ANZAC Eve – Melbourne V Richmond – Jones 300 games

Liam Chambers

Undoubtedly the most important game of Melbourne’s bid to become 2021 Premiers. The game started at a frenetic pace with Richmond threatening to overwhelmed the Dees in the opening minutes. After some minor scores from the visitors, Jack Riewoldt soccered in a loose ball from the left of the goal square.

Demon fans watched on anxiously as wave after wave of Tiger shirts threatened to break through the home side’s defenses. Melbourne managed in the main to mitigate the damage but not before Riewoldt succeeded in marking the ball inside 50 and converting for Richmond’s second goal. The Tigers were controlling all aspects of the game but failed to overwhelm the Dees.

Melbourne started to wrest some momentum back and was able to gain some territory going in hard against their opponents. This was typified by Charlie Spargo’s tackle on Bachar Houli, preventing another run on goal. Despite this, Richmond still appeared to have at least three extra players on the pitch compared to Melbourne. The Dees soaked up some tremendous pressure but there was no doubt that they were under siege. Some flickers of light were starting to appear for Melbourne though.

First Bailey Fritsch had a set shot from 40 metres out but speared the shot wide. Then the in form Christian Salem delivered the Dees’ first, with a running kick on goal from the 50m line. The effect on Melbourne was immediate. Suddenly, the competition ceased to be such a one sided affair and became more even handed.

When Shane Edwards kicked Richmond’s third from a 25m set shot in front of goal, the Dees responded with a great run of play culminating with Clayton Oliver receiving the ball inside 50. He passed to Kysaiah Pickett, who’s perfect side kick to Fritsch set up Melbourne’s second.

Trailing 14-21 at the start of the term two was a good result for the Demons, considering the unrelenting Richmond attack in the first quarter. As the rain poured down, the Dees again showed how their game has changed. In the past their control suffered badly in wet conditions; now their marking and handling efficiency was impressive. Slowly Melbourne were grinding down the Tigers and when Alex Neal-Bullen’s kick from the extremely difficult angle near the 50m line sailed through, the stadium crowd erupted.

Tom McDonald then showed his determination to secure his spot in the team with back to back goals. First, a marvelous mark 45m out from goal which he put through with focused precision; then after being pushed in the ruck, he booted his second to increase the Dees’ margin. Luke Jackson ran in another after a hand ball chain starting with a huge kick from Max Gawn in the centre reached inside 50. The rest of the quarter was a Melbourne tackle fest as the home side shut down the Tigers, preventing them from playing their natural game.

Jackson also got the next goal at the start of the second half, soccer kicking the sherrin after a confusing run by the Dees. Melbourne continued to play Richmond at their own game and continued to stretch the lead over their rivals. That lead stretched even further when Christian Petracca made something out of nothing by hand balling from ground level to McDonald who kicked it on to Fritsch where the key forward scored from a set shot.

Shane Edwards temporarily stalled the Dees’ run with a goal for the Tigers but Melbourne responded quickly. Ed Langdon instigated a great run of play taking the ball up the field towards the Dees’ goal. Following on, Neal-Bullen was caught high as he attempted to infiltrate the goal square and scored from the subsequent free kick. Richmond scored again via Jake Aarts but again Melbourne hit back with a brilliantly placed kick from Salem to McDonald who made a great mark in the goal square. T Mac seemed to have rediscover his goal kicking ways, notching up his hat trick.

Even though Melbourne led by thirty points at the start of the last quarter, there would still have been a lot of nervous fans reliving past traumas where similar leads were whittled away in the dying minutes of the game. However, you got the sense that this year was different and the Dees wouldn’t be run down so easily. The defence had been superb all night and the midfield and forwards were all playing with perfect synchronicity.

When Petracca drove through traffic and kicked around the corner to score another blinder, you knew the result was definitely going Melbourne’s way. The Dees continued to pounce on everything, forcing errors from Richmond and controlling the game on their terms. One of the Tiger’s best player on the night, Shai Bolton kicked a goal against the run of play but Richmond were unable to hit the target with their other attempts.

Finally, Kysaiah Pickett iced the cake with his set shot in front of goal having being awarded a free kick when tempers flared on the Tigers’ side. In fact there was a bit of a free for all in the last few minutes but it didn’t detract from the overall game on the night. With Nathan Jones celebrating his 300th game he couldn’t hide his delight with his team’s performance in his post match interview. He commented how formulating a simple plan and sticking to it had paid dividends for Melbourne so far this season.

As long as they can maintain that team spirit, I think Jonesy will be playing finals this September.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 5 – Hawthorn V Melbourne

Liam Chambers

You underestimate the Hawks at your peril and for the first three quarters they kept Melbourne well within their sights before the favourites exploded in the final term, with a goal fest to gladden the hearts of Demon fans.

