PC2011/12RP From death - Melbourne FC 2013

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Match Preview: Round 8 - Port Adelaide vs Melbourne​

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This may not be your ideal Friday night classic with the two bottom sides of the competition being able to grab a prime time spot on the AFL calender, but this match is shaping up to be one of the matches of the season. Both of these sides have lost their opening 7 matches of the season and unless the circumstance of a draw which we know is highely unlikley this day in footy, one of these two sides will come away with their first win for 2013.

All the leads to the Power, as it's their home ground, but don't take anything away from the Demons. Considering they haven't won a match thus far this year, we have really seen improvement from the playing group. Only once this year against the Crows, have they really been blown out of the water with a 64 point thrashing last time they travelled to Aami Stadium. But the Demons really took it to the premiership sides in Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond, and even the Hawks last week when we have been used to seeing big losses for the Dees.

Both sides have made a few changes this week with Andrew Moore and Matt Thomas coming in for the injured duo Trengove and Butcher, while the Demons welcome back their number 1 big man Mark Jamar after a one match suspension, while Lynden Dunn has been re-called to the side due to his experience against a very in-experienced Power team. Rohan Bail and Joel Macdonald have been omitted from the side.​

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Demons finally crack first AFL win ​

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It's been a long time coming, but the Melbourne football have recorded their first win of the 2013 season with a win over the Power at Aami Stadium on Friday night. Starting the year with 7 straight losses, the Demons played their best 4 quarters of footy to knock over the Power 15.6.96 to 17.10.112

Not to many supporters travelled to Aami Stadium on Friday night, but the crowd of 33,153 saw two young teams go head to head for their first win of the year, but saw a more determined Demons outfit take the points. A sigh of relief from the Demon supporters and players after plenty of pressure was put on the playing group and coaching staff after a dismal start to the year.
Winning always gives the players confidence Melbourne coach Hayden Sumner said in his first winning press conference. "You can see the guys in the rooms, we've had to work hard but this win is just a small step in the big picture.

Chris Dawes showed plenty of leadership throughout the match and was a big help for the Demons to record their win. Dawes finished the match with 4 goals taking his tally to 23 for the year and is sitting in 12th position for the Coleman medal after round 8. Dawes has been great in his first year at the club Sumner said.."This is exactly why we recruited him. He brings leadership to the group and brings a big presence up forward and along with Mitch Clark, Jeremy Howe and Max Gawn we have plenty of options up forward, along with Jack Watts if we decide to swing him forward".

The night opened as a high scoring contest with both sides being able to get some free flowing footy happening and scoring 13 goals for the first quarter, while the Power controlled the second term, it was the Demons who came out firing in the second half. This is where we won the game, Sumner said. "We outscored them in the second half. The Power managed to kick 4 goals for the remainder of the game while the Demons piled on 10 goals in the second half to run out winners by 16 points.

The Power were well served by forward Jay Schultz who kicked 4 goals for the home side, while Kane Cornes has hit back with his best form picking up 29 touchers through the midfield.
Sam Blease played his best game for the Demons after being named sub in multiple games this season, Blease was given the freedom to roam through the midfield and finished with a career high 34 possessions and 8 inside 50's. Ex-Power David Rodan played a wonderful game against his old club racking up 32 touches and 5 clearances while Jeremy Howe played more game time in the midfield picking up 26 touches and finding plenty of ball in defense.

The win sees the Demons come off the bottom of the AFL ladder after recieving their first win and will take plenty of confidence into the match against Geelong who are also only sitting on 1 win for the year at the MCG next weeekend. Can it be 2 wins in 2 weeks for the Demons?

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Match Preview: Round 9- Melbourne vs Geelong​

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Round 9 is ahead of us and we head to the MCG for the clash between the Melbourne Demons and Geelong football club. Melbourne come off a very impressive win against the Power at Aami Stadium last weekend, their first win of season 2013, while the Cats have been very dissapointing this year also coming into this match win just 1 win for the year.

With the teams in their current position this match is shaping up to be a close contest, but just having a look at the Geelong side who are without skipper Joel Selwood for the remainder of the season with an ACL and ruckman Hamish McIntosh who is also out for the year with a knee reconstruction, they just look a lot more polished and settled then the Demons side.
Melbourne started to look like a structured side last weekend against the Power and played it's first 4 quarter game of the year. Hayden Sumner is starting to do some good things with the club, he has players interested and playing some good footy.

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J-Pod kicks 6, Johnson 4 and Hawkins 3 to down the Demons in AFL clash​

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A dominating effort from the Geelong forward line has seen them steam roll the Demons at the MCG on Sunday afternoon. The Cats after a very dissapointing start to the 2013 season seemed to have kicked back into gear with their win over the Demons. Missing their captain and sole of the club Joel Selwood, it has taken the Cats a long time to have gotten over the fact that they will be missing their captain for the season. But on Sunday afternoon in front of 34 thousand fans at the G, the Cats turned back the clock and looked like the dangerous football club we've come to know.

