AFL Football season 2010 (Melbourne Demons)

[Roofrom50]

The Pre Season​

Four years, this Melbourne Football Club has been struggling down the bottom of the A.F.L ladder. However, a HUGE clean out at the end of the 2009 Season, which included the sacking of Senior coach, Dean Bailey, but the Melbourne board, never questioned the coaches game plan which just made the club go downhill more.

However, Melbourne now have something completely new. A young fresh new face, Hayden Sumner has taken over the job after just completing year 12 at the end of last year. This has never been seen in the game since it was created 150 years ago, and we will have to wait and see what the 19 year old will have to bring to the Melbourne Football Club.

The Demons did finish the 2009 Season on the bottom of the ladder with only the 4 wins for the season, where it was Geelong and St.Kilda that battled it out for the 2009 Premierships, where Geelong came out with their 2nd Premiership in the last 3 years, beating St.Kilda - 12.8.80 to 9.14.68 just in front of 99,500 people.
But it's been 6 months since that day happened, and a lot has happened over the pre-season.

First of all, Aaron Davey won the Melbourne's Best and Fairest award naming the Keith Truscott Medal. 2 of Melbourne's best young talent was out on show in the middle of last season. Round 14 Rising star nominee, Defender/Midfielder Jack Grimes who will become a important player this year and into the future for the Demons. While the Round 15 Rising star, Liam Jurrah set the AFL a-light with his freakish skills, and one handed spectacular marking. Both players will be looking for a big season in 2010.

Liam Jurrah impresses in his first AFL season in 2009​

The Demons then had to decide what they had to do to look into the future. Paul Wheatley was getting on a bit and retiered at the end of the season, as did Matthew Whelan. A bit of a different story coming from the life of Russel Robertson, who many thought still could have played 1-2 more years for the Demons, but contract issues that weren't renewed under Dean Bailey and he came out and wanted to play for another club. Unfortunately for him, no one was willing to pick the medium forward up, which ended up with him forcing himself to retire from the game.

2010 Season

And now the new season is apon us. Joel MacDonald has arrived to the club coming across from the Brisbane Lions, which will help the Demons in the defensive area, where MacDonald has been known to quickly move the ball out of defence and is a good kick to set up the forwards dashing through the midfield.
2 of the Best young players in the country, Thomas Scully and Jack Trengrove come to the club, both players have exceptional skills and quickness around the ground. Scully a in and under left footed midfielder, while Trengrove is more of the sweeper coming out of defence. But both players will be looking to get to make their debuts, and with the combination of themselves and Jack Watts who should get some more game time this season, it looks to be a exciting year ahead for the young Demons.​

​

 

[blake]

Fantastic stuff Roofrom.. great to see you back, and equally great to see you doing a story with the Dees.

Good luck mate.

 

[drainpipe32]

Woohoo, a Demons story! This gives me an excuse to not do mine

Can't wait! Will you be using a sim?

 

[Roofrom50]

Pre- Season: NAB Cup Round 1

B: Matthew Warnock - James Frawley - Colin Garland

HB: Joel MacDonald - Jared Rivers - Cale Morton

C: Cameron Bruce - James McDonald (c) - Nathan Jones

HF: Lynden Dunn - Brad Miller - Matthew Bate

FF: Brent Moloney - Liam Jurrah - Ricky Petterd

R: Mark Jamar - Aaron Davey - Brad Green

INT: Jack Trengrove - Jack Grimes - Colin Sylvia - Paul Johnson​

Hayden's Comments: We've gone with a tall forward line, we all know that Geelong has some very good tall defenders ie. Scarlett, Taylor, Milburn, Longergan, so we had to match them in that department. Dunn, Miller and Bate along the half forward line should cause some problems for the Cats defence, and with Jurrah and Petterd who aren't as tall as the rest, but both play tall for their size, and we've got Brent Moloney starting in the forward pocket, but he will see some midfield time at some stage of the match.
Our midfield is where the match will be won or loss. Geelong have come in with a strong team, with all their stars playing. Ablett, Selwood, Bartel, Corey, Ling and Kelly will all be hard to match up on. But i have faith in our midfielders with Davey to use his speed, Brad Green is a veteran and always seems to find the ball, while Jimmy McDonald is our best tackler and our Captain.
I just want our players to be competitive, and playing against the reigning premiers first in the NAB Cup competition, i don't expect a win, but just to be competitive.

 

[drainpipe32]

Hmm, curiously there's no Scully....

 

[Roofrom50]

Hmm, curiously there's no Scully....

Has a virus to start the season

 

[blake]

What game are you playing? Premiership Coach?

I would like it Footy Fanatic FX updated their lists, that would be great.. would possibly get back into it.

 

[Roofrom50]

What game are you playing? Premiership Coach?

I would like it Footy Fanatic FX updated their lists, that would be great.. would possibly get back into it.

