It?s a grand old flag
It?s a high flying flag
It?s the emblem for me and for you
It?s the emblem of the team we love
The team of the red and the blue
Every heart beats true
For the red and the blue
And we sing this song to you
Should old acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the red and the blue
Struggling premiership team Melbourne Demons have announced today their new coach - a relative unknown in the AFL ranks who is known by his first name only - Blake.
Blake never featured in the AFL as a player before, however he allegedly has exceptional knowledge of the game. Chairman Jim Stynes spoke out on the new signing, saying that it was time for a change and that the Demons wouldn't go anywhere unless they majorly revamped some issues in the club.
The struggling Demons finished 16th last year, and despite showing quite a handful of young, fresh-faced players it looks like 2009 could be another long year as the new players find their feet. There were not high expectations for Blake coming into the job, but it will definitely be very interesting to see where he goes with the youth.
Blake did not have too many words to say at the press conference, but it seemed he was definitely pleased to have signed a two year contract with the Demons, who he had supported for all his life.
"I'm looking forward to the job. I hope I can really turn this club around and make some progress. Right now I think we definitely have the potential - I will be looking to build up quite a good list that with age can progress further and become a premiership unit."
It will be very interesting to see if the Demons can turn it around in '09 under new manager, Blake.
Tuesday, 19 February, 2009
The Demons have made it through their first two training sessions unscathed under new coach Blake. Blake seems to be settling in fine to the club and it seems the players are welcoming his presence. Blake again stressed the importance of youth and trained the young players hard early in the season.
One player in particular that Blake highlighted out was the young, dynamic forward in Austin Wonaeamirri, known at the club as 'Aussie' or 'Wonna'.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing Aussie get in there this season, he is a fantastic young footballer and despite his small frame he is very quick around the ground and puts in a great workrate. He will definitely be starting this season, and I will definitely be hoping he can have a big year."
'Wonaeamirri in action'
The Melbourne Demons are set to face up against the reigning premiers in Hawthorn for the first round of the pre-season cup. It is set to be a very tough match for the Dees up against the Hawks who were very impressive last year, knocking over Geelong in the grand final. Despite their opponents, the coach and players remained optimistic before the game. Coach Blake named a 22-man side to take on Hawthorn earlier today.
Notable omissions from the team were Cameron Bruce and James McDonald, both being rested from the side. Colin Garland had the big job on Lance 'Buddy' Franklin - that would be a huge task for the youngster, but it would be a good test. Jared Rivers also was lining up on another key forward in Jarryd Roughead - the Hawks were stacking a big side here.
Pre-Season Cup
Round 1: Hawthorn Hawks v Melbourne Demons
HAWTHORN: 1.20
MELBOURNE: 3.75
F Clinton Young - Lance Franklin - Ben McGlynn B Kyle Cheney - Colin Garland - Paul Wheatley
HF Michael Osborne - Jarryd Roughhead - Cyril Rioli HB Rohan Bail - Jared Rivers - Cale Morton
C Xavier Ellis - Jordan Lewis - Brad Sewell C Ricky Petterd - Colin Sylvia - Brent Moloney
HB Stephen Gilham - Brent Renouf - Grant Birchall HF Brad Green - Brad Miller - Michael Newton
B Riley Milne - Trent Croad - Campbell Brown F Austin Wonaeamirri - Matthew Bate - Aaron Davey
R Robert Campbell - Luke Hodge - Sam Mitchell R Paul Johnson - Nathan Jones - Brock McLean
Interchange: Chance Bateman - Shane Crawford - Stuart Dew - Travis Tuck Interchange: James Frawley - Daniel Bell - Shane Valenti - Neville Jetta
It was game day - finally what all the fans had been waiting for. It was Melbourne's first game under new coach Blake, and despite it only being the pre-season cup the stakes were still high with both sides wanting a win. Hawthorn were clear favourites at $1.20 but Melbourne would be hungry and their young generation would be keen to prove themselves.
As the teams ran out on to the field to warm up before the game, we interviewed star midfielder Cameron Bruce who was sitting out this game.
"Hey Cameron, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions. So - what do you rate your team's chances of winning this game?"
"Well - I definitely think it will be tough but if the young lads give it a shot we could put up a good show. I think today is more about playing to the best of our abilities and giving it a real good shot."
"How have you been feeling under new coach Blake?"
