Round 7 – Melbourne V Hawthorn

Liam Chambers

Hawthorn gave Melbourne one of their toughest games last season and with a Covid depleted side, this round would be no picnic.

The Hawks struck early when Jacob Koschitzke marked and scored from 50m out. The veteran Luke Breust made it two unanswered after some uncharacteristic errors and fumbles from the Demons. Breust had another chance shortly afterwards but miskicked for a behind. Watching from isolation, Simon Goodwin would have been a little tense though ultimately confident his side would come good.

Hawthorn had a few more minor scores before Bayley Fritsch stepped up and slotted the Dees’ first. A few minutes later though and the Hawks pulled away again when Connor MacDonald collected a tap down to snap the visitors’ third.

Melbourne’s second came after Christian Petracca kicked a perfectly placed ball to Tom McDonald. The big man went back to kick straight and true. Toby Bedford, so long the spectator, was having a good game. His ground work was excellent but he had yet to kick a goal in the top flight. That changed after Fritsch placed a kick to a spot 35m in front of goal and Bedford ran out to mark it, just above ground level. His conversion caused an avalanche of Dees to descend on the young forward and there was much rejoicing.

With the margin waver thin, the fans knew they had a game on their hands at the beginning of the second term. The match restarted at a frenetic pace with Melbourne determined to add a few more goals.

James Harmes thought he’d score a brilliant individual effort after scooping a tap down, then fending off an attack and launching a bullet off the outside of his boot. Tom McDonald turned party pooper when he marked the ball just before it crossed the line. When later told T Mac owed him a drink, Harmes quipped “he wouldn’t shout if a shark bit him”.

It’s becoming a tradition that Max Gawn scores a long range goal every game now. He duly obliged after marking on the 50m line. Dylan Moore responded when his own 50m shot connected. The Hawks added a couple of minor scores before ex Demon Sam Frost took Ben Brown in a high tackle. Brown kick around the corner and the lead was back out to ten points.

The tall forward had two in a minute when Toby Bedford crumbed the ball while running full pelt, then passed it to Tom McDonald who passed it to Brown. The ball flew low and straight into the waiting goal.

With the match threatening to get away from Hawthorn, they went at Melbourne even harder, culminating in a free kick for Jacob Koschitzke. The key forward converted for his second. With the gap again back to ten points, the Hawks kept pressing. It seems like every team raises their game when facing the Dees but Hawthorn remembered how close they came last year and were well up for the fight.

Only leading by nine points at half time, Melbourne would need to play their best footy if they were to avert an upset. When Jacob Koschitzke marked 40m out and directly in front, the Hawks had the faithful believing.

Now Melbourne were under immense pressure but managed to break away to reach their forward fifty where Tom McDonald marked but was unable to convert. Ben Brown had a chance a few minutes later when Sam Frost chopped his arm going for the mark. Brown had his third and the Dees added to the daylight between themselves and the Hawks. Then Max Gawn took another mark just inside 50 and kicked his second.

Just as it looked like Melbourne was accelerating off into the distance, Hawthorn clawed one back. This time it was Chad Wingard who scored from 40m in front.
The villain of the afternoon Sam Frost gave away another free kick. Again it was Ben Brown who was the victim and beneficiary. Brown was felled 20m from goal and it was an easy conversion for his fourth goal which extended the lead to fifteen.

A classic passage of play from the Demons then stretched it further. Tom McDonald calmly kept the ball inside the boundary line, then kicked a bouncer to Jake Melksham who hand passed to Toby Bedford. Bedford sped up and kicked cleanly from 30m.

With the Dees finally nullifying Hawthorn’s attacks, they got the ball inside 50, where Sam Weideman took the perfect contested mark. Weideman went back and kicked Melbourne’s twelfth goal of the night. When you’re on a roll, everything seems possible. Certainly the way, first Fritsch then Luke Dunstan kept the ball inside the boundary line looked confoundedly easy. Dunstan’s acrobatic hand pass to Christian Petracca allowed the midfielder to duck and weave before launching a torpedo through the posts.

Trailing by thirty three points approaching three quarter time, a lesser team would have struggled to believe. The Hawks are chasers though and when Jaeger O’Meara chipped into the goal, the door was still open.

