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Something struck me as I sat on the couch watching the tragedy of North Melbourne’s attempt to beat Collingwood unfold on Sunday afternoon at the MCG. It was three quarter time, the scoreboard had the Pies on 12.7.79, a respectable 63.16% in terms of goal kicking ratio. Meanwhile, the Roos’ 18.2.110 was off the charts at 90.00% shooting accuracy. I was thinking at the same time of Melbourne’s final score only six days before, a woeful 6.15.51 or 28.57% against Collingwood’s 14.5.89 (73.68%). At that very moment I realised that there’s a law at play that will play a very significant role in the outcome of the Melbourne vs North Melbourne game this coming night — the law of averages. North Melbourne had been the hunter for a long time and against an injury-weakened Collingwood it was primed for a kill thanks to its amazing accuracy in kick for goal. This is what gave it an opportunity to record a famous victory against a premiership contender. But as it transpired, this wasn’t enough and when push came to shove, it lacked the resilience (and the luck) to withstand the final lunge to victory of the reigning premier. The problem for the Roos is that the law of averages says that it’s not likely that they will reproduce the high level of accuracy two weeks in a row, nor will the Demons repeat five posters and a shooting accuracy of under 30% in two games running. On that basis, my theory and I’m sticking to it, is that the Kangaroos will suffer a letdown this week. Melbourne has had a bad month or so since it overcame Geelong and went to a 6 - 2 win, loss ratio. Two of the defeats in the intervening period have seen key players go down with long lasting injuries that most teams can’t afford. Missing Jake Lever from defence and Christian Petracca from the midfield (on top of losing Angus Brayshaw before the season started) has imposed a heavy burden on the Demons. Absent the drive that these divisions generate, it’s not surprising that the forwards have suffered in recent times. The coaching panel faces its most difficult task in the era of success that generated a premiership only three years ago and, even against the bottom side, they can’t rely on the law of averages alone to get the job done to rise above the below average form of the last five rounds. I’m less worried about the defence than I am about the midfield in this week’s contest. Even before the Petracca rib/spleen injury fiasco there has been a major drop off in effectiveness of the Melbourne engine room in terms of clearance figures from stoppages and more importantly, in taking control with that vital first possession after the clearance. The bread and butter of the champion midfield had gone missing. The critics have been pointing to the lower output of the likes of the team’s hard workers like Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver and while that might be the case statistically, it’s now up to them and the new midfield structure to stand up. North has an emerging young midfield brigade that is on an upward tangent at the same time as Melbourne’s seemingly heads downhill. They meet at a critical time for the Demons and it will be on this hill that the game will be decided. The selection of who goes into the midfield mix of Pickett, Neal-Bullen, Rivers, Salem, Langdon, McVee or one of the youngsters like Tholstrup who according to the club’s website “comes into the club with an AFL-ready body”. Melbourne certainly needs AFL readiness to prove that it rise above recent disappointments and prove that it’s still a contender. A number of commentators have pointed to where Carlton, GWS and Sydney were at this time last year and where they finished. In each instance, those clubs adopted the mindset of the hunter and turned their seasons around in midstream. The Demons have been the hunted for three years when they occupied a place at the top of the table. Perhaps they’ve become too content with that role and it’s now time to start hunting. The week’s break has come at the right time to rest, take a deep breath and take on the challenge of the hunter. I’m tipping Melbourne to win by 20 points. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Saturday 22 June 2024 at the MCG at 7.30pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 89 wins North Melbourne 82 wins 1 draw At the MCG Melbourne 56 wins North Melbourne 37 wins Last five times Melbourne 5 wins North Melbourne 0 wins The coaches Clarkson 0 wins Goodwin 2 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 15.13.103 defeated North Melbourne 10.11.71 at Blundstone Arena, Round 21, 2023 The Kangaroos responded to the shellacking handed out by the Demons who blitzed them earlier in the season. Early in the second term at Blundstone Arena North held a 33 point lead before Melbourne reined them in to turn the deficit around. It was the brilliance of their small men, notably Kozzie Pickett and Kade Chandler that inspired the comeback. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B B. Howes, S. May, T. Rivers HB C. Salem, A. Tomlinson, J. McVee C A. Neal-Bullen, C. Oliver, C. Windsor HF K. Chandler, H. Petty, J. Van Rooyen F K. Pickett, B. Fritsch, E. Langdon FOLL M. Gawn J. Viney, T. Sparrow I/C J. Bowey, T. McDonald, K. Tholstrup, D. Turner SUB K. Brown EMG B. Laurie, T. Fullarton, T. Woewodin IN K. Brown, K. Tholstrup, A. Tomlinson OUT J. Billings (omitted), B. Laurie (omitted), C. Petracca (ribs/spleen) NORTH MELBOURNE B A. Corr, C. Comben, T. Pink HB J. Archer, H. Sheezel, L. McDonald C Z. Fisher, L. Davies-Uniacke, B. Scott HF T. Powell, B. Teakle, E. Ford F P. Curtis, N. Larkey, C. Zurhaar FOLL T. Xerri, G. Wardlaw, J. Simpkin I/C W. Fisher, L. Shiels, C. Taylor, D. Tucker SUB D. Stephens EMG Z. Duursma, R. Hardeman, C. Harvey IN J. Simpkin, D. Stephens OUT K. Dawson (suspension), J. Stephenson (omitted) INJURY LIST: ROUND 15 Josh Schache — calf / available Marty Hore — calf / 1 - 2 weeks Jake Lever — knee / 1 - 2 weeks Jake Melksham — knee / 2 - 3 weeks Charlie Spargo — Achilles / TBC Christian Petracca — spleen / indefinite

On a blustery Saturday afternoon when the conditions affected marking skills and the ball bounced unpredictably, the Mighty Dees stuck fat against a determined Kangaroos outfit to break away with two final quarter goals to none to win AFLW Preliminary Final 2 by 17 points — an all-time high winning margin between these two teams. From the outset it was a fiercely fought contest with Melbourne unable to find the ball in space. North really amped up their one-percenters and tackling pressure and played an extra player behind the ball, making it difficult for Melbourne to score. With the Dees up by 5 points at the main break, the Kangaroos came out and dominated the third quarter holding Melbourne scoreless. The ball spent 82% of the time the Roos’ forward half but they could only muster two points. Bella Eddey had their best opportunity, but her reverse torpedo missed to the right. It was only 3 points the difference at ¾ time. Melbourne came out in the last with its own increased level of determination and soon increased the lead to 10 points. Then, with less than three minutes to go, skipper Daisy Pearce secured her team’s second straight grand final appearance by kicking a stunning long-range bomb to rapturous applause. For North, its best player was skipper Emma Kearney with 10 strong intercepts and 17 disposals. Tyla Hanks helped limit the usual impact of star player Jazzy Garner. Hanksy herself had 12 tackles to go with 20 disposals and her usual outstanding creative playmaking. Riddell, Bruton and Bresnehen were busy for the Roos while Paxman and Mithen were terrific for the Dees. As a result, Melbourne will play the Brisbane Lions at ‘Brighton Homes Arena’, a newly constructed home ground for the AFLW in Springfield, a suburb of Ipswich, located southwest of Brisbane. Meggs was seated near the Demons’ race and really enjoyed the audible support coming from the non-playing Demons and family friends. Q1 A flying start by the Kangaroos ended with a Gavalas kick off the ground to the goal square where Randall took advantage of a Tahlia Gillard fumble to turn around and goal. We all took a deep breath, hoping it wasn’t a repeat of last week’s slow start against Adelaide. Hanksy and Paxy were where the action was, creating good ball movement. Paxman hit up Fitzy who worked in front of her opponent and cleverly marked the ball low. She went back and kicks dead straight. Excellent skills, has our number 24. On the other side of the ground to where we were sitting, a 50-metre penalty was given to Mithen. We asked around for an explanation, but no matter. She too kicked it dead straight. Loves a finals goal does Lily. Tayla Harris hurt her shoulder in a ruck contest late in the term that saw Melbourne 2.0.12 lead North 1.0.6 at the first break. Q2 Kearney was having a great game for North while Ferguson and Wright were working well defensively. Libby Birch’s greatest asset is her ability to read the play and take intercept marks. It looked to Meggs as if she had lost a bit of confidence on the day with the swirly wind but on watching the replay, it appears she suffered from tonsilitis during the week. A couple of unnecessary frees were given away by the Dees key defenders. Emma King kicked truly for North’s second goal — their last of the match. Some fine fluid corridor footy from the Dees saw a couple of set shot opportunities emerge with Mackin getting involved again and Goldie playing on as always. Casey Sherriff marked, went back and kicked it dead straight for the Dees’ third goal (and her first for the season) which made it three times where the goal umpie did not have to move. Late in the quarter Meggs saw Bannan landing awkwardly and looking proppy, perhaps an ankle roll. At half time Melbourne 3.1.22 led North 2.2.14 Q3 A furiously tight contest continued in the swirly conditions. It was tense. Incredibly North had 18 forward entries to Melbourne’s two for the quarter but they could muster only two points. North had been dogged all day and were winning the contest but the Demons’ all-team defence was stoic and held up incredibly well. At this stage, Zanker, sharing ruck duties with Loz Pearce and Harris, was forward but looking sore. Gillard was impressive since being shown up early by Randall. We were later surprised to see she misses out on being named in the best players. The third was a scoreless quarter for the Dees and it was a 3-point game. Melbourne 3.1.22 to North 2.4.16 Q4 Crowd support seemed evenly split and getting vocal with everyone hoping we could lift our teams. The Dees came out firing in the last and the Melbourne supporters could feel the anticipation. The ball was kicked to a one on one with Daisy outsmarting Sarah Wright out the back and then running on into an open goal. The Melbourne faithful got excited, but inexplicably Daisy kicked out on the full. Everyone around us sat down, flummoxed. Daisy looked rueful. Later, Mithen, who was still in everything, kicked it high to full forward. Kate Hore playing in front of her opponent, anticipated well, marked and then goaled. The Dees supporters went wild, it was the first goal of the last. Some slight easing of the collective Demons’ blood pressure. Then something unanticipated happened right in front of us which was difficult to describe. Did her preceding miskick galvanise her to execute such a marvellous piece of play? With the game still in the balance, Daisy snatched a loose ball, shrugged off Ash Riddell, ran away, and slammed it on to her boot from 40 metres out. It sailed through post high. Around us we could see the direction of the ball mid-air, so we jumped up and cheered with unabashed delight as it sailed through. Daisy had driven it home. Magic stuff, game over! We’re in the Season 7 Grand Final and a date with destiny. Melbourne 5.3.33 to North 2.4.16. Melbourne Coach Mick Stinear said it was hard work, but he was proud of the effort. North is a hard team to play against and conditions were swirly which made it difficult. They were not able to get the game going which was a credit to North’s pressure. It was far from perfect but that’s finals footy. Excited to enjoy the week ahead. Stinear said he couldn’t see Tayla Harris missing next week. North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker said his team had a crack. He sees a trend in games against Melbourne where the Dees get a run on and make the most of their opportunities whereas North have tended to rush theirs. MELBOURNE 2.0.12 3.1.19 3.1.19 5.3.33 NORTH MELBOURNE 1.0.6 2.2.14 2.4.16 2.14.16 GOALS MELBOURNE Fitzsimon Hore Mithen D Pearce Sherriff NORTH MELBOURNE E King Randall BEST MELBOURNE Paxman Mithen Hanks Heath D Pearce Birch NORTH MELBOURNE Kearney Garner Riddell Wright Bruton Rennie INJURIES MELBOURNE T Harris (left shoulder) NORTH MELBOURNE Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil NORTH MELBOURNE Nil CROWD 5,592 at Ikon Park

