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For the second week in a row, the Demons had to endure some particularly oppressive match conditions — this time, playing in 30 degree temperatures at the MCG, following the humid sticky Sydney atmosphere of last week. The warmer conditions didn’t seem to worry the Dee’s since the ball was so much easier to handle, and handle it with surety they did in handing out a 45 point drubbing to the much fancied Western Bulldogs. After a slow start that saw the Dogs out to a 14 point lead early in the opening quarter, the gears of the Demon machine clicked into action and by quarter time the margin was a solitary point in favour of the Demons. The initial bite of the Dogs was cauterized by the relentless Melbourne defence led by Steven May, who finished the match with 25 disposals, 13 marks and 607 metres gained. The Demon defender handed out another drubbing to an opposition full forward, this time in Aaron Naughton who could only manage six disposals and a single mark. It’s a good thing for him that he recently was signed up for the next eight years, otherwise, based on that performance, he might well be standing in line at Centrelink come Monday morning. For Melbourne, the game also saw the return of Tom McDonald to the backline. Whether through necessity or rejuvenation, it was a delight to see him at his best following what has essentially been two years away from the game with continuous injuries of some sort or another. His 18 touches including eight telling interceptions and ten marks, helped to make the backline virtually impenetrable. Jake Lever of course, chipped in with ten intercepts and Trent Rivers did likewise. And to top it all off, Marty Hore returned from an even longer break (1,667 days to be exact) away from the AFL and cemented a spot in the future for himself, more than ably filling the gap left by Jake Bowey’s injury last week. Oh, and second gamer, Blake Howes finished with 16 disposals, while another youngster in Judd McVee finished with 20 touches. It was remarkable that the Dogs scored at all, given their much vaunted talls structure in front of goal. Up forward, the Demons witnessed another Lazarus-like performance from Ben Brown, who has been on the injured or rehab list for the best part of two years as well. While not dominant, despite two goals, he just doesn’t get any shorter during the game, and on a number of occasions brought the ball to ground to advantage the smalls. Not surprisingly Kade Chandler kicked three goals, Alex Neal-Bullen and Kozzy Pickett pressed home two apiece with and Jack Billings and Christian Salem also took advantage of the big man’s presence. Equally as important was that Brown took the pressure off young Jacob van Rooyen who had to double up in the ruck role again. And BBB’s three contested marks out of six were truly telling for the side, just when needed. Bayley Fritsch unfortunately had a “mare” of a game, and seemed right off the pace when he has been so reliable with both marking and kicking in the past. Hopefully, this is just a blip, but maybe someone who played at Coldstream and Casey in the winter doesn’t adapt well to the hotter conditions that were witnessed in this match. So with the forward structure back to something dangerous, the calls about “bombing” or “lowering of eyes” seem so meaningless now. The battle of the mids in all honesty was a draw between the two sides. Bontempelli, Liberatore, Treloar and English v Petracca, Oliver, Viney and Gawn. Just about all the statistics were matched, although Max had a slight advantage in the ruck contests and marking. Not really unexpected, as the Bulldogs’ midfield is seriously good, but they are nearly totally dependent upon that quartet of players to generate wins for the team. Melbourne learned the lessons from last week about the interchanges, and managed Max much more favourably in this game. Likewise the other mids, who with Salem now playing time in the middle, just gave more options and breaks in the hot conditions. When English and Bontempelli had their break in the final quarter, and Max and Oliver came back in, the Demons just took over and finished with six majors for the quarter, handing out the drubbing that had been long coming. It was good to get the win on the board for the Dee’s, just to level the ledger. The up and coming Hawks next week will provide a challenge, but theirs is all based on the enthusiasm of youth. But with the structures that Melbourne put into place today, they will be squeezed until they break, providing they are not given too much rub of the green to start with. Without that, the Hawks will also face a Dee-rubbing. MELBOURNE 4.4.28 8.5.53 10.8.68 16.13.109 WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.3.27 6.5.41 7.7.49 9.10.64 GOALS MELBOURNE Chandler van Rooyen 3 Brown Neal-Bullen Pickett 2 Billings Petracca Salem Viney WESTERN BULLDOGS Ugle-Hagan 2 Bontempelli Bramble Gallagher Lobb Naughton Weightman West BEST MELBOURNE Oliver Gawn May Billings Petracca Chandler WESTERN BULLDOGS Bontempelli Liberatore Treloar English Johannisen INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil WESTERN BULLDOGS Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Taj Woewodin (replaced Caleb Windsor in the fourth quarter) WESTERN BULLDOGS Caleb Daniel (replaced Ryley Sanders in the third quarter) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil WESTERN BULLDOGS Nil UMPIRES Hayden Gavine Robert Findlay Nathan Toner Andrew Adair OFFICIAL CROWD 44,100 at The MCG

Melbourne’s performance in losing its Round Zero contest in Sydney has certainly caused the club, the coach and the players to come firmly under the watchful eye of the football world and exposed all of its aspects to a microscopic lens. Much of the commentary surrounding them has been less than complimentary and, while some might argue that this is unfair after only one round, leaving aside some of the scuttlebutt that surrounds a lot of the discussion around the game, a fair amount of the criticism has been deserved. That is the nature of the game. The Demons went into the match in Sydney without any apparent understanding of the conditions in which it was to be played. The ground and the ball turned out to be so slippery that, at times, the players appeared to be playing with bars of soap. The overuse of handball and poor skills compounded the lack of momentum and forward movement. Turnovers were costly and connection into an already crowded forward line was almost non-existent. Ed Langdon’s goal after the half time siren, barely made the scoreline of one major from 29 forward 50 entries up until then look any better. Even though the Swans managed only a single scoring shot in the second quarter, they were in front at half time, a factor that proved conclusive by the end. As a few of the other teams discovered in playing games at a relatively early stage in their preparation for the season ahead, the Demons ran themselves too hard early for the lack of reward and were found wanting in the final quarter - something we have not been used to from Melbourne teams in recent seasons. So, the Melbourne selectors go into the game this week with the mission of turning their game around and in doing so, they need to address every area of the ground. The defence is the only area that needs only a minor rejig in the absence of the injured Jake Bowey. The forward line will gain an instant boost with Kozzie Pickett’s return - he will not only make the attack more dangerous but as he showed in the practice matches, he can also go into the middle and cause some havoc. We know that as much as Max Gawn is a superhuman ruckman, he can’t do it all on his own and therefore needs more support in the ruck and from the teammates surrounding him. This is especially so against a talented ruck foe like Tim English who will have plenty of support from the Bulldog talls. Melbourne’s other main task is to subdue the influence of Marcus Bontempelli who many judges claim to be the best in the business. I was thinking of calling this a line ball game but if my theory about teams not being well enough prepared for a season from the get-go is correct, then the Dogs might struggle against a team that has played a hard game of football followed by a full week and more to reflect on getting better. I think it will be close, but the Demons will end up with the cigar and win by four points. THE GAME Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at The MCG Sunday 17 March 2024 at 1.00 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 91 wins Western Bulldogs 79 wins 1 draw At The MCG Melbourne 48 wins Western Bulldogs 29 wins Last Five Meetings Melbourne 3 wins Western Bulldogs 2 wins The Coaches Goodwin 7 wins Beveridge 4 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 17.13.115 defeated Western Bulldogs 9.11.65 at The MCG in Round 1, 2023 Melbourne was primed to overcome the disappointment of the previous season’s straight sets finals demise and it did so emphatically with total control of the game. Ben Brown and Pickett booted four goals apiece and, but for Kozzie’s over exuberant hit on Bailey Smith, it might have been the perfect start to a season. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B T. Rivers, S. May, J. Lever HB J. McVee, B. Howes, M. Hore C E. Langdon, C. Petracca, C. Windsor HF T. Sparrow, J. Van Rooyen, K. Pickett F A. Neal-Bullen, B. Fritsch, K. Chandler FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, C. Oliver I/C J. Billings. B. Brown, T. McDonald, C. Salem, T. Woewodin EMG T. Fullarton, B. Laurie, K. Tholstrup IN B. Brown, M. Hore, T. McDonald, K. Pickett SUB T. Woewodin 
OUT J. Bowey (collarbone), J. Schache (omitted), B. Laurie (omitted), C. Spargo (Achilles), A. Tomlinson (omitted) WESTERN BULLDOGS B L. Bramble, L. Jones, N. Coffield HB E. Richards, B. Khamis, B. Dale C J. Harmes, A. Treloar, H. Gallagher HF R. Sanders, R. Lobb, C. Weightman F R. West, A. Naughton, J. Ugle-Hagan FOLL T. English, M. Bontempelli, T. Liberatore 
I/C J. Johannisen, L. McNeil, L. Vandermeer, B. Williams SUB C. Daniel EMG O. Baker, S. Darcy, J. O'Donnell NEW Ryley Sanders (Sandringham Dragons), Lachlan Bramble (Hawthorn), Nick Coffield (St Kilda), Harvey Gallagher (Bendigo Pioneers), James Harmes (Melbourne) Injury and Suspension List: Round 1 Harrison Petty — toe/ test Lachie Hunter — calf/ 2 - 3 weeks Daniel Turner — hip/ 6 - 7 weeks Jake Bowey — shoulder/ 8 weeks Shane McAdam — hamstring/ TBC Jake Melksham — knee/ TBC Joel Smith — suspended/ TBC

