Round 8 – Melbourne Vs Brisbane

Liam Chambers

So close you could reach out and grab it! Unfortunately we couldn’t get a tight enough grip and it slipped through our fingers in the end. It’s disappointing but we lost to a side sitting second on the ladder. Certainly we lacked the flow and energy of last’s weeks game; however the last quarter contained some encouraging signs.

Jake Melksham opened Melbourne’s account for the afternoon with a soccer kick from just outside the goal square. He’s shaping up to be a handy goal scorer for the Dees. Bailey Fritsch got the second with another soccer kick. He may still need more practice with his set shots but the grounds kicks are coming along splendidly.

After the even handed first term, the second quarter belonged to the Lions. Apart from Bailey Fritsch’s second goal, the Dees struggled. Then Neville Jetta sustained not one but two head knocks that took him off the field for assessment. However he returned, sporting a head bandage and continued his difficult job of looking after Charlie Cameron.

With the Lions leading 36-21 at the start of the second half, the game was still very much within Melbourne’s reach. Unfortunately Jetta’s attempt at a rushed behind went out on the full and conceded a free kick which Charlie Cameron converted. Matters didn’t improve when Kysaiah Pickett didn’t see a handball chance in front of goal and instead kicked wide for a minor score.

Finally, Bailey Fritsch, after slipping, got the ball to Mitch Hannan who also slipped before hand balling to Jake Melksham who kicked beautifully for his second goal. Suddenly Melbourne had a surge of confidence and Clayton Oliver’s hand ball to Harley Bennell looked like a certain goal. Bennell ran and kicked from fifteen metres out but somehow managed to just miss. It was just one of those afternoons. When Charlie Cameron ran towards goal and kicked his second less than a minute later, the Dees were left ruing their missed opportunities.

With Melbourne behind by eighteen points at the start of the final term, the odds seemed stacked against them. No one told Jack Viney though. The hardest working Demon kept grinding and finally got his reward with a tidy snap kick from fifteen metres out. Former captain Nathan Jones was awarded a fifty metre penalty which he didn’t waste. His ensuing kick from thirty metres sailed through perfectly and suddenly it was the Lions who were on the back foot.

When Jake Melksham kicked his third goal from the fifty metre line, the margin was reduced to two points and Demon fans reduced to nervous wrecks while the clock continued to tick down. We came tantalisingly close when Bailey Fritsch marked the ball just out on the full. For a split second I thought he had it but it was not to be. Bailey didn’t want to let go of the ball though. I think he was hoping it was all just a misunderstanding. Then he was penalised. Oh the injustice.

If only we could have played every quarter like the last one, we’d be knocking on the door of the top eight now. We only have a four day break before Round 9. It’s never easy playing Port Adelaide and this year will be even tougher. If we can sustain our brand for the four quarters I really believe we can cause an upset.

I’ll never be a Coach but the only thing I know that really works is extra practice. I remember training at my Karate club when I was a teenager and seeing the people who got there early and worked hard on the basic moves. They would be the same ones who stayed back and practiced when everyone else was getting dressed and having a smoke (I know, it was the Eighties). I used to think it was funny to waste your time practicing so much. That was until I had to face them when we did some individual sparring. Somehow it wasn’t so funny when I was getting my butt kicked all over the floor. Maybe there was something to this practicing thing after all.

Go the Mighty Dees!

Round 7 – Hawthorn Vs Melbourne

Liam Chambers

Demon fans were relieved after last weeks’ win when the Hawks were grounded by the rampant Dees. Now they have a vaguely familiar feeling. A sense of optimism.

From the initial bounce, the Hawks exerted pressure on Melbourne, with Jack Gunston scoring the first goal within a minute. Up the other end Kysaiah Pickett was displaying some nice dance moves. Unfortunately, his innovations didn’t yield the desired result. The Hawks looked to have the better chances early on but Melbourne managed to keep them in check. Harley Bennell continues to repay the trust of his new side and his confidence is growing with each game.