From the start, Hawthorn applied some good pressure but the Dees responded well in defence, especially Jake Lever. Critics have argued that Melbourne need to win without Steven May in order to prove their credentials. Lever, along with Adam Tomlinson and the return of Michael Hibberd show the Dees well placed at the back. Hawthorns inroads inside 50 finally paid dividends when Oliver Hanrahan scored from a set shot 30m in front of goal. Ed Langdon got Melbourne’s first when ex Demon Sam Frost was pinged for holding Lever.

The Dees improved their kicking accuracy in the second part of the quarter but their set shots in front of goal continued to be a concern. Luke Breust added to the Hawks score sheet before the Dees excitement machine Kysaiah Pickett marked a Tom McDonald kick before converting beautifully from 35m out. Hawthorn piled on the pressure in the final two minutes of the first term with another goal to Hanrahan, who got a toe to a bouncing ball right on the line; then Breust also got his second as the clock ticked down to the siren.

Melbourne responded in the second quarter with an interesting goal. Christian Petracca made a run near the pocket and side stepped a kick to Jake Melksham who finished brilliantly. Most of the pressure was coming from the Hawks and eventually they were rewarded when Tim O’Brien was given enough space to mark in front of goal. Everything seemed to be working for the Hawthorn and they continued to control the play.

Melbourne managed to weather the storm and make some headway towards their own goal end. When Ed Langdon had his arm chopped by a Hawthorn defender, he had a set shot from point blank range. The Dees continued to waste some of their kicks which was disappointing when some of their build up play was spectacular. Trent Rivers went on a superb run up the middle bouncing the ball before spotting Pickett and launching a kick which Kysaiah cleverly picked out. His set shot just missed the target.

Though Melbourne made some impressive incursions into the Hawks defensive inside 50, they couldn’t make them pay. The Dees did get under Sam Frost’s skin though and Clayton Oliver found himself looking up from ground level after a cheeky aside to the big key defender.

Melbourne would have been a little concerned that after all their pressure in the last five minutes of the second half, they still trailed by two points. Mitch Brown almost did an Eddie Betts when a powerful long kick from Alex Neal-Bullen landed at his feet inside 50. Unfortunately the sherrin bounced the wrong way. Again Hawthorn piled on the pressure which Melbourne fended off well but it was beginning to look like the third quarter was going to be another low scoring affair.

Then Petracca was awarded a free and scored his hundredth goal for the club from a set shot in front of goal. The Dees then started to take control of the game more and their kicking became more accurate. Tom McDonald marked well 35m out from the left of goal. This time he didn’t miss and increased the margin to eleven points. Melbourne’s momentum was reigned in by Tim O’Brien when he scored his second of the afternoon.

With the Dees looking well placed at the start of the final term, Hawthorn upset the apple cart with a goal after only fifteen seconds. That pesky centre bounce again. Melbourne needed a reset and fortunately their stellar captain Max Gawn provided the inspiration. The famous ruckman is infamous for missing the easy ones and scoring the impossibly difficult ones. Luckily, his set shot was from 55m out and big Max sat back and watched his mighty kick sail through the uprights. Then he encouraged the faithful to acknowledge his brilliance and they were more than happy to oblige.

Max’s goal opened the floodgates and first through was journeyman Mitch Brown with back to back marks and conversions. Thank you Mitch. Langdon got his hat trick from a great kick taken from 45m out on the run. While not quite the unsung hero, he tends to fly under the radar but he certainly made his presence felt to the Hawthorn players. Jake Melksham made it five in a row after a centre bounce clearance allowed Gawn to launch a kick into inside where the forward was waiting.

The Hawks were now clearly rattled and making defensive errors, kicking the ball to Jake Melksham in front of goal and making it seven in fifteen minutes for the Dees. Hawthorn finally got one back when Max Gawn was deemed to have touched Ben McEvoy’s shoulder in the ruck. I think the Umpire just felt sorry for the Hawks. Finally Pickett got a fifteenth from a set shot to push Melbourne’s score to over one hundred. 

We face Richmond in Round 6 and though they’ve had their usual mixed start to the season, they remain the benchmark club in AFL and will be the real test for the Demons. If we beat them then we will start to be taken seriously as challengers for the flag this year. We’ll go into the match as underdogs but may come out of it as genuine contenders.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Preliminary final – Melbourne v Adelaide

Liam Chambers

In the end, Adelaide’s experience in finals was invaluable in keeping Melbourne from scoring a goal until the final term. By then it was too high a mountain for the Dees to climb.  Even though we were the most consistent team in the latter half of the campaign, we were still considered the underdogs against a side that had won two Grand Finals.