"He has a great knowledge of the game and has highlighted a few new tactics and strategies which hopefully we will be employing today. I'm enjoying everything so far, it's feeling good."
"OK - well, I'd love to ask more but the game is just about to start. Thanks Cameron - let's get down to the game."
Melbourne got off to a good start early - winning the coin toss, that is. Brad Miller elected to kick with the wind - although it was very light so it probably wouldn't provide too much for either side. There was a great attendance of just over thirty thousand people - fantastic for a pre-season game. It was 15 degrees Celsius - probably an ideal temperature as players would be able to warm up into it easily.
Finally - this was what the fans had been waiting for. The umpire raised the ball, the shrill siren sounded, and action commenced.
1ST QUARTER - 0:00
The Demons got off to a good start - winning all of the ball early, however Bate and Wonaeamirri let them down in front of goals, and Melbourne had wasted two opportunities in the first minute. The scores remained locked up - halfway through the first quarter and still it was Melbourne leading 2 points to nil. Kyle Cheney and Wonaeamirri, two of the young stars both had 6 possessions already by the halfway mark of the first quarter and were looking good.
The first goal of the game however was to Hawthorn, as Mitchell read the pack superbly and crumbed an easy ball, running in to an open goal square. Lance Franklin was being kept well held by Garland though which was a positive for the Demons - he had only touched the ball 3 times and hadn't scored.
The Hawks controlled the rest of the quarter however, as the Demons struggled to bring it into their forward 50. However, the Demons were helped out by some woeful kicking by Hawthorn, as they kicked 6 straight behinds.
At quarter time it was still a close affair - the Demons hadn't kicked a goal yet though and that would definitely be an issue for them.
Quarter Time:
Hawthorn 1.6.12
Melbourne 0.2.2
Hawthorn Goalkickers: Sam Mitchell Top Possessions: Young 9, Mitchell 8, Birchall 6, Lewis 6
Player Watch:Lance Franklin picked up just the 4 touches without a goal in the first quarter - he was being well held by Garland. It is definitely important he gets more of the footy and kicks some goals for Hawthorn.
Melbourne Goalkickers: Top Possessions: Cheney 10, Wonaeamirri 9, Jones 8, Green 8
Player Watch: Young star Kyle Cheney is looking fantastic in his first senior game for the Demons, picking up 10 touches in the first quarter off the wing. He is outclassing his opponent Brad Sewell and already has 4 marks. A great first quarter for the young lad.
With the Demons trailing by 10 points, they definitely were still in this race and ran out confidently, spurred on by coach Blake. Could they pull this quarter back, and take the lead over the Hawks? It all waited to be seen.
Things got off to a simply terrible start for the Demons in the second quarter. Before the umpire even bounced the ball, he collided with Brad Miller, and Brad Miller was straight away reported for umpire contact. As if that wasn't bad enough, young Demon Bail was smashed by McGlynn behind play. He hobbled off the field before the ball had even been bounced, with an injury to his left shoulder.
Just a minute into the second quarter Aaron Davey was awarded a free kick from just 26 metres out on a simple angle. However, he sprayed it to the left, an almost embarrassing miss. The Demons still hadn't managed a goal and things weren't looking good for them.
Lance Franklin had immediately pulled himself back into the game though. In the first four minutes of the second quarter, Franklin had found the ball five times and was looking red hot - however he had only kicked 2 points from those opportunities.
It wasn't long for Hawthorn's second goal though - Ben McGlynn finally breaking their 9 point streak and kicking a superb goal from 45 on the run - the Hawks now leading by 18 points. Another miss from Hawthorn though kept the Demons in the game - Hawthorn 2.10.22 to Melbourne 0.3.3.
The Demons had yet another opportunity from Aaron Davey, but again he missed, kicking his second point. It was almost halfway through the second quarter now and still Melbourne hadn't managed a goal. With 11 minutes remaining in the quarter, it seemed McLean had a certain chance running into the goals, but somehow he lost his balance and sprayed it from just fifteen metres out. It was a woeful start from the Demons - they were now trailing by 17 points.
Finally the Demons fought back with a goal, from young star Cheney who was having a cracker of a game. He was almost guaranteeing selection in the next round here, showing brilliant skills. At just the halfway mark in the second term, Cheney had 12 touches and a goal - looking by far the best of the Demons.