A five goal lead is a nice buffer but Melbourne would still need to be at their best in the final term. When Tom Mitchell was deemed held 20m to the left of goal, it was a case of thank you very much and the lead was cut to twenty two points. The Dees could have put the game beyond reach at the half way mark but Charlie Spargo just missed and Clayton Oliver hit the upright.

When James Worpel’s mighty running kick from 50m went through, the previous high lead had been cut in half. Just three goals separated the teams. Demon fans everywhere had run out of fingers and started on their toenails. The players themselves would have been bit a bit shaken too. Even Fritsch and Brown couldn’t steady nerves with their late shots on goal.

Hawthorn never relented and with fifteen seconds to go, Jacob Koschitzke marked just outside the square and kicked his fourth.

All in all a very good result considering how well the Hawks have performed this year and how many of Melbourne’s important players were missing.

Next week it’s St Kilda. The Saints are a contender for finals and may well end up in the top four. We welcome back Luke Jackson, along with Pickett, Sparrow, Petty and Neal-Bullen. Something tells me we will need everyone of them to be in top shape to overcome St Kilda. We can if we believe we can.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Watch Toby Bedford’s First Two AFL Goals – Round 7, 2022 here

Round 6 – Richmond V Melbourne

Liam Chambers

The three time premiers take on the the reigning premiers! Richmond have started strongly in all games this season but then struggled to maintain the rage for four quarters.

Unsurprisingly, the Tigers took an early lead when Shai Bolton’s set shot went through. Richmond continued to mark and control the ball well but Melbourne absorbed the pressure. Ben Brown had a chance from just inside 50 but his kick veered left before the ball was taken on the line by Max Gawn. The line Umpire called a behind but the reviewed ruled that the ball was marked. A surprised Gawny ran back but was unable to convert.

Due to a communication breakdown, it was Tom Lynch who kick the Tigers’ second for a ten point lead. The Dees were seeing a lot of the ball and spending some quality time in their forward half but their finishing was inaccurate.

Finally Ben Brown came to the party and slotted a set shot with less than a minute remaining on the clock. As often happens in Demonland, one goal quickly leads to another. Sam Weideman dribbled one in, just shy of the siren. There was a review as the Umpire suspected some ball on ball contact, but the goal stood.

The second quarter was an evenly matched affair with both sides going hard but creating few chances. Melbourne had the better opportunities, however the goal stubbornly refused to yield. By the half way mark, the Dees were the more dominant team yet continued to rack up only minor scores. Charlie Spargo was able to break the deadlock when he played on to advantage after Bayley Fritsch was deemed held in front of goal.

Jack Graham got one back for the Tigers with his 40m set shot but Melbourne missed a chance for a quick response when Spargo’s attempt swerved wide. Jack Riewoldt made it a three point game when his conversion from deep in the pocket hit the target. It was still a three point game but in Richmond’s favour, when Liam Baker collected the stoppage ball and snapped a goal.

Going into the second half, the Dees needed to improved their efficiency in front of goal. Unfortunately, it didn’t start well. Tom Lynch was on the receiving end of a Melbourne hand pass and duly kicked his second. Alex Neal-Bullen had a 45 degree kick from 30m out but he pushed it left. It was looking a tad ominous for Melbourne but like Tom Petty, they wouldn’t back down.

Sam Weideman helped steady the ship and some nervous fans, when he kicked straight from 35m. Unfortunately, it didn’t stem the flow of near misses from the Dees and it was fifteen behinds when Tom Sparrow opted to play on rather than go back for a set shot.

It shows the strength, depth and belief of the current Melbourne side that they were able to put those setbacks to one side and focus on overcoming the odds. There was no doubt that the Dees were on top of the game; it was just that their dominance was not being reflected on the scoreboard. Then the third quarter magic kicked in.

Ed Langdon placed one between the uprights to take back the lead and it proved to be the turning point. The Demons had basically taken up residency in their forward 50 and now they were getting the rewards. Bayley Fritsch continued the ball rolling when he snapped from 20m.

The third term has seen Melbourne play their best footy this season. Now they were pinning the Tigers down and making them pay. Fritsch got back to back majors when he marked a Kysaiah Pickett kick just outside the goal square. Then he marked again in the pocket but passed to Christian Petracca, who turned and snapped from 10m out.

Jack Riewoldt stemmed the tide momentarily with his banana kick from the pocket. Neither side could recapture the momentum before three quarter time though and it was set up for an exciting final term.

