Search the Community

Melbourne fell out of the premiership race after producing a half-hearted effort against Footscray on Friday night. The team was barely recognizable from the one that, earlier in the season, established a 6/2 win-loss ratio that included a 55-point thumping of the Bulldogs in Round 1. It was a poor effort from a team that had its entire season on the line and the blame falls almost squarely on the midfield which has collapsed from being a peerless premiership-winning combination to the level of bumbling incompetence, this despite having a valiant leader in the form of skipper Max Gawn winning the ruck duels. Given the Demons were playing against a team on a five day break, it was important that they came out, played competitively and remained in the game, forcing the Bulldogs to expend energy and wilt later in the game. None of that happened and, instead it was the Demons who presented as a sinking ship, tired and listless. From the opening bounce, it was obvious that only one of the teams had come out to play. The hungry Bulldogs relishing the occasion of returning to their Footscray roots, carved up their opponents all over the ground but it started at in the boiler room where they hunted the ball, made space, created multiple avenues to goal and used their height advantage to perfection. The Demons were routed at the stoppages early in the game. They conceded the first ten clearances to the Bulldogs (a fortnight ago it was the first 15 against the Dockers) and it was only the errant kicking of the Footscray forwards that prevented it from being a massacre of Alice Springs proportions. The team looked disorganized and inept, there was little run and spread, the use of handball was poor and too many kicks went high in the air which suited an opponent with a significant height advantage. Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney were well down on their best with neither looking fully fit. To add to the disarray, Steven May was off before the main break with a recurrence of his early season rib injury. There was no Christian Petracca to conjure up goal scoring opportunities like Marcus Bontempelli and no Kozzy Pickett magic to replicate the way Cody Weightman created chaos in their attacking zone. Gawn stood tall as usual but the Bulldogs overwhelmed the Demons with their tall timber. His lieutenant Jacob van Rooyen continues to make inroads as does Trent Rivers while Tom Sparrow responded to his recent omission with a solid performance. The overreaching feeling from the game was how apparent it was that the Bulldogs are building towards a promising month or two ahead while Melbourne has lapsed and run completely out of puff at the business end. MELBOURNE 1.1.7 5.1.31 7.3.45 9.5.59 FOOTSCRAY 4.7.31 6.13.49 11.17.83 15.20.110 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch Pickett Sparrow 2 Gawn Rivers Woewodin FOOTSCRAY Bontempelli Naughton Treloar Ugle-Hagan Wightman 2 Darcy English Poulter Richards Williams BEST MELBOURNE Gawn Bowey Rivers Sparrow Langdon van Rooyen FOOTSCRAY Bontempelli Treloar Dale Lobb Weightman Liberatore INJURIES MELBOURNE Steven May (ribs) FOOTSCRAY Tom Liberatore (right ankle) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil FOOTSCRAY Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Daniel Turner (replaced Steven May at half time) FOOTSCRAY Caleb Daniel (replaced Tom Liberatore at three-quarter time) UMPIRES Brett Rosebury Matt Stevic Jamie Broadbent Brent Wallace CROWD 33,000 at Marvel Stadium

After losing their last two games in a row to finals aspirants, the Demons’ season has unravelled in the blink of an eye. They take on the Bulldogs on Friday night at Marvel Stadium in what has become a “do-or-die” contest to remain in contention for September AFL action and the reality is that they have been forced into a situation in which they are already thinking in terms of mathematical possibilities despite the fact that it’s still a close race and even with four rounds left to play. The coach and the players are facing their own Demons in what is a situation of their own making. Whether or not you like the term “eight point game”, that’s precisely what every game from now on is to the club at a time where a defeat in any of the remaining games is likely to be fatal to their chances. As I noted in my preview of last week, the gap between their best and their worst is wide both between and during games. Consistency is so important and yet, they were so inconsistent in their game last week against the Giants. They were strong in the opening term but faltered in the second. They kept GWS scoreless in the first twenty minutes of the third quarter but conceded three goals to one in seven minutes, late in the term and four in the space of five minutes early in the next before scoring the last four goals of the game to almost steal the points. The inability to apply constant pressure led to their downfall. Melbourne has had a knack in recent times of coming up against opponents at the exact moment when they are at the top of their game. That's where the Bulldogs are at the moment, particularly with their height advantage all over the ground. It starts with Tim English in ruck and extends to their intercept defenders Liam Jones, Buku Khamis and Rory Lobb and tall forwards Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy. Let’s not forget their midfield champion Marcus Bontempelli who at 194cm is the same height as Jacob van Rooyen, the Demons’ relief ruckman. And, under the stadium’s closed roof, there is no chance that an unexpected downpour can come to their aid as it did a fortnight ago when their undersized team triumphed against Essendon. The teams met in the opening round when Melbourne prevailed by 55 points at the MCG. They managed to easily subdue the taller Western Bulldogs with their superior fitness and run all over the ground. Max Gawn was too good in the ruck, the Doggies’ forward talls were nullified by the Demon defenders and the forwards had enough supply from the mids to ensure a comfortable afternoon’s work for the team. Recent form has seen a massive turnaround in the fortunes of the respective teams. While we can rely on the tall Demon defensive duo of Steven May, Jake Lever and Tom McDonald to play their role, their midfielders have let them down of late and there are major question marks about the ability of those in place without Christian Petracca and now, young speedster Caleb Windsor, to provide sufficient supply to the forwards who are not performing up to the standards required to win games and make the finals. The only hope for the Demons is the tiredness factor because of the five day break between the Dogs' last game and Friday night's encounter. However, I'm not sure that Melbourne has the ability to play four quarters of consistent, intense pressure football while facing both the Bulldogs and their own Demons. Footscray by 27 points. THE GAME Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at Marvel Stadium Friday 2 August 2024 at 7.15 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Western Bulldogs 79 wins Melbourne 92 wins 1 draw At Marvel Stadium Western Bulldogs 11 wins Melbourne 9 wins Last Five Meetings Western Bulldogs 1 win Melbourne 4 wins The Coaches Beveridge 4 wins Goodwin 8 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 16.13.109 defeated Western Bulldogs 9.10.64 at The MCG in Round 1, 2024 After a slow start, the Demon machine clicked into action with its relentless defence headed by Steven May smashing the Bulldogs which the old firm of Gawn, Oliver and Petracca having a slight edge on the Bulldog midfield as the team cruised to a 55-point victory. THE TEAMS FOOTSCRAY B T. Duryea, B. Khamis, N. Coffield HB L. Bramble, R. Lobb, B. Dale C L. Vandermeer, E. Richards, B. Williams HF A. Treloar, A. Naughton, J. Ugle-Hagan F C. Weightman, S. Darcy, R. West FOLL T. English, M. Bontempelli, T. Liberatore I/C C. Daniel, R. Garcia, L. Jones, L. McNeil, C. Poulter EMG O. Baker, J. Freijah, J. Macrae MELBOURNE B J. Lever, S. May, J. McVee HB J. Bowey, T. McDonald, A. Moniz-Wakefield C E. Langdon, C. Oliver, A. Neal-Bullen HF K. Pickett, J. Van Rooyen, B. Fritsch F K. Chandler, H. Petty, J. Melksham FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, T. Rivers I/C B. Howes, T. Sparrow, K. Tholstrup, D. Turner, T. Woewodin EMG J. Billings, B. Laurie, A. Tomlinson Injury List: Round 21 Jed Adams — lung / available Koltyn Tholstrup — concussion / test Christian Salem — hamstring / 1 - 2 weeks Caleb Windsor — ankle / TBC Charlie Spargo — Achilles / season Christian Petracca — spleen / indefinite

It was Round One and so beautiful to watch Max Gawn dominate the ruck and Clarrie and CP5 running around and causing havoc. 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 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)