The Cats forwards combined well with some big goal tally's kicked. James Podsiadly was the best out of the lot, with a 6 goal haul taking his tally to 29 for the year. J-Pod really moved well inside the forward 50 tonight and played that stay at home forward and was too much for Colin Garland to handle. Steve Johnson who was moved through the midfield throughout the night, but played prodimantly in the forward half kicked 4 for the match whilst also having 22 possessions. And the Tomma-Hawk (Tom Hawkins) played as that lead up centre half forward kicked 3 goals for the match which took his total to 16 for the year also being very in-accurate with 16 behinds for the year as well.

The Cats run away with a 38 point victory to record their 2nd win of the year. It started in the first quarter and the Cats never looked back from there. They led at every change and really controlled the match. It was such a dominant display from the Cats that some of the numbers we saw recorded like this... Possessions: 236 to 462 Geelong's way. Uncontested marks: 39 to 62 Geelongs way. Tackles: 34 to 62 Geelongs way. Inside 50's: 31 to 57 Cats way.

Geelong's midfield has been on top all game and their experienced players really led the way. Jimmy Bartel and Paul Chapman were back to their absolute best with 39 and 38 possessions respectively. And the veterans of the club, James Kelly and Joel Corey combined off half back with 35 and 26 touches.
For the Demons youngster Sam Blease was again top of the club for the afternoon with 33 touches, while Jordie McKenzie and Jack Grimes continue their great seasons with 33 each. Jeremy Howe is starting to find plenty of time and ball through the midfield and up on the wing with another 26 possession game having to continue his game into the midfield with the likes of Gawn, Dawes and Clark all taking the forward 50 spots. Some of the Demons older players really had poor games against one of the best clubs in the game. Nathan Jones and Colin Sylvia two of the Demons top possession earners for the year only had 13 and 12 touches respectively, a great job done by the Cats shut down players.

Mark Jamar gave the Cats young rucks a big run around picking up 22 possessions, 5 un-contested marks and 32 hitouts to be one of the Demons best. Demon forward Chris Dawes kicked 3 goals for the evening and takes his season tally to 26 and sitting 9th for the coleman medal 12 goals behind Hawks superstar Buddy Franklin who has 38.

The win for the Cats is their second of the year with a win against the Blues at Etihad Stadium in round 4, while the Demons are struggling at the bottom of the ladder with just the one win to their name which was last weekend against the Power at Aami Stadium. Melbourne will travel to Paterson's stadium next weekend to take on the Eagles who are sitting in 3rd posititon with 7 wins 1 loss for the year.

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Round 9 Ladder​

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Melbourne leading stat getters​

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Disposals

1. Jack Grimes - 237
2. Colin Sylvia - 218
3. Nathan Jones - 203
4. David Rodan - 178
5. Sam Blease - 177​

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Marks
1. Mitch Clark - 88
2. Chris Dawes - 82
3. Nathan Jones - 80
4. Mark Jamar - 38
5. Jack Grimes - 38


Goals
1. Chris Dawes - 26
2. Aaron Davey - 12
3. Mitch Clark - 12
4. Max Gawn - 9
5. Jeremy Howe - 9


Clearances
1. Jack Grimes - 44
2. Colin Sylvia - 36
3. Nathan Jones - 28
4. David Rodan - 25
5. Rory Taggert - 23


Tackles
1. Colin Garland - 40
2. David Rodan - 40
3. Colin Sylvia - 34
4. Luke Tapscott - 33
5. Jack Grimes - 32


Rebounds
1. Jimmy Toumpas - 44
2. Colin Garland - 33
3. Luke Tapscott - 33
4. Daniel Nicholson - 23
5. Jack Watts - 20


Inside Fifty
1. Colin Sylvia -80
2. Nathan Jones - 40
3. Jack Grimes - 39
4. David Rodan - 37
5. Jordie McKenzie - 33
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Match Preview: Round 10 - West Coast vs Melbourne​

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We head to the west for the round 10 clash between West Coast and Melbourne at Patersons stadium on Saturday evening. This is the first time the Demons will travel to the west which is arguably the toughest road trip in the AFL.
Melbourne had a practice match in the pre-season competition over here just over 3 months ago and played really well against the Fremantle Dockers. This time though the 4 premiership points are up for grabs and with the Eagles sitting 4th on the AFL ladder after 9 rounds, this game is going to prove to be a tough battle for the struggling Demons.​

The Demons have only won the 1 match for the year with a win against the Power a fortnight ago at Aami Stadium and with a loss last weekend against Geelong the Demons have made 3 changes to the side this week. A few youngsters have been given the job this week with Rohan Bail who had 44 possessions last weekend in the VFL gets another opportunity as has Rory Taggert. Michael Evans has been named for his first match for the Demons in 2013. Evan's has had a good year with Casey in the VFL and finally gets his oppourtunity all be it getting the green vest.
Josh Tynan has been omitted from the side this week after a dissapointing match against the Cats only managing the 5 possessions and getting 2 goals for the game. Luke Tapscott has been an important defender for the Demons this year but has been suspended by the MRP for a kicking offense which took the whole AFL community by surprise, and Tapscott will miss the next 4 weeks through suspension. Shannon Byrnes is the third player missing from the side this week, Byrnes hasn't been up to the standard we know he can play and has been omitted from the side.

