Scarily good!
by Darren Spence
This season is turning out to be quite unique.
In my long history of supporting the Dees I don’t think I have seen the Melbourne players in our squad collectively all improve as they have this year. You would be hard pressed to name a player that hasn’t.
It is one of the reasons that the football world is so bullish about our squad and much credit needs to go to the coaching, drafting and support staff collectively. With the whole squad developing it creates depth on the list.
The days of players playing 1 good game in the 2nds and getting promoted the next week are long gone, today players have to earn a game by exhibiting the right behaviors and performances on a consistent basis before being rewarded and this ensures that should opportunities in the seniors present itself that a number of possibilities are available, all ready to go to play their role. This is a hallmark of teams that are successful. It is also a hallmark of envy amongst fellow teams.
The first half on the weekend was scary. Scarily good! Up against one of the competition front runners the Mighty Dees blew the Power away with enormous pressure around the ball. A concerted effort to overcome the slow starts that have plagued us all year was a real focus and an almost goalless first half to Port was the result.
It was Viney who set the tone. Coming back only 19 days after surgery, and he himself admitting that he will be playing sore, he led from the front in the first quarter with 12 possessions (4 of them contested). Gawn had his best game since returning from injury dominating this years’ potential AA ruckman and helping the Dees smash Port in clearances, contested possession and inside 50s till the main break.
An expected fight back after half time by the Power did come but the damage was done earlier and the Mighty Dees ran out winners by 23 points in a crucial win for our finals aspirations.
I have already mentioned the efforts of Viney and Gawn and it was my man crush Hibberd who was our best player on the day. He finished with a game high 36 disposals and has become such a vital play-maker for us off half back. Cut and paste Oliver got another 30 touches, Hunt was very good and Hogan, like Gawn, played his best game since his return with 3 goals. Tyson was busy, Jetta did no harm to his AA aspirations and Melksham looks to have found a new role up forward with 3 goals also in what was one of our best performances this year.
This Saturday sees us travel down to Hobart to play the Roos. We haven’t beaten them in over 10 years although we have made a habit of breaking hoodoos this year. This is a game that we just can’t drop. Good teams win these games and with only 5 left till the finals the boys won’t let this one slip away.
Go Dees
Have we seen the last of our Achilles Heel?
by Darren Spence
Social Media in today’s world is ubiquitous. Hardly a day goes by without people checking their Facebook account, uploading a photo to Instagram or Tweeting off a comment.
It allows us to keep up to date with all the happenings in the world and gives license to people to invoke their first amendment right and tell everyone how they feel. And didn’t Dees fans let everybody know how they felt after last Saturday’s game!
I know that someone of the vehement venting that was put out there is not immune to other clubs (look at what Issac Smith copped!) and a little part of me admires their passion, but gee some supporters have short memories and heaven forbid social media wasn’t around in the early 80s when we lost basically every game.
However some of the personal attacks I read about our players, coaching staff and the committee left a bitter taste in my mouth on what was already a disappointing night last Saturday.
All year our achilles heel has been our slow starts and so it was in Darwin as the Crows blew the game away to what turned out to be a match winning lead of 35 points at the first break. You can’t give starts like that away to Nurmakah 3rds let alone an AFL side on top of the ladder and I am sure Goodwin and co will be working hard to identify and alleviate this deficiency in our game.
It’s frustrating to watch as the boys fought back hard into the game and after Hunt’s long bomb on the 3 quarter time siren we were back in it but alas it wasn’t to be and Adelaide ran out well deserved winners inflicting our first interstate loss for the year and leaving us with a perilous grip on a spot in the 8.
Up forward we struggled all night, no disrespect to Jake Melksham intended, but if he is our main goal scorer with 3 and our only multiple goal scorer we just aren’t going to win many games. Conversely, the much vaunted attack of the Crows got the upper hand on our defense and it was actually pretty difficult to find a Melbourne player that was a winner on the night.
Vince certainly had the better of Sloane although sadly another undisciplined act will see him on the sidelines for a couple of weeks. Both Hibberd and Hunt provided good drive out of defence, Lewis was our highest ball winner with 33 touches and JKH and ANB both impressed on what can only be described as a forgettable night for the Mighty Dees.
This weekend we have a chance to atone the defeat up against the other South Australian side in the Power. We are back at the ‘G, it looks like we will have a few key players back and it is a great opportunity to play against another top side.
There are only 6 games left and every one of them is critical and I am sure the boys will be fired up for a win and all the keyboard warriors out there will have reverted back to singing the praises of the team we love come Saturday afternoon.
Go Dees
Dees get a timely win – last play of the day
By Jacqui Parry
I think this about sums up the match last Sunday. Onward and forward we will play finals. Revisit these great moments:
Sunday is traditionally a day of rest
Where here in Jakarta families go to the pub to share a quiet family lunch with their kids in the hope of some peace and quiet on a lazy Sunday away from the hustle and bustle of a busy week in this crazy metropolis that makes up Jakarta.
