and Port Adelaide and also to an extent against the Saints. Together, the add a combination of some leg speed and fast movement of the football. Their presence will be invaluable up in the Top End against a young, inexperienced opposition. Needless to say, it would be dangerous for the Demons to take any opposition lightly as they did last week after they took an early 19 point lead and promptly fell asleep for most of the remainder of the opening term. If they do that on Saturday night, their season will virtually be over. However, given the circumstances and the importance of the game, I’m tipping them to fight back and win and win well. Melbourne by 48 points.

It’s difficult to imagine that the Melbourne side which defeated the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium by almost 50 points a month ago (and is due to play them again next week - go figure?) hasn’t won a game since that day. The team which so completely demolished Adelaide in the nation’s red centre and then made it 6 in a row against the Bullies seems to have fallen apart before our very eyes going from a top four contender to a side fighting for its existence in the top eight and the team most likely to bow out of the battle. The loss of in-form defender Jake Lever obviously has had something to do with the fall from grace as the selectors struggle to put together the defensive unit that was so good at keeping opposing forwards at bay but, it’s clear that the cracks have really returned to the forward line, now brittle and despite their 100 points plus last week, unable to make the most of the opportunities provided by a dominant ruckman of the calibre of Max Gawn. If the team is going to overcome its current slump then it’s opposition this week is a perfect candidate. Although Melbourne has lost 8 out of its last 9 games against Fremantle, the solitary win came at TIO Stadium. If the Demons can’t win against a flakey and inexperienced Docket outfit without the two of its main aces Nat Fyfe (hamstring) and Aaron Sandilands (calf) leaving them no jokers in their pack, then they never will. *** scroll for prediction *** THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at TIO Stadium Saturday 7 July 2018 at 7.40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 14 wins Fremantle 22 wins At TIO Stadium: Melbourne 1 win Fremantle 0 wins Last five meetings: Melbourne 1 win Fremantle 4 wins The Coaches: Goodwin 0 wins Lyon 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3 Live at 7.30pm Radio - SEN LAST TIME THEY MET Fremantle 16.10.106 defeated Melbourne 15.14.104 at the MCG, Round 4, 2017 In what was a major disappointment for the Demons coming off their loss to Geelong, they once again demonstrated their penchant for losing games they should win at the MCG. This time they surrendered a 21 point half time lead with a poor third quarter, then failed to close off a victory in a close finish. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Joel Smith, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Angus Brayshaw, Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis C : James Harmes, Clayton Oliver, Nathan Jones HF: Bayley Fritsch, Jesse Hogan, Jake Melksham F: Charlie Spargo, Sam Frost, Tom McDonald Foll: Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Christian Salem I/C: Jeff Garlett, Alex Neal-Bullen, Christian Petracca, Billy Stretch, Emg: Mitch Hannan, Declan Keilty, Bernie Vince, Sam Weideman In: Sam Frost, Jeff Garlett, Charlie Spargo, Billy Stretch Out: Mitch Hannan (omitted), Harry Petty (omitted), Dom Tyson (omitted), Sam Weideman (omitted) FREMANTLE B: Adam Cerra, Joel Hamling, Nathan Wilson HB: Stephen Hill, Alex Pearce, Ethan Hughes C : Tommy Sheridan, Lachie Neale, Stefan Giro HF: Andrew Brayshaw, Shane Kersten, Michael Walters F: Ed Langdon, Michael Apeness, Brandon Matera Foll: Sean Darcy, David Mundy, Bradley Hill I/C: Bailey Banfield, Brennan Cox, Luke Ryan, Darcy Tucker Emg: Taylin Duman, Scott Jones, Ryan Nyhuis, Cameron Sutcliffe In: Sean Darcy, Bradley Hill, Ethan Hughes Out: Hayden Ballantyne (injured), Nat Fyfe (Injured), Ryan Nyhuis (omitted) This week's team selection at Melbourne is instructive. It's not just that there have been changes wrung in after the teams surprise loss to lowly St Kilda, it’s a case of admitting that the strategies undertaken in the wake of Jake Lever’s injury in Round 11 have been a dismal failure. Among the inclusions are key defender Sam Frost and Billy Stretch who were showing solid form at Casey before the Lever injury and have continued to be among the best in recent weeks. Charlie Spargo, who was unlucky to be dropped in the first place is back, as is Jeff Garlett who, whilst not at his best, adds an element of danger in front of goal that was missing against Collingwood and Port Adelaide and also to an extent against the Saints. Together, the add a combination of some leg speed and fast movement of the football. Their presence will be invaluable up in the Top End against a young, inexperienced opposition. Needless to say, it would be dangerous for the Demons to take any opposition lightly as they did last week after they took an early 19 point lead and promptly fell asleep for most of the remainder of the opening term. If they do that on Saturday night, their season will virtually be over. However, given the circumstances and the importance of the game, I’m tipping them to fight back and win and win well. Melbourne by 48 points.

