Round 2: North Melbourne v Melbourne

Liam Chambers

Dees surprised by the intensity and skill level of North

Last week’s narrow loss was disappointing as we were so close to victory, but the team’s performance was extremely encouraging. I have a niggling feeling though that we allowed ourselves to become too complacent when taking on last year’s wooden spoon runners up.

As soon as the ball was bounced, North was straight out of the middle and making a beeline for their goal. Nick Larkey was waiting with open hands to mark the uncontested sherrin and converted to open the scoring.

The visitors tried the same trick again, after the second centre bounce, but this time the Demons had a lucky break and eventually took control of the ball.

Melbourne were under siege early as the Roos continuing to attack its defensive 50.

Then, against the run of play, Jacob van Rooyen kicked a superb 35m around the corner set shot from deep in the pocket.

Despite doing the lion’s share of the attacking, North was still only five points ahead as they approached the halfway mark of the opening term. There were close calls but no majors.

Melbourne was making the most of their infrequent scoring opportunities as they presented themselves and when Jack Henderson marked just inside 50, he struck it cleanly to give his side the lead.

Unfortunately, North Melbourne were not playing like a team that was there to make up the numbers, again winning the hitout and streaming goalwards. This time they handpassed amongst themselves until Jy Simpkin marked in the pocket, then slotted the set shot.

Showing no intention to lessen the pressure on Melbourne, the Roos continued to control the territory, ultimately adding to their tally when Paul Curtis tapped one across the line.

By now, the alarm bells would have been sounding in the Demons camp about how North was playing and what we could do to turn our fortunes around.

When Kade Chandler was awarded a 50m penalty that gifted him a 15m kick in front of goal, it helped settle the home side’s nerves and reduced the deficit back to six points.

While North was making few mistakes in defence or attack, Melbourne were now struggling to exert their own pressure.

As the clocked ticked down to quarter time, we needed to show much more desperation if we were to get back to playing the game on our terms.

There was some encouraging signs but our goal kicking accuracy seemed to have temporarily deserted us.

When we did find the back of the net, the rejoicing was short lived as Tom Sparrow’s valiant effort was deemed touched off the boot.

All was not lost however, as Bailey Fritch’s mark in the dying seconds was judged to be legit and the high scoring forward made short work of his set shot to give the Demons a six point advantage at quarter time.

Roos take the lead

At the start of the second term, it appeared that Melbourne was giving their opponents more respect but our game still lacked the ferocity of the Roos.

Eventually, North converted one of their set shots chances when Luke Parker scored his debut goal for his new club.

It was two milestones in a row when Jacob Konstanty scored his first AFL goal to give the Roos a ten points advantage.

Thankfully North’s momentum was arrested when Clayton Oliver snapped one off his left boot, from 40m out, to claw one back for the Dees.

We were unable to build on our own momentum though, as North desperately chased down any effort by Melbourne to get close to goal.

Even when Daniel “Disco” Turner spotted an opportunity to take down Caleb Daniel and was awarded with a 25m set shot, his shot was deemed by the review to have scraped the upright. Where’s our luck?

No such worries for Kade Chandler when his 30m set shot was spot on, returning the lead to the Demons.

After the bounce it looked like Melbourne had turned a corner when Max Gawn won the ball, then ran alongside Tom Sparrow who handpassed to the Captain as the big fella charged forward. Max crossed the arc and launched from 40m. The ball wouldn’t fly straight though, and it was only a minor score.

As is so often the case, the opposition then sprinted back up the other end. Inside the arc, Nick Larkey was manhandled and awarded a free kick but the Roos played on to advantage, and Tom Powell snapped from 20m to restored North’s lead.

When Jack Darling kicked the next goal while loitering around the square, half time couldn’t come soon enough for the Dees.

In fact time appeared to be standing still as the Roos made yet another incursion inside Melbourne’s defensive 50. As the ball floated towards the square, Cameron Zurhaar went for the mark but was deemed to have been pushed and duly awarded the free. He didn’t miss with his 20m set shot and two goals separated the sides at half time.

Dees fightback but North consolidate their lead

It just wasn’t going to be Melbourne’s day. Five minutes into the second half and Jack Darling took a mark just inside the arc. His 50m set shot fell short but was marked by Tristan Xerri. The big Ruckman slotted from point blank range to extend North’s lead to eighteen points.