I apologize to each and every one of these families by shattering their dreams on Sunday with my constant yelling and screaming – being the sole occupant in the enormous sports bar failed to mask my initial frustrations and ultimate glee as the mighty Demons won another close game against my much despised team in Caarlton.
No doubt this was always a danger game. Notwithstanding our burgeoning injury list the Blues have been in some decent form lately and early on it did look ominous as once again we started slowly and conceded the first 3 goals of the game.
Carlton supporters will look to 2 key injuries in the 2nd quarter as an excuse for their loss, and whilst there may be some credence to this argument, we have suffered similar fates in almost every game this year, so I am not going to shed a tear for them and our ability to grind out our second close win in a row speaks volumes for our developing maturity and belief as a group.
Tom McDonald was once again a match winner with 4 goals. They often say strength comes through adversity and without the injuries to Hogan, Spencer and Gawn then McDonald would more than likely have spent the entire year on the big gorilla forwards. Now we have the flexibility for him to also be the same gorilla up in front and he certainly has been a revelation this year. Furthermore it has allowed the fast tracking of the development of blokes like his brother Oscar and Sam Frost as well Pedersen. Who knows, these injuries may just turn into a blessing in disguise?…..just no more injuries OK?
Neal-Bullen recaptured his early season form and was dangerous with 24 possessions and 2 goals and Oliver took time out from chatting to those lovely Blues supporters to pick up a lazy 29 touches. You can hear St. Kilda supporters let out a collective groan every times Petracca touches the ball and he did that a lot on Sunday getting it 25 times. Last but not least Neville Jetta – the results of games can sometimes come down to one individual contest – and that last play of the game which saw Jetta win the ball is a perfect example of this – Neville is now starting to gain the recognition of the wider football world he deserves and an AA nomination is certainly not out of the equation.
This week we are on the road again on Saturday night. As the only side to have not lost interstate this year the boys will be super keen to keep this record intact and mirror our earlier season win against the Crows.
No further injuries last Sunday is a god send and we will be looking to bring key personnel in this week in what is going to be a cracking game and a 4 quarter performance will guarantee our further entrenchment in the top 8.
Go Dees
Pet rocks, Rubik’s cubes, lava lamps, bell bottoms …
By Darren Spence
I grew up in the 70s. An era of pet rocks, Rubik’s cubes, lava lamps, bell bottoms and the Dees getting smacked every other week. This made school yard banter a nightmare as I was always a source of constant ribbing about the side I adored. Luckily back then all we had really was shows like ‘The Winners’ for people to actual see us get belted.
How times have changed.
Now every game is either live or available on full replay and dissected on the myriad of TV shows and on social media at unprecedented levels. Why is this important?…Even though we have enjoyed sustained periods of success since the 70s (albeit not winning the big one) I still have flashbacks to my childhood era whenever a Dees game is front and centre and hope the football public (read my old schoolyard) give us the credit and acknowledge us as a good side.
Last Friday night was a perfect example.
Up against last year’s grand finalists and in cracking form, the Dees crippled with injuries, 4th game in 18 days would my schoolyard mates be revelling in my misery once again on our only Friday night game of the year?……It started ominously……The Swans kept us in the game in the first quarter with bad conversion and we actually held the lead at quarter time – due solely to our better efficiency inside 50. From there on it became quite apparent that this wasn’t going to be our night as our boys looked flat and our lack of key personnel took its toll and we were outplayed to lose by 35 points.
It could have been worse…..With Viney not returning after half time, the Dees of old would have lost by 10 goals plus. Even the staunchest anti Melbourne school yard bully would be hard pressed not to pay credit to the way the guys fought out the game and, even with a loss, the team hasn’t lost credibility in the football world.
Not so if you read the media this week.
Last week we were world beaters. This week we have an endemic cultural problem. Yes a few incidents happened but I am not buying the whole “chicken hawk” thing. They need to sell papers I get it……We will be fine. Our leadership group is strong and so are our coaches.
Back to Friday night and Hibberd was again great. He was our best player on the night and helped weather the Swans’ attacks picking up 33 touches. Oliver (who spent the first 15 minutes on the bench – a coincidence?….I don’t think so), finished with 24 disposals and Tom McDonald continues to enhance his reputation as the ultimate tall swingman with 19 possessions, 6 marks and 2 goals. We didn’t get the points and I walked away disappointed but we are still entrenched in the top 8 with an important tilt to the finals ahead.
This starts on Sunday. Up against the Blues with more wounded than the Battle of Stalingrad it’s going to be another challenge. They too are a young side looking to make their way up the ladder and what better way to show them the pecking order and make amends for our shock loss against them last year than beating them on the weekend?
Go Dees
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