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Kennedy fires, as Eagles take a win in the west​

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West Coast have come out victors in their round 10 clash with the Melbourne Demons over the weekend, however not as comfortably as they would have liked. West Coast who sat in 4th position on the ladder before the clash had been huge favourites and we were looking at a 80-100 point win, but to the Demons credit, they have certainly changed from this time last year. Melbourne had been just 1 point behind going into the 4th quarter but they were out-played and out-coached in the dying minutes when the Eagles kicked the last 3 goals of the game to run out 22 point winners

A crowd of 36,484 certainly got their monies worth this afternoon when they would have thought they'd have a field day. Melbourne matched it with the Eagles throughout the whole day. They led the posssesions at the end of the game 358 to 339, they led the uncontested marks 60 to 49 and they even matched it with the AFL best ruck combo loosing the hitouts 39-34. With the win, the Eagles move to first on the AFL ladder with 8 wins and 1 loss while the Demons who have been competitve and shown great improvement are trailing on the bottom with just the 1 win.

Eagles forward Josh Kennedy had a field day this afternoon and was the single difference as to why the Eagles won the match with a 8 goal performance the best for his career. The Demons rolled through many players onto Kennedy, with Frawley, Garland and Watts all taking the job at some point but no one could stop the man mountain. The Eagles were well served through the midfield with plenty of players getting hands on the ball. Adam Selwood was back to his best with a 32 possession game, and Veteran Daniel Kerr finished with 27 touches and 8 tackles. Some of the Eagles youngsters Sam Butler (27) and Brad Dalziell (26) cemented their spot in this great Eagles midfield.

Colin Sylvia continues his great season being judged best afield for the Demons with 36 possessions, 6 tackles and 5 clearances while David Rodan (31), Jack Grimes (25) and Sam Blease (21) all were among the Demons best.
Mitch Clark found some goal kicking form only kicking 12 goals for the year managed to kick 5 goals this afternoon to take his tally to 17 after 10 rounds. Demons leading goal kicker Chris Dawes was relatively quiet only with the 8 possesions and 1 goal to take his tally to 27 and sitting in 14th spot for the Coleman Medal behind Nick Riewoldt who has 41 for the year.

It's been a real turn around for the Melbourne football club this year, even though they only have the one win next to their name this year, they have still competitive in all of their matches this season. The only blow out they had was earlier in the year when the Crows won by 64 points at Aami Stadium. Melbourne are looking to be heading in the right direction under coach Hayden Sumner and will take them a while to get a winning culture going. The Demons will take on the Blues next Saturday afternoon at the MCG, while the Blues are looking to sneak into the top 8 and a win against the Demons will see them head into the 8.

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Melbourne defender signs on for 3 years​

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Melbourne defender Colin Garland has given the Demons fans some good news after a dissapointing start to the year, with the defender singing with the club for a further 3 years. Garland has been one of the Demons best players this year and has really been rallying the defensive unit which is full of in-experienced players.
Garland who is 23 signed a 3 year deal which will see him at the club until his 26 and due to form will probably sign another few years after that to make him a one club player. Garland has played 50 AFL games and is at that moment in his AFL career where he needs to start stamping his mark on the game and in the side.

"I'm very excited to sign with this great club for another 3 years. I'm excited to be a part of the club's future. Clearly right now we aren't winning enough games that we'd like, but i have seen in just the first 10 games this year the improvement in the club. The results are speaking for themselves, last year we were smashed by good clubs by over 100 points but this year the only "smashing" we've had is the game in Adelaide at the begging of the year against the Crows"

"It's great to have Colin sign on with the club. He follows Chris Dawes in resinging with the club this year after Dawes signed on for 2 years earlier this year. We are excited about this young squad, and having both Dawes and Garland commit to the club will hopefully have players follow them. Yes times are tough at the moment, but just as Colin mentioned, the future looks bright for this club, and i'm happy with have Colin apart of that" Demons coach Sumner said. ​

 

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Match Preview: Round 11 - Carlton vs Melbourne​

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Carlton and Melbourne continue their season with a round 11 clash at the MCG on Sunday Afternoon. Carlton are fighting for a position in the 8 and a win over the Demons this weekend would get them a game closer to 8th position. Melbourne have come to the terms that the season is over for them after just 1 win in the first 10 games, but they won't go down without a fight and they will try and improve more and more over the remainder of the season. We have seen a lot of improvement already from the club, but they still have a long way to becoming a threat in the AFL again.