With momentum swings favouring one team and then the other in this the opening match of the season, fans could be forgiven for thinking they were watching a replay of the 2021 GF. The Demons opened the first quarter with some simply scintillating football, and the Dogs were powerless to stop the accuracy and run, as Melbourne gained the momentum upper hand. Then, sure enough, courtesy of some appalling umpiring decisions, the momentum swung the other way. Joel Smith was adjudicated to have made front on contact when there was none. Ed Langdon was said to not have sufficient intent at keeping the ball in play, even though he only gained possession on the boundary line itself. Both failings resulted in Bulldog goals, and they were on their way. In fact, it was the start of an 8 goal streak and coming back from a 15 point deficit, and after opening the margin to 22 the half time score saw them leading by 9 … Sounds familiar? The avalanche of Bulldog goals was considerably aided by the Demons defence taking time to reset after an early injury to Christian Salem. The defenders were already undermanned from the GF side with the absence of Lever, Hibberd and Rivers, and while Tomlinson and Smith more than filled in the gaps, the coaches were forced to move TMac down back. Especially as Naughton kept taking mark after mark particularly up the field and finishing his efforts with 3 goals in that 8 goal run. This then had the double effect of robbing Peter to pay Paul, since the forward line was now deprived of a big running target, and BBB was forced to often play on 2 or 3 defenders. When the dust settled after half time and the defensive structures had been rebuilt, the momentum swung again. In the third quarter the Dogs managed a paltry 2 points from 15 entries, while the Demons piled on 4 goals to regain the lead. The ¾ time break saw the differential at 15 points, and another momentum swing was on the cards … but not if the precedent of the GF was to be followed… and in the end, it was. The only difference was that this time the Demons failed to put the Sherrin through the big sticks with every foray forward. Sparrow, Jackson, Bedford, ANB and Fritsch all had shots either side of the ¾ time bell to record majors from either set shots or easy options in the open. Were those successful, the final margin would have blown out to over 10 goals ... in a repeat of the GF scoreline. But it was not to be and the Melbourne fans had to be satisfied with a 26 point winning margin to open their season account. The media are now going ballistic with the performance of Luke Beveridge at his post match press conference - rightly so as his claims were unfounded. Hunter obviously was not at peak fitness, with only 13 touches in the game. Last minute changes with him either in or out was witnessed right up to thirty minutes before the game. But their situation was perhaps more dire than publically admitted, as Bontempelli managed only 17 disposals and Liberatore 14. More tellingly, both these players, their best mids, were rarely sighted in the middle at bounces during the game. Similarly, Johannisen similarly was in then out alongside Martin. There is far more going on behind the scenes at the Kennel, and a diversionary tactic by the coach at the press conference post match possibility aided in avoiding further probing questions. For Melbourne, a substantial win with half the Premiership backline missing and a number of players well below their best was pleasing. With a 10 day break to the next game against the Suns, there is a good chance that it will be able to put a much stronger side on the paddock. What the fans can now expect is not a repeat of the Déjà vu that Melbourne teams of recent years would serve up - win the hard one then lose the easy follow up. This is a side with a coach who has instilled a winning culture, and players who are fighting to retain or gain a spot, not being gifted it week after week. MELBOURNE 4.5.29 6.6.42 10.8.68 14.13.97 WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.2.14 8.3.51 8.5.53 11.5.71 GOALS MELBOURNE Brown 3 Fritsch Petracca 2 Bowey Gawn Harmes Jackson Langdon Pickett Viney WESTERN BULLDOGS Naughton 4 Treloar 2 Bontempelli Crozier Dale Hannan Weightman BEST MELBOURNE Petracca Brown Oliver Viney Langdon Brayshaw WESTERN BULLDOGS Macrae Naughton B Smith Dunkley Dale Treloar INJURIES MELBOURNE Lever (foot) replaced in selected side by Tomlinson, Salem (knee) WESTERN BULLDOGS Martin (omitted) replaced in selected side by Gardner, Johannisen (leg soreness) replaced in selected side by Crozier REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil WESTERN BULLDOGS Nil SUBSTITUTES MELBOURNE Bedford (replaced Salem) WESTERN BULLDOGS Ugle-Hagan (unused) UMPIRES Howorth Findlay Mollison CROWD 58,002 at The MCG

From the moment the Melbourne team decided to celebrate its 2021 AFL Grand Final premiership victory with the same song the Bulldogs sang after their Preliminary Final win over Port Adelaide, it was game on. Legend has it that the losers were so incensed at what they considered a sleight on their character as footballers that the teams almost came to blows at a Perth nightclub just days after the premiership decider. As an interested observer of human nature, I was intrigued about how far the game had come in the 57 years since the Demons had won their last flag. Back then the Magpies dealt with a grand final defeat in the traditional way of getting sloshed and returning to work on Monday a little worse for wear but otherwise getting on with life. On the other hand, the Doggies have done it hard and never forgot the alleged theft of their favourite song. They’re champing at the bit and clamouring for revenge which makes Wednesday night’s opening round rematch at the MCG a little bit of a danger game for Melbourne. Melbourne supporters have continued to celebrate in various ways ranging from a month or two’s stint in a Perth prison to nightly replays, hoisting red and blue flags over their balconies and turning up at the G in December to lift up the premiership cup, the Western Bulldogs fans, their players and coach have been seething in silence, plotting their revenge. While coach Luke Beveridge claimed that he wouldn’t use that nightclub incident to motivate his group before the season opener, it keeps coming up whenever the game comes under discussion. The pity for them is that they showed more fight on the dance room floor than on the grass of Optus Stadium because the trauma has lived on rent free in their minds for far too long after the event. And the news for the Bulldogs is that come Wednesday night, it’s going to be the same old song (but with a different meaning since the premiership’s been gone). The reason is that games of football are rarely based on emotion these days but on ability and talent. The Demons look set to go into the game with a couple of solid defenders missing through injury in Harry Petty and Trent Rivers but they look to have the depth to replace them. The main battle will be fought as usual in the midfield where the memory of the dominance of Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney, assisted in the ruck by skipper Max Gawn and Luke Jackson has managed to haunt the Bulldogs throughout the summer. Their own midfield, led by Marcus Bontempelli, is pretty, pretty good but it won’t be enough to cover the chinks in their armour elsewhere around the ground. The only thing that will hurt the Demons is their own hubris and the boneheadedness that blighted them in the pre season Challenge Cup when they decided to take on the umpires and gave away well over half a kilometre of territory through their own stupidity. On Wednesday night, it will be a case of back to earth, the unfurling of a long-awaited and well earned premiership flag and back to business on the home turf of the MCG. Melbourne to win by 19 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at The MCG, Wednesday March 16, 2022 at 7.10 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 90 wins 1 draw Western Bulldogs 78 wins At The MCG Melbourne 46 wins Western Bulldogs 29 wins Last Five Meetings Melbourne 3 wins Western Bulldogs 2 wins The Coaches Goodwin 5 wins Beveridge 3wins MEDIA TV live and on demand on Kayo and live on the Seven Network and Foxtel. Check your local guides. Radio - check your local guides. THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 21.14.140 defeated Western Bulldogs 10.6.66 at Optus Stadium in the 2021 Grand Final One of the club’s most famous victories. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: J.Smith 44 S.May 1 C.Salem 3 HB: J.Bowey 17 A. Tomlinson 20 J.Harmes 4 C: A.Brayshaw 10 C.Oliver 13 E.Langdon 15 HF: C.Spargo 9 T.McDonald 25 A.Neal-Bullen 30 F: J.Viney 7 B.Brown 50 B.Fritsch 31 Foll: M.Gawn - C 11 C.Petracca 5 T.Sparrow 32 I/C: L.Jackson 6 J.Jordon 23 J.Hunt 29 K.Pickett 36 Sub: T.Bedford 12 Emerg: S.Weideman 26 L.Dunstan 27 WESTERN BULLDOGS B: E.Richards 20 A.Keath 42 B.Williams 34 HB: C.Daniel 35 Z.Cordy 12 B.Dale 31 C: B.Smith 6 J.Dunkley 5 R. Gardner 43 HF: C.Weightman 19 J.Schache 13 A.Treloar 1 F: L.Vandermeer 23 A.Naughton 33 L. Hunter 7 Foll: T.English 44 J.Macrae 11 M.Bontempelli - C 4 I/C: H. Crozier 9 T.Liberatore 21 M.Hannan 29 R.Smith 37 Sub: J. Ugle-Hagan 2 Emerg: S. Martin 8 R.McComb 27 J. Lever came out of Melbourne’s and J. Johannisen came out of the Western Bulldogs’ team - injured. Injury List: Round 1 Michael Hibberd (calf) — Round 2 Jake Lever (ruptured plantar fascia) — Round 2/3 Harry Petty (knee) — Round 3/4 Trent Rivers (knee) — Round 3/4

When an AFL Grand Final approaches, supporters look for omens to help them foresee how their team will fare in the contest. Melbourne supporters were, until just before Saturday’s opening bounce, the best in the business at looking for positives to give them hope and direction - a natural feeling after 57 years in the wilderness. So when the Bulldogs’ streamers kept slipping from the handle of the Premiership Cup as Glen Jackovich delivered it to Optus Stadium, they wondered whether it would it prove to be something of a portent? This was a Melbourne side that had steamrolled through the 2021 season. Like the Western Bulldogs, they were constantly in the top 4 or 5 teams, so this promised to be a match of two equals. This was to be a match up between the two best sides of the season, especially given that both had comprehensively demolished their opposition in the Preliminary Finals. The opening quarter proved to be everything that was promised. The Demons came out firing, having settled early and concentrated on winning the football and using it well. Heavy hits from Steven May and Christian Salem sent the message to the team and the opposition that Melbourne was serious and not suffering any stage fright. With 60,000 screaming spectators in a vast Colosseum the atmosphere was electric, and for a side with 8 or 9 players under 21 years of age (a couple had played only a handful of games) this message sent by the leaders of the club was critical. The Bulldogs faltered against the early Melbourne onslaught, and found themselves three goals down at the first change. The Demon fans were feeling a little less anxious but with four goals from nine shots at goal, they were aware from experience how costly such inaccuracy could prove to be at the end of the day. The second quarter saw a complete change in momentum over the game. The Bulldogs responded with a few positional changes and, led by Treloar and Bontempelli, they started to get their hands on the ball. Suddenly, things weren’t going the way of the Demons and even the goal umpire adjudged a Max Gawn major to have gone to the other side of the post. The Bulldogs piled on six goals and, at the major break they led the game by eight points. The Doggies’ momentum continued after a miss from Bayley Fritsch, with the first two majors of the second half coming courtesy of Johannisen and Bontempelli. With a lead of 19 points mid-way through the “Premiership Quarter”, the Bulldogs appeared headed for a second flag in five years. But anyone who thought that way hadn’t taken into account the resilience of this Melbourne side and its capacity to overcome adversity as it has in similar situations through the year. Angus Brayshaw was throwing himself at contests to firstly deny almost certain Bulldogs’ goals. In the middle, Luke Jackson suddenly blew away his opposition ruck division, already softened up by Max Gawn. When Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney started to get the ball forward, Bayley Fritsch made full use of the opportunity and put through two majors in the space of 30 seconds. Ben Brown duly followed with Brayshaw again throwing everything he had to mark the ball and then goal to put the Demons in front. Petracca then followed up with an audacious dribbling kick from the boundary and the Demons had stamped their authority on the game with a seven goal quarter. Suddenly, they were ahead by four goals with a quarter of football left for the year. The game was by no means over. After all, the Demons held a similar lead at the first break but what many didn’t know was the extent to which this 17 minute patch of excellence had demoralized the Bulldogs. A fair measure of the credit needs to go to the Melbourne fitness staff. The Demons remained full of run, while Bulldogs players who had dominated in the first half, simply were unsighted in the second. What followed was a rout of the opposition with the previously inaccurate Demons putting through and incredible 9 goals 3 behinds in the final quarter. They must have been thinking about their fans back home and also helping to cure the fear of failure they had developed over the years, by taking away any hint of anxiety about the result long before the final bell. And so, the 2021 Season culminated in the end of the drought and a long sought-after Melbourne Premiership. Christian Petracca was awarded the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground, and Simon Goodwin and Max Gawn lifted the Premiership Cup to the accolades of the crowd. By this time, the Bulldogs streamers had truly fallen away leaving only the red and navy blue colours draped over its handles. There are and will be many stories to tell, and much more to tell of the credits due to individual players. Not for this space since it could lead to a War and Peace type production, and in any case I need to head back to the replay to enjoy this again and again. For the first time ever, Melbourne supporters have full colour video vision of their side winning a Premiership to be enjoyed forever. The grand old flag is flying again. MELBOURNE 4.5.29 5.9.39 12.11.83 21.14.140 WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.2.8 7.5.47 9.5.59 10.6.66 GOALS Melbourne Fritsch 6 Brown 3 McDonald Petracca 2 Brayshaw Jackson Langdon Neal-Bullen Oliver Salem Spargo Sparrow Western Bulldogs Bontempelli Treloar 3 Hunter Johannisen Naughton R Smith BEST Melbourne Petracca Fritsch Oliver Brayshaw Salem Gawn Jackson Western Bulldogs Bontempelli Daniel B Smith Treloar Macrae, Liberatore Dale INJURIES Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil REPORTS Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil SUBSTITUTES Melbourne J Jordon (unused) Western Bulldogs L. Vandermeer (unused) UMPIRES Jacob Mollison Matt Stevic Brett Rosebury Official Crowd 61,118 at Optus Stadium NORM SMITH MEDAL VOTING 15. Christian Petracca (Melbourne) - 33333 10. Bayley Fritsch (Melbourne) - 22222 3. Clayton Oliver (Melbourne) - 111 1. Christian Salem (Melbourne) - 1 1. Caleb Daniel (Western Bulldogs) - 1 Voting Luke Hodge (Chair) – C Petracca, B Fritsch, C Oliver Harry Taylor – C Petracca, B Fritsch, C Salem Tania Armstrong – C Petracca, B Fritsch, C Oliver Andrew Krakouer – C Petracca, B Fritsch, C Daniel Callum Twomey – C Petracca, B Fritsch, C Oliver