The Dees are tackling with more intensity and purpose. This was epitomised by Mitch Hannan when he was awarded a free kick on the 50 metre line. His set shots have also been impressive and he notched up the first goal for Melbourne. A minute later Jack Viney, as always fiercely competitive, was also rewarded a free kick for a tackle and converted for the Dees’ second. Christian Petracca has moved up another level this year. His football is inspirational and his visionary kick to Jack Viney allowed the midfielder to get the ball to Bailey Fritsch for number three.

At the start of the second quarter, Hawthorn made a few forays in Demon territory but Melbourne quickly kept finding a way back. An accurate hand ball from Bennell to Hannan gave Melbourne the opening goal of the second term. Max Gawn continued to frustrate the Hawks by marking the ball as it was kicked towards the Dees’ back line. Up the other end Petracca was in the zone. He spotted Sam Weiderman in front of the Hawthorn goal and launched a perfect kick into the forward’s waiting hands. Sam was only too happy to kick the fifth for Melbourne.

When the Dees are on a roll they often take a minute to relax and reflect. Jaeger O’Meara took advantage of the lull to get one back for the Hawks. Great goal though. Melbourne responded brilliantly with a Luke Jackson kick to Harley Bennell, allowing him to run and kick scoring from 30 metres out. The Dees were flowing when Tracca, in a good position to kick goal-ward, instead passed to Kysaiah Pickett who grabbed the ball, turned and snapped for his first and Melbourne’s seventh goal. Hawthorn almost got one back just before the siren when Darren Mitchington’s superb kick was touched on the line. Kudos to Oscar McDonald.

Hawthorn, desperate to avoid a walkover, came out swinging at the start of the second half. Gunston got his second early on before Chad Wingard made it two in a row for the Hawks. With the margin reduced to three goals, the Dees looked a little rattled. Luckily, a few Hawthorn chances went begging and Jake Melksham produced a great kick to Bailey Fritsch who hand balled on to the unmarked Weiderman in front of goal. After that, the wind was taken out of Hawthorn’s sails and subsequent waves of attack were handled much more confidently by Melbourne.

A promising sign for the Dees is their increasing accuracy from set shots. Melksham got his second from a free kick on the 50 metre line thus restoring their half time advantage. Melbourne’s tenth goal was fast and furious. Clayton Oliver took advantage of a free kick to get the ball to Weiderman who hand balled over the top to an unmarked Luke Jackson. First goal for Action Jackson. With their cup overflowing, the Dees got another thirty seconds later. A handball from Tracca to Bennell was beautifully kicked on to Pickett. Pickett’s set shot from 40 metres sailed through the uprights perfectly. Second goal for Kysaiah the Messiah.

Going into the last term with the scoreboard showing 30-72 in Melbourne’s favour was an unusual sight for Demon fans. We knew not to get too excited though. We’ve let a forty two point margin slip before. In a sure sign that Tracca has moved up to another level, he marked on the 50 metre line and made no mistake converting for the Dees’ twelfth. A year ago, he would have passed to another player or kicked the ball wide. Now his confidence has skyrocketed. Even though Chad Wingard and Josh Morris got a couple back for the Hawks, it would only be a consolation as Sam Weiderman hit back to claim his hat trick.

Time for a little exhibition play; starting with Christian Salem then Pickett, Ed Langdon, Oscar McDonald and finally of course Petracca, whose superb squaring ball to Fritsch was walked in for number fourteen. Finally, Jack Gunston had the last word when his goal from fifty five metres out book ended the match.

Though we’ve improved significantly, the Hawks were far from their best. Our next game against Brisbane will be the real test. Melbourne will be the underdogs and that will be to our advantage. However, we can’t allow old habits to creep back in when we’re up against an opposition that has top four written all over them.

