Melbourne v Collingwood – Rivalry in red, blue, black and white.

Nigel Dawe

According to Western folklore, the word ‘rival’ stems from the old Roman word ‘rivus’ (meaning stream, river, or water source) and by extension ‘rivalis’ meant “one who uses the same stream as another [for sustenance and survival].” In the same vein, some of the oldest definitions in English for the word and notion ‘rival’, denote it as “having the same pretensions or claims, holding the position of rivals… To stand in or enter into competition with another; to strive to equal or emulate.”

Which could not more encapsulate what the Collingwood Football Club has meant to the Melbourne Football Club since having first met ‘in earnest’ on the 19th of June in round 6 of season 1897. That day Melbourne came away 7-point victors, but that initial success was far from how things would pan out across the years.

As such, our record against the Magpies is the worst of any team we have played. In the 246 official encounters against Collingwood, the MFC have left the ground only 85 times with a ‘W’ in their win/loss column. But fascinatingly, and this is where the necessary friction and deep factional divides are required for a rivalry to take flame; Melbourne have the best record against Collingwood when it matters most – that being in the beautiful month of September.

Of the 23 times we’ve played Collingwood in a final, the Demons have won on 16 occasions and drawn once. That draw (in 1928, the first in a finals match, let alone in a Preliminary Final) signaled, albeit demarcated a point (and pardon the pun) of no return in the rift that still healthily exists between the two clubs.

That day, which was defined by scribes as being gale force to downright dangerous (with scraps of paper and debris of all kinds swirling about and above the MCG) ended in a draw that should’ve resulted in a one-point win to Melbourne. Incredibly, a point was awarded to Collingwood’s Bruce Andrew after the 3-quarter time siren. In his later years, Andrew embellished his version of events with the stipulation that the point was never awarded, but that’s the nature of research-based evidence, it does eventually catch up to what is said with regards to what actually takes place.

In itself it ‘wasn’t much’, but if that solitary point hadn’t been awarded in 1928, then Collingwood’s famous ‘Machine’ that won a record setting 4-premierships in row, from 1927 to 1930 would never have occurred. The following week, history shows that Collingwood won by 4-points, going on to then beat Richmond in the Grand Final. But luckily for the rest of the competition, Melbourne had also won the 1926 Grand Final against the ‘Pies, ensuring that we didn’t have to hear all about their potential 5-peat for the next hundred years.

And there’s the rub, rivalries aren’t concocted or manufactured overnight, and if they are – then they simply aren’t! True rivalries are built piece by piece and rivet by meticulous rivet, from the ground up, on a traded blow-for-blow basis; they evolve, take emotional shape and are constructed upon their own comparative, and collective accord. Parts equally equal the whole, as the whole more than equals its parts. That Norm Smith grew up following Collingwood, as did Christian Petracca, gives an insight into the personal and at times conflictual nature of playing for a club and being loyal to it, in a sport as traditional, and as time-honoured as ours.

No discussion of a Melbourne-Collingwood rivalry could exclude the ‘upset of the century’, that being the 1958 Grand Final, the unlosable one really, for Melbourne, and the one that would’ve earned us the mantle of winning an eventual 6 flags in a row (from 1955-60). But such is the nature and the brutal meanderings of rivalry; full credit to a young Magpies side who had suffered 9 losses and a draw in their previous 10 encounters with Melbourne leading up to that big dance, a dance they would win by an ‘all-or-nothing’ 18-points.

History shows that Collingwood bashed and crashed their way to defending their 4-peat of premierships that day, but it also created a fire-brand resolve in the Melbourne side that saw it train over the summer months of ’58 and early ’59, for the first time in its history. The Demons of course came storming back to win the next two pennants, but to a player, those two premierships never erased the disappointment of losing the ultimate of battles with destiny itself in 1958. Up to the day Ron Barassi died, he would mention that if he could do just one thing over again – it’d be to play that 1958 Grand Final, and win! He even suggested that at some stage he might get the chance to do so, up in heaven.

