Round 3 – Melbourne V Gold Coast Suns

Suns Play A Scorcher At MCG

Liam Chambers

Gold Coast looks impressive

The Suns have been threatening to be a finals side for a few seasons now but their record away from home is not good; just two wins on the road last year. They would have been buoyed by their victory over the West Coast Eagles in Perth last week, but Melbourne at the MCG would be a much tougher gig.

Initially the signs were good for the Demons. Max Gawn almost had the opening goal, but his shot veered to the right. Up the other end Will Graham was gifted a 50m penalty and had no problem slotting the goal. Then Jed Walter was the beneficiary of another 50m penalty, and he struck it cleanly from just outside the arc.

By now the Suns were looking very comfortable and threatening to take control. Melbourne wasn’t letting go that easily though, and made some good plays but was unable to land that crucial first goal. It finally came when Jake Bowey took a mark 60m out, then ran on before launching from the arc to put his side on the board.

The Dees struggled to build on their momentum after the goal, with a series of fumbles and bad disposals which presented Gold Coast with another scoring chance. John Noble didn’t waste the opportunity. The deeper into the quarter, the more the visitors looked to be dominating play in all areas. When Bailey Humphrey kicked through the pack at the top of the square, it was four goals for the Suns.

Suns dominate quarter but Melbourne hold on to stay in the game

Melbourne needed to wrest back some control at the start of the second term and though they prevented Gold Coast from kicking any more goals, they were unable to add to their own tally. That was until Jake Melksham took a contested mark inside 50 and converted his 45m set shot. Unfortunately, the Suns response was immediate, and they were straight back inside 50, where Noah Anderson snapped the ball from 48m to stretch the advantage back out to eighteen points.

The Demons continued to play hard and fast but were unable to make the most of their scoring opportunities. Luckily, Gold coast was having the same problem with the gap remaining at eighteen points as the clock ticked down to half time. In fact with both main goal kickers in Ben King and Bailey Fritsch missing late in the term, Melbourne actually won the quarter by a single point.

Suns take control but Dees launch late attack

After half time the Suns continued to dominate field position leaving Melbourne to react to the pressure placed on their defence. The Dees were able to keep Gold Coast at bay but were unable to launch a counter attack. Luckily Ben King was having one of his off days, where he couldn’t find the space between the uprights, therefore allowing Melbourne to stay in touch.

Then against the run of play, the Dees got their third goal when Harry Sharp, despite an agonisingly slow build up, snapped from 30m to send the ball sailing over the line.

At this stage, a win looked very achievable for Melbourne, but a series of fumbles resulted in Touk Miller marking in the pocket and slotting the set shot. Demon fans have reason to be aggrieved though, as a certain foul on Jack Billings was ignored by the Umpire, allowing Gold Coast to continue playing on the edge of the 50m arc. Miller had back to back goals when awarded a free kick in the opposite pocket a few minutes later, having no problem with the execution. 

After the bounce, Gold Coast again wasted no time charging back down the ground, where Ben King was waiting to take the mark. This time he decided to take no chances with set shots, instead dropping the ball before tapping it along the goal square and across the line. In the space of five minutes, we went from looking competitive to conceding three goals and now struggling to contain the resurgent Suns.

Further adding to Melbourne’s pain, King again marked to the right of goal and finally rediscovered his set shot mojo.  Shortly after, Jarrod Witt took a contested mark at the top of the square. His successful set shot extended his side’s lead to forty three points.

Melbourne needed to find some answers quickly and for a moment it seemed that they had clawed one back when Jack Henderson’s set shot looked to have found the mark; the review found otherwise, and the goal was disallowed. There was no doubt about Harry Sharp’s effort though when he chipped a goal from the edge of the square. The brief burst of Melbourne momentum quickly dissipated however when Gold Coast won the hitout and raced goalward. A series of fumbles resulted in Lachie Weller snapping from 25m out and restoring their forty two point advantage.

Christian Petracca decided he’d had enough, and when he received the ball inside 50, ran on and launched skyward and through uprights, giving the Demon fans reason to still believe. When Kade Chandler launched a missile from 55m to secure his second of the afternoon, we dared to dream of a comeback that people would tell their grandchildren about. Jake Melksham almost added a third but just couldn’t get the correct angle with his attempt.

Then the cruelest blow of all. Will Graham’s kick as the siren sounded resulted in a goal that was deemed legit by the goal umpire. I’ve watched that kick several times and I can’t see how the goal was awarded. It certainly helped to take the wind out of Melbourne’s sails and brought their new found momentum to a shuddering halt.

