Round 3 – Melbourne v Sydney 

Liam Chambers

The Swans Get Their Wings Clipped (van Rooyen is a True ‘Un) 

Round 3 was the first full game without Max Gawn but a few firm favourites were back; notably Steven May and Bailey Fritsch, along with the ever-reliable veteran Michael Hibberd.

It was the debutant Jacob van Rooyen who was to have the first major impact on the game though. His mark just outside the 50m arc was well taken. Then his level headed kick to Alex Neal-Bullen, after the teenager spotted him running into position, was perfect. Neal-Bullen went back and kicked Melbourne’s first.

The signs were good for the Dees with their forwards getting behind the Swans’ defence with relative ease. Pinning the Swans in their defensive 50, Melbourne got another shot at goal when van Rooyen was taken high about 15m from goal. The youngster show great composure when taking the kick, slotting his first for the Demons.

Up the other end nothing was working for the opposition. They were winning the clearances but not getting the reward. Conversely, Melbourne was making the most of their chances, pressuring Sydney’s defence until they found a path to goal.

Kade Chandler is turning into a great goal assister (official informal title). His turning kick from just outside 50 was taken by the athletic Charlie Spargo. The small forward’s mark was unconventional but effective and his set shot was on target.

After the bounce, the Swans again won the clearance but again the Dees’ fended off the challenge. Finally, Sydney got a six pointer on the board when Lance “Buddy” Franklin managed to dribble one in after a few moments of chaos following a stoppage in front of goal.

Lachie Hunter redressed the balance when he was awarded a free kick 60m out. He was guaranteed a goal once the umpire gave out a 50m penalty for dissent. It was all Melbourne by that stage and Spargo was again involved in the action, wrong footing the defence and finding Ben Brown with a nicely weighted kick. Brown struck it perfectly and his 30m shot went through for the Dees’ fifth. A minute later it was six when Clayton Oliver kicked an accurate running shot from 40m.

It had been a great opening term for Melbourne but the Swans would have been frantically discussing their counter tactics during the break. Straightaway Sydney looked more aggressive, defending more urgently and counter attacking with a vengeance. It didn’t take them long to open the scoring with Tom Papley kicking a set shot from 45m. The visitors looked determined to add to their tally and they got the chance when an off the ball holding decision went against the Dees. Will Hayward was the beneficiary and he kicked it through to build on the Swans’ momentum.

They failed to main the rage however, allowing Melbourne to slowly wrest back control. When a loose ball was collected by Kade Chandler and snapped off his right boot, the lead was back out to twenty-three points. Bailey Fritsch celebrated his return by taking a contested mark while fending off Paddy McCartin (no easy feat). His set shot put some more daylight between the sides, stretching the margin to thirty points.

With eight goals from eight different kickers, it was turning into a promising afternoon for Demon fans. Having just scored at one end, Fritsch popped up in defence to take a contested mark. Unfortunately the ball came back inside 50 and was marked by the legendary Franklin who slotted his second. When James Rowbottom snapped a goal from 20m in front, it seemed that Sydney’s dogged persistence was paying off. The question now was how would the Dees respond?

That was answered by Lachie Hunter whose 45m set shot landed perfectly on his left boot and dropped beautifully through the posts. With a minute to go, Melbourne was still leading by twenty one points and would have been happy to have weathered the Sydney storm before regrouping in the break. Unfortunately, Logan McDonald somewhat spoiled that aspiration when he took a mark on the 50m line. His set shot hit the target and the Swans finished the half only trailing by fifteen points.

The Dees had the perfect start to the third quarter when Clayton Oliver was awarded a 50m penalty after he suffered a late contact while taking a mark. His kick from 35m notched up the second of the afternoon for the 150 game veteran.

Needless to say, the Sydney Swans haven’t got to where they are by being timid and they continued to take the fight to Melbourne. That aggression was typified by Tom Papley whose 40m running snap reduced the gap back to fifteen. Errol Gulden made it an eight point game when he somehow managed to get his boot to the sherrin in a highly congested pack. The match had suddenly become very competitive. The Swans won the clearance and Franklin marked 35m from goal. Fortunately he pulled it wide, giving the Dees a chance to reset.