It is said that every dog has its day and that was certainly the case when the Western Bulldogs defeated Melbourne under the roof at the Docklands on Saturday night. While the Dogs were certainly at the very top of their game, the same couldn’t be said of the Demons. All around the ground, dismal individual performances and dismal team performances were the order of the day. Fans should have been worried right from the start as the game turned into a goal-fest. This is not their team’s method of operation - both sides kicked 20 goals between them in the first half. The alarm bells should have been ringing in Demon headquarters since this is not how this side has traditionally played the game. Strong reliable defence is it’s mantra but when the Bulldogs kept on scoring it seemed only a matter of time before the dam wall broke. At the other end Melbourne has a patched up forward line, without any main target, and it was only inevitable that it would not kick a winning score if the match were to proceed in the way it was heading. Doubling up with the forward problems was the utter lack of effort coming from those same players. Not a single tackle, not one for the whole game resulted from those occupying the front half of the ground. Worse still was that the Dogs were allowed again and again to waltz the ball from deep in their defensive zone to outside fifty before a single Melbourne player challenged them. When players are selected on the basis of being “defensive forwards” then there is no place for them in coming weeks, because in this case they can be replaced by a number of those performing at Casey who will put in effort. Once again, the coaching group must share some of the blame as they continue with the obviously flawed tactic of resting rucks in front of goal. Once again zero scoreboard output from them, and once again both Max and Luke look like they are moving around the ground with concrete boots. Yes they are coming back from injury, but they need a rest from rucking duties, and they are just not getting it. The defenders were just overwhelmed from the lack of support up-field and their systems just fell apart in the absence of Jake Lever, a last minute withdrawal. It meant Steven May was forced further up the ground, and tried to replicate Jakes role, but to little effect. Their cause was further made precarious with English often left unattended in the forward line as he drifted forward. He wasn’t being rested there, he just left the Demons rucks struggling to keep up, with their forward duties sapping their endurance. The kick-out strategy also failed, probably because too many in the Demons’ camp keep saying we should try something different. The result: short chip kicks from kick-ins just resulted in pressure being provided where none exists when long kicks outside the 50m arc are taken. In the 3rd term it just seemed the Demons were unable to clear the defensive 50m zone for 15 minutes, and it was only because of three opportunistic goals that they kept in touch. It was just a matter of time before the Dogs capitalised … And the time came. Even though the Demons still held on to a lead with 10 minutes to go, it turned - the Dogs took their chance and the Demons didn’t. Could the Demons have played a more miserable game? Max Gawn was comprehensively beaten in the ruck by Tim English, who topped it off with 2 goals. Luke Jackson could only manage 3 kicks and 3 marks for the game. Alex Neil-Bullen ran around pointlessly, while failing to tackle instead of trying to corall, merely manages 11 touches. James Harmes with a lousy 9 disposals keeps losing his man and when given the chance to deliver easy kicks misses by 20m. Jake Melksham kicks the easy goals out the back, yet doesn’t put any defensive work in to stop his opponent moving down the ground. Sam Weideman is still to take a contested mark and likewise keeps looking around for an opponent to follow, after it is too late. At least the mids held their own. Christian Petracca was assigned Bontempelli duties, and both nullified each other. Clayton Oliver with one hand was magnificent with 28 touches, while Jack Viney with chipped in with 24 and a lot of guts. But it was also simply not enough in the end. Up next against the Dockers and this game will go a long way to deciding top four. It was all on the line for the Dogs this week, as to finals aspirations. It is all on the line for the Demons in this game against Freo. Do they have the same willingness to win? Will the selection team face up to the failures in the forward line, and stop expecting miracles or superhuman efforts to be performed to win matches? If not, it will be just another dog day for the Demons. MELBOURNE 6.3.39 11.5.71 14.7.91 15.10.100 WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.0.24 9.2.56 12.6.78 17.8.110 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch 4 Weideman 3 Melksham Pickett 2 Harmes Jackson Neal-Bullen Sparrow WESTERN BULLDOGS Ugle-Hagan 5 English Garcia Naughton Weightman 2 Bontempelli Macrae Treloar West BEST MELBOURNE Oliver Gawn Brayshaw Petracca Fritsch May WESTERN BULLDOGS Bontempelli Ugle-Hagan Dale English Macrae INJURIES MELBOURNE Jake Lever (shoulder) replaced in selected side by Adam Tomlinson WESTERN BULLDOGS Adam Treloar (calf) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil WESTERN BULLDOGS Nil SUBSTITUTES MELBOURNE Toby Bedford (unused) WESTERN BULLDOGS Robbie McComb (replaced Treloar in the fourth quarter) UMPIRES Simon Meredith Robert Findlay Jacob Mollison CROWD 26,501 at Marvel Stadium

Despite winning their game in the Red Centre at the weekend, the consensus among the pundits is that Melbourne’s days in the sun are over. Ten rounds into the season, they were the competition’s top dogs and regarded virtually unbeatable but their recent form (three wins from the last seven games) has put them well below par, perilously clinging onto second spot on the ladder with storm clouds on the horizon. The air of invincibility that once surrounded them is gone and the Demons face a tough road to the finals. On the other hand, Chris Scott has reinvented his crotchety, old Cats into flag favouritism and thanks to their soft draw, they are near certainties to hold #1 spot coming to the business end of the season. If you listen to the football media, Geelong are football’s new gods. They can’t be beaten — it all sounds so familiar. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs who entered the season on equal favouritism with the Demons, aren’t even in the top eight although that might well change if they manage to win Saturday night’s encounter at Marvel Stadium. They are certainly primed to do so with an injury list that threatened to derail their 2022 campaign now dwindling. They smashed the Saints last week and coach Luke Beveridge reckons they’re up for the fight against the team that humiliated them in last year’s premiership decider. Back in the Red Centre, Melbourne struggled without the injured Clayton Oliver, a Covid19 affected Harry Petty and Jake Lever winged early with a shoulder injury that could see him miss this week. They say that Ben Brown’s hobbling around as well. The team managed to get out of gaol thanks to Kozzy's six-goal masterclass in front of his adoring fans but not every town’s like Alice. Luckily, they got Port Adelaide in a tizz about defending against the Demon whiz kid small man while their taller timber in Max Gawn and Luke Jackson were unable to hit their straps after coming back from injury. The experts seem to enjoy picking on Bayley Fritsch for doing what he’s been good at doing for some time. But like Kozzy, he’s due to explode with a big of goals at any time soon. There’s one advantage in all of this. The Melbourne brains trust have the opportunity to return to the drawing board and make the small adjustments necessary to get them back on track. For the first time in a while, they are flying under the radar in much the same way as they were this time twelve months ago when the Cats and Dogs held sway on the ladder. And when the going got tough back then, it was the Demons who came through and the rest was history. Saturday night’s game should be a beauty. A big lifter for the winner anḏ in my estimation, the winner will be Melbourne who are ready to make their run for glory. Tipping them to win by 29 points. THE GAME 

Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at Marvel Stadium Saturday 23 July, 2022 at 7.25 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Western Bulldogs 78 wins Melbourne 90 wins 1 draw At Marvel Stadium Western Bulldogs 10 wins Melbourne 9 wins Last Five Meetings Western Bulldogs 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Beveridge 3 wins Goodwin 6 wins 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 14.13.97 Western Bulldogs 11.5.71 at The MCG in Round 1, 2022
 We all wondered how a brooding Bulldog team would react after six months of agonizing over their grand final loss. The result was a repeat of history with Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver leading another great comeback to glory victory over the hapless dogs.
 THE TEAMS
 WESTERN BULLDOGS B: E.Richards 20 C.Gardner 43 B.Khamis 24 HB: M.Hannan 29 A.Keath 42 B.Dale 31 C: B.Williams 34 T.Liberatore 21 J.Macrae 11 HF: J.Johannisen 39 J.Bruce 17 B.Smith 6 F: J.Dunkley 5 A.Naughton 33 J.Ugle-Hagan 2 Foll: T.English 44 M.Bontempelli 4 A.Treloar 1 I/C: R.Garcia 38 L.McNeil 30 C.Weightman 19 R.West 14 Sub: R.McComb 27 Emerg: Z.Cordy 12 L.Vandermeer 23 J.Sweet 41 In: A.Naughton Out: J.Sweet (omitted) MELBOURNE
 B: T.Rivers 24 S.May 1 H.Petty 35 HB: T.Sparrow 32 A.Tomlinson 20 J.Jordon 23 C: A.Brayshaw 10 C.Oliver 13 E.Langdon 15 HF: B.Fritsch 31 M.Gawn 11 J.Harmes 4 F: K.Pickett 36 S.Weideman 26 C.Petracca 5 Foll: L.Jackson 6 J.Viney 7 A.Neal-Bullen 30 I/C: M.Hibberd 14 J.Melksham 18 C.Salem 3 C.Spargo 9 Sub: T.Bedford Emerg: 12 L.Dunstan 27 J.Hunt 29 In: C.Oliver H.Petty A.Tomlinson S.Weideman Out: 
B.Brown (knee soreness) L.Dunstan (omitted) J.Hunt (omitted) J.Lever (shoulder) Injury List: Round 19 Jake Lever - Shoulder | Test 
Clayton Oliver - Finger | Test
 Joel Smith - Ankle | 1 Week
 Deakyn Smith - Jaw | 3 Weeks
 Tom McDonald - Foot | 6-8 Weeks

“No-one let the Dogs out” was the Demons response for the (former) top side. The Melbourne defence, capably lead by Steven May and Jake Lever simply suffocated any hopes that the Western Bulldogs might have had about leading the competition at the mid-way point. Instead, it is the Demons who now sit at the top of the ladder, again a game clear, while their supporters are starting to believe that this side is the real deal. Pity is that those same supporters couldn’t watch their team demolish the opposition live, due to the latest Covid19 outbreak restrictions. But the eerie silence at the ground would have been in contrast to the excitement being displayed within Demon households throughout the State. Right from the start Melbourne was obviously fired up. A goal within 30 seconds to James Harmes should have served as a warning to the Bulldogs of the fine form to come for the night. Tom Liberatore became his direct opponent for the majority of the game, and was physically attacked and smothered at any opportunity he had. Averaging nine clearances a game, he was held to a mere four and without that, the Bulldogs wave of runners simply didn’t get the ball. Harmes on the other hand cleared the ball five times and laid seven tackles stamping out any Bulldog flicker of hope. Bontempelli was similarly attacked, and denied the freedom he has usually experienced. Without their usual style of attack, the ball was often sent skyward under pressure, but into the waiting arms of the Demon defensive lines. Time and time again, Lever and May with 20 intercepts together, were on the end of the opposition balls into their forward line, with the rest of the defenders taking care of Bruce and Naughton. Harry Petty has now slotted into the system down back, and Michael Hibberd and Trent Rivers were the strong reliable sweepers who denied any crumbs that may have fallen the Bulldogs way. It is too easy to forget that Petty and Rivers have barely played 20 games, yet both have already cemented long term places in the side. With the mids denying access to the ball, and the backs cleaning up the forward moves, the Bulldogs simply couldn’t get any meaningful score on the board. Meanwhile the Melbourne forward line enjoyed a night out, particularly as the Demons pressure caused multiple turnovers in the forward half, and this week Melbourne took full use of those opportunities. The four goal lead at ¼ time was to be ultimately the difference for the rest of the game, as the Bulldogs couldn’t find an avenue that wasn’t blocked by Melbourne players. This season we have witnessed their fast transition and flicking it around to open up gaps, but all too often they stood flat-footed looking for something that wasn’t there. Credit must go the wingers who covered the ground to frustrate the switch that was being attempted, as it gave the rest of the defensive structure time to swing in behind them. They don’t get a statistic for that, but in this game Angus Brayshaw and Ed Langdon had six intercepts between them, showing how hard they were working. The forwards in this game were kicking more goals than behinds, but in all honesty, the Bulldogs backline without Easton Wood lacked any real composure. Goals to Tom McDonald, Sam Weideman and Bayley Fritsch had come from uncontested marks, showing the structure just kept breaking down. Still, Melbourne exploited that situation. Unfortunately, Weideman showed little to commend despite two goals, as he had amassed only 1 handball up to half way in the third quarter, and finishing with six touches in total. As a full forward he needs to be demanding the ball, and holding marks, something he is yet to show on a consistent basis in his career. Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca ... well just the usual day at the office for them — 33 touches for Oliver, 24 Petracca and Max dominating the ruck, along with his partner in Luke Jackson. They move onto the next job with the opposition coaches still unable to work out how to stop them. The Dee-fence of the Melbourne kept the opposition away from the ball, but we are hoping that the Covid fence currently in place will not stop their fans being able to watch their side, on their relentless march to September action for too much longer. MELBOURNE 6.5.41 9.6.60 12.8.80 13.9.87 WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.2.14 6.5.41 6.8.44 8.11.59 GOALS Melbourne Fritsch McDonald 3 Weideman 2 Gawn Harmes Jordon Petracca Pickett Western Bulldogs Bruce 3 English 2 Daniel Naughton Weightman BEST Melbourne Oliver Petracca May Harmes Gawn Lever Western Bulldogs Macrae Dale Smith Daniel Bontempelli INJURIES Melbourne Langdon (concussion) Western Bulldogs Garcia (concussion) REPORTS Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil SUBSTITUTES Melbourne Sparrow (replaced Langdon) Western Bulldogs Butler (replaced Garcia) UMPIRES Andrew Stephens Ray Chamberlain Nathan Williamson OFFICIAL CROWD 0 at Marvel Stadium

Last week I predicted a comfortable Melbourne victory for its game against Adelaide. “Something in the order of 61 points”, I opined. Well, after the game, I checked the wording of my preview very carefully from all angles and I have now concluded that I have to issue an apology to Demon fans. I got it wrong. I’m not bitter and twisted about my error in failing to predict the coaching errors, defensive mistakes, lack of forward pressure and, of course, the complete failure of those officiating to do so in a professional manner. Really, I’m not. So let’s get over it and discuss Friday’s game between the two top teams in the AFL competition. The Western Bulldogs and Melbourne had a number of items on their to do lists in common last week. One of the main ones was that both had to beat opponents sitting in the bottom third of the ladder. Accordingly, both were expected to win — and win well. However, their respective encounters could not have produced different outcomes. The Bulldogs tore the Saints apart from the get go. Jack Macrae (41 touches), BaIley Dale (34) and Tom Liberatore (31) dominated proceedings while skipper Marcus Bontempelli and forward Aaron Naughton kicked nine goals between them. It was a slaughter, a 111 point victory that tore the heart and soul out of the St Kilda. On the other hand, Melbourne ... could I please apologise again? I got it wrong. Now to the game itself ... and quite a pall has been cast over a matchup that’s been rare in the recent history of both football clubs - a top two clash. It should have been a high profile contest attracting maximum publicity for reasons purely related to the football contest that was about to unfold. Unfortunately, just when we thought it was safe to go outside and enjoy the finer things in life like football, that dreadful bug once again managed to walk undetected right under the noses of our gold standard quarantine watchdogs. Most discussion this week has therefore been as to whether the round will go ahead. The Bulldogs had to be isolated earlier in the week and even the venue for the contest was considered a Covid19 hotspot with another game between the Hawks and the Suns already scrapped (really, would anyone have noticed?). Assuming it goes on, this game will provide a fascinating contest for the depleted midfields of both clubs with Jack Viney missing from the Demons and Josh Dunkley and Adam Treloar out for the Doggies. A lot will depend on the winner of the contest between the remaining midfielders which might boil down to an arm wrestling match with an ascendency for only one part of a quarter proving the difference. In looking at the midfields, Melbourne might have the ascendency through its rucks with Luke Jackson the most mobile two metre midfielder in the game these days. The Bulldogs appear to have the superior forward line on current form and despite an off week against the Crows last week, the Demons’ strength is in its defence and the pressure that division is able to impose on its opponents (and Christian Salem’s return from last week’s mystery injury will be a help). I’m finding it difficult to separate the teams in this top of the table clash so out of an abundance of caution and in order to enable me to avoid issuing another apology next week, I’m tipping the Dishlickers to win by a point. THE GAME Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, Friday, 28 May, 2021 at 7.50pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Western Bulldogs 77 wins Melbourne 88 wins 1 draw At Marvel Stadium Western Bulldogs 10 wins Melbourne 8 wins Last Five Meetings Western Bulldogs 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Beveridge 2 wins Goodwin 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 Western Bulldogs 12.8.80 defeated Melbourne 7.10.52 at Metricon Stadium in Round 13, 2020 This game marked Melbourne’s ultimate downfall for 2020. Leading by 7 points at the half time break, the Demons capitulated to the superior Bulldog midfield which carved them up both on the inside and outside in the half hour that followed. Christian Petracca and Jack Viney were Melbourne’s best but on the whole, the team wasn’t good enough. 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) Injury List: Round 11 Christian Salem (groin) — Available Aaron vandenBerg (quad) — Available Jack Viney (toe) — 2 to 3 Weeks Joel Smith (knee) — 3 to 4 Weeks Deakyn Smith (ankle) — 4 to 5 Weeks Bailey Laurie (eye socket) — 5 to 6 Weeks Marty Hore (knee) — Season Aaron Nietschke (knee) — Season Adam Tomlinson (knee) — Season