When it comes to the greatest individual performance by a player in a red and blue guernsey against Collingwood, it would have to go ‘hands-down’ to our first dual Brownlow Medallist – Ivor Warne-Smith. In the dying stages of the Preliminary Final of 1925, Warne-Smith (who unbeknownst to trainers and officials, had sustained broken ribs the previous week against the Cats) with just 15 players on the field (through injury), he took 9 marks in an 11-minute spell during the dying stages of the match, a match that saw Melbourne soundly defeated, which makes his ‘efforts’ all the more admirable, if not outright extraordinary – that he refused to give in, even when all hope of victory was lost.

The celebrated Frenchman Victor Hugo once said of his beloved Paris, “He who contemplates the depth of Paris is seized with vertigo. Nothing is more fantastic. Nothing is more tragic. Nothing is more sublime.” And when it comes to ‘unpacking’ the Demons – Magpie rivalry it feels very much the same, there is just so much you could touch upon that still wouldn’t suffice for scraping the surface of such an enthralling topic.

That half of Norm Smith’s 10 premierships (as both a player and a coach of Melbourne between the late 1930s to the mid-1960s) came against Collingwood as a direct opponent, goes some way to explaining what ‘part’ this black and white-hued club played in the mind, not to mention the legacy of our game’s greatest ‘coach of the century’. Fittingly, Smith would often respectfully bellow: “You’re not a footballer until you’ve played Collingwood at Victoria Park. If you could hold your head high after a match there…you were a man.”

And with that said, my favourite image of this wonderful rivalry, and the above sentiment of Norm Smith’s, is of Ian ‘Tiger’ Ridley in the 1956 Grand Final (a game which saw hundreds, if not thousands stream onto the ground after having stormed the gates to see the two mightiest teams compete for the ultimate prize). But Ridley is literally looking up to the heavens, with his head held high, exhausted – seemingly imploring the gods and himself to get the job done, all while being held aloft by his Collingwood foe, without whom the spirit and pure impetus of competition would not exist.

And so, may these two ‘rival’ teams long have each other in their sights, bringing out the best in themselves, and all that the game means to those of us who revere it.

Round 11 – Narrm V Sydney

Early Trickle Turns Into A Torrent For Narrm

Liam Chambers

Demons get off to a good start

Max Gawn has been a consistently reliable captain and player and leads by example. When he kicked the opening goal with an around the corner snap from a stoppage in front of goal, he set a great example.

With the Swans held goalless at the halfway mark of the first term, Narrm was looking good. They looked even better after Kade Chandler’s accurate kick to inside 50 was marked by Kozzie Pickett in the pocket. The high scoring Pickett thought about the set shot, then played on, taking the Sydney defence by surprise and notching up his first major of the afternoon.

A minute later, Peter Ladhams finally put the visitors on the board when he marked directly in front, then slotted the 20m set shot.

Jake Melksham had a brilliant game in Round 10 and with his set shot from 45m, signaled his intention to have another blinder this week.

Ladhams was keeping the Sydney scoreboard respectable with his around the corner set shot from the pocket.

Narrm dominate but Swans hang on

Isaac Heeney had a quiet first quarter, but it didn’t take him long to make his presence felt in the second term. His snap from 15m in the pocket was easy pickings for the sharpshooter.

Even though it feels like Christian Petracca has been at Melbourne forever, it’s still a shock to realise that he’s played two hundred games for the club. What better way to celebrate than by collecting the ground ball at the arc and snapping a goal from 50m.

Tom Sparrow may not have even reached Tracca’s milestone, but his set shot from 50m was perfect, and the Demons were out to a sixteen point lead. Coincidently, Joel Hamling was playing his one hundredth game, and he made sure it was a memorable one when he marked 20m in front and converted with the set shot.

Kozzie’s second goal was a mixture of skill and luck. His running kick from the pocket landed just outside the square, then bounced the right way to cross the line. With five minutes remaining in the term, Narrm were completely dominating the game but that dominance wasn’t translating to the scoreboard with four consecutive minor scores in a row.

