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A seven-point victory to the Melbourne Demons over Port Power at Adelaide oval, saw the real power tools on the inside of the fence, as opposed to those versions on the other side, around the ground. Their pre-game chant of “never tear us apart” obviously didn’t carry any weight with the Melbourne players, as that was exactly what happened during the course of the game. This was a most ”un-Melbourne like game” in the way it was played. At various times during the match it all came down to individual efforts. This was a game where BOTH teams had ten goal kickers. It wasn’t about a dominant area of the ground for either side, it was, in a way a return to the old fashioned one on one type football. Often we hear the coaches speak of “moments’ in the game. Well in this game it was one moment, followed by another as each side traded blow for blow and the lead swung back and forth with the maximum margin being only 18 points during the match. Scarily, for opposition sides, the Demons showed that if that is the way you want to play, we will beat you at that game as well. We have often heard the phrase “a captain’s goal” and certainly that happened when Max Gawn managed to kick straight after the ¾ time siren to bring the game back to near level pegging. But that effort which tore the hearts of the Port fans out, was repeated time and time again by other Melbourne players during the game. Led by Jack “hammer” Viney in his 200th game for the Demons, it was him against the Port mids, particularly in the first quarter, but he just kept willing himself to contest, and despite the Power breaking out to a 3 goal lead early on, the team just pegged it back, as Jack hammered the opposition into submission. When needed it was Ben “the drill ” Brown who nailed shots from long range, that never looked to deviate from straight and true. It was Alex “reciprocating saw” Neale-Bullen who kept coming back and forth to the contest, and probably playing his best ever game for the side, at a time when that was exactly what was needed. Then it was the turn of Caleb “ buzz-saw” Windsor who sped past the floundering Port defenders to record his first ever major for the Demons. Another was when Bayley “Polisher” Fritsch calmly went back with only a couple of minutes to run on the clock and split the big sticks from on the boundary line. Down in defence the “Fire extinguishers “ of Jake Lever and Trent Rivers, kept blanketing any potential outbreaks coming from the Port forwards. But this was also about the whole fire crew of Tom McDonald, Blake Howes, Marty Hore and Christian Salem coming just in time to put paid to any spot fires which might develop. Even more impressive was that despite an incredible 66 inside 50s and the Fire Chief of Steven May being absent, all these individual saves simply denied Port a winning score. In the middle it was the “grinders” of Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Tom Sparrow alongside Jack Viney who had the job to just wear down the Port mids. Make no mistake, they had a seriously good combination, and by all statistical measures, they were ascendant. But like last week against the Hawks, the stats just don’t matter, when the quality is what is being sought. To reiterate what Simon Goodwin said “we are comfortable with that, unless it has scoreboard impact”! So the Demons power tools all over the ground did indeed “tear them apart” . The toothless voices heard before the match, like their black and white counterparts in Melbourne were seen streaming from the ground before the match finished. Perhaps they realised their team didn’t have wings, but was never going to fly like the Power of the Melbourne Demons. MELBOURNE 3.2.20 7.3.45 10.4.64 15.6.96 PORT ADELAIDE 4.1.25 7.3.45 10.8.68 13.11.89 GOALS MELBOURNE Brown 3 Fritsch Neal-Bullen Sparrow 2 Gawn Langdon Oliver Pickett Viney Windsor PORT ADELAIDE Byrne-Jones Finlayson Rioli 2 Dixon Evans Houston McEntee Marshall Rozee Soldo BEST MELBOURNE Neal-Bullen Gawn Petracca Rivers Viney Oliver PORT ADELAIDE Drew Houston Rozee Wines Butters Soldo INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE Boak (head knock) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Taj Woewodin, replaced Jack Billings in the fourth quarter PORT ADELAIDE Jase Burgoyne, replaced Francis Evans in the third quarter UMPIRES Hayden Gavine Alex Whetton Robert Findlay Martin Rodger CROWD 38,105 at Adelaide Oval

Q: Melbourne is playing Port Adelaide at Traeger Park, Alice Springs and once again, it doesn’t have a properly functioning forward line — so from where were the goals going to come? A: Kysaiah Pickett. In a one man show in front of his adoring fans, he racked up six majors to give the Demons the edge in the game and to finally run out winners by 14 points. The result could well have been very different without his efforts with Melbourne failing to score a major in the first term, despite many opportunities. The Demons were however, putting in the effort required during that term and led the tackle count 18:6. This denied Port any ascendancy on the scoreboard, and the Demons remained only nine points in arrears at the first bell. In that opening quarter both sides looked like they were checking each other out, and there seemed little in the way of forward thrusts. Port as usual went for their switching style of play, which sent the ball all over the ground to little effect. Someone should tell Ken Hinkley that this doesn’t work against top of the table sides any more. Still they persisted with it all game, only helping to tire their players in the warm Alice Springs weather, on a really wide ground. The second quarter saw Melbourne kick five majors, while Port could only manage three themselves giving them a four point lead into the main break. In the middle Luke Jackson was taking a heavy load in the ruck, with Port throwing Dixon and Finlayson against him. This left Max Gawn down forward for long periods of time, but without any real outcome. Why the coaches persist with this tactic is flummoxing, as it hasn’t worked for ages. They keep blocking the true forwards with lumbering ruckmen who are failing to impact the scoreboard and fortunately, in this instance the likes of Pickett and Bayley Fritsch were able to put timely majors on the board although most of these came from out the back type scenarios or snaps on goal. It was a good thing they went through when most needed. In the middle, the absence of Clayton Oliver was sorely felt. Christian Petracca and Jack Viney walked away with 30 and 28 disposals respectively, and while the former took away ten clearances, the next best were Viney, Harmes and Gawn with only three each. That won’t be enough when the finals come around and not even against the quality opponent the Demons face in the run home. The third term was again a bit of a slog, with the margin at three quarter time being only ten points in Melbourne’s favour. Nothing to give those Demon fans facing a resurgence of their MFCSS with any confidence approaching the final quarter. Players simply were not at their best. All except Kysaiah who saved his best for the final thrust. Ben Brown by this stage was able to collect a couple of forward marks, as he had been forced up the ground by the presence of the rucks, and he slotted telling goals to steady the ship. Kozzy chipped in for more and the Demons had now kicked six in a row, scoring his sixth in ridiculous fashion. The game was as good as over. Port of course, came back with a couple of junk time goals, just to make sure the MFCSS still bubbled along nicely, and the lead was whittled back to 13 points with three minutes to go. The cooler heads of Melbourne prevailed, and a final margin of 14 points saw off the challenge. This was a must win game for the Demons. It has now established them on equal footing with Geelong at the top of the table, both being a game clear of third and importantly, four games and percentage clear of eighth place . They must now seek to cement that vital top four and top two position. Concerns still abound as Melbourne are not at their best level, execution is not clean and precise, and better players are not on the field. Chances have been afforded to the likes of Toby Bedford and Jake Melksham, but only five touches to the former after three last week will surely see his return to Casey. Melk might have kicked a goal out the back, but only six touches and a failure to cover and provide that defensive forward pressure similar to Pickett, doesn’t guarantee a place next week —particularly with Oliver and Harry Petty available for next week. There’s still a major problem with the second tall in front of goal in the absence of Tom McDonald and with the resting rucks playing there with kicking goals or getting rest. We just can’t depend on Pickett and Fritsch kicking ¾ of the teams score to win games. On the plus side, another win was recorded, and next week another contender in the Dogs has to be put in their place. And the Bulldogs certainly don’t have any answers should Kysaiah put on another show like this one. MELBOURNE 0.4.4 5.7.37 8.10.58 12.11.83 PORT ADELAIDE 2.1.13 5.3.33 7.6.48 10.9.69 GOALS MELBOURNE Pickett 6 Brown Fritsch 2 Jackson Melksham PORT ADELAIDE Bergman Boak Marshall 2 Dixon Drew Finlayson Rozee BEST MELBOURNE Pickett Petracca Viney Langdon Jordon Harmes Brayshaw PORT ADELAIDE Rozee Boak Houston Wines Dixon Finlayson Byrne-Jones INJURIES MELBOURNE Jake Lever (shoulder) PORT ADELAIDE Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE Nil SUBSTITUTES MELBOURNE Luke Dunstan (unused) PORT ADELAIDE Jase Burgoyne (unused) UMPIRES Brendan Hosking John Howorth Leigh Haussen CROWD 6,312 at TIO Traeger Park