This is the one that really got away ... MELBOURNE B: Jake Melksham, Tom McDonald, Jayden Hunt HB: Neville Jetta, Sam Frost, Nathan Jones C: Bernie Vince, Clayton Oliver, Billy Stretch HF: Dean Kent, Sam Weideman, James Harmes F: Jeff Garlett, Jack Watts, Christian Petracca FOLL: Jake Spencer, Dom Tyson, Jack Viney I/C: Tomas Bugg, Mitch Hannan, Alex Neal-Bullen, Christian Salem EMG: Oscar McDonald, Tim Smith, Jack Trengove IN: Tomas Bugg, Sam Frost, Jake Spencer OUT: Max Gawn (hamstring), Oscar McDonald (omitted), Tim Smith (injured) FREMANTLE B: Ethan Hughes, Joel Hamling, Lee Spurr HB: Garrick Ibbotson, Michael Johnson, Connor Blakely C: Stephen Hill, Lachie Neale, Bradley Hill HF: Lachie Weller, Cam McCarthy, Ed Langdon F: Michael Walters, Shane Kersten, Brady Grey FOLL: Aaron Sandilands, Nat Fyfe, David Mundy I/C: Harley Balic, Hayden Crozier, Griffin Logue, Tommy Sheridan EMG: Jonathon Griffin, Danyle Pearce, Matt Taberner NO CHANGE

SENIOR MOMENTS by George on the Outer For the second week in a row, the Demons weren’t beaten by the opposition: they gave the game away and now sit at 2-2 for the 2017 season. Last week it was inaccurate kicking, this week simply a complete lack of football nous. These are the scenario’s that require leadership and calmness under pressure, but when called upon, Melbourne's senior players were the culprits rather than what could be expected from a young developing side. Bernie Vince in the last three minutes was a serial offender. Dinky kicks that didn’t manage to hit targets, uncontrolled Hail Mary bombs into the forward line when a cool head was required, standing too far from an opponent and then defending grass out the back when the game required all hands on deck at the ball. These can be expected from a rookie, not someone of his experience. The real danger for him is that with the return of Hibbert and Lewis, two dependable characters under pressure, that he will be exited from the senior side. The Melbourne fans have every right to feel aggrieved after a last quarter comeback finally saw them in front. That they should have never been behind in the first place is a serious question to be asked of the coaching and selection panel. A half-time lead of 21 points was turned into a 22 point deficit at 3/4 time as the Demons failed to score a major for that period. That the Dockers had scored 5 of their 6 goals to half-time from Melbourne turnovers, meant something needed to be changed. Melbourne were simply too cute and overusing the ball, particularly in the middle. Possessions are hard to get in that space yet we continue to favour a handball over a kick. Despite 28 touches Dom Tyson was simply ineffective with those possessions. He fails to scan the field when he has the ball in his hands as he always turns in the one direction. Does he not think the opposition know that? With 28 touches, more than three clearances and seven contested possessions is necessary, yet this is all he gave. Contrast that with Clarrie Oliver who with 26 touches had 10 clearances and 17 contested possessions. Not bad for a 19 year old. Jake Spencer performed admirably in the absence of Max Gawn. Taking on the biggest ruckman in the league he held his own and kicked a couple of goals to boot. We weren’t missing anything in the ruck contests, and if he keeps this up, he may find a more permanent role upon Gawn's return. Jayden Hunt and Christian Petracca tried their hearts out, turning the game back into a contest, and then eventually getting the Demons nose in front. It was these young players who hadn’t given up and Petracca with a couple of bombs showed others what responsibility really is in these situations. Up forward Jack Watts was a solitary standout target, although Jeff Garlett played his role to perfection crumbing, leading and harassing to finish with three goals of his own. Sadly, once again Sam Weideman was way, way out of his depth, and ran around in pointless circles for most of the match. A bandage on his knee appeared at half- time, so combined with only 5 touches for the match, he will surely be confined to Casey or the rehab group next week. While the official reports listed no injuries, Nathan Jones took a heavy head knock and his 18 touches was well below his par. Jack Viney is likewise well down from his best with 16 touches, and isn’t spending as much time in the middle as could be expected. There must be a reason which, we the fans are not told about. They say that good teams win games like this, so on that basis Melbourne aren’t good enough. Our wins have hardly been convincing as well, and we could have easily been 0-4. Yet we will be middle of the pack at the end of this round, with the task of wanting to be really serious or just giving it away. It is true that in previous years, a Melbourne side would have not got themselves back into the game from that ¾ time position, so they are doing something right. Trouble is that they are doing too much wrong, and off-setting all the fine work being done by our young players. The Demons certainly don’t need any more "senior" moments in coming weeks. Melbourne 2.5.17 9.7.61 9.10.64 15.14.104 Fremantle 3.2.20 6.4.40 13.8.86 16.10.106 Goals Melbourne Garlett 3 Harmes Petracca Spencer Watts 2 Kent Neal-Bullen Salem Viney Fremantle Neale 4 Mundy 3 McCarthy 2 Balic Crozier Fyfe Grey S Hill Kersten Walters Best Melbourne Oliver Petracca Garlett Watts Hunt Spencer Fremantle Mundy Sandilands Fyfe Weller Neale S Hill Changes Melbourne Nil Fremantle Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Fremantle S Hill (corked thigh) Langdon (migraine) Reports Melbourne Nil Fremantle Nil Umpires Stevic Harris Mitchell Official crowd 27829 at the MCG

6, 5 4, 3, 2, 1 ...