They simply outclassed us in the middle and all over the ground after half time. WESTERN BULLDOGS FB Easton Wood Alex Keath Caleb Daniel HB Bailey Williams Ryan Gardner Hayden Crozier C Bailey Smith Jack Macrae Lachie Hunter HF Toby McLean Josh Bruce Mitch Wallis FF Tom Liberatore Aaron Naughton Ben Cavarra FOL Tim English Marcus Bontempelli Josh Dunkley I/C Jason Johannisen Patrick Lipinski Ed Richards Laitham Vandermeer, EM Tory Dickson Riley Garcia Roarke Smith Lewis Young IN Josh Bruce Hayden Crozier Jason Johannisen Laitham Vandermeer OUT Bailey Dale (omitted) Sam Lloyd (omitted) Roarke Smith (managed) Rhylee West (groin) MELBOURNE FB Jay Lockhart Steven May Jake Lever HB Christian Salem Adam Tomlinson Michael Hibberd C Ed Langdon Jack Viney James Harmes HF Nathan Jones Sam Weideman Christian Petracca FF Kysaiah Pickett Tom McDonald Bayley Fritsch FOL Braydon Preuss Jake Melksham Clayton Oliver I/C Angus Brayshaw Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow Aaron vandenBerg EMG Mitch Brown Mitch Hannan Trent Rivers Joel Smith NO CHANGE

MFCSS IS ALIVE AND WELL ...

May I have your votes for this afternoon’s game please - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

There’s been a lot of discussion in recent days about who are the most improved players in the competition but when it comes to the title of the most improved team in the AFL, Melbourne must be shortening as favourite. Last year’s Demons won only 5 games out of 22 but this year, it’s 6 out of 11 and that’s massive! In terms of percentage, the improvement is also tremendous. Last year, they finished with just 78.6%. This year, it stands at 118.2%. Need I say more? Yes — there’s still today, a day upon which a win is absolutely essential in shaping the course of the remainder of 2020.

The Melbourne Football Club should hand out an award to the person who came up with the concept of the 20 day football frenzy the football world experienced from Round 9 to the completion of Round 12 on Monday. When the AFL fixture was moved into a state of perpetual motion, things changed so quickly that it was difficult to fathom exactly what was happening to the competition but the Demons have been one of the beneficiaries to date. The flogging the team received at the hands of Port Adelaide at the Gabba in late July that evoked the Chairman’s angry response seems a distant memory. Melbourne’s plight was considered with shock and awe by all and sundry in the football world in much the same way as the world looked at the Titanic when it hit that iceberg in the North Atlantic; left sinking near the bottom. Then, in the short space of eleven days, the ship was salvaged, the engine room was restored to full capacity and the vessel was last seen steaming towards safe harbours. A football miracle! The miracle can be explained in terms of the resolution of problems exposed in the game against Port and earlier losses during this season and the last. A number of selection issues were dealt with, we saw better and more efficient composition from the midfield, there was better spread and more creativity from the forwards, more composure around the ground and a strengthening of the already solid back half. In short, things began to gel - and with the team at peak fitness, they rolled over three opponents with massive final quarters. Suddenly, they were in the top eight. As Angus Brayshaw said in an interview earlier this week, “It's taken a bit to get going but we feel like now when we go out and play there's a bit of a blueprint on how to do it. You just have to keep doing it against the best teams.” And that final sentence is the crux of the matter going forward. The first two teams in the triple header of wins in a fortnight are languishing at the bottom of the ladder, while facing an injury depleted Collingwood coming off a four day break was like approaching road kill. So while the frenzy has seen a restoration of belief, it has yet to answer the big question facing the Demons in 2020. This year, Melbourne has lost to the five teams in the competition that have a superior percentage and, of the teams above it on the ladder, it has yet to play against St Kilda. The Saints are coming soon but in the meantime, the Demons face a major challenge in the big eight point game against the Western Bulldogs who were catapulted into form by the hapless Crows at the weekend. The importance of a win this week simply cannot be underestimated as it would virtually see off a major competitor in the quest for a finals place. In the run up to finals, you must win the games where you have the control of your own destiny. This is therefore, where the team has to address and fulfill Glenn Bartlett’s call to arms from the early days of the frenzy. For their game against the Bulldogs, Melbourne faces the strongest midfield it has come against since the games against Brisbane and Port Adelaide. Led by Marcus Bontempelli, Josh Dunkley Jack Macrae and Tom Liberatore and with an up and coming ruckman in Tim English, this is as tough an on-ball division as you can meet. And with Aaron Naughton back at full forward, the Doggies’ attack looks so much more assured than it was just a few weeks ago. The teams look evenly matched and there’s no doubt, that the Western Bulldogs present a formidable opposition that will be desperate to win. This is Melbourne’s big moment. The team has won three nice games in a row, each by more than fifty points but this week will be different. I’m banking on superior fitness and the momentum built up during the weeks frenzy to continue to give them victory, but only just. Melbourne by 5 points. THE GAME Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at Metricon Stadium, Saturday 22 August 2020 at 1.45pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Western Bulldogs 77 wins Melbourne 88 wins 1 draw At Metricon Stadium Western Bulldogs 0 wins Melbourne 0 wins Last Five Meetings Western Bulldogs 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Beveridge 1 win Goodwin 3 wins MEDIA TV – Fox Footy Channel live at 1.30pm Radio – Triple M 3AW SEN ABC 774 AFL Nation THE LAST TIME THEY MET Western Bulldogs 10.14.74 defeated Melbourne 9.12.66 at Marvel Stadium in Round 17, 2019 The teams slugged it out until well into the final quarter when Bayley Fritsch was awarded a free kick close to goal with minutes to go. A goal would have put the Dees 2 points in arrears with enough time to turn the result around. However, Fritsch played on and his snap for goal just missed. The Bulldogs had their eyes on the finals and they managed to hold on for a vital win. THE TEAMS WESTERN BULLDOGS FB Easton Wood Alex Keath Caleb Daniel HB Bailey Williams Ryan Gardner Hayden Crozier C Bailey Smith Jack Macrae Lachie Hunter HF Toby McLean Josh Bruce Mitch Wallis FF Tom Liberatore Aaron Naughton Ben Cavarra FOL Tim English Marcus Bontempelli Josh Dunkley I/C Jason Johannisen Patrick Lipinski Ed Richards Laitham Vandermeer, EM Tory Dickson Riley Garcia Roarke Smith Lewis Young IN Josh Bruce Hayden Crozier Jason Johannisen Laitham Vandermeer OUT Bailey Dale (omitted) Sam Lloyd (omitted) Roarke Smith (managed) Rhylee West (groin) MELBOURNE FB Jay Lockhart Steven May Jake Lever HB Christian Salem Adam Tomlinson Michael Hibberd C Ed Langdon Jack Viney James Harmes HF Nathan Jones Sam Weideman Christian Petracca FF Kysaiah Pickett Tom McDonald Bayley Fritsch FOL Braydon Preuss Jake Melksham Clayton Oliver I/C Angus Brayshaw Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow Aaron vandenBerg EMG Mitch Brown Mitch Hannan Trent Rivers Joel Smith NO CHANGE Injury/Suspension List: Round 13 Max Gawn (knee) – test Braydon Preuss (hip) - test Alex Neal-Bullen (suspension) – 2 matches Luke Jackson (hamstring) – 4 - 6 weeks Marty Hore (toe and quad) – indefinite Harry Petty (groin) – indefinite Kade Kolodjashnij (head) – indefinite Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season