The gap in time between their last meeting and the 2021 Grand Final will be 2 months and a day. The Demons have to make up 20 points (plus 1) to win the flag. MELBOURNE B: C. Salem 3 S. May 1 H. Petty 35 HB: M. Hibberd 14 J. Lever 8 T. Rivers 24 C: J. Jordon 23 C. Petracca 5 E. Langdon 15 HF: B. Fritsch 31 T. McDonald 25 A. Neal-Bullen 30 F: C. Spargo 9 B. Brown 50 K. Pickett 36 Foll: M. Gawn 11 C. Oliver 13 J. Viney 7 I/C: A. Brayshaw 10 J. Harmes 4 J. Hunt 29 L. Jackson 6 Sub: T. Sparrow 32 Emerg: T. Bedford 12 J. Smith 44 S. Weideman 26 In: J. Harmes Out: A. vandenBerg WESTERN BULLDOGS B: E. Richards 20 A. Keath 42 B. Williams 34 HB: T. Duryea 15 Z. Cordy 12 B. Dale 31 C: J. Macrae 11 B. Smith 6 C. Daniel 35 HF: R. Garcia 38 A. Naughton 33 C. Weightman 19 F: J. Ugle-Hagan J. Bruce 17 L. Hunter 7 Foll: T. English 44 T. Liberatore 21. M. Bontempelli 4 I/C: M. Hannan 29 J. Johannisen 39 J. Schache 13 R. Smith 37 Sub: A. Scott 28 Emerg: H. Crozier 9 L. McNeil 30 L. Young 2 In: M.Hannan T.Liberatore J.Schache Out: H.Crozier (omitted) J. Dunkley (isolating) L.McNeil (omitted)

Any else confused? THE TEAMS WESTERN BULLDOGS B: T. Duryea 15 A. Keath 42 H. Crozier 9 HB: B. Williams 34 Z. Cordy 12 C. Daniel 35 C: B. Dale 31 T. Liberatore 21 J. Johannisen 39 HF: L. Hunter 7 J. Bruce 17 C. Weightman 19 F: T. English 44 A. Naughton 33 M. Bontempelli 4 Foll: J. Sweet 41 J. Macrae 11 B. Smith 6 I/C: R. Garcia 38 P. Lipinski 27 L. McNeil 30 R. Smith 37 Sub: L. Butler 18 Emerg: R. Gardner 43 R. West 14 L. Young 2 In: T. English R Garcia P. Lipinski Out: M. Hannan (calf)A. Scott (managed) A. Treloar (ankle) MELBOURNE B: J. Hunt 29 S. May 1 J. Lever 8 HB: C. Salem 3 H. Petty 35 M. Hibberd 14 C: A. Brayshaw 10 C. Petracca 5 E. Langdon 15 HF J. Jordon 23 T. McDonald 25 J. Melksham 18 F: B. Fritsch 31 S. Weideman 26 C. Spargo 9 Foll: M. Gawn 11 C. Oliver 13 K. Pickett 36 I/C: J. Harmes 4 L. Jackson 6 A. Neal-Bullen 30 T. Rivers 24 Sub: T. Sparrow 32 Emerg: J. Bowey 17 B. Brown 50 K. Chandler 37 In: C. Salem Out: N. Jetta (omitted)

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

Fifteen minutes of football. That’s all it took for Melbourne to completely overwhelm the Bulldogs in the third quarter at the MCG yesterday after they hit the front in the opening minute of the second half. Seven successive goals and a total of eight straight for the quarter and the Doggies were reduced to a mere shadow of a team that won a premiership not even two years ago. The question is whether the Demons can now produce something similar as we near the end of season 2018? It remains to be seen as a log-jam of teams are fighting for those final spots in September, so every win is critical. The MFCSS started even before the first bounce with the news that Jack Viney had withdrawn from the side with a foot/toe injury that sounds very similar to hid situation nearing the end of last season ... great! What else could go wrong? Well, the opening quarter, in fact the opening minute was something never seen before. The Demons gained possession and handballed, retreated and went backwards towards the Bulldogs goal. Not a single opposition player touched the ball until the resultant free kick for deliberate point meaning they managed to get a kick and goal despite not having a possession! Incredible! It is any surprise Melbourne supporters suffer this dreaded syndrome? In fact the first half was a similar outcome as Melbourne continued to gift the opposition chances and goals which kept them in the game. The statistics were mounting, as the Dogs outdid the Demons in about every aspect of the game. More kicks, possessions, marks and tackles. Melbourne was falling behind in all critical areas yet held a three point margin in its favour at the main break - not enough to arrest the foreboding fears of those of us in the Outer. Then it happened. Fifteen minutes of ruthless, straight forward, no nonsense football from the Demons and it was all over. Max Gawn took complete over the ruck, driving the ball relentlessly into the waiting hands of Angus Brayshaw and Clayton Oliver. They then took it upon themselves to drive the ball long into the forward line, instead of trying to run it through the defence and it worked a treat seven times in a row - all in a 15 minute stretch. With Jesse Hogan and Tom McDonald as marking targets, the score from their boots mounted. The crumbers in Charlie Spargo and Jeff Garlett were also able to get in on the act. Another four goals in the final quarter rounded out the day nicely while the Dishlickers could only manage a single goal in the last. A fifty point margin, from only a half of football and all that in the week following the after the game in the heat and humidity of the Top End when the team is supposed to be run down and tiring toward the end of the match. But it didn’t look that way yesterday. Still, without being too negative, it is still possible to have lingering doubts about our abilities against better sides. There are too many players who are getting a game, but not contributing for the full 100 minutes. Mitch Hannan came in to replace Jack Viney, but he disappeared for long periods in the game. Jay Kennedy Harris had a shocker of a first half and Casey was beckoning again, but he redeemed himself somewhat in the second. Garlett was unsighted for long periods, but bobbed up enough to score a couple of goals, but is this sustainable? Bernie Vince was Bernie and did some good work along with some pretty ordinary work. If the team is to have a serious crack at September, then these types of players need to produce more - and produce it for the whole match. Against the likes of Richmond and others, they would get exposed in a big, big way. But the difficulty is who is knocking the door down at Casey? More of the same sort of players. The defenders did a good job again this week, with Sam Frost, Neville Jetta and Oscar McDonald proving to be solidly reliable. All repelled attacks when it all depended upon them, and nothing more can be asked of them. Michael Hibberd returned to some of his better form and Christian Salem was sublime with his delivery out of defence. But it was the mids which really excelled, with Brayshaw a standout. His 38 disposals, 16 contested and 6 clearances set the tone for the match. Oliver with 34, 17 and 5 was just behind him, but having this pair working together was a sight to behold. And given their relative youth, the future looks very bright, as they came up against serious opposition mids in McRae and Wallis, who got lots of touches, but were certainly not as effective. We mustn’t forget Bayley Fritsch who has been an absolute revelation with probably the surest pair of hands in the side in this game, including above his head and on the ground. He tops it off with silky delivery, so given this is his first season, to have reached this level is a positive accolade for the club’s recruiting and development. And now comes the hard part. Geelong and Adelaide away from home. Two sides that like us are in that mix in the bottom half of the eight, and wins are just as important to them as it is to us. Are we up to it or are our efforts a mere 15 minutes of fame and nothing more? The proof will be seen in these coming weeks, as these are exactly the sides we could face in September. Melbourne 3.4.22 6.9.45 14.9.93 18.11.119 Western Bulldogs 4.1.25 6.6.42 9.9.63 10.9.69 Goals Melbourne Hogan 4 T McDonald 3 Garlett Neal-Bullen Spargo 2 Hannan Lewis Melksham Oliver Petracca Western Bulldogs Wallis 3 Johannisen Schache 2 Hunter Lipinski McLean Best Melbourne Gawn Brayshaw Oliver Hogan Melksham Salem Western Bulldogs Macrae Wallis Hunter Dunkley Gowers Injuries Melbourne Mitch Hannan replaced Jack Viney (toe) in the selected side Western Bulldogs Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Brown Chamberlain Jeffery Official crowd 30,305 at the MCG

FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME by George on the Outer Fifteen minutes of football. That’s all it took for Melbourne to completely overwhelm the Bulldogs in the third quarter at the MCG yesterday after they hit the front in the opening minute of the second half. Seven successive goals and a total of eight straight for the quarter and the Doggies were reduced to a mere shadow of a team that won a premiership not even two years ago. The question is whether the Demons can now produce something similar as we near the end of season 2018? It remains to be seen as a log-jam of teams are fighting for those final spots in September, so every win is critical. The MFCSS started even before the first bounce with the news that Jack Viney had withdrawn from the side with a foot/toe injury that sounds very similar to hid situation nearing the end of last season ... great! What else could go wrong? Well, the opening quarter, in fact the opening minute was something never seen before. The Demons gained possession and handballed, retreated and went backwards towards the Bulldogs goal. Not a single opposition player touched the ball until the resultant free kick for deliberate point meaning they managed to get a kick and goal despite not having a possession! Incredible! It is any surprise Melbourne supporters suffer this dreaded syndrome? In fact the first half was a similar outcome as Melbourne continued to gift the opposition chances and goals which kept them in the game. The statistics were mounting, as the Dogs outdid the Demons in about every aspect of the game. More kicks, possessions, marks and tackles. Melbourne was falling behind in all critical areas yet held a three point margin in its favour at the main break - not enough to arrest the foreboding fears of those of us in the Outer. Then it happened. Fifteen minutes of ruthless, straight forward, no nonsense football from the Demons and it was all over. Max Gawn took complete over the ruck, driving the ball relentlessly into the waiting hands of Angus Brayshaw and Clayton Oliver. They then took it upon themselves to drive the ball long into the forward line, instead of trying to run it through the defence and it worked a treat seven times in a row - all in a 15 minute stretch. With Jesse Hogan and Tom McDonald as marking targets, the score from their boots mounted. The crumbers in Charlie Spargo and Jeff Garlett were also able to get in on the act. Another four goals in the final quarter rounded out the day nicely while the Dishlickers could only manage a single goal in the last. A fifty point margin, from only a half of football and all that in the week following the after the game in the heat and humidity of the Top End when the team is supposed to be run down and tiring toward the end of the match. But it didn’t look that way yesterday. Still, without being too negative, it is still possible to have lingering doubts about our abilities against better sides. There are too many players who are getting a game, but not contributing for the full 100 minutes. Mitch Hannan came in to replace Jack Viney, but he disappeared for long periods in the game. Jay Kennedy Harris had a shocker of a first half and Casey was beckoning again, but he redeemed himself somewhat in the second. Garlett was unsighted for long periods, but bobbed up enough to score a couple of goals, but is this sustainable? Bernie Vince was Bernie and did some good work along with some pretty ordinary work. If the team is to have a serious crack at September, then these types of players need to produce more - and produce it for the whole match. Against the likes of Richmond and others, they would get exposed in a big, big way. But the difficulty is who is knocking the door down at Casey? More of the same sort of players. The defenders did a good job again this week, with Sam Frost, Neville Jetta and Oscar McDonald proving to be solidly reliable. All repelled attacks when it all depended upon them, and nothing more can be asked of them. Michael Hibberd returned to some of his better form and Christian Salem was sublime with his delivery out of defence. But it was the mids which really excelled, with Brayshaw a standout. His 38 disposals, 16 contested and 6 clearances set the tone for the match. Oliver with 34, 17 and 5 was just behind him, but having this pair working together was a sight to behold. And given their relative youth, the future looks very bright, as they came up against serious opposition mids in McRae and Wallis, who got lots of touches, but were certainly not as effective. We mustn’t forget Bayley Fritsch who has been an absolute revelation with probably the surest pair of hands in the side in this game, including above his head and on the ground. He tops it off with silky delivery, so given this is his first season, to have reached this level is a positive accolade for the club’s recruiting and development. And now comes the hard part. Geelong and Adelaide away from home. Two sides that like us are in that mix in the bottom half of the eight, and wins are just as important to them as it is to us. Are we up to it or are our efforts a mere 15 minutes of fame and nothing more? The proof will be seen in these coming weeks, as these are exactly the sides we could face in September. Melbourne 3.4.22 6.9.45 14.9.93 18.11.119 Western Bulldogs 4.1.25 6.6.42 9.9.63 10.9.69 Goals Melbourne Hogan 4 T McDonald 3 Garlett Neal-Bullen Spargo 2 Hannan Lewis Melksham Oliver Petracca Western Bulldogs Wallis 3 Johannisen Schache 2 Hunter Lipinski McLean Best Melbourne Gawn Brayshaw Oliver Hogan Melksham Salem Western Bulldogs Macrae Wallis Hunter Dunkley Gowers Injuries Melbourne Mitch Hannan replaced Jack Viney (toe) in the selected side Western Bulldogs Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Brown Chamberlain Jeffery Official crowd 30,305 at the MCG

Two weeks ago they beat a finals contender, Geelong ... they cannot be taken lightly despite their injury woes.

SHALL WE OVERCOME by The Oracle Melbourne was riding high when it beat the Western Bulldogs by 49 points and won its sixth straight game just six weeks ago. At the time, the Demons were spoken of in terms of legitimate premiership contenders and finals certainties. Although, the midfield dominance they held in the previous month and a half was exposed for much of the game against the Dogs, there was very little else to suggest the mini fall from grace that was about to hit them. The Queens Birthday game could be explained away as a letdown after the highs of a six game winning run but the losses to Port Adelaide and St Kilda stung hard, particularly in view of their inability to convert from so many entries inside the fifty metre arc, a failing that continued for much of last week’s game against the injury-depleted Dockers in Darwin. The Demons face up to Luke Beveridge's team in what has to be considered another danger game. They have to overcome the complacency they showed two weeks ago against St Kilda when they gave their opponents far too much latitude after their fast start, allowing a team that had been struggling to kick ten goals a game to fight back, take control and score 18 for the day. They have to overcome the club’s overconfidence when coming to play lower ranked teams that have long injury lists. Historically, they haven’t fared well in these circumstances. They can’t even rely on the fact that they steamrolled the Bullies after half time a short six weeks ago because the game against the Saints showed how the worm can turn very quickly. And they have to overcome the post-Darwin blues that have affected their performances over the years when they played in the heat and humidity of the Top End and then had to saddle up a week later only to fall flat on their faces and exhausted due to lack of recuperative powers. The question is whether the club’s fitness gurus have learned from past history and can prepare a team with the necessary energy to play out four quarters. This team has had to live with the embarrassment of missing out on a finals berth at the end of 2017 through an inability to score just two more goals in a season of 22 games. It surely must be burning their insides. Shall we overcome? I think we can – Melbourne by 24 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at the MCG, Saturday 14 July, 2018 at 4.35pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 87 wins Western Bulldogs 76 wins 1 draw At the MCG: Melbourne 45 wins Western Bulldogs 28 wins Last Five Meetings: Melbourne 3 wins Western Bulldogs 2 wins The Coaches: Goodwin 2 wins Beveridge 0 wins MEDIA TV – Fox Footy Channel Live at 4.30pm Radio - Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 15.10.100 defeated Western Bulldogs 7.9.51 at Etihad Stadium, Round 11, 2018 The Bulldogs jumped Melbourne early but the Demons gradually reined them in and were in a solid position by half time and they coasted to their sixth win on end. The loss of Jake Lever to an ACL injury was however, a major blow to the club’s top four aspirations with last week’s win against the Dockers being its first since that victory over the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Sam Frost, Neville Jetta HB: Bernie Vince, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis ? Tom McDonald, Clayton Oliver, Nathan Jones HF: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Angus Brayshaw F: Jeff Garlett, Bayley Fritsch, Jay Kennedy Harris Foll: Max Gawn, Mitch Hannan, James Harmes I/C: Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen, Christian Salem, Charlie Spargo Emg: Cameron Pedersen, Dom Tyson, Sam Weideman In: Jay Kennedy Harris, Mitch Hannan, Bernie Vince Out: Joel Smith (hip), Billy Stretch (toe), Jack Viney (toe) WESTERN BULLDOGS B: Marcus Adams, Jackson Trengove, Roarke Smith HB: Dale Morris, Zaine Cordy, Jason Johannisen ? Patrick Lipinski, Jack Macrae, Lachie Hunter HF: Ed Richards, Josh Schache, Josh Dunkley F: Luke Dahlhaus, Aaron Naughton, Billy Gowers Foll: Jordan Roughead, Toby McLean, Mitch Wallis I/C: Shane Biggs, Caleb Daniel, Mitch Honeychurch, Brad Lynch Emg: Tom Campbell, Fergus Greene, Fletcher Roberts, Lewis Young In: Mitch Honeychurch, Jack Macrae, Jordan Roughead Out: Marcus Bontempelli (appendix), Tom Boyd (hamstring), Hayden Crozier (hamstring) WHAT’S MY NUMBER - PART 2 by Sam the Stats Man Last year, the club was hit hard by injuries to key and depth players but a study of each player’s numbers continues to confirm this is not the case in 2018. Main losses have been Jake Lever at the halfway mark and Jayden Hunt who also lost form before his ankle injury. Hunt’s pace would be handy but he faces another month on the sidelines. 1. Jesse Hogan MFC games 15, goals 36. Despite a lean patch over the past month, he showed against the Dockers that he’s getting back to his best form of the season.  2. Nathan Jones MFC games 15, goals 8. The Demon hard man and co-captain has been influential this season as he hands over the team’s main midfield mantle to the younger brigade. 3. Christian Salem MFC games 14, goals 4. His precision kicking remains a great asset whether in defence or in midfield.  4. James Harmes MFC games 15, goals 8. Continues to be one of the club’s big improvers and is spending more and more time in the midfield. 5. Christian Petracca MFC games 14, goals 10. Has recovered from his dog bite and some flat form and is showing signs that he is about to take the next big step forward. 6. Jordan Lewis MFC games 14, goals 2. Despite the occasional brain fade, he is playing a role in setting up many damaging plays from the defensive half of the ground. 7. Jack Viney MFC games 7, goals 2, CD game 1, goal 0. Returning to his best form after his long layoff with a foot injury and is inspiring with his hardness at the football. 8. Jake Lever MFC games 11, goals 0. After taking a while to settle in, the former Crow was a major factor in the club’s six game winning streak before he was brutally cut down by a second ACL tear. 9. Charlie Spargo MFC games 8, goals 7, CD games 3, goals 4. The pocket-sized dynamo has been a revelation with his maturity and work ethic. Returned refreshed after a short break at Casey. 10. Angus Brayshaw MFC games 12, goals 8, CD game 1, goal 1. Has been one of the club’s best and added some class to the midfield mix since his return earlier in the year. 11. Max Gawn MFC games 15, goals 8. Challenging for All Australian honours again with some brilliant ruck work and strong play around the ground. 12. Dom Tyson MFC games 8, goals 2, CD games 4, goals 2. Has been disappointing in recent times with two demotions to the VFL. 13. Clayton Oliver MFC games 15, goals 8. Last year’s club champion has continued where he left off and is rapidly becoming one of the competition’s best midfielders. 14. Michael Hibberd MFC games 15, goals 1. The 2017 All-Australian defender remains an important cog in the Demons’ defence. 15. Billy Stretch MFC games 2, goals 0, CD games 9, goals 6. Some strong form at Casey saw him back for the Darwin game where he acquitted himself well. Now out with a stress fracture of the toe. 16. Dean Kent MFC games 3, goals 6, CD games 2, goals 0. Just returning to form at Casey after being sidelined for several weeks with another hamstring injury. 17. Sam Frost MFC games 3, goals 0, CD games 8, goals 2. Finally staked a claim after several good performances as a tall defender with the Casey Demons. 18. Jake Melksham MFC games 15, goals 17. Has had a quiet month after a solid start to the season in medium forward role. 19. Mitch Hannan MFC games 10, goals 15, CD games 3, goals 5. A recent drop off in form has seen him dropped to VFL ranks. 20. Corey Maynard ® MFC games 1, goals 0, CD games 3, goals 2. After making the side in Round 1, he was dropped to the VFL but a hip injury has prematurely ended his season. 21. Cameron Pedersen MFC games 3, goals 2, CD games 10, goals 20. The work horse who has been used in various roles at Casey but his days at AFL level may be numbered. 22. Aaron Vandenberg. CD game 1, goal 0. Finally over his heel and ankle woes and came back strongly last week at Casey in his first game back since the end of 2016. 23. Bernie Vince MFC games 13, goal 1, CD game 1, goals 0. Fell out of favour after the team’s loss to Port Adelaide and found himself at Casey for the first time. 24. Jay Kennedy Harris CD games 12, goals 11. Working hard at Casey but has a long queue of players ahead of him. 25. Tom McDonald MFC games 10, goals 30. Made an immediate impact on his return from injury with his marking, kicking for goal and his ability to cover the ground but has been a little quiet of late. 26. Sam Weideman MFC games 5, goals 2, CD games 6, goals 15. Starting to get the odd game here and there but is still looking for that confidence boosting break out game. 27. Harley Balic CD games 10, goals 16. Still plugging away at VFL level waiting for an opening into the top echelons. 28. Oscar McDonald MFC games 15, goals 0. Had a great start to the season but found the going tougher after Lever was injured. 29. Jayden Hunt MFC games 5, goals 0, CD games 6, goals 1. His form was way down early in the piece and was unlucky to be injured late in Casey’s Queens Birthday game against the Magpies. Still looking at another month out with that ankle injury. 30. Alex Neal-Bullen MFC games 15, goals 18. The hard working small man has been quiet of late. 31. Bayley Fritsch MFC games 14, goals 15. Has played all bar one game when rested. The colt from Coldstream has exceeded all expectations as a medium sized forward with some time in the midfield. 32. Tomas Bugg MFC games 3, goals 4, CD games 10, goals 14. Had a few games early but is biding his time waiting for an opening at Casey. 33. Harrison Petty MFC game 1, goals 0, CD games 11, goals 0. The promising young key defender had a tough initiation in his one game on the MCG and, in hindsight, he probably needed more development time in the VFL. 34. Mitch King CD games 9, goals 3. An elbow injury set him back a month earlier in the season but he is not setting the world on fire as a ruckman at Casey. 35. Oskar Baker CD games 12, goals 7. The cheeky red-headed speedster must be getting close to AFL selection. 36. Jeff Garlett MFC games 6, goals 10, 1, CD games 7, goals 7. Been more cold than hot and had a long stint in the VFL this year before returning for the Fremantle game. 37. Dion Johnstone CD games 11, goal 1. Was probably on his way out before finding a niche for himself in defence at Casey. 38. Tim Smith ® MFC games 3, goals 10, CD games 6, goals 7. Has shown something at AFL level although his last game v St Kilda was below par. 39. Neville Jetta MFC games 15, goals 0. The team’s best small defender, approaching All Australian form. 40. Patrick McKenna. CD games 1, goals 0. Made it to Casey for his first game last week after being plagued by a hamstring injury since he was recruited from the Giants at the end of 2016. 42. Josh Wagner MFC games 5, goals 0, CD games 7, goal 1. After holding his place with Melbourne early in the season, he has been working hard at Casey without doing enough to satisfy the senior selectors. 44. Joel Smith MFC games 4, goals 0, CD games 7, goals 2. The spring-heeled, athletic defender got his chance at Melbourne when Jake Lever went down. Working hard to establish a place. 45. Declan Keilty ® CD games 11, goal 1. A solid contributor down back at Casey and is pushing hard for an AFL berth despite being near the end of a long queue of tall defenders. 47. Lachlan Filipovic ® CD games 10, goal 1 Slowly developing as a project ruckman but needs a big month or two before season’s end.

