Game Day Round 5 vs Essendon @ Adelaide Oval – Saturday April 11 2026, 1:15 pm AEST

[Crimson Azure]

Round 5: Dawn Of Man

For this weeks game friends THE MELBOURNE DEMONS (Headless) travel back to a time when giants walked the earth and the folk were simpler. This mythical place we call Adelaide today. Untouched by modern civilisation, Adelaide still allows the man in it's embryonic stage to feel it's way through the world and lead themselves to the local shrine, were those with fully formed opposable thumbs can chase an oval shaped piece of leather for hours to the delight of the masses.

Behold, the discovery of the first goal post in Adelaide!



With the new coach, new game plan and a number of players both old and young getting a new lease on life, I think I can speak for many of the Dees faithful that fill the halls of this board, that we are p...



We have a great opportunity to consolidate our great start to the season with a win over the Bombers. In 2023 and 2025 we played the Bombers during gather round and as we all were expecting, we lost the game both times to a team considered to be not as good as us. But the 2026 Dees with King at the helm and the new fearless game style we can go in with confidence that we wont try to win this 7 goals to 6.

Why can we be confident of a win?
Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

34

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

- GOAT ruckman
Kozzie - Soon to be GOAT mid, AA lever in 2026
Langford - GOAT contested mark mid resting/pushing forward
Milkshakes/Fritch - Whoever plays delivers under Kings game plan
Brad Scott - Opposition coach and Hindenburg enthusiast

AFL match centre



​

 

[schmuttt]

(We are a lock to lose)

 

[Daemon]

What an annoying time slot.

 

[MarcMaverick]

What an annoying time slot.

My mate, who is a personal trainer and a Bomber supporter as well, said the same thing.

 

[MarcMaverick]

Also, Crimson Azure , not to nitpick, but its AEST, not AEDT.

 

[Dory_77]

I'll be #ATG this week so will make sure to provide special insights on the decaf queue at AO and on who is wearing a hat during warm-up (and thus not taking the game seriously)

 

[MarcMaverick]

Thanks Crimson Azure .

 

[Bluelegs]

Reckon we smash them.

 

[Jamurp]

I’ll be thoroughly disappointed if we drop this one, Essendon are proper grim.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Windsor watch

 

[DemonZombie_001]

I’ll be thoroughly disappointed if we drop this one, Essendon are proper grim.

100% this, they thumped the Dee's last year in Adelaide 96 to 57. I hope the team are all watching replays of that game.

Fascinated to see what the in's and out's are for this week.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

100% this, they thumped the Dee's last year in Adelaide 96 to 57. I hope the team are all watching replays of that game.

Fascinated to see what the in's and out's are for this week.

2023 was even weirder. Won 7 of our first 9 dropping games to Brisbane at the Gabba by 11 points after Max went down early and then got solidly smacked by dogshit Essendon siren to siren IIRC after beating the Dogs and Swans comfortably. Just didn't turn up that day and it cost us top 2 in the end.

 

[DemonZombie_001]

2023 was even weirder. Won 7 of our first 9 dropping games to Brisbane at the Gabba by 11 points after Max went down early and then got solidly smacked by dogshit Essendon siren to siren IIRC after beating the Dogs and Swans comfortably. Just didn't turn up that day and it cost us top 2 in the end.

Yeah more painful memories. If I remember correctly the Rucks of Essendon drifted down forward and took key marks in the first quarter and I just knew they would have all the answers.

More reason for a win over there I feel.

 

[Johnny Karate]

 

[Crimson Azure]

Reckon we smash them.

Like guitars.

 

[mrmonkey]

Yeah essendon were pretty horrible that year, to memory it was a bit of a wet day or it had rained but not during the game but slippery conditions. Langdon was the only player that played well in the conditions. Everyone else was terrible. Looking through the 2023 season weird to think we had 16 wins for the season. One that stood out was our blockbuster Friday night win against Carlton. 8.13. 61 to 6.8. 44 possibly the dullest wins that I've attended live. Was only 17 points but Carlton just never looked like threatening.