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

Today’s game against North Melbourne is one of those make or break games for Melbourne. With both Max Gawn and Jack Viney out of the side, others will be expected to step up, be counted and show leadership all over the ground. A couple of weeks ago the pundits were describing them as “irrelevant” but a win today could see the Demons in a position to prove them wrong and remaining in the mix to challenge the top sides as we move towards the business end of the season

The 2020 equation is simple for the Melbourne Football Club – it must keep winning and it must take some big scalps during the second half of the season without dropping games against the lesser lights. The Demons have gone down this season to the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th teams on the ladder including twice by less than a goal in games that could easily have gone the other way. Against that, they have beaten 11th, 13th, 14th and 18th and though they thumped the Crows during the week, the game was still in the balance until early in the final quarter. The fact that this week’s opponent, North Melbourne outclassed them for a full four quarters makes the encounter all the more problematic for the Melbourne Football Club. The Kangaroos have been the hoodoo club for the Demons who arrested a 17 game losing streak against them early in 2018 at the MCG. However, that was in the club’s glory season and it lost their only encounter in 2019 to make it 18 defeats in their last 19 meetings. Melbourne struggled with low energy levels coming off a four day break a couple of weeks ago and are being asked to perform in the same circumstances again making it the third game in 14 days. A few players including its most important player, skipper Max Gawn, who has now been ruled out, are showing some signs of wear and tear but North are in almost the same boat so the outcome could well be down to a question of the survival of the fittest. Even with Gawn in the side and doing well, the Demon midfield was struggling of late to dominate clearances and, while you always take things one game at a time, there’s an important one looming against Collingwood so team selection for this week is going to be fascinating. They overran a young Crows team a few days ago which could be a sign that fitness guru Darren Burgess’ experience in strength and conditioning is going to be significant in the era of compacted fixtures. Melbourne’s defence has continued to stand strong with Steven May and Jake Lever developing a good understanding with the likes of Michael Hibberd and Christian Salem. The fact that Ben Brown is a likely out with injury will assist their cause because Brown is usually a thorn in the side of the team — even last year when he was slightly off target kicking 2.3 he picked up 17 possessions, nine of them contested. There will be no excuses for the Demons in this game which was moved from the Kangaroos’ home away from home in Tasmania to the more friendly Adelaide Oval where they have some very recent winning experience on a ground that suits their style. When all things are factored into the equation, it spells a Melbourne victory by 21 points. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 9 August, 2020 at the Adelaide Oval at 6.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 84 wins North Melbourne 82 wins 1 draw At the Adelaide Oval Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 0 wins Last five times Melbourne 1 win North Melbourne 4 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Shaw 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel Live at 6:00pm THE LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 13.10.88 defeated Melbourne 12.11.83 at Blundstone Arena, Round 23, 2019 Both sides had little to play for but they produced a close contest that could have gone either way. In the end, it was a fairly good send off for the season with the Kangaroos holding steady in a close finish. Max Gawn had a blinder in the ruck with 26 disposals, 41 hit outs and three goals to shade Todd Goldstein in the battle of the big men. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE FB Jake Lever Steven May Christian Salem HB Michael Hibberd Trent Rivers Nathan Jones C Ed Langdon Clayton Oliver Adam Tomlinson HF Mitch Hannan Sam Weideman Aaron vandenBerg FF Bayley Fritsch Luke Jackson Jake Melksham FOL Tom McDonald Christian Petracca Angus Brayshaw I/C James Harmes Kysaiah Pickett Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow EMG Neville Jetta James Jordon Oscar McDonald Braydon Preuss IN Mitch Hannan Tom McDonald Kysaiah Pickett Trent Rivers Charlie Spargo OUT Harley Bennell (omitted) Max Gawn (managed) Jay Lockhart (managed) Alex Neal-Bullen (suspended) Jack Viney (concussion) NORTH MELBOURNE FB Ben McKay Robbie Tarrant Luke McDonald HB Shaun Atley Josh Walker Aiden Bonar C Jamie Macmillan Jy Simpkin Jared Polec HF Cameron Zurhaar Nick Larkey Shaun Higgins FF Aaron Hall Majak Daw Bailey Scott FOL Todd Goldstein Luke Davies-Uniacke Trent Dumont I/C Jed Anderson Sam Durdin Jack Mahony Jasper Pittard EMG Tom Campbell Lachlan Hosie Tom Murphy Will Walker IN Luke Davies-Uniacke Sam Durdin Nick Larkey OUT Ben Brown (knee) Lachlan Hosie (omitted) Will Walker (omitted) Injury/Suspension List: Round 11 Jack Viney (concussion) – 1 week Alex Neal-Bullen (suspension) – 4 matches Marty Hore (toe and quad) – indefinite Harry Petty (groin) – indefinite Kade Kolodjashnij (head) – indefinite Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season

We were cooked. It was the end of a long hard season and we had a massive injury list. We had both Max and Preussy in the same side and were playing them at Blundstone Arena where we always lose by less than a kick and we obliged ... Aren’t we glad we’re playing them at our fortress, the Adelaide Oval this time? THE TEAMS NORTH MELBOURNE B Marley Williams Scott D. Thompson Jasper Pittard HB Jamie Macmillan Robbie Tarrant Shaun Atley C Trent Dumont Shaun Higgins Jared Polec HF Kayne Turner Nick Larkey Jack Ziebell F Tarryn Thomas Ben Brown Cameron Zurhaar FOLL Todd Goldstein Jy Simpkin Ben Cunnington I/C Sam Durdin Taylor Garner Nathan Hrovat Mason Wood EMG Tom Campbell Lachlan Hosie Ben McKay Tom Murphy IN Mason Wood OUT Jed Anderson (hamstring) MELBOURNE B Jayden Hunt Sam Frost Christian Salem HB Jordan Lewis Jake Lever Nathan Jones C James Harmes Angus Brayshaw Billy Stretch HF Jay Kennedy Harris Bayley Fritsch Jake Melksham F Corey Wagner Braydon Preuss Christian Petracca FOLL Max Gawn Jack Viney Clayton Oliver I/C Michael Hibberd Marty Hore Alex Neal-Bullen Charlie Spargo EMG Kyle Dunkley Declan Keilty Jay Lockhart Josh Wagner IN Jayden Hunt Braydon Preuss OUT Kade Chandler (finger) Kyle Dunkley (omitted)