The Demons were hurt however as Osborne took a screamer from 45 metres out and kicked another goal for the Hawks. They were now down by 19 points again, and looking out of it - they had still only scored the one goal in almost a half. Jordan Lewis added further problems with a brilliant banana goal with just 2 minutes remaining. The Hawks were running all over Melbourne today and things really weren't looking good for the Demons.
If anything saved the Demons, it was Hawthorn's woeful accuracy. Franklin, Bateman and Birchall and Rioli, 4 players that Hawthorn needed to kick goals, had been poor between them - kicking a combined 7 points without a goal. At halftime however, it was still the Hawks by 27 points, leading comfortably.
Half Time:
Hawthorn 4.14.38
Demons 1.5.11
Hawthorn Goalkickers: Sam Mitchell, Ben McGlynn, Jordan Lewis, Michael Osborne Top Possessions: Mitchell 17, Young 17, Birchall 15, Sewell 12
Player Watch:Sam Mitchell has been playing superbly - carving up the Demons through the middle of the ground. he already has 8 kicks and 9 handballs to his name, and has kicked a goal for the Hawks. He is definitely looking in great form right now.
Melbourne Goalkickers: Kyle Cheney Top Possessions: Garland 15, Petterd 14, Green 13, Rivers 13
Player Watch: One of the bright sides so far for the Dees has been young full-back Colin Garland. He had the immensely tough task of starting on Lance Franklin, but at half-time Garland has 15 possessions, 6 marks, 8 rebounds out of the back 50 - and as well as that, he has kept Franklin goalless. Simply fantastic from the young lad.
After the half time break it was back to the game - the Demons and the Hawks slugging it out in front of thirty thousand people. It had been a fairly sloppy game so far, with neither side having tuned their skills properly over the break. It was the Hawks leading 4.14.38 to Melbourne's 1.5.11 - a total of 5 goals and 19 points up to the break.
The Demons got off to a terrible start - after fiddling around with the ball, wasting countless possessions, they soon turned it over on their half-forward line. Hawthorn quickly rebounded with 2 long kicks which ended in Franklin booting his first major. As if that wasn't bad enough, Hawthorn ran it straight back into their forward line after the goal, allowing Franklin to kick his second in a minute. Franklin had come out fired up after half time, and with two goals to his name already the Demons were finished, 39 points down.
Lance Franklin getting fired up after kicking 2 in a minute
It seemed that finally Hawthorn had broken the floodgates and it wasn't long before their third for the quarter came, Luke Hodge finding the big sticks with his first goal of the game. Melbourne were having serious troubles scoring - a result of wasting their possessions through the middle with silly handpasses and chip kicks.
Finally, with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Aaron Davey broke the Demons goal drought, snapping a great goal. However, Hawthorn quickly rebounded with Clinton Young kicking a brilliant goal from 53 metres out. Thankfully for the Demons, Miller managed to pull another one back for them, kicking a comfortable goal from 20 metres out - easy in theory, but one that plenty of players had missed today. At three quarter time it was still the Hawks up by 40 points - the match result practically sealed by now. The Demons needed to keep on fighting though - there was no point in giving up now.
Three Quarter Time:
Hawthorn 8.17.65
Demons 3.7.25
Hawthorn Goalkickers: Lance Franklin 2, Sam Mitchell, Clinton Young, Jordan Lewis, Michael Osborne, Ben McGlynn, Luke Hodge Top Possessions: Mitchell 27, Brown 22, Young 21, Birchall 19
Player Watch:Sam Mitchell is simply destroying Melbourne now, grabbing ten more possessions in the third quarter. He dominated the centre square and had many clearances again for Hawthorn, which really hurt Melbourne.
Mitchell breaking free of Nathan Jones
Melbourne Goalkickers: Kyle Cheney, Aaron Davey, Brad Miller Top Possessions: Garland 21, Green 21, Jones 18, Petterd 17
Player Watch:Brad Green lifted in the third quarter, getting a lot of the footy and providing some great delivery to the forwards. He worked really hard to get the ball and despite not kicking a goal, he set up some good plays by the Demons and fought hard.
The match was already over for Melbourne but if they could snare a few goals back it definitely wouldn't hurt. They had yet to win a quarter in the entire game, but it seemed Hawthorn wanted to keep it that way. Just two minutes into the final quarter, Rioli bombed a great goal from 45 out, the small forward's first of the game.
