PC2011/12RP 2013 and Beyond: The Grand Old Flag to Fly High Again.

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Ahead of the 2013 AFL season, Head Coach of the Melbourne Demons, Mark Neeld has called a press conference to confirm mounting media speculation that he would be stepping away from AFL Football effective immediately. Neeld cited emotional fatigue and stated that he physically and emotionally could not tolerate the harsh demands of being a head coach in the AFL landscape, and said that he need time to recuperate, before hopefully returning to an AFL environment in some capacity, emphatically ruling out another stint as head coach, saying that 12 months was all he needed to know being the face of an AFL Club was not for him. This now puts heat on the Demons, who had started pre-season training last week, and must now find themselves another senior coach.
 
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A week after former Head Coach Mark Neeld handed in his resignation, the Melbourne Football Club have found a replacement head coach to lead the time into the forthcoming season. Demons CEO Cameron Schwab announced previously unknown Lachlan Smith as the face of the Demons coaching Panel at a packed conference attended by the entire Melbourne playing group. Smith had the following to say:

"This club has a long, and proud history as the oldest club in the AFL. We have had ups and we have downs but we always come out of it better and stronger. As a club, and as a community, the Demons have fallen on some hard times recently, both on and off the field. The Club's administration have worked tirelessly in an effort to stabilise the clubs finances to afford us a playing field where we feel we can compete on and off the field. I feel that, in 2013, we have the capabilities to do this, whereas we haven't had such a luxury in the past several years. I am not saying we will win most games, but I am saying we can, and we will, compete. I understand how far behind this group is, in terms of development, compared to the majority of the AFL, but what we lack in development, we will make up for in attitude and endeavour. I will not tolerate players who rest on their laurels waiting for their pay checks. To play in this jumper is to play for the oldest club in Australia, and that is something that should be entrenched into the minds, and the hearts of each and every man who pulls on this jumper, and ties their boot laces. I will not have anyone tarnish the jumper due to their lack of commitment or their lack of endeavour. I expect 110% from each and every player on this list, from the seasoned players who are the first ones picked to the most raw rookie who needs to develop. To survive at this club, you need to be prepared to chip in and do what is required of you. We are no longer going to sit by and leave the problems to those few who take the initiative to act. We are a family, and we need to start acting like one."
 
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NAB CUP ROUND 1 V RICHMOND:

LINEUP:

B:
Tapscott, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes, Garland, Pedersen
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Watts
HF: Dunn, Clark, Davey
F: Gawn, Dawes, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones
INT: Kent, Rodan, Viney (BLEASE)

Coaches Thoughts:

Although it is a preseason game, where trialling tweaked gameplans and players in different positions, we have gone in with a reasonably full strength lineup. We have played a few players who have yet to taste AFL football to give them an idea of the work ethic and commitment required to play at this level. This is hopefully, in turn going to benefit them, and us, in the long run. We are coming up against a Richmond side who played some very good football last year but fell short in a few games, and should have made finals, so 2013 is going to be a big year for them. We have no expectations for this match, apart from highlighting our commitment and endeavour, as well as attack on the football. A win would be begin building a successful culture, because success breeds success, however, it is not something we have focused on. Tonight is more getting used to the game plan, and how to implement it in an actual match situation."
 
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RICHMOND: 14.11.95 def. MELBOURNE: 12.8.80

Possessions:
Viney 36, Kent 32, Rodan 26, Sylvia 22, Dawes 18.
Goals:
Clark 5, Dawes 2, Gawn, Trengove, Sylvia, Jones, Davey.
Best: Viney, Kent, Rodan, Clark, Jamar.

Preress Conference:

I thought we played well tonight. It is a bit of a shame that we got overrun in the last quarter after leading at three quarter time, but the Tigers are a very good football side, and credit to them, they didn't give up. From our perspective, I thought we played well, and showed positive signs. Our defensive efforts were a little bit off, registering only 39 tackles, but our commitment to the ball was first class, winning the clearances 33-32, which is very good considering the Tigers midfielders and the talent they possess. I thought Viney and Kent were absolutely fantastic today, and they are certainly in the mix for round 1. We also won the inside 50 count 48-40 which shows we are working hard to get the ball to our forwards. Our forward line was good tonight. Clark kicking 5 and Dawes kicking 2 provided strong focal points, but the smaller brigade such as Howe and Davey despite working hard didn't really get reward for effort. I think overall, we played well, and showed signs that we could be a competitive AFL side, and that there is hope.
 