The lads have to play their natural game and not over think the situation. If they can be in the moment, then their instincts won’t let them down. There are so many positive signs and they need to harness the energy they’ve created over the last two games. I’m going to suggest a mantra: “Be like Tracca”

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 6 – Melbourne Vs Gold Coast Suns

Liam Chambers

Finally Melbourne got off the canvas and started floating and stinging. Still a long way to go but the fight is there and Simon Goodwin is a very relieved Coach.  Both sides looked determined from the start and the Suns exerted the early pressure to score first, courtesy of Brandan Ellis, from 40 metres out.  The Dees recovered and hit back in style.

An outward kick from the edges of Gold Coast’s goal square was grabbed by Christian Salem, who was immediately tackled. Salem though, was on his feet immediately to received a vandenBerg handball, which he cleverly tapped to Jack Viney. Viney twisted and turned 180 degrees before kicking to an unmarked Christian Petracca. Tracca spun and ran before kicking a perfectly placed goal to put Melbourne on the scoreboard. Later, a turn and spin snap kick from 40 metres gave debutant Izac Rankine his first goal. Not a bad start for the young lad.

With three minutes to go, The Suns showed why they’re so dangerous, even without star recruit Matt Rowell; Lachie Weller outwitting Jake Lever in a game of cat & mouse to score from a tight angle and 55 metres out. At the end of the quarter, Melbourne was looking more confident than in recent weeks. Unfortunately, Tom MacDonald suffered an eye injury and would spend the rest of the game on the bench. For once we couldn’t blame Toby Greene.

The second term started with Kysaiah Pickett awarded a free kick on the 50 metre line. Spotting James Harmes, Pickett delivered another accurate kick to set up a scoring shot. Harmes didn’t disappoint. Melbourne’s next goal was a combination of opportunism, luck and skill as Christian Salem plucked the ball from a Suns’ free kick inside 50. Salem ran towards goal and calmly kicked the ball beautifully to put the Dees in the lead. A brilliant and rare goal from the number three. As the camera swept over the ecstatic Demon fans, Coffs Harbour representative Jacqui Parry was seen cheering enthusiastically.

It seemed more Dees were anxious to get on the scoreboard and Michael Hibberd didn’t waste a 50 metre penalty. His kick from the inside 50 line sailed through perfectly. Melbourne had more chances to put further pressure on Gold Coast but unfortunately couldn’t add to the tally. Tracca’s fresh air kick is destined to be replayed many times, much to his embarrassment.

Harley Bennell was determined to make an impression and his kick was acrobatically marked by Sam Weiderman and duly converted.
Despite trailing by eighteen points, the Suns, sensing a possible change in momentum, upped the ante and put two away to reduce the margin to 41-34 at the half way mark.

Melbourne went into the second half determined not to let the Gold Coast’s resurgence unsettle them. Viney was proving to be instrumental to the Dees’ scoring chances when he got the ball to Max Gawn who saw Mitch Hannan waiting. Hannan noticed Jake Melksham in a good position who then marked and subsequently scored from 40 metres out. An encouraging sign was the increasing accuracy of Demons’ kicks from set shots.

Also, both captain Max Gawn and last season’s co captain Jack Viney were lethal in their execution from the initial centre bounce of the game; no doubt stinging from the overwhelming criticism of their underwhelming start to the 2020 campaign. Harley Bennell was still desperately searching for his first goal in Demon colours. Just when he thought the breakthrough had come, the video ref deemed his kick to have been touched. Not by God as he first hoped but by Gold Coast.

Izac Rankine continued to have an electric effect on the game and his second was a soccer chip from a chaotic scramble 20 metres out from goal.
Bailey Fritsch took the tip and kicked one back from ground level at the order end. The preceding clever tap on from Kysaiah Pickett landing nicely for Fritsch.

Melbourne was ahead by a less than inspiring three points going into the final quarter but luck seemed to be on our side when the Suns hit the post in the opening thirty seconds. Mitch Hannan proved his mettle when his tackle inside 50 won him a free kick which he converted for the Dees’ eight of the game. Sam Weiderman was determined to keep his place in the side with a mark in front of goal from a Hannan kick. Goal number nine for Melbourne and counting.