It was appropriate that Melbourne was playing its last game of season 2019 in Hobart. After all, how much further south could the team go? And much as it has done in many of the previous 22 games, the side managed to extract a loss from a winning position by simply giving the ball back to the opposition time and time again. In fact, they gave it back to the opposition to the tune of 53 points from turnovers while, by way of contrast North Melbourne contributed only 17 points to their opposition in this manner. We can argue about the cattle the Demons has left after the squad was ravaged by injury but the fact remains that when the team includes the likes of Jay Kennedy Harris, Alex Neal-Bulleen, Charlie Spargo, Billy Stretch and Corey Wagner then it’s not really destined to win against any opposition, not even one that managed a total score of 14 points just a fortnight ago. The start of the game was the real form setter for the remainder, with Kennedy Harris giving away consecutive possessions to the opposition. It didn’t hurt at that point of the game, but the pattern continued with Melbourne unable to develop any true momentum as each time it managed to get its nose in front, someone would simply give it back, particularly late in the quarter. Max Gawn showed the way in the ruck, and gave Toss Goldstein a bath both in the ruck and around the ground, even topping the Melbourne score chart with three goals for the match. To amass 41 hitouts against probably the third best ruckman in the competition is a fantastic effort. Around him, there was plenty of help. Clayton Oliver was really boring in at every opportunity with 33 touches and eight tackles. Angus Brayshaw, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney with 8, 7 and 5 tackles respectively all showed their signs of intent, but then it dropped off in spectacular fashion with one each to Jayden Hunt, Jake Melksham, Neal-Bullen and Wagner. When players who are meant to be applying pressure and none is forthcoming, we see the ball ricochet from one end of the ground to the other to little or no positive effect for the team. Fortunately, Jake Lever and Sam Frost were at the other end to repel multiple North attacks, particularly Frost who did a demolition job on Ben Brown, after he kicked 10 last week, and will just miss out on winning the Coleman Medal. Up forward, Bayley Fritsch again showed plenty, with three goals and three contested marks, so providing the Demons with their only real target in front of goal. The final quarter epitomised the Demons year as the kicked 1 goal 7 behinds to 3.1 in a tight encounter. They led by up to nine points, yet simple shots for goal were missed, there were stupid turnovers and some silly decision making that conceded yet another game. People speak about the need for leadership in these situations, but it is not the leaders doing the damage when they don’t have the ball in their hands. This was a game that saw the final chapter in the career of Jordan Lewis. He has provided that desperately needed leadership and more importantly example of how an AFL player should play. Tough, hard and relentless with the ability to deliver under pressure when needed. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see him in his prime at the Demons. After finishing in 17th spot with a miserable five wins, can the Demons head further south? Fortunately, the Suns are in a worse situation even though their list is full of early draft pick talent. We all know about the injuries, which is why the side has more than its share of sub-standard players but if we continue to gift the opposition nearly 10 goals in a game in the coming year, then further south is not only possible, it is virtually assured! If we cannot replace the composure of Jordan Lewis, then we will see opportunities thrown away again and again in the future. The club, coach and players now sit on a knife edge. We have seen 5 coaches sacked in 2019 in this brutal competition, none from the bottom two sides. Any semblance of a southerly direction on-field early next year, will see the same at Melbourne. Melbourne 4.2.26 5.4.34 11.4.70 12.11.83 North Melbourne 3.4.22 5.4.34 10.9.69 13.10.88 Goals Melbourne Fritsch Gawn 3 Melksham 2 Hunt Jones Neal-Bullen C Wagner North Melbourne Brown Garner Higgins Polec Ziebell 2 Larkey Williams Wood Best Melbourne Gawn Oliver Harmes Lewis Viney Frost North Melbourne Higgins Polec Ziebell Pittard Williams Dumont Injuries Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Macmillan (head) Reports Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Umpires Deboy, Gavine, Mollison Official crowd 8,202 at Blundstone Arena

How about that? We've won one in a row against North!!!

ROO-DOO GAWN ... by George on The Outer It had been twelve years since Melbourne last beat North Melbourne but it finally happened in what turned out to be an emphatic win by 37 points. It was an almost single-handed demolition of the opposition by Max Gawn that put the Demons over the line, and demonstrated how much his influence was missed in season 2017. Gawn’s opponent, Todd Goldstein, was being touted as having returned to his best AA form, but big Max with 50 hit outs, 7 contested possessions, 3 inside 50’s and over a dozen hit outs to advantage (nine of those resulting in Melbourne goals!) put to bed any question of who is the premier ruckman in the competition. The game was a true danger one for the Demons, regardless of the long-standing hoo-doo, as North left out Tarrant from their side and replaced him with Daw. With two known ruckmen in their side, the risk was that Max would be run into the ground. But Brad Scott never took this advantage, especially when the Melbourne second string rucks were Christians Petracca and James Harmes! Still, the Demons got off to one of their more traditional starts to find themselves four goals down half way through the first quarter. The groans from the fans signified their past history, but it is this very history that is in the past. For Melbourne pegged back the lead to two goals at the first break, and then hit the front twelve minutes into the second term and were never headed again. While Ben Brown was the Kangaroos’ major target up front, he was gifted goal after goal from dubious free kicks, and it was only once in the whole game that he beat Oscar McDonald in the one-on-one contest. Without his (or rather the umpires) input, the result would have been more of a ten goal win, than the six that it became. Tomas Bugg chipped in with four goals for the Demons, but really, really should have doubled that score, as once again he failed to convert simple shots in front of goal, and on two other occasions dropped regulation chest marks without opposition. Dean Kent returned from a long stay on the injured list to chime in with three goals, and was joined by Garlett with a trio of his own, including a brilliant steal similar to the one last week. Jesse Hogan only managed one major, but was absolutely dominant around the ground, and he was one of the main reasons why the ball was getting down to the small forwards. Twelve contested possessions and seven marks is as good as can be expected from a key position player and his new found role up the ground and in the middle, will send shivers down oppositions during the coming year. In the absence of Jack Viney, we once depended upon Nathan Jones to hold the fort, and he did so with five clearances of his own. But Simon Goodwin has developed an additional mid in Christian Salem with eight clearances and twelve contested possession at 75% disposal efficiency. These are numbers associated with top-line mids, and suddenly we have another one! And surely, we cannot forget Clayton Oliver, with 20 touches, 10 contested, and despite a heavy tag, he was able to top it off with two last quarter goals, when taking a well-earned rest in the forward line. The backs held up well again, especially Oscar, but also Josh Wagner who topped the tackle count on the day with seven. Josh is another one who is producing and repaying the faith shown in him by the selection panel. While Jordan Lewis had 27 touches, it is not surprising given where he plays. Unfortunately, he is not what he used to be when playing at the Hawks, and all too often the body is not responding to what he wants to do. Still he is providing value, but for how long, as other younger defenders stake their claim for a place in the side? In the past, in a game such as today, Melbourne would have either lost after getting four goals in front or won by a handful of points. Instead, despite the pressure of the final quarter, the margin was pushed to six goals. Perhaps the team have learnt the lesson of last season, when so much depended upon so little. The competition is seriously close this year. Once again, it will be a small difference at season end as to who will make it or not. Beating a bottom side convincingly, and not allowing oneself to fall back into the pack is exactly what needs to be done at this point in the season. We now sit third on the ladder (with other games still to come), but a loss would have probably dropped us outside the eight. Our percentage has improved markedly, and we all know how important that is at year end. With losing Hoo-doo’s gawn, there is only one thing to now do, and that is turn those into winning Hoo-doo’s ... and we can start with the Brown and Gold mob next week. Melbourne 3.2.20 9.7.61 12.13.85 18.15 123 North Melbourne 5.3.33 8.4.52 10.6.66 13.8 86 Goals Melbourne Bugg 4 Garlett Kent 3 Oliver 2 Fritsch Hogan Jones Lewis Petracca Vince North Melbourne Brown 4 Waite 3 Cunnington 2 Goldstein Hartung Simpkin Ziebell Best Melbourne Gawn Hogan Petracca Lewis Salem Kent North Melbourne Cunnington Brown Higgins McDonald Dumont Injuries Melbourne Melksham (cut head) Vince (groin) North Melbourne Tarrant (hamstring) late withdrawal replaced in the selected side by Daw. Reports Nil Umpires Nicholls, Fleer, Mollison Official crowd 35,518 at the MCG

