NSW Demons were in out in force in our red and blue colours to join the Sydney Cheer Squad and Collingwood supporters to hold up the MND banner for the teams to run though to start the Queen’s Birthday blockbuster Melbourne v Collingwood.  

The match was held in Sydney for the first time and because the Victorian Covid lockdown prevented the Melbourne and Collingwood Cheer Squads from travelling to Sydney the Sydney Cheer Squad offered to make the banner.  A big thank you to the Sydney Swans Cheer Squad for helping us out + creating the joint banner for #BigFreeze7  to support the Fight MND’s Big Freeze and Neale Daniher’s fight against motor neurone disease. 

You can watch some of the preparation of the MND banner here   by Sydney Cheer Squad

Sally Trevena

Round 12 – Melbourne V Brisbane

Liam Chambers

Back in the 1980s when English football managers were interviewed and asked to comment on their team’s performance, they would invariably refer to the match as a game of two halves. It became a cliche and a catchphrase of the stereotypical manager. However, there’s no other way to describe the difference between Melbourne’s first and second half displays. It was like two parts of a play. In Act 1, Melbourne struggled to take control and Brisbane was able to dominate, preventing the Dees from playing their natural flowing, fast paced game. Act 2 was all Melbourne.

Bailey Fritsch did get the first goal but the Lions quickly hit back before big Max Gawn collected the ball from a Christian Petracca kick and booted it in from 25m. However, Joe Daniher took a superb mark on the 50m line a few minutes later and reined in the Dees’ lead to a single point. The tide turned further in the Lions’ favour when Zac Bailey took a handpass 30m out and kicked around the corner to put his team 6 points clear. A few minutes later Bailey took advantage of a tapped down ball in front of goal to soccer kick the ball over the line and double Brisbane’s advantage.

The Lions continued their winning ways in the second quarter courtesy of a Charlie Cameron goal within the first minute. However, Christian Petracca steadied the ship with a brilliantly placed set shot kick from the 50mline and kept the Dees in touch with their rivals. Brisbane though, continued to mount their attacks, putting major stress on Melbourne’s defence.

Eventually the Dees broke through and proceeded up the field where Bailey Fritsch collected the ball as he ran across the face of the goal square. He converted to give Melbourne back to back goals. Up the other end Eric Hipwood blocked Jake Lever, preventing him from going for the ball and allowing Lincoln McCarthy to effectively mark uncontested and score from the set shot. Keidean Coleman then stretched Brisbane’s lead to 20 points after his kick on goal was positively reviewed by ARC.

Luke Jackson, fast becoming an all round star for the Dees got an important goal after intercepting the bouncing ball and controlling it to kick from 20m out. Zac Bailey restored the Lions 20 point advantage after receiving a Dayne Zorko hand pass and running goalwards before kicking from 10m in front. For the remaining three minutes, Brisbane launched wave after wave of attacks inside Melbourne’s defensive 50. The back line held though and the Dees went in at the break relieved having limited the damage.

Reset has been Melbourne’s motto this season and Simon Goodwin would have been stressing the need for a change of tactic after the half time break. Brisbane had been controlling much more of the football with 167 disposals to the Dees’ 124.

The start of Act 2 showed the Dees looking more determined. They were setting the pace and pushing forward. When Tom McDonald, in the ruck, tapped the ball down to Clayton Oliver, he received it straight back before drop kicking it through the open goal. For the first time Brisbane looked hesitant going forward as Melbourne starting blocking their path. Then Harrison Petty took an intercept mark that gave the Dees a chance to charge through the middle of the ground and allowing Charlie Spargo to deliver a driving kick to McDonald. Unfortunately T Mac connected with the upright.

Suddenly Melbourne were looking in control and increasing the speed of the game. When Kysaiah Pickett snatched the ball out of the air beside the goal square and dribbled it through to the goal, he reduced the margin to 7 points. Up the other end, Dayne Zorko kept the pressure up when he swept up the loose ball after it was tapped down from a stoppage, then snapped it home. Almost immediately, Petracca got one back when he took a drive by possession of another tapped down ball and ran on to launch an inch perfect kick to the inside of the upright.