The post wasn’t doing us any favours either, again refusing to play fair when it jumped out to thwart Melksham’s round the corner kick from a 25m set shot.

Narrm inaccurate early but find their mojo to convincingly win the quarter

Sydney would have been grateful that the score wasn’t beyond reach at the start of the second half. An early goal would have them right back in the game. Jake Melksham had other ideas, and his pick up and spin inside the Dees’ forward 50 gave his side the chance to reset their attack, eventually getting the ball to Pickett, who turned quickly and snapped his third of the match.

Nick Blakely kept the Swans in touch after he was awarded a 50m penalty and made sure with his 30m set shot. Sydney’s next goal was also courtesy of a 50m penalty. This time the recipient was Will Hayward and gladly accepted the challenge, hitting the target and reducing the deficit to eighteen points.

At this stage it was seven goals thirteen to five goals one; Narrm’s inaccuracy had so far prevented them putting the game out of Sydney’s reach. Luckily Caiden Cleary hooked his set shot from just inside the arc, letting the Demons off the hook. When Will Hayward missed a seemingly easy 25m set shot, it appeared the Swans had caught the same infection that had afflicted Narrm all afternoon.

Kozzie proved himself immune to the inaccuracy virus when he nailed a difficult 50m set shot from deep in the pocket. The margin was back out to twenty two points. Bailey Fritsch has had a fairly ordinary season so far but when he took a contested mark at the top of the square, he didn’t miss with the set shot.

Christian Salem made it three in a row for the Demons with his 40m chip to extend his side’s advantage to thirty four points. Pickett had five when he played on to advantage after Charlie Spargo was taken high inside 50.

Braeden Campbell pulled one back for the Swans when he took a contested mark and converted the set shot.

Swans mowed down in race to the finishing line

Isaac Heeney gave the Sydney faithful a ray of hope with his snap from 25m in the opening minute of the last quarter.

Straight after the bounce, Harrison Petty was awarded a free kick when he was held 20m in front. Petty was spot on with his set shot extending the lead back out to six goals.

Callum Mills temporarily revived a sense of belief for the Swans with his excellent 15m snap from a tight angle.

Harry Sharp has scored some great goals this season, and his run to inside 50 before launching from 40m was right up there.

Clayton Oliver has had plenty of detractors over the last two seasons but it all seems to be finally coming together for him. His set shot from the 50m arc was a just reward for his recent efforts. Also good to see the Dees gelling as a team again.

With the Swans trailing by forty two points, Isaac Heeney’s third for the game was consolatory at best, but it may have given some hope to Sydney fans that they could narrow the margin further.

Tom Sparrow’s snap from the top of the square less than a minute later quickly put paid to that hope and the margin was out to forty two. Super sub Harry Sharp even had time to pick up the ball in front of goal, drop it, collect it again and snap his second. Jake Melksham’s turn and snap from 20m was a popular goal with fans.

By now, Narrm was fifty five points ahead and confidence was sky high. Bailey Fritsch then took a contested mark and pushed the margin out to sixty one. Max Gawn took an inside 50 but didn’t hear the “touched” call and was set upon by a flurry of Swans. Chad Warner collected the ground ball and tapped it off the outside of his boot for a Sydney goal.

Jake Melksham had played superbly again and he wasn’t finished yet. He took a great mark just inside the boundary, then played on, kicking from 51m to notch up his hat trick. With a minute to go, Hayden McLean marked in the pocket and converted to claw back the margin to fifty four points.

With five wins from our last six games, you’d have to say that the Demons are back on track. We play St Kilda at Traeger Park in Round 12. Our last visit is not a happy memory, but we are in a better place now than we were twelve months ago, and I believe that we can continue our renaissance against the Saints.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 10 – Brisbane V Narrm

Where There Is Unity, There Is Always Victory

Liam Chambers

Dees start well, but Brisbane seize momentum just before quarter time

When the expectations are so low and the pressure is off, the Demons show how competitive they can be. If they can bottle that formula, we may even make the finals.