Let's have those votes please people ... 6,5,4,3,2,1

It had been twelve years since Melbourne last beat North Melbourne but it finally happened in what turned out to be an emphatic win by 37 points. It was an almost single-handed demolition of the opposition by Max Gawn that put the Demons over the line, and demonstrated how much his influence was missed in season 2017. Gawn’s opponent, Todd Goldstein, was being touted as having returned to his best AA form, but big Max with 50 hit outs, 7 contested possessions, 3 inside 50’s and over a dozen hit outs to advantage (nine of those resulting in Melbourne goals!) put to bed any question of who is the premier ruckman in the competition. The game was a true danger one for the Demons, regardless of the long-standing hoo-doo, as North left out Tarrant from their side and replaced him with Daw. With two known ruckmen in their side, the risk was that Max would be run into the ground. But Brad Scott never took this advantage, especially when the Melbourne second string rucks were Christians Petracca and James Harmes! Still, the Demons got off to one of their more traditional starts to find themselves four goals down half way through the first quarter. The groans from the fans signified their past history, but it is this very history that is in the past. For Melbourne pegged back the lead to two goals at the first break, and then hit the front twelve minutes into the second term and were never headed again. While Ben Brown was the Kangaroos’ major target up front, he was gifted goal after goal from dubious free kicks, and it was only once in the whole game that he beat Oscar McDonald in the one-on-one contest. Without his (or rather the umpires) input, the result would have been more of a ten goal win, than the six that it became. Tomas Bugg chipped in with four goals for the Demons, but really, really should have doubled that score, as once again he failed to convert simple shots in front of goal, and on two other occasions dropped regulation chest marks without opposition. Dean Kent returned from a long stay on the injured list to chime in with three goals, and was joined by Garlett with a trio of his own, including a brilliant steal similar to the one last week. Jesse Hogan only managed one major, but was absolutely dominant around the ground, and he was one of the main reasons why the ball was getting down to the small forwards. Twelve contested possessions and seven marks is as good as can be expected from a key position player and his new found role up the ground and in the middle, will send shivers down oppositions during the coming year. In the absence of Jack Viney, we once depended upon Nathan Jones to hold the fort, and he did so with five clearances of his own. But Simon Goodwin has developed an additional mid in Christian Salem with eight clearances and twelve contested possession at 75% disposal efficiency. These are numbers associated with top-line mids, and suddenly we have another one! And surely, we cannot forget Clayton Oliver, with 20 touches, 10 contested, and despite a heavy tag, he was able to top it off with two last quarter goals, when taking a well-earned rest in the forward line. The backs held up well again, especially Oscar, but also Josh Wagner who topped the tackle count on the day with seven. Josh is another one who is producing and repaying the faith shown in him by the selection panel. While Jordan Lewis had 27 touches, it is not surprising given where he plays. Unfortunately, he is not what he used to be when playing at the Hawks, and all too often the body is not responding to what he wants to do. Still he is providing value, but for how long, as other younger defenders stake their claim for a place in the side? In the past, in a game such as today, Melbourne would have either lost after getting four goals in front or won by a handful of points. Instead, despite the pressure of the final quarter, the margin was pushed to six goals. Perhaps the team have learnt the lesson of last season, when so much depended upon so little. The competition is seriously close this year. Once again, it will be a small difference at season end as to who will make it or not. Beating a bottom side convincingly, and not allowing oneself to fall back into the pack is exactly what needs to be done at this point in the season. We now sit third on the ladder (with other games still to come), but a loss would have probably dropped us outside the eight. Our percentage has improved markedly, and we all know how important that is at year end. With losing Hoo-doo’s gawn, there is only one thing to now do, and that is turn those into winning Hoo-doo’s ... and we can start with the Brown and Gold mob next week. Melbourne 3.2.20 9.7.61 12.13.85 18.15 123 North Melbourne 5.3.33 8.4.52 10.6.66 13.8 86 Goals Melbourne Bugg 4 Garlett Kent 3 Oliver 2 Fritsch Hogan Jones Lewis Petracca Vince North Melbourne Brown 4 Waite 3 Cunnington 2 Goldstein Hartung Simpkin Ziebell Best Melbourne Gawn Hogan Petracca Lewis Salem Kent North Melbourne Cunnington Brown Higgins McDonald Dumont Injuries Melbourne Melksham (cut head) Vince (groin) North Melbourne Tarrant (hamstring) late withdrawal replaced in the selected side by Daw. Reports Nil Umpires Nicholls, Fleer, Mollison Official crowd 35,518 at the MCG

19TH NERVOUS BREAKDOWN by Whispering Jack It was the great 20th Century English poet, Mick Jagger, who wrote the immortal words, “You better stop, look around Here it comes, Here it comes, Here it comes, Here it comes Here comes your 19th nervous breakdown.” Yes. You all know where this is going because we’ve been there many times over the past dozen or so years. It started sometime in 2006 at the end of the season. I woke up at 4.30am in a cold sweat, overcome by a sense of foreboding that things were going to turn very, very ugly for the Melbourne Football Club in the near future. When the day dawned, the rain clouds hung dark and low - the deluge was coming. At first I just thought it was a matter of simply allowing time to take its course and the darkness would end but the nightmares kept coming back and it was never more so than when the team came up against North Melbourne. Many years passed and the team gathered strength; our expectations grew but they blew both chances to break the run last year and we’re now facing our 18th consecutive defeat at the hands of the Kangaroos. One step closer to that 19th nervous breakdown. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Saturday 7 April, 2018 at the MCG at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 81 wins 1 draw At the MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 37 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Scott 2 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3, Live from 1.30pm RADIO - TBA THE LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 11.10.76 defeated Melbourne 10.12.72 at Blundstone Arena, Round 19, 2017 North Melbourne extended its AFL winning streak over Melbourne to 17 games and dealt the Demons a significant blow to their finals chances with a four point victory in windswept Hobart. Heading into the final term with a six point lead, the Kangaroos lost the lead midway through the quarter after a Tom McDonald goal in mid quarter but responded with a major to Jy Simpkin and held on grimly against a strong wind. North Melbourne did something in its game last week that Melbourne could not do - once the Kangaroos got hold of their opposition, they ground them into the dirt and finished them off to win by 52 points. On the other hand, the Demons wasted the seven goal lead they enjoyed early in the second half and allowed Brisbane the opportunity to come back to level the scores forty minutes later before regrouping to win by a little over four goals. It was as if the team has learned nothing from last year’s embarrassing finish when they gifted the West Coast Eagles a place in the final series by the narrowest margin in the history of the competition. On Saturday, they go into the game needing to prove to the football world that they can overcome their tendency to leak goals in quick bursts as well as the mental hoodoo they face against a side that has had the wood on them since the early days of skipper Nathan Jones’ career. It’s hard to believe that Jones is the only player at the club who has participated in a Demon victory at AFL level over this week’s opponent. Jones himself will be a focal point in his team’s efforts to gain some credibility in the football world as part of its much vaunted developing midfield with its solid mix of youth and experience. They should get the drive they need from Max Gawn, back to his 2016 best form and pitted against another All-Australian ruckman in Todd Goldstein. Both are among the the elite of the tall men in the game but the latter is past his prime. I expect the young Demon to have to much run for the veteran Kangaroo big man. The other area where the team’s are strong is in their key forwards. Jesse Hogan has started the season strongly and Ben Brown, who has in the past owned Melbourne’s defence, booted six goals against the hapless Saints last week and was instrumental in their victory. The difference is that the Demons’ defence is much stronger than the combination the Kangaroos faced last week. Improving key back Oscar McDonald has conceded just a single goal this season and the introduction of Sam Frost should give extra solidity to this area. Meanwhile, the Roos’ defence is not much to write home about. They were fortunate last week that both sides attacks were completely insipid and produced so many unforced errors in the first half and they managed to get themselves out of the mire in the second. That wont happen against the Demons. Melbourne by 44 points.

It was the great 20th Century English poet, Mick Jagger, who wrote the immortal words, “You better stop, look around Here it comes, Here it comes, Here it comes, Here it comes Here comes your 19th nervous breakdown.” Yes. You all know where this is going because we’ve been there many times over the past dozen or so years. It started sometime in 2006 at the end of the season. I woke up at 4.30am in a cold sweat, overcome by a sense of foreboding that things were going to turn very, very ugly for the Melbourne Football Club in the near future. When the day dawned, the rain clouds hung dark and low - the deluge was coming. At first I just thought it was a matter of simply allowing time to take its course and the darkness would end but the nightmares kept coming back and it was never more so than when the team came up against North Melbourne. Many years passed and the team gathered strength; our expectations grew but they blew both chances to break the run last year and we’re now facing our 18th consecutive defeat at the hands of the Kangaroos. One step closer to that 19th nervous breakdown. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Saturday 7 April, 2018 at the MCG at 2.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 81 wins 1 draw At the MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 37 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Scott 2 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3, Live from 1.30pm RADIO - TBA THE LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 11.10.76 defeated Melbourne 10.12.72 at Blundstone Arena, Round 19, 2017 North Melbourne extended its AFL winning streak over Melbourne to 17 games and dealt the Demons a significant blow to their finals chances with a four point victory in windswept Hobart. Heading into the final term with a six point lead, the Kangaroos lost the lead midway through the quarter after a Tom McDonald goal in mid quarter but responded with a major to Jy Simpkin and held on grimly against a strong wind. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Jake Lever, Oscar McDonald, Josh Wagner HB: Bernie Vince, Michael Hibberd, Neville Jetta C: Jordan Lewis, Nathan Jones, Christian Salem HF: Jake Melksham, Sam Frost, Alex Neal-Bullen F: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett Foll: Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Dom Tyson I/C: Tom Bugg, Bayley Fritsch, James Harmes, Dean Kent Emg: Mitch Hannan, Jayden Hunt, Corey Maynard, Cam Pedersen In: Sam Frost, Dean Kent Out: Jayden Hunt, Cam Pedersen NORTH MELBOURNE B: Marley Williams, Scott Thompson, Ryan Clarke HB: Jamie Macmillan, Robbie Tarrant, Ed Vickers-Willis C: Ben Jacobs, Jy Simpkin, Billy Hartung HF: Shaun Atley, Jarrad Waite, Kayne Turner F: Jack Ziebell, Ben Brown, Luke McDonald, Foll: Todd Goldstein, Shaun Higgins, Ben Cunnington I/C: Jed Anderson, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Trent Dumont, Nathan Hrovat Emg: Majak Daw, Mitchell Hibberd, Mason Wood, Cameron Zurhaar No change North Melbourne did something in its game last week that Melbourne could not do - once the Kangaroos got hold of their opposition, they ground them into the dirt and finished them off to win by 52 points. On the other hand, the Demons wasted the seven goal lead they enjoyed early in the second half and allowed Brisbane the opportunity to come back to level the scores forty minutes later before regrouping to win by a little over four goals. It was as if the team has learned nothing from last year’s embarrassing finish when they gifted the West Coast Eagles a place in the final series by the narrowest margin in the history of the competition. On Saturday, they go into the game needing to prove to the football world that they can overcome their tendency to leak goals in quick bursts as well as the mental hoodoo they face against a side that has had the wood on them since the early days of skipper Nathan Jones’ career. It’s hard to believe that Jones is the only player at the club who has participated in a Demon victory at AFL level over this week’s opponent. Jones himself will be a focal point in his team’s efforts to gain some credibility in the football world as part of its much vaunted developing midfield with its solid mix of youth and experience. They should get the drive they need from Max Gawn, back to his 2016 best form and pitted against another All-Australian ruckman in Todd Goldstein. Both are among the the elite of the tall men in the game but the latter is past his prime. I expect the young Demon to have to much run for the veteran Kangaroo big man. The other area where the team’s are strong is in their key forwards. Jesse Hogan has started the season strongly and Ben Brown, who has in the past owned Melbourne’s defence, booted six goals against the hapless Saints last week and was instrumental in their victory. The difference is that the Demons’ defence is much stronger than the combination the Kangaroos faced last week. Improving key back Oscar McDonald has conceded just a single goal this season and the introduction of Sam Frost should give extra solidity to this area. Meanwhile, the Roos’ defence is not much to write home about. They were fortunate last week that both sides attacks were completely insipid and produced so many unforced errors in the first half and they managed to get themselves out of the mire in the second. That wont happen against the Demons. Melbourne by 44 points.