The Dees were now in full flight, playing their natural fluid game as they pushed deep into their forward half. Tom McDonald second effort was a pick up and driving kick from 40m to bring Melbourne within one point of the Lions. The Dees didn’t have it all their own way though as Zac Bailey collected the bouncing ball before outpacing his opponent to run inside 50 and claim his fourth of the night.

Melbourne’s response was instantaneous as Sam Weideman marked from a Clayton Oliver’s kick was dropped, allowing Kysaiah Pickett to scoop up the ball and snap it high through the uprights. Pickett had another chance in the last few minutes of the quarter but regrettably he hit the post with his set shot. However the point gave Melbourne the slimmest of leads heading into the final term.

After connecting with the upright on his previous attempt, Pickett didn’t miss with his kick at the start of Q4, notching up his hat trick. Melbourne next goal took awhile but it was worth the wait. After a series of handball passes, Alex Neal-Bullen’s kick towards the goal square was tapped down by McDonald, who thought about passing it to Petracca, before turning the full 360 degrees and booting through the goal. Tom Sparrow looked unlikely to score as he fumbled and dropped the ball a couple of times but he was able to launch a well targeted kick from the 50m line.

Now it was the Dees who were leading by 20 points and Brisbane looked stunned by the turnaround. With the clock ticking down, Melbourne kept their foot on the pedal and remained focused on pushing forward. Finally, they broke through again when Charlie Spargo got a hand pass to Neal-Bullen, who kicked it around the corner from 40m out. Charlie Cameron got a consolation and the Lions’ only goal of the quarter when he was awarded a free from 25m away.

Of all the wins this year, I’m sure this will be the one the lads will cherish the most. When they looked on the ropes at the end of the first half, they took a deep breath and came back and turned it around in empathetic style. They’re doing what we always knew they could do. In previous seasons, they would have been unable to pull it out of the fire but now they have the self belief, confidence and team spirit to beat anyone.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 11 – Western Bulldogs V Melbourne

Liam Chambers

When you’re playing the favourites in the competition then you need to do something spectacular early on. I’m not sure if there’s been many goals scored in the first twenty seconds historically but the Dees couldn’t have asked for a better start. From Max Gawn’s grab and boot off the centre bounce, to Kysaiah Pickett and Clayton Oliver’s desperate hand passes into the path of James Harmes, who then collected and launched the perfect finish to put Melbourne on the board.

The Dees were frustrating the Bulldogs and blocking off their pathways. The pressure paid off with Christian Petracca taking the ball inside 50 and whacking it through the uprights from 40m out.  The Dogs got the advantage from the centre bounce and made their way down the field where they found Cory Weightman waiting inside 50 to receive and score. Melbourne replied quickly when Tom McDonald spotted Bailey Fritsch in the goal square and launched a textbook kick from the 50m line.

The Dogs seemed to be allowed an eternity to dispose of the ball when tackled but the rules appear to be reinterpreted every week; if the Dees were frustrated, they didn’t show it. Aaron Naughton marked and kicked from 40m to claim the Bulldogs second. Melbourne was forcing errors from their opponents and Fritsch was able to intercept the ball as it crossed the face of goal, then punished the Dogs for their carelessness.

Charlie Spargo kicked a set shot towards the goal square but Sam Weideman dropped the mark. Fortunately, James Jordan picked it up and snapped it high through the posts. The Dees clearly had the Bulldogs rattled and were forcing them into making defensive errors. Max was back to his best marking ways and grabbed the ball about 25m from goal before kicking number six for Melbourne.

The Dogs got off to a good start in the second term when Josh Bruce converted from 40m out before Tim English scored from 25m for back to back goals. Max Gawn again grabbed and kicked the ball from the centre bounce, this time finding Petracca who targeted a 60m kick to the left of goal, enabling Tom McDonald to run forward and mark. Tom then just snapped one home. Next Alex Neal-Bullen’s kick found McDonald on the 50m line. Tom hit it beautifully to score his second in less than two minutes, bringing the tally back to the quarter time margin.