Melbourne was riding high when it beat the Western Bulldogs by 49 points and won its sixth straight game just six weeks ago. At the time, the Demons were spoken of in terms of legitimate premiership contenders and finals certainties. Although, the midfield dominance they held in the previous month and a half was exposed for much of the game against the Dogs, there was very little else to suggest the mini fall from grace that was about to hit them. The Queens Birthday game could be explained away as a letdown after the highs of a six game winning run but the losses to Port Adelaide and St Kilda stung hard, particularly in view of their inability to convert from so many entries inside the fifty metre arc, a failing that continued for much of last week’s game against the injury-depleted Dockers in Darwin. The Demons face up to Luke Beveridge's team in what has to be considered another danger game. They have to overcome the complacency they showed two weeks ago against St Kilda when they gave their opponents far too much latitude after their fast start, allowing a team that had been struggling to kick ten goals a game to fight back, take control and score 18 for the day. They have to overcome the club’s overconfidence when coming to play lower ranked teams that have long injury lists. Historically, they haven’t fared well in these circumstances. They can’t even rely on the fact that they steamrolled the Bullies after half time a short six weeks ago because the game against the Saints showed how the worm can turn very quickly. And they have to overcome the post-Darwin blues that have affected their performances over the years when they played in the heat and humidity of the Top End and then had to saddle up a week later only to fall flat on their faces and exhausted due to lack of recuperative powers. The question is whether the club’s fitness gurus have learned from past history and can prepare a team with the necessary energy to play out four quarters. This team has had to live with the embarrassment of missing out on a finals berth at the end of 2017 through an inability to score just two more goals in a season of 22 games. It surely must be burning their insides. Shall we overcome? I think we can – Melbourne by 24 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at the MCG, Saturday 14 July, 2018 at 4.35pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 87 wins Western Bulldogs 76 wins 1 draw At the MCG: Melbourne 45 wins Western Bulldogs 28 wins Last Five Meetings: Melbourne 3 wins Western Bulldogs 2 wins The Coaches: Goodwin 2 wins Beveridge 0 wins MEDIA TV – Fox Footy Channel Live at 4.30pm Radio - Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 15.10.100 defeated Western Bulldogs 7.9.51 at Etihad Stadium, Round 11, 2018 The Bulldogs jumped Melbourne early but the Demons gradually reined them in and were in a solid position by half time and they coasted to their sixth win on end. The loss of Jake Lever to an ACL injury was however, a major blow to the club’s top four aspirations with last week’s win against the Dockers being its first since that victory over the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Sam Frost, Neville Jetta HB: Bernie Vince, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis C : Tom McDonald, Clayton Oliver, Nathan Jones HF: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Angus Brayshaw F: Jeff Garlett, Bayley Fritsch, Jay Kennedy Harris Foll: Max Gawn, Mitch Hannan, James Harmes I/C: Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen, Christian Salem, Charlie Spargo Emg: Cameron Pedersen, Dom Tyson, Sam Weideman In: Jay Kennedy Harris, Mitch Hannan, Bernie Vince Out: Joel Smith (hip), Billy Stretch (toe), Jack Viney (toe) WESTERN BULLDOGS B: Marcus Adams, Jackson Trengove, Roarke Smith HB: Dale Morris, Zaine Cordy, Jason Johannisen C : Patrick Lipinski, Jack Macrae, Lachie Hunter HF: Ed Richards, Josh Schache, Josh Dunkley F: Luke Dahlhaus, Aaron Naughton, Billy Gowers Foll: Jordan Roughead, Toby McLean, Mitch Wallis I/C: Shane Biggs, Caleb Daniel, Mitch Honeychurch, Brad Lynch Emg: Tom Campbell, Fergus Greene, Fletcher Roberts, Lewis Young In: Mitch Honeychurch, Jack Macrae, Jordan Roughead Out: Marcus Bontempelli (appendix), Tom Boyd (hamstring), Hayden Crozier (hamstring) WHAT’S MY NUMBER - PART 2 by Sam the Stats Man Last year, the club was hit hard by injuries to key and depth players but a study of each player’s numbers continues to confirm this is not the case in 2018. Main losses have been Jake Lever at the halfway mark and Jayden Hunt who also lost form before his ankle injury. Hunt’s pace would be handy but he faces another month on the sidelines. 1. Jesse Hogan MFC games 15, goals 36. Despite a lean patch over the past month, he showed against the Dockers that he’s getting back to his best form of the season.  2. Nathan Jones MFC games 15, goals 8. The Demon hard man and co-captain has been influential this season as he hands over the team’s main midfield mantle to the younger brigade. 3. Christian Salem MFC games 14, goals 4. His precision kicking remains a great asset whether in defence or in midfield.  4. James Harmes MFC games 15, goals 8. Continues to be one of the club’s big improvers and is spending more and more time in the midfield. 5. Christian Petracca MFC games 14, goals 10. Has recovered from his dog bite and some flat form and is showing signs that he is about to take the next big step forward. 6. Jordan Lewis MFC games 14, goals 2. Despite the occasional brain fade, he is playing a role in setting up many damaging plays from the defensive half of the ground. 7. Jack Viney MFC games 7, goals 2, CD game 1, goal 0. Returning to his best form after his long layoff with a foot injury and is inspiring with his hardness at the football. 8. Jake Lever MFC games 11, goals 0. After taking a while to settle in, the former Crow was a major factor in the club’s six game winning streak before he was brutally cut down by a second ACL tear. 9. Charlie Spargo MFC games 8, goals 7, CD games 3, goals 4. The pocket-sized dynamo has been a revelation with his maturity and work ethic. Returned refreshed after a short break at Casey. 10. Angus Brayshaw MFC games 12, goals 8, CD game 1, goal 1. Has been one of the club’s best and added some class to the midfield mix since his return earlier in the year. 11. Max Gawn MFC games 15, goals 8. Challenging for All Australian honours again with some brilliant ruck work and strong play around the ground. 12. Dom Tyson MFC games 8, goals 2, CD games 4, goals 2. Has been disappointing in recent times with two demotions to the VFL. 13. Clayton Oliver MFC games 15, goals 8. Last year’s club champion has continued where he left off and is rapidly becoming one of the competition’s best midfielders. 14. Michael Hibberd MFC games 15, goals 1. The 2017 All-Australian defender remains an important cog in the Demons’ defence. 15. Billy Stretch MFC games 2, goals 0, CD games 9, goals 6. Some strong form at Casey saw him back for the Darwin game where he acquitted himself well. Now out with a stress fracture of the toe. 16. Dean Kent MFC games 3, goals 6, CD games 2, goals 0. Just returning to form at Casey after being sidelined for several weeks with another hamstring injury. 17. Sam Frost MFC games 3, goals 0, CD games 8, goals 2. Finally staked a claim after several good performances as a tall defender with the Casey Demons. 18. Jake Melksham MFC games 15, goals 17. Has had a quiet month after a solid start to the season in medium forward role. 19. Mitch Hannan MFC games 10, goals 15, CD games 3, goals 5. A recent drop off in form has seen him dropped to VFL ranks. 20. Corey Maynard ® MFC games 1, goals 0, CD games 3, goals 2. After making the side in Round 1, he was dropped to the VFL but a hip injury has prematurely ended his season. 21. Cameron Pedersen MFC games 3, goals 2, CD games 10, goals 20. The work horse who has been used in various roles at Casey but his days at AFL level may be numbered. 22. Aaron Vandenberg. CD game 1, goal 0. Finally over his heel and ankle woes and came back strongly last week at Casey in his first game back since the end of 2016. 23. Bernie Vince MFC games 13, goal 1, CD game 1, goals 0. Fell out of favour after the team’s loss to Port Adelaide and found himself at Casey for the first time. 24. Jay Kennedy Harris CD games 12, goals 11. Working hard at Casey but has a long queue of players ahead of him. 25. Tom McDonald MFC games 10, goals 30. Made an immediate impact on his return from injury with his marking, kicking for goal and his ability to cover the ground but has been a little quiet of late. 26. Sam Weideman MFC games 5, goals 2, CD games 6, goals 15. Starting to get the odd game here and there but is still looking for that confidence boosting break out game. 27. Harley Balic CD games 10, goals 16. Still plugging away at VFL level waiting for an opening into the top echelons. 28. Oscar McDonald MFC games 15, goals 0. Had a great start to the season but found the going tougher after Lever was injured. 29. Jayden Hunt MFC games 5, goals 0, CD games 6, goals 1. His form was way down early in the piece and was unlucky to be injured late in Casey’s Queens Birthday game against the Magpies. Still looking at another month out with that ankle injury. 30. Alex Neal-Bullen MFC games 15, goals 18. The hard working small man has been quiet of late. 31. Bayley Fritsch MFC games 14, goals 15. Has played all bar one game when rested. The colt from Coldstream has exceeded all expectations as a medium sized forward with some time in the midfield. 32. Tomas Bugg MFC games 3, goals 4, CD games 10, goals 14. Had a few games early but is biding his time waiting for an opening at Casey. 33. Harrison Petty MFC game 1, goals 0, CD games 11, goals 0. The promising young key defender had a tough initiation in his one game on the MCG and, in hindsight, he probably needed more development time in the VFL. 34. Mitch King CD games 9, goals 3. An elbow injury set him back a month earlier in the season but he is not setting the world on fire as a ruckman at Casey. 35. Oskar Baker CD games 12, goals 7. The cheeky red-headed speedster must be getting close to AFL selection. 36. Jeff Garlett MFC games 6, goals 10, 1, CD games 7, goals 7. Been more cold than hot and had a long stint in the VFL this year before returning for the Fremantle game. 37. Dion Johnstone CD games 11, goal 1. Was probably on his way out before finding a niche for himself in defence at Casey. 38. Tim Smith ® MFC games 3, goals 10, CD games 6, goals 7. Has shown something at AFL level although his last game v St Kilda was below par. 39. Neville Jetta MFC games 15, goals 0. The team’s best small defender, approaching All Australian form. 40. Patrick McKenna. CD games 1, goals 0. Made it to Casey for his first game last week after being plagued by a hamstring injury since he was recruited from the Giants at the end of 2016. 42. Josh Wagner MFC games 5, goals 0, CD games 7, goal 1. After holding his place with Melbourne early in the season, he has been working hard at Casey without doing enough to satisfy the senior selectors. 44. Joel Smith MFC games 4, goals 0, CD games 7, goals 2. The spring-heeled, athletic defender got his chance at Melbourne when Jake Lever went down. Working hard to establish a place. 45. Declan Keilty ® CD games 11, goal 1. A solid contributor down back at Casey and is pushing hard for an AFL berth despite being near the end of a long queue of tall defenders. 47. Lachlan Filipovic ® CD games 10, goal 1 Slowly developing as a project ruckman but needs a big month or two before season’s end.