In a sign of how vitally important a win was for the players, fans but especially the Coach, was Simon Goodwin’s presence on the sideline. Clayton Oliver, also having a revival of his own, then conveniently placed an accurate kick into the waiting hands of Petracca. Tracca’s ensuing accurate kick from 50 metres out showed how much his game has matured this year. A visibly relieved Goody cheered from the sideline.

Well, a Hollywood script requires a Hollywood ending and in almost saccharin sweet style, Jack Viney kicks down the field, willing the ball to get as close to goal as possible. In hot pursuit was catalytic goal converter Kysaiah Pickett. Pickett grabbed the ball from a high bounce and kicked a perfect sideways strike across the goal square into the grateful hands of Harley Bennell. The former Sun was never going to miss the opportunity and the resulting goal after the siren had the entire contingent of Melbourne players piling on to congratulate Bennell; eventually totally obscuring him from view.

A convincing win in the end but Melbourne knows there’s a long way to go and Round 7’s game against the Hawks will be tough. Even though the players are out of the Melbourne press glare, they will still be aware of the relentless criticism directed at them. If they can used that as constructively as they did against Gold Coast then there’s hope for the red and the blue this year.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 4 – Melbourne Vs Richmond

Liam Chambers

This week Victoria went back into lockdown after a short burst of optimism that coincided with the reopening of the economy. We can draw an analogy with Melbourne’s 2018 season and what’s happened since. The effort of the building the team over preceding years, culminated in the Dees reaching their first final in twelve seasons and heralded an new era of success for the Club. Then the disastrous 2019 campaign and the single win (by a single point) so far in 2020. It seems now the rebuilding process is starting again but someone forgot to provide the game blueprint.

The Tigers pounced early when the ball was turned over in our half and marked by Tom Lynch in front of goal. First blood to Richmond. Things improved when Christian Petracca got the ball on the 50m line and saw Hannan to the left of goal. Hannan duly marked the kick and got the bend right to even the score. Richmond continued to apply pressure but were unable to get the results. Then in one of the best displays of the game, Steven May kicked the ball to Michael Hibberd whose subsequent kick to the centre bounced nicely for James Harmes. Harmes passed to Petracca who kicked wide to Bailey Fritsch (good vision). Finally, Fritsch kicked to Jake Melksham in front of goal. Numero two to the Dees. Great end to end play.

One of the bright lights in defence this year has been Trent Rivers. He got Melbourne out of strife after some messy play in front of goal. Eventually though the Tigers were rewarded for their efforts when first Jack Higgins then Daniel Rioli found the space between the uprights to put Richmond back in front. In the dying second, Bailey Fritsch gave the Demon fans something to cheer about when he marked a beautifully weighted kick from Kysaiah Pickett. His 30m shot after the siren brought the score back to a respectable 19-20.

The Dees were let off early in Q2 when Jake Hart was unable to add to the Tigers tally of goals. Thank you ACR. Richmond were the beneficiaries of the new holding the ball rule when Tracca got pinged for not trying to release the sherrin. Despite his protests, Toby Nankervis took the free and got the Tiger’s fourth. Melbourne were turning the ball over a tad too much and it seemed our midfield were not all they could be. We were struggling to get into Richmond’s half.

Jack Riewoldt started to rediscover some of his lost mojo when he slotted the fifth for the Tigers. Hibberd was putting on some good plays. Unfortunately Clayton Oliver’s slump continued and he turned the ball over a few times during the match. Pickett had a chance to set up a goal but his kick went nowhere with no Demons inside 50. His attempted mark later would have been a classic had he succeeded. Great expectation of things to come.

Unfortunately, Richmond continued to add to the score sheet with Jason Castagna kicking their sixth. They were a bit lucky with their seventh after the in form Petracca was caught watching the ball instead of the player and allowed Kane Lambert to slip through and kick a goal on the run. We had a chance at the other end when Ed Langdon’s speed and accurate kick was unable to be marked inside 50. Bailey Fritsch had another chance to score in the last minute but missed badly. His record from set shots needs a bit more work.