We’ve struggled for a while when it comes to making the most of our incursions inside 50, often falling at the final hurdle.

Fortunately when Daniel Turner marked the ball deep in the pocket he easily converted, from a tight angle, to bring Melbourne’s deficit back to twelve points.

Unfortunately North’s response was almost immediate when Cameron Zurhaar marked almost directly in front. The 20m set shot was a doddle for the forward and it was back to eighteen in favour of the hosts.

A minute later it was Melbourne’s turn again when Christian Petracca was held while attempting to mark the ball. His 45m shot was perfect and it back to twelve again.

The next goal was the result of a few basic mistakes on the edge of the arc, which culminated in Colby McKercher kicking his first goal in AFL. Back to eighteen.

That’s the way it stayed until three quarter time, despite some valiant efforts by the Demons.

Murder on the Kangaroo Express

Much as it pained me, and it did pain, I rewatched the fourth quarter. Sadly it was as traumatic as the first viewing but at least this time there were no surprises.

Paul Curtis started the carnage in the opening minute when he was awarded a free kick in front of goal. His 20m kick was accurate and the lead was out to twenty four points.

Then the centre bounce and the Roos were back inside 50, where Nick Larkey took a contested mark in the pocket. Thirty points ahead.

Another centre bounce and Larkey had his hat trick after snapping from 15m in front. Thirty six in front after three goals in three minutes.

At this point, I thought about tuning out but I soldiered on.

There was a short respite before Zurhaar took a contested mark 20m in front to claim his own hat trick.

Another mark inside 50 and another hat trick when Paul Curtis made sure of his 30m set shot.

The bloodshed continued when Zurhaar was able to gather up the ground ball and somehow find enough space in a sea of players to snap a right footer from 35m.

All hope had long since been abandoned but there was one ray of sunshine which managed to break through the haze. Kade Chandler took a brilliant mark just inside the arc. His set shot was perfectly executed and the margin was back under 50 points.

It was too late for a miracle win but maybe we could string a few more goals together and arrest our plummeting percentage.

Alas, that was our highlight for the term and North continued to add insult to injury with two more goals before the final siren.

First, Jack Darling marked and converted from 45m out, then Bailey Scott hammered one in from just outside 50 to complete a catastrophic afternoon for the Demons.

For now, all we can do is try and put the experience behind us and focus on redemption in Round 3. Let’s land our first win of the season against the Gold Coast Suns at the MCG!

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 1 – Melbourne V GWS

Liam Chambers

Demons keep their cool as Giants surge

After a traumatic second half to the 2024 season, where we only won four out of twelve games, expectations of victory against a highly fancied Giants side were tempered to say the least. When Simon Goodwin announced his side for the Round 1 match, those expectations were further reduced. Six debutants and no Steven May! The gamble almost paid off though, and fans were left with a feeling that our future may be brighter than we previously dared to hope.

The Demons opened the scoring after only twenty five seconds when Matthew Jefferson crumbed the ball from a Jacob van Rooyen tap down and slotted it from 15m metres out.

Four minutes later Aaron Cadman almost took a mark close to the goal square but still managed to get a boot to the favourably bouncing sherrin, steering it across the line. Having assisted in the Giant’s first goal, Toby Greene got one for himself when he was given way too much space in front of goal. His mark and conversion from 15m out, gave his side a five point advantage. Jacob Wehr made it three in a row for the visitors when his round the corner snap from 30m out landed in the square and bounced across the line.

Melbourne was under some major pressure, with an orange tsunami threatening to overwhelm their defensive half. 

Cool heads prevailed however and eventually the Dees’ got their second, when another debutant Jack Henderson, seized the moment to make the most of a lucky bounce to tap the ball home.

Welcome back Tracca

At the start of the second term, neither side looked to have the advantage and they appeared quite evenly matched. Then a rejuvenated Christian Petracca, doing what he does best, pounced on the loose ball and launched from 30m to send it high and through the uprights.

