Round 1 – Melbourne Vs North Melbourne

First game of the season and expectations were modest. Last season was disappointing after getting so close to qualifying for the finals; especially having secured more points in Conference A than the two top sides in Conference B. A win for Melbourne was vital therefore as the AFLW has decided to keep the Conference system for the 2020 season.

It was a forgettable first quarter for the Dees. They conceded two goals. The second as a result of an encroachment. The umpires were unforgiving in their determination to enforce this sometimes confusing rule. There were opportunities for Melbourne to score but they didn’t take their chances and were down by thirteen points at end of the term. Definitely not an ideal start to the campaign.

The second quarter was much better with Kate Hore slotting home two goals. The second one came right before the siren. Eden Zanker calmly kicked the sherrin across the face of goal to Hore who was then able to score from point blank range. As a bonus, the Kangaroos were kept scoreless for the quarter.

The pendulum swung back to North Melbourne in the third quarter when it was the Dees’ turn to remain scoreless. A chance for Tegan Cunningham to score went behind for the point. The wind didn’t favour either side but it was frustrating at times to see potential chances thwarted.

The final quarter saw the Dees in the driver’s seat after Eden Zanker found herself in the perfect position when Ainslie Kemp kicked down the field towards goal. A favourable bounce and Zanker was able to collect and run with the ball ultimately kicking Melbourne’s third for the afternoon. The Dees maintained control of the game from that point. North tried to seize back seize back the initiative but Melbourne held on to secure the win and get the points on the table.

With strong wins for four of the teams in Conference B, the Dees will have to keep winning to ensure a top two spot. They travel to Whitten Oval to face the fancied Bulldogs on Friday night. A loss there would be a huge set back. However, Melbourne will feel confident after their first round victory in a game they were not expected to win.

Daisy Pearce played well in her first game back after a two year sabbatical to raise her twins. Silvie and Roy made an appearance at the end of the game to congratulate their mum on a job well done.

Other debutantes included Sinead Goldrick from Dublin’s fair city. It’s nice to see some Irish players in the side, though the other Hibernian Niamh McEvoy was unable to play due to injury. Hopefully we will see both players on the field together in the near future.

Go the Mighty Dees!

By Jacqui Parry

I was a bit surprised to read about this on the MFC website – but there you go…. Jacqui Parry  Pick 54!

Oh darlings, I so didn’t expect this, and frankly, I do hope they know that I couldn’t kick the skin off a Baked Custard. In fact my footy skills and overall fitness are so chronically bad that I really do think Josh M needs to check the pulse of all members of the Recruitment Team.

Can’t wait for the season to start, and the match payments to start rolling in. I do hope Gawny Sponsors me, ‘cos I’ve been sponsoring him for years!!

Heh Max can’t wait to see you at training – get your cheque book out son that AFLW GOLD Sponsorship is gonna cost you big time !!

See you at training.Big Maxy …. do you think I should rock up in my “Little Old Legend” outfit – that little old midget in a beard with MFC training gear is gonna look fantastic.

Maybe they will give me the No. 11 in recognition of my years of Player Sponsorship support – bound to ……
—
Jacqui Parry, Merlin and Sugar
Proud Player Sponsors of Max Gawn No. 11
Go Dees!!! Go Gawny!!!

Round 4 – Melbourne Vs North Melbourne

Liam Chambers

As expected, the Roos started strongly. Melbourne defended well but couldn’t prevent Mo Hope’s great effort form 40 metres out. The Dees rallied however with strong displays from Karen Paxman and Lily Mithen helping to apply some great forward pressure on the opposition.

The Dees were rewarded with Cat Phillip’s turn and kick resulting in Melbourne’s first goal. Again, their handball game has been pivotal in getting into scoring positions, as well as out of trouble on occasions. North Melbourne again piled on the pressure at the end of the quarter. A misjudged kick by Lauren Pearce to Paxman was fumbled before Paxman recovered to handball The Dees out of danger, potentially avoiding a last minute goal to the Roos.

North Melbourne scored a lucky goal in the first minute of of the second quarter when a wayward kick from Mo Hope was marked by Emma King. Then within another minute, King got a second after being awarded a free kick against Harriet Cordner just in front of goal. A dubious decision in my mind.

The Dees looked in trouble at 6-19 down. Then Maddi Gay snapped what looked like a certain goal but which was unfortunately touched and only one point awarded. All the luck seemed to going in the Roos’ direction. On the plus side the Dees were marking well with O’Dea & Cunningham making some nice grabs.

The Dees starting applying more pressure and Cunningham converted from a one handed mark to pull one back. Then the Dees were accused of holding Sophie Abbatangelo (another dodgy call). The free kick resulting in a goal for the Roos. When Paxman’s kick was touched on the line, you had the feeling that this was not going to be Melbourne’s day. One of the stars of the half was Lily Mithen, having a great game on either side of the field.

The Dees started the second half well. Nice displays of handball passing and defending. Cat Phillips having a good run. The highlight of the game though came when Aliesha Newman got the ball after good spell of play by Melbourne. Newman ran and bounced the ball nicely before kicking at the open goal approx. 30 metres out.

The ball bounce favourably between the uprights with Aliesha running hard just in case it didn’t make it. Then Maddi Gay handballed a pass to Tyla Hanks who took the shot on the outside of her boot to slot home a perfect goal. The Dees were in front for the first time in the game and now the Roos knew that they were in a game of footy.