Things went from bad to worse for the Demons from there, as Stuart Dew inflicted further pain, kicking a lovely goal from 50 metres out. Already, the Demons fans were beginning to leave - the attendance was down 2500 from the start of the game. It seemed that finally Hawthorn had pulled together their game and their skills were back in tune.
There was a low note for the Hawks however as key player Young was reported for striking Matthew Bate, midway through the final term. There was still no hope for Melbourne though, who couldn't seem to bring it inside their forward 50 anymore.
Hawthorn were dominating the possessions now and were just passing it around, raising their stats. With ten minutes remaining in the quarter already Mitchell was up to 30 disposals and Young had 28. Green and Garland were both still fighting hard for the Demons, the two of them adding 3 possessions each since the three quarter time break. Unfortunately for the Dees, Birchall was dominating for Hawthorn throughout the midfield, alongside ruckman Campbell. The two of them were consistently rebounding the ball and bringing it into the forward line. Birchall had picked up 9 touches in just 15 minutes of play, and was looking very confident.
Roughead had been held extremely quiet throughout the day by Rivers who was playing very well in defence, however as soon as Rivers left the ground for a rest, Roughead finally capitalised, kicking his first goal of the day to increase the margin to 68 points. Crawford wasn't finished with the Demons yet, however - he kicked 2 goals in a minute for the Hawks as the Demons folded further. This was turning into an absolute flogging - Hawthorn running rampant here.
Crawford takes an easy chest mark on the lead and goes back to kick his second
It was raining goals for the Hawks and with just 3 minutes remaining Melbourne would've been relieved their match was just about over. As far as Hawthorn were concerned - there was still time, and indeed Roughead managed to pop his second through with just 7 seconds remaining - ending an absolute thrashing.
Hawthorn Goalkickers: Stuart Dew 2, Shane Crawford 2, Jarryd Roughead 2, Lance Franklin 2, Luke Hodge 1, Ben McGlynn 1, Sam Mitchell 1, Clinton Young 1, Cyril Rioli 1, Michael Osborne 1, Jordan Lewis 1
Top Possessions: Brown 33, Mitchell 32, Birchall 31, Young 29, Sewell 29 Top Marks: Young 11, Franklin 9, Brown 8, Capmbell 8, Dew 7 Top Tackles: Franklin 6, Mitchell 5, Birchall 4, Bateman 3, Sewell 3
Melbourne Goalkickers: Kyle Cheney, Aaron Davey, Brad Miller
Top Possessions: Green 28, Garland 25, Morton 24, Jones 21, Petterd 20 Top Marks: Miller 9, Garland 8, Newton 8, Green 7, Rivers 7 Top Tackles: Davey 5, Jones 4, Morton 3, Petterd 3, Wheatley 3
Man of the Match:Clinton Young had a brilliant game, finishing with 29 touches and a staggering 12 inside fifties for the entire game. He was brilliant through the midfield and forward line and took 11 marks, dominating the game. A superb effort from the Hawks star.
Clinton Young and the umpire holding hands after the game
Despite the Melbourne Demons convincing loss to Hawthorn, Blake insists their spirits are still high.
Newly signed coach of the Demons, Blake, assured media at today's press conference that the team morale is still high after his side's 87 point thrashing at the hands of Hawthorn. The Demons never looked in the game and it was Hawthorn running rampant in the pre-season encounter. Blake was confident there was nothing to be worried about, considering that Hawthorn were the reigning premiers. He spoke out at a press conference, earlier today.
"To be honest, I'm not really worried about it too much. I obviously wasn't thrilled watching the performance, but I have spoken to the players concerned, and I feel that the Hawks are a very good side and it was always going to be a tough match. We never really looked in the game but I think we can bounce back when the season begins."
In other news for the Demons, Brad Miller has been suspended for two weeks after making contact with an umpire. Despite Clinton Young doing exactly the same thing, Young hasn't been handed a suspension or a fine. Lynden Dunn also picked up an injury on Monday in training, but after initial fears, physios confirmed he should be out for no longer than a week and will be fine for the beginning of the season.
Pre-season Round 1 - Match Reports
West Coast 13.26.104 def Collingwood 7.10.52
The Eagles got off to a great start in their pre-season by defeating Collingwood by 52 points at Subiaco. Ashley Hansen and Quinten Lynch were devastating for the home team - Lynch had 27 disposals and kicked 4 goals, whilst Hansen had 35 touches and kicked 3 goals. For the Magpies, Leon Davis was the standout star, kicking 4.0 alongside his 20 disposals. Harry O'Brien picked up 30 possessions but didn't have a real impact in the game.