We can’t take anything for granted, can we? After all, the Melbourne that took Port Adelaide for a long ride around the Adelaide Oval in early April of this year and switched off late in the game is finding it difficult of late to switch back on. Apart from a stellar display against the Brisbane Lions a fortnight ago, the Demons have laboured during the middle part of the season and, with a tough draw ahead of them, have reached a critical stage of the season after their first flag in decades. The wheels haven’t exactly fallen off but there have been chinks exposed in the armour. The first of those chinks were seen with a series of injuries among their much vaunted defensive structures which saw a falling off in their pressure levels across the board and which manifested in a lack of connection up forward. While the backline has steadied and come together again, the magic up forward has remained absent. Against Geelong last week at GMHBA Stadium, the old confidence that was symbolic of the 2021 Demon attack was gone. The talls weren’t marking, the smalls weren’t crumbing and the team relied to a large extent on Christian Petracca to play the role of Mr In Between. His three goals simply weren’t enough and perhaps it’s time for a bit of change to the way in which the team approaches goal. The critics certainly think so because they’re saying that the opposition have worked Melbourne out. So the club finds itself coming back to the Northern Territory for a crucial home match in the red heart of the continent in what should be a spiritual home against Port Adelaide which has historically found TIO Traeger Park a happy hunting ground — a home of its own away from home. Indeed, for Melbourne to get out of its current little rut it will have to do something it has never done before and that is beat the Power on this land. Port’s record against it is 3 - 0 in Alice Springs and given its recent form, there’s every chance of an upset that nobody would have predicted a couple of months ago when they were languishing near the bottom of the table. If there is to be a circuit breaker between the teams then I would go for the rucks which is not Port’s main strength and was a bit of a blind spot for Melbourne last week with both Max Gawn and Luke Jackson returning from injury. Maxy was underdone while Dogga didn’t appear to be 100% and couldn’t replicate his magnificent solo ruck effort pre injury against the Lions. I expect both to be fully switched on and back to their very best. Their example will help the team rise again and turn on a clinic for the Demons fans away from their traditional home. Melbourne by 15 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Port Adelaide on Sunday 17 July, 2022 at 3.20pm at TIO Traeger Park HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 21 wins Melbourne 15 wins At TIO Traeger Park Melbourne 0 wins Port Adelaide 3 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 3 wins Port Adelaide 2 wins The Coaches Goodwin 3 wins Hinkley 3 wins MEDIA TV — live and on demand on Kayo and live on Foxtel. Check your local guides. Radio — check your local guides. THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 10.8.68 defeated Port Adelaide 4.12.36 in Round 4, 2022 at the Adelaide Oval The game at Adelaide Oval earlier this year was a walk in the park for the Demons. Port remained goalless until 22 minutes 18 seconds into the third quarter when Melbourne released its grip. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: M.Hibberd 14 S.May 1 A.Tomlinson 20 HB: J.Harmes 4 J.Lever 8 C.Salem 3 C: A.Brayshaw 10 C.Petracca 5 E.Langdon 15 HF: T.Sparrow 32 M.Gawn 11 A.Neal-Bullen 30 F: B.Fritsch 31 B.Brown 50 C.Spargo 9 Foll: L.Jackson 6 J.Viney 7 K.Pickett 36 I/C: T.Bedford 12 J.Jordon 23 J.Melksham 18 T.Rivers 24 Sub: L.Dunstan 27 Emerg: K.Chandler 37 J.Hunt 29 S.Weideman 26 In: L.Dunstan J.Melksham T.Rivers A.Tomlinson Out: J.Bowey (omitted) J.Hunt (omitted) C.Oliver (thumb) H.Petty (H&S Protocols) PORT ADELAIDE B: R.Burton 3 T.Jonas 1 T.Clurey 17 HB: D.Byrne-Jones 33 A.Aliir 21 D.Houston 5 C: K.Amon 15 W.Drew 28 K.Farrell 24 HF: Z.Butters T.Marshall 4 C.Rozee 20 F: R.Gray 9 C.Dixon 22 S.Powell-Pepper 2 Foll: J.Finlayson 11 O.Wines 16 T.Boak 10 I/C: M.Bergman 14 R.Bonner 26 M. Georgiades 19 J.Mead 44 Sub: J.Burgoyne 36 Emerg: X.Duursma 7 S.Motlop 6 T.McKenzie 12 In: R.Bonner Out: J. McEntee (omitted) Injury List: Round 18 Blake Howes - Foot | Available Andy Moniz-Wakefield - Groin | Available Daniel Turner - Face | Available Clayton Oliver - Finger | Test Joel Smith - Ankle | 1-2 Weeks Deakyn Smith - Jaw | 4 Weeks Tom McDonald - Foot | 7-9 Weeks

“…. they could never tear us apart” … So sing Port Adelaide home supporters before every game but when they sang the song before their Round 4 game vs Melbourne on Thursday night, their worst fears were realised before their very eyes. As usually happens, the horrible vision unfolding in front of them, will now see them turning on their coach after the side produced a goalless first half, the first time that has happened since the club’s inception in the AFL. Port was given a lesson both as a club and from a coaching perspective by the ruthless Demons. Although the first quarter was a genuine slogfest, there never seemed to be a chance of Port gaining any ascendancy. The Melbourne defence, ably led by Stephen May and with Jake Lever marshalling all around him, they repelled attack after attack. But it wasn’t just at the last line of defence, it was the input from the wingers and mids that just kept Port out of any genuine scoring range. In his post match presser, Simon Goodwin said the side can defend “ for long periods of time”, and that was the case in this game. The defenders kept Port to 3 points at ¼ time and a meagre 5 points in total to ½ time. At some point the momentum and opportunities would change and the Demons banged on 5 goals in a 15 minute period before half time. Game over. This blew out to a 47 point lead through the third before the fans saw the familiar “shut up shop” from the Demons who ran out eventual 32 point winners. Port kicked a couple of junk time goals in the final minutes, courtesy of Motlop, but up to that point he really hadn’t troubled the statisticians. The home team were in real bother even before the game with Dixon and Allir watching from the sidelines, while they also lost Wines early in the match and Lycett struggling with a shoulder injury. The lack of personnel was only compounded by the non-functioning game plan of trying to switch the ball from side to side. If their coaching staff had done some elementary research, they would know that is not possible against a Melbourne side with relentless runners who cover the ground to deny free movement. If the first one doesn’t get you, the second and third will, and viewers would think they had the vision on repeat as intercepts, turnovers and spillages were forced on the Port players. Small wonder they could only score four goals for the game. With Lycett struggling, and having to use Marshall as back-up ruck, it further reduced their scoring chances, but it also opened the gates for the Melbourne rucking duo of Gawn and Jackson to do their thing to damaging effect. Max with 12 marks 5 contested and Jackson with 5, 2 contested, they just ruled the air both in the backline and forward line as well. Oh and Max chimed in with 33 hitouts and 516 metres gained… and everyone thought Jackson was the athletic ruckman! If the ball got past them down back Stephen May cleaned up everything coming his way with 12 marks 23 disposals and an incredible 692 metres gained! What should really worry opposition coaches and teams due to meet Melbourne in coming weeks is that Petracca and Oliver had a lot less impact than usual. Mind you, 24 and 19 touches respectively would qualify as a pass mark in other sides, but Ken Hinkley would be grateful they didn’t add to the Port pain by an even greater extent. At the end of the match Mark Williams, the Port premiership coach, was seen wandering across the ground, looking up at the scoreboard and the now empty and deserted stands. He was probably wondering what has happened to the foundations he built so long ago; foundations that have now been torn apart. Williams would just as equally be proud of his contribution to a Melbourne side which has torn the competition apart, with three of last years finalists already dispatched in 2022. With six of the next eight Melbourne games to come at the MCG, fans should not be torn about whether to go to watch the Demons play because they can say “we were standing…we were there”… (with apologies to INXS) MELBOURNE 1.3.9 6.6.42 9.7.61 10.8.68 PORT ADELAIDE 0.3.3 0.5.5 1.8.14 4.12.36 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch 3 Harmes 2 Jackson GawnLangdon McDonald Viney PORT ADELAIDE Motlop 2 Georgiades Houston BEST MELBOURNE Gawn Harmes Jackson Langdon Petracca Brayshaw Jordon PORT ADELAIDE Burton Bonner Jonas Bergman Clurey INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE McKenzie (knee) replaced in selected side by Bergman Wines (nausea) Lycett (shoulder) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE Nil SUBSTITUTES MELBOURNE Bedford (unused) PORT ADELAIDE Dumont (replaced Wines) UMPIRES Leigh Fisher Robert O'Gorman Craig Fleer CROWD 23,058 at Adelaide Oval

The City of Adelaide played a significant role in Melbourne’s 2021 premiership campaign. The Demons kicked off the finals series over there when they brushed aside the Brisbane Lions on the Adelaide Oval and before that, they began their rejuvenation in early July when they won a true crossroads game against Port Adelaide after a flat month or so during the midseason. They return to the scene on Thursday night another mission to accomplish - a tricky little encounter against the home side after a humiliating last-minute jaws of defeat loss to their crosstown rivals, the Crows. What can we say about them after that, except the fact that they’re in our hearts and prayers. The challenge of beating a Port Adelaide that has seemingly been on the slide since it capitulated to the Bulldogs in last year’s Preliminary Final might look easy on the face of it - especially when they go into the game without their key position bookends in Aliir Aliir and Charlie Dixon but it would be folly for the team to completely let its guard to slip against a team with its backs to the wall. The Power will struggle if they bring the same game and attitude that they took with them into their encounter with the Hawks in Round 2 when they were putrid. As a Demon fan living in the City of Churches, I would like to see a lot more of the same. However, unless the players have totally lost themselves vis a vis their coach (and I don’t believe that to be the case), then it’s likely that they will be at the very least competitive knowing they’re coming up against the best side and they will be front and square on the football stage on Thursday night. Not only is their club’s reputation at stake but also, so is their own future and that of their coach. This, coming from the club that dominated the competition in 2020 and that has the 2021 Brownlow Medalist working in the team’s engine room. As against that, it’s being said that at least two premiership players will be added to the 22 who will run out for Melbourne, namely Jake Lever and Ben Brown. The presence of these two can only result in a strengthened team performance over that of recent weeks (which was already good enough to claim the four points) and the Demons will make the most of the circumstances. The fact of the matter is that Port are not at full strength and are a bit stunned by increased pace in the competition this year. Their style of play does not seem to work against the AFL’s power teams (of which the Power is not one). I suspect that for all his good intentions and effort, poor old Ken Hinkley will be looking sideways and behind his back when the game’s done and dusted. Melbourne by 33 points. And when that happens, make sure that you stay in town to watch the Demon Women demolish the other team that goes around in the City of Churches. THE GAME