Just last month and really ridiculously close to the last time they met. Aside from the injury to Jake Lever and despite the 8 goal win, this was the game where some cracks began appearing and things started getting a lot tougher for the Demon campaign. WESTERN BULLDOGS B: Matthew Suckling, Jackson Trengove, Ed Richards HB: Bailey Williams, Dale Morris, Easton Wood C : Jason Joha nnisen, Lachie Hunter, Patrick Lipinski HF: Caleb Daniel, Josh Schache, Tory Dickson F: Luke Dahlhaus, Marcus Bontempelli, Billy Gowers Foll: Tom Boyd, Toby McLean, Jack Macrae I/C: Hayden Crozie r, Mitch Honeychurch, Jordan Roughead, Roarke S mith Emg: Tom Campbell, Lin Jong, Lukas Webb, Lewis Young In: Mitch Honeychurch, Dale Morris Out: Zaine Cordy (concussion), Bailey Dale (foot) MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Angus Brayshaw, Jake Lever, Jordan Lewis C : Bernie Vince, Jack Viney, Nathan Jones HF: James Harmes, Jesse Hogan, Jake Melksham F: Tim Smith, Tom McDonald, Christian Petracca Foll: Max Gawn, Christian Salem, Clayton Oliver I/C: Bayley Fritsch, Mitch Hannan, Alex Neal-Bullen, Charlie Spargo Emg: Tom Bugg, Cameron Pedersen, Joel Smith, Billy Stretch NO CHANGE

I thought I'd start this now as the game is essentially over. I think we have played ok, endeavour and effort there, but we have been way to fumbly. Quite often we have two players peel off to cover the same player which allows the quick kick over, this will get better with time. we still handball too much instead of kicking but hopefully as the skills lift this will be a weapon. Hogan must love it when watts gets the ball. im not going to talk about the fIoggies or the run they are getting from the umps, but to beat them we need to get cleaner. wasnt a win, but I thought we would lose by 30, but I can see if we improve our handling of the ball, get a few better players in and some like Olver, trac etc get more games we will play finals next year.

On 26 May 2016, the Melbourne City Mission is running its annual sleep at the G to aid the homeless. This is all in a very good cause so it seems that the Melbourne players apparently thought they would start a little earlier than most in their game against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday. And in exactly the same manner as happened in their game against St Kilda just two weeks ago, the coaching staff thought they would take a quiet nap behind the wheel as well. Ten minutes into the game it was obvious to Blind Freddy that the zone defence wasn’t working again. Once again the Western Bulldog players were gifted uncontested marks inside their forward 50, or even worse, as happened on multiple times during the game, they managed to score from inside the goal-square without a Melbourne player in sight. If Neville Jetta is forced to contest marks against Jack Redpath then something is seriously wrong with the way the side is being selected and sets up. It clearly isn’t working, and if it isn’t working then something needs to be done about it!!! It took until half way through the final quarter before an additional player was dropped into the backline but by then the game was well and truly over. This was yet another game where the club had an opportunity to stamp its authority on the competition, and it was fluffed. Yes, the Western Bulldogs are a good side; they have players who are prepared to run, and run to space. Players who are prepared to work and their team set up is excellent. However, it is simple, and as we allowed Morris and Boyd to control proceedings from the half-back line, we were never going to win. It took until the final quarter to work out that we had to kick over the top of their defensive wall, and only then did Watts and Hogan finally get their hands on the ball and their names on the scoreboard. The Dogs have also mastered the art of throwing the ball, as it was plain for the 39K people to see at the game over and over again. The Adelaide coaching panel was absolutely right about the quality of umpiring at their game against the Dogs last week, and it was repeated again with us as the victim this week. In contrast we had too many passengers who were simply not getting enough of the ball or getting involved in the play. Even though he kicked two goals, Jeff Garlett has to do much, much more than the nine touches he managed in 100 minutes of football. He has to play defensive and stop the ball re-bounding out to allow the opposition to set up another attack. Again this week our forward line was over-crowded. We do not need three talls in there getting in the way of Hogan. We also don’t need three others filling up even more space. We need the players where the ball is, not playing into the oppositions plans. Naturally, Jack Viney and Dom Tyson continued their fine form and provided some measure of strength around the ball. But they were not enough to counter the skill and ability of Bontempelli and their fleet of running mosquitoes like Daniel, Liberatore and Dahlhaus. Our younger players suffered and it is probably time for a rest for them in this long season. Jayden Hunt, Josh Wagner and James Harmes were well off the pace and even though they performed when necessary, they just couldn’t get themselves involved like previous weeks. Likewise, Viv Michie is taking up valuable space in the seniors with another underwhelming performance as a mid. Our season is now on the line with four other sides sitting on 16 points. A win next week against Brisbane is essential, a loss is the end of any hope of improvement, as we face a harder draw in the second half of the season. The coaching staff need to wake up and make the necessary changes both on the field and at the selection panel, before the season is written off. Melbourne 2.2.14 5.5.35 7.9.51 12.10.82 Western Bulldogs 5.5.35 8.9.57 12.10.82 17.12.114 Goals Melbourne Watts 3 Garlett Kennedy 2 Hogan McDonald Oliver Petracca Viney Western Bulldogs Stringer 5 Redpath 3 Dickson Picken 2 Dale Hunter Liberatore McLean Wallis Best Melbourne Viney Tyson Stretch Kennedy McDonald Jetta Western Bulldogs Bontempelli Liberatore Hunter Dahlhaus Boyd Picken Stringer Changes Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Stringer (corked calf) Roberts (head) Roughead (shoulder) Reports Melbourne Bernie Vince reported for rough conduct Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Schmitt Findlay Wallace Official crowd 39,921 at the MCG

OK - I've said it already but today's game will go a long way to telling us about our team. We've had some real highs as well as a couple of really poor efforts. Our defence in particular has been questioned. However, this is the first time in a decade that we've played to defend a place in the top 8 against a very good side. This is the moment.