The Western Bulldogs are currently crushing winless Adelaide at Metricon Stadium, the scene of their clash with Melbourne this coming Saturday. The Doggies won the day late last year at Marvel Stadium in a close match up with the team listed below. THE TEAMS WESTERN BULLDOGS B Jason Johannisen Jackson Trengove Hayden Crozier HB Taylor Duryea Zaine Cordy Easton Wood C Lachie Hunter Bailey Smith Patrick Lipinski HF Matthew Suckling Josh Schache Sam Lloyd F Aaron Naughton Marcus Bontempelli Tory Dickson FOLL Tim English Josh Dunkley Jack Macrae I/C Toby McLean Ed Richards Roarke Smith Bailey Williams EMG Bailey Dale Dale Morris Rhylee West Lachie Young NO CHANGE MELBOURNE B Jake Lever Steven May Neville Jetta HB Michael Hibberd Sam Frost Christian Salem C Jayden Hunt Jordan Lewis Nathan Jones HF James Harmes Christian Petracca Bayley Fritsch F Mitch Hannan Braydon Preuss Angus Brayshaw FOLL Max Gawn Jack Viney Clayton Oliver I/C Kyle Dunkley Jay Lockhart Alex Neal-Bullen Harrison Petty EMG: Jay Kennedy Harris Oscar McDonald Corey Wagner Josh Wagner IN Max Gawn Neville Jetta Jake Lever Oscar McDonald Corey Wagner Josh Wagner OUT Marty Hore (collarbone) Tom McDonald (knee) Sam Weideman (calf)

There you go folks! 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

After witnessing the winning performances in this round of two other clubs heavily affected by injuries - Collingwood and Essendon - all I can say is the time for making excuses is well and truly over.

There was so much hype proliferating about Melbourne’s prospects for season 2019 a mere four months ago, that one could be forgiven for thinking anyone contemplating the prospect of a bottom four finish for the Demons at the time was barking mad. That however, is the prospect that they face at the moment and a loss to the Bulldogs on Sunday would make it a virtual certainty. The club’s downward spiral after several years of moving steadily on an upward trajectory has been well documented if not well understood. The factors leading to its demise have also been discussed and debated ever since the opening round debacle on the MCG at the hands of Port Adelaide. I don’t propose to go into them here except to bring up the element of continuity. One of the main ingredients in successful teams in our competition is the ability to achieve coherence in play from week to week meaning that teams that have changes forced upon them on a regular basis both between and within games will ultimately fail. This has been the lot of the Melbourne Football Club in 2019 and when we look at that injury list we can get an understanding of the disaster of a season that has confronted the team. The silver lining in the future may well be that a number of individuals who might not otherwise have received their opportunity as early as they have done this year but the fact remains that the continuity that can ensure that teams play well to their game plan has not been in place this season. And so on to Marvel Stadium against the Western Bulldogs who have been almost as flakey as the Demons this year. The two sides look evenly matched on the ground that Melbourne is visiting for the first time this year. It’s also a ground at which they have enjoyed recent success against their opposition and though the Dogs have struck a rare vein of form beating ladder leaders Geelong and finals aspirant Port Adelaide in Adelaide after coming close to victory over Collingwood, I’m not convinced about them. The tightness of the stadium strikes me as suiting Melbourne’s style of play far better than the MCG these days. Who knows, they might even discover ways of kicking goals from 35 metres out on a ground of this configuration given that they still have the ability to win the midfield clearances and get the ball inside their forward fifty metre arc. They simply need to finish things off. I’ve been clamouring all year for more of the Maxy/Preuss combination but my pleas have, until now, fallen on deaf ears. It might now be forced heavily upon the selectors by virtue to injuries to the likes of Tom McDonald and Tim Smith (strangely, the latter isn’t even on the club’s injury list but he missed last week and was with the rehab group at training this week) which, together with Preuss’ form against the Blues, makes him a big chance to play up forward on Maxy’s return. In his previous games in that role he kicked two goals in both matches. When he’s up there in the forward line, his teammates stand taller. So you can call me barking mad but I can see an upset brewing and accordingly, I’m tipping the Demons to get the better of the Bulldogs on Sunday and win by 25 points. THE GAME Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, Sunday 14 July, 2019 at 3.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Western Bulldogs 76 wins Melbourne 88 wins 1 draw At Marvel Stadium Western Bulldogs 9 wins Melbourne 8 wins Last Five Meetings Western Bulldogs 2 wins Melbourne 3 wins The Coaches Beveridge 0 wins Goodwin 3 wins MEDIA TV – Channel 7 Fox Sports3 live at 3.00pm Radio – TBA THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 18.11.119 defeated Western Bulldogs 10.9.69 at the MCG, Round 17, 2018 The Doggies provided tough opposition until the main break but in the last half, Max Gawn put on a clinic in the ruck and gave his midfield an armchair ride as the team coasted to a 50 point victory. The Bulldogs however, did badly miss their hero, Marcus Bontempelli. THE TEAMS WESTERN BULLDOGS B Jason Johannisen Jackson Trengove Hayden Crozier HB Taylor Duryea Zaine Cordy Easton Wood C Lachie Hunter Bailey Smith Patrick Lipinski HF Matthew Suckling Josh Schache Sam Lloyd F Aaron Naughton Marcus Bontempelli Tory Dickson FOLL Tim English Josh Dunkley Jack Macrae I/C Toby McLean Ed Richards Roarke Smith Bailey Williams EMG Bailey Dale Dale Morris Rhylee West Lachie Young NO CHANGE MELBOURNE B Jake Lever Steven May Neville Jetta HB Michael Hibberd Sam Frost Christian Salem C Jayden Hunt Jordan Lewis Nathan Jones HF James Harmes Christian Petracca Bayley Fritsch F Mitch Hannan Braydon Preuss Angus Brayshaw FOLL Max Gawn Jack Viney Clayton Oliver I/C Kyle Dunkley Jay Lockhart Alex Neal-Bullen Harrison Petty EMG: Jay Kennedy Harris Oscar McDonald Corey Wagner Josh Wagner IN Max Gawn Neville Jetta Jake Lever Oscar McDonald Corey Wagner Josh Wagner OUT Marty Hore (collarbone) Tom McDonald (knee) Sam Weideman (calf) Injury List: Round 17 Jake Lever (knee) – available Neville Jetta (knee) – available Max Gawn (ankle) – test Harry Petty (concussion) – test Marty Hore (collarbone) – 2-4 weeks Billy Stretch (foot) – 3-4 weeks Jake Melksham (foot) – 4-5 weeks Tom Sparrow (knee) – 4-5 weeks Tom McDonald (knee) – TBC Kade Kolodjashnij (head) – TBC Aaron vandenBerg (foot) – TBC Jeff Garlett (shoulder) – season Joel Smith (groin) – season Aaron Nietschke (knee) – season Guy Walker (shoulder) – indefinite