Fremantle 12.12.84 def Richmond 11.12.78
The next match to follow at Subiaco was a thriller - in the end, Fremantle just managed to overcome Richmond thanks to a late goal from Pavlich to seal the match. Pavlich was at his best, booting 4 goals for the Dockers, whilst Tarrant played a very good game off the half-forward line, getting 20 touches and kicking 3.4. It was a very solid performance all round for the Dockers, as more than half their team had between 18-25 possessions. For Richmond, not even a brilliant effort from 20-year old Daniel Connors, who has played just 8 senior games in his career, could save them from defeat. Connors racked up 30 touches and kicked 3 goals, one late in the game, but it wasn't enough. Richardson also kicked 4 goals for the Tigers.
Western Bulldogs 16.8.104 def Essendon 11.7.73
The Bulldogs found some form early in the season, beating a young Essendon side by a comfortable margin of 31 points. Essendon had a large number of goalkickers, but couldn't find a key man in their forward line to give them a spark, whilst for the Bulldogs, veteran Robert Murphy dominated with 5 goals and 27 disposals. Another senior star for the Bulldogs, Brad Johnson, was also in top form, with 14 marks, 30 disposals and 2 goals. On a different note, Jason Akermanis, now infamous for the Lions, had a shocker, picking up just 9 touches. He spent just 4 minutes on the bench, yet still didn't manage to find the ball at all.
Brisbane 24.21.165 def St. Kilda 12.4.76
Despite St. Kilda featuring a promising line-up, showcasing many stars, they were completely outdone by Brisbane at the Gabba in a one sided affair in which the Lions kicked 24 goals. It was Brisbane's star forward duo featuring again, scoring a staggering 78 points between them. Bradshaw was in brilliant form, kicking 7.3 alongside his 24 possessions, and Jonathan Brown was also excellent with 5.3. There was another name in the goalkicking list that stood out - Mitch Clark had a brilliant game, to kick 5 straight from the forward line. It was a huge win for the Lions, and nobody really managed to impress for the Saints. Koschitzke and Riewoldt both kicked 3 goals but the Saints were never in the match.
Carlton 7.7.49 def by Kangaroos 17.11.113
The Kangaroos climbed all over Carlton's star-studded midfield, and despite Carlton playing all their big names like Judd, Murphy, Stevens, Kreuzer and Fevola, they weren't good enough to overcome the Roos who looked promising. The Kangaroos were set up by a great 5 goal haul from Drew Petrie, but it was veteran Brent Harvey through the middle who was brilliant. Harvey had no less than 39 possessions and kicked 2 goals to go along with it, summing up a fantastic effort. For the Blues, Fevola kicked 3, but none of the other big names were on form for Carlton. Stevens had 19 touches, Gibbs 16, Murphy 10 and Judd just 9 possessions as Carlton failed to challenge the Kangaroos.
Geelong 21.14.140 def Adelaide 6.6.42
The 2008 runners-up and favourites for this year premiership team, Geelong, kicked off to a great start, flogging Adelaide by the biggest margin in the round, 98 points. Adelaide weren't particularly bad, but Geelong were simply devastating, running the ball freely through the midfield the entire game. Bartel and Ablett were simply stunning in the midfield, racking up an unbelievable 91 possessions between them - Bartel with 47 and Ablett with 44. Small forward Steve Johnson kicked 4 goals and Shannon Byrnes kicked 3 as Geelong dominated through the midfield. For Adelaide, Porplyzia looked impressive with 28 disposals and Goodwin had 21 touches and kicked 2 goals, but it didn't compare with the star duo Ablett and Bartel, as Geelong ran rampant against the Crows.
Sydney 13.18.96 def by Port Adelaide 16.8.104
Chad Cornes proved to be the difference as the Power managed to overcome a strong-looking Sydney team at the SCG. Despite Sydney holding a lead for most of the match, it was Chad Cornes finishing with an inspirational last quarter to boot 3 goals as the Power finished 8 point victors. Cornes finished with 28 disposals and 4 goals for the Power, whilst Ryan O'Keefe was impressive with 4 for the Swans. Barry Hall had a huge chance to win the game for Sydney, but his kicking for goal was terrible and he finished with a woeful 1.6 as Port Adelaide came back for an exciting victory.
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