Darren’s Review – Things Could Be Worse
Last Week – Things Could Be Worse
Things could be worse. Yes we are officially the first foundation team from the VFL/AFL to be 18th on the ladder but things could really be worse. You could, for instance:
- Follow Manchester United – who had the EPL premiership ripped from their grasp with essentially the last kick of the season.
- You could play for the Genoa football club, an Italian professional team, who in the midst of a bitter struggle to starve off relegation, recently lost 4 -1 which then resulted in their fans jumping a perspex fence and chasing their players around the pitch demanding that the remove their shirts as they didn’t believe they were fit to wear them.
- You could be a Greek politician trying to hold their fragile economy in one piece.
- You could be on the board of JP Morgan Chase wondering where on earth $2 billion went.
- You could be Nicolas Sarcozy, a man clearly punching above his playing weight, who has just been booted out of the French Presidency.
- You could be Jason Akermanis – who….well is Jason Akermanis.
So could things could be much worse than being a Melbourne supporter right now. On the big stage of Friday night football it is fair to say that the boys would be mightily disappointed with their efforts. We certainly took a backward step after making some considerable improvements over the previous weeks. Once again Mitch Clark could hold his head up high with 3 first quarter goals. He truly has been a leading light for the club this year – heaven knows where we would be getting our goals without him! Nathan Jones is another who I keep mentioning week in week out and again he played well against the Hawks leading our disposal count. The fact that he was the only Demon player on the night to win over 20 possessions (he had 21) says a lot about our performance. (As a comparison the Hawks had 12 players accumulate 20 possessions or more). You aren’t going to win too many games with statistics like that!
This Week
So we move onto this weekend and it is the Swannies in the Indigenous round. This week they are celebrating 30 years since the Swans first played at the SCG – a game incidentally that I went to all those years ago. We lost that day but this week the Swans have some injury concerns and I am certain that Neeld and his crew will have the boys totally fired up and it is sure to be a cracking game.
Go Dees
Comparisons make life simple
Last week
People like comparisons. They make life simple – they make – well – comparing things easy. So here is a comparison for you. Game for game versus last year’s premiers’ we are a 143 point better side this year. Yes I know all you spoil sports out there will point at all the fallacies in my argument like how half the team this year is completely different and the coaching department is almost totally new but the facts remain the same – yes we didn’t win but we continued to move positively in the right direction last week and, let’s be honest, we can’t ask more than continuous improvement week in week out.
Besides not getting wiped off the planet like last season there were other positives that came out of the game on Saturday. For the first time this year, and against one of the toughest competitors, we came out in front on contested possession. Contested possession is one of the key barometers to success and this is a huge plus for us and something we can continue to build on over the course of the year. There were also some very good players on the day and let’s look at some of them.
I have to start with MITCH CLARK. 4 goals on return after nearly capitating himself is fantastic in anyone’s book. He continues to lead (metaphorically and literally) on the ground and I really can’t extol his virtues enough so far this year.
CALE MORTON – Cale is often maligned with the Melbourne faithful but his return to the side this year has seen him in perhaps the best form of his career. On the weekend he collected 20 possessions and was easily in our best players in my opinion.
CHIPPA FRAWLEY – Just how good is this bloke? Tom Hawkins has been eating first class defenders for breakfast since last years’ grand final and to keep him to 1 goal on the afternoon and pick up 19 possessions himself was a great effort.
Whilst starting on the bench caused more than a murmur amongst some commentators, our 2 skippers both played great games topping the stats list for our boys.
Special mentions this week to some all familiar regulars in this report this year. HOUNDING HOWE – took his obligatory hanger on Saturday and worked hard all day. TOM ‘RONALD’ MCDONALD continued to impress and lay claims to a permanent spot in our defence. Finally NATHAN JONES – he battled hard all day, hit the scoreboard again with 2 goals and continues to provide enormous drive through our midfield.
This week
This week we are on the big stage….Friday night football is back for the might Demons and it is another tough one – this time against the Hawks. I am certainly looking forward to this game and will watch with anticipatory hope that we continue our improvement and you never know – we just may sneak away with a win.
And next week
Before the Melbourne v Sydney game join us for our Sydney Match Day Lunch with Special Guests Neil Craig, Josh Mahoney, Chris Connolly and Max Gawn. The NSW Demons Match Day Lunch is at the Bavarian Bier Café, Moore Park on Saturday 19 May from 12 noon to 3.30pm.
Bookings are essential and can be made at http://www.trybooking.com/BJOJ
Go Dees
Darren Spence
Sydney Match Day Lunch Special Guests Neil Craig, Josh Mahoney, Chris Connolly and Max Gawn
We will be joined by Chris Connolly who will MC the event and guest speakers MFC coaches, Neil Craig and Josh Mahoney and exciting young ruckman Max Gawn.
Bookings are essential and can be made at http://www.trybooking.com/BJOJ
WHERE: Bavarian Bier Café, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
TIME: 12.00 noon
COST: $60 for adults (includes a 2 course meal), $30 for children under 12
Get up close and personal with players and coaches of the MFC whilst enjoying a meal and some drinks before the Swans game with die hard Demons supporters. An autographed MFC jumper will be raffled on the day along with other prizes.