I really thought we had them at 3/4 time:- TEAMS NORTH MELBOURNE B: Sam Durdin, Robbie Tarrant, Daniel Nielson HB: Aaron Mullett, Scott D. Thompson, Luke McDonald C: Shaun Atley, Sam Gibson, Ryan Clarke HF: Nathan Hrovat, Jarrad Waite, Majak Daw F: Shaun Higgins, Ben Brown, Taylor Garner FOLL: Braydon Preuss, Jack Ziebell, Ben Cunnington I/C: Trent Dumont, Declan Mountford, Jy Simpkin, Andrew Swallow EMG: Jed Anderson, Josh Williams, Cameron Zurhaar IN: Braydon Preuss, Robbie Tarrant, Jack Ziebell OUT: Nick Larkey (knee), Josh Williams (omitted), Cameron Zurhaar (omitted) MELBOURNE B: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Christian Salem, Sam Frost, Michael Hibberd C: Jack Trengove, Jordan Lewis, Clayton Oliver HF: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Alex Neal-Bullen F: Jeff Garlett, Tom McDonald, Jack Watts FOLL: Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Mitch Hannan I/C: James Harmes, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Jake Melksham, Dom Tyson EMG: Corey Maynard, Cameron Pedersen, Josh Wagner

For the 16th time ...

Cast those votes please ...

THE WHIRLWIND by Whispering Jack This experience of supporting Melbourne is a bit like walking your way through an emotional whirlwind. You get very little time to savour the rare experience of a seven goal win over what is acknowledged as the leading team in the competition on their home patch before one of your finest young players suffers a concussion for the fourth time in twelve months and all of a sudden his career is in question. That's what happened to Angus Brayshaw less than 24 hours after the team triumphantly strode off the Adelaide Oval last Saturday evening. The highs and the lows of competition sport are well known and they happen to everyone - it's a given. But the whirlwind for Demon fans is an ill wind from hell that blows strong, and hot: in fact its white hot and you get to feel the heat a matter of two days down the track when another young man who it was said would one day the best key forward in the land, is diagnosed as having testicular cancer. The pundits can talk about the Demons' win in Adelaide as the most outstanding victory of any team for the season to date, but what does it mean when one of your own is suffering from such a shattering diagnosis coming less than two weeks after the passing of his father? They say that the cancer can be overcome, that this type of surgery carries a high rate of success, that "... this was an extremely early detection and Jesse is expected to make a full recovery and will return to football this year." The comfort comes from the knowledge that there are people like Sam Rowe, the Carlton defender who ironically was struck in the face by Hogan, incurring him a two week suspension as a result in Round 2, who survived the ordeal of treatment for the ailment and recovered to play football again. And Rowe reached out to offer him counseling and assistance in his darkest hours. But from the club's perspective, it all continues. There's a game to be won against the Kangaroos with their giant ruckman standing in the way while the Demons' own talls look on from the sidelines, leaving an undersized ruck department to fight against the odds. They haven't beaten North Melbourne for a while - not since Nathan Jones' career was in its infancy back in 2006. John Howard was the Prime Minister back then, Sexyback by Justin Timberlake was the number one song in the country and a Japanese horse named Delta Blues was being prepared to win the Melbourne Cup. A little freckle-faced kid called Clayton Oliver was in grade two. One of the constants throughout Melbourne's last decade of pain has been North Melbourne's dominance over the club. That winning streak currently stands at 15 games in a row including the last seven games between them at the MCG. The streak will be broken at some stage and if the Demons can bring last week's form into Sunday's game then it will happen sooner rather than later. It wasn't all that long ago that Melbourne's midfield depth was derided by some so-called experts including those who used statistics to demonstrate its weakness in the engine room. But that is a case that can no longer be argued with a straight face. Today's Demon on ball brigade is absolutely ferocious. They are ranked in the top four in the competition for centre clearances (despite their current ruck woes), contested possessions tackles. Perhaps this is what prompted Kevin Bartlett to claim that the Dees are one of only three Victorian sides that can win the premiership this year. The problem is that the team's depth has been hit hard by those injuries to key players. I would like to think that Melbourne can overcome the injury plague and win again this week even without Gus, Jesse and the big blokes. Good clubs manage to do such things consistently. Ask the Western Bulldogs who did it last year when they walked through the whirlwind to overcome similar adversity. For the Demons, it would be a real triumph of the soul. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 21 May, 2017 at the MCG at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 79 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 36 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Sports 3 at 3.00pm (live) RADIO - TBA THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.50 North Melbourne to win $2.60 THE LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 21.10.136 defeated Melbourne 20.11.131 at Blundstone Oval in Round 3 2016. The Kangaroos were quick out of the blocks with a roaring gale at their backs and had seven straight goals on the board before the Demons troubled the scorers but after trailing by 36 points at the first break they played a nine-goal second term to be seven points ahead at halftime. North then regained the lead halfway through the third and led by 3 goals at the final break with Melbourne pushing forward to level the scores 8 minutes into the final term. The Kangaroos regrouped and the Melbourne fightback left it 5 points adrift when Billy Stretch gathered the ball near goal as the siren sounded. MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jayden Hunt, Sam Frost, Bernie Vince C: Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver, Tomas Bugg HF: Christian Petracca, Jack Watts, Mitch Hannan F: Jeff Garlett, Cameron Pedersen, Dom Tyson FOLL: Tom McDonald, Jordan Lewis, Jack Viney I/C: Dean Kent, Christian Salem, Josh Wagner, Sam Weideman EMG: Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen Billy Stretch NO CHANGE NORTH MELBOURNE B: Marley Williams, Robbie Tarrant, Ed Vickers-Willis HB: Aaron Mullett, Scott D Thompson, Jamie Macmillan C: Sam Gibson, Ben Cunnington, Mason Wood HF: Kayne Turner, Jarrad Waite, Luke McDonald F: Nathan Hrovat, Ben Brown, Shaun Higgins FOLL: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Jed Anderson, Ryan Clarke I/C: Shaun Atley, Taylor Garner, Lachlan Hansen, Andrew Swallow, EMG: Sam Durdin, Declan Mountford, Braydon Preuss IN: Taylor Garner, Aaron Mullett, Andrew Swallow, Jarrad Waite OUT: Jed Anderson (foot) Trent Dumont (concussion), Sam Durdin (omitted), Jy Simpkin (AC Joint) IT ALL FIGURES by Stan the Stats Man More than a third of the season has passed by so it's time to look at how the Melbourne list has been traveling. The club has often been compared with another AFL up-and-comer in St. Kilda but I can assure you that the Saints have few injury worries to date by comparison with Melbourne and one or two other clubs in the competition. That's just one thing that stands out from the simple analysis below. 1. Jesse Hogan MFC games 4, goals 9 An eventful season so far but not for good reasons. He was suspended in Round 2, missed a week mourning the loss of his father and now the cancer diagnosis. 2. Nathan Jones MFC games 8, goals 6 The hard nosed skipper has led from the front throughout the season so far. 3. Christian Salem MFC games 8, goals 3 Has raised his game a level whether playing in midfield or defence. 4. Jack Watts MFC games 8, goals 13 After a less than encouraging pre season period, Watts has hardly put a foot wrong as a forward or back up ruckman. 5. Christian Petracca MFC games 8, goals 12 Has made good progress and is starting to live up to his high draft selection. 6. Jordan Lewis MFC games 5, goals 3 A magnificent acquisition for the club who has provided inspiration and leadership but with one major blemish being his suspension for 3 matches after a brain fade in Round 2. 7. Jack Viney MFC games 8, goals 3 Made a slow start to the season and has started to come good in the last few weeks. 8. Heritier Lumumba Retired without even making a start to his pre season. 9. Jack Trengove CD games 5, goals 1 Still biding his time playing consistent football in the VFL but will he get another opportunity to play at the highest level? 10. Angus Brayshaw MFC games 2, goals 1, CD games 3, goals 1 Troubled by concussion issues and his short term future remains in doubt. 11. Max Gawn MFC games 3, goals 1 Injured in Round 3 and underwent hamstring surgery after the game, the All Australian ruckman's presence in the ruck is being sorely missed. 12. Dom Tyson MFC games 7, goals 1 Form has been a little inconsistent but he's been really important when up and running. 13. Clayton Oliver MFC games 8, goals 1 The young midfielder is having an outstanding second season. Probably leading in the club's best and fairest and even spoken of as a possible All Australian. 14. Michael Hibberd MFC games 4, goals 1, CD games 2, goals 0 A prolific ball winner with great delivery skills and a good stopper in defence. Already an important player with the Demons after missing the early games with injury. 15. Billy Stretch MFC games 5, goals 2, CD games 2, goals 0 After a good start, his form dropped off ever so slightly and he found himself out of the side. 16. Dean Kent MFC games 3, goals 5, CD games 3, goals 3 Form has been indifferent but he has his chance now. 17. Sam Frost MFC games 5, goals 0 Came back from some pre season injury worries as a much improved player in defence. 18. Jake Melksham MFC games 6, goals 0, CD games 1, goals 1 Had some good moments but found himself down at Casey where he earned a suspension after playing a blinder. 19. Mitch Hannan MFC games 7, goals 7 Has been good in his debut year at the club. 20. Colin Garland Suffered an ACL injury before the start of the season. Sidelined for 2017. 21. Cameron Pedersen MFC games 3, goals 5, CD games 2, goals 3 Working hard against tough odds and taller opposition as a fill in ruckman/forward. 22. Aaron Vandenberg Yet to take the field during the regular season due to a heel injury. 23. Bernie Vince MFC games 7, goals 1 Played a great tagging role in recent weeks and was terrific on Rory Sloane. 24. Jay Kennedy-Harris MFC games 3, goals 0, CD games 2, goals 1 Didn't do enough to impress in his three match stint after a long period out through injuries. 25. Tom McDonald MFC games 8, goals 4 Strong leader in defence who has also gone forward and played on the ball during the club's ruck crisis. 26. Sam Weideman MFC games 5, goals 3, CD games 1, goals 0 Was strong in the tackling department against Adelaide but needs to impose himself more as a tall forward. 27. Liam Hulett CD games 2, goals 0, CD DL games 1, goals 0 Struggling at the moment at Casey after missing part of the pre season. 28. Oscar McDonald MFC games 6, goals 0, CD games 2, goals 0 His form was patchy early but has come back strongly after a stint with the Casey Demons. 29. Jayden Hunt MFC games 8, goals 4 Having a wonderful season highlighted by his blistering pace, adventurous running and athleticism. 30. Alex Neal-Bullen MFC games 6, goals 3, CD games 1, goals 1 Had is moments this year and is on the fringe at the moment. 32. Tomas Bugg MFC games 4, goals 2, CD games 1, goals 5 Working his way into a regular spot in the Demon line up. 33. Jake Spencer MFC games 2, goals 0 Waited a long time to get an opportunity at AFL level but suffered a shoulder injury in just his second game back. 34. Mitch King CD games 4, goals 0 King is a developing player coming back from an ACL and is being given time at Casey. 35. Ben Kennedy CD games 5, goals 2 Struggling to gain a spot at Melbourne, Kennedy has been working on his game down at Casey. 36. Jeff Garlett MFC games 8, goals 20 Dangerous forward having a terrific season and finally gaining recognition for the value of his role to the team. 37. Dion Johnstone CD games 5, goals 2 Speedy forward who can lay a tackle is learning the trade in the VFL. 38. Tim Smith ® MFC games 2, goals 1, CD games 1 goals 0 Unlucky to suffer a broken rib in his second game. 39. Neville Jetta MFC games 8, goals 2 Steady as a rock playing the small defender's role. 40. Patrick McKenna A hamstring tear has prevented him from playing at either AFL or VFL level. Had another setback at training this week. 41. Mitchell White ® CD games 4, goals 1 Working hard as a defender at Casey but missed last week. 42. Josh Wagner MFC games 2, goals 0, CD games 1, goals 0 Had some injury woes in the pre season but has come back into the team and slotted in well in defence. 43. James Harmes MFC games 4, goals 3, CD games 3, goals 0 Lost his place in the Melbourne team but bounced back with a strong performance at Casey last week. 44. Joel Smith ® MFC games 1, goals 0 Was going along nicely in defence on debut when he suffered an injured shoulder and will miss at least the rest of the first half of the season. 45. Declan Keilty ® CD games 5, goals 3 Rookie spare parts man getting experience as a back up ruckman with key position roles in the VFL. 47. Lachlan Filipovic ® CD DL games 4, goals 0 Project ruckman getting game time in the Development League with the Casey Demons. 48. Corey Maynard ® CD games 4, goals 1 Was coming along nicely performing better than expected and getting plenty of the ball as a midfielder at Casey when he suffered a big hit and will miss his second game this week as a result.