We couldn’t have asked for a better start. Narrm won the hitout, then Kozzie Pickett got the ball to Kade Chandler who kicked straight to goal square and into the eager hands of Jake Melksham. The key forward had no problem with the point blank set shot.

A minute later, Jaspa Fletcher was the recipient of a turnover on the 50m arc and somehow fumbled his way inside 50, where he snapped from 30m to give Brisbane the lead. Hugh McCluggage found some space 20m in front to take an uncontested mark and his set shot gave the Lions a six point advantage. Callum Ah Chee made it a two goal game when he snapped from a similar position. Two majors in one minute. All going according to plan at the Gabba.

Kozzie Pickett is a master at marking in tight situations, and his effort while fending off Noah Answerth was clinical. The clean conversion kept the Demons in touch.

50m penalties are contentious and we had two in just over a minute. First Harris Andrews had a 45m set shot but couldn’t make it pay. Then another key defender Tom McDonald made the most of his chance with a 20m round the corner kick from the pocket.

With five minutes left in the term, Logan Morris put Brisbane back in front with his uncontested mark and successful set shot from 45m. After the bounce, Morris had back to back goals when he kicked from the 50m line. A minute shy of the siren and Eric Hipwood gave the hosts a seventeen point lead going in at quarter time, with his snap from 52m.

Demons win the quarter after initially falling behind

It was all Brisbane when Darcy Gardiner marked the sherrin just centimetres from the goal line. No missing from there. It was certainly looking ominous for Narrm, with the Lions playing well and the home crowd cheering them on.

The Dees were trailing by four goals when Jake Melksham took another important mark in the pocket, less than 20m from the square. He nailed the difficult shot and closed the gap to eighteen points. Kade Chandler continues to improve this season, and his snap off the left boot from 35m was even more impressive considering he had to break away from a strong Ryan Lester tackle.

Darcy Gardiner got his second and steadied the ship for Brisbane, when he was on the end of a Lions’ transition down the ground. His running snap from 35m returned the lead to seventeen points.

Trailing by nineteen points with just over a minute to half time, Narrm needed a goal to stay in touch with Brisbane. Trent rivers answered the call after Christian Petracca snared the ball from a stoppage in front of goal. He quickly passed to Rivers, who ran tight to the boundary line before kicking from just inside the square.

Not much to separate the sides but Lions retain the advantage

Brisbane had the perfect start to the second half when Logan Morris marked in the pocket and converted the set shot. The lead was back out to nineteen points.

Jake Melksham was having an almost perfect game, and his centering kick to Tom Sparrow 30m in front was remarkable. Sparrow was tackled after the mark and was awarded a 50m penalty ensuring a certain goal. The next Demons’ goal was all team effort, willing the ball inside 50, where Kozzie was the last link in the chain; then it was just a matter of snapping the ball from 10m to give Pickett his second and Narrm their eight.

A down field free kick gave Darcy Gardiner his hat trick with a 30m set shot. When Zac Bailey kicked a difficult 25m set shot from deep in the pocket, a pessimistic Demon would say that the writing was on the wall for Narrm.

However, Narrm supporters are by and large a more optimistic bunch, and their belief was rewarded when Clayton Oliver took a hand pass 40m out, then turned and snapped the goal. Jake Melksham returned the margin to single figures with his mark in the pocket and cleanly taken 30m set shot. A well deserved hat trick.

Darcy Gardiner had only scored nine AFL goals in his career prior to today, but made it four in a single game when he caught the ball in the square and snapped it through the posts.

Victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat

No need to mention Narrm’s record in the fourth quarter, except to say that we don’t usually make much of an impression. Dees’ fans at the Gabba and elsewhere would have been resigning themselves to being overrun and just hoping that the margin didn’t blow out too much. A couple of early missed opportunities had Narrm sticking to Brisbane’s script.