Suns unassailable in final term

The odds were already against a Melbourne victory as the sides took to the field for the fourth quarter, but Touk Miller’s set shot goal in the fifth minute put paid to any lingering hopes of a Demon win. It also didn’t help that our efficiency in front of goal left a lot to be desired.

Gold Coast kept their foot on the accelerator and continued attacking. Then Sam Flanders got his name on the scoreboard with a 40m snap. Ben King was well and truly over his set shot jitters when he steered 15m kick through to the back of the net.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom though. Harvey Langford’s bullet from the 50m line was a late highlight for Melbourne.

Ethan Read then took a contested mark in front of goal and made sure with the set shot, making it fifty two points in favour of the Suns. Ben King was awarded a free kick in front after being held and he had his fourth of the afternoon.

Jacob van Rooyen has yet to hit the heights of previous years but his contested mark in the pocket and his cleanly executed 50m set shot reminded fans of his potential to cause damage to the opposition. Sadly, as seemed to happen all game, Gold Coast hit back immediately when Ben Long snuck one in with thirty seconds remaining.

Still there is good news. In Round 2 we were beaten by fifty nine points, but in Round 3 we were only beaten by fifty eight points. It’s small progress, but progress nonetheless. Maybe being 0-3 for the start of the season will motivate us when we take on Geelong in Round 4. 

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Winning and losing

Nigel Dawe

IT’S with more than a tinge of disappointment, frustrated dismay, and pure anger that I’ve wrangled this piece together. The cause of which has nothing whatsoever to do with our first three games. Yes, we have three bold L’s in our results column (the last two of which were certainly not great), but that’s life, and for the life of me I can’t understand the bozos – whether they don red and blue scarves or not – who rant their pea brain views and frustrations at players and coaches, like they could do, or have ever done, any better.

I’m glad I wasn’t at any of these games, only because I would’ve been far too disheartened by the antics of those within our ranks who just can’t take defeat on the chin, and simply move on in a dignified fashion.

I think I’ve made mention before, when our side is down, we need to adopt a ‘having sick relative’ mentality, that being the kind that shows support (which is ironically the key concept, not to mention driving verb behind the word – Supporter). The most appropriate response when a loved one has come down with something: is actually being there for them. If your child broke their arm this afternoon you wouldn’t go charging into the hospital to berate them for it, would you? Because people of substance don’t ever turn on one-another, they simply keep on turning up, and they hang in there – rain, hail or shine.

We’re better than this, much, much better than this! It broke my heart watching footage of a so-called Melbourne fan launch some kind of nasty-toned tirade at Max as he departed the field against North the other day, and the disappointed look on his face as he ever-so briefly snuck a peek at the clown who made it, will stick with me for a very long time. I just wanted to give our big seven-times All Australian a hug, and a good old-fashioned punch in the arm for luck.

Those of us who genuinely live and breathe this club have your back, it’s great to win, but that’s not why any of us should ever commit to causes like this; having tunnel visioned expectations that we will win – week-in, week-out (after having enjoyed such a purple period of success) is something that only fuels and enflames such vulgar responses to defeat. None other than Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” And while it comes across as mirth, it is actually meant in all seriousness: that being the most potent, unconquerable seriousness of all – the kind that is roused, and then truly rallied through the aid and force of enthusiasm.

Relatedly, I remember reading a comment by triple Brownlow medallist Bob Skilton, about his tenure at Melbourne as coach in the mid-70s, and how after having lost his first 8 games as coach (after the team had already lost the last 10 of the previous season) he was booed off the MCG, but club secretary Jim Cardwell bolstered his spirits by saying: “Bob, I don’t know if this will help, but I do remember them hooting Norm Smith off the ground one day too.” In the same interview, Skilton also made mention of what he best remembered about Smithy, and how our coach of the Century would ‘always preach’ – “Lose with dignity, win with respect for the opposition.”

It’s funny, I’ve often thought, none of us would ever dream of ‘correcting’ a brain surgeon on their performance or technique: “Say, you should have inserted your scalpel more to the left on your last incision, would’ve helped enormously – so just make sure that’s your approach next time!” Perhaps it has to do with surgical procedures being done behind closed doors, as ‘opposed’ to sport being performed in full view of an audience, I don’t know. But having faith and trust in those that are best placed to undertake what they are trained and hand-picked to do, is always a good place to start.