Not just for the players, but for the supporters as well. Once again, a Melbourne side comes into a game off the back of a first class performance against Adelaide, playing against a team that lost by nearly 7 goals the previous week, at home ... yes there was only going to be one result. Another match that should have/could have been won ... and it wasn’t. Once again the side failed to turn up in the first quarter, and it was obvious from the first ten minutes that Melbourne weren’t playing serious committed football. It was fortunate that North couldn’t kick straight with 13 scoring shots to 7 and only a 26 point lead at quarter time. In a bad coaching mistake, Tom McDonald played at full forward while his brother Oscar was left to mind the North man-mountain, Ben Brown. Tom didn’t get a touch and Brown had a party, as Oscar is not physically well developed enough to take on someone built like Brown. Tom goes back and Brown doesn’t get another grab until the final quarter. With the proper structure reestablished, the backline suddenly looked solid again as Frost and Hibberd in particular provided the solid attack out of defence, instead of struggling to contain the North big men up forward. Once again the Melbourne fight back come and the Demons found themselves down by 2 points at the major break. But coming from behind just saps strength and eventually the players pay. The third quarter was just a repeat of the first quarter as all around the ground the Melbourne players just looked tired. Dom Tyson just continues to go through the motions, especially when the ball is beyond his reach. He was the same last week, yet it was covered by the efforts of others around him. He no longer gets a start in the middle, yet cannot generate enough vigour to make the contest around the ball when playing off the wing at centre bounces. Two tackles in a game is simply not good enough for someone who plays around the ball. Jack Watts looks even more tired, but can be expected since he has now had to shoulder ruck duties for over the past month. He simply isn’t built for that job, especially when he is brought in against the current best ruckman in the competition in Goldstein. Cam Pedersen played another great game, but Goldstein simply was able to feed his mids with precise taps, something Jacobs didn’t do last week. With Clayton Oliver tagged and Bernie Vince tagging Higgins, it left a solitary one on one situation in the middle. Goldstein was always able to tap it to the right spot to advantage the North player, no matter who was standing there. Without a proper ruck, and without a proper forward, Melbourne were always going to struggle against a bigger bodied North. But with tired players now crying for the mid-season bye, the battle became even harder. At the end of the third quarter the Demons again found themselves 22 points down. And despite a spirited comeback in the final quarter, to get within a kick, North just had too much strength and finally won by a 14 point margin. We had chances, Tom Bugg in particular who with 3 set shots and an easy snap, scored 4 points. Bernie had the chance to give us the lead in the final quarter with an easy snap, but again missed. In the end, the opportunities were lost, and all the momentum with it. Our opportunities were further stymied by a simply appalling umpiring display. Not a single holding the ball was paid in favour of Melbourne, deliberate OOB paid against us after a North player knocked the ball out, a blatant kick out on the full was paid a mark, and from at least two of these North goals resulted. With a final tally of 22 frees to 10 there was a one sided disparity, yet the unwillingness to award obvious frees is now becoming endemic within the umpiring fraternity. Play on seems to be the only call some umpires are capable of making. Unfortunately, the Demon tank is rather empty still. Weidemann is getting games, simply because we have no-one else at Casey who can play forward. We haven’t the luxury of leaving him there for a couple of games to gain confidence, and he was shoved aside and monstered by Tarrant and Thompson. He doesn’t help himself with a complete lack of second efforts and also just stops once the ball is outside his reach,as he watches his opponent stream downfield. Kent, Bugg and Wagner had shockers, but once again the pickings at Casey are slim, and to be honest, not much of an upgrade in the forms of Melksham, ANB, Trengove or Stretch. We are scraping the bottom of the barrel, and any further injuries will severely deplete our ability to put a competitive side on the park, at least until we see the return of Gawn, Spencer, Hogan and Vandenberg. With the current injury list, the side has been making good use of the medical profession. The supporters have been suffering a severe case of MFCSS (Melbourne Football Club Supporter Syndrome), yet in both cases there is no short term cure. Do we expect to win against Gold Coast in Alice next week? The MFCSS says probably not, as 2 metre Peter, Ablett and Lynch are due for break-out games, as they come off a bye. We have some very tired individuals and no prospect of injured players returning. So based on these facts, there is a better than even chance that the Demons will come out and trounce the Suns. We certainly hope so, or the fans will be calling for the doctor themselves. Melbourne 2.5.17 8.7.55 9.9.63 13.12.90 North Melbourne 6.7.43 8.9.57 12.13.85 15.14.104 Goals Melbourne Hannan 3 Pedersen 2 Frost, Jetta Jones, Kent Lewis Oliver Salem Viney North Melbourne Brown 5 Wood 3 Garner 2 Cunnington Higgins McDonald Williams Ziebell Best Melbourne Hibberd Viney T. McDonald Jones Hannan Jetta North Melbourne Brown, Cunnington, Turner, Goldstein, Thompson, Tarrant Changes Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Cunnington (right ankle/knee) Reports Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Umpires Nicholls, Hosking, Hay Official crowd 33,218 at the MCG

A number of commentators were calling Melbourne's win over Adelaide "season-defining" and I wish that were true but the reality is that our season to date has been defined by other things, such as injuries, illness and suspensions to important players, slow starts to games, narrow losses and defeats snatched from the jaws of victory. I don't really like the expression "season-defining" and I would prefer that it be confined to the context of a single win in September but if it must be used then it should apply to the day when the club finally shows that it can perform consistently as it did last Saturday night at Adelaide and win games that it's expected to win. Melbourne opened the season with a great win over St Kilda but in the following march it played poorly against Carlton. We haven't played two good games in a row so far this year. It's time.