Mo Hope got one back with a kick from 45 metres out to again take the lead. However Melbourne went into the last quarter 28-31 behind but with a renewed sense of purpose.

The Dees had the best start they could hope in the final quarter with Newman getting her second goal from a set shot. Unfortunately Emma King got her third goal and Melbourne struggled to regain the momentum in a very tight quarter of football. They defended well but just couldn’t convert their chances and North Melbourne were the victors at 34-38.

Round 5 against GWS should be a challenge but I’m confident we can win in Sydney. Let’s hope we see a good crowd of Melbourne supporters on the day.

On a final note I think Daisy Pearce is putting her organisational skills to good use with her latest recruits.

Round 3 – Brisbane Vs Melbourne – Lions Lay Down Like Lambs

Liam Chambers

Good result for the Dees. It’s never easy playing away. Brisbane were favourite to win on home soil even though they lost to in-form Fremantle in Round 2. The heat & humidity was also a factor, but you’d never know it by the way Melbourne controlled the game.

Five minutes in & Aliesha Newman kicked the first goal after one of her signatory runs. The Dees were dominating. Hanks was displaying her superior passing skills and showing great vision. A few minutes later and Newman had her second.

Overall Melbourne was applying tremendous pressure on the Lions and should have been further ahead at quarter time. Brisbane scored courtesy of Tawhaq-Wardlow.

The second quarter was the best display by Melbourne so far this season. Goals by Kat Smith, Paxman (again good pass from Hanks) & Eden Zanker showed the diversity of talent in the Dee’s side.

Harriet Cordner did a great job of shutting down Sabrina Frederick Traub. Bianca Jacobson scored a lovely goal after some intense pressure from Melbourne which saw them forty points ahead at the end of the first half.

Melbourne didn’t let up in the third quarter and tackled well, especially Kat Smith. Their use of the hand ball was at times superb and pressurized the Lions into making a lot of errors. The intercept marking was also noteworthy. Unfortunately for all the Dees superior play, Brisbane were getting themselves into potential scoring positions.

Finally, Nat Exon put one between the uprights for the Lions, their first goal since late in quarter one. Then Bianca Jacobson got her second & Melbourne went into the last quarter leading by thirty-eight points.

The last quarter was again a low scoring affair. There were some nice touches, but Brisbane never looked like launching a major comeback. A highlight for Melbourne was the mark and subsequent goal from Tegan Cunningham. Tegan looked like she lacked confidence early on. The Dees won by thirty-nine points after Kate McCarthy from Brisbane scored a deserved goal after the siren.

All in all, a great performance by Melbourne and they have now stamped their mark on the competition after three good games. The loss to Fremantle was unlucky but the girls also learned a lot from that disappointment.

Their biggest test will be in Round 4 when they take on the new kids from North Melbourne. Playing at Casey Fields will help but the Kangaroos are an altogether different beast to Brisbane. The Roos will have watched this game to spot where Melbourne are weakest. We will have done the same. It will be interesting to see what changes the Dees make to their game. If the Dees play like they did in Brisbane, then I would definitely not bet against us.

Congratulations to Daisy Pearce & the latest members of the Melbourne Demons Fan Club

Round 2 – Collingwood Vs Melbourne

Liam Chambers

After last week’s disappointing last quarter loss to Fremantle, the Dee’s bounced back to secure their first AFLW win for 2019. The two Team Captains Elise O’Dea & Shelly Scott have filled Daisy Pearce’s legendary boots to perfection. It’s never easy winning away from home and the blustery conditions added to the drama, making scoring opportunities all the more difficult. The 7000 plus crowd got a great evening of footy though. From the start the Dees were determined to make up for that agonizingly close loss to Freo.

Aliesha Newman, showing that she’s lost none of her speed, kicked a beautiful pass which Tegan Cunningham collected in a diving mark. Unfortunately, Tegan didn’t collect the six points. The first quarter ended all even at two points apiece. Melbourne should have been a few goals ahead but the Pies’ defence and the breeze kept their score down.

It looked like the second quarter would also be a low scoring affair until an inspirational kick from O’Dea and a kind bounce saw the Demons get their first goal in the last two minutes. Not to be outdone, the rising star Tyla Hanks (still only 18), pick up the ball on the run and banana kicked superbly to the grateful hands of Lauren Pearce. Pearce converted and the Dees were 16-2 going into the second half.

The third quarter opened promisingly for Melbourne. Cunningham looked back to her winning ways with a lovely mark inside Collingwood’s 50. A one handed mark by Woodland show a nice confidence. Lauren Pearce had a 50 metre penalty awarded to her at the end of the quarter but a misunderstanding of the amount of time left saw her her handball rather than kick for goal. Only one point for the Dees in the third but Collingwood were scoreless.
Melbourne kept up the pressure at the start of the fourth and a tidy kick from Paxman was plucked out of the air by the talented Hanks, which she then converted for a perfect goal. With just over four minutes to go, Collingwood finally found the Dee’s goal, much to the home fans’ delight. Sarah Dargan soccer kicked it between Melbourne’s uprights but it was too late for the Pies.
The Dees won 26-9 and there’s a lot to like about this new line up. Best wishes to Daisy Pearce and the impending arrival of the twin bundles of joy.