Round 18 – Geelong Vs Melbourne – Going Going GeeGone
Liam Chambers – our correspondent in Coffs Harbour
I know it’s a terrible title but what can I say. We were leading by twenty nine points at the start of the fourth quarter and then the unthinkable happened. The Cats scored eight goals, including four individual efforts by Tom Hawkins, to break Melbourne hearts. We played so well; few missed chances for sure but overall it was a performance to be proud of. It would also have been a rebuke to the naysayers who point out that the Dees haven’t beaten a top eight side all season.
Well, we still haven’t beaten a top eight side and now we face three top sides over the final five rounds. A herculean task but one I still believe the Dees are capable of pulling off. It will be the ultimate test of character for a side still learning to play to their true potential. The Adelaide Crows at the Oval won’t be easy and after the Gold Coast Suns embarrassed the Sydney Swans, no one is going to write them off as a pushover. The Swans and GWS at the MCG will be very tough and who is going to bet against the Eagles in Perth; except Essendon of course. Are we saying the Bombers are better than us?
There were so many positives for the Demons. Clayton Oliver was superb yet again. Tom McDonald is back with a vengeance, though he had a shaky start. What can you say about Angus Brayshaw except that if every one of the Dees played with the same intensity we would be sitting on top of the ladder and I would have booked a ticket for the grand final. You cannot fault his determination and skill.
This game meant a lot to the Demons. Petracca’s tears after the siren said it all. The Melbourne fan’s are gutted but imagine how the players are feeling. Having said that, we’ve got to learn how to defend a lead of almost thirty points with less than thirty minutes to go. We had them on the ropes but then we let the Cats believe that they still had a chance and that was disastrous in the end. Even in the dying seconds we didn’t employ enough smart tactics to ensure Geelong didn’t get a chance to get anywhere near Melbourne’s goal. The did and this time they didn’t miss like the they did against the Bulldogs.
We go to Adelaide Oval next week and we will need to heed the lessons of the Geelong game. We need to put the loss behind us and be 100 percent focused on the win. I still believe in fairytale endings and in my mind the Dees are already playing finals footy in September. There are approximately forty three thousand register members and if all of them focus on that thought we will be there cheering when Gawny wins the Norm Smith Medal.
GEELONG 2.1 5.3 8.4 16.14 (100)
MELBOURNE 2.3 5.8 11.9 14.14 (98)
GOALS
Geelong: Hawkins 7, Dangerfield 2, Tuohy 2, Jones, Duncan, Henry, J Selwood, Kelly
Melbourne: T McDonald 4, Garlett 2, Melksham 2, Brayshaw, Spargo, Jones, Hogan, Gawn, Petracca
I should have barracked for Geelong. No seriously. My grand father (Dad’s dad) was a mad Cats supporter, was a trainer for a few years etc.
by Darren Spence
I never asked my Dad (or can’t remember) why he barracked for Melbourne, but as the usual rite of passage, I followed my Dad and became a Dee for life……And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Saturday night was gut wrenching. I watched it with a fellow Dees mate who was up from Melbourne, so it was the 2 of us on one TV, amongst a myriad of blokes watching some stupid Rugby game on the big screen. How many of you thought we were going to lose it on that final play?……Be honest….I did…it is just so Melbourne like. When the goal went through we looked at each other in stunned silence for about 5 seconds…….and then started laughing. Laughing!!…Isn’t the first phase of grief denial?….If we didn’t laugh we would going to cry. At that moment it seemed a lifetime ago when we went 29 points up early in the last that we started rehearsing our victory march in front of all the Rugby fans. It was all for nothing. We lost another close one.
Oliver was outstanding on the night with 40 touches and Harmes looks like he has found a new niche as a tagger completely nullifying Selwood, Petracca was dangerous at times, TMac was our best forward and Brayshaw and Jones were more than serviceable but at the end of the day we just couldn’t get it done. To be honest I would have been much more happier if we were just completely outclassed – I can handle that – I have followed the Dees long enough to know that feeling, but again to be the better team most of the night and not come away with the points……well I guess I can only just laugh!
Well this Saturday takes on even more importance with that loss. The Crows away. We have been playing well on the road this year and the boys will be steaming. I bet they wish they could have played on Sunday. It will be another cracking game and I am looking for the boys to come out firing and make atone.
LUKEY TAPSCOTT VOTES (Rnd 18)
OLIVER 5
HARMES 4
TMAC 3
BRAYSHAW 2
PETRACCA 1
LUKEY TAPSCOTT LEADERBOARD
Oliver 44
Brayshaw 29
Hogan 27
Gawn 27
Jones 17
Melksham 14
Petracca 14
T.MacDonald 11
Viney 11
Salem 7
Lever 6
Jetta 6
Fritsch 6
Garlett 5
Harmes 5
Hibberd 4
Hannan 3
Bugg 1
Neal Bullen 1
O.MacDonald 1
ANB RISING STAR (Rnd 18)
OLIVER 5
HARMES 4
BRAYSHAW 3
PETRACCA 2
SALEM 1
ANB RISING STAR LEADERBOARD
Oliver 55
Brayshaw 37
Hogan 34
Fritsch 19
Petracca 18
Viney 16
Salem 15
Tyson 11
Lever 10
Harmes 10
Neal Bullen 7
Hannan 4
O.MacDonald 3
Bugg 2
Smith 2
Spargo 1
Oliver is now taking a near unassailable lead in both awards. You could probable give him both now. I wonder is it back to back Bluey’s as well? Big Maxy probably will have something to say about that!
Go Dees….keep the faith!!