We disposed of them easily twice last year but now, it's complicated ... 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)

It was a dirty day, especially with Lever doing down, but good sides win games when things aren't going their way. We did that today and showed real maturity after it took us 15 minutes to get going. The big one for me was our back line. With Lever going down it left us with just Oscar as a tall defender, and we still kept them to a low score while also doing some wonderful things across half back. Jetta was immense, Hibberd did some good things, Lewis and Vince provided calm heads and even Harmes patrolled across there once Lever went down. It's becoming a real strength of our side. Our mids were smashed in the clearances, which was really surprising. But on the flip side they worked their backsides off once we went 3 goals down and helped to turn things around. Oliver and Gus, in particular, were fantastic. And then you have Hogan and Macca who both kicked bags and showed how awesome they can be together for a long, long time. Awesome stuff. Special mention to Bayley Fritsch as well. What a pick up this kid is. When we traded Watts for the pick we took him with we clearly knew what we were doing. 26 touches and 14 marks is a day out and he just keeps getting better and better. We are 8-3 and playing great footy. We now get an 8 day break and hopefully Lever isn't too badly injured and won't need to spend too much time on the sidelines. Bring on the Filth and our 7th win in a row!!

Can we please have your votes folks ... 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

THE FUGAZI GETS LOUDER by George on The Outer While Melbourne hardly played its best brand of football against the Western Bulldogs, in the end an eight goal win and another boost to percentage has done nothing to quell the fugazi (noise) around the club. After a fifth successive win at Docklands where not a solitary victory was recorded from 2008 to 2015 and with six consecutive wins under the their belts, it is not surprising that the Demon bandwagon is truly up and running. And while the coach and players are trying to keep “a Lid” on it, as we have only reached the half way point of a long, long season, these wins are making a finals appearance this year more of a certainty. The toll that the season and competition takes was shown in no uncertain terms today, when Jake Lever went down with what looks like a season ending knee injury. Others, in Jake Melksham and Tim Smith copped a battering during the game, and will be truly grateful for the nine-day break until the next match. And after the injury losses that befell the club last season, we are too familiar with the cost of losing talented players. Perhaps the grinding nature of the season to date was also showing up in the first quarter as Melbourne just looked tired and out of sorts after their complete demolition of Adelaide the previous week. The Dogs led at quarter time, thereby ending Melbourne’s streak of winning quarters, but it is the result at the end of the game that matters, and the Demons regained some of their composure and simply steamrolled the opposition to run out 49 point winners. With the early loss of Lever, the backs had to regroup, and that they certainly did. Neville Jetta in a tribute to the Douglas Nicholls Round, played an absolute blinder across half-back with 24 touches, 9 marks and 11 contested possessions. Time and time again, it was Neville or nothing and each time he beat his and other opponents to repel the Dogs forward thrusts. He was ably assisted by Michael Hibberd and Oscar McDonald who are proving to be equally solid “impassables” in defence. In the middle Max Gawn got on top after a slow start in the ruck and finished with an incredible 57 hitouts. While the Dogs continued to win clearances, they were always under pressure, while the Demons were cleaner and more methodical with their work at the stoppages. The result: after ¼ time, the Demons kicked 13 goals to a mere four from the Bulldogs. The mids had a field day, but not just in the middle as 14 Melbourne players had 19 or more disposals in the game. They were getting bucketloads of the ball, none more so than Angus Brayshaw and Clarrie Oliver with 39 and 38 touches respectively. It is a sign of the progression of this side, that we hardly notice the 26 and 22 touches from Jones and Viney, something which would have topped the tally sheet not that long ago. Up forward the tag team of Jesse Hogan and Tom McDonald cut the opposition defence to pieces again, posting nine goals between them - more than the Dogs total score. Bayley Fritsch, Alex Neal-Bullen and Mitch Hannan continue to be live-wires on the edges and provide those critical links to the forwards. Fritsch has been a revelation and 14 marks in this game as a first year player has cemented his spot in the short term, and longer probably. The Fugazi continues, and you expect there to be plenty of it in the lead up to the QB game against the Pies, who make plenty of their own fugazi, even when they are rubbish. For the Demons, they can do no more than to continue to do what they are doing at the moment, which is to defeat whoever is drawn to play them aeach week. Melbourne 2.1.13 7.4.46 11.7.73 15.10.100 Western Bulldogs 3.3.21 4.6.30 6.8.44 7.9.51 Goals Melbourne Hogan 5 T McDonald 4 Brayshaw Fritsch Hannan Jones Neal-Bullen Petracca Western Bulldogs Bontempelli 2 Gowers Honeychurch Roughead Schache Suckling Best Melbourne Brayshaw Jetta Hogan Gawn T McDonald Oliver Western Bulldogs Bontempelli Hunter McLean Suckling Macrae Morris Injuries Melbourne Lever (knee) Melksham (ankle) T Smith (neck) Western Bulldogs Dickson (hamstring) Reports Nil Umpires Chamberlain, Hay, Wallace Official crowd 28,485 at Etihad Stadium

While Melbourne hardly played its best brand of football against the Western Bulldogs, in the end an eight goal win and another boost to percentage has done nothing to quell the fugazi (noise) around the club. After a fifth successive win at Docklands where not a solitary victory was recorded from 2008 to 2015 and with six consecutive wins under the their belts, it is not surprising that the Demon bandwagon is truly up and running. And while the coach and players are trying to keep “a Lid” on it, as we have only reached the half way point of a long, long season, these wins are making a finals appearance this year more of a certainty. The toll that the season and competition takes was shown in no uncertain terms today, when Jake Lever went down with what looks like a season ending knee injury. Others, in Jake Melksham and Tim Smith copped a battering during the game, and will be truly grateful for the nine-day break until the next match. And after the injury losses that befell the club last season, we are too familiar with the cost of losing talented players. Perhaps the grinding nature of the season to date was also showing up in the first quarter as Melbourne just looked tired and out of sorts after their complete demolition of Adelaide the previous week. The Dogs led at quarter time, thereby ending Melbourne’s streak of winning quarters, but it is the result at the end of the game that matters, and the Demons regained some of their composure and simply steamrolled the opposition to run out 49 point winners. With the early loss of Lever, the backs had to regroup, and that they certainly did. Neville Jetta in a tribute to the Douglas Nicholls Round, played an absolute blinder across half-back with 24 touches, 9 marks and 11 contested possessions. Time and time again, it was Neville or nothing and each time he beat his and other opponents to repel the Dogs forward thrusts. He was ably assisted by Michael Hibberd and Oscar McDonald who are proving to be equally solid “impassables” in defence. In the middle Max Gawn got on top after a slow start in the ruck and finished with an incredible 57 hitouts. While the Dogs continued to win clearances, they were always under pressure, while the Demons were cleaner and more methodical with their work at the stoppages. The result: after ¼ time, the Demons kicked 13 goals to a mere four from the Bulldogs. The mids had a field day, but not just in the middle as 14 Melbourne players had 19 or more disposals in the game. They were getting bucketloads of the ball, none more so than Angus Brayshaw and Clarrie Oliver with 39 and 38 touches respectively. It is a sign of the progression of this side, that we hardly notice the 26 and 22 touches from Jones and Viney, something which would have topped the tally sheet not that long ago. Up forward the tag team of Jesse Hogan and Tom McDonald cut the opposition defence to pieces again, posting nine goals between them - more than the Dogs total score. Bayley Fritsch, Alex Neal-Bullen and Mitch Hannan continue to be live-wires on the edges and provide those critical links to the forwards. Fritsch has been a revelation and 14 marks in this game as a first year player has cemented his spot in the short term, and longer probably. The Fugazi continues, and you expect there to be plenty of it in the lead up to the QB game against the Pies, who make plenty of their own fugazi, even when they are rubbish. For the Demons, they can do no more than to continue to do what they are doing at the moment, which is to defeat whoever is drawn to play them aeach week. Melbourne 2.1.13 7.4.46 11.7.73 15.10.100 Western Bulldogs 3.3.21 4.6.30 6.8.44 7.9.51 Goals Melbourne Hogan 5 T McDonald 4 Brayshaw Fritsch Hannan Jones Neal-Bullen Petracca Western Bulldogs Bontempelli 2 Gowers Honeychurch Roughead Schache Suckling Best Melbourne Brayshaw Jetta Hogan Gawn T McDonald Oliver Western Bulldogs Bontempelli Hunter McLean Suckling Macrae Morris Injuries Melbourne Lever (knee) Melksham (ankle) T Smith (neck) Western Bulldogs Dickson (hamstring) Reports Nil Umpires Chamberlain, Hay, Wallace Official crowd 28,485 at Etihad Stadium