 Port Adelaide v Melbourne on Thursday 7 April, 2022 at 7.40pm at Adelaide Oval

 HEAD TO HEAD

 Overall Port Adelaide 21 wins Melbourne 14 wins 

 At Adelaide Oval Port Adelaide 3 wins Melbourne 2 wins

 Past five meetings Port Adelaide 3 wins, Melbourne 2 wins 

 The Coaches Hinkley 3 wins Goodwin 2 wins 

 MEDIA
 TV — live and on demand on Kayo and live on Foxtel. Check your local guides. Radio — check your local guides. THE LAST TIME THEY MET

 Melbourne 12.14.87 defeated Port Adelaide 8.7.55 in Round 17, 2021 at the Adelaide Oval Melbourne charged out of the blocks and led all night maintaining the ability to stave off any minor challenges Port Adelaide would make from time to time during the game. Christian Petracca with 33 touches and 3 goals was in outstanding form for the Demons. THE TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE B: T.Jonas 1 T.Clurey 17 L.Jones 34 HB: R.Burton 3 R.Bonner 26 D.Byrne-Jones 33 C: D.Houston 5 Z.Butters 18 K.Amon 15 HF: O.Wines 16 S.Motlop 6 C.Rozee 20 F: S.Mayes 32 T.Marshall 4 M.Georgides 19 Foll: S.Lycett 29 T.Boak 10 W.Drew 28 I/C: S.Powell-Pepper 2 M. Bergman 14 J.McEntee 44 J.Mead 44 Sub: T.Dumont Emerg: 43 S.Hayes 25 M.Frederick 45 In: M.Bergman T.Clurey T.Dumont Out: M.Frederick (omitted) T.McKenzie (knee) S.Skinner MELBOURNE B: J.Hunt 29 S.May 1 A.Tomlinson 20 HB: A.Brayshaw 10 J.Lever 8 J.Bowey 17 C: J.Jordon 23 C.Petracca 5 E.Langdon 15 HF: J.Viney 7 T.McDonald 25 A.Neal-Bullen 30 F: C.Spargo 9 S.Weideman 26 B.Fritsch 31 Foll: M.Gawn 11 C.Oliver 13 K.Pickett 36 I/C: J.Harmes 4 L.Jackson 6 T.Rivers 24 T. Sparrow 32 Sub: T.Bedford 12 Emerg: B.Howes 22 L.Dunstan 27 K.Chandler 37 In: J.Lever Out: S.Smith (H & S protocols) Injury List: Round 4 Ben Brown - H & S Protocols | Available Jake Lever - Foot | Available Harry Petty - Calf | Available Michael Hibberd - Calf | 2 - 3 weeks Daniel Turner - Foot | 3-5 weeks Christian Salem - Knee | 4-6 weeks

It was a season defining game for both sides. Both were to eventually go on to play deep into the finals with divergent outcomes for the two clubs. THE TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE B: T. Clurey 17 T. McKenzie 12 A. Aliir 21 HB: R. Burton 3 T. Jonas 1 D. Byrne-Jones 33 C: M. Bergman 14 O. Wines 16 K. Amon 15 HF: C. Rozee 20 T. Marshall 4 S. Motlop 6 F: M. Georgiades 19 C. Dixon 22 Z. Butters 18 Foll: S. Lycett 29 T. Boak 10 W. Drew 28 I/C: Powell-Pepper 2 D. Houston 5 J. Lienert 40 S. Mayes 32 Sub: M. Frederick 45 Emerg: J. Garner 27 P. Ladhams 38 B. Woodcock 36 In: Z. Butters T. Clurey Out: R. Bonner (omitted) K. Farrell (ACL) MELBOURNE B: M. Hibberd 14 S. May 1 J. Lever 8 HB: J. Hunt 29 H. Petty 35 C. Salem 3 C: A. Brayshaw 10 C. Petracca 5 E. Langdon 15 HF: A. Neal-Bullen 30 T. McDonald 25 J. Harmes 4 F: L. Jackson 6 B. Brown 50 B. Fritsch 31 Foll: M. Gawn 11 C. Oliver 13 J. Viney 7 I/C: J. Jordon 23 K. Pickett 36 T. Rivers 24 C. Spargo 9 Sub: T. Sparrow 32 Emerg: J. Melksham 18 J. Smith 44 A. vandenBerg 22 In: B. Brown Out: A. vandenBerg (omitted)

South Australians should be well familiar with the damage that storms can do to the power supply. But Port Power forgot those lessons on Thursday night football as they watched the Melbourne storm descend upon them from across the border and ruin their hopes of a top four placing. Just as equally, the win to the Demons cemented their spot in the top two and sent out the message that a team who had been going around in circles for the past couple of weeks, has in fact, turned into a cyclone. The first quarter of the game was emblematic of a grand final match, such was the intensity. It wasn’t just two top sides playing each other, but two sides who had a lot at stake. Melbourne could drop to fifth spot with a failure, and Port was eyeing a potential top two placing. This was the intensity not seen in Melbourne for the past month, but they brought their best to the contest, with player after player throwing themselves in, when the need arose. Neither side took a backward step and the result of the game would not necessarily be who blinked first, but rather who could impose themselves on the other. Melbourne led by a goal at the first change, and the fight continued in the second. It was Melbourne who exerted the most pressure kicking five goals for quarter, and even with a Charlie Dixon goal after the siren, they still held a 19 point break at half-time. The second half of the game was similar, with Melbourne just too good, and progressively putting the foot on the throat of Port to deny them chances, and equally to capitalise on their own opportunities. The game was fundamentally a match of the mids, and what a contest! Wines had 33 touches, but he was harassed and punished by Jack Viney who had 10 tackles, most of them on his old mate Ollie. Christian Petracca was simply superb, with 33 touches of his own, and he blew the game away at critical times as he moved forward finishing with three goals. Clayton Oliver was just as emphatic with 31 touches while Max Gawn took progressively Lycett apart in the ruck. Once again, the Demons lost the centre clearances, but overwhelmed Port at the around the ground stoppages. Even if the ball came out of the middle, the usual stoppers in the back-line of Steven May, Jack Lever and now Harry Petty and Michael Hibberd just kept intercepting any Port attacks. May 6 intercepts, Lever 7 and Petty and Hibberd 8 each. Importantly, while Port tried to take down Lever and his influence, it was Petty and Hibberd who filled the gap. They simply took apart the likes of Rozee and Marshall, who normally account for a good number of goals. But then May also unpicked Dixon who didn’t manage a major during normal play, but kicked two after the half and full time sirens. Up forward, what a difference a Ben Brown makes! He didn’t trouble the goal umpire, but he cleared out space, brought the ball to ground and forced Port to play their best defender on him. He completely ruined their defence as Jonas and then Aliir were forced to cover his height and leap, which kept them away from the other Melbourne forwards. Tom McDonald especially, who was able to lead into space without the best defender on his shoulder, and was rewarded with three goals. Likewise Kozzy Pickett returned to form with the crumbing opportunities not there in previous weeks and finished with 3 majors, while Bayley Fritsch and Charlie Spargo picked up a couple of singles. All of a sudden the Melbourne forwards look lethal, especially when the Demons only entered the forward 50 just 45 times, yet posted one of their biggest winning margins for the season. The difference between last week and this was … Ben Brown! The other telling “learning” to be had from this game is to have players who are suited to their role. Port only had Lycett as ruck, and had to use Aliir and Dixon as stop-gaps, even at centre bounces. Like Melbourne in previous weeks, this takes away the skill set these players possess from their specialist area, and exposes the side. Dixon was forced up the ground, and this only left May on his own to marshall the defence in Dixons absence. Aliir left Tommy Mac to do what he wanted. It is one thing to have players who can “float” forward or back, but it is another thing to expect them to play those roles for long periods in the game. Port Power were unplugged from the main grid, by the Melbourne Cyclone. With 7 rounds to go, will the strength of the cyclone remain and push aside all in its way? It certainly will if the players can see what results when you play in a certain way. It is the style that wins finals and the ultimate prize. MELBOURNE 3.2.20 8.4.52 10.9.69 12.14.86 PORT ADELAIDE 2.2.14 5.3.33 7.5.47 GOALS Melbourne McDonald Petracca Pickett 3 Fritsch Jackson Spargo Port Adelaide Dixon Georgiadis 2 Amon McKenzie Rozee Wines BEST Melbourne Petracca McDonald Oliver Salem Gawn May Port Adelaide Boak Amon Wines Georgiades Aliir INJURIES Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Butters (knee) REPORTS Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil SUBSTITUTES Melbourne Tom Sparrow (unused) Port Adelaide Martin Frederick (replaced Butters) UMPIRES Simon Meredith Andre Gianfagna Jacob Mollison Official Crowd 30,908 at Adelaide Oval

