Yet with both teams exceeding expectations, that’s exactly what we’ve got.
The Lions are one of only two unbeaten teams after four weeks and are coming off a strong win over one of the competition fancies in the Western Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, Melbourne has turned plenty of heads, winning its past two matches with an exciting list of young players.
Lions coach Michael Voss could have some selection headaches on his hands with Mitch Clark and Ash McGrath both available this week after serving one-match suspensions.
Brownlow Medallist Simon Black is again racing the clock to recover from a calf injury.
On the Melbourne side of the fence, former Lion Joel Macdonald will come up against his former club for the first time.
FORWARD SCOUT
The club: Melbourne Demons
2010 to date: Along with Fremantle, the Demons are undoubtedly the surprise packets of 2010 in the first month. After being thumped by Hawthorn first-up, it looked like a case of ‘here we go again’, but since then they were terribly unlucky to lose to Collingwood by just one point and have followed up with wins over winless Richmond and Adelaide playing an exciting, committed brand of footy. While they are likely to have ups and downs through the season, things are on the up.
The coach: Dean Bailey has had one tough job in his time at Melbourne. The former Essendon and Port Adelaide assistant coach took on the difficult Demon assignment in 2008 and has been reshaping and developing his list ever since. In the process he has watched the Demons win successive wooden spoons and win just nine matches in his 48 games in charge. But back-to-back wins in the past fortnight has shown his policy of sticking with youth is paying dividends. Despite the dark days, Bailey has stuck to his guns and always kept his composure.
The gun: He might not get the biggest stats, but Aaron Davey is the one Melbourne player opposition coaches fear. He has played everywhere from half-back to the midfield to forward pocket. He does his best work off half-back or in the middle where he can pick apart opposition defences with his precise left foot. He also has a high defensive work-rate but the Lions would be well served in having a player run-with Davey to curb his influence.
The sleeper: Another one of the Demons’ more experienced brigade is midfielder Brent Moloney who has been a stand-out recruit for the club since coming from Geelong in 2005. He finished second in last year’s best and fairest and has started 2010 in strong form. Moloney is a consistent ball winner and uses it well with a long kick. The 26-year-old is fresh from 37 touches in the win over Richmond and is an important cog in the Demon midfield.
The bolter: While West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui stole the Rising Star headlines last weekend, Demon Tom Scully was turning heads against Richmond. The No.1 NAB AFL Draft selection from 2009 had his best game for Melbourne, racking up 26 possessions in the win. Despite the pressure of wearing the No.31 guernsey made famous by Ron Barassi, Scully has started his career strongly, averaging 20 touches a game in the first month. He has good skills and cannot be under-estimated despite his inexperience.
Strengths: Melbourne has not had too many strengths over the past two seasons, however, with back-to-back wins the Demons have shown a desperation and willingness to work that must be respected. Team leaders James McDonald, Davey and Moloney are all in ripping form, while the backline led by James Frawley has shown a stout resolve not seen in the past two seasons.
Weaknesses: While they’ve shown plenty early this season, the Demons still have some question marks hanging over them. Consistency is still an issue that can only be answered over time, while the major issues may come in the forward 50. Colin Sylvia returned from a broken jaw to kick five goals last week, but it’s hard to see where Melbourne will get their goals from. The Lions are well equipped with tall and small defenders, which should make it difficult for the Demons to kick a winning score.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