This experience of supporting Melbourne is a bit like walking your way through an emotional whirlwind. You get very little time to savour the rare experience of a seven goal win over what is acknowledged as the leading team in the competition on their home patch before one of your finest young players suffers a concussion for the fourth time in twelve months and all of a sudden his career is in question. That's what happened to Angus Brayshaw less than 24 hours after the team triumphantly strode off the Adelaide Oval last Saturday evening. The highs and the lows of competition sport are well known and they happen to everyone - it's a given. But the whirlwind for Demon fans is an ill wind from hell that blows strong, and hot: in fact its white hot and you get to feel the heat a matter of two days down the track when another young man who it was said would one day the best key forward in the land, is diagnosed as having testicular cancer. The pundits can talk about the Demons' win in Adelaide as the most outstanding victory of any team for the season to date, but what does it mean when one of your own is suffering from such a shattering diagnosis coming less than two weeks after the passing of his father? They say that the cancer can be overcome, that this type of surgery carries a high rate of success, that "... this was an extremely early detection and Jesse is expected to make a full recovery and will return to football this year." The comfort comes from the knowledge that there are people like Sam Rowe, the Carlton defender who ironically was struck in the face by Hogan, incurring him a two week suspension as a result in Round 2, who survived the ordeal of treatment for the ailment and recovered to play football again. And Rowe reached out to offer him counseling and assistance in his darkest hours. But from the club's perspective, it all continues. There's a game to be won against the Kangaroos with their giant ruckman standing in the way while the Demons' own talls look on from the sidelines, leaving an undersized ruck department to fight against the odds. They haven't beaten North Melbourne for a while - not since Nathan Jones' career was in its infancy back in 2006. John Howard was the Prime Minister back then, Sexyback by Justin Timberlake was the number one song in the country and a Japanese horse named Delta Blues was being prepared to win the Melbourne Cup. A little freckle-faced kid called Clayton Oliver was in grade two. One of the constants throughout Melbourne's last decade of pain has been North Melbourne's dominance over the club. That winning streak currently stands at 15 games in a row including the last seven games between them at the MCG. The streak will be broken at some stage and if the Demons can bring last week's form into Sunday's game then it will happen sooner rather than later. It wasn't all that long ago that Melbourne's midfield depth was derided by some so-called experts including those who used statistics to demonstrate its weakness in the engine room. But that is a case that can no longer be argued with a straight face. Today's Demon on ball brigade is absolutely ferocious. They are ranked in the top four in the competition for centre clearances (despite their current ruck woes), contested possessions tackles. Perhaps this is what prompted Kevin Bartlett to claim that the Dees are one of only three Victorian sides that can win the premiership this year. The problem is that the team's depth has been hit hard by those injuries to key players. I would like to think that Melbourne can overcome the injury plague and win again this week even without Gus, Jesse and the big blokes. Good clubs manage to do such things consistently. Ask the Western Bulldogs who did it last year when they walked through the whirlwind to overcome similar adversity. For the Demons, it would be a real triumph of the soul. THE GAME Melbourne v North Melbourne on Sunday 21 May, 2017 at the MCG at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 83 wins North Melbourne 79 wins 1 draw At MCG Melbourne 54 wins North Melbourne 36 wins Last five times Melbourne 0 wins North Melbourne 5 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Scott 0 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Sports 3 at 3.00pm (live) RADIO - TBA THE BETTING Melbourne to win $1.50 North Melbourne to win $2.60 THE LAST TIME THEY MET North Melbourne 21.10.136 defeated Melbourne 20.11.131 at Blundstone Oval in Round 3 2016. The Kangaroos were quick out of the blocks with a roaring gale at their backs and had seven straight goals on the board before the Demons troubled the scorers but after trailing by 36 points at the first break they played a nine-goal second term to be seven points ahead at halftime. North then regained the lead halfway through the third and led by 3 goals at the final break with Melbourne pushing forward to level the scores 8 minutes into the final term. The Kangaroos regrouped and the Melbourne fightback left it 5 points adrift when Billy Stretch gathered the ball near goal as the siren sounded. MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jayden Hunt, Sam Frost, Bernie Vince C: Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver, Tomas Bugg HF: Christian Petracca, Jack Watts, Mitch Hannan F: Jeff Garlett, Cameron Pedersen, Dom Tyson FOLL: Tom McDonald, Jordan Lewis, Jack Viney I/C: Dean Kent, Christian Salem, Josh Wagner, Sam Weideman EMG: Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen Billy Stretch NO CHANGE NORTH MELBOURNE B: Marley Williams, Robbie Tarrant, Ed Vickers-Willis HB: Aaron Mullett, Scott D Thompson, Jamie Macmillan C: Sam Gibson, Ben Cunnington, Mason Wood HF: Kayne Turner, Jarrad Waite, Luke McDonald F: Nathan Hrovat, Ben Brown, Shaun Higgins FOLL: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Jed Anderson, Ryan Clarke I/C: Shaun Atley, Taylor Garner, Lachlan Hansen, Andrew Swallow, EMG: Sam Durdin, Declan Mountford, Braydon Preuss IN: Taylor Garner, Aaron Mullett, Andrew Swallow, Jarrad Waite OUT: Jed Anderson (foot) Trent Dumont (concussion), Sam Durdin (omitted), Jy Simpkin (AC Joint) IT ALL FIGURES by Stan the Stats Man More than a third of the season has passed by so it's time to look at how the Melbourne list has been traveling. The club has often been compared with another AFL up-and-comer in St. Kilda but I can assure you that the Saints have few injury worries to date by comparison with Melbourne and one or two other clubs in the competition. That's just one thing that stands out from the simple analysis below. 1. Jesse Hogan MFC games 4, goals 9 An eventful season so far but not for good reasons. He was suspended in Round 2, missed a week mourning the loss of his father and now the cancer diagnosis. 2. Nathan Jones MFC games 8, goals 6 The hard nosed skipper has led from the front throughout the season so far. 3. Christian Salem MFC games 8, goals 3 Has raised his game a level whether playing in midfield or defence. 4. Jack Watts MFC games 8, goals 13 After a less than encouraging pre season period, Watts has hardly put a foot wrong as a forward or back up ruckman. 5. Christian Petracca MFC games 8, goals 12 Has made good progress and is starting to live up to his high draft selection. 6. Jordan Lewis MFC games 5, goals 3 A magnificent acquisition for the club who has provided inspiration and leadership but with one major blemish being his suspension for 3 matches after a brain fade in Round 2. 7. Jack Viney MFC games 8, goals 3 Made a slow start to the season and has started to come good in the last few weeks. 8. Heritier Lumumba Retired without even making a start to his pre season. 9. Jack Trengove CD games 5, goals 1 Still biding his time playing consistent football in the VFL but will he get another opportunity to play at the highest level? 10. Angus Brayshaw MFC games 2, goals 1, CD games 3, goals 1 Troubled by concussion issues and his short term future remains in doubt. 11. Max Gawn MFC games 3, goals 1 Injured in Round 3 and underwent hamstring surgery after the game, the All Australian ruckman's presence in the ruck is being sorely missed. 12. Dom Tyson MFC games 7, goals 1 Form has been a little inconsistent but he's been really important when up and running. 13. Clayton Oliver MFC games 8, goals 1 The young midfielder is having an outstanding second season. Probably leading in the club's best and fairest and even spoken of as a possible All Australian. 14. Michael Hibberd MFC games 4, goals 1, CD games 2, goals 0 A prolific ball winner with great delivery skills and a good stopper in defence. Already an important player with the Demons after missing the early games with injury. 15. Billy Stretch MFC games 5, goals 2, CD games 2, goals 0 After a good start, his form dropped off ever so slightly and he found himself out of the side. 16. Dean Kent MFC games 3, goals 5, CD games 3, goals 3 Form has been indifferent but he has his chance now. 17. Sam Frost MFC games 5, goals 0 Came back from some pre season injury worries as a much improved player in defence. 18. Jake Melksham MFC games 6, goals 0, CD games 1, goals 1 Had some good moments but found himself down at Casey where he earned a suspension after playing a blinder. 19. Mitch Hannan MFC games 7, goals 7 Has been good in his debut year at the club. 20. Colin Garland Suffered an ACL injury before the start of the season. Sidelined for 2017. 21. Cameron Pedersen MFC games 3, goals 5, CD games 2, goals 3 Working hard against tough odds and taller opposition as a fill in ruckman/forward. 22. Aaron Vandenberg Yet to take the field during the regular season due to a heel injury. 23. Bernie Vince MFC games 7, goals 1 Played a great tagging role in recent weeks and was terrific on Rory Sloane. 24. Jay Kennedy-Harris MFC games 3, goals 0, CD games 2, goals 1 Didn't do enough to impress in his three match stint after a long period out through injuries. 25. Tom McDonald MFC games 8, goals 4 Strong leader in defence who has also gone forward and played on the ball during the club's ruck crisis. 26. Sam Weideman MFC games 5, goals 3, CD games 1, goals 0 Was strong in the tackling department against Adelaide but needs to impose himself more as a tall forward. 27. Liam Hulett CD games 2, goals 0, CD DL games 1, goals 0 Struggling at the moment at Casey after missing part of the pre season. 28. Oscar McDonald MFC games 6, goals 0, CD games 2, goals 0 His form was patchy early but has come back strongly after a stint with the Casey Demons. 29. Jayden Hunt MFC games 8, goals 4 Having a wonderful season highlighted by his blistering pace, adventurous running and athleticism. 30. Alex Neal-Bullen MFC games 6, goals 3, CD games 1, goals 1 Had is moments this year and is on the fringe at the moment. 32. Tomas Bugg MFC games 4, goals 2, CD games 1, goals 5 Working his way into a regular spot in the Demon line up. 33. Jake Spencer MFC games 2, goals 0 Waited a long time to get an opportunity at AFL level but suffered a shoulder injury in just his second game back. 34. Mitch King CD games 4, goals 0 King is a developing player coming back from an ACL and is being given time at Casey. 35. Ben Kennedy CD games 5, goals 2 Struggling to gain a spot at Melbourne, Kennedy has been working on his game down at Casey. 36. Jeff Garlett MFC games 8, goals 20 Dangerous forward having a terrific season and finally gaining recognition for the value of his role to the team. 37. Dion Johnstone CD games 5, goals 2 Speedy forward who can lay a tackle is learning the trade in the VFL. 38. Tim Smith ® MFC games 2, goals 1, CD games 1 goals 0 Unlucky to suffer a broken rib in his second game. 39. Neville Jetta MFC games 8, goals 2 Steady as a rock playing the small defender's role. 40. Patrick McKenna A hamstring tear has prevented him from playing at either AFL or VFL level. Had another setback at training this week. 41. Mitchell White ® CD games 4, goals 1 Working hard as a defender at Casey but missed last week. 42. Josh Wagner MFC games 2, goals 0, CD games 1, goals 0 Had some injury woes in the pre season but has come back into the team and slotted in well in defence. 43. James Harmes MFC games 4, goals 3, CD games 3, goals 0 Lost his place in the Melbourne team but bounced back with a strong performance at Casey last week. 44. Joel Smith ® MFC games 1, goals 0 Was going along nicely in defence on debut when he suffered an injured shoulder and will miss at least the rest of the first half of the season. 45. Declan Keilty ® CD games 5, goals 3 Rookie spare parts man getting experience as a back up ruckman with key position roles in the VFL. 47. Lachlan Filipovic ® CD DL games 4, goals 0 Project ruckman getting game time in the Development League with the Casey Demons. 48. Corey Maynard ® CD games 4, goals 1 Was coming along nicely performing better than expected and getting plenty of the ball as a midfielder at Casey when he suffered a big hit and will miss his second game this week as a result.