The signs were good for Melbourne fans. Their side looked hungry and willing to play and tackle hard, running down their opponents when the opportunity presented. GWS is an impressive side but the Demons were equal to the task. Importantly the Giants were finding it difficult to locate the space between the uprights. Melbourne refusing to make it easy for them.

Then Harry Sharp became the third Debutant to score a goal for his new club when he found himself unguarded in the goal square and tapped the loose ball over the line. A minute later and Petracca had his second of the quarter when he gather up the ground ball and snapped it in from the edge of the square.

Not to be outdone, GWS’s number five Aaron Cadman took a mark on the behind line, then curled the set shot through the posts. Just before half time, Stephen Coniglio kicked an opportunistic goal from 10m to level the numbers.  After the bounce, Toby Greene was a awarded a dubious free kick in front of goal by leaving his arm on Harrison Petty, making it look like he was being held. The Ref agreed and Greene had his second goal.

Melbourne seize the momentum

Though trailing by seven at the start of the second half, the Dees wasted no time in reducing that deficit to a single point when Caleb Windsor burst out of the centre, before launching from just outside the arc to put his name on the scoreboard. Incredibly the Demons had two goals in thirty seconds after Petracca exploded out of the circle, before handpassing to Tom Sparrow. The midfielder then snapped a bullet from just inside the arc and drilled it through the uprights. 

Then, another minute later Max Gawn’s set shot from 60m sailed towards the goal square where it was punched out to a waiting Jake Bowey. The defender marked and then snapped the ball over the line. There was a review of the goal to determine whether the ball had been touched, but the footage was inconclusive and the Dees were ahead by eleven points.

Stephen Coniglio clawed one back for the Giants when he gathered up the ground ball and snapped an around the corner kick. Jacob van Rooyen had kept a low profile for much of the afternoon but when he saw the ball land in the square, he pounced straightaway and tapped it into the open goal.

The next goal was even more opportunistic, when another debutante Aiden Johnson ripped the ball off defender Jack Buckley, then turned and snapped it through by the barest of margins. Melbourne was now seventeen points ahead and looking to be in total control.

Unfortunately, we were unable to retain the momentum and GWS reduced the deficit to ten points, when Coniglio got his hat trick after he tapped the ball in from 20m.
After that goal, the rains came down but the scoring dried up, despite Petracca’s best efforts to claim his own hat trick.

Giants claim victory in the dying seconds

The signs were good for Melbourne heading into the final term, but experience tells us that we faltered many times last season when the fourth quarters proved to be our undoing.

Sure enough, Tom Green closed the gap to five points within the first minute, when his banana snap from 40m evaded the touch of Jake Lever, whose leap on the goal line was optimistic but ultimately futile. After the goal, GWS went up a gear and threw everything at the Dees’ defence.

Despite the Giants control of territory, Melbourne was able to let the visitors know that we were still in the game, when Jefferson kicked his second after marking inside 50 and then slotting the 45m set shot. The visitors kept chipping away at Melbourne’s lead but with ten minutes remaining, we were still looking good.

Then the player everybody loves to hate, Toby Greene, got himself into the perfect position to mark the ball on the arc before running on and snapping from 40m. It was a great goal but devastating form Demons fans, as our advantage was cut to two points.

When Aiden Johnson marked in the pocket, Melbourne fans everywhere held their collective breath. Sadly the shot veered to the right for a minor score.

Predictably, the ball went straight up the other end and was marked in the pocket by Lachlan Keeffe; coincidentally, in a very similar spot to Johnson’s attempt. As some of the home spectators covered their eyes to the impending tragedy taking place on the field, Keeffe went back and slotted the 40m set shot.

Though the ending was heartbreaking, Demons can be justifiably proud of their players on the day. We fought hard and deserved the win but that’s footy folks.

Next up we travel to Marvel stadium to face North Melbourne. If we play as well as we did against the Giants, then we will come away victorious.

It’s that time of the year again…

Nigel Dawe

Just before season 2025 gets underway, instead of rambling on with your wishful, one-eyed run-of-the-mill hypothetical blurb (though I will say, to emphasize a wonderful omen of sorts – there was a four-year gap between our previous two premierships of 1960 and 1964).