The magic of Melbourne’s magnificent start to 2021 is beginning to wear off. In its past six matches it lost to three teams that were outside the eight, out of form — teams which it had very little trouble bearing last year. This week, the temperature is turned up even higher with the hard fought spot in the top four at risk. The really ominous factor about the Demons’ upcoming Thursday night meeting with Port Adelaide this week is that it is due to take place at the very place where its decline began this year — at the Adelaide Oval. It was here that lowly Adelaide rode the waves of a roaring crowd and some generous umpiring interpretations to end Melbourne’s opening 2021 nine match winning streak by a solitary point. But if we did it tough against the Crows, then what chance against Port Adelaide coming off a big win over the Hawks who a week ago conquered our nemesis from last week, the Giants? Port Adelaide is one of the AFL’s form sides because the week before, they beat the Sydney Swans who annihilated West Coast last week. They have class all over the field and the best big bodied midfielder in the competition in Ollie Wines who is leading in many best and fairest awards. They’re well served in all departments around the field, well coached and have the capacity to control their games. The upshot is they are making the most of their opportunities and kicking winning scores. Melbourne, on the other hand, has a brilliant defence, a midfield that has touches of brilliance but has lost some of its direction lately and a forward line that has descended in the past few games into the dyslectic. Against the Giants they managed 56 entries into their forward 50 of which only 36% were converted into scores (a statistic not too dissimilar to that of their opponents). But the Demons’ shooting accuracy of only 35% compared to the Giants’ 47% made the difference between a win and a loss. This week the selectors have gone for the additional marking option of Ben Brown who, in hindsight, should have been selected off the back of his previous effort of 5 goals 2 behinds against Essendon VFL. Apparently, someone at the club *believed* a weather bureau report suggesting storm clouds were forming and that there was a high chance that heavy rain would fall over the MCG in large patches over the course of the game. In fact, not a drop fell and in the dry conditions, the opportunities went begging and the club lamented. But it’s not just that key forward position that requires a shake up. The Demon small forwards who were so potent up to a month ago, have gone missing in action. It was clear to all and sundry that some players were getting tired and an attitudinal change was needed . The selectors however, were too slow in dealing with the issue and, as a consequence, the problem has gotten out of hand. By contrast, Port Adelaide is in good shape and welcomes the return of Tom Clurey into defence and playmaker Zak Butters into the midfield/forward mix. Even though fine weather is predicted for Adelaide on Thursday night, these changes should freshen up the Power and enable them to weather any storm. Port Adelaide to win by 18 points. THE GAME Port Adelaide v Melbourne on Thursday 7 July, 2021 at 7.40pm at Adelaide Oval HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 21 wins Melbourne 13 wins At Adelaide Oval Port Adelaide 3 wins Melbourne 1 win Past five meetings Port Adelaide 4 wins, Melbourne 1 win The Coaches Hinkley 3 wins Goodwin 1 win MEDIA THE LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 12.11.83 defeated Melbourne 4.8.32 in Round 9, 2020 at the Gabba The Demons were a tired looking bunch as they came off a four day break and were hammered by the then premiership favourites Port Adelaide in a performance that prompted club chairperson Glenn Bartlett to come out and state the obvious — that the team was rancid. The usuals, Gawn, Petracca and Oliver performed at an acceptable standard for AFL football. The rest, languished for all four quarters. THE TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE B: T. Clurey 17 T. McKenzie 12 A. Aliir 21 HB: R. Burton 3 T. Jonas 1 D. Byrne-Jones 33 C: M. Bergman 14 O. Wines 16 K. Amon 15 HF: C. Rozee 20 T. Marshall 4 S. Motlop 6 F: M. Georgiades 19 C. Dixon 22 Z. Butters 18 Foll: S. Lycett 29 T. Boak 10 W. Drew 28 I/C: Powell-Pepper 2 D. Houston 5 J. Lienert 40 S. Mayes 32 Sub: M. Frederick 45 Emerg: J. Garner 27 P. Ladhams 38 B. Woodcock 36 In: Z. Butters T. Clurey Out: R. Bonner (omitted) K. Farrell (ACL) MELBOURNE B: M. Hibberd 14 S. May 1 J. Lever 8 HB: J. Hunt 29 H. Petty 35 C. Salem 3 C: A. Brayshaw 10 C. Petracca 5 E. Langdon 15 HF: A. Neal-Bullen 30 T. McDonald 25 J. Harmes 4 F: L. Jackson 6 B. Brown 50 B. Fritsch 31 Foll: M. Gawn 11 C. Oliver 13 J. Viney 7 I/C: J. Jordon 23 K. Pickett 36 T. Rivers 24 C. Spargo 9 Sub: T. Sparrow 32 Emerg: J. Melksham 18 J. Smith 44 A. vandenBerg 22 In: B. Brown Out: A. vandenBerg (omitted) Injury List: Round 17 Mitch Brown (heel) — 2 Weeks Bailey Laurie (shoulder) — 4 to 5 Weeks Nathan Jones (calf) — TBC Marty Hore (knee) — 7 to 8 Weeks Aaron Nietschke (knee) — Season Adam Tomlinson (knee) — Season

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A MATTER OF INCHES by George on the Outer Melbourne, the 4th placed team v Port Adelaide, the 6th placed side. Both with the same number of wins. Both with a contested approach to the way football should be played. It was certain that the final result would come down to a matter of inches, and so it was to be. The Demons got off to a flying start, simply overpowering (appropriate word) Port with a three goal first term, but with what proved critical to the final result, they simply failed to make best use of their opportunities in front of goal. Numerous misses from easy positions saw eight shots at goal to four yield a lead of only 14 points when Port managed its first major after the siren after Melbourne again failed to shut down the game in the dying seconds. The Gawn v Ryder contest was to last all game, with the result probably being a draw, although Max had slightly more hitouts - 53 to 40. Those numbers were a sign of the game given a single ruckman would have them in a winning dominant side, but this game was all about contest after contest, ball up after ball up. The same was to be said about the mid-field, Jack Viney 20 contested possessions, Ollie Wines 18. Jared Polec 18 contested, Clayton Oliver 17. As a game of football it had everything that the game is showcased to be with the exception of the umpiring which left a lot to be desired. It often wasn’t what they called but rather what they didn’t and although that cut both ways, Port was heavily advantaged by the sheer numbers in their favour, especially in the second half. By half time the margin was two points Melbourne's way, which only increased to eight by the final change. The final quarter promised a game which would go down to the wire, and would be won by inches, not the dramatic margins that both teams had produced in previous weeks. In the end Port prevailed, but only in the last ten minutes when they kicked the last two goals of the game when the Melbourne interchange bench was suddenly swamped with injured players needing attention. Tom McDonald, Tim Smith and critically Nev Jetta were all forced from the ground for attention following head knocks. In those crucial minutes Melbourne attacks lacked a target, and the defenders were left floundering to cover the most reliable among them. Put those players back on the field during that time, and the result probably would have been the opposite. Normally, there are standout performances to note, but it was for the most part just even across the ground, although some special mentions must go to Jetta and Oscar McDonald who saved certain goals during the match when they were last man standing against multiple opposition players, and somehow they repelled or broke down the attack. Melbourne lost the game, but if one thing was to be learned was that this type of match is typified by inches. It is IDENTICAL to that which happens in a Grand Final. If you win or lose it comes down to winning that contest or losing it, making the error or delivering. And because the opposition face the same, it comes down to whether you do it more or less than them. For Melbourne, there are still a number of players who did not have enough influence on the game when called upon. While those players are selected, because there are no better options, then the best the Demons can expect is perhaps where they are today….somewhere in the 8, but not in the top 4. The style of play that Melbourne is playing under Simon Goodwin is what is needed to produce results. Now we have the consistency so longed for, but without that killer instinct and plain ability under extreme pressure, it won’t be shown against the top sides. To prove that is the case, then the games in the coming weeks against weaker sides should see positive results. If not then the 2018 season will be a write off. If successful, then a continuous improvement and opportunity will happen this year. The pundits were expecting Melbourne to demonstrate they were capable of beating genuine teams. Although a loss happened, it could have easily been the other way. Did we demonstrate that capability? Yes. Did the result fall our way? No. Were Port in the same situation? Most probably. And that is why we now sit at 4th and 5th on the Ladder. We are inches apart. The games can be inches apart. We now have to fight to win those inches in coming games. And the reality is that both Melbourne and Port can find themselves competing against each other come finals time. Should that happen each Melbourne player already knows what extra he has to do to ensure the result is different than this time. Melbourne 3.5.23 4.8.32 9.9.63 9.11 65 Port Adelaide 1.3.9 4.6.30 8.7.55 11.9.75 Goals Melbourne T McDonald 3 Hannan 2 Melksham Petracca Salem T Smith Port Adelaide Ebert R Gray Westhoff 2 Boak Dixon S Gray Thomas Wingard Best Melbourne Viney Brayshaw Oliver Jones T McDonald Jetta Port Adelaide Wines Wingard Jonas Powell-Pepper Rockliff Westhoff Injuries Melbourne Jetta (head knock/ankle) T McDonald (ribs) Port Adelaide Nil Reports Nil Umpires Deboy, Nicholls, Hay, McInerney Official crowd 40,751 at The Adelaide Oval

