Round 21 – Melbourne Vs Collingwood

Liam Chambers

Well Melbourne finally won a last quarter. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to defeat Collingwood; a side who prior to last week’s thrashing of bottom side Gold Coast had lost four of their previous five games.

Why the Dees are sitting seventeenth on the ladder after such a positive end to last year’s season is confounding. Especially when they had been building steadily over recent years, slowing improving their position on the table.
Now the term aberration is being bandied about with annoying regularity. However, I’m confident that this season has been an aberration and that we will bounce back with a vengeance in 2020. Remember Richmond finished fifth in 2015, then sunk to thirteenth in 2016 before winning the Grand Final in 2017.

The weight of expectation can be daunting when your fans finally have a taste of success after so many years of disappointment. Melbourne had broken through and reached their first finals in twelve years. Then they performed above and beyond. Of course everyone believed we would qualify again and possibly go one better. Maybe even win our first final in fifty five years.

There were injuries but Melbourne has a lot of depth so that should not have been a major concern. However we all know how it turned out. Players like Max Gawn and Stephen May have given their all in games. I have a feeling though that despite some individually brilliant performances, the Dees have tuned out somewhat and are now focusing on next year. I hope I’m wrong because it’s important we play our best and win our final two games.

There were positives in our game against the Pies. Christian Petracca has been inspirational at times and of course Oscar McDonald scored his first goal. In our last two games both of our opponents are very capable of defeating us but conversely we are certainly capable of winning. It would be better to end our season on a high but at least let’s go down fighting.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

MELBOURNE 1.4 2.6 3.8 7.11 (53)
COLLINGWOOD 0.5 5.6 9.8 10.10 (70)
GOALS
Melbourne: Petty, Brayshaw, Fritsch, Petracca, Hunt, O.McDonald, Gawn
Collingwood: Mihocek 4, Pendlebury 2, Varcoe 2, Thomas, Crisp
BEST
Melbourne: Brayshaw, Petracca, Harmes, Frost, Oliver, Fritsch
Collingwood: Treloar, Grundy, Mihocek, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Howe

Round 20 – Dees v Tigers

by Liam Chambers

Melbourne were not expected to win. In fact all the smart money was on a Richmond side that hadn’t lost in five games. A side who were now becoming firm favourites to win their second Grand Final in three years.

It wasn’t a question of would the Tigers win but by how big a big a margin.

It was immensely gratifying then to see the Dees play so well and keep the Tigers on a tight rein.

Unfortunately the heavens opened in the third quarter and gave Richmond the advantage. Melbourne doesn’t perform at their best in a downpour; whereas the Tigers, like their namesakes, are in their element.

Still the Melbourne stats were impressive. Keeping up with Richmond in nearly all aspects except inside 50s and marks taken in that area. That’s where the Tigers really dominated more than doubling the Dees’ effort. Of course it was always going to be a struggle when faced with that reality.

Jordan Lewis is relishing his new found fame as a born again goal scorer. He opened the ledger for the Dees, with Cory Wagner doubling the tally a minute later. Bayley Fritsch, who seems determined to try for at least a hat trick in each game now, rounded out Melbourne’s three goals for the quarter.

Kyle Dunkley got the Dees off to a good start with an early goal in Q2. However Richmond hit back with three strikes before Bayley Fritsch and Angus Brayshaw stemmed the flow to reduce the margin to three points at half time.
As the rain came down at the start of the second half, Jordon Lewis, almost at ground level, managed to kick the ball over his head and into the Tigers goal. Lionel Messi would have been proud. Unfortunately that stupendous feat was the last Melbourne goal of the term.

Richmond’s stars lined up to kick their five goals for the quarter while the Dees struggled to hold onto the sherrin in the wet conditions.

We’ve mentioned the woeful final quarter record of Melbourne this season on more than one occasion in recent weeks. However it would have taken a Herculean effort for the Dees to claw their way back into contention when they were twenty nine points in arrears at the start of Q4.

Bayley Fritsch did his best to narrow the margin with his third goal for the day and Melbourne managed to keep Richmond at bay in the first half of the quarter. Then AFL’s most illustrated man Dusty Martin slotted one in from outside fifty to kill off any thoughts of a Demon fightback.

Kyle Dunkley got his second to keep the score looking more respectable but sadly for Melbourne fans, the Dees recorded their fourth loss in a row.

We’re back at the MCG on Saturday to face the old enemy Collingwood. The Pies, despite their run of bad form lately, look like they’ve done enough to secured a finals berth with their twelve wins for the season so far. They are a long shot to make it into the top four though; it will be interesting to see how hard they come out against Melbourne. Collingwood then have two important games against possible fellow finalists in Adelaide and Essendon. Should we beat them at the weekend, there will still be a lot of nervous Pie fans.

Come on Melbourne; just because our season is over doesn’t mean we can’t give the Collingwood faithful a few sleepless nights!

Go the Magnificent Dees!!!