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NAB CUP ROUND 2 v CARLTON:

LINEUP:


B: Tapscott, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Garland, T. McDonald
C: Toumpas, Blease, Taggert
HF: Tynan, Watts, Davey
F: Gawn, Howe, Berry
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT:
Kent, McKenzie, Viney (Strauss)

Coaches thoughts:

After last weeks game against the Tigers, seeing how competitive a side that was almost our best 22 played, I decided to rest a few of our best 22 and play a few younger players to see how they fare in an AFL intense match. This is going to make it easier to assess our list and see what our weaknesses are and plan for the draft and trade period accordingly. We are playing a full strength Carlton side under the tutelage of Mick Malthouse, so we are expecting a very physical, pressure game that should put the heat on our young players. This is good as it allows us to see how they react in a high intensity, pressure moment. We don't expect much today, and are just trying to get miles into the legs of younger players who we think are going to be best 22 at this stage, such as Toumpas, Viney and Terlich.
 
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MELBOURNE 14.2.86 def by CARLTON: 20.8.128

Possessions:
Viney 30, Trengove 23, Jones 21, Tapscott 19, Strauss 18.
Goals:
Toumpas 4, Howe 3, Gawn 2, Tynan, Davey, Watts, McDonald, Jones.
Best: Viney, Toumpas, Jones, Tapscott, Jamar.

Press Conference:

Despite the margin at the end of the game, I am pleased with the game. Again, like last week, we were in the lead at the 3/4 time break, but managed to get overrun by a much fitter, much more seasoned side. Holding the lead against a side such as Carlton, despite such an inexperienced and young squad shows that we do have players who can play, it is just a matter of finding positions for them in the side, and getting their fitness bases up to a point where they can actively contribute for 4 quarters. Jack Viney was again the standout today, and he is most definitely in our round 1 side, as his form has been too good to ignore. I thought Jimmy Toumpas was fantastic on a wing, and despite his handful of possessions, managed to put some scoreboard pressure on, kicking 4 goals. That was one of his knocks I thought personally. He is highly skilled, but doesn't hit the scoreboard as much as someone of his calibre should. Garland and Frawley were terrific in the back half with their defensive pressure, picking up 12 tackles between them. Overall, it was a good game for us, despite the margin, and I am positive that we can continue this into the season.
 
Viney was huge in that game. The kid is going to be a star. It also shows how important Mitch Clark is to the Demons snagging 5 goals.

He has been massive in his first 2 NAB Cup games. 67 possessions, with 12 tackles and 14 clearances. Massive.
 
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Round 1 V BRISBANE:
B: Tapscott, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Garland, Pedersen
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Watts, Dawes Davey
F: Gawn, Clark, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT:
Kent, McKenzie, Viney (TAGGERT)​

NEW: Viney, Terlich, Kent, Taggert, Pedersen (Nth. Melb.), Rodan (Pt. Adel.), Dawes (Coll.)

Coaches Thoughts:

We played well in the NAB Cup, despite what the scoreboard said. Our intensity was there, as was our hunger and desire to win the ball. However, that was pre-season and now the real stuff starts. We go in with our best possible 22 and face off against Brisbane, who we think are in a similar boat to us, in terms of being in a rebuild. With our form in the preseason, we go into this game with confidence that we can win this game, and that is something I have instilled in our players. If you believe you can win, anything is possible. If you believe you will lose, the game is already over. With this being our home game, against an interstate side, we really want to kickstart our 2013 with a win for our fans, and more importantly for the club. We have a few debutantes today. Jack Viney, Dean Terlich and Dean Kent were fantastic in the pre-season, and all looked like handy AFL players, Viney in particular. Rory Taggert is a raw player, but we feel that developing at AFL level is the best option as he is a classy player, and playing against AFL players should fast track his development.
 
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MELBOURNE 17.10.112 def. BRISBANE 14.8.92

Possessions:
Jones 35, Viney 33, Sylvia 30, Toumpas 24, Trengove 23.
Goals: Clark 6, Gawn, Davey, Dawes 3, McKenzie, Jamar.
Best: Clark, Jamar, Jones, Viney, Davey

Press Conference:

I am delighted to get my first win as a coach straight up. I thought we played well for most of the match, holding the lead at 3 of the changes. We were good in the third quarter, but Brisbane were just that little better and managed to snake the lead at 3 quarter time. Our boys managed to rally and a 6 goal to 1 final quarter saw us run over the top of them. Our defensive pressure was the best I have seen. We worked tirelessly all game, and that is something I wanted from the playing group. We managed to lead every single key stat. Clearances, Tackles, Marks, Hitouts, Inside 50's, Rebound 50's and Hardball gets. Nate Jones was fantastic, as was Mitch Clark up forward, who we believe is one of our key players. With him playing well, we play just that little bit better, and that is the confidence that comes from knowing you have a quality player to deliver the ball to. Jack Viney played one of the best debut games I have ever seen. He really does look like he belongs at this level, and injuries aside, he looks like he is going to have a long and successful AFL career. He is an absolute beauty. A few of the senior boys were poor, and really need to work harder. Cameron Pedersen, Colin Garland and Jack Watts were the main culprits, and I will be letting them know I expect better if they want to remain in the senior side.
 