Both sides have made a few changes to their sides ahead of the match on Sunday. Carlton are going to be without exciting small forward Eddie Betts for the next 5 weeks as he injured his AC joint in a tackle against the Bulldogs last weekend. David Ellard has suprisingly been omitted from the side after having 27 possessions for the Blues last weeekend. Dennis Armfield and Kane Lucas have been recalled to the Senior side.

Melbourne have also made a couple of changes with veteran Shannon Byrnes coming back into the side after a small stint in the VFL last weekend. Joel Macdonald has been recalled to the side while James Strauss will play his first game of the year for the Dees. Rory Taggert, Lynden Dunn and Michael Evans have all been omitted from the side which lost to the Eagles last weekend.​

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Carlton have scored a big round 11 win against the Demons, smashing the Dees by 58 points in front of 35,254 at the MCG on Saturday afternoon. The Blues had a number of players in attack getting amongst the goals, while the Demons fell away for their second 50+ point thrashing for the year. The Blues spread the load around with a number of multiple goal scorers. Jeff Garlett, Shaun Hampson, Marc Murphy and Luke Mitchell all finished with 3 goals, while Matthew Watson, Bryce Gibbs and speedster Chris Yarran finished with 2 a-piece.

Carlton had the wood on the Demons early, kicking 11 goals to 8 in the first half, where the Demons looked quiet competitive, however it was the second half where the Blues put the foot on the gas and ran away with 12 goals to 5 in the second half. The Blues led in all parts of the ground, amassing 497 possessions to the Demons 194. 76 tackles to 33, 43 hitouts to 30 and 55 clearances to 20 for the Demons.
Chris Judd was back to his absolute best with a 37 possession game, and laid 7 tackles just to show that the old legs aren't done with yet. Bryce Gibbs along with his 2 goals had 34 possessions and captain Marc Murphy finished with 33 possessions and 3 goals.
Chris Yarran played mainly through the midfield and up on the wing and had a season best 28 touches along with his 2 goals, and youngster Kane Lucas was very promising throughout the night with 24 possessions and 5 clearances.

In what was a dismal afternoon for the Demons, David Rodan and Joel Macdonald found plenty of the ball with 23 possessions next to their names, with Macdonald laying a team high 7 tackles, captain Jack Grimes finished next best with 21 possessions, while defender Colin Garland who signed a 3 year deal throughout the week for the club finished with 20 possessions and laid 7 tackles.

This is the second game this season the Demons have crumbled for a 50+ point defeat, the first coming early in the season with a 64 point loss against the Adelaide Crows. The Demons have been fairly competitive in 2013 compared to last year under Mark Neeld, but tonight they looked to have took a step backwards and were completly out classed by a better football side. The loss now sees the Demons in last position on the ladder half way through the year with only the 1 win next to their name, while the win for the Blues sees them just a game outside of the 8 now, sitting in 10th position.

 

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Match Preview: Round 12 Sydney vs Melbourne​

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Sydney and Melbourne have had a big history in the game with this being the 200th time the sides have played against each other. In the past 199 meetings Sydney hold a lead in the wins winning 106 to the Demons 92 with only the 1 draw between them, with the Swans boosting a 53.27% winning streak.​

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However the Swans will be without their main ruckman in Shane Mumford who is out for the next 8 weeks, and also without forward Sam Reid from this match. The Swans come into this game winning the last 5 matches, with a 31 point win against the Blues, a 40 point win against the Lions, an 18 point win against the Saints and a hard fought 10 point win against the Western Bulldogs last weekend​

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Melbourne on the other hand come into this match with 3 consecutive losses, with the last 5 games looking like this. A 28 point loss against the Hawks, their first win for the year was an 16 point win against the Power at Aami Stadium. A 38 point loss against the Cats, a 22 point loss to the Eagles in Perth and a 58 point loss to the Blues last weekend.​

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Melbourne have made 2 changes to the side this weekend, with James Strauss and Daniel Nicholson both being omitted from the side, while Tom Gillies gets his first taste at footy for the Demons, while Rory Taggert has been recalled to the side. James Strauss (2 possessions) and Daniel Nicholson (6 possession) had both been down on form and will play in the VFL to gather some form. Luke Tapscott will sit this weekend out serving his second match of his suspension.​

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While the Swans have just made the one change to the side with Sam Reid who has suffered a case of osteitis pubis will miss the next 3 weeks possibly, and defender Nick Smith replacing him in the side. ​

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Swans rampant against helpless Demons​

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The Sydney Swans have stamped their claim of winning back to back premierships this season with a 48 point win against the Demons at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday afternoon. Sydney has claimed 5th position on the AFL Ladder after winning their 6th straight match, while the Demons are helpless on the bottom of the table.