MELBOURNE 3.1 6.2 7.4 9.6 (60)
RICHMOND 3.2 6.5 11.9 13.15 (93)

GOALS
Melbourne: Fritsch 3, Lewis 2, Dunkley 2, Wagner, Brayshaw
Richmond: Lynch 3, Graham 2, Castagna, Chol, Caddy, Lambert, Soldo, Rioli, Martin, Bolton

BEST
Melbourne: Gawn, Fritsch, Oliver, Jones
Richmond: Martin, Houli, Edwards, Prestia, Vlastuin, Lynch

Round 19 – St Kilda Vs Melbourne

Liam Chambers

A dream start and Melbourne couldn’t have asked for a better opening five minutes. Bayley Fritsch, Jordan Lewis and Christian Petracca all found the space between the uprights and the fans were ecstatic. The Saints managed to claw back three midway through the term but late goals from Fritsch and Tim Smith gave the Dees a thirteen point advantage at quarter time. So far so good.

The second quarter saw both sides frequently turn the ball over to the opposition but it was at the halfway mark before Cory Wagner kicked the first goal. Unfortunately it was the only six pointer for Melbourne in a quarter where St Kilda dominated in clearances and scoring opportunities.
The Saints had managed to narrow the margin to three points at the half time.

St Kilda kicked the first goal of the third quarter to take the lead before Christian Petracca scored his second to put Melbourne back in front again. From that point on though St Kilda looked the more dominant team, kicking five goals for the quarter. However the Dees kept themselves in the game with important kicks from James Harmes, Petracca and Harrison Petty.

The fourth quarter started well for Melbourne with Clayton Oliver and James Harmes both finding the back of the net. Could the Dees finally put their final quarter hoodoo behind them? Alas no. The Saints were clinical in their dispatch of the footy, putting five more between the posts of Melbourne’s goal. Alex Neal-Bullen managed to score around the mid point of Q4 but by then St Kilda had set up camp in our inside 50 and eventually won by nineteen points.

There seems to be no end in sight to Melbourne’s dismal season except that there are only four games to go. Unfortunately two of those games are against in form Richmond and North Melbourne. Sydney are a mixed bag themselves this year but never easy to beat.

Ironically perhaps our greatest Nemesis, Collingwood could prove to be the one team we may well triumph over. They are in danger of missing the finals due to their current slump in form and may be desperate against a side everyone expects them to defeat. Now, wouldn’t that be nice.

The Dees have appointed Darren Burgess as fitness coach for next season. Interesting choice and one that may prove inspirational. The fact that he has worked predominately with soccer teams for most of his career means he will bring fresh eyes to the world of AFL. Melbourne definitely need to reset after a horror run of injuries and surgeries.

Anyway, we play the Tigers at the MGC next. They are now being touted as potential favourites to take out the honours in September. They certainly seem to be peaking at the right time. However, the way our season is going, we’ll probably end up winning.

Keep the dream alive!

ST KILDA 3.2 5.7 10.10 15.14 (104)
MELBOURNE 5.3 6.4 10.6 13.7 (85)
GOALS
St Kilda: Bruce 4, Membrey 3, Ross 2, Long 2, Langlands, Lonie, Hind, Billings
Melbourne: Petracca 3, Fritsch 2, Harmes 2, Lewis, Smith, C Wagner, Petty, Oliver, Neal-Bullen
BEST
St Kilda: Ross, Bruce, Gresham, Sinclair, Membrey, Wilkie
Melbourne: Gawn, Oliver, Harmes, Petracca, Lever, Frost

Round 18 – Melbourne Vs West Coast Eagles

Liam Chambers

So many times this we’ve seen the Dees look like a winning side only to drop the ball (pun intended) when it really counts.

There were several missed opportunities in front of goal in the first quarter. Jordan Lewis (who had great game otherwise) kicked two to the right of the goal post early on. Bayley Fritsch did exactly the same a little later. I believe Jack Viney was also a guilty party. If Corey Wagner hadn’t kicked their first goal, Melbourne would have been six points from six set shots at the end of Q1.

Simon Goodwin’s after the siren monologue was short and not so sweet. Basically Melbourne needs to find a way to win. It’s stating the bleedin’ obvious of course but I haven’t ever seen him so frustrated. It seems incredible that a team with such an embarrassment of talent should be struggling to stay off the bottom rung of the ladder. We need to recapture that sense of self belief from the end last season which seems to have been snuffed out so far in 2019.

The second quarter showed the level of brilliance the Dees can achieve once they decide to move up an notch. Despite conceding two further goals to the Eagles (to be trailing by thirty two points), Melbourne found a way back into the game.

Two goals in six minutes from Bayley Fritsch, followed by two from Jordan Lewis, then another to Jack Viney before Fritsch book-ended the quarter with his third; leaving Melbourne within a point of the Eagles. All in all a near perfect quarter from Melbourne when everything came together.

The magic continued when Bayley Fritsch opened the second half with his fourth goal. West Coast clawed a couple back but Cory Wagner got his second and Clayton Oliver added to the scoreboard. The Dees were six points in front going into the final quarter.