For five hard fought games in a row, Melbourne had found a way to win. In fact, their Round 7 clash against Adelaide was arguably the best game the team had played in their short four year career. It was a must win game and the players took on the challenge with gusto. 

The following week they travelled across the Nullarbor to take on the competition favourites in the notoriously partisan city of Perth where they survived a second half onslaught to secure a spot in the finals for the first time (2020 season was abandoned before the finals began). Their final game against Brisbane was another nail biter with Melbourne surviving a last second (literally) attempt on goal by the Lions to ensure a home advantage going into the finals.

Having beaten the Dockers once away from home, the Dees were confident of causing another upset on home soil, having not lost a match at Casey Fields since 2019. Again, they dominated in the first half but Freemantle struck back in the third quarter to come within striking distance of Melbourne. Fortunately Melbourne steadied the ship in the last term but were unable to land the knockout blow until the final minutes.

Travelling to Adelaide Oval last weekend, though undoubtedly daunting, was also an invaluable experience. The Crows were determined not to be over run early and defended ruthlessly, denying the Dees the chance of early goals and momentum.  The team has gain enormous confidence from their experience this year and they will carry a sense of belief in their abilities into next year when they will be a force to be reckoned with.

The 2020 season was a break through year for the Demons. They had a mid season case of indecisiveness and uncertainty but came back stronger after that period of self doubt. With veterans Pearce, Paxman and Scott leading the way and young guns Hanks, Zanker and McNamara continually improving, the club has got a very bright future.

This year both the women and men’s sides have shown a team spirit not always present in past seasons. If they can maintain that cohesion, a Grand Final victory won’t be far away.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

I got to toss the coin at the women’s final at Casey Fields on Saturday!!!!!

Goodness how privileged am I?  And we won it!! Even better.

It was an epic journey on the train to get there, but had enough time for a brunch of Eggs Benedict and a lovely big coffee at Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre. Found some players parents wandering the streets and we conferred on how the hell to get to the ground (apparently few locals follow AFL).

After an extremely wild bus ride to Casey Fields, I met up with Matt from the club who was there to escort me to the gate just before the game started. He checked in on my coin tossing technique (which was pretty hopeless despite some considerable practice) and did I have a coin. ” Of course Matt” but to my horror I discovered that I had been practicing with the wrong coin…….. I figured being a finals match – surely it would be a gold coin, and had landed that on it’s rim four times in mum’s backyard (the epitome of even handedness). “No” says Matt!! “AFL regulations it has to be a 20 cent coin” (which is bigger, lighter and therefore harder to toss).

Bugga!! So more practice before the game….. getting worse with every throw.

Anyhooo – I had worn my lucky Daisy blouse and Jackie’s No. 19 guernsey – all of which worked. I did my very best Joe Biden run onto the field (as you have to be very quick at it – on the ground as soon as the National Anthem finishes) and managed not to fall over. A polite introduction to the Dockers Skipper and a fist pump to our Vice Captain “Go Get ‘Em Paxy!!”

Miraculously the coin toss went very well – a nice gentle flick and it spun up and down. The coin came down Tails – the Dockers way – but as I had lulled the opposition skipper into a false sense of security she unfortunately picked the “wrong end”. Our girls held them goal-less for the first half, in a stiff NNW breeze, and came home with the wind at their backs and Demon Supporters in the final quarter goal.

It was a hot 32 degree day and honestly I don’t know how they did it ‘cos I was ready for a Bex and a lie down after the coin toss!! The Dockers came at them in the Third quarter but our girls had their measure – and petrol in the tank because they are so fit. Mick, Jane and the rest of the coaching / fitness team have done such a great job preparing our women for this season and they are ready to roll through the finals series. Great work, and Mr and Mrs Stinear even managed to fit in having a little baby boy “Jack” just in time for Mick to take his place in the coaching box for Saturday.

I really enjoyed the match and met many of the players’ families, player sponsors, board members and staff. At the end of the match a gentleman approached me and asked if I was “Jacqueline Parry” – yes – turned out to be Jackie’s dad Frank Parry. So I was able to catch up with Jackie Parry 19, and her family. Judging by the height of them I clearly come from the “midget” arm of the Parry family, but they are lovely and I have prepared the papers to adopt them all – as their elder aunt from NSW!!

Go Dees!!

Got the lucky Daisy blouse on!!

It was a great game to watch and a great result for our hardworking team.

So now we are in the Preliminary Final against the Crows in Adelaide. Go get ’em Girls!!