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ROUND 3 V RICHMOND:

B: Dunn, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Gillies, Pedersen
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Tynan, Dawes Davey
F: Gawn, Watts, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT: Kent, McKenzie, Viney (TAGGERT)

IN:
Gillies, Tynan, Dunn
OUT: Garland (Inj.), Clark (Inj.), Tapscott (Inj.)
NEW:
Gillies, Tynan.

Coaches Thoughts:

The bye came at an inopportune time, with the boys really looking to take their momentum from the Brisbane game into tonight's game against a Richmond side that has been dominant so far this season. The bye, however, meant whatever momentum we had was diminished for the most part, and we now go in with 1 week's less match fitness compared to the Tigers, which at this early stage in the season really does count for something. With the Tigers in the form they are in, and us coming off of the bye, I think our backs are really to the wall here, and I don't expect us to win this game, in fact, I would be surprised if we did. I do, however, expect us to really make it hard for the Tigers, and make sure that we stick to our structures, and our game plan. Win the ball when it is there to be won, tackle and pressure your opponent, stay goalside of your opponent inside defensive 50 and maintain possession until a better option appears. We have been forced to make 3 changes this week. Colin Garland has a small hamstring tear, and is out for 8 weeks, Mitch Clark is out for 3 weeks with an achilles strain and Luke Tapscott tweaked his AC joint at training and will be out for a couple of weeks. As a result, Josh Tynan and Tom Gillies come and to get their first taste of AFL football, and Lynden Dunn comes back into the squad.
 
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RICHMOND 21.8.134 Def. MELBOURNE 15.6.96

Possessions:
Rodan 26, Viney 25, Sylvia 24, McKenzie 23, Jones 22.
Goals: Watts, Kent 3, Rodan, Davey, Gawn 2, Sylvia, Toumpas, Grimes.
Best: Rodan, Viney, Sylvia, McKenzie, Jones.

Press Conference:

I thought we played well against the side that is currently sitting on top of the ladder. We played well for the first half, but the Tigers run and carry gameplan really taxed our boys after half time, with an 11 goal to 6 second half the Tigers way really underlying the difference in development between the two sides. I thought, despite the result, that this was the best we have played this year so far, and it came against quality opposition. To score almost 100 points in a loss is something we as a club haven't experienced for a while and it shows that we are working hard to develop into a decent AFL side. Rodan was good today. As a senior member of the group he really took charge today, winning a fair share of possessions and kicking 2 goals. Dean Kent was another who had a good game. He picked up 18 possessions and kicked 3 goals to really highlight the amount of talent the kid has.
 
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ROUND 4 V ST. KILDA:

LINEUP:

B: Dunn, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Gillies, Pedersen
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Tynan, Dawes Davey
F: Gawn, Watts, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT:
Kent, McKenzie, Viney (TAGGERT)​

NO CHANGE

Coaches Thoughts:

Another difficult match for us today. We are facing the Saints, who, like the Tigers have started the season in fantastic form, and currently sit second on the ladder. This should be a good test for us, and gives us a good chance to indicate how we go against the premier sides in the competition. We go in with an unchanged lineup, as we fell this is the best possible side, injuries permitting we can play at the moment, and with a few boys due back in the next week or so, we should be getting close to our best 22 for the next game. This is a game where I'd like us to see how we can implement our game plan and structures against one of the best sides in the competition. I don't expect us to win this game, but we go into the game of the mindset that if we implement our structures completely we are every bit in with a showing, however, with a young and inexperienced lineup such as this, it will be hard to sustain our pressure for the full four quarters.
 
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MELBOURNE: 15.7.97 Def. By ST. KILDA: 18.9.117

Possessions:
Rodan 30, Kent 27, Toumpas, Jones 23, Viney 22.
Goals: Jones, Watts, Toumpas, Dawes, Kent 2, Davey, Jamar, Frawley, Gawn, Tynan.
Best: Kent, Jamar, Jones, Rodan, Davey.