33,886 turned up the SCG to see the reigning premiers in action and saw their prize new recruit Kurt Tippett kick a bag of goals, his second in 2 weeks. Tippett who came across in strange circumstances at the end of 2012 due to a contract breach from the Adelaide footy club, kicked 7 goals against the Western Bulldogs last weeekend, and this week against the Demons, Tippett continued his dominance with another 7 goal display. The 203cm giant now has kicked 33 goals for the season with 14 of those coming in the last 2 weeks, still 15 behind the leader Lance Franklin who has kicked 48 for the year.
The Swans were well served from their midfield this afternoon with veteran Ryan OKeefe picking up a game high 36 possessions and went forward to kick 2 goals, while youngster Nick Smith who came into the side for the injured Sam Reid picked up 26 possessions and had 5 clearances. Adam Goodes and Kurt Tippett proved a handful for James Frawley and Jack Watts kicking 9 goals between them and as we mentioned Tippett with 7. Tippett also finished with 22 possesions and 8 hitouts to be named the man of the match.

For the Demons it was another loss, their 11th for the year. Colin Sylvia continued his good form with a 33 possession game and 7 clearances, and after a dissapointing 2012 year under Mark Neeld, he is starting to really get the best out of himself. Jack Grimes was again very good with 30 possessions while Sam Blease is staking his claim in this dismal Melbourne side with a 30 possession game with 6 clearances. Melbourne just had too many players not contributing today with players like Frawley (6 possessions) Max Gawn (4 possessions), Joel Macdonald (4 possession) Shannon Byrnes (6 possessions) and Aaron Davey (6 possession) all having very bad afternoon for the club.

Mitch Clark topped the scorers for the Demons with 2 goals, as did David Rodan and first game for the Demons Tom Gillies finished with 14 possessions and 2 goals after some great form in the VFL. It's back to the drawing board again for the Demons this week after another loss, and the confidence in this young group is well and truly shot now. Next weekend they take on the Brisbane Lions who have also had a dissapointing year with only 2 wins to their name so that match should be a cracker and maybe a game the Demons can celebrate with a win.​

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Melbourne coach wants stronger bodies ​

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New Melbourne coach Hayden Sumner has found it tough in his first 12 matches at AFL level. In his first 12 matches in charge, Sumner and the Demons have only had the 1 win against Port Adelaide so far in the year, and this weekend will play the Brisbane Lions in a match they could see themselves winnning as the Lions have only won 2 matches in 2013.

Sumner has seen first hand what the list in like at the current time, and he has come out publicly this afternoon after training and said "We are after big bodies. More seasoned players. Now that could come through the trade period, or that could come through the draft. At this stage we will probably have a first pick in the top 5 in this years trade, and i just want clubs to know that we are open to trading that pick for a seasoned player".​

Sumner was asked what type of player he was after, and the coach had a numerous players he was interested in... "Yeah our management and recruiting team have been doing plenty behind the scenes already. We have approached players and their management already and we'll be making offers and doing our best to get those players to the club.

If you have a look at our list our forward line is capable. We have Chris Dawes and Mitch Clark as our full forward and centre half forward tandum. Aaron Davey and Shannon Byrnes who are both 28 year olds are getting on a bit, but are still both playing some good footy, so we'll be in the look out for some small forwards after Davey and Byrnes have retired in a few years time. Max Gawn who is playing forward for us has been good, and Jeremy Howe has had a pretty consistant year. So our forward half is in good condition at the moment.

Our weak point obviously is our defense. We'll be looking at getting some elite half back flankers in our side. I feel with Frawley, Watts and Garland we have our tall defenders for the next 7-8 years. But we just lack that class and speed from defense. Jimmy Toumpas has been very good for us this year coming off the half back flank, but the kid can't do it all himself, mind you he is in his first year. Luke Tapscott has been good until getting injured, but we see Luke more as a midfielder and we are building up his tank so we can play him more through the middle.
If we had someone like Shannon Hurn, or Ben Stratton, Matt Suckling or Bryce Gibbs coming off the half back line i think we'd be instantly better. We are just lacking those big bodies from the defense and elite kicking that most sides have. That is our weakness and during the off season we'll be in the hunt.

Our midfield i also feel may be lacking just the extra class. Nathan Jones and Colin Sylvia have both been in great for this year. Our 2 co-captains have been very good also, but it's that next core of players that have been letting us down. Sam Blease is stating to get plenty more of the ball, but we need guys like Rohan Bail, Rory Taggert and Josh Tynan to demand selection and start finding the ball at senior level.​

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A very honest review from the Senior coach this afternoon who has come out and said to rival clubs. We'll be after your guns, so either lock them up or loose them, because the Demons are going hard. ​

 

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Match Preview: Round 13 - Melbourne vs Brisbane​

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The Brisbane Lions head to the MCG this weekend to take on the Melbourne Demons in a bottom of the table clash. Melbourne who has only won the 1 match this season, and the Lions only winning 2 matches this year take on each other for maybe that number 1 draft pick.