Melbourne were making great use of the ball and were set up so well that the Dogs were finding it very difficult to break through. The Dees continued the fight to get the ball into their forward 50. Clayton Oliver and Jake Melksham slipping but still managing to pass the ball to each other. With Melksham almost tilting, he got a kick away towards goal where Pickett marked and converted from the set shot.

The Bulldogs fought back, desperate to score. Caleb Daniel was finally able to power inside 50 and launch a kick from 45m to give the Dogs a much need goal and boost. Then Tim English got his second when he marked and kicked from 35m out. It was a good end to the half for the Dogs who went in only trailing by 19 points.

The Bulldogs started the second half with more purpose but still found themselves under pressure in defence. As they tried to go forward, they found the Dees had all the avenues blocked off. Melbourne did come under some sustained pressure themselves but were eventually able to make their way back up to the Dogs defensive 50. Fritsch got his hat trick when he was taken high and awarded a free kick to the side of the goal.

Sam Weideman was having a quiet night but after taking a mark from Neal-Bullen, he was able to convert nicely and extended the Dees’ lead to 29 points. Suddenly Weideman looked a lot busier as he took another mark and kicked his second from 30m in front of goal.

With the Dogs 36 points in arrears at the start of the final term, they were going to have to do something very special to win. However Melbourne continued to keep tabs on them and when Gawn was able to collect a loose ball and find Tom McDonald, who scored lucky thirteen, the game was all but out of reach. The Bulldogs pulled a couple back but basically the night belonged to the Dees.

Melbourne now seemed have accepted their roles in the side and are embracing what they need to do to secure the wins. Each player now knows what’s required of them within the team and when that happens to a side, they become very difficult to beat.

Brisbane have built themselves a reputation after their shaky start to the season but both teams will be playing on neutral turf and my money will be on Melbourne.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 10 – Adelaide V Melbourne

Liam Chambers

Apparently Crows hold grudges. I’m not sure what Melbourne did to offend their southern brethren but the team from the city of churches just wouldn’t give up and the Dees were handed their first loss of the season.

We can feel slightly hard done by with the AFL ruling that Nick Murray’s handpass across the boundary line was deliberate and Adelaide should have been penalised. I’m sure Geelong fans will empathise with us but then again maybe not. Anyway, that’s footy and it’s a good learning curve.

It all started so well when wing man Ed Langdon snapped the ball in from the right hand side of the goal square. Adelaide responded with Riley Thilthorpe collecting a tapped down ball and taking advantage of a slow reacting defence to kick the Crows’ first. Max Gawn was back to his marking best and converted from his set shot 15m in front of goal. Adelaide continued to push hard and were eventually rewarded when Taylor (Tex) Walker marked in the goal square. 

Tom McDonald was clearly enjoying himself when he collected and ran around the Crows’ defence to start a trifecta of unanswered goals for Melbourne. Next Trent Rivers’ run up the field and kick from outside the 50m line sailed through before Sam Weideman marked the ball 25m out to score his first since returning to the top tier. The Dees looked to be pulling away but Adelaide had other ideas and small forward James Rowe made his mark when he collected the ball from a Max Gawn tap down and scored the Crows’ third. A minute later, Rowe was then awarded a free and scored from the pocket.

Melbourne started the second term aggressively, with a great run involving Christian Petracca who capped it off with a brilliantly targeted kick at Bailey Fritsch who ran on to kick into an open goal. Again the Crows struck back with David Mackay scoring from 30m after a well put together handball chain. When Darcy Fogarty was awarded a free kick in front of goal, Adelaide took the lead by a one point margin.