Sydney, despite having dominated for most of the quarter, failed to capitalise on their momentum. Then when Kade Chandler had a difficult shot from the pocket, he steered it through to push the advantage out to two goals even. With the intensity rising, Simon Goodwin made a tactical substitution, bringing Jake Melksham on for Ben Brown. The forward was given the job of frustrating Paddy McCartin.

The Dees as a group were starting to frustrate the entire Swans side when Steven May’s perfectly placed kick was marked by Bailey Fritsch 35m from home. The reliable Fritsch didn’t disappoint and Melbourne started to pull away again. It was back to back for the Fritsch magnet when he turned and snapped after receiving a looping handball from Brodie Grundy.

Tom Papley kept Sydney in contention when he marked at 40m out, securing his hat trick. The margin yo yo’d back to twenty four points after Charlie Spargo picked up the loose ball in front of goal before kicking his second.

The frenetic high scoring third quarter set a precedent for the final term with Sydney desperate to get goals early. Melbourne was equal to the task; determined to maintain the upper hand. Ed Langdon has perfected the art form of centering a kick from the pocket and finding a teammate in a goal scoring position. This time his running kick found Kade Chandler who again hit the back of the net with his set shot.

With a comfortable thirty two point lead, the Dees were now going to be difficult to run down. Nick Blakey kept Sydney in the chase with his 40m set shot but all hope was abandoned two minutes later when Jacob van Rooyen took a contested mark 15m in front. It was a dream introduction for the first gamer. He must have thought he was really dreaming when he was awarded a free kick a minute later; this time from 40m in front. His effort sailed through and the Dees had an unassailable forty point lead.

In all the excitement, the Swans managed to scramble one back after winning the clearance and bursting through inside 50 where Will Hayward ran one in from the goal square. James Jordon took it back to forty points when he took a mark from Chandler (another assist) and made no mistakes with his cleanly taken set shot.

Not wanting to be left out, Harrison Petty marked a sublimely placed Christian Petracca kick and slotted one from 35m. Tom Sparrow had a go when he snapped a high ball through the uprights, boosting Melbourne’s already healthy percentage. Justin McInerney pulled one back to save some Sydney face but by then it was all over. Jake Melksham kicked one from the pocket, after the siren, to cap off a perfect night for the Demons.

The 50 point margin secured us the fourth spot on the ladder. I don’t know what the record is for the most individual goal scorers in a single game but I like to think we came close on Sunday afternoon.

Next week it’s the Eagles in Perth. They’re not as scary a prospect as they were a few seasons ago but we won’t be taking them for granted.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 2 – Brisbane V Melbourne

Liam Chambers

On a hot Brisbane night, it was the Lions who were first off the mark. Zac Bailey took advantage of a forward 50 stoppage and tap down to snap one in from the edge of the goal square. Two minutes later Tom McDonald was the beneficiary of a turnover that delivered him a set shot 35m from goal. He put it through the middle to even the scores.

Brisbane won another clearance, enabling Jarrod Berry to kick from 55m and claim the Lion’s second. While that goal was being scored, Captain Max Gawn was limping off the ground after what appeared to be an innocuous incident during the hitout. Fans initially feared the worst but thankfully post match scans revealed a ligament strain and not the dreaded ACL tear.

Even with their leader sidelined, the Demons initially seemed confident in their play with Christian Petracca slotting the second from a 55m set shot.

After the bounce the Lions started applying some intense forward pressure. Melbourne defended well but the sea of maroon was relentless. Despite Jake Lever’s best efforts, another Brisbane goal was looking inevitable and it finally eventuated via a 25m snap from Dayne Zorko.

Having set up camp comfortably inside their forward 50, Brisbane added a fourth when Will Ashcroft succeeded in drawing a high tackle, then converting his free kick in front of goal. The Lions were putting on a show for the faithful in the stands, again winning the clearance before Oscar McInerney took a contested mark. His set shot hit the target and the margin increased to nineteen points.

The night only go worse for the Demons when Joe Daniher got his hands on the ball after a stoppage just outside the goal square. He somehow managed to get a kick away in the right direction and watched as the sherrin bounced across the line. Quarter time couldn’t come soon enough. It was chaos at times but Melbourne managed to avoid conceding anymore before the break. The twenty five point deficit and the loss of Max Gawn meant it was going to be an uphill battle for the visitors.

Brisbane had dominated in all major stats and now the question was how would the Dees respond? Starting a match with Gawn out due to injury was one thing. Losing, arguably, their most influential player early on as a result of a potentially career ending incident was another matter entirely.