Brisbane had a heart stopping loss last weekend against the Western Bulldogs going down to the Doggies just by the 1 point, while the Demons came up against the reigning premier in Sydney and lost by 48 points.

The Demons have been crushed throughout the week with captain Jack Grimes going down to a quad strain during the week at training and will miss the next month of footy, which is a big loss to the Demons as he was leading the possessions for the Demons throughout the year.
Also missing from the Demons line up this weekend is the talented Jeremy Howe who has been omitted from the side to gain form through the VFL. Josh Tynan and Dan Nicholson have been recalled to take on the Lions.

 

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Demons win in AFL thriller​

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The Melbourne Demons have secured their second win of the year with a heart stopping 1 point win against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG in front of 30,788 fans on Saturday afternoon.
The 20.8.(124) to 19.9.(123) win came on the back of a brilliant performance from Chris Dawes who kicked 8 goals in a dominant display up front. Dawes and ex-Lion Mitch Clark (who kicked 4 goals) provided too much for the Brisbane defense.

It was the big mans best return on the footy field, kicking 8 straight for the afternoon. At the end of the round, Chris Dawes sits 12th on the Coleman Medal table with 36 goals for the year.
The Lions battled hard all day and was right in the game for the entire match. The Demons kicked out of the blocks early jumping the Lions in the first quarter kicking 6.0 to 2.5. The Lions had plenty of opportunities but were wasteful in front of goal in what was a near perfect day for footy. The Lions shut down the game in the second quarter though only allowing the Dees with 1 goal in the 2nd term, while the Lions kicked 4.2 and trailed by 4 points heading into the half time break.

A high scoring affair from both sides provided plenty of entertainment for the 30 thousand that showed up this afternoon and with the third quarter both sides kicked 7.1 for the term. Chris Dawes as mentioned was providing plenty up forward for the Demons with 5 goals up until 3/4 time.
Colin Sylvia, Nathan Jones and David Rodan showed plenty of experience through the midfield for the Demons breaking even in the clearances 31 a piece. The Lions however were wasteful as they had plenty of ball inside their forward 50, but to the Demons credit, their backline stood firm after the ball was delivered inside on 47 occassions compared to the Demons with 35.
There were plenty of young Demons on display this afternoon and plenty of them showed heart and courage. Sam Blease finished with 22 possessions and 7 inside 50's, Rory Taggert finished with 19 touches and 5 clearances, and Rohan Bail who had been the sub on most occassions this year, dobbed the green vest and played a full game to finish with 19 possessions.

Brent Moloney played against his old side for the first time, but wasn't able to have the influence he would of liked, finishing with 15 possessions and 4 clearances, while Mitch Clark of the Dees also played against his old side, finishing with 11 possessions, 13 hitouts and 4.0
This win comes on the back off their win against the Power at Aami Stadium earlier in the year, and while it's not against a "top" team in the competition, it is certainly in the right direction for the Demons.

This second win will give the players confidence, and playing in a game which such a small result, it will be a massive learning curve for the young players and know they can put it together when the heat is on.
With the win, Melbourne now jump off the bottom of the ladder, with all 3 teams, Melbourne, Brisbane and Port Adelaide having 2 wins for the year, however out of the 3, Melbourne's percentage is greater. Melbourne have a tough task next weekend taking on the Saints who are fighting for a top 8 position currently sitting in 8th spot with a 6-6 record after 12 games.​

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Dangerfield and Cotchin on radar​

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Speaking to the media this afternoon, Demons coach Hayden Sumner has mentioned his team would benifit immensly with the likes of a Dangerfield or Trent Cotchin. Both are two up and coming stars of the game and the Demons would love to have them.

The two are the types of players that can build a franchise around. Patrick Dangerfield who currently sits 23rd in the AFL for possessions with 389 while Trent Cotchin sits 38th with 326. "We could certainly benifit from these two boys in our side, even just one and we could build a team around them." coach Sumner said.

Melbourne who are struggling will likely have a top 1-3 pick in the AFL trade come November said it's willing to trade it's pick for a experience player. Sumner hinted to the Crows and Richmond that players like Dangerfield and Cotchin were in his sights and to consider a trade for their early pick.
However both Richmond and the Crows have denied that both players are off the table when it comes to trading, saying both players are "off the table". ​

 

[bone2468]

Best story out there, if ya gonna get Patty Dangerfield play him on right half forward flank or on the right wing, he is a monster in those positions

 

[haydo]

Best story out there, if ya gonna get Patty Dangerfield play him on right half forward flank or on the right wing, he is a monster in those positions

It's going to be a big "if"
I've had some experiences trying to get Danger across in other seasons, but the Crows wouldn't have a bar of it. We even offered pick 4 and Col Sylvia but they still rejected haha

 

[haydo]

Match Preview: Round 14 - St.Kilda vs Melbourne​

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After a thrilling win against the Brisbane Lions last weekend, the Demons come into Round 14 full of confidence against a St.Kilda outfit. Melbourne picked up their 2nd win of the season under new coach Hayden Sumner, and playing with some real ferocity and determination. Most games throughout the year have been very competitive against the better clubs, and have picked up their wins against 2 struggling sides.