I thought I’d whet our red and blue appetite with a half-a-century old blast from the coach of the century himself – Norm Smith. During the off-season I got hold of an original (long lost) 1965 newspaper article that featured our master coach’s views on what he considered to be the complete player, among countless other fascinating, albeit highly insightful, footy related things. In the very least, it is a reminder of what not only drew, but drove, and subsequently made the Melbourne Demons of the 1950s and 60s the most successful side our game has ever known.

The Complete Player… By Norm Smith (The Sun, Monday, August 2, 1965)

It is not easy to pinpoint the qualities that make a man the complete footballer because footballers, thank goodness, don’t come from the same mould. Footballers have different ways of performing their skills, and any coach who tries to make his players conform to one set method is being foolish.

One of the reasons for our success at Melbourne is that we allow players to be individualists. We allow them to play in their own styles so long as they incorporate their efforts into our overall strategy. Barassi, Tunbridge, Vagg, Mithen, Mann come from different moulds and we didn’t attempt to change them.

In most sports, certainly in tennis and cricket, as well as football, I think it’s probably best for young players, after learning the fundamentals, to develop naturally without being over-coached. All I have shown my son, for instance, is how to hold a ball, how to keep his eye on it, how to drop it.

What every League player must have is courage. Every man’s a squib at heart, and I like to tell my players that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.

Sometimes you can help a youngster to find courage. You build up his confidence in subtle ways until he surprises himself. But if you have the most brilliant recruit of all time and you can’t help him to gain confidence it is better to unload him.

Ken Melville is my No.1 player for courage. He was our vice-captain in 1955-56 and although he lacked physical strength – he was 11.5 st, and 5ft. 10 – he did more courageous things on the ground than any other player I have seen. I don’t mean he went round knocking blokes down. Ken inspired his mates by taking marks while running into difficult positions.
Courage was something he taught himself, and yet he was such a gentle man, and, as you know, became a Presbyterian minister.

These days people are surprised why so many good players in the Reserves never quite reach the first team. The fact is that physical attributes count for a lot in Australian football. A man can be an outstanding rover in the seconds, but lack just that fraction of pace or strength to be able to cope with the greater tempo in League football.

Players who come to Melbourne are thrown into a melting pot. They are told they will have to accept direction and take their chances when they come, irrespective of their personal preferences. I remember Roy Dowsing came to us in 1939 after he had kicked 160 goals in the Caulfield-Oakleigh League. Melbourne took one look at him and thought what an excellent rover and wing man he’d make. And he did.

Alan La Fontaine kicked 180 goals in the amateurs and became a wonderful centreman, and Jack Mueller, who was a centre half-back, became a ruckman and forward pocket.

Even Ron Barassi went through a stage where we didn’t know what to do with him. He wasn’t a success at full-forward or on a half-forward flank, and it wasn’t until Peter Marquis was out injured that we put Barassi on the ball – and saw the start of a legend.

When we are recruiting, we look for basic potential – whether a player has speed, marking and kicking ability and so on. But I tend to study more closely those who are not outstanding in their skills, because I reckon if they’ve been recommended to me they must have some other hidden qualities, such as strength and courage…

One of the questions often put to me is whether the players of today compare favourably with those of the past. I think they do. Some people make the mistake of comparing champions like Nash, Bunton and Reynolds with the average players of today. It is more reasonable to compare the average players.

Certainly, many players of the 30s wouldn’t have measured up to the pace we have today, although I concede that with intensive training they would have been just as fast. Because of the pace, our fellows today have not perfected the skills of the old-timers. Yet often on training nights, when the pressure is off, you see players make beautiful stab kicks and high marks.

For quite a while one of my contentions has been the rules must be modified to bring these skills back into the game. There is too much negative, frustrating play in football today. We, at Melbourne, are as guilty as anyone else, I suppose. We kick wide because it is realistic to do this. And we drive the ball down the ground unscientifically simply to make ground. Too many Rugby features are coming into our game.

I think for a start we should award a free kick when the ball is kicked out of bounds in the vicinity of the goal. It might be said that this would be unfair on the attacking team, but there are 21 yards of space to shoot at – the biggest scoring area in the world – and players who miss don’t deserve much sympathy.