Q&A – send in questions that you would like answered. We will make a selection of the questions most people want answered and also the most interesting! You will need to be at the lunch to hear the answers!
For more information contact Sally Trevena on 0409 783 318 or sally@nswdemons.com
Are you one of us?
Are you one of us who bleeds red and blue?
Are you one of us who can’t get enough of the mighty Demons?
Are you one of us who would love to be able to catch up with board members and coaches of the Melbourne Football Club and find out the inside story of the club we love and be able to ask the questions you always wanted to ask?
Are you one of us who have always wanted to be able to be on the ground and hold the banner when the Demons run out rubbing shoulders with your idols?
Are you one of us who would love to meet up and chat with fellow Demon tragics?
Are you one of us?
If you are one of us then join us in an extremely limited and exclusive opportunity.
Get up close and personal with current board members and coaches of the MFC – the inner sanctum of the Club, get the unique chance to hold the banner as the Demons run out against the Swans and get the chance to win some other fabulous prizes whilst enjoying a meal and some drinks before the Swans game with die hard Demons supporters.
If you are one of us then join us before the Swans game in Sydney on Saturday 19 May 2012
WHERE: Bavarian Bier Café, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
TIME: 11.00am
COST: $60 for adults (includes a 2 course meal), $30 for children under 12
Bookings can be made:
Online at: http://www.trybooking.com/BJOJ
Or
Email to sally@nswdemons.com with your contact details and the number of tickets required and:
*EFT to NSW Demons Sydney, BSB – 112879, Acct No – 474 608 270 (For Payee reference please include your name); or
*Cheque to: Treasurer, NSW Demons Sydney, PO Box 349, Camperdown, NSW 1450
This opportunity is extremely limited to a set number of people and is bound to sell out so if you are one of us make sure you join us.
For more information please contact Sally Trevena on 0409 783 318 or sally@nswdemons.com or go to Events on our website www.nswdemons.com
This week
We welcome back Co-Captain Jack Grimes and the enigmatic Colin Sylvia for the game against St Kilda at the MCG
Making way this week is Mitch Clark, out after suffering concussion in last week’s game against Footscray and Luke Tapscott, who is now an emergency along with forward Ricky Petterd and tall Jack Fitzpatrick.
The team
B: James Frawley, Jared Rivers, Clint Bartram
HB: Cale Morton, Colin Garland, Jack Grimes
C: Jordie McKenzie, Brent Moloney, Tom McDonald
HF: Nathan Jones, James Sellar, Jeremy Howe
F: Colin Sylvia, Lynden Dunn, Aaron Davey
FOLL: Mark Jamar, James Magner, Jack Trengove
I/C: Matthew Bate, Joel Macdonald, Jack Watts, Rohan Bail
EMG: Ricky Petterd, Luke Tapscott, Jack Fitzpatrick
Enjoy the weekend and Go Dees!
What 11 Minutes?
What Did Happen?
What did happen in that 11 minutes in the 3rd quarter against Richmond. Find out the answers to that question and to all your other questions at the Match Day Brunch in Sydney on Saturday 19 May 2012. See details on the Events page.
Melbourne v Richmond Review – Darren Spence
Albert Einstein was once quoted as saying ‘All models are flawed….but some are useful’. This sentiment must be ringing in the Melbourne brains trust as we continue to suffer the pain of implementing a new game plan suited to AFL football in 2012. The anticipatory hope of a Demons win was quickly snuffed out with another poor 3rd quarter on the weekend. Our insipid performances after the main break is becoming a worrying trend for the club and simply cannot be put down to implementing new structures and game plan etc…I don’t know the answer – perhaps Albert does? What you don’t need Einstein to figure out is that Neeld is going to keep repeating statements iterating that implementing a new model will take time and he is bang on in what he is saying. In the immortal words of Bon Jovi ‘We gotta keep the faith’.
Let’s look back and there were still some positives we can draw from the game.
I was Hounding Howe last year and I will happily do it again this year as he punched out a career high 24 possessions, kicked 2 goals and took 12 marks against the Tiges. He really seems to be relishing his rotating role in the midfield and is showing us all that on top of his already burgeoning bag of tricks he has a great engine to boot. This guy has still yet to play 20 games for the club and he is definitely a player all Demons fans can get excited about. Chippa Frawley is back to All Australian form in my opinion and on the weekend he completely shut out the dangerous Riewoldt. Jordie Mac is another that can hold his head up high as I thought he did a fantastic job (especially in the first half) on Trent Cotchin.
In the absence of Beamer and Sylvia in the midfield, Nathan Jones continues to show why he is in our leadership group with another terrific game on the weekend. He is hard at it, his disposal efficiency has improved over recent years and from a guy that was dropped from the side not that too long ago he really has taken his game to a new level and is now one of the most important players at the club. Other honorable mentions this week to Mitch Clark – who provided a contest all day and kicked 2 goals and Jack Watts who continues to improve and took 9 marks.
Follow us on twitter
Join our facebook group