St.Kilda have won the past2 matches against the Lions by 63 points and against the Western Bulldogs by 22 points last weekend. The Saints will be looking for their midfield to give them first drive out of the midfield, with the likes of Hayes, Nick DalSanto and Leigh Montagna against the young and in-exeperienced bodies of the Demons.
St.Kilda will go into this match as clear favourites, but it's going to be interesting to see after the win last weekend, the Demons will be full of confidence and will give themselves every chance to win this contest.​

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[haydo]

Saints made to work for win against the Demons​

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St.Kilda has won their round 14 clash against the Melbourne Demons at Etihad Stadium, but found it hard with the Demons really applying plenty of pressure to the more experienced Saints outfit.

The 16.12.(108) to 12.10.(82) win was the 3rd consecutive win for the Saints after taking care of the Lions and Bulldogs in recent weeks.
After a win last weekend against the Lions, Melbourne came into this match full of confidence which they took into the first quarter against the Saints. Melbourne took it right up to the Saints trailing just by 8 points in the first quarter. But it was the experience of the Saints in the second term which was a bit too much, as the Saints kicked ahead with a 4.3 to 1.4 second term.

James Gwilt was just a general in defence for the Saints, finding plenty of the ball as Scott Watters used him as a spare in defence and every chance the Demons went inside 50, Gwilt was there to cut it off. The Demons went inside forward 50 on 39 occassions for 22 scoring shots which is a very good rate, while the Saints went in 56 times for a 28 scoring shots.

It was the Demons midfield who really shone this afternoon though, winning the clearances 41 to 31 in which the Saints are known for their midfield dominance. With players like Lenny Hayes, Nick DalSanto and Leigh Motagna in the middle, all seasoned and experienced bodies, but it was the Demons youngsters in Rory Taggert, Colin Sylvia, Nathan Jones and Jack Trengove all having plenty of the ball through the middle. Taggert finished with his best game for the Demons with 25 possessions, laying 7 tackles and 9 clearances, while Nathan Jones finished behind him with 22 possessions and 9 clearances. Sam Blease is starting to find himself in this Demons 22 with another performance with 18 possessions and 5 clearances himself.

As mentioned James Gwilt was best for the Saints with 37 touches and 5 inside 50's, David Armitage played arguably his best game for the Saints with 34 possessions, laying 6 tackles and 6 clearances. Nick DalSanto (30), Lenny Hayes (29) and Farren Ray were the Saints best.
Nick Riewoldt kicked 4 goals, while Beau Maister is starting to provide plenty up forward with a 3 goal performance.
The Demons found it hard to score, with midfielders Jack Trengove and Daniel Nicholson kicking 2 goals a piece, while Mitch Clark kicked 2 from his low 5 possessions. ​

The win for the Saints takes them to 8th position on the AFL ladder giving their finals aspirations a big boost winning 7 from 13 matches. The Demons who have won 2 matches for the year and on struggle street lumbering down the bottom of the ladder with Brisbane and Port Adelaide, 2 teams the Demons have defeated this season with 2 wins each.

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[bone2468]

It's going to be a big "if"
I've had some experiences trying to get Danger across in other seasons, but the Crows wouldn't have a bar of it. We even offered pick 4 and Col Sylvia but they still rejected haha

well if you cant get Dangerfield, get Mathew Wright from Adelaide, I just started my career as them hes a forward pocket and hes averaging 12 goals a game for me with 20 possys.

 

[haydo]

Match Preview: Round 15- Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs​

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The Western Bulldogs and Melbourne hit the MCG on Sunday evening for a round 15 clash. Going head to head, these two sides have played each other 153 times in the past with the Demons winning 83 of those contests with a 54.25% winning streak. ​

These two sides have only won the 6 games this year to date, with the Bulldogs winning 4 and the Demons 2. ​

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This contest at the MCG is turning out to be one of the games of the round. Melbourne will still be without their co-captain Jack Grimes for this match while the Bulldogs will miss Jason Tutt for the next 3 weeks.​

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2 changes to both sides this weekend, with the Demons having to make one forced change with midfielder Sam Blease having to miss the next month of footy with a suspected broken AC joint he suffered at training through the week, while forward Cam Pederson has been omitted from the side. In comes experienced pair Joel Macdonald and Lynden Dunn both being named on the interchange.​