For most of the quarter, Melbourne didn’t concede any more goals, but they didn’t they score a major either and the gap remained stubbornly steady at twenty five points. Then Ben Brown gave the Demon Army something to cheer about when his 50m set shot found the space between the uprights.

It proved to be a short lived optimism however. Charlie Cameron ran out to take a mark 40m from goal and his subsequent set shot cancelled out Big Ben’s previous effort. Having never been much of a John Denver fan, the ritual of blasting out “Country Roads” after every Cameron goal was particularly grating on this occasion. To rub salt into the wounds, Brisbane again won the clearance and their attack on Melbourne’s defence resulted in another goal for Joe Daniher. The Lions now had a game high advantage of thirty one points and the signs were ominous for the Demons.

Despite the ongoing Brisbane pressure, Ben Brown was able to keep Melbourne’s hopes up with his set shot from the pocket, which bounce nicely across the line. Bailey Fritsch built on those hopes with his 50m set shot just before half time to bring it back to a more manageable twenty points.

The players would have been happier with their performance in the latter half of the previous quarter but trailing by twenty points meant they needed to get scores on the board and quickly.
The footy gods continued to smile on Brisbane however and another stoppage in front of goal resulted in Charlie Cameron getting the toe of his boot to the sherrin, notching up his second of the night. The next goal came after a huge pressure surge from the Lions, launching the footy into their forward 50 where Zac Bailey managed to control the ball before snapping it home; powering his side to a thirty two point lead.

The Dees were seriously scrambling now to limit the damage and trying desperately to hit back. It was all Brisbane though. When Zorko scored another, a missile from 40m, even the most optimistic Demon fan was reading the writing on the wall; albeit between gaps in the fingers covering their eyes.

Melbourne couldn’t seem to catch a break until Bailey Fritsch found himself alone in the Dees’ forward 50 and took a mark from Kade Chandler. Then it was just a case of walking in the goal. A small glimmer but at least something to build on. Unfortunately a couple of set shots went astray but then Alex Neal-Bullen took advantage of a loose ball to run through and score from the goal square.

The belief was back but then Lincoln McCarthy took a contested mark, on his second attempt, 25m in front. He converted and the lead was back to thirty two points. After that Joe Daniher seemingly sealed the deal with his third goal, one minute from three quarter time.

Melbourne have, in recent years, built a bit of a reputation as comeback kings but a thirty eight point margin at the beginning of the final term looked insurmountable. When Daniher scored from another set shot, this time from the pocket, a Demon win appeared almost impossible. New recruit Lachie Hunter wasn’t having it though and he snapped from just outside the square to reduce the gap to forty points. Stirring stuff but it still felt more like a consolation than a serious resurgence.

If the Dees were to have any chance, then Melbourne needed a major circuit breaker. As if on cue, the Gabba obliged. One second the Dees were racing up the field towards their goal, the next, the stadium was in darkness. After what seemed like an eternity, the officials blew the whistle to resume the game.

It was evident from the start of the restart that the momentum had shifted to Melbourne and they set about taking full advantage. Within a couple of minutes, Bailey Fritsch took a hand pass from Hunter and his round the body kick sailed in from 35m. It took another five minutes but Christian Petracca’s massive kick from the centre found an unmarked Ben Brown just outside the square and the big fellow just walked it in.

The clearances were finally going Melbourne’s way and another big kick from Tracca went deep inside 50, where Charlie Spargo combined with Kade Chandler to give the youngster another goal. Just over a minute later and Clayton Oliver nailed one from a 45m set shot. Four in a row and the lead was whittled down to eighteen points. Then Tom Sparrow was awarded a free kick just outside the 50m line. His shot went deep and in the confusion Ben Brown got a hold of the ball before tapping it in from 20m for his fourth of the evening.

The only thing stopping a Demons’ win now was the clock and unfortunately they couldn’t muster the final two majors for what would have been the upset of the decade. Brisbane were relieved and would have been justifiably dirty had the result gone against them at the death but it would have been a game for the ages.

It looks like Gawny will miss the next six weeks but he’ll take that over an ACL injury any day. We will miss his leadership but we have the talent to beat any team in the competition. The new look Dees sans Max will be severely tested in Round 3 when we take on the in form Swans.