Up bright and early and can see Etihad (or whatever it's called now) from our hotel. Wandered down to the Woolshed last night for some over priced craft beer (don't they sell VB in the city anymore) but will go there again today anyway. I think Bulldogs are about 3 months early as they are going to need an effort of marvel proportions to win this one. Dee's by 15... Goals. Jonesey will tear it up.

THAT'S LIFE by Whispering Jack The fortunes of the Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs Football Clubs intersected when the two sides met in June last year at Etihad Stadium. The Demons were finally and slowly emerging from years of deprivation and suffering in the competition's lower depths while the Bulldogs were rapidly descending from the dizzy heights of the previous year's unexpected September glory. Despite the fact that both sides seemed to be heading in different directions, the outcome was still a shock to all, with the hitherto inconsistent Melbourne combination dominating throughout and, perhaps in a portent of things to come, winning all four quarters. We thought we had made it. We almost had it all but it turned out, that the hopes of a top four placing or even a finals finish were to prove premature, perhaps because the Demons were experiencing a "That's Life" moment as described in the Frank Sinatra hit song. They were riding high during that particular month and they were cut down in the next one but you could mount an argument that it all began with what was otherwise a very happy afternoon at Etihad for Melbourne fans. The victory however, was soured in the final quarter when co-captain Nathan Jones (quad) and Jack Watts (hamstring tightness) were both taken off as a precaution for assessment during the coming week. In the end, both missed the next month and they were joined on the sidelines in the weeks to come by a number of others including the team’s other skipper, Jack Viney. Melbourne went on to record a great victory over the Eagles on the following Saturday but the number of consecutive six day breaks, the injuries and a controversial suspension to Tomas Bugg in the next game against the Swans, all took their toll. The weakened team found themselves flat on their faces and, despite attempts to pick themselves up and get back in the race, the tiring Demons were floundering. Despite the fact that they were perilously close to making the finals for the first time in over a decade, they simply rolled themselves up in a big ball and died at the last hurdle. Poets, dreamers, philosophers and crooners like Frank might well ask whether the experience of a "That's Life" moment last year was a sign for the club and supporters that it was too soon to be thinking of premierships; that had the Demons fallen into the top eight, they might well have suffered the same fate as their replacement Essendon, which was bundled out in humiliation at the hands of the Swans by 80 points in the Elimination Final. The club has bounced back and we now find it again challenging for the finals and a top four finish even more strongly but this time, the team is much better equipped with greater depth, class, durability and experience than it had at this time last year. Just as the great Sinatra was able overcome and recover from extended periods of failure in his career, the time is now right for the Melbourne Football Club. That's life! THE GAME Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, Saturday 2 June, 2018 at 1.45pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Western Bulldogs 76 wins Melbourne 86 wins 1 draw At Etihad Stadium: Western Bulldogs 9 wins Melbourne 7 wins Last Five Meetings: Western Bulldogs 3 wins Melbourne 2 wins The Coaches: Beveridge 0 wins Goodwin 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports Live at 1.30pm Radio - Triple M 3AW ABC ABC Grandstand THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 17.11.113 defeated Western Bulldogs 8.8.56 at Etihad Stadium, Round 13, 2017 Melbourne smashed the reigning premiers by 57 points to move to fifth place on the AFL ladder. It was a spiteful encounter fueled before the game when Tomas Bugg controversially taunted Bulldog Jason Johannisen on social media. The ploy worked as the Demons took advantage of a hesitant opponent to record a comfortable win and stamp their credentials for a place in the finals. THE TEAMS WESTERN BULLDOGS B: Matthew Suckling, Jackson Trengove, Ed Richards HB: Bailey Williams, Dale Morris, Easton Wood C : Jason Johannisen, 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 Crozier, Mitch Honeychurch, Jordan Roughead, Roarke Smith 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, Tom Bugg, Joel Smith, Billy Stretch NO CHANGE THE PARADOX The paradox about a game in which Melbourne starts as clear favourite is the fact that the Western Bulldogs will take the field with more than half a team comprised of premiership players while their counterparts have just one, and only a handful have even been a part of finals football. Co-captain Nathan Jones, who will be playing in his 250th match, is the only current team member to have tasted the finals experience as a Demon. That we have to go back in time only 20 months to the time when the Western Bulldogs stormed their way to the flag, is testament to the fickleness of our sport. They were on top one day and twelve months later, they finished in the bottom half of the ladder. Today, with almost half the season gone, they occupy a place in the bottom six with a percentage south of 80. And yet, the Doggies still have some of the game’s elite within their ranks. The in-form Jack Macrae is at the head of many of the media’s best player rankings, Marcus Bontempelli is regarded among the game’s top shelf while it was not long ago that the likes of Luke Dahlhaus, Lachlan Hunter, Jason Johannisen and Easton Wood were the toast of the town. Despite their past two defeats at the hands of top eight sides, they did win three games on the trot in rounds six to eight. The problem for the Bulldogs is that they have lost enough of the keys to the premiership success through retirement, injury or loss of form and have been unable to fill the void in class. As a consequence, their team appears unbalanced, inexperienced and down in confidence. In short, they are a long way from being capable of replicating the magic of September, 2016. Going back to those very recent heady days, it would have been unthinkable to consider them as being vulnerable to Melbourne in any game played at where the Bulldogs were lords and masters. These days however, the ground is a veritable fortress for the Demons who shook off the gloom of consecutive losses to Hawthorn and Richmond earlier this year to beat Essendon and St Kilda at the beginning of their current winning streak. They have won four games in a row at Etihad Stadium, a place which was not long ago viewed by their fans with shock, fear and awe. But it’s a different Melbourne these days. On the back of its current winning streak, it has established an unenviable record - it leads the competition in percentage, it’s the highest scoring team, number one for inside 50s and marks inside that area and most importantly, is the winner of the contested possession count. Add the dominance of ruckman Max Gawn and the fact that Jack Viney is finding his feet (and pardon the pun) after his long stint out with injury, it’s hard tipping against the Demons who could only lose if they start bathing in the glory of the complimentary publicity they’ve been receiving of late. With co-captain Nathan Jones leading then out for his 250th game reminding them of how much effort is required for a downtrodden side to lift itself back up to get in the race, I expect the team to be well grounded and up to the task of making it six in a row. Melbourne by 51 points

