Formed: 1858
Joined VFL/AFL: 1897
Premierships: 12 – 1900, 1926, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964
Last finals appearance: 2006, second semi-final (v Fremantle).
2007 at a glance:
A CAMPAIGN of massive disappointment for Demons fans, who saw their team enter the season as finals contenders, then meekly slide to a 5-17 record and a 14th place finish.
2008 to date:
No expectations of finals at Melbourne this time out – but still plenty of disappointment, with only a single win to date. Nevertheless, despite losing their opening two games by a combined 199 points, the Demons have been competitive at times, notably against Geelong, Hawthorn, Collingwood and, at the weekend, the Sydney Swans. Their win against Fremantle in round seven came after trailing by 50 points at half time.
The coach:
Life as an AFL coach certainly hasn’t started easily for Dean Bailey, a former Essendon player, and Bombers and Port Adelaide assistant coach. But a 1-12 record masks the fact Bailey has the Demons playing for him and pushing some of the top teams in the League.
Missing in action:
Mobile centre half-back Jared Rivers remains out with an abdominal problem, while the season is already over for spearhead Russell Robertson (achilles) and hard-at-it midfielder Brent Moloney (shoulder). Skipper and Melbourne games record holder David Neitz retired in mid-May, but tough midfielder Daniel Bell could return from a hamstring injury this weekend.
The gun:
The Demons have been waiting for Brock McLean fulfil the potential he showed in being the number five selection of the 2003 draft and this year is the closest he has come so far. The 22-year-old is averaging 24 possessions-per-game, with a season-high of 36 against Collingwood, and is second at the club for tackles. Hard-nosed and with an obvious ability to find the football, McLean leads the Demons in both centre clearances and contested possessions.
The bolter:
Tricky to spell but hard to miss on the field; Austin Wonaeamirri has been a real bright spot for Melbourne in a tough season to date. Promoted off the rookie list when Neitz first went down, the Northern Territory product kicked three goals against the Lions in round six, and has since posted hauls of four and three against Fremantle and Collingwood respectively. Still has some development do but looms as an exciting prospect.
Strengths:
The wins haven’t come but the Demons have tested some of the League's higher flyers in 2008, including Hawthorn in round nine and Collingwood a fortnight ago, both at Sunday’s venue, the MCG. Midfield regulars McLean, James McDonald, Cameron Bruce and Nathan Jones have had solid seasons. Brad Miller has been reinvented in the forward line in recent weeks, Wonaeamirri and Aaron Davey are dangerous goalkickers with pace, and Jeff White is a more than competent ruckman. Brad Green does a bit of everything and is a proven scoring option when playing forward. Although already well beaten, Melbourne outscored the Lions in the final quarter of their round six meeting at the Gabba, playing some free-flowing football.
Weaknesses:
When a team sits at 1-12 after 13 rounds, its strengths are obviously outweighed by weaknesses. There’s no doubting the promise of Melbourne’s younger players or the serviceability of its more experienced stalwarts, but there isn’t enough overlap between the two generations at present. The most obvious area where that is an issue is in defence, where Bailey must find markers for Jonathan Brown and, possibly, Daniel Bradshaw. James Frawley and Matthew Warnock are good prospects, but both could use with more muscle on their still developing frames. It may well be that the Demons need to rob Peter to pay Paul by moving Miller back into defence. That would be a problem for a team that averages only 78 points per game.
Running hot:
McLean has averaged 28 touches and five tackles per game over the last month. After a slow start to the season, Bruce has picked up more than 26 disposals an outing during the last seven rounds. Matthew Bate had only 14 possessions against the Sydney Swans on the weekend but managed four goals.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