I have a feeling the commentariat will be backing Sydney to win but we revel in the underdog status, so…

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 1 – Melbourne v Western Bulldogs

Liam Chambers

After the disappointments of last year, there would have been much soul searching in the Dees’ camp over the off season. With all the hard work and team effort displayed during the Premiership win in 2021, Melbourne looked guilty of being too casual in their approach to the game in 2022. The behind the scenes fracturing in camaraderie only exacerbated the problems on the field. Then the 2023 pre season games showed a side with a renewed determination and though we were missing some star players, fans would have to be delighted with the opener on Saturday night.

A surging Dees’ side had the Bulldogs on the back foot early on in the first quarter. With the inclusion of Brodie Grundy in the ruck, Max Gawn could roam freely around the ground, popping up in defence and up front to take important marks. Grundy is also a versatile player and though it’s early days, the combination has the look of a winning formula.

Melbourne’s first was beautifully set up after an initial race to the footy between Clayton Oliver and Bailey Smith. Adam Tomlinson collected the erratic ball and hand passed to Kade Chandler, who ran to the edge of 50 before launching directly to Kysaiah Pickett. The crowd favourite marked and converted with an around the corner kick. The Demons had their second when Captain Gawn took a mark from another Chandler kick. Max kicked his first of the night from a tight angel and it was a two goal margin.

The Dogs didn’t take the Dees’ dominance lying down though and eventually hit back when Marcus Bontempelli took advantage of the spilled ball to snap the visitors’ first. The goal energised the Bulldogs and their second came courtesy of a Jamarra Ugle-Hagan mark just inside the 50m line. His kick was well executed and his team took a one point lead. Up the other end, Tom Sparrow had a kick from a similar distance and his accuracy restored Melbourne’s advantage.

The Bulldogs started the second term with a bullet from Bailey Williams whose 55m shot sailed through. Aaron Naughton stretched their lead with a contested mark and a successful set shot. As with recent clashes between the great rivals, the game had swung with the Dogs now dominating in the fashion that gave Melbourne the ascendancy in the first quarter. Ben Brown arrested the momentum when he marked in the pocket and showed he doesn’t need a long run up to to hit the bullseye.

It was a brief respite however, with Jason Johannisen snapping a goal from 30m in front. After that the Dogs wasted several opportunities to extend their lead significantly, only managing a few minor scores before relinquishing the upper hand to the Demons.

In fact the game turned quickly in Melbourne’s favour with Charlie Spargo getting his first via a running kick from 45m. When you’re hot, you’re hot and Christian Petracca’s acceleration after receiving the tap from the centre bounce was pure magic. He launched it deep inside 50 and the Dees were back in control. Kozzie Pickett was awarded a free kick 30m out and slotted his second, to retake the lead.

Spargo also got his second when Ed Langdon’s brilliant kick from the pocket was marked by the small forward in front of goal. The next six pointer came quickly after Brodie Grundy got a free kick just on the centre bounce due to an infringement in front of goal. The ensuing scramble inside 50 resulted in Ben Brown collecting the loose ball. His snap goalward was rewarded with a fortuitous bounce in the square, securing his second of the night.

Max Gawn also got another when he marked a Petracca kick (on the second attempt) and directed his set shot kick cleanly. The final ten minutes of the half was all Melbourne and the Bulldogs finished on the back foot; trailing by nineteen points, having led by eleven early on.

Melbourne started the third quarter with a comfortable margin but couldn’t afford to rest on their laurels as the Dogs struggled to regain the edge. Their attempted assaults on the Demon’s defence proved fruitless and it was the Dees who would strengthen their grip on the game with the opening goal of the half. A big Trent Rivers’ kick from the square to deep inside 50 was marked superbly by Pickett. Having secured the sherrin, he ran towards goal, even managing a “don’t argue” while in full flight, before sealing his hat trick by sending the ball high into the stands.

Melbourne didn’t have it all their own way and a rare mistake in defence allowed the turnover which sent the ball back to the edge of 50m, where ex Demon Oskar Baker was waiting to kick his debut goal for the Bulldogs. In a low scoring quarter, the Dogs’ resurgence continued when Adam Treloar was awarded a free kick and found the target with his set shot, reducing the gap to fourteen points.

The comeback was quickly quenched however when Ben Brown somehow controlled a chaotic ball in the goal square before finally managing to tap it through for his third and Melbourne’s eleventh. Still the Dogs refused to lie down and an incredible snap effort by Jack McCrae kept his team in touch with the home side.