At this point the Dees were under enormous pressure but pushed back with a great Sam Weideman kick to Tom McDonald. Unfortunately Tom was unable to capitalise. Ed Langdon and Clayton Oliver combined to better effect though with Oliver’s wide kick sailing high through the uprights. Melbourne were regaining some control but the Crows intense passion was impressive.

Riley Thilthorpe got his second when the ball literally dropped into his hands in front of goal. Ben Keays snap from 35m out gave Adelaide back the lead. With half time looming, James Harmes superb kick from a set shot on the 50m line meant both teams went into the break on even terms. Though undoubtedly remaining in the game, nonetheless the Dees were far from their best. Christian Salem’s precision and vision was missed and Melbourne struggled to play their normal game. They were scrambling at times under the pressure from Adelaide. They badly needed a reset.

Ben Keays long and high snap restored the Crows’ lead and Paul Seedsman extended their advantage to two goals. Suddenly all the momentum was with Adelaide and the partisan crowd roared it’s supported from the Oval rafters. It looked like the home side had the undefeated visitors on the ropes and the Crows faithful were loving it. The Dees needed a circuit breaker and when Petracca stepped up to score from the 50m line, he inspired a Melbourne resurgence.

Luke Jackson was having a quiet night by his standards but he threw himself in a tackling frenzy which allowed Kysaiah Pickett to sprint around the defence into the goal. His actions boosted the spirits of players and fans alike and Melbourne looked to be handling Adelaide’s frantically paced pressure with more confidence. Unfortunately Sam Berry was awarded a free kick directly in front of goal and scored form point blank range.

Oliver Clayton was without doubt the player of the night for Melbourne and his mark and run on to snap one through reinstated the Dees’ lead just before the end of the quarter.

With only a slim 3 point lead the game was proving to be the hardest yet for Melbourne to crack. The tide looked to be turning in Melbourne’s favour when Charlie Spargo, ably assisted by Oliver, snapped a goal to extend the margin to 9 points. However, Adelaide again found a way back into the match after a fumble and a free kick awarded to Shane McAdam saw the forward score from the 50m line.

Melbourne was fighting really hard but so were the Crows and the result was far from certain. Again it seemed that the Dees were finally pulling away when first Ed Langdon, then Clayton Oliver got lucky bounces to push the lead out to 16 points. While Oliver was inspiring Melbourne, Tex Walker was doing the same for the Crows. His contested mark and round the corner kick clawed the margin back to 10. Darcy Fogarty got another with a great kick from the 50m line. Then it was Walker again from 45m to give Adelaide a one point lead with a minute to go.

And of course that infamous Nick Murray handpass.

With the return of Covid, several Victorian teams are anxiously awaiting the AFL’s decision on whether all games will be played this weekend. We are scheduled to play the Western Bulldogs. It’s being billed as the clash of the season and if it goes ahead it’ll be a blinder. I don’t want the Dees to be negative but I’ll make an exception with respect to their Covid test.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 9 – Melbourne V Carlton

Liam Chambers

Every game so far this season we’ve seen Melbourne adapt to the circumstances. I remember reading about Game Theory in Uni many years ago and the parallels are striking. I don’t know if Simon Goodwin has been studying John Nash’s work or whether the players have just clicked naturally but it’s working. The implicit trust that everyone working together improves the outcome for the whole team is on show week after week. The cooperation is reaping benefits and it’s a sight to gladden the hearts of Demon fans.

I have to admit I didn’t know that each time Melbourne has won the first nine games, they’ve gone on to win the Grand Final. The crowd at the MCG was eerily quite for the first half. It was as if they felt that too much noise would break the spell and ruin our chance for glory.

It started well though with Bailey Fritsch marking 35m out and scoring from the set shot. An error in the Dees’ defence saw the ball pass over the heads of the players bunched together reaching for the mark, allowing Matthew Owies the chance to run behind the pack and scramble through to score. Then the legendary Eddie Betts poached the ball in mid air as Jayden Hunt tried to kick it out of defence. Betts didn’t waste the opportunity.