Melbourne, the 4th placed team v Port Adelaide, the 6th placed side. Both with the same number of wins. Both with a contested approach to the way football should be played. It was certain that the final result would come down to a matter of inches, and so it was to be. The Demons got off to a flying start, simply overpowering (appropriate word) Port with a three goal first term, but with what proved critical to the final result, they simply failed to make best use of their opportunities in front of goal. Numerous misses from easy positions saw eight shots at goal to four yield a lead of only 14 points when Port managed its first major after the siren after Melbourne again failed to shut down the game in the dying seconds. The Gawn v Ryder contest was to last all game, with the result probably being a draw, although Max had slightly more hitouts - 53 to 40. Those numbers were a sign of the game given a single ruckman would have them in a winning dominant side, but this game was all about contest after contest, ball up after ball up. The same was to be said about the mid-field, Jack Viney 20 contested possessions, Ollie Wines 18. Jared Polec 18 contested, Clayton Oliver 17. As a game of football it had everything that the game is showcased to be with the exception of the umpiring which left a lot to be desired. It often wasn’t what they called but rather what they didn’t and although that cut both ways, Port was heavily advantaged by the sheer numbers in their favour, especially in the second half. By half time the margin was two points Melbourne's way, which only increased to eight by the final change. The final quarter promised a game which would go down to the wire, and would be won by inches, not the dramatic margins that both teams had produced in previous weeks. In the end Port prevailed, but only in the last ten minutes when they kicked the last two goals of the game when the Melbourne interchange bench was suddenly swamped with injured players needing attention. Tom McDonald, Tim Smith and critically Nev Jetta were all forced from the ground for attention following head knocks. In those crucial minutes Melbourne attacks lacked a target, and the defenders were left floundering to cover the most reliable among them. Put those players back on the field during that time, and the result probably would have been the opposite. Normally, there are standout performances to note, but it was for the most part just even across the ground, although some special mentions must go to Jetta and Oscar McDonald who saved certain goals during the match when they were last man standing against multiple opposition players, and somehow they repelled or broke down the attack. Melbourne lost the game, but if one thing was to be learned was that this type of match is typified by inches. It is IDENTICAL to that which happens in a Grand Final. If you win or lose it comes down to winning that contest or losing it, making the error or delivering. And because the opposition face the same, it comes down to whether you do it more or less than them. For Melbourne, there are still a number of players who did not have enough influence on the game when called upon. While those players are selected, because there are no better options, then the best the Demons can expect is perhaps where they are today….somewhere in the 8, but not in the top 4. The style of play that Melbourne is playing under Simon Goodwin is what is needed to produce results. Now we have the consistency so longed for, but without that killer instinct and plain ability under extreme pressure, it won’t be shown against the top sides. To prove that is the case, then the games in the coming weeks against weaker sides should see positive results. If not then the 2018 season will be a write off. If successful, then a continuous improvement and opportunity will happen this year. The pundits were expecting Melbourne to demonstrate they were capable of beating genuine teams. Although a loss happened, it could have easily been the other way. Did we demonstrate that capability? Yes. Did the result fall our way? No. Were Port in the same situation? Most probably. And that is why we now sit at 4th and 5th on the Ladder. We are inches apart. The games can be inches apart. We now have to fight to win those inches in coming games. And the reality is that both Melbourne and Port can find themselves competing against each other come finals time. Should that happen each Melbourne player already knows what extra he has to do to ensure the result is different than this time. Melbourne 3.5.23 4.8.32 9.9.63 9.11 65 Port Adelaide 1.3.9 4.6.30 8.7.55 11.9.75 Goals Melbourne T McDonald 3 Hannan 2 Melksham Petracca Salem T Smith Port Adelaide Ebert R Gray Westhoff 2 Boak Dixon S Gray Thomas Wingard Best Melbourne Viney Brayshaw Oliver Jones T McDonald Jetta Port Adelaide Wines Wingard Jonas Powell-Pepper Rockliff Westhoff Injuries Melbourne Jetta (head knock/ankle) T McDonald (ribs) Port Adelaide Nil Reports Nil Umpires Deboy, Nicholls, Hay, McInerney Official crowd 40,751 at The Adelaide Oval

GRAVITAS by Mel Rundle Understandably, this Friday night's game between Melbourne and Port Adelaide will not carry the same gravitas or have the capacity to draw the attention of the masses as would a clash involving perennial AFL power houses of the ilk of Carlton or the Western Bulldogs which have dominated that blockbuster fixture so far this year, I dare say that, despite the misgivings of those at AFL House or the media gurus at the Seven Network, I believe it might still turn out to be a contest worthy of being played out on a big stage. In the first place, it’s one of those much-vaunted eight point games with the winner to remain well placed in the race for a top four placing and the loser to join a pack of teams contesting for a place in the finals. It’s that important for both teams. In that respect, the Power go into the fray with a couple of major advantages. The first is the home ground with a home crowd to cheer on their team against the enemy from interstate and the potential noise of affirmation poised to give them a major break (like the 10-2 start Collingwood had from the maggots over Melbourne in its last start). Of course, the factor that negates home ground advantage is that the 2018 Demons have a far better win-loss ratio when they play away from the MCG. Indeed, their only defeats for the year have been on the hallowed turf that they call their home. The Power are however, on a little bit of a streak at Adelaide Oval having beaten both Richmond and the Western Bulldogs at that venue after a narrow loss away to the Hawks. Their form line is pretty good but so was Melbourne’s until the Queens Birthday disaster, a 42-point loss to Collingwood on the long weekend prior to the bye which put an end to it’s six-game winning streak. This has given the team plenty of time to muse over their sudden change of circumstances. The game will also provide some interesting clashes between players who are not the second hand hacks we’re used to in the blue and white navy blue guernseys that usually grace our screens on a Friday night. The match up between Max Gawn, possibly still smarting after his clash with Brodie Grundy (I thought they broke even but Pie fans reckon their man finished on top), takes on Paddy Ryder in a duel that could well shape the outcome of the game. In recent weeks the Dees have not controlled the contested possessions as much as they did in the middle of their winning streak but the midfield remains strong and the clash between schoolboy buddies Jack Viney and Ollie Wines will also be worth looking at closely. THE GAME Melbourne v Port Adelaide on Friday 22 June, 2018 at 7.50pm at the Adelaide Oval HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 19 wins, Melbourne 13 wins At the Adelaide Oval Port Adelaide 2 wins, Melbourne 1 win Past five meetings Port Adelaide 3 wins, Melbourne 2 wins The Coaches Hinkley 0 wins, Goodwin 1 good win MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Footy Channel Live at 7.30pm RADIO - Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.10.88 defeated Port Adelaide 9.11.65 Round 18, 2017 at the MCG The Demons dominated the first half and led by as much as 44 points before they were slowly reeled in to finish winners by 23 points after some hear fluttering moments in the final quarter. Jack Viney was outstanding and Jesse Hogan and Jake Melksham booted three goals each. THE TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE B: Riley Bonner, Tom Jonas, Dan Houston HB: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Tom Clurey, Jasper Pittard ? Steven Motlop, Ollie Wines, Jared Polec HF: Travis Boak, Justin Westhoff, Chad Wingard F: Sam Gray, Charlie Dixon, Robbie Gray Foll: Paddy Ryder, Tom Rockliff, Brad Ebert I/C: Dougal Howard, Todd Marshall, Sam Powell-Pepper, Lindsay Thomas Emg: Jack Hombsch, Aidyn Johnson, Jack Trengove, Jack Watts In: Tom Jonas Out: Jack Hombsch (omitted) MELBOURNE B: Bernie Vince, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Joel Smith, Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis ? Christian Petracca, Jack Viney, Tom McDonald HF: James Harmes, Jesse Hogan, Clayton Oliver F: Alex Neal-Bullen, Tim Smith, Bayley Fritsch Foll: Max Gawn, Jake Melksham, Nathan Jones I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Mitch Hannan, Christian Salem, Dom Tyson Emg: Harrison Petty, Charlie Spargo, Billy Stretch, Sam Weideman In: Tim Smith Dom Tyson Out: Cam Pedersen (omitted) Charlie Spargo (omitted) Melbourne has a few problems coming into this game. The Demons’ last game was a seven goal defeat and they are coming off the bye. Recent history shows that teams in that situation do not perform at their best. There is also the argument that, after 13 rounds, Melbourne has beaten no one - the only team in the AFL’s top 10 to lower their colors to them this season is North Melbourne and that was way back in Round 3. On the other hand, Port Adelaide has the scalps of two of the top three teams in their bag after beating Richmond and Sydney so far this season. That thought has not been lost on Simon Goodwin who during the week stated - "We're not oblivious ... the noise is that we can't play in these types of games, so it's another opportunity for us to grow." And that’s the big question. The best way of showing how grown up this Melbourne team really is will be for it to rebound from the Queens Birthday debacle and return to the form it displayed against that other South Australian team a few weeks ago. The changes to the teams will work in their favour. Melbourne by 14 points