The first goal of the fourth quarter was spectacular. Clayton Oliver’s kick targeting Bayley Fritsch was tapped down and landed in Sam Weideman’s hands. Weideman struck it with his left boot sending the ball skywards while falling on his back. The ball came down between the posts and just crossed the line.

Daniel Rioli produced a beauty at the other end when his running kick from 50m never looked like missing.

With the final score at 54-76 in Melbourne’s favour, it was a good result.

Congrats to Jayden Hunt on 100th game! Next round it’s the Hawks. Should be be a blinder.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Joe Pearce – Melbourne Footballer and Fallen Gallipoli Soldier

Nigel Dawe

I wouldn’t readily call myself a creature of habit, knockabout with intermittent bouts of adherence to routine would be more in line with how I get through my days.

But that said, each and every ANZAC day I unfailingly make a point of listening to ‘The Pogues’ version of Eric Bogle’s 1971 classic ‘The Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ all whilst having a quiet, reflective ale.

Without exception each year one man comes clear to mind through the revering mist of deep respect and remembrance – this year Arthur Mueller ‘Joe’ Pearce.

A Melbourne stalwart and the first VFL footballer (along with 22 of his mates from the 7th Battalion) to lose his life during the twilight mayhem of the Gallipoli landings of 25thApril, 1915. All 23 soldiers, including our gallant Joe Pearce, who was only 30-years old at the time, were buried on that blood-stained beach of ANZAC Cove.

As a player, the number 19 wearing Joe Pearce (who played a then club record 152 games between 1904-13) was a bustling and formidable full-back that also refused any form of match payment. Gifted and by all accounts as fair as they come (in his spare time Joe was even a Sunday school superintendent) but none other than Collingwood’s Dick Lee – the Buddy Franklin of his day, once referred to Pearce as ‘clearly my best opponent.’

A cousin of the future Melbourne icon – Jack Mueller; when the club gave Joe Pearce a send-off before he left for the war, Pearce is known to have graciously said: “I have thought this thing over and I have considered it every way. I am young, strong, healthy and athletic and I think I ought to go, and if I don’t come back, well, it won’t much matter.”

But to this day, I believe Joe’s legacy matters immensely. Some two months after his passing at Gallipoli in 1915, Melbourne wore black armbands for a match against Essendon in his honour. A match that resulted in a truly fitting 19-point win (that being Joe’s old guernsey number) after the side came from behind following a burst of four inspired goals late in the final term.

Some years ago, I wrote about getting hold of an original 1909 Melbourne team photo, it has since become one of my most prized possessions: primarily because of the fact that a pensive Joe Pearce looms like a beacon at the far right in the very back row.

Upon closer inspection, Joe is the only member of that entire team to be gazing away from the camera. He is seemingly drawn by the spectre of a destiny that would not only see him die young, but in such a way that he’d never grow old – remaining of eternal inspiration to all in the Melbourne fold.

To Joe Pearce and the other 8,708 Australian soldiers that gave their lives at Gallipoli all those years ago – Thank you, and Lest We Forget.

The Pogues – The band played waltzing matilda

Round 5 – Melbourne V GWS

Liam Chambers

The Dees were back on home soil after last week’s trip down south. Looking to maintain their clean sheet, Melbourne would have been only too aware that the Giants were capable of causing an upset.

Having said that, the Dees looked very comfortable from the start. When Bayley Fritsch marked on the 50m line, he showed great vision in spotting Christian Petracca running into clear space. Fritsch’s kick was perfectly timed to reach Tracca as he approach the goal square. It was then just a matter of collecting the ball and tapping it across the line.

Kysaiah Pickett hasn’t seen a lot of the footy in his last two outings but he easily marked Clayton Oliver’s kick. The ensuing set shot from the pocket was flawlessly executed and the Dees were two up.

With the Dees’ defence set up so well, GWS’s kicks to inside 50 were continually intercepted. When the Giants tried to run it in, Melbourne out tackled them. Finally ex Dee Jesse Hogan had a chance with a free kick from the pocket. His shot ricocheted off the post. After that kick, the Giants kept coming back but Melbourne was content to defend, conserving their energy and waiting for an opportunity to present itself.

It didn’t take long long as Kozzie Pickett got his second after marking a Fritsch kick. His 30m set shot hit the spot. Melbourne won the clearance and the ball was back in their forward 50 where Fritsch was awarded a free when deemed clipped as he went for a mark. The set shot from a tight angle favoured his left foot and it was four in a row for the Dees.