Melbourne looked determined to make amends at the start of the second half. They needed to do something quickly as they were trailing Richmond 20-45. However, a kick inside 50 to the lone figure of Dustin Martin in front of goal had Hibberd madly scrambling to get back. Dusty never looked in any danger of missing the mark though and his goal was the fifth unanswered one for Richmond. After that we had a couple of lucky escapes. First Jack Riewoldt missed a sitter, then Tom Lynch had a brain freeze and kicked the ball into the post after he marked it three metres out from goal.

Just when it was looking like another goalless quarter for the Dees, Oliver got the ball to Gawn who marked it well and then kicked it on to Jake Melksham who was perfectly placed to score. It seemed our luck was turning, when for once it was Richmond turning over the ball. Fritsch got the mark and kicked to Aaron vandenBerg who cleverly tapped it on to Mitch Hannan to walk it in. As is often the case, Melbourne was caught basking in the glow of back to back goals and Kane Lambert snuck one in for Richmond almost immediately. Cue camera shot of Simon Goodwin mumbling to himself.

Frustratingly, a few times players had a chance to kick it to Pickett near the Tigers goal but declined. Just kick it to him and see what happens. It might just catch Richmond off guard. Again Trent Rivers showed some nice skills with a few good kicks as well as a creative vision. Melksham went off on a tangent near the end of the term when he could have passed the ball up the field. Then he gave away a 50m penalty after being tackled. Melbourne was thankful to be going in the last quarter only 29 points down.

Like Round 4, the Dees had it all to do in the last quarter. They threw themselves into it and eventually Petracca got the ball to Tom MacDonald who marked it thirty five metres out from goal. Though T Mac has been below par since his recovery from a broken leg, he didn’t make any mistakes this time. Still 23 points behind though. Bailey Fritsch had another set shot and was successful to further reduce the margin. It was still possible for the Dees to win but we needed a further three goals. However Tom Lynch spoiled the party with six minutes to go.

After that, the Tigers were reinvigorated and the Demons struggled. Even a third goal for Mitch Hannan was all too little too late. Tom Lynch put the final nail in the coffin with two minutes to go and ten seconds before the siren, Kane Lambert helped lower the casket into the ground, making the final score 51-73.

It’s been a hugely frustrating start to 2020 for the Demons. So many times our game is lacking the flexibility to out play the opposition. We desperately need a consistent goalscorer. We were the highest scoring side in the competition in 2018, now we’re the lowest. Jesse Hogan and Tom MacDonald scored 100 goals between them in 2018. Of course there’s no guarantee that Jesse would have played well last year if he’d stayed but Tom’s form slumped noticeably after Hogan’s departure. It’s like Lennon and McCartney. Once they broke up the Beatles, neither were as prolific again.

One interesting stat I read this week. Fifteen times since 2018, Melbourne have had more inside 50s than the opposition but have gone on to lose the game. The team average in the League is six times. Anyway, maybe relocating to Sydney will help the Dees. Without the relentless focus of the Melbourne media, they may recover some of their success from two years ago.

We play Gold Coast in Round 6. The Suns have lost their star player Matt Rowell to injury but will still be a tough team, having discovered a winning spirit since the restart of the season.

Finally, a shout out to Shaun from Coffs Harbour, a one time Dees’ aspirant. It always good to discover another Demons fan in these here parts.

Go the Mighty Dees!

Round 4 – Melbourne Vs Geelong – We need more Picketts and Petraccas.

So many times in recent years (2019 has been surgically removed from my memory), games involving Melbourne and Geelong have come down to the dying seconds. Unfortunately for the Dees, Round 4 wasn’t to be the exception. For most of the first quarter, the Cats were in almost total control. They maintained possession and pressured the Dees but could only score two goals. The first came in the opening minutes courtesy of Darcy Fort and the second in the closing minutes via Mitch Duncan.

In between Melbourne looked like a shadow of the team that played their brilliant first quarter against Carlton in Round 2.