Understandably, this Friday night's game between Melbourne and Port Adelaide will not carry the same gravitas or have the capacity to draw the attention of the masses as would a clash involving perennial AFL power houses of the ilk of Carlton or the Western Bulldogs which have dominated that blockbuster fixture so far this year, I dare say that, despite the misgivings of those at AFL House or the media gurus at the Seven Network, I believe it might still turn out to be a contest worthy of being played out on a big stage. In the first place, it’s one of those much-vaunted eight point games with the winner to remain well placed in the race for a top four placing and the loser to join a pack of teams contesting for a place in the finals. It’s that important for both teams. In that respect, the Power go into the fray with a couple of major advantages. The first is the home ground with a home crowd to cheer on their team against the enemy from interstate and the potential noise of affirmation poised to give them a major break (like the 10-2 start Collingwood had from the maggots over Melbourne in its last start). Of course, the factor that negates home ground advantage is that the 2018 Demons have a far better win-loss ratio when they play away from the MCG. Indeed, their only defeats for the year have been on the hallowed turf that they call their home. The Power are however, on a little bit of a streak at Adelaide Oval having beaten both Richmond and the Western Bulldogs at that venue after a narrow loss away to the Hawks. Their form line is pretty good but so was Melbourne’s until the Queens Birthday disaster, a 42-point loss to Collingwood on the long weekend prior to the bye which put an end to it’s six-game winning streak. This has given the team plenty of time to muse over their sudden change of circumstances. The game will also provide some interesting clashes between players who are not the second hand hacks we’re used to in the blue and white navy blue guernseys that usually grace our screens on a Friday night. The match up between Max Gawn, possibly still smarting after his clash with Brodie Grundy (I thought they broke even but Pie fans reckon their man finished on top), takes on Paddy Ryder in a duel that could well shape the outcome of the game. In recent weeks the Dees have not controlled the contested possessions as much as they did in the middle of their winning streak but the midfield remains strong and the clash between schoolboy buddies Jack Viney and Ollie Wines will also be worth looking at closely. *** Scroll for More including Prediction *** THE GAME Melbourne v Port Adelaide on Friday 22 June, 2018 at 7.50pm at the Adelaide Oval HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 19 wins, Melbourne 13 wins At the Adelaide Oval Port Adelaide 2 wins, Melbourne 1 win Past five meetings Port Adelaide 3 wins, Melbourne 2 wins The Coaches Hinkley 0 wins, Goodwin 1 good win MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Footy Channel Live at 7.30pm RADIO - Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.10.88 defeated Port Adelaide 9.11.65 Round 18, 2017 at the MCG The Demons dominated the first half and led by as much as 44 points before they were slowly reeled in to finish winners by 23 points after some hear fluttering moments in the final quarter. Jack Viney was outstanding and Jesse Hogan and Jake Melksham booted three goals each. THE TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE B: Riley Bonner, Tom Jonas, Dan Houston HB: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Tom Clurey, Jasper Pittard ? Steven Motlop, Ollie Wines, Jared Polec HF: Travis Boak, Justin Westhoff, Chad Wingard F: Sam Gray, Charlie Dixon, Robbie Gray Foll: Paddy Ryder, Tom Rockliff, Brad Ebert I/C: Dougal Howard, Todd Marshall, Sam Powell-Pepper, Lindsay Thomas Emg: Jack Hombsch, Aidyn Johnson, Jack Trengove, Jack Watts In: Tom Jonas Out: Jack Hombsch (omitted) MELBOURNE B: Bernie Vince, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Joel Smith, Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis ? Christian Petracca, Jack Viney, Tom McDonald HF: James Harmes, Jesse Hogan, Clayton Oliver F: Alex Neal-Bullen, Tim Smith, Bayley Fritsch Foll: Max Gawn, Jake Melksham, Nathan Jones I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Mitch Hannan, Christian Salem, Dom Tyson Emg: Harrison Petty, Charlie Spargo, Billy Stretch, Sam Weideman In: Tim Smith Dom Tyson Out: Cam Pedersen (omitted) Charlie Spargo (omitted) Melbourne has a few problems coming into this game. The Demons’ last game was a seven goal defeat and they are coming off the bye. Recent history shows that teams in that situation do not perform at their best. There is also the argument that, after 13 rounds, Melbourne has beaten no one - the only team in the AFL’s top 10 to lower their colors to them this season is North Melbourne and that was way back in Round 3. On the other hand, Port Adelaide has the scalps of two of the top three teams in their bag after beating Richmond and Sydney so far this season. That thought has not been lost on Simon Goodwin who during the week stated - "We're not oblivious ... the noise is that we can't play in these types of games, so it's another opportunity for us to grow." And that’s the big question. The best way of showing how grown up this Melbourne team really is will be for it to rebound from the Queens Birthday debacle and return to the form it displayed against that other South Australian team a few weeks ago. The changes to the teams will work in their favour. Melbourne by 14 point

Great start, poor finish but we still got the points. MELBOURNE B: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jordan Lewis, Sam Frost, Jayden Hunt C: Alex Neal-Bullen, Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver HF: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, James Harmes F: Jeff Garlett, Jack Watts, Tom McDonald FOLL: Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Jake Melksham I/C: Mitch Hannan, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Christian Salem, Jack Trengove EMG: Cameron Pedersen Joel Smith, Billy Stretch IN: Christian Salem, Jack Trengove, Dom Tyson, Jack Viney, Jack Watts OUT: Kent (shoulder), Pedersen (omitted), Joel Smith (omitted), Bernie Vince (suspended), Josh Wagner (omitted) PORT ADELAIDE B: Matthew Broadbent, Tom Clurey, Logan Austin HB: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Tom Jonas, Hamish Hartlett C: Brad Ebert, Ollie Wines, Jared Polec HF: Sam Gray, Jackson Trengove, Sam Powell-Pepper F: Chad Wingard, Charlie Dixon, Justin Westhoff FOLL: Paddy Ryder, Robbie Gray, Travis Boak I/C: Joe Atley, Dan Houston, Jarman Impey, Matthew White EMG: Karl Amon Jasper Pittard, Aaron Young IN: Matthew Broadbent OUT: Jasper Pittard

First win against Port Adelaide in yonks ... three in a row ... plenty of things to discuss.

A STORM IN THE PORT by George on the Outer It is a wind that is building around the Demons as season 2016 draws to a close and this time it was Port Adelaide that bore the brunt of the whirlwind that blew through their slim finals hopes. An eight goal unanswered streak by Melbourne in the first and second quarters put paid to any hope that Port had of a win, especially when one of their golden lights in Chad Wingard, left the ground with a hamstring injury. That only served to highlight the fragility of Port who for too long have depended on a couple of individual performances to get them over the line. It was in sharp contrast to the complete team effort of the Demons that has been carefully cultivated under Paul Roos. In years gone by it was easy to control the outcome for opposition sides. Just sit on Nathan Jones and one or two others and the game result was a foregone conclusion. That is not the case now as the Demon mid-field just oozes a whole battery of talent, and Jones has the backup from Jack Viney, Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw with the irrepressible Max Gawn completely dominating ruck contests, and feeding these mids countless opportunities from his 46 taps in this game. Oliver is simply going to be something truly special next year when he gets a decent pre-season into his 19 year old body. His vision in tight situations and toughness around the ball are something to behold. That he is assisted by another couple of 20 year old beasts in Petracca and Brayshaw means opposition teams will have trouble matching all of them, as Port did in this game. But it is not just in the middle, that the change has been occurring, as the backline has been bolstered by the youth of Sam Frost, Oscar McDonald and Jayden Hunt who earlier this year were doubtful of getting many more than games in the season or were otherwise slated for other roles. It is now easy to see why old stagers like Jack Grimes, Lynden Dunn and Colin Garland can’t get a run in the seniors, as this young group provide consistent line breaking opportunities. That is the way that football is played today, and it is essential to be able to run through the opposition defence and provide attacking moves. With Hunt and Frost able to gain meterage by run and carry their skills open up opportunities. Even O.Mac is finding his feet with 23 touches and some telling marks. Bernie Vince and T.Mac are now the lynch pins and final line of defence, and both contribute to that attacking style. The old mark and kick style is not how to win games any longer. Up forward Jesse Hogan had little impact on the game and may well have carried an injury into the game. He certainly wasn’t moving freely before his collision with the goal post last week, and it didn’t look all that different this week. However, Cam Pedersen provided much, much more as a big target and brought the ball to ground and competed in the air and dished off to the runners going past. He has almost certainly ensured his place at the club next year, as he is providing more output that we have seen from Chris Dawes in his past games. Jack Watts in what seems to be his trademark today, slotted a momentum changing goal, just when it was needed most. Jeff Garlett, despite a couple of goals, simply needs to produce more in a game than he currently does, as the likes of JKH start knocking at the door. One mark and one tackle for a small forward is simply not sufficient, and he needs to start doing the simple things in a game, rather than trying for the spectacular all the time. It was 16 years ago that Melbourne last beat Port in Adelaide, it was the clubs first run of three successive wins since 2006 and the ignoble records that Melbourne have amassed in the past ten years continue to fall. Importantly, this game showed the complete change in attitude that Paul Roos has instilled. Port fought back to within 20 odd points in the final quarter, and in years gone by, a Melbourne side would have capitulated and then rued another loss that shouldn’t have happened. Not this team today, they simply drew breath, stuck with their plan and style and walked away with a near seven goal win. The supporters were and are all too familiar with that scenario. It may take some time for them to get accustomed to a team that now knows how to win. Those same supporters have felt the winds of change that have been blowing through the MFC since the arrival of Peter Jackson, Roos and his team. The zephyr that started has now built into gale force proportions, as the club has now won as many games as it has lost in 2016, and will produce its best season outcome for 10 years. With two more games left in the season,it could build to the hurricane that will clear all before them in the coming year. Melbourne 4.3.27 8.5.53 9.9.63 13.16.94 Port Adelaide 1.2.8 2.4.16 6.5.41 8.6.54 Goals Melbourne Brayshaw Bugg Garlett 2, Frost N Jones Kent Oliver Tyson Vince Watts Port Adelaide Polec Young 2 S Gray Krakouer Wines Wingard Best Melbourne Tyson Vince Gawn Oliver Hunt O McDonald Port Adelaide S Gray Polec R Gray Pittard Wines Changes Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Wingard (hamstring) Reports Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Umpires Bannister, Chamberlain, Mollison Official crowd 33,426 at Adelaide Oval