I mentioned that interesting statistic last week about Melbourne’s last quarter performances. Before Round 18 we had won just five final quarters in 2019. It probably sounds crazy but I seriously think a sort of mass hysteria envelopes the team in the thirty minutes leading up to the siren. It has happened so often now that it almost has a sense of inevitability about it. I’m sure it infects quite a few fans as well.

Maybe the opposition also feels that way because, as if on cue, the Eagles upped their game to the next level and started playing like the Grand Final Champions of 2018.

On the bright side, Harrison Petty kicked a goal ten minutes from time to get the Dees within seven points but victory was denied yet again.

I want to be optimistic about our next game against St Kilda. It’s certainly a game we could win but the Saints seem to be following the rule that says: “ the struggling side that sacks their coach then goes on a winning streak”. Still rules are made to be broken.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

MELBOURNE 1.5 7.8 10.10 11.12 (78)
WEST COAST 5.1 8.3 10.4 14.7 (91)
GOALS
Melbourne: Fritsch 4, Lewis 2, C.Wagner 2, Viney, Oliver, Petty
West Coast: Darling 4, Kennedy 2, Petruccelle 2, Ryan, Waterman, Allen, Rioli, Yeo, Sheed
BEST
Melbourne: Oliver, Fritsch, Harmes, Salem, Petracca, Lewis
West Coast: Darling, Sheed, Gaff, Yeo, Redden, Jetta

Round 17 – Western Bulldogs Vs Melbourne

Liam Chambers

After last week’s nail biter against Carlton, Melbourne were unable to cause an upset against the resurgent Bulldogs.

Jayden Hunt got the Dees off to a promising start with a goal in the opening five minutes. A repeat of last week’s hat trick was anticipated. However the Dogs looked in ominous form early on; scoring three goals in succession. A late flurry from Melbourne helped redress the balance. Jordan Lewis (fantastic opportunistic soccer kick) plus a splendidly chaotic goal from Christian Petracca kept the Dees within a point of their opponents at quarter time.

The Dogs extended their lead early in the second quarter with back to back goals from Sam Lloyd. An injured Angus Brayshaw and Jay Lockhart added to the Demons woes. Luckily it wasn’t too serious for either and both youngsters returned to the field.

Finally Harrison Petty got one back for the Dees, showing skill and nerve in front of goal to kick his first six pointer. Later Kyle Dunkley, playing against his brother Josh also kicked his first goal. Petty snagged a second goal in an even scoring quarter a few minutes before Josh Dunkley got one back for the Dogs.

The second half was an exercise in frustration for the Bulldogs and one of immense relief for Melbourne. The Dogs kicked six minor scores in a row before Harrison Petty recorded his third goal of the afternoon against the run of play.

Lack of efficiency in front of goal was a major concern for the Bulldogs but lack of scoring positions was also a worry for Melbourne. Good defensive play from Stephen May and Christian Salem got the Dees out of some sticky situations and help prevent further opportunities for the Dogs.

The last quarter saw Melbourne trailing the Bulldogs by a single goal. A much better position than both teams’ recent form would have predicted at the start of the game. An interesting statistic involves Melbourne’s fourth quarter performances. We have won just five fourth quarters from the previous sixteen rounds. Whether this has had an adverse psychological effect on the Dees is hard to say but it wouldn’t be a confidence booster.

Still when Bayley Fritsch’s early goal set the score to fifty five all, it gave hope to the faithful. A behind for Christian Petracca gave Melbourne the slimmest of advantages. Unfortunately, the next three goals all came from the Dogs. Then goals from Stephen May and Bayley Fritsch put us back in touch.

A nice run of play then saw Fritsch mark the ball to potentially put the Dees just two points behind the Bulldogs. Inexplicably he kicked it immediately only to see it sail wide for a minor score. It was so fast, the cameraman missed it. Normally Bayley is Mr Calm but the tension was affecting everyone. After that the Dogs hung on to take the game by eight points.

All in all Melbourne performed as well as we could have expected considering the season so far and how promising the Bulldogs have looked over the past month. However, you can’t help but feel an upset victory slipped from our grasp in the last five minutes of the game.

Next week we face the West Coast Eagles at Traeger Park in Alice Springs. We played exceptionally well against them in Perth in Round Nine but were overcome in the final quarter (familiar story). If we can exact revenge in the Alice next Sunday, then it will be one of the highlights of our season.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.3 6.5 7.13 10.14 (74)
MELBOURNE 3.2 6.4 7.7 9.12 (66)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: J.Dunkley 2, Lloyd 2, R.Smith 2, Richards, Schache, Hunter, B.Smith
Melbourne: Petty 3, Fritsch 2, Hunt, Lewis, Petracca, K.Dunkley
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Dunkley, Hunter, Duryea, Macrae, Lloyd, Bontempelli
Melbourne: Gawn, Viney, Salem, May, Petty, Harmes