"This is the moment! This is the day, When I send all my doubts and demons On their way!" ~ THIS IS THE MOMENT (from the musical Jekyll and Hyde) Melbourne has been described as the Jekyll and Hyde of the AFL. As it attempts to clamber up from the basement of the competition where it has spent so many moments of despair, it continues to tantalise supporters with great highs only to disappoint them with unexpected lows. How can you explain its Round 2 performance against a lowly undermanned Essendon wedged in between games against two highly rated teams in GWS Giants and North Melbourne? The same question can be asked of the game against St Kilda just two weeks ago. You could put the inconsistency down to the fact that the team is one of the youngest in the competition and that's what you expect from inexperience. There's certainly some truth in that but there comes a time when even young sides must rise to the challenge and this week's game at the MCG against the Western Bulldogs is precisely that time. The Demons are in their own way tracking the Bulldogs of twelve months ago. At the start of 2015, they were a young team, unfashionable and not fancied to advance much, if at all, after a 7-15 record in the year before. Under new coach Luke Beveridge, they started well winning their first two games, got thumped by the Hawks and had a revelatory win in Sydney beating the Swans by four points in an unexpected result before losing to lowly St Kilda at Etihad Stadium after leading at one stage by 55 points. They went into a losing streak going down at the same venue against Fremantle and before losing to Melbourne at the MCG by 39 points in the equivalent round to this week's game. Going into their bye round in midseason they had five wins from ten matches before building up a head of steam to finish with fourteen wins – doubling their tally from 2014 and making the finals. I believe the Bullies had their moment in that game at the SCG when they beat Sydney away from home. I called it a revelation because of the nature of the win – a breakthrough against a leading team, one they were not expected to beat. Now, it’s Melbourne’s turn for their breakthrough. The time is right, they play a strong team that’s in good form but the Western Bulldogs have played all of their matches to date at Etihad Stadium. They have yet to travel interstate or to play on the big MCG which, despite the stands surrounding it, is still open to the elements. I sense they are vulnerable. And, this is the moment for Melbourne. THE GAME Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at The MCG Sunday 24 May 2016 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 85 Western Bulldogs 75 wins 1 draw At MCG: Melbourne 45 wins Western Bulldogs 27 wins Last Five Meetings: Melbourne 2 wins Western Bulldogs 3 wins The Coaches: Roos 1 win Beveridge 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports 3, Channel 7 live at 3.00pm Radio - Triple M, 3AW THE BETTING Melbourne $2.75 to win Western Bulldogs $1.45 to win THE LAST TIME THEY MET Western Bulldogs 24.9.153 defeated Melbourne 8.7.55 at Etihad Stadium, Round 20, 2015 The ruthless Bulldogs opened in blistering form to lead at the first break by 8.3.51 to 0.2.2 while Demons were virtually spectators as their opponents ran rings around them. Their first goal to Jeff Garlett was scored at the halfway mark of the second term, by which time they were more than 10 goals in arrears. Jesse Hogan scored a few goals, Tom McDonald worked hard in defence and Jack Watts player well but for the most part, the game was a train wreck for Melbourne. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg HB: Josh Wagner, Colin Garland, Jayden Hunt ? Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver HF: Jack Watts, Cameron Pedersen, Jeff Garlett F: James Harmes, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Viv Michie, Christian Petracca, Christian Salem, Billy Stretch EMG: Jack Grimes, Oscar McDonald, Alex Neal-Bullen IN: Christian Salem OUT: Dean Kent (back) WESTERN BULLDOGS B: Matthew Boyd, Fletcher Roberts, Dale Morris HB: Shane Biggs, Easton Wood, Jed Adcock ? Lachie Hunter, Thomas Liberatore, Tory Dickson HF: Liam Picken, Tom Campbell, Jack Stringer F: Luke Dahlhaus, Jack Redpath, Mitch Wallis FOLL: Jordan Roughead, Jackson Macrae, Marcus Bontempelli I/C: Bailey Dale, Caleb Daniel, Toby McLean, Bailey Williams EMG: Josh Dunkley, Mitch Honeychurch, Lin Jong, IN: Bailey Williams OUT: Marcus Adams (finger) SAM THE STATS MAN'S ROUND UP - 2016 TO DATE BRAYSHAW, Angus MFC 3 games, 3 goals, CSFC 2 games 2 goals - the young midfielder who had an exciting debut season has suffered a few knocks which have set back his progress this year. BUGG, Tomas MFC 7 games, 2 goals - the little "pest" has made a good start at the club with his hardnosed attitude. DAWES, Chris CSFC 1 game, 2 goals - has been hampered by a calf injury for some time and played his first game in the VFL last Sunday. DUNN, Lynden MFC 4 games, 1 goal, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - form in defence has been disappointing and was relegated to the VFL last week. FROST, Sam MFC 5 games, 4 goals, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - form as a forward has been up and down. GARLAND, Colin MFC 3 games, 0 goals, CSFC 4 games, 1 goal - another defender who has not reached his previous high levels of performance. GARLETT, Jeffrey MFC 5 games, 11 goals - missed a couple of games with an ankle injury but always dangerous up forward. GAWN, Max MFC 7 games 7 goals - has come on in leaps and bounds and is on his way to becoming an elite ruckman. GRIMES, Jack CSFC 4 games 5 goals - playing with good form at Casey but seems to be on the outer at the club. HARMES, James MFC 7 games, 7 goals - utility player who is one of the big improvers at the club and had a breakout game last week against the Suns gaining a NAB Rising Star nomination. HOGAN, Jesse MFC 7 games, 17 goals - the next big thing in power forwards. Has had a few minor hiccups this year but have us a glimpse of the future with a 7 goal haul in a losing team against the Saints. HULETT, Liam CSFC 4 games, 8 goals - strong bodied youngster who is developing through the Scorpions. HUNT, Jayden MFC 4 games, 0 goals, CSFC 1 game, 1 goal - has grasped the opportunity after languishing on the club with a back injury in his first two seasons. Shows great dash. JETTA, Neville MFC 7 games, 0 goals - great application in the Demons' defence. JONES, Matthew MFC 4 games, 0 goals - had a good start to the season but suffered a setback with injury after four games. JONES, Nathan MFC 7 games, 4 goals - after last season's post season surgery, he is slowly returning to his best. KENNEDY, Ben MFC 7 games, 7 goals - settled in nicely as a goal kicking small forward. KENNEDY-HARRIS, Jay CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - broke down with a severe hamstring injury in Casey's first game and remains weeks away from a return. KENT, Dean MFC 7 games, 9 goals - has returned from his hamstring woes of last year to establish his place as a valuable member of the club's forward division. KING, Max ® CSFC 4 games, 4 goals - working on his development as a tall forward/ruckman at Casey. KING, Mitch CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - the big man broke down with an ACL injury early in his opening game down at Casey. LUMUMBA, Heritier MFC 5 games, 0 goals - had injury problems last year that resulted in post season surgery and has been hot and cold on return. McDONALD, Oscar MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CSFC 4 games, 0 goals - showed good pre season form but an ankle injury slowed him down. McDONALD, Tom MFC 7 games, 0 goals - has again had some strong performances in defence and is an important member of the team's defence. MELKSHAM, Jake - suspended as a result of the ASADA supplements investigation and CAS decision. MICHIE, Viv ® MFC 1 game, 0 goals, CSFC 4 games, 3 goals - some strong displays at Casey demanded an uplift from the rookie list but he has opposition for a midfield spot. NEAL-BULLEN, Alex CSFC 4 games, 3 goals - form at Casey has been good and he is knocking on the door to senior selection. NEWTON, Ben CSFC 4 games, 5 goals - coming back from a long injury lay off and is another midfielder pushing for promotion to the AFL. OLIVER, Clayton MFC 5 games, 3 goals, CSFC 1 game, 0 goals - has had an enormous impact as a tough midfield clearance player. Won a NAB Rising Star nomination in his debut game. PEDERSEN, Cameron MFC 6 games, 5 goals, CSFC 1 game, 2 goals - relishing the role as forward/ruckman. PETRACCA, Christian MFC 2 games, 2 goals, CSFC 3 games, 3 goals - finally earned a game after recovering from last year's ACL and a broken toe in the middle of the preseason and is starting to live up to the hype. SALEM, Christian MFC 6 games, 1 goal - shows plenty of skill and class and will only get better. SMITH, Joel ® CSFC 3 games,1 goal - the young rookie has switched sports from basketball and is showing promising signs with the Casey Scorpions. SPENCER, Jake CSFC 2 games, 2 goals - returned to the VFL after a long layoff with a plantar fascia injury. STRETCH, Billy MFC 2 games, 1 goal, CSFC 2 games, 0 goals - improving youngster with pace and silky skills. TERLICH, Dean CSFC 5 games, 2 goals - has shown some good form at Casey but is well back in the queue for selection in his position. TRENGOVE, Jack - CSFC 5 games, 4 goals - putting his hand up for selection. TYSON, Dom MFC 7 games, 7 goals - showing glimpses of returning to the stellar form of his first season at the club. VANDENBERG, Aaron MFC 3 games, 3 goals - the big-bodied midfielder's progress has been stalled by a serious ankle injury. VINCE, Bernie MFC 6 games 5 goals - an important player in the Demon line up who recently re-signed in a great show of faith. VINEY, Jack MFC 7 games, 4 goals - tough, hard and rising towards elite. WAGNER, Josh ® 5 games, 0 goals - this year's revelation was uplifted from the rookie list and has displayed lots of composure in defence. WATTS, Jack MFC 7 games, 14 goals, CSFC - having his best season in the Demons' forward line. WEIDEMAN, Sam CSFC 4 games, 13 goals, has shown great potential and will be given time to develop in the VFL. A key forward with a big future. WHITE, Mitch ® CSFC 5 games, 2 goals - the young left footer is in the waiting room at Casey biding his time for his opportunity.