MELBOURNE 1.2 3.3 4.3 5.10 (40)
FREMANTLE 0.2 0.2 3.5 3.5 (23)
GOALS
Melbourne: Scott 2¸ Bannan, Tarrant, Gay
Fremantle: Sharp, Duffy, Houghton
BEST
Melbourne: Paxman, Gay, Scott, Mithen, Cunningham
Fremantle: Bowers, Miller, Sergeant, Cain, Seth
INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
Fremantle: Nil

Round 9 – Melbourne V Brisbane

Liam Chambers

When the final three AFLW Rounds were announced almost a month ago, most punters and even die hard Demon fans felt the task was almost insurmountable for Melbourne. Fast forwarded to Casey Fields last Saturday and even top of the table Brisbane suddenly seemed less daunting.

The Dees confidence was high and they now believe they can beat anyone. Even though the Lions kicked the first goal thanks to Jesse Wardlaw, Melbourne wasn’t phased and went on the attack, exerting major pressure to keep Brisbane in their defensive half. The Lions fought back, but the Dees kept forging ahead. When Alyssa Bannan outran her pursuers, she was able to get the sherrin inside 50 where Shelley Scott kicked a brilliant shot on goal, bending it towards the target and sealing her first of the evening.

When the rains came down, the wet conditions seemed to favour Melbourne even though they couldn’t add to the scoreboard. Their defence was in top form, especially Meg Downie who is playing great footy after her return from injury. Unfortunately the inspirational Daisy Pearce suffered an knee injury in the first quarter and may miss playing in the finals. We wish her a speedy recovery and know she will still play a pivotal coaching role for the Dees.

After an even sided first term, the Lions took hold of the reins early in the second. First Dakota Davidson, then Courtney Hodder kicked goals to push Brisbane’s lead out to eleven points. Hodder’s goal was particularly spectacular after a great run; even kicking the ball to herself before scoring. Just when things were looking grim for the Dees, Karen Paxman put on a spectacle of her own, scoring from 40m out (ably assisted by Tegan Cunningham).

Demon joy was short lived however as Dakota Davidson got her second from a set shot and the Lions were again in the ascendancy. That was until the in form Shelley Scott showed Brisbane how it’s done. First with a one handed pickup and then with a burst through the Brisbane defence to kick another superb bender that sailed through the uprights to double her tally. However jubilation turned to sorrow for the fans right on the siren when Taylor Smith landed another for the visitors.

Brisbane started the second half determined to put the Dees away . Nearly all the play was in Melbourne’s defensive half for the first five minutes. They defended well but the Lions kept up the barrage and finally Lauren Arnell broke through to score Brisbane’s sixth. The hill had just got a little higher for the Dees but they didn’t panic and continued to fight for the game. It was a hard battle. Even when Melbourne was able to spend some time inside their own goal area, Brisbane kept pushing them back.

Finally the Dees got their reward when Cunningham kicked the ball to inside 50 where Paxman collected it with a diving mark. Her set shot was knocked down before being collected by Scott who slipped behind the Lions’ defence to claim her hat trick. The Lions attempted to hit back straightaway but Melbourne’s defence frustrated all Brisbane efforts.

The Dees began the last quarter trailing by eleven points. They would need to pull out all the stops to topple the league leaders and secure a home final berth. Brisbane were equally determined to retain their top spot on the ladder. It was Brisbane who blinked first when Alyssa Bannan’s lob from forty metres out sailed through the uprights and reduced the margin to one goal. Within a minute, Tyla Hanks was chasing the sherrin through traffic, twisting and turning before snapping one off the outside of her boot and giving Melbourne the lead.

There was a brief period of confusion when Paxman marked the ball but the Umpire called play on, giving Brisbane the advantage. Then almost immediately there was a free awarded to Brisbane on the 50m line; another dubious call. I had to quickly check that the Ref hadn’t secretly donned a Lions’ guernsey. Brisbane tried to seize the momentum but the Dees defended valiantly.

Lauren Magee was having the game of her short AFLW career, tackling brilliantly and denying Brisbane several times. Then Dee after Dee tackled and fought to get the ball out of their defensive 50. The last ten minutes were frenetic with both sides fighting ferociously for the honours. Shelley Heath made some great tackles to keep the pressure on the Lions.

When Maddie Gay marked from forty five metres out, her kick didn’t quite make the distance but the Dees were able to scramble another point. Brisbane almost had a game winning chance but Melbourne again played clever defence to deny the favourites. The last fifty seconds was hard fought and there was still one more twist to come. Greta Bodey was awarded a free right on the siren and the crowd held it’s collective breath. Fortunately her kick didn’t make the distance and Melbourne secured a famous victory.

The win means the Dees have a home final. It won’t be easy though and Fremantle will want to avenge their loss from Round 8. On current form though I feel comfortable having a flutter on Melbourne.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!