Round 17 – Western Bulldogs Vs Melbourne – Mighty Max Leads Dees In Dogfight
Liam Chambers – our correspondent in Coffs Harbour
Another win and the second against the Doggies. We waited tentatively on Saturday evening to see which Bulldogs side would turn up and for the first half it seemed like the giant killers from Round 15 were back and that we might suffer the same fate as Geelong. A brilliant third quarter settled the Demon’s nerves and it was a comfortable win in the end.
Max Gawn just keeps getting better and his hitouts were just poetry in motion. Watching the highlights was to see a smorgasbord of deliveries to the waiting Demon players. He even seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, flicking a back hander to Angus Brayshaw as if it was as natural as breathing. Angus Brayshaw put in another sterling performance, running, tackling, disposing and generally frustrating the opposition.
Clayton Oliver is a genius with magic hands; he even found time to slot home a goal. There is talk either himself or Maxy taking the Brownlow Medal this year and if they put in many more displays like the one at the MCG then don’t bet against either one. The two Christians (Petracca & Salem) again showed what top notch players they are capable of being. Once they can maintain the consistency of quality football they display on occasion, then they will help make Melbourne a truly great side.
Speaking of consistency, Jesse Hogan is finding the space between the uprights more regularly again. His four goals were vital in keeping the Demons second in terms of percentages. It great to see Jeff Garlett back in the side again and he looked determined to fight for his place, kicking two goals against the Bulldogs. Tom McDonald is looking fit again after the brutal game against Port Adelaide last month. Jake Melksham is going from strength to strength and his solitary goal on Saturday doesn’t do justice to the way he played.
Melbourne have many pluses but some of the negatives need to be ironed out in order to beat the more fancied sides that we’ll be playing before finals. We make some great runs of play that often end in a behind or have us slipping up at a vital moment. Our defending has improved which is good as the defence will need to be at it’s best against the Cats at their home ground. We displayed some dominating football in the last five minutes of the Bulldog’s game which looks very promising. The ability to be able to pick up the pace late in the game will be vital against the tougher teams. Some commentators still doubt that the Dees can play finals footy but I really believe that we will step up to the challenge over the last six rounds and will surprise a few critics into the bargain.
Finally, the brilliantly consistent Neville Jetta has signed a three year extension with the Demons and that’s got to be a boost for Dee’s fans everywhere.
MELBOURNE 3.4 6.9 14.9 18.11 (119)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.1 6.6 9.9 10.9 (69)
GOALS
Melbourne: Hogan 4, McDonald 3, Garlett 2, Neal-Bullen 2, Spargo 2, Petracca, Melksham, Oliver, Hannan, Lewis
Western Bulldogs: Wallis 3, Schache 2, Johannisen 2, Hunter, Lipinski, McLean
Footy is an easy game sometimes….
by Darren Spence
Gawn wins the tap out, palms it to one of our midfielders, midfielder kicks it inside 50 where it is marked by one of our forwards who then goes back and kicks a goal. Pretty simple really; and so it was on Saturday where a 7 goal blitz in 12 minutes was as dominate a passage of play that I have seen the Dees play in….well I can’t remember.
It didn’t always look that way. When the Doggies hit the front early in the 3rd I must admit I was as nervous as when I first asked a girl for the first time on a date. I needed not be, she said “yes”, and the mighty Demons also said yes and ran away with the game by 50 points.
It was a must win game, well they all are, but especially this one. After losing to the Saints, we could nil afford to drop this game, a game once again every one predicted us to win. Gawn again was the most dominate player on the ground – I hear whispers that people are saying he might take Charlie home this year, well he certainly is in form and would be a deserved winner. However players like Oliver ( a lazy 34 disposals), Brayshaw (38) and Hogan with 4 goals are a possibility to take votes off the big man during the season but on Saturday if he doesn’t get the 3 votes then I was watching the wrong game!
This week we are at Kardinia Park (or whatever the hell it is called now). Another huge game – it really is an 8 point game – though if we play like the 12 minutes in the 3rd (who said we can’t?) then it is going to be a happy long drive back down the highway for Dees supporters!
LUKEY TAPSCOTT VOTES (Rnd 17)
GAWN 5
BRAYSHAW 4
OLIVER 3
HOGAN 2
MELKSHAM 1
LUKEY TASPCOTT LEADERBOARD
Oliver 39
Hogan 27
Gawn 27
Brayshaw 27
Jones 17
Melksham 14
Petracca 14
T.MacDonald 11
Viney 11
Salem 7
Lever 6
Jetta 6
Fritsch 6
Garlett 5
Harmes 5
Hibberd 4
Hannan 3
Bugg 1
Neal Bullen 1
O.MacDonald 1
ANB RISING STAR VOTES (Rnd 17)
BRAYSHAW 5
OLIVER 4
HOGAN 3
SALEM 2
NEAL-BULLEN 1
ANB RISING STAR LEADERBOARD
Oliver 50
Hogan 34
Brayshaw 34
Fritsch 19
Petracca 18
Viney 16
Salem 15
Tyson 11
Lever 10
Harmes 10
Neal Bullen 7
Hannan 4
O.MacDonald 3
Bugg 2
Smith 2
Spargo 1
In both awards it is a hot contest for 2nd place but Oliver still continues to lead both awards.
Go Dees!
by Jacqui Parry
Really excited about the game at the Cattery on Saturday – Merlin and Sugar have asked for special dispensation to attend (as they are cats but not CATS). However the humourless people who manage the ground won’t allow MFC feline pet members in – poor sports don’t you think.
Meantime, we worship the ground Gawny walks on of course. Here are a couple of old pics of us doing so.
Best wishes from Jacqui Parry, Merlin and Sugar
Proud Guernsey Sponsor of Max Gawn No. 11
May the Beard Grow Long and the Hammies stay Strong – cos’ we are goin’ to the Big Dance this year!!!!!!!!!!!!
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