After Port Adelaide was held goalless for the first half last week, GWS would have been keen to avoid the same fate. They wanted the opening goal of the quarter but it was Melbourne who struck first. The increasingly reliable Max Gawn kicked a set shot from the 50m line. Goal a game Gawny seems to have left his days of near misses behind him.

Much to the relief of the travelling fans, the Giants finally got their first goal. Harry Himmelberg gathered up the ground ball near the square, spun on his axis, kicked round the corner and watch it fly through the uprights. Having claimed their first major, GWS was eager for more.

Melbourne had other ideas and Ed Langdon had two set shots in quick succession. The first, from a difficult angle, sailed behind. The second was more straightforward but bizarrely the Umpire called “play on” as he was running up to take the kick. Langdon’s kick veered widely to the left, missing everything. The equivalent of coughing loudly when your opponent is taking a golf putt?

Then it was back to back goals for the Giants when Stephen Coniglio kicked a 50m set shot, reducing the margin to fourteen points.

When Christian Petracca launched an impossibly high kick from the 50m line, he put the perfect bend on the ball to ensure it sailed beautifully through the uprights. It should have been a contender for goal of the year but was disallowed due to a push in the back by Ed Langdon on a Giant’s player.

I’ve watched the footage several times and the push was at best a finger tips contact. Also, it made no difference in assisting the goal. Still rules are rules and you could convincingly argue that the intent was there. I would add though that Ed Langdon could also argue that the Umpire has a grudge against him. Allegedly.

A few minutes later and the Dees showed why they work so well as a team when the ball was passed twice between potential goal scorers, before Luke Jackson basically walked it in and the advantage was stretched to nineteen points.

Just before half time, Jesse Hogan got one back against his old team when he slotted GWS’s third of the quarter. The second half was looming as a tight competition.

Appearances can be deceptive though and the Dees were on the scoreboard within of the first minute of the bounce. James Jordan’s kick from 40m deep in the pocket looked effortless. Christian Petracca added to the advantage when he collected a dropped mark and kicked for goal while being tackled.

The Giants then had an easy goal. Bobby Hill was taken high just inside 50; he was also awarded a 50m penalty when the Umpire’s decision was questioned. Rules are rules. After the bounce, GWS gained some territory but Melbourne’s defence deflected it back.

Pickett marked before going for a run. He kicked it to Alex Neal-Bullen and kept running, collecting the dropped mark on his way through. He launched a kick form 40m and sealed the deal while notching up his hat trick.

It was two in ten seconds when Charlie Spargo crumbed the ball from a tap down, then passed it to Neal-Bullen who snapped it through. Another minute and Max Gawn took clean possession in a stoppage before turning and kicking his second. Gawny rose up from the ground like a footy messiah to receive the high fives of his teammates.

It wasn’t all one way traffic though and GWS hit back when Matt Flynn took a mark and scored from 40m out. The Giants went in hard again after the bounce but Melbourne were able to wriggle clear and were away up the field. Fritsch marked just inside 50 and went back to convert. Jack Viney made it a forty nine point game when his tap in from 10m just missed being touched.

Jake Bowey took it to greater heights with his intercept mark and run on kick from 50m, which also hit the bullseye. Just before the end of the term, Sam Weiderman took a mark 25m from goal. His set shot right on the siren brought up the century for Melbourne.

With a lead of sixty two points, the Dees had the game in the bag but they still played like a team protecting a much tighter margin. Their work rate was epitomised by Tom Sparrow’s chase down of the ball as it was rolling towards the line. His last second contact directed the sherrin to Bayley Fritsch which allowed the forward to pick up the ball and tap a goal.

The Giants pushed on, desperate to get more majors on the board but their efforts were continually frustrated. Instead it was the Demons again when Fritsch took another mark 30m from goal. Another bounce, another clearance and another incursion inside 50 where Charlie Spargo received a hand pass and kicked number nineteen for Melbourne.

Belatedly, Bobby Hill clawed one back for GWS when he snapped from 35m. Then, fittingly the first gamer Finn Callaghan made the most of his chance after receiving a hand pass with ninety seconds to go.