Yeah playing with Footy Fanatic mate, don't have premiership coach yet. MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service thats the link for the lists mate. Good luck

 

[Roofrom50]

2010 AFL Premiership Season - NAB Cup Rd1​

Geelong v Melbourne

Saturday, Feburary 16th
Skilled Stadium ​

1ST Quarter
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen and welcome to Skilled Stadium. Round 1 of the 2010 NAB Cup competition gets underway for both the reigning premiers, Geelong and the wooden spooners of 2009 Melbourne. Going by recent records, this game should be a white wash and Geelong should easily account for the Demons. But with a new fresh start at Demon land, all they are looking for, in the words of the new coach Hayden, is to be competitive. So let's go down to ground level and see if the new looked Melbourne team, and see if they can be competitive against the Best of the best in Geelong.


It wasn't too long before the reigning premiers got off to the early start, with the ball just inside the first 2 minutes of the match landing in the Cats forward line, and the exciting, Stevie Johnson picked up the ball and snapped around the corner of his body, bounced through the big sticks, and the Cats lead 1 goal to 0. A quick early goal to the Cats wasn't the start the Demons were after, but they would be pleased with the young man Jack Trengrove, who picked up his first AFL Possesions within the first couple of minutes in the game, handballing to Aaron Davey on the run. Melbourne did some attacking in the first few minutes of the first quarter and as expected, some of the kicks were rusty from both sides. Colin Garland, who isn't a regular on the Demons list marked in the forward line, but missed his set shot in front of goal, opening the scoring for the Dees.

Jack Trengrove get's his first taste of AFL Football​

Paul Chapman started the game on the wing aposed to by Cameron Bruce, but Bruce wasn't paying too much attention to Chapman, with Chapman running riot in the first 5 minutes of the game picking up a lazy 5 touches, Bruce needs to tighten up, or Chapman will prove dangerous throughout the whole game.
The play was pretty stagnant for a while, with the ball traveling up and down the field with every kick. But it was Lynden Dunn who broke the voodoo for the Demons as he shrugged off 2 tacklers and ran into an open goal and kicked truly.

The ball went quickly down the other end though, and it was their smallest forward, Matthew Stokes who took a mark on the lead and had a set shot on goal around 20 meters out. Surely it must only be pre-season, because it was a shocker off the boot, and went out on the full. Dissapointing display from Stokes who is usually reliable in front of the big stick.
Bruce had the duties of kicking the ball back into play, and chipped it short to Moloney who spilt the beans, Stokes pick up the crumbs and ran into an open goal, and this time made sure he nailed it. Cats get a goal break.

Matthew Stokes picks up from the error of the Demons and kicks a goal.​

Melbourne had some issues, as they had plenty of the ball, but couldn't convert the scores on the scoreboard. 4 consecutive behinds to the Demons, which all could have been goals, which could of gave the Demons a handy break at the quarter time break, but their in-accuracy has paid off, and now they are starring down the barrel. They have done well to only by 3 points down at quarter time, with the Cats kicking 2.2, but the Demons should rightfully be in front on the scoreboard. ​

Geelong: 2.2 (14)
Melbourne: 1.5 (11)


Geelong
Goal Kickers: Stokes -1, Johnson -1
Top Possesions: Wojcinski -10, Scarlett -8, Rooke -7

Player to Watch: Matthew Stokes has been playing more around the half forward line, but once the Cats get the ball in the forward 50, Stokes is very dangerous and is waiting for the handball to be recieved or the ball to spill free so he can swoop on it and be damanging infront of goal.


Melbourne
Goal Kickers: Dunn -1
Top Possesions: Green -10, Bruce -10, Bate -9

Player to watch: Joel MacDonald has done exactly what he was bought into the club to do, and that was to defend and bring a lot of the footy out of defence for his team. Was sensational in that first quarter saving many balls that went inside forward 50, and then was moved into the midfield to play on Jimmy Bartel who started to get a bit of footy himself.

 

[blake]

Thanks so much for the list Roo, you are a champion!

Top start by the Dees too, we are only 3 points off Geelong which is a great effort - we could even be in front if it weren't for our woeful kicking.

Bruce a ball magnet as usual, hopefully he can have a big game!

 

[drainpipe32]

The 2010 lists are great. Did you get them off BigFooty Roo?

Great update, a good start for the Dees. We just need to kick straight, and we're good.


Just one thing, rather than using those images, get them from the galleries on the club websites.

Photo Galleries - Official AFL Website of the Melbourne Football Club

Heaps of high def images, and without those annoying things on them!

 

[Roofrom50]

2010 AFL Premiership Season - NAB Cup Rd1​

Geelong v Melbourne

Saturday, Feburary 16th
Skilled Stadium ​

2nd Quarter​

The second quarter gets underway, and it doesn't take long for the Cats to get things started. Just like the way the first term started, Steve Johnson runs into an open goal and slots home his second. Geelong started the term off well after receiving a blast from Mark Thompson at quarter time, Jimmy Bartel then received a free kick while he was forced to do the ruck work against a taller Mark Jamar right infront of goal, but misses the sitter.
However, another poor kick out from full back by Melbourne's best user of the ball Brad Green, and Bartel steals the ball, and runs into an open goal and makes a mend from the behind earlier, Geelong starting to kick away here.