Anyway back on to our current game. Should win, not sure what to make from the Essendon performance against the dogs. Game was over by half time, not sure if Essendon found some form in the second half or doggies just stopped playing. Dogs up by 35 at quarter time and essendon managed to reduce it to 34 by the final siren. The thing is I have faith in this team to be able to fight back if we're down. Hopefully won't need to this week.

 

[PerfectFooty]

Honestly, really dangerous feeling about this one. This is the type of shit opposition across many different MFC eras we tend to drop a match against. This mob in particular did us in when we should have smashed them in 2015, we should have then blasted the top ups in 2016. Coming off the great win last week and knowing this club the pressure is on us not to **** it up. They've got a couple ins apparently and nothing to lose, maybe even a little belief after last weeks second half against the dogs

Call me doom and gloom, put the veil on me. We should win this game and we must win it. But I'm mentally braced for if we don't, because i have seen us drop almost sure things like this before. Over to you Kingy and the boys

 

[I Love Lamb]

Surely we look at Petty out for Kentfield or Jeffo

 

[stEdy]

I can't possibly see what could go wrong

 

[Headless]

Heffernan-Moorcroft Cup.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Yeah essendon were pretty horrible that year, to memory it was a bit of a wet day or it had rained but not during the game but slippery conditions. Langdon was the only player that played well in the conditions. Everyone else was terrible. Looking through the 2023 season weird to think we had 16 wins for the season. One that stood out was our blockbuster Friday night win against Carlton. 8.13. 61 to 6.8. 44 possibly the dullest wins that I've attended live. Was only 17 points but Carlton just never looked like threatening.

Anyway back on to our current game. Should win, not sure what to make from the Essendon performance against the dogs. Game was over by half time, not sure if Essendon found some form in the second half or doggies just stopped playing. Dogs up by 35 at quarter time and essendon managed to reduce it to 34 by the final siren. The thing is I have faith in this team to be able to fight back if we're down. Hopefully won't need to this week.

It’s not even just that we won 16 games. Four losses by under 8 points inc 4 points to Port in a 1v2 clash where we were leading by 17 with a few minutes to go in the third before Oliver injured his hammy and missed the rest of the game (but still picked up 2 coaches votes and was leading the AFLCA award), 7 points to Freo who ended up 15th, 2 points to the Giants in one of the worst matches I’ve ever watched, and then that horrendous Carlton loss. Pretty sure we won all of those on ‘expected score’ too. Then Gather Round, the Lions loss by 11 sans Max and lost to the Cats at Kardinia Park by 15 when they were coming off having lost four of their previous five games inc losses to Richmond and Freo plus GWS at home.

Regained form and won 7 of our last 8 (which was a pre-finals better form line than any other top 8 side except Carlton) inc beating the finals bound Saints and Swans away and Brisbane and then crashed out in straight sets.

Horrific season.

 

[mrmonkey]

It’s not even just that we won 16 games. Four losses by under 8 points inc 4 points to Port in a 1v2 clash where we were leading by 17 with a few minutes to go in the third before Oliver injured his hammy and missed the rest of the game (but still picked up 2 coaches votes and was leading the AFLCA award), 7 points to Freo who ended up 15th, 2 points to the Giants in one of the worst matches I’ve ever watched, and then that horrendous Carlton loss. Pretty sure we won all of those on ‘expected score’ too. Then Gather Round, the Lions loss by 11 sans Max and lost to the Cats at Kardinia Park by 15 when they were coming off having lost four of their previous five games inc losses to Richmond and Freo plus GWS at home.

Regained form and won 7 of our last 8 (which was a pre-finals better form line than any other top 8 side except Carlton) inc beating the finals bound Saints and Swans away and Brisbane and then crashed out in straight sets.

Horrific season.

Yeah it's the way we were winning and losing which made in frustrating. Losing those close games when we clearly dominated everywhere except the scoreboard. The Carlton semi pretty much summed it up, losing a game which should have been a comfortable win.

 

[Lord Nev]

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Like guitars.

 

[MarcMaverick]

Heffernan-Moorcroft Cup.

Or the Hibberd-Melksham Cup.