Next it’s Richmond, who’ve had a mixed season so far. They’ve yet to roar like the Tigers of recent years but it would be imprudent to take them lightly.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Grand Final – Adelaide V Melbourne

Liam Chambers

Going into their first Grand Final as underdogs, the odds were very much against a Melbourne victory. Adelaide had the advantage of a home game plus the experience of three previous finals and being crowned premiers twice. That experience would prove pivotal, as would having the best defence in the competition.

The Demons were understandably nervous and started warily. The Crows were more confident and it showed in their marking and kicking efficiency. Despite Adelaide’s pressure in their forward 50, Melbourne’s back line up was holding tight. Tellingly though, the Crows were spending over three times more in their forward half than the Dees and eventually something would have to give.

The pressure paid off when Jasmyn Hewett marked the ball right next to the upright. She slotted and Adelaide had their first major. After the goal, the Dees started to make some inroads. There were half chances but the Crows defence pounced and tackled ferociously. Some dubious calls also favoured Adelaide, making it difficult for Melbourne to gain any momentum.

The woes continued for the Dees after the break. A series of dropped marks and turnovers threatened to gift Adelaide another goal but Melbourne somehow managed to hang on. Maddie Gay limped off injured but fortunately she was was able to return to the field once strapped up.

Melbourne did make headway towards their goal but Adelaide were much more determined and aggressive in their tackling, thereby limiting the Dees’ chances.
Then, while Melbourne was still to register a point on the scoreboard, the Crows struck again. Erin Phillips saw a half chance and gather the ground ball before chipping over the pack at the edge of the goal square. The ball luckily bounced the right way and crossed the line.

Now the margin was seventeen points and Melbourne needed to make some serious changes if they were going to avoid a shellacking. The Dees realised that they needed to be more aggressive and started to push deeper into their forward half. Tayla Harris was again the go to player inside 50. She attempted the mark but again she was surrounded by Adelaide’s defence.

With a minute to go to half time, Melbourne finally got a break. As the ball was being kicked between defenders, Alyssa Bannan stole an intercept mark and ran on into the waiting goal. The impact was instantaneous and the Dees lifted. Adelaide scrambled to claw one back before the siren, but Melbourne managed to hold them off.

It was still all to play for in the second half but it was the worst possible start for the Dees when Danielle Ponter marked right on the goal line. It was an easy conversion and the deficit was back to sixteen points.

Melbourne was marking and controlling the ball better but were still hesitant when they needed to move faster. The delays gave Adelaide plenty of time to set up behind the ball while the Dees looked around, considering their options.

Just when it looked like the Crows were going to continue their dominance, Melbourne had another breakthrough. A well targeted and weighted kick by Tayla Harris picked out Kate Hore deep inside 50. Hore marked and ran on, getting a kick away towards goal before being mowed down. The gap was back to ten points and the Dees were back in contention.

The goal energised Melbourne and within a minute, Tayla Harris had marked a Daisy Pearce kick. At 40m out, Harris opted not to try for goal, instead kicking to Karen Paxman. Paxman was a little closer but the 45 degree angle was a more difficult shot. Paxman made clean contact with the ball but her effort drifted right and only registered a minor score.

The Dees pressure continued to mount and they were causing Adelaide all sorts of problems. Melbourne made repeat incursions to their forwards 50 but were unable to finish due to the relentless tackling by the Crows’ defence. Lily Mithen had a set shot in front of goal late in the quarter but was unable to convert. Demon fans were left lamenting what could have been.

With the clock ticking Melbourne knew it was now or never as they ran out at the start of the last quarter. They were determined to not die wondering. Maddie Gay had a half chance from just inside 50 but the ball didn’t bounce back far enough and just missed the goal. A few minutes later and Gay had another half opportunity but that missed to the other side.

As so often happens, Adelaide absorbed all the Dees’ pressure before breaking out and racing up the field. Danielle Ponter took another mark just inside 50, then took the advantage to run on, take a bounce and launch a kick 20m from goal. The Crows were thirteen points ahead with only six minutes left to play.

Although Melbourne fought valiantly to the end, they were unable to notch any more points on the scoreboard and the final result was 29-16 in Adelaide’s favour.

It was a great experience for the Dees and they will have learned a good deal about what it takes to win a Grand Final. All Demon fans will be hoping that Daisy Pearce hangs around for one more effort.

Now that next season starts this August, maybe the AFLW legend and footy pioneer can be tempted to give the dice another roll?

Go the Mighty Dees!!!