Press Conference:

Another good sign for us today. We were able to match it with the undefeated Saints for the most part of the match, until they kicked 3 late unanswered goals to walk out with the win. I thought our guys were fantastic against a much more experienced outfit, and things are looking good for the future. David Rodan was good for the second straight week, really stepping up in the middle but it was Dean Kent who was our best. He picked up 27 possessions, kicked 2 goals, but the biggest thing for me is that he laid 9 tackles highlighting his commitment to the defensive aspects of our gameplan. He played a very, very good game today. One thing I am concerned about is our lack of a second and third quality Key Defender. James Frawley is an absolute star, but he needs help. Today, with the Saints playing Riewoldt, Koschitzke and Maister, our backline was really mismatched, and this showed, with Riewoldt and Maister kicking 13 goals between them. This is something we will discuss during the season in an effort to rectify during the player movement period.
 
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DEAN KENT WINS ROUND 4 NAB RISING STAR NOMINATION:

Melbourne midfielder Dean Kent has been rewarded for his fantastic game against the Saints with the NAB Rising Star Nomination for Round 4. Kent collected 27 disposals, 6 marks, 9 tackles, 6 Inside 50's and 3 Rebound 50's, as kicking 2 goals.
 
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ROUND 5 V NORTH MELBOURNE:

LINEUP:
B:
Dunn, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Gillies, Pedersen
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Tynan, Dawes Davey
F: Watts, Clark, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT: Kent, McKenzie, Viney (TAGGERT)​
IN: M. Clark
OUT: Gawn (Inj.)

Coaches Thoughts:

After some really solid form against the top 2 sides in the comp so far this year, we now go into a game with North Melbourne full of confidence. North Melbourne have had a similar start to this year, winning 1 of a possible 4 games, whereas we have won 1 of a possible 3. I am confident that we can win this week. Our exposed form has been better than that of the Kangaroos, and we welcome back Mitch Clark, who is returning from a small Achilles strain, whilst big Max Gawn suffered twisted ankle at training and will be rested for this game.. With Mitch up forward, it will give us a focal point to kick to. Jack Watts was valiant in his role as Full Forward whilst Clark was injured, but he kicked 5 goals 8 behinds, and his inaccuracy was something that we felt let the side down a little bit. Clark is a fantastic set shot at goal, and with a midfield that is certainly holding it's own against midfields much more developed, I think we will walk out of this game with our second win of the season.
 
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NORTH MELBOURNE: 14.9.93 DEF. BY MELBOURNE 17.9.111

Possessions:
Jones 37, Viney 34, Kent 30, Rodan 26, Trengove 25.
Goals:
Clark 6, Dawes 3, Watts, Tynan 2, Davey, Toumpas, Pedersen, Rodan.
Best: Jones, Dawes, Viney, Clark, Rodan.


Press Conference:

A great game from the boys, against a decent side. We managed to hold the lead at every change, and really held a few of their key players quiet. Mitch Clark was fantastic today as our main focal point in the forward line, kicking 6 goals in his return match. Nathan Jones played his best game for the season, collecting 37 possessions, but it is the performances our younger players that is most pleasing. Jack Viney and Dean Kent continued their strong seasons collecting 64 disposals between them, Jack Trengove picked up 25 himself, Josh Tynan kicked 2 goals, and Jimmy Toumpas collected 18 disposals and kicked 1. These are positive signs that our list management side of the club is really doing their jobs, in finding talent that has the ability to contribute at AFL level.
 
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ROUND 6 V SYDNEY:

LINEUP:
B:
Dunn, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Gillies, Pedersen
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Tynan, Dawes Davey
F: Watts, Clark, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT:
Kent, McKenzie, Viney (BYRNES)

IN: Byrnes
OUT: Taggert

NEW: Byrnes (GEEL.)

Coaches Thoughts:

Another difficult game for us, not in terms of ladder position, but because of game plan and structures. The Swans pride themselves on high pressure football, and capitalise on the turnovers of their opposition. Given we have a young and inexperienced side playing, I am anxious to see how they do against the premier pressuring side in the competition. As well as this, the Swans forward line is a tall one. With Goodes, Tippett, Mumford and Reid floating through there, our backline is seriously underwhelming in terms of height, and I think this is a glaring weakness that the Swans are definitely going to try to exploit. With these two factors, I told the boys that there are no expectations in this match, apart from just doing their best and sticking to the game plan and structures as much as possible. Shannon Byrnes had been in scintillating form in the VFL, and finds himself getting a gig in the seniors, with Rory Taggert unlucky to miss out.
 
It's good to see the Demons fighting and not being blown out of the water in their first opening 5 matches of the season. Looks like you've got the boys to be competitive and determined for longer periods of the game!. Keep up the fight and those wins will come!
 