Jake Melksham decided to deviate from the plan however when he marked in the pocket and converted from 45m to kick his fourth of the afternoon. Bailey Fritsch got on the scoreboard when he controlled the bouncing sherrin on the edge of the square, then slammed it into the stands.

Suddenly it was a one point game. A couple of minor scores gave Narrm a one point lead, before Aiden Johnson soccered the ball off the ground at the top of the square. With just under ten minutes to go, Narrm had a seven point advantage.

Could we actually win this???

Jake Melksham alone was worth the price of admission, and he proved his worth again with his beautifully weighted kick into the path of Ed Langdon. The wingman marked the ball 10m from the square. His round the corner set shot when high, just scrapping inside the left hand upright.

Brisbane needed three goals in six minutes and Conor McKenna gave them a fighting chance when he snapped one from the edge of the square.

As the clock ticked down, Narrm played the smart game, limiting Brisbane chances by closing down the corridor and keeping it in their territory. Kozzie had a free kick 35m out but opted to take some time off the clock, before kicking to Petracca, who then took some more seconds off. Tracca hooked the shot, but there was only one minute to play and Narrm had a ten point lead.

When Harvey Langford took a mark inside Narrm’s defensive 50, there was only thirty eight seconds left. Then it was back up the ground where Kozzie took a mark inside 50 and went back to kick after the siren. His kick bounced the wrong way but it didn’t matter, as the Dees had won by eleven.

We play Sydney in Round 11. The Swans are on a resurgence of their own, so a win is not a foregone conclusion. However if Narrm play with the same conviction and determination, we can continue our slow march up the ladder.

Go the mighty Dees!!!

Round 9 – Melbourne V Hawthorn

So Close, Until It Wasn’t

Liam Chambers

Dees showed good form, staying in touch with the Hawks

With three wins under our belt, we could have been forgiven for feeling confident against a top four side that hadn’t been seriously challenged so far this year; okay, maybe Geelong.

Charlie Spargo had a chance to score the first major. It looked to be going through but suffered a late hook. A minute later Jacob van Rooyen had a set shot from a similar distance on the other side of the ground. It looked good initially but slipped passed the outside of the upright.

Then it was Hawthorn’s turn. Ruckman Lloyd Meek took a mark 40m in front of goal, then went back to make sure. Harvey Langford again showed his value as a Demon when he took a contested mark inside 50, then converted the 50m set shot to bring Melbourne level with the Hawks.

Luke Breust displayed why he’s still a goal scoring machine when he was on the end of Hawthorn wave, kicking from the edge of the square to give his side back the lead. Nick Watson increased it to twelve points when he slotted his 35m set shot.

Tom Sparrow had a chance to close the gap when he marked Clayton Oliver’s kick directly in front. No problems with the set shot. Melbourne almost made it a one point game after the siren but Bailey Fritsch’s boot couldn’t make clean contact, so it was a six point game at quarter time.

Inaccuracy in front of goal still a problem for Demons

Hawthorn started the second quarter by upping the pressure and making repeat entries into the Dees’ defensive 50. Melbourne eventually broke out and made some incursions of their own, deep into Hawks’ territory but were unable to make them pay. There were a couple of almost there, but no cigar.

The Dees would rue the wasted opportunities when Hawthorn made it back inside 50 and Dylan Moore marked and ran on, tapping the ball through from the edge of the goal square. Melbourne should have been a couple of goals up by the latter half of the term, but inaccuracy in front of goal continued to let them down.

It also didn’t help that a blatant foul on Kozzie Pickett in the square was ignored by the Umpires. The subsequent set shot would have been a certain goal. When Kozzie was fouled again less than a minute later, his set shot was cleanly taken. Up the other end, Nick Watson was awarded a free kick in the pocket and the margin was back out to nine points.

Just before the break, Jai Newcombe went to mark but left the ball on the ground. Harvey Langford pounced, collecting the ball and snapping it through for his second of the afternoon.