The Doggies were marching towards the finals while the Dees were in a bad trough. They wiped the floor of Etihad Stadium with us. WESTERN BULLDOGS B: Dale Morris, Michael Talia, Matthew Boyd HB: Robert Murphy, Joel Hamling, Easton Wood C: Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Shane Biggs HF: Luke Dahlhaus, Tory Dickson, Stewart Crameri F: Lachie Hunter, Jack Redpath, Jake Stringer FOLL: Tom Campbell, Mitch Wallis, Liam Picken I/C: Caleb Daniel, Sam Darley, Jarrad Grant, Lin Jong EMG: Tom Boyd, Daniel Pearce, Josh Prudden IN: Robert Murphy OUT: Bailey Dale (omitted) MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Daniel Cross, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe C: Jack Grimes, Angus Brayshaw, Heritier Lumumba HF: Matt Jones, Chris Dawes, Bernie Vince F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Jack Watts Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Rohan Bail, James Harmes, Viv Michie, Alex Neal-Bullen, Christian Salem EMG: Mark Jamar, Aidan Riley, Billy Stretch IN: Rohan Bail OUT: Dom Tyson (hamstring)

THE TIDE by Whispering Jack Before the game, I recalled the words of Brutus in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar:- "There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures." It's not that I'm a believer in the concept of the "line in the sand" but if it was ever needed at Melbourne in the past eight or nine seasons then this was the time to take the current and move forward. Three crushing defeats at the hands of clubs at the leading edge of the AFL competition, the last by three figures had left us wondering whether it was ever going to be possible to bridge the enormous chasm between the top echelon of the competition and those who struggle beneath them barely treading water. Something had to be done this week. A statement had to be made and it was made, perhaps not as eloquently as in the words of the great bard but made it was in the form of Melbourne's 39 point victory over the Western Bulldogs. The opening lines were delivered by youth. Young first season power forward Jesse Hogan marked 15 metres out and booted a goal in the first minute and then there was silence as the Bulldogs moved into action and dominated the next seventeen. They looked threatening without causing too much damage on the scoreboard but we feared that the flood would be unleashed at any time. In a moment of boredom when I was expecting the worst and even a possible early exit on a coolish evening, I looked up the statistics on the AFL ap on my iPhone and the inside 50 figures showed the Bulldogs in command by a whopping 16 to 1. And then the tide turned. A couple of behinds and two quick goals to Jimmy Toumpas and Cam Pedersen, two often maligned players and the Demons were on their way. They continued their dominance into the second term to set up a 20 point half time lead through the strength of their persistence and tackling and through some hard running. Jake Spencer was playing his best game for the club in the ruck. Nathan Jones was leading the way at ground level with great assistance from rookie revelation Aaron vandenBerg and Bernie Vince was doing the hard work nullifying the dangerous Marcus Bontempelli. The contrast between Hogan and the Bulldogs' key forward Tom Boyd (who was thrashed by Jack Fitzpatrick in his new role in defence) was marked as the Demon full-forward was a focus in attack combining perfectly with Pedersen. The Demons continued their surge well into the third term with goals to Howe and Hogan that saw them off to a 33 point lead but at that point both tragedy and comedy became the order of the day. A Tom McDonald lunge was adjudged by the video as being a fingertip short of stopping a goal and then a couple of cheap goals were gifted to the Doggies by Demon brain fades including one from the skipper who ignored or missed two players in the middle of the ground to kick backwards. Early in the final term, when the visitors had edged to within seven points, it seemed that tide had turned again but some clever combination between Hogan and Pedersen started an inexorable Demon march to victory. Jeremy Howe entertained the crowd with his weekly mark of the year contribution, Jeff Garlett and Bernie Vince booted some gem goals from impossible angles and Angus Brayshaw underlined his great potential with a sizzling final quarter. Melbourne learned a great deal over the three week period when it succumbed to those top sides and now it was its turn to treat an opponent with disdain as it ran down the clock playing keepings off with the despondent Dishlickers. The team would have learned a great deal from former Bulldog coach Brendan McCartney who knows his former charges very well and helped expose their weaknesses. The game was also a reward for Paul Roos who has been steadfast in overseeing the team's development and is steering them through treacherous currents and into calmer waters. Melbourne 3.3.21 7.5.47 10.10.70 10 15.13.103 Western Bulldogs 2.3.15 3.9.27 8.9.57 9.10.64 Goals Melbourne Hogan Pedersen 3 Toumpas Vince 2 Newton Garlett Howe M Jones N Jones Newton Western Bulldogs Stringer 2 Dale Dahlhaus Hunter Jong Picken Wallis Wood Best Melbourne vandenBerg N Jones Pedersen Hogan Vince Fitzpatrick Brayshaw Western Bulldogs Dahlhaus M Boyd Wallis Wood Changes Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Injuries Melbourne Matt Jones (concussion) Western Bulldogs Brett Goodes (arm) Substitutions Melbourne Aidan Riley replaced Matt Jones in the third quarter Western Bulldogs Bailey Dale replaced Tom Boyd in the third quarter Reports Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Robert Findlay, Andrew Mitchell, Curtis Deboy Official Crowd 29,381 at the MCG

Please cast your votes after the final siren sounds.

Before the game, I recalled the words of Brutus in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar:- "There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures." It's not that I'm a believer in the concept of the "line in the sand" but if it was ever needed at Melbourne in the past eight or nine seasons then this was the time to take the current and move forward. Three crushing defeats at the hands of clubs at the leading edge of the AFL competition, the last by three figures had left us wondering whether it was ever going to be possible to bridge the enormous chasm between the top echelon of the competition and those who struggle beneath them barely treading water. Something had to be done this week. A statement had to be made and it was made, perhaps not as eloquently as in the words of the great bard but made it was in the form of Melbourne's 39 point victory over the Western Bulldogs. The opening lines were delivered by youth. Young first season power forward Jesse Hogan marked 15 metres out and booted a goal in the first minute and then there was silence as the Bulldogs moved into action and dominated the next seventeen. They looked threatening without causing too much damage on the scoreboard but we feared that the flood would be unleashed at any time. In a moment of boredom when I was expecting the worst and even a possible early exit on a coolish evening, I looked up the statistics on the AFL ap on my iPhone and the inside 50 figures showed the Bulldogs in command by a whopping 16 to 1. And then the tide turned. A couple of behinds and two quick goals to Jimmy Toumpas and Cam Pedersen, two often maligned players and the Demons were on their way. They continued their dominance into the second term to set up a 20 point half time lead through the strength of their persistence and tackling and through some hard running. Jake Spencer was playing his best game for the club in the ruck. Nathan Jones was leading the way at ground level with great assistance from rookie revelation Aaron vandenBerg and Bernie Vince was doing the hard work nullifying the dangerous Marcus Bontempelli. The contrast between Hogan and the Bulldogs' key forward Tom Boyd (who was thrashed by Jack Fitzpatrick in his new role in defence) was marked as the Demon full-forward was a focus in attack combining perfectly with Pedersen. The Demons continued their surge well into the third term with goals to Howe and Hogan that saw them off to a 33 point lead but at that point both tragedy and comedy became the order of the day. A Tom McDonald lunge was adjudged by the video as being a fingertip short of stopping a goal and then a couple of cheap goals were gifted to the Doggies by Demon brain fades including one from the skipper who ignored or missed two players in the middle of the ground to kick backwards. Early in the final term, when the visitors had edged to within seven points, it seemed that tide had turned again but some clever combination between Hogan and Pedersen started an inexorable Demon march to victory. Jeremy Howe entertained the crowd with his weekly mark of the year contribution, Jeff Garlett and Bernie Vince booted some gem goals from impossible angles and Angus Brayshaw underlined his great potential with a sizzling final quarter. Melbourne learned a great deal over the three week period when it succumbed to those top sides and now it was its turn to treat an opponent with disdain as it ran down the clock playing keepings off with the despondent Dishlickers. The team would have learned a great deal from former Bulldog coach Brendan McCartney who knows his former charges very well and helped expose their weaknesses. The game was also a reward for Paul Roos who has been steadfast in overseeing the team's development and is steering them through treacherous currents and into calmer waters. Melbourne 3.3.21 7.5.47 10.10.70 10 15.13.103 Western Bulldogs 2.3.15 3.9.27 8.9.57 9.10.64 Goals Melbourne Hogan Pedersen 3 Toumpas Vince 2 Newton Garlett Howe M Jones N Jones Newton Western Bulldogs Stringer 2 Dale Dahlhaus Hunter Jong Picken Wallis Wood Best Melbourne vandenBerg N Jones Pedersen Hogan Vince Fitzpatrick Brayshaw Western Bulldogs Dahlhaus M Boyd Wallis Wood Changes Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Injuries Melbourne Matt Jones (concussion) Western Bulldogs Brett Goodes (arm) Substitutions Melbourne Aidan Riley replaced Matt Jones in the third quarter Western Bulldogs Bailey Dale replaced Tom Boyd in the third quarter Reports Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Robert Findlay, Andrew Mitchell, Curtis Deboy Official Crowd 29,381 at the MCG

DEES MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW by Georgina on the Inner It’s not clear how history will treat the current round of AFL women's matches between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs but, in the meantime, why not bask in the glow of victory for a third time in a row? Despite being held goalless in the second and third quarters, probably in sympathy with the men’s team in recent times which has had that honour on several occasions, the Dees won the low scoring game by eight points kicking 4.13.37 to 4.5.29. The team got on top early to lead by 13 points at quarter time and fought hard throughout, as evidenced by injuries to defender Cecilia McIntosh (knee) and Ellie Blackburn (ankle). Kara Donnellan picked up 23 possessions and emulated Nathan Jones with that hard at it effort which included four tackles on her way to winning MVP for the game. Most observers were surprised at the high standard and it should not be long before we have an elite competition perhaps based on AFL lines. When that happens, the Melbourne Football Club will be recognised not only as the pioneering team in the sport for men but also for women. When the men’s team knocked off the Scraggers later in the day, it marked a perfect weekend for the club with both Casey teams winning the day before. Melbourne 3.3.21 3.8.26 3.11.29 4.13.37 Western Bulldogs 1.2.8 2.3.15 3.4.22 4.5.29 Goals Melbourne Bowers Harris Phillips Swanson Western Bulldogs Hope 2 Vescio Best Melbourne Donnellan Swanson Blackburn Pearce Blackburn Bowers Western Bulldogs Brennan Hope Anderson Hutchins Vescio Chiocci Injuries Melbourne McIntosh (knee) Blackburn (ankle) Western Bulldogs Nil

It’s not clear how history will treat the current round of AFL women's matches between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs but, in the meantime, why not bask in the glow of victory for a third time in a row? Despite being held goalless in the second and third quarters, probably in sympathy with the men’s team in recent times which has had that honour on several occasions, the Dees won the low scoring game by eight points kicking 4.13.37 to 4.5.29. The team got on top early to lead by 13 points at quarter time and fought hard throughout, as evidenced by injuries to defender Cecilia McIntosh (knee) and Ellie Blackburn (ankle). Kara Donnellan picked up 23 possessions and emulated Nathan Jones with that hard at it effort which included four tackles on her way to winning MVP for the game. Most observers were surprised at the high standard and it should not be long before we have an elite competition perhaps based on AFL lines. When that happens, the Melbourne Football Club will be recognised not only as the pioneering team in the sport for men but also for women. When the men’s team knocked off the Scraggers later in the day, it marked a perfect weekend for the club with both Casey teams winning the day before. Melbourne 3.3.21 3.8.26 3.11.29 4.13.37 Western Bulldogs 1.2.8 2.3.15 3.4.22 4.5.29 Goals Melbourne Bowers Harris Phillips Swanson Western Bulldogs Hope 2 Vescio Best Melbourne Donnellan Swanson Blackburn Pearce Blackburn Bowers Western Bulldogs Brennan Hope Anderson Hutchins Vescio Chiocci Injuries Melbourne McIntosh (knee) Blackburn (ankle) Western Bulldogs Nil