Melbourne had some decent chances but were unable to connect. A long kick up the field from Ed Langdon bounced nicely for Hunt who got it to Charlie Spargo inside 50. Unfortunately Charlie’s shot bounced off the woodwork. Max Gawn managed to intercept the ball on the way to goal guru Ben Brown. BB had a second chance a minute later when he marked on the 50m line but he put it just wide. Marc Pittonet was awarded a 50m penalty for one of those confusing infringements and kicked number three for the Blues.

After some good boundary line passing, the Dees managed something out of nothing with Alex Neal-Bullen taking a mark 40m out from a well placed Ed Langdon kick. Again, good team work. Then the wonderfully composed Christian Salem delivered an impressive kick to Neal-Bullen who threaded it through to the goal square where the forwards got in each other’s way. Luckily Clayton Oliver collected the ball as he ran passed and booted in number three for Melbourne. Sam Weideman’s kick to Tom McDonald was marked 30m in front of goal and converted after the siren sounded.

Carlton applied some intense pressure at the start of the second term but the Dees soaked it up and headed back towards their forward half where McDonald targeted Bailey Fritsch. It was a case of karma when Fritsch was awarded a 50m penalty after Kade Chandler played the same trick that got him penalised in the first quarter. Eddie Betts weaved some more magic but his brilliant manipulation in front of goal fell just short. Levi Casboult did manage to put Carlton back on the scoreboard though when he marked from 25m in front of goal.

Tom McDonald is having the season of his career. His difficult angled kick from the pocket was perfect. When Kysaiah Pickett’s not setting up scoring opportunities, he setting up other players for scoring opportunities. His vision and skill in picking out McDonald was pure genius. T Mac was able to run through an open inside 50 to score his third.

Carlton again piled on the pressure but Steven May and the other key defenders were too good. Eventually, the Blues’ insistent drive paid off and Liam Stocker snapped one through to stay in touch with Melbourne. Carlton upped ante and had the Dees scrambling before Harry McKay (carrying a shoulder injury) marked the ball 25m out and kicked around the corner to reduce the margin to seven points. Melbourne was able to redress the balance after a Clayton Oliver kick was marked by Jayden Hunt who converted from the set shot.

Oliver was also involve in the Dees’ first goal of the second half when Pickett spun almost 360 degrees before kicking the ball to the midfield who booted it on to Ed Langdon who scored from the set shot. With the rain coming down, Melbourne appeared to be controlling the play better. Neal-Bullen got a surprise uncontested ball and basically walked into the open goal.
The Blues didn’t concede too easily though and kept pressing although they were unable to hit the target.

Melbourne got their third unanswered goal when Bailey Fritsch slipped a mark in the wet conditions but was able to collect the ball and snap it through the uprights. Harry McKay got his second after being awarded a 50m penalty and kicked from point blank range. Then he got a more impressive goal when his kick from the 50m line sailed through. You could say he had the long and short of it within a minute.

While Kysaiah Pickett is a great play maker, his goals can also be impressive. He must have been inspired by Eddie Betts when he ran around the traffic to beautifully control the ball along the ground and score from 30m out. Sam Weideman had a chance to score on his return to the top flight but his shot after the siren just veered wide. Charlie Spargo is an opportunistic goal scorer and when the ball was kept in by Weideman near the goal square, Charlie seized his chance to kick his sixth of the season.

So far this year Melbourne haven’t lost a final quarter but when Carlton clawed back two late goals the sides were thirteen points apiece so it was a close run thing. All in all it was a business like performance from the Dees. They did as much as they had to and had enough in reserve if it was required.

They travel to Adelaide in Round 10 to take on the Crows. Again, Melbourne won’t be taking anything for granted but they’ll have one eye on the following Friday night when they take on probably the best side in the competition. The Bulldogs are looking formidable and it will be interesting to see how or if the Dees’ change their game to suit the circumstances.

There will still be the naysayers but there’s a belief and confidence that hasn’t been in the side for a long time.

Go The Mighty Dees!!!