It is a wind that is building around the Demons as season 2016 draws to a close and this time it was Port Adelaide that bore the brunt of the whirlwind that blew through their slim finals hopes. An eight goal unanswered streak by Melbourne in the first and second quarters put paid to any hope that Port had of a win, especially when one of their golden lights in Chad Wingard, left the ground with a hamstring injury. That only served to highlight the fragility of Port who for too long have depended on a couple of individual performances to get them over the line. It was in sharp contrast to the complete team effort of the Demons that has been carefully cultivated under Paul Roos. In years gone by it was easy to control the outcome for opposition sides. Just sit on Nathan Jones and one or two others and the game result was a foregone conclusion. That is not the case now as the Demon mid-field just oozes a whole battery of talent, and Jones has the backup from Jack Viney, Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw with the irrepressible Max Gawn completely dominating ruck contests, and feeding these mids countless opportunities from his 46 taps in this game. Oliver is simply going to be something truly special next year when he gets a decent pre-season into his 19 year old body. His vision in tight situations and toughness around the ball are something to behold. That he is assisted by another couple of 20 year old beasts in Petracca and Brayshaw means opposition teams will have trouble matching all of them, as Port did in this game. But it is not just in the middle, that the change has been occurring, as the backline has been bolstered by the youth of Sam Frost, Oscar McDonald and Jayden Hunt who earlier this year were doubtful of getting many more than games in the season or were otherwise slated for other roles. It is now easy to see why old stagers like Jack Grimes, Lynden Dunn and Colin Garland can’t get a run in the seniors, as this young group provide consistent line breaking opportunities. That is the way that football is played today, and it is essential to be able to run through the opposition defence and provide attacking moves. With Hunt and Frost able to gain meterage by run and carry their skills open up opportunities. Even O.Mac is finding his feet with 23 touches and some telling marks. Bernie Vince and T.Mac are now the lynch pins and final line of defence, and both contribute to that attacking style. The old mark and kick style is not how to win games any longer. Up forward Jesse Hogan had little impact on the game and may well have carried an injury into the game. He certainly wasn’t moving freely before his collision with the goal post last week, and it didn’t look all that different this week. However, Cam Pedersen provided much, much more as a big target and brought the ball to ground and competed in the air and dished off to the runners going past. He has almost certainly ensured his place at the club next year, as he is providing more output that we have seen from Chris Dawes in his past games. Jack Watts in what seems to be his trademark today, slotted a momentum changing goal, just when it was needed most. Jeff Garlett, despite a couple of goals, simply needs to produce more in a game than he currently does, as the likes of JKH start knocking at the door. One mark and one tackle for a small forward is simply not sufficient, and he needs to start doing the simple things in a game, rather than trying for the spectacular all the time. It was 16 years ago that Melbourne last beat Port in Adelaide, it was the clubs first run of three successive wins since 2006 and the ignoble records that Melbourne have amassed in the past ten years continue to fall. Importantly, this game showed the complete change in attitude that Paul Roos has instilled. Port fought back to within 20 odd points in the final quarter, and in years gone by, a Melbourne side would have capitulated and then rued another loss that shouldn’t have happened. Not this team today, they simply drew breath, stuck with their plan and style and walked away with a near seven goal win. The supporters were and are all too familiar with that scenario. It may take some time for them to get accustomed to a team that now knows how to win. Those same supporters have felt the winds of change that have been blowing through the MFC since the arrival of Peter Jackson, Roos and his team. The zephyr that started has now built into gale force proportions, as the club has now won as many games as it has lost in 2016, and will produce its best season outcome for 10 years. With two more games left in the season,it could build to the hurricane that will clear all before them in the coming year. Melbourne 4.3.27 8.5.53 9.9.63 13.16.94 Port Adelaide 1.2.8 2.4.16 6.5.41 8.6.54 Goals Melbourne Brayshaw Bugg Garlett 2, Frost N Jones Kent Oliver Tyson Vince Watts Port Adelaide Polec Young 2 S Gray Krakouer Wines Wingard Best Melbourne Tyson Vince Gawn Oliver Hunt O McDonald Port Adelaide S Gray Polec R Gray Pittard Wines Changes Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Injuries Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Wingard (hamstring) Reports Melbourne Nil Port Adelaide Nil Umpires Bannister, Chamberlain, Mollison Official crowd 33,426 at Adelaide Oval

It's deja vu all over again. You wake up on the morning of a game the week after a ground-breaking win and you think - "we're on our way, we're going to win this one." We finished off so well against the Hawks last week while Port Adelaide was so insipid against the Swans. There's no way we can lose this one. Welcome to three wins in a row and another week of talking about mathematical possibilities. And then ... it's Groundhog Day.

SHINING by The Oracle I was watching the discussion on Foxtel's AFL360 programme on Monday night in which Nathan Buckley and Chris Scott were discussing Melbourne's win over defending premiers Hawthorn. They were both in heated agreement that the result should not have shocked anyone: that the Demons are a much better team than is perceived by the football world and they have been that way for some time. Scott pointed to the fact that they were unlucky against the Eagles in Perth, had stretched Adelaide a few weeks before that and earlier in the year came close to beating North Melbourne in Hobart. Buckley nodded and added they had beaten his team twice this year. We all know this, but young sides don't always shine. What is of concern is the way that the team has gone in between those better performances. There were the two bad losses at Etihad against St Kilda, the second round humiliation at home against Essendon and of course, the capitulation in the heart of the country when they went down without so much as a whimper to Port Adelaide at the end of May when the Power were struggling. Buckley and Scott said nothing about these games and the football world and euphoric Demon fans in the wake of last week's victory also appear to have forgotten. That is the problem with assessing how Melbourne will fare on Saturday night at the Adelaide Oval against a team that is similarly inconsistent. Will they be so swept up in the way in which they have basked for a week in their grand final like victory over the Hawks to fall into the all too familiar traps of the past? And which Port Adelaide side will show up on the night? The one that was completely destroyed by the Swans last week at the SCG or that which outclassed the Brisbane Lions the week before? One thing is certain - Ken Hinkley certainly knows how to beat Melbourne. His first win at the helm at Port Adelaide came in his debut match as coach when his team demolished Mark Neeld's dreams in the opening round of 2013 by 79 points at the MCG. They have since beaten Melbourne four times with three of those victories coming at TIO Traeger Park, the last of them being that 45 point drubbing in Round 10 earlier this year. Paradoxically, the Demons' best showing came two years ago at Adelaide Oval when they lost narrowly by three points in a game that could have gone either way. The Demons have come a long way since then. The make up of the side and the style of play have changed substantially. Their young team is improving in confidence and ability with each passing week. There is always the chance that they will regress on any given week but they have developed a penchant for breaking hoodoos this year and their now seven game losing streak against Port Adelaide is waiting to be broken. Their on ball division has climbed out of third world status and threatens to move into the upper echelon in the not too distant future. This is the moment for the Demons to shine and I'm predicting a 25 point win for them at the Adelaide Oval. THE GAME Port Adelaide v Melbourne on Saturday 13 August, 2016 at 7.40pm (AEST) at Adelaide Oval HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 19 wins Melbourne 11 wins At Adelaide Oval Port Adelaide 2 wins Melbourne 0 wins Past five meetings Port Adelaide 5 wins Melbourne 0 wins The Coaches Hinkley 4 wins Roos 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Sports3 live at 7.30pm RADIO - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Port Adelaide to win - $1.45 Melbourne to win - $2.80 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 18.13.121 defeated Melbourne 10.16.76 Round 10, 2016 at TIO Traeger Park A wasteful Melbourne lost another game at one of its homes away from home, TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs. Despite an outstanding ruck performance from Max Gawn and a dominant opening term (everywhere but on the scoreboard), the errant Demons watched helplessly as its defence leaked like a sieve unforgivably leaving opposition forwards on their own. Charlie Dixon booted three goals in the second term on his way to five for the game as the "away" side ran out 45 point winners. Despite making it three defeats in a row to Port in the centre of the country, Melbourne has decided to return again next year. THE TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE B: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Logan Austin, Jasper Pittard HB: Matthew Broadbent, Jackson Trengove, Tom Clurey C: Brad Ebert, Ollie Wines, Jared Polec HF: Jarman Impey, Justin Westhoff, Chad Wingard F: Jesse Palmer, Charlie Dixon, Aaron Young FOLL: Matthew Lobbe, Travis Boak, Robbie Gray I/C: Karl Amon, Sam Gray, Nathan Krakouer EMG: Riley Bonner, Brendon Ah Chee, Jake Neade IN: Matthew Lobbe, Jesse Palmer, Cam O'Shea OUT: John Butcher (omitted), Brendon Ah Chee (Omitted), Paul Stewart (Omitted) NEW: Jesse Palmer MELBOURNE B: Sam Frost, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Tomas Bugg C: Christian Petracca, Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson HF: Jeff Garlett, Jack Watts, Aaron vandenBerg F: James Harmes, Jesse Hogan, Dean Kent FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver, Cameron Pedersen, Billy Stretch EMG: Chris Dawes, Colin Garland, Alex Neal-Bullen IN: Jesse Hogan OUT: Sam Weideman (quad)