That was as close as the Bulldogs would get though because two minutes later, the hard working Kade Chandler took advantage of his inclusion in the team by scoring his debut goal with a sensational snap off his left boot. Then with less than a minute to go, Pickett kicked his fourth with his right foot while simultaneously shaking Bontempelli off his left leg.

With a thirty two point lead, it was a relaxed looking Melbourne that took to the field for the final quarter. Their first goal started from a defensive play that released the ball to Pickett who launched a massive kick from the 50m line to well passed the centre to an unmarked Jake Melksham. The midfielder decided not to risk being run down and booted the ball from 60m out where it bounced three times through the goal square before crossing the line.

With the clock ticking, the Dogs were going to have to do something very special to have any chance of staying in touch. Tom Liberatore provided a faint glimmer of hope with his impressive snap from 45m but it ultimately proved futile, as Brodie Grundy’s round the corner set shot minutes later effectively put a lid on any remaining Bulldog dreams.

When Ben Brown kicked his fourth from 40m out, it was just jam on top for the Demon supporters. But wait there’s more. Alex Neal-Bullen trickled one in from 20m to add his name to the list.

All in all, a very promising start to the season for Melbourne. The squad is strong with a depth of talent the envy of the league. Kozzie made Simon Goodwin’s decision on who to include in the squad a little easier by getting himself sidelined for two weeks.

The hunger and fighting spirit is definitely back and it looks like the Dees are not giving anything away this year. We travel to Brisbane for Round 2 and though the Gabba is a formidable ground for away teams, I have a feeling it’s the Queenslanders who’ll be chewing their fingernails on Friday night.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Welcome Matthew Jefferson and Beyond Bank in 2023

Sally Trevena

We are delighted to announce Matthew Jefferson as our sponsored player and Beyond Bank as a NSW Demons supporter in 2023.

We are sponsoring Matthew this year and invite you to join us. We’re excited to watch Matthew and Jacob van Rooyen develop into our key forwards over the next decade – shades of Schwartz and Neitz!

JOIN NOW

Our sponsorship gives us access to a range of goodies including exclusive events, signed jumper and player updates. You will also have the opportunity to win double passes to Sydney Kings home games at Sydney Olympic Park courtesy of our supporter Beyond Bank.

Most importantly you are directly supporting Matthew in his development at the Dees.

Join the sponsorship and support Matthew and the Dees in 2023.

JOIN NOW

** – The NSW Demons will contribute $1,745 to sponsor Matthew and support the Melbourne Football Club in 2023. Each $50 share you buy is a vital a part of this contribution and enables the NSW Demons to continue to sponsor Matthew and support the MFC.

Go Dees

An evening with Daisy Pearce

Star-struck young girls and boys were among an enthusiastic crowd of Melbourne Football Club fans who came to see Daisy Pearce talk about life, the universe and the AFL Women’s Comp last Thursday night at the Pullman Quay Grand on Sydney Harbour. Despite the classic Sydney views visible from the hotel reception room’s windows, all eyes were on Daisy as the iconic Sydney ferries sailed by ignored.

Autographs were signed and some very junior hands shaken before the humble, generous and self-possessed Melbourne Football Club’s women’s comp captain told the audience of her love for AFL as a kid growing up in the Victorian country town of Bright. Disappointment followed when she reached an age where she could no longer play in games with the boys.

The older Melbourne-born women among us sighed in recognition and regret, remembering the 1970s when girls who dared bring their Sherrin to primary school had it confiscated until the end of the day with that infuriating headmaster’s refrain: “Football’s too dangerous for girls.”

Fielding questions from magazine editor Jackie Frank and later from an engaged and responsive audience, Daisy spoke of the contrast between the more DIY-style women’s AFL – where you strap up your own ankles and even clear rubbish from the ground before you play – and the newly established professional AFL Women’s comp where physios and other assistance are all on hand.
But before we get too pleased with the progress of women’s AFL, let’s remember that unlike her AFL competition-playing male counterparts for whom it’s a full-time gig, Daisy still has a day job.
She works as a midwife at Melbourne’s Box Hill hospital, something she says she also loves and that keeps her grounded. So there’s still a fair distance to go. But to quote an old advertisement: “You’ve come a long way baby.”

Sonya Voumard
2 March 2017