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MELBOURNE: 14.10.94 DEF. BY SYDNEY: 20.7.127

Possessions:
Jones 35, Viney, Rodan 29, Sylvia 27, Trengove 26.
Goals: Clark 7, Dawes 4, Rodan, Jones, Kent.
Best: Clark, Jones, Dawes, Rodan, Viney.

Press Conference:

This was always going to be a game that had the potential to get ugly, and ugly in the first half was exactly what this game was. We lacked composure, and our structures fell apart, and the Swans capitalised. They monstered us with a 14 goal to 2 opening half, and we were stunned. However, I know how competitive this group is, and I told them to stick to their structures, and things will get better. We managed a 12 goal to 6 second half to add some respectability to the scoreboard. I am not looking at the first half. Although I am a little disappointed with it, I expected something along those lines to occur. Not to the extent that it did, but along the same lines. I will, instead, focus on our second half where we played the game how we wanted to play. We ended up generally pretty similar in a lot of key stats, which is a positive sign. The fear I had before the game was the Swans Tall Forwards in their forward line, and I was right. Goodes, Mumford and Tippett combined for 16 goals, which was a dominant display, further underlying our need to get another couple of Key Defenders. Nathan Jones was fantastic, and Big Clark with 7 goals really stepped up when he needed to. Jack Viney continues to go about his business, and looks like a very good AFL player. Despite the first half, we managed to claw again, to almost 100 points o the scoreboard, and if scores like this keep up, we are going to be a very competitive unit this year.
 
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ROUND 7 V WESTERN BULLDOGS:

LINEUP:

B:
Tapscott, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Pedersen, Gillies
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Watts, Dawes, Davey
F: Gawn, Clark, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT:
Kent, McKenie, Viney (BYRNES)

IN: Gawn, Tapscott
OUT: Dunn, Tynan


Coaches Thoughts:

We were disappointed in our first half against the Swans last week, but we admit that the Swans played excellent footy. We managed to get the margin back to a respectable level with a greatsecond half, and we hope to continue that momentum into our clash with the Western Bulldogs, who currently sit 5th on the ladder. This is going to be a difficult game for us, coming up against a decent side. We are aided by the fact that Will Minson is injured and won't take part in this game, which gives us just that little bit more confidence that we can snatch a win. We welcome back Luke Tapscott and Max Gawn, fielding an almost full strength lineup now, and we feel that with our form in the second half of last week, that we can break through for our third win of the season.
 
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WESTERN BULLDOGS: 15.11.101 DEF. BY MELBOURNE: 18.7.115

Possessions:
Jones 32, Viney 30, Rodan 28, Kent 23, Grimes 21.
Goals: Clark 5, Dawes 4, Gawn 3, Byrnes, Davey, Terlich, Watts, Toumpas, Trengove.
Best: Clark, Jones, Viney, Rodan, Grimes.


Press Conference:

We continued our momentum from the last half of the Swans game into this weeks game against the Bulldogs, kicking 10 goals straight in the first quarter to set up a 40 point lead at the first change. It was the best football I have seen us, as a side, play this year. Credit to the Bulldogs, they managed to peg the lead back by a couple of goals in the second and third quarters, but our boys managed to grind out a terrific win against a side inside the top 8. Mitch Clark was again on fire up forward, kicking 5 goals, showing how important a strong focal point in the forward line is. Vice Captain Nathan Jones continues his run of good form, with another 30 plus disposal game, as does Jack Viney. Our backline remains a bit of a worry, with Robert Murphy and Liam Jones kicking 10 goals between them.
 
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ROUND 8 V WEST COAST:

LINEUP:

B:
Tapscott, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Pedersen, Gillies
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Watts, Dawes, Davey
F: Gawn, Clark, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT:
Kent, McKenzie, Viney (TAGGERT)

IN: Taggert
OUT: Byrnes


Coaches Thoughts:

We travel west to take on the West Coast Eagles at Patersons Stadium. This is a danger game for us. The Eagles have one of, if not the best Ruck Duo in the competition, and combine that with their midfield, we are going to find it tremendously difficult to stop them from getting the ball into their forward line with regularity. Combine that with the fact they have a tall forward line with Kennedy, Darling and one of Naitanui and Cox resting their, our backline is going to be undersized to deal with it. We welcome back Rory Taggert who has been playing well in the VFL, and Shannon Byrnes, who couldn't translate his VFL form into VFL form finds himself out of the side. We don't really expect a winning result from this game, but we doe expect to be competitive.
 
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