To conclude, I’d like to touch on our six premierships over the past decade and suggestions that we are lucky by playing the finals on our own ground. The only time I had much doubt about any of those premierships was in 1957. At the end of 1956 we had farewelled Cordner, McMahon, Melville, Spencer, McGivern and Lane. We lost the first semi-final, but we still took the flag – our third in a row. It was one of my greatest thills.

Last year we were said to be fortunate, although I maintained we were as good as Geelong and we knew that we had beaten Geelong about 12 times over the past 15 or 16 games. The critics who claim we have a big advantage playing the finals on the MCG should remember that the ground to us is merely a place where we do hard work. The other sides must get a greater lift than we do in playing in the MCG atmosphere. This has been one of the factors helping Richmond. As for the crowd it is usually anti-Melbourne round most of the outer.

I am supposed to know all about the wind pockets at the MCG, but I don’t think anyone does. Kevin Murray once asked me which way he should kick when he was captaining an interstate team on the MCG and I told him: “I wouldn’t have any idea.” The winds at the MCG are unpredictable.

There are several good reasons why Melbourne has won six premierships since 1955, but I don’t think our familiarity with the ground could be included as one of them.

THE END

Round 10 – Hawthorn V Narrm

Dees Determined But Unable To Overcome Hawks

Liam Chambers

Narrm start strongly but Hawthorn has solid finish

The Demons have remained undefeated since losing that infamous game to Essendon in Round 5. A win against the highly fancied contenders Hawthorn would see us on the cusp of another finals appearance.

The Hawks have only lost one game all season and are looking more impressive with each passing week. To add to our woes both Kate Hore and Gabby Colvin were unavailable to play due to injury. However, the Dees have recently rediscover their famous grit and determination and Hawthorn would be foolish to believe that the game was in the bag.

Narrm started well, putting pressure on the Hawks defence. Their passing and marking showing a growing confidence in their gameplan. The Demons had their first major when Georgia Gall took a strong contested mark in the pocket, then went back to kick her fifth of the season.

It didn’t take long for Hawthorne to respond when Bridie Hipwood was awarded a dubious free kick in front of goal. Jasmine Fleming gave her side the lead when she made sure with her 30m set shot. After their second goal, the Hawks moved up a gear and Narrm had to defend desperately for the final few minutes of the term.

Hawthorn take control

After the break, Hawthorn came out blazing but the Dees handled the onslaught with composure and even managed to get the ball to Alyssa Bannan in the pocket, where the high scoring forward took the uncontested mark. Bannan’s shot missed by a whisker but the signs were good for Narrm.

Then the Hawks got another lucky break when Aine McDonagh got a kick away 15m out. The ball landed in the square where it bounced fortuitously before crossing the line. Hawthorn was straight back inside 50 after the bounce and even had another look at goal. This time Bridie Hipwell’s shot veered right.

However, the hosts were now in the driver’s seat and the Dees would have to knuckle down and try to stem the tide flowing against them. Aine McDonagh also had another set shot from the pocket but was off target and Narrm had another lucky escape.

Hawthorn spent the rest of the quarter hammering the Demons’ defence but were unable to extend their lead.

Narrm keep their chances alive

Despite trailing by thirteen points at the start of the second half, Narrm were playing well but the Hawks had done a good job of closing down any potential pathways to goal.

Hawthorn continued to dominate play but could only score minor points when they had the chance to really put the result beyond any doubt.

Then, against the run of play, Alyssa Bannan found herself deep inside 50 with only Laura Elliot for company. She had time to pick up the ground ball and tapped it towards goal where it bounced in the square and dribbled across the line.

Now that Narrm had reduced the margin to ten points, there was a chance they could overcome the Hawks if they were able to get themselves into potential scoring positions. Alyssa Bannan had another opportunity a couple of minutes later but it just slipped through on the wrong side of the upright.

Hawthorn again dominated the last few minutes, but Narrm held on to contain the Hawks’ lead to a manageable nine points.

Hawthorn hold on for victory

The Hawks were determined to put the Demons away early in the final quarter but Narrm wasn’t being very cooperative.

Alyssa Bannan had a chance to make it a three point game but her kick from the pocket went astray. Olivia Purcell then tried to make it a two point game, but her effort was touched on the line.