The bright spots were some inspirational play from Christian Petracca and the gifted Kysaiah Pickett. While Pickett created some nice chances his moment came with two minutes to go when he was given advantage but unfortunately his ensuing shot hit the post. Once he gets a few goals under his belt, he’s going to be a scoring machine.

Melbourne started Q2 more determined and were rewarded when Bailey Fritsch marked the ball twenty metres out to the left of goal. The run of play that got the ball to Fritsch was one the best displays of the game by the Demons. First goal for the Dees. They continued to maintain the pressure on Geelong but eventually the Cats steadied the ship. Melbourne’s chances weren’t helped by turning over the ball when they were charging up the corridor.

Interestingly, with no crowd to return the wayward sherrins, is the number of footys used having an affect on play? Obviously it’s a lot different to a cricket ball but could it potentially make a difference?

Anyway, neither team was able to add much to the scoreline. Steven May was defending well and Pickett continued to have some nice touches but nothing was working until Angus Brayshaw was able to slot one in under pressure. I’m not sure if 15-14 is the lowest score for a first half this season, but it must be very close.

After a reasonably adequate display in Q2, Melbourne literally dropped the ball at the start of the second half. A 50m shot from Esava Ratugolea sailed behind the line with the Dee’s defence seemingly missing in action. Great goal but I’m sure Goody was reaching for the stress ball after that.

Then to rub salt in the wounds, when it look like Luke Daulhaus was going for a set shot, he passed the ball to Dangerfield who then kicked a goal from 50 metres out. Paddy was standing right next to Daulhaus but no one thought he might be a danger in that position. He was though and after all danger is his middle name. Now Goody was rummaging around for the rescue remedy. When Brandan Parfitt kicked his first goal, the Cats were three up for the quarter.

Then at last the Dees got back on the score board. A snap shot from Petracca in front of goal stemmed the flow and reinvigorated Melbourne. Kysaiah Pickett was also involved and almost marked the ball before Tracca took advantage and kicked the Dee’s third. We need more Picketts and Petraccas. With four minutes to go, Petracca almost got a second. However, at the other end of the field a classy one handed mark form Cameron Guthrie saw the Cats go into the final quarter seventeen points ahead.

Melbourne knew they had to throw caution to the wind and go for broke if they were to have any chance of winning. Luckily that’s just they did. Jayden Hunt got the first with a banana kick to the left of goal. Happy Days. Then there was some great Demon pressure that had the Cats looking worried.

Unfortunately my least favourite player of all time, Tom Hawkins, finally kicked a goal after an fairly ordinary day by his standards. With the lead back to sixteen points, we needed something special to inspire the fans. Luckily Tom MacDonald was waiting in the wings and after a beautiful mark, he put away the sherrin to reduce Geelong’s advantage to ten points.

However it looked like it was all over for Melbourne when Dangerfield stepped up to have a shot in front of goal. Maybe he should have stayed on the bench after he was checked out for concussion as his shot sailed wide of the mark. Demon fans and players alike heaved a huge collective sigh of relief.

With two minutes to go, Angus Brayshaw got a clean pick up thirty metres from goal and ran to cleanly kicked Melbourne’s sixth and get us to within four points of the Cats. When Christian Salem had a 50m penalty awarded, it looked like the Demons might have a famous victory.

However he didn’t go for goal and in the ensuing confusion, the ball was booted back to the 50m line where Adam Tomlinson marked it with thirty seconds to go. As the great footy viewing public held their breath, Tomlinson unleashed a mighty kick that sailed enticingly close but veered left as it reach the goal line. A win was not to be.

Next week we play Richmond after our travel plans to Queensland were thwarted when the State Government announced that visiting teams would be required to self quarantine for fourteen days; effectively putting a stop to any team travelling north of the Tweed.

Even though the Tigers have not won any of their games since the renewal of the season, they are notoriously slow starters and should never be underestimated. I would have preferred to be playing the Swans as I fancied our chances against their style of play.

Anyway, it’s been a year of unexpected results so it’s anybody’s guess.
Go the Mighty Dees!!!