TO THE SWORD by The Oracle There was a time when a seven goal first quarter haul against the Demons would be enough to spell doom and disaster - a defeat of in excess of ten goals and perhaps more than 100 points. Similarly, if the skipper failed to get his hands on ball for an effective disposal in the first quarter. That is what happened to Melbourne against North Melbourne in their Round 19 game - it simply was not in the contest in the opening term and trailed by 28 points conceding nine scoring shots to one (a goal to Chris Dawes) by time on. Viv Michie then missed everything from 35 metres out and a lucky 50 metre penalty and goal to Jesse Hogan temporarily provided some respite but by the first break they were staring down the barrel and 34 points in arrears. Little wonder that four years have passed since Melbourne won consecutive games of football or that it holds the AFL's current longest losing streak against another club, namely 14 on end to the Shinboners! From the opening, the Demons struggled to hold the little men of the opposition - Lindsay Thomas kicked the first and the last goal of the quarter and scored five for the day which was virtually the difference between the teams in the end, Robin Nahas seemingly revived his career for the nth time against Melbourne and Boomer was Boomer. What the Demons did next only partly atoned for their weak opening but they, at least showed a capacity to fight back and if the rumours of an illness having swept the club during the week went true and provided a genuine excuse for that weakness, then the comeback was even more meritorious. Max Gawn came back from a bit of an early spanking at the hands of the AFL's leading ruckman to provide an interesting match up and Dom Tyson produced his best game after a stellar 2014 but a lacklustre 2015 season to date. Jack Viney underlined his improvement beyond expectations and these contributions were invaluable at a time when the club's prime midfield movers in Nathan Jones and Bernie Vince were well down on their recent form. Then of course, the two key forwards hit the target and thanks to Chris Dawes playing his best for the season and Jesse Hogan continuing his pathway to the top as a power forward (he's not there yet but how many 20 year olds in their first year can boast such impressive KPI's?), the game turned. By half time, they were three goals down and at various times in the third quarter the margin was only two points but they could never get in front and that goal on the siren to Brown which gave North a 10 point lead really hurt. However, the thing that hurts a team really badly are the brain fades like the kick off by Jack Watts who is having his best season to date that hit an opponent or the dropped mark by Jeff Garlett only 35 metres out from goal. Those costly errors at crucial times can kill you and their likes did exactly that. The great fightback was cruelled by costly errors and the Roos needed only a few minutes in the final stanza to put the Demons to the sword and effectively snuff out the fightback. The end result - a 35 point defeat - was disappointing but will be far worse if the team fails to learn the lesson of a slow start and those lapses of concentration that can turn momentum of a game. Melbourne 2.0.12 6.4.40 11.6.72 14.8.92 North Melbourne 7.4.46 9.4.58 12.10.82 19.13.127 Goals Melbourne Hogan 4 Dawes 3 Brayshaw Gawn Garlett N Jones Neal-Bullen J Viney J Watts North Melbourne Thomas 5 Waite 3 Brown Harvey Higgins Nahas 2 Cunnington Jacobs Petrie Best Melbourne Hogan Dawes Viney Tyson Cross T McDonald North Melbourne Higgins Goldstein Cunnington Thomas Jacobs Waite Changes Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Injuries Melbourne Howe (ankle) North Melbourne Brown (corked calf) Reports Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Substitutions Melbourne North Melbourne Umpires Shane McInerney Andrew Stephens Leigh Fisher Official Crowd 30,695 at MCG

Cast those votes please ...

There was a time when a seven goal first quarter haul against the Demons would be enough to spell doom and disaster - a defeat of in excess of ten goals and perhaps more than 100 points. Similarly, if the skipper failed to get his hands on ball for an effective disposal in the first quarter. That is what happened to Melbourne against North Melbourne in their Round 19 game - it simply was not in the contest in the opening term and trailed by 28 points conceding nine scoring shots to one (a goal to Chris Dawes) by time on. Viv Michie then missed everything from 35 metres out and a lucky 50 metre penalty and goal to Jesse Hogan temporarily provided some respite but by the first break they were staring down the barrel and 34 points in arrears. Little wonder that four years have passed since Melbourne won consecutive games of football or that it holds the AFL's current longest losing streak against another club, namely 14 on end to the Shinboners! From the opening, the Demons struggled to hold the little men of the opposition - Lindsay Thomas kicked the first and the last goal of the quarter and scored five for the day which was virtually the difference between the teams in the end, Robin Nahas seemingly revived his career for the nth time against Melbourne and Boomer was Boomer. What the Demons did next only partly atoned for their weak opening but they, at least showed a capacity to fight back and if the rumours of an illness having swept the club during the week went true and provided a genuine excuse for that weakness, then the comeback was even more meritorious. Max Gawn came back from a bit of an early spanking at the hands of the AFL's leading ruckman to provide an interesting match up and Dom Tyson produced his best game after a stellar 2014 but a lacklustre 2015 season to date. Jack Viney underlined his improvement beyond expectations and these contributions were invaluable at a time when the club's prime midfield movers in Nathan Jones and Bernie Vince were well down on their recent form. Then of course, the two key forwards hit the target and thanks to Chris Dawes playing his best for the season and Jesse Hogan continuing his pathway to the top as a power forward (he's not there yet but how many 20 year olds in their first year can boast such impressive KPI's?), the game turned. By half time, they were three goals down and at various times in the third quarter the margin was only two points but they could never get in front and that goal on the siren to Brown which gave North a 10 point lead really hurt. However, the thing that hurts a team really badly are the brain fades like the kick off by Jack Watts who is having his best season to date that hit an opponent or the dropped mark by Jeff Garlett only 35 metres out from goal. Those costly errors at crucial times can kill you and their likes did exactly that. The great fightback was cruelled by costly errors and the Roos needed only a few minutes in the final stanza to put the Demons to the sword and effectively snuff out the fightback. The end result - a 35 point defeat - was disappointing but will be far worse if the team fails to learn the lesson of a slow start and those lapses of concentration that can turn momentum of a game. Melbourne 2.0.12 6.4.40 11.6.72 14.8.92 North Melbourne 7.4.46 9.4.58 12.10.82 19.13.127 Goals Melbourne Hogan 4 Dawes 3 Brayshaw Gawn Garlett N Jones Neal-Bullen J Viney J Watts North Melbourne Thomas 5 Waite 3 Brown Harvey Higgins Nahas 2 Cunnington Jacobs Petrie Best Melbourne Hogan Dawes Viney Tyson Cross T McDonald North Melbourne Higgins Goldstein Cunnington Thomas Jacobs Waite Changes Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Injuries Melbourne Howe (ankle) North Melbourne Brown (corked calf) Reports Melbourne Nil North Melbourne Nil Substitutions Melbourne North Melbourne Umpires Shane McInerney Andrew Stephens Leigh Fisher Official Crowd 30,695 at MCG

Get up boys, it's unlikely but who knows ... we need Hogan to kick a bag which is entirely possible, I'm excited to watch them after last week ... keeping in mind that after the way we played last week not to expect too much this week ... come on dees:-)