With five minutes left on the clock, Sinead Goldrick copped a knock to the back of the head and was taken off the ground for assessment. Hopefully she hasn’t suffered too much damage and will be available to the Dees’ last match of the season.

Finally Lily Mithen almost made it a one point game, but she just missed with her set shot and then Hawthorn survived the last minute Demon offensive to win the game by just six points.

We play Collingwood in the last round of the season and we need to win, but just as importantly, we need Essendon to lose. They’re playing Carlton who haven’t been at their best in 2024 but it would be ironic indeed if the team that did so much damage to our percentage was also the one that got us into the finals by losing their last game.

If we win against the Pies, there’ll be a nervous wait for Demon fans sweating on the outcome of the Bombers versus Blues game.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 9 – Melbourne V Richmond

Demons Keep On Trucking

Liam Chambers

Momentum swings back and forth

After the shock sixty five point loss to Essendon in Round 5, the Dees had since won three in a row to keep their faint finals hopes alive. Richmond by contrast, had only suffered two losses; one to league leaders North Melbourne. Victory against another top five side would definitely boost our chances.

The Tigers looked impressive going forward and it seemed certain to score first, which they did almost by accidence. Eilish Sheerin scooped up the ground ball, then snapped around the corner. The sherrin initially bounced about 15m out, then continued to bounce inside the square and eventually crossed the line.

After the centre bounce, Richmond was straight back inside 50. They had a couple of chances to add to their goal tally but were unable find the target.

Then Melbourne found a pathway up the ground where the quick thinking Alyssa Bannan picked up the stationery ball and immediately snapped it through the middle.

The Dees had back to back majors when Georgia Gall took a diving mark in the pocket. Always calm under pressure, the key forward made the difficult shot look easy, giving her side their second of the quarter.

The momentum had now swung Melbourne’s way and they were applying some serious pressure to the Tigers’ defence. Just before quarter time however, the momentum went back Richmond’s way when Ellie McKenzie sprinted from the centre of the ground to inside 50, where she launched goalward and slotted the Tigers’ second.

But wait, there’s more. With under six seconds on the clock, Alyssa Bannan again picked up the ground ball and kicked her second; this time off the outside of her boot to give Melbourne back the lead.

Dees edge ahead

After the siren, the Tigers went straight into attack mode. Melbourne weathered the initial storm and then headed off to their forward 50.

Despite some intense pressure from both sides, it was a low scoring quarter, with only a single point to Richmond with less than five minutes to play.

Then Eden Zanker took a contested mark on the edge of the square and went back to kick the Dees’ fourth of the game.

Tigers throw it all at Melbourne

Melbourne was in a good position at the start of the second half. They were playing well and dealing with the Tigers pressure plus making the most of their chances when they presented.

With just over a minute played, Alyssa Bannan was presented with another scoring opportunity after marking the ball in the pocket. It was a difficult shot from the boundary line but it was a great finish from Bannan and the Dees were seventeen points in front.

From there it was all Richmond with Melbourne making the occasional incursion inside 50. The Tigers couldn’t connect with the goal however and the Dees still held a sixteen point lead at three quarter time.

Exciting high scoring last quarter but Melbourne prevails

Richmond had another high energy start but Melbourne was again equal to the task.

The brilliant Tyla Hanks doesn’t score many goals but the opener of the final term was perfection. Having initiated the transition from the centre to inside 50, she received the ball back and sidestepped her opponents before slotting the ball from 15m out.

The next goal was Alyssa Bannan’s easiest of the afternoon when she was awarded a free kick and had a set shot from point blank range

Melbourne’s last goal was as a result of a play on to advantage when Olivia Purcell picked up the ball and ran on before passing to Georgia Gall in the square. The tall forward then tapped it across the line.

The Tigers didn’t give up though and Caitlin Greiser made the most of her set shot in front of goal to reduce the margin to twenty six points. Incredibly, with just under two minutes remaining, Caitlin Greiser got another goal. This time she grabbed the ball just next to the goal line and tapped it over. Then it was three goals in three minutes when Greiser snapped another from the pocket.

The win made it four in a row for the Dees. Our next game is against Hawthorn, who are second on the ladder.

It will take a great effort from the players, but on current form I wouldn’t rule anything out.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!