Low scoring quarter has sides neck and neck

Despite not being able to make the most of their scoring opportunities in the first half, there was a lot of positives for Melbourne, especially with respect to their younger players.  It continued to be a low scoring game, with inaccuracy in front of goal letting both sides down.

Eventually it was Josh Ward who scored the first goal of the third quarter, when he received the hand pass inside 50 and had enough space before chipping the ball from 20m out.

As mentioned earlier Melbourne has some very talented younger players and Harvey Langford is proving himself to be an important asset, as he showed again when he took a contested mark on the edge of the square. His set shot was efficiently taken and it was back to a two point game. Speaking of young talent time, Harry Sharp’s running kick from 40m was calm and clinical, giving Melbourne back the lead.

With three minutes to go, Hawthorn reclaimed the advantage when Jack Ginnivan marked in the pocket and converted with his round the corner 20m set shot.

Hawks press turbo and accelerate to the finish line

With such a slim margin going into the final term, it was anyone’s game. However, even the most optimistic Demon fan knows that, in recent times, we reserve our worst footy for the fourth quarter. Our opponents know that too and it is now so ingrained in our psyche that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We all crossed everything and hoped that it’s different this time.

Two minutes in and Max Gawn takes a contested mark inside 50. Everyone holds their but the kick is just off target.

Then Jack Gunston manages to get at the top of the square, receives the hand pass and taps the ball across the line. Five minutes later and Gunston, who couldn’t hit the side of a barn all afternoon, marks in the pocket and cleanly converts.

With the biggest lead of the game, the Hawks had the wind at their backs. Mabior Choi then took an impressive mark, edging Tom McDonald off the ball in the process. Again, the set shot was cleanly taken and the advantage was out to nineteen.

The Dees needed something special to give the faithful some hope; who would answer the call. Who else, but Kozzie Pickett. After some impressive get out of trouble hand passing in their defensive 50, they finally broke through and Pickett was the last player in the chain. His ran from the middle of the ground, evading the clutches of Bailey MacDonald, bounced the sherrin twice and launched from the 50m arc. The ball landed just over the line and the hope was back.

Mabior Choi got his second when he snapped from 25m in front and the hill became a little steeper for Melbourne. With each passing minute, the chance of a winning comeback became less and less lightly. The way things were now panning out for Jack Gunston, he could have closed his eyes, kicked the ball over his head and still nailed a goal. His casual 45m kick from the pocket sailed through with the greatest of ease.

After the centre bounce, Josh Weddle got in on the action by snapping one from 35m out.

There were no more goals but Melbourne had conceded six goals after being neck and neck with the Hawks all afternoon.

We played well for the majority of the match but in the end Hawthorn proved that they deserved to be in the top three.

Unfortunately the news doesn’t get any better for Demon fans. Next up we travel to Brisbane to face the reigning premiers at the Gabbatoir. We will be odds on favourites to get completely trounced, but Melbourne have a history of upsetting the punters when the odds are stacked against us.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 7 – Richmond V Melbourne

We Won Again!

Liam Chambers

Demons in control, but last minute mistakes prove costly

After Round 6’s drought breaking performance, there were high hopes of back to back victories when we lined up against the Tigers for the Anzac Eve game. Richmond’s confidence was also given a boost in Round 6 with their unexpected win over potential finalists Gold Coast Suns.

It took ten minutes for the first goal to register on the scoreboard. Ed Langdon, the recipient an uncontested mark, was then tackled and dragged to the ground, resulting in a 50m penalty. Langdon’s set shot from 40m in front was cleanly taken and the Dees were away.

Both sides had chances to add to the goal tally, but it took almost another ten minutes for the second major. This time, an unguarded Bailey Fritsch was gifted the sherrin just to the left of the square. His quickly taken shot went through for a thirteen point advantage.  Then it was Kade Chandler’s turn, when he launched from the 50m arc to send the footy straight through the uprights.