The Bulldogs have also made a couple of changes with Jason Tutt missing from injury, while young defender Michael Talia will play in the VFL. Tom Young and Christian Howard have both be recalled to the side with impressive VFL form, both being named off the half back flank.​

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2 exciting young sides will be on display at the MCG on Sunday evening. A lot of young players will be on show as both sides will be desperate for the win.​

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[haydo]

Experienced Doggies lead the pups​

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Both sides fielded very young sides on the weekend, but it was the experience from the Senior Bulldogs which stood out in their 42 point win against the Demons at the MCG. ​

30,456 fans attended the game in what was just a bragging rights match as both sides were lumbering down the bottom end of the competition, but it was the work from Adam Cooney, Matthew Boyd, Will Minson and Daniel Giansiracusa that proved handy.​

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Adam Cooney who has been in Brownlow Medal winning form again this season was best on ground with a huge 40 possession game and also laying 7 tackles. The Bulldog who has had troubles in recent seasons with a knee injury, is finally playing some good football in which he is a huge chance to go close to winning another Brownlow. The captain Matthew Boyd got plenty of football for the Dogs with 38 possessions, with 20 of those coming in the last half of play in which the Bulldogs slammed on 11 goals to 4 in the second half. The Demons led at half time, keeping up with the Bulldogs but the 11.5 to 4.3 was led by Boyd and Cooney through the midfield. ​

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Bulldog youngster Jake Stringer was outstanding for his side, picking up 26 possessions, 6 clearances and kicking a goal, showing bright sparks for the Bulldogs future, while ruckman Will Minson was able to get forward and kick 3 goals. Robert Murphy and Daniel Giansiracusa who have played 409 games between them showed their experience by both kicking 3 goals apiece. New recruit Nick Lower and Jarrad Grant were able to sneak a couple home for the Dogs.​

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Chris Dawes continued his fine form for the Demons with a 19 possession game and also slotting home 4.1 for the evening taking his tally to 41.14 for the year. Dawes has really stepped up in a struggling side and been a shining light for the Demons this year. Young midfielder Rory Taggert was able to get forward and kick 3 goals himself, his best effort in his 11 game career. David Rodan was able to find plenty of the ball, as was Lynden Dunn who has been struggling to get into the side this year. Nathan Jones tried his heart out through the midfield picking up 26 touches along with an amazing 11 clearances, almost double to anyone else on the ground, while Colin Garland keeps finding plenty of the ball in the defensive 50 with 20 possessions, 6 tackles and 7 rebounds.​

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Both of these sides have struggled in 2013 in the first 15 games of the year, but the Bulldogs have taken their win tally to 5 for the year and sit in 13th position on the ladder, 3 games behind 8th spot. While the Demons are still stranded on those 2 wins, equal last but ahead on percentage above Port Adelaide who is one of the sides the Demons have beaten this year.​

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[haydo]

AFL Ladder Round 15​

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Melbourne lead stat getters​

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Disposals ​

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1. Colin Sylvia - 366 - Avg: 24.40​

2. Nathan Jones - 351 - Avg: 23.40​

3. David Rodan - 331 - Avg: 22.07​

4. Jack Grimes - 313 - Avg: 26.08​

5. Sam Blease - 287 - Avg: 22.08​

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Marks ​

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1. Mitch Clark - 91 - Avg: 6.07​

2. Chris Dawes - 78 - Avg: 8.00​

3. Nathan Jones - 72 - Avg: 4.80​

4. Jimmy Toumpas - 69 - Avg: 4.00​

5. Colin Sylvia - 61 - Avg: 4.00​

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Goals​

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1. Chris Dawes - 41 - Avg: 2.73​

2. Mitch Clark - 28 - Avg: 1.87​

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[haydo]

Match Preview: Round 16 - Fremantle vs Melbourne​

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Melbourne head to Patersons Stadium for their round 16 clash against the Ross Lyon coached Fremantle Dockers. The Dockers who are fighting for a top 8 position come up against a side who has been struggling throughout 2013 with only 2 wins, while the Dockers having won 7 matches and fighting teams like Carlton, St.Kilda and North Melbourne for a position in the 8.​

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Melbourne had travelled to Patersons Stadium back in round 10 against the Eagles and put up a very good display with a 18.11.(119) to 15.7.(97) loss to the Eagles. ​

However this time, the Demons have a greater task on their hand, taking on the Dockers who have had an up and down season winning last weekend against the Bulldogs by 2 points, but loosing the week before against the Saints by 4 points at Etihad Stadium.​

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After having a bye last weekend Melbourne would be refreshed while the Dockers had a hard fought win against the Bulldogs at home last weekend.

The Demons welcome back their co-captain Jack Grimes who comes back from injury, while the other co-captain Jack Trengove will miss the next 2 weeks through injury. Josh Tynan has been recalled to the senior side with a good week at Casey, while Lynden Dunn has been omitted from the side. Fremantle have made no changes to the side in which beat the Bulldogs last weekend ​

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