I was watching the discussion on Foxtel's AFL360 programme on Monday night in which Nathan Buckley and Chris Scott were discussing Melbourne's win over defending premiers Hawthorn. They were both in heated agreement that the result should not have shocked anyone: that the Demons are a much better team than is perceived by the football world and they have been that way for some time. Scott pointed to the fact that they were unlucky against the Eagles in Perth, had stretched Adelaide a few weeks before that and earlier in the year came close to beating North Melbourne in Hobart. Buckley nodded and added they had beaten his team twice this year. We all know this, but young sides don't always shine. What is of concern is the way that the team has gone in between those better performances. There were the two bad losses at Etihad against St Kilda, the second round humiliation at home against Essendon and of course, the capitulation in the heart of the country when they went down without so much as a whimper to Port Adelaide at the end of May when the Power were struggling. Buckley and Scott said nothing about these games and the football world and euphoric Demon fans in the wake of last week's victory also appear to have forgotten. That is the problem with assessing how Melbourne will fare on Saturday night at the Adelaide Oval against a team that is similarly inconsistent. Will they be so swept up in the way in which they have basked for a week in their grand final like victory over the Hawks to fall into the all too familiar traps of the past? And which Port Adelaide side will show up on the night? The one that was completely destroyed by the Swans last week at the SCG or that which outclassed the Brisbane Lions the week before? One thing is certain - Ken Hinkley certainly knows how to beat Melbourne. His first win at the helm at Port Adelaide came in his debut match as coach when his team demolished Mark Neeld's dreams in the opening round of 2013 by 79 points at the MCG. They have since beaten Melbourne four times with three of those victories coming at TIO Traeger Park, the last of them being that 45 point drubbing in Round 10 earlier this year. Paradoxically, the Demons' best showing came two years ago at Adelaide Oval when they lost narrowly by three points in a game that could have gone either way. The Demons have come a long way since then. The make up of the side and the style of play have changed substantially. Their young team is improving in confidence and ability with each passing week. There is always the chance that they will regress on any given week but they have developed a penchant for breaking hoodoos this year and their now seven game losing streak against Port Adelaide is waiting to be broken. Their on ball division has climbed out of third world status and threatens to move into the upper echelon in the not too distant future. This is the moment for the Demons to shine and I'm predicting a 25 point win for them at the Adelaide Oval. THE GAME Port Adelaide v Melbourne on Saturday 13 August, 2016 at 7.40pm (AEST) at Adelaide Oval HEAD TO HEAD Overall Port Adelaide 19 wins Melbourne 11 wins At Adelaide Oval Port Adelaide 2 wins Melbourne 0 wins Past five meetings Port Adelaide 5 wins Melbourne 0 wins The Coaches Hinkley 4 wins Roos 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Sports3 live at 7.30pm RADIO - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Port Adelaide to win - $1.45 Melbourne to win - $2.80 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Port Adelaide 18.13.121 defeated Melbourne 10.16.76 Round 10, 2016 at TIO Traeger Park A wasteful Melbourne lost another game at one of its homes away from home, TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs. Despite an outstanding ruck performance from Max Gawn and a dominant opening term (everywhere but on the scoreboard), the errant Demons watched helplessly as its defence leaked like a sieve unforgivably leaving opposition forwards on their own. Charlie Dixon booted three goals in the second term on his way to five for the game as the "away" side ran out 45 point winners. Despite making it three defeats in a row to Port in the centre of the country, Melbourne has decided to return again next year. THE TEAMS PORT ADELAIDE B: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Logan Austin, Jasper Pittard HB: Matthew Broadbent, Jackson Trengove, Tom Clurey C: Brad Ebert, Ollie Wines, Jared Polec HF: Jarman Impey, Justin Westhoff, Chad Wingard F: Jesse Palmer, Charlie Dixon, Aaron Young FOLL: Matthew Lobbe, Travis Boak, Robbie Gray I/C: Karl Amon, Sam Gray, Nathan Krakouer EMG: Riley Bonner, Brendon Ah Chee, Jake Neade IN: Matthew Lobbe, Jesse Palmer, Cam O'Shea OUT: John Butcher (omitted), Brendon Ah Chee (Omitted), Paul Stewart (Omitted) NEW: Jesse Palmer MELBOURNE B: Sam Frost, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Tomas Bugg C: Christian Petracca, Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson HF: Jeff Garlett, Jack Watts, Aaron vandenBerg F: James Harmes, Jesse Hogan, Dean Kent FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver, Cameron Pedersen, Billy Stretch EMG: Chris Dawes, Colin Garland, Alex Neal-Bullen IN: Jesse Hogan OUT: Sam Weideman (quad)

We started the game played in Alice Springs well but kicked poorly for goal. Jack Viney was a little too aggressive and got reported (and was injured). The team blew up. MELBOURNE B: Josh Wagner, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Tomas Bugg, Oscar McDonald, Colin Garland C: Billy Stretch, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince HF: Dean Kent, Jack Watts, Jeff Garlett F: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: James Harmes, Jayden Hunt, Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Newton EMG: Chris Dawes, Jack Grimes, Viv Michie IN: Neville Jetta, Dom Tyson OUT: Viv Michie (omitted), Clayton Oliver (quad) PORT ADELAIDE B: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Jack Hombsch, Jasper Pittard HB: Nathan Krakouer, Cam O'Shea, Matthew Broadbent C: Jared Polec, Ollie Wines, Brad Ebert HF: Jake Neade, Justin Westhoff, Hamish Hartlett F: Aaron Young, Charlie Dixon, Chad Wingard FOLL: Jackson Trengove, Travis Boak, Robbie Gray I/C: Karl Amon, Dougal Howard, Jarman Impey, Paul Stewart EMG: Brendon Ah Chee, Logan Austin, Sam Gray IN: Dougal Howard OUT: Tom Jonas (suspended)

SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL by Whispering Jack Since time immemorial, pre season practice matches, be they the intraclub variety or contests between clubs played for trophies or otherwise, have always needed to be looked at with a dose of skepticism. Coaches and clubs use these games for different purposes, teams are often of different strength and there's plenty of experimentation. I will not therefore allow myself to get too carried away with Melbourne's big second half effort to defeat Port Adelaide 0.15.5.95 to 1.10.7.76 in its opening NAB Challenge match of 2016. By the same token there were some excellent signs from the team that missed the bulk of the older, more experienced heads of its list that give cause for some optimism for the year ahead. We know that Paul Roos historically is known to place very little store on winning these pre season games but his stand in Simon Goodwin was a bit of an unknown on that score. After his charges started slowly and hesitantly on the large sized Playford Alive Oval in Elizabeth SA, they regrouped in the second term and ran over the top of what was a close to full strength Port Adelaide team in the last half. The turnaround was huge. For years, the Demons have been unable to mount come from behind victories. Nor have they been able to master the type of grounds where there's extra space and greater distance to goal. It requires the ability to get the contested ball in the first instance and fitness and hard running on the outside to bring the ball into the forward line quickly and decisively. The dominance of big Maxy Gawn in the ruck (42 hitouts, mainly in the first three quarters because he sat out most of the last) gave Jack Viney who had 16 contested possessions in a game high 28, Dom Tyson, Aaron vandenBerg and recruit Clayton Oliver an armchair ride at the stoppages. They got the ball out to the likes of Jack Watts, Matt Jones and hard nosed newcomers in Tomas Bugg from the Giants and Ben Kennedy from Collingwood and if they didn't score, their work was usually finished off by the likes of Jeff Garlett, Dean Kent and James Harmes. Collectively, they stunned the crowd of just under 5,000 and the many more viewers of Foxtel and a few here and there who watched on pirated broadcasts. Port Adelaide clearly planned their defensive game on shutting down Jesse Hogan and they achieved that by double and triple teaming him (at times with questionable methods). In the past when Melbourne had few dangerous options up forward, that tactic might have worked. The fact that the Demons are developing a good array of attacking weapons saw them to victory in this instance. And we know that there's plenty more to come. Melbourne's defense was tidy after the poor start. In the opening stanza they were far too loose but, led well by Tom McDonald, Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn and Neville Jetta, they tightened up and ultimately strangled the opposition keeping it scoreless in the the third quarter. When was the last time Melbourne did that in any game? The loss of Angus Brayshaw in the opening piece of play followed immediately by a hard hit on Tyson which saw him momentarily dazed followed by three goals (one of the super variety) to the home state side spelled doom and disaster. Demon fans of the fisted forever school were already foretelling that world was at an end - Armageddon had arrived ten minutes into the season. It was good then to come out with the non-existent four points and a medical report on Brayshaw that suggested a low level medial ligament injury that might see him back by round one of the real thing. There is of course a lot to work on - Hogan's key forward partner is more likely Cam Pedersen than Sam Frost at this stage. I would like to see the club give one of its tall forwards in waiting (Sam Weideman or Liam Hulett) a cameo run next week. Perhaps some fine tuning with the midfield mix and the second ruck - these games are practice matches after all and we can't get carried away - yet. Melbourne 0.2.2.14 0.4.3.27 0.10.5.65 0.15.5.95 Port Adelaide 1.3.3.30 1.6.5.50 1.6.5.50 1.10.7.76 Goals Melbourne Garlett 3 Kent Pedersen vandenBerg 2 Harmes Hogan Kennedy M Jones Salem Tyson Port Adelaide Boak Westhoff 3 R Gray Schulz White Young Best Melbourne Gawn Viney Watts vandenBerg Garlett Grimes Tyson Port Adelaide R Gray Boak Toumpas Pittard S Gray Broadbent Injuries Melbourne Brayshaw (left knee) Port Adelaide Nil Umpires Chris Donlon Jacob Mollison Craig Fleer Nick Brown Crowd 4,981 at Playford Alive Oval

What else on a day that we've been waiting for almost five months? The first NAB Challenge match against Port Adelaide at Playford Alive Oval today at 2:00 PM A 29 man squad announced earlier in the week will be trimmed to 26 players ahead of the match. Melbourne squad v Port Adelaide 1. Jesse Hogan 3. Christian Salem 4. Jack Watts 7. Jack Viney 10. Angus Brayshaw 11. Max Gawn 12. Dom Tyson 13. Clayton Oliver * 14. Lynden Dunn 15. Billy Stretch 16. Dean Kent 17. Sam Frost 20. Colin Garland 21. Cameron Pedersen 22. Viv Michie (r) 25. Tom McDonald 28. Oscar McDonald 29. Jayden Hunt * 30. Alex Neal-Bullen 31. Jack Grimes 32. Tomas Bugg * 35. Ben Kennedy * 36. Jeff Garlett 37. Aaron vandenBerg 39. Neville Jetta 42. Josh Wagner (r) * 43. James Harmes 45. Matt Jones 46. Dean Terlich * first game for MFC ... and despite the fact that Melbourne has selected its best available team, it's looming as a Goliath v David clash with betting agencies having the home state team at $1.13 to win against $6.00 for Melbourne.

We have a bye next week so we can talk about this game for two weeks.