Just before quarter time, Sam Lalor took an uncontested mark just inside the arc. He converted from 50m to give the Tigers their first goal, with a minute remaining in the term.
It looked like Melbourne would go in at the break leading by eleven points, but with literally one second left on the clock, Tim Taranto was fouled in front of goal. He went back and kicked the goal, reducing the margin to five.

Demons and Tigers play ping with the scoreboard

The Demons dodged a bullet very early in the second term, when Tom Lynched missed an easy 30m set shot.  Steely Green didn’t miss though, with his difficult set shot from deep in the pocket, giving his side the lead for the first time in the match.

Melbourne then had a bit of luck when a Richmond free kick was reversed after Jake Bowey was hit just outside the 50m. The shot was taken quickly in the goal square by Harrison Petty, giving the Dees back the lead.

Rhyan Mansell took it back again after he was deemed to have been held at the top of the goal square. Then the normally stingy Nick Vlastuin kicked the ball straight to Harrison Petty, who then made no mistakes with the 35m set shot.

Melbourne builds up an imposing buffer

Melbourne had the perfect start to the second half when Charlie Spargo’s long kick from the middle of the ground found Kysaiah Pickett, who leapt up to take the uncontested mark. After scoring five majors in Round 6, Kozzie had his first of the afternoon when he slotted the 30m set shot.

The Dees next goal was pure poetry in motion, as Christian Petracca managed to find some space by zig zagging around the Tigers’ defence, ably assisted by Chandler and Gawn, before snapping from 40m.

We didn’t have to wait too long for the next goal and it was classic Fritsch. After some frantic hand passing on the edge of the 50m arc, Bailey Fritsch found enough space to run and snap a banana shot that floated back beautifully through the uprights, extending the Demons lead out to twenty two points.

It wasn’t all one way traffic though, and when Tom Lynch’s attempt at a singled handed mark didn’t yield the desire result, he had enough time to turn and control the bouncing sherrin, before tapping it across the goal line.

Tom Sparrow redressed the balance almost immediately with his desperate tackle on Nick Vlastuin near the top of the goal square. Sparrow went back and made no mistake locating the space between the big sticks.

Surely Kolton Tholstrup must be up for the most complicated mark of the year with his incredible juggling feat 20m from goal. His was neat in his execution of the set shot, and it was a twenty nine advantage to the Dees.

Christian Petracca is back to his best and strongest; his pinpoint accurate 50m set shot was impressive.

Dees victorious but let guard down in latter half of final term

Going into the last quarter thirty five points up was a scoreline to gladden the hearts of the Demon faithful. Then, when Kade Chandler kicked the first goal to make it a forty one point advantage, it would be a brave punter to bet against a Melbourne win.

Kozzie Pickett should have had another goal, but his 40m snap was deemed touched before it landed in the square and bounced across the line. The review ruled against the goal Umpire, which is rare but them’s the breaks.

With seven minutes left on the clock, the Dees were forty four points in front. A win looked assured, but also the margin would also help boost to our percentage.

Then Tom Lynch ran out to take a contest mark 25m in front. He made sure with the set shot to claw one back for the Tigers. Lynch got another two minutes later when he kick an around the corner to claim his hat trick. Tim Taranto also got another when he snapped one from 15m to reduce the margin to twenty five points. Toby Nankervis made it four in a row when he slotted his 35m set shots.

Luckily, there was only just over one hundred seconds left on the clock, otherwise Demon fans would be getting extremely nervous. The fact that Richmond scored all their four goals for the quarter after Max Gawn was taken off is somewhat concerning, but overall back to back wins is encouraging.

We head to Perth for Round 8 to play the winless West Coast. The Eagles played well in their Round 2 game against Brisbane; mainly in the first half. The Lions recovered to win but we don’t want to have to play catch up if West Coast come out swinging hard early.

If we focus on what we’ve been doing well in the last couple of weeks, then my money’s on Melbourne.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!