Geelong was starting to kick away, kicking the first 2 goals of the term. Aaron Davey who hasn't seen much of the ball playing in the foward line, receives a free kick after a push in the back from David Wokcinski. Davey is standing on the paint and will shoot for goal. Beautiful set shot, and he showed that with the ball sailing right through the middle of the sticks.
Melbourne peg the margin back, but not for long, as the Cats win the clearance from Gary Ablett who has started well in this term, kicks into the forward 50 where he finds Shannon Byrnes who is practically playing as the Full-Forward. Byrnes lines up and kicks the Cats third goal for the term, and the quick reply to the Davey goal.
The game then went stagnant for about 5 minutes, where there was no easy possession of the football, but it was Geelong again that got the ball moving forward, with Selwood doing some tough work in the clinches, setting up Matthew Stokes to snap a beautiful goal around his body, and to steady the margin back out to a respectable lead.

Cam Bruce and Harry Taylor battle for the ball early in the 2nd quarter​

Geelong now had a handy lead, and when they won the clearance again through Ablett who was starting to get on top of his opponent, Cameron Mooney who hasn't seen much of the footy to this stage of the game had clean hands and marked in front of Rivers. Mooney kicked truly, and now things are starting to look dismall for the Demons, with the third consecutive goal to the Cats, and their stars are starting to find a lot of the footy.
The Demons defiently needed the next goal, or the alarm bells would be ringing for the new coach, but a good forward movement set up by Joel MacDonald, who found Colin Sylvia running back with the flight of the ball and juggling the mark. He kicks truly, to relieve a lot of pressure and to keep the Demons in the game.
Counting down to the half time siren, Paul Johnson finds himself with the football, as it was a 2 on 1 contest, Darren Milburn had the football but a wonderful tackle from Sylvia resulted with Johnson picking up the ball and slotting home a goal for the Demons, who have now pegged the margin back nearing the half time break.

Johnson runs into an open goal a kicks a beauty for the Demons​

But the quick reply from the Cats extended the margin for the Cats, with Tom Lonergan who now finds himself in the forward line after starting the match in defence, gets the quick reply, and this game is goal for goal at the moment.
But with just 1 minute remaining for the term, Aaron Davey finds himself with the football, dancing his way through 3 Geelong players, runs inside 50, settles himself down, and slots home a beautiful and well timed goal for the Demons, who now trail 52 to 35. Certainly still in the game, and we now take you to the Half time break.

Davey puts the Demons closer running into the Half time break.​

Geelong: 2.2 - 8.4 - (52)
Melbourne: 1.5 - 5.5 - (35)


Geelong
Goal Kickers: Stokes -2, Johnson -2, Byrnes -1, Lonergan -1, Mooney -1, Bartel-1
Top Possesions: Ablett -13, Wojcinski -13, Corey -12

Player to Watch: Gary Ablett found some football in the quarter when he decided to put the after burners on. Now leading the Cats in disposals, the Champion midfielder will be looking to move forward and use his strength to hurt the Demons on the scoreboard. Playing one on one with Brad Green, its been a great dual.


Melbourne
Goal Kickers: Davey -2, Sylvia -1, P.Johnson -1, Dunn -1
Top Possesions: Bruce -20, Garland -17, Grimes -15

Player to Watch: Colin Garland, even though he has conceived 2 goals to Steve Johnson, has really shut down Johnsons dominance, and has done a great job on the quick forward. Garland has had 17 touches, and needs to keep up this work, and not let Johnson to come out after half time and let him kick 4-5 goals to steal the win away.​

 

[blake]

I think you mean Colin Garland has conceded two goals, not conceived them. Also, try Gazza's idea for pictures as the watermarks are kind of ugly.

Apart from that, great job... the story's looking great! Melbourne will keep it tight in the third quarter but Geelong should run out with it in the last... however, Melbourne are fighting bravely. Bruce has been a ball magnet as usual.

 

[dajesmac]

This is looking good mate, looking forward to seeing the rest of it even if it is Melbourne haha.

Can I just ask with those lists, I have the lists two but it doesn't update my calander, so I'm playing the 2009 fixtures with 2010 lists (not to mention the calander says 2008), so yeah does yours do that too or do you have updated fixtures?

Anyway, good luck with this, a good start.

 

[Roofrom50]

This is looking good mate, looking forward to seeing the rest of it even if it is Melbourne haha.

Can I just ask with those lists, I have the lists two but it doesn't update my calander, so I'm playing the 2009 fixtures with 2010 lists (not to mention the calander says 2008), so yeah does yours do that too or do you have updated fixtures?

Anyway, good luck with this, a good start.

I haven't been able to update the fixture either, so don't worry, it's not just yours.