The fortunes of the Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs Football Clubs intersected when the two sides met in June last year at Etihad Stadium. The Demons were finally and slowly emerging from years of deprivation and suffering in the competition's lower depths while the Bulldogs were rapidly descending from the dizzy heights of the previous year's unexpected September glory. Despite the fact that both sides seemed to be heading in different directions, the outcome was still a shock to all, with the hitherto inconsistent Melbourne combination dominating throughout and, perhaps in a portent of things to come, winning all four quarters. We thought we had made it. We almost had it all but it turned out, that the hopes of a top four placing or even a finals finish were to prove premature, perhaps because the Demons were experiencing a "That's Life" moment as described in the Frank Sinatra hit song. They were riding high during that particular month and they were cut down in the next one but you could mount an argument that it all began with what was otherwise a very happy afternoon at Etihad for Melbourne fans. The victory however, was soured in the final quarter when co-captain Nathan Jones (quad) and Jack Watts (hamstring tightness) were both taken off as a precaution for assessment during the coming week. In the end, both missed the next month and they were joined on the sidelines in the weeks to come by a number of others including the team’s other skipper, Jack Viney. Melbourne went on to record a great victory over the Eagles on the following Saturday but the number of consecutive six day breaks, the injuries and a controversial suspension to Tomas Bugg in the next game against the Swans, all took their toll. The weakened team found themselves flat on their faces and, despite attempts to pick themselves up and get back in the race, the tiring Demons were floundering. Despite the fact that they were perilously close to making the finals for the first time in over a decade, they simply rolled themselves up in a big ball and died at the last hurdle. Poets, dreamers, philosophers and crooners like Frank might well ask whether the experience of a "That's Life" moment last year was a sign for the club and supporters that it was too soon to be thinking of premierships; that had the Demons fallen into the top eight, they might well have suffered the same fate as their replacement Essendon, which was bundled out in humiliation at the hands of the Swans by 80 points in the Elimination Final. The club has bounced back and we now find it again challenging for the finals and a top four finish even more strongly but this time, the team is much better equipped with greater depth, class, durability and experience than it had at this time last year. Just as the great Sinatra was able overcome and recover from extended periods of failure in his career, the time is now right for the Melbourne Football Club. That's life! *** Scroll Down for Whispering Jack's Prediction *** THE GAME Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, Saturday 2 June, 2018 at 1.45pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Western Bulldogs 76 wins Melbourne 86 wins 1 draw At Etihad Stadium: Western Bulldogs 9 wins Melbourne 7 wins Last Five Meetings: Western Bulldogs 3 wins Melbourne 2 wins The Coaches: Beveridge 0 wins Goodwin 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Sports Live at 1.30pm Radio - Triple M 3AW ABC ABC Grandstand THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 17.11.113 defeated Western Bulldogs 8.8.56 at Etihad Stadium, Round 13, 2017 Melbourne smashed the reigning premiers by 57 points to move to fifth place on the AFL ladder. It was a spiteful encounter fueled before the game when Tomas Bugg controversially taunted Bulldog Jason Johannisen on social media. The ploy worked as the Demons took advantage of a hesitant opponent to record a comfortable win and stamp their credentials for a place in the finals. THE TEAMS WESTERN BULLDOGS B: Matthew Suckling, Jackson Trengove, Ed Richards HB: Bailey Williams, Dale Morris, Easton Wood C : Jason Johannisen, 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 Crozier, Mitch Honeychurch, Jordan Roughead, Roarke Smith 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 THE PARADOX The paradox about a game in which Melbourne starts as clear favourite is the fact that the Western Bulldogs will take the field with more than half a team comprised of premiership players while their counterparts have just one, and only a handful have even been a part of finals football. Co-captain Nathan Jones, who will be playing in his 250th match, is the only current team member to have tasted the finals experience as a Demon. That we have to go back in time only 20 months to the time when the Western Bulldogs stormed their way to the flag, is testament to the fickleness of our sport. They were on top one day and twelve months later, they finished in the bottom half of the ladder. Today, with almost half the season gone, they occupy a place in the bottom six with a percentage south of 80. And yet, the Doggies still have some of the game’s elite within their ranks. The in-form Jack Macrae is at the head of many of the media’s best player rankings, Marcus Bontempelli is regarded among the game’s top shelf while it was not long ago that the likes of Luke Dahlhaus, Lachlan Hunter, Jason Johannisen and Easton Wood were the toast of the town. Despite their past two defeats at the hands of top eight sides, they did win three games on the trot in rounds six to eight. The problem for the Bulldogs is that they have lost enough of the keys to the premiership success through retirement, injury or loss of form and have been unable to fill the void in class. As a consequence, their team appears unbalanced, inexperienced and down in confidence. In short, they are a long way from being capable of replicating the magic of September, 2016. Going back to those very recent heady days, it would have been unthinkable to consider them as being vulnerable to Melbourne in any game played at where the Bulldogs were lords and masters. These days however, the ground is a veritable fortress for the Demons who shook off the gloom of consecutive losses to Hawthorn and Richmond earlier this year to beat Essendon and St Kilda at the beginning of their current winning streak. They have won four games in a row at Etihad Stadium, a place which was not long ago viewed by their fans with shock, fear and awe. But it’s a different Melbourne these days. On the back of its current winning streak, it has established an unenviable record - it leads the competition in percentage, it’s the highest scoring team, number one for inside 50s and marks inside that area and most importantly, is the winner of the contested possession count. Add the dominance of ruckman Max Gawn and the fact that Jack Viney is finding his feet (and pardon the pun) after his long stint out with injury, it’s hard tipping against the Demons who could only lose if they start bathing in the glory of the complimentary publicity they’ve been receiving of late. With co-captain Nathan Jones leading then out for his 250th game reminding them of how much effort is required for a downtrodden side to lift itself back up to get in the race, I expect the team to be well grounded and up to the task of making it six in a row. Melbourne by 51 points

There is a quote that is often misattributed to Albert Einstein which goes along these lines: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” meaning that if you always follow an unsuccessful pattern, you will inevitably always fail. It turns out that Einstein never said it but whoever did, perfectly encapsulated the 2018 campaign of the Melbourne women's team. Since after the opening round, the Demons have been shooting themselves in the foot with strong starting quarters followed by poor kicking for goal and performances that were punctuated by hesitancy and indecisive play, some absolute howlers (missing after running into open goals has been a special) that ultimately cost them a grand final place. Against the Bulldogs, the same mad pattern was there for all to see although this time, they had first use of the breeze after captain Daisy Pearce won the toss so they were always likely to hold a lead at the end of the opening term. And so it was, that Melbourne controlled the ball for much of the term when kicking to the southern end. As usual they had a lopsided inside 50 advantage of 11 to 2, but all they had to show for the dominance was a seven point lead thanks to a solitary Richelle Cranston goal. After the break, the Bulldogs showed the Demons how things should be done properly by going on the attack and, after a couple of early behinds, the goals came regularly - they snagged three goals in the first 12 minutes and though the visitors came back with a goal to Karen Paxman in a rare foray forward, it would have taken a genius like Einstein to get them across the line from there. Katherine Smith’s snapped goal just three minutes into the the third term offered some hope but those insane Demons lapsed into their pattern of wastefulness. They kept the Doggies scoreless for what is often known as “the premiership quarter” but they managed only one goal from seven scoring shots with their second use of the breeze. It was the old familiar pattern from that game in Fremantle. No urgency and no desire to go in for the kill but rather, a slow approach that gave opposition defenders the chance to apply that little bit of extra pressure when going for goal. They tried hard to stem the flow in the last and even tantalised the fans by regaining the lead with Kate Hore’s diving mark and goal but, as fate would have it, the Bulldogs’ Brooke Lochland kicked accurately for the winning goal with less than a minute and a half left to play. The pattern had been followed: the season was over. Melbourne 1.1.7 2.1.13 3.7.25 4.7.31 Western Bulldogs 0.0.0 3.2.20 3.2.20 5.3.33 Goals Melbourne Cranston Hore Paxman Smith Western Bulldogs Berry Brennan Conti Kearney Lochland Best Melbourne Paxman Smith L Pearce Downie O'Dea, Jakobsson Western Bulldogs Kearney Blackburn Bruton Spark, Conti Birch Injuries Melbourne Lampard (knee) Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Mirable, Dore, Johanson Official crowd 7,593 at VU Whitten Oval