MEL vs ADE Round 15

[Barra13]

The Demons are coming off their biggest loss for the season and a bye only to run into the undoubted form team of the competition, the Adelaide Crows who have won their last five games on end. They are in supreme form and are a credit to their new coach Don Pyke who took over a club that tragically lost its coach around twelve months and then lost their champion player to another club at the start of the season.

Since the Crows lost their Friday night home game against the Cats some 6 weeks ago, they demolished the Suns (75 points), beat the Giants (22 points), crushed the Saints (88 points), overran the Eagles in Perth (29 points) and toppled the Kangaroos (33 points). That's an enviable record, one that the Demons have struggled to emulate for over a decade.

The question is whether Melbourne can turn things around after its poor last up performance  in the slog in Sydney when the young team was overwhelmed by the stronger Swans and in the end produced barely a whimper in difficult conditions. That 55-point deficit in those conditions translates into a complete beat mugging.

Can the Demons come back and thereby keep in touch with the top 8?

They do have a few things going for them, home ground advantage for starters. The Crows don't play against Melbourne often at this ground - it's been a few years and the last time was when the Demons were at their lowest ebb.

The next thing that Melbourne has in its favour is the competition's in form ruckman in Max Gawn who has his eyes on the scalp of Sam Jacobs. In his last up start in the deluge up in the harbour city, big Max amassed more than fifty hit outs but that huge number was nullified by the conditions which prevented his on ballers from taking advantage. This week should be kinder to him and his midfield headed by Nathan Jones, Jack Viney, Bernie Vince and Dom Tyson. They face some tough opposition with Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson leading the way and feeding a formidable forward line including the likes of Tex Walker, Josh Jenkins, Tom Lynch and Eddie Betts.

I can't see Melbourne's young and inexperienced defence holding all of Adelaide's forwards to the point where they can win.

Adelaide by 35 points.

THE GAME

Melbourne v Adelaide at the MCG Sunday 3 July, 2016 at 3.20 pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 12 wins Adelaide 22 wins

At MCG Melbourne 7 wins Adelaide 6 wins

Past five meetings Melbourne 1 win Adelaide 4 wins

The Coaches Paul Roos 0 wins Don Pyke 0 wins

MEDIA

TV -  Fox Footy Channel Live at 3.00pm

RADIO -  Triple M 3AW SEN ABC ABC Grandstand

THE BETTING

Melbourne to win - $3.15 Adelaide to win - $1.36

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Adelaide 12.8.80 defeated Melbourne 7.13.55 Round 3, 2015 at Adelaide Oval

The 25 point win by Adelaide was somewhat misleading because the Demons were well into the game until they dropped off the pace in the final term against the more accurate Crows.

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B: Sam Frost, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta
HB: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Tomas Bugg
C: Aaron vandenBerg, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince
HF: Christian Petracca, Chris Dawes, Billy Stretch
F: Jack Watts, Jesse Hogan, Dean Kent
FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney
I/C (from): Jeff Garlett, Jack Grimes, James Harmes, Matt Jones, Ben Kennedy, Viv Michie, Jack Trengove

IN: Jeff Garlett, Jack Grimes, James Harmes, Matt Jones, Viv Michie
OUT: Clayton Oliver (omitted), Josh Wagner (knee)

ADELAIDE CROWS

B: Jake Lever, Daniel Talia, Rory Laird

HB: Brodie Smith, Kyle Hartigan, Luke Brown
C: David Mackay, Rory Sloane, Rory Atkins
HF: Mitch McGovern, Josh Jenkins, Richard Douglas
F: Eddie Betts, Taylor Walker, Tom Lynch
FOLL: Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Jarryd Lyons
I/C (from): Charlie Cameron,  Kyle Cheney, Brad Crouch, Matt Crouch, Ricky Henderson, Wayne Milera, Andy Otten   

IN: Ricky Henderson, Wayne Milera, Andy Otten 

[Purple 77]

I'm going to this match :D

Will be the 2nd time ever for me watching Melbourne at the MCG :D third time overall :D :D

[Big Mac]

I'm going to this match :D

Will be the 2nd time ever for me watching Melbourne at the MCG :D third time overall :D :D

I know you saw dees North this year, but what was the first match you saw?

[Purple 77]

I'm going to this match :D

Will be the 2nd time ever for me watching Melbourne at the MCG :D third time overall :D :D

I know you saw dees North this year, but what was the first match you saw?

2014, Melbourne v Gold Coast. The Suns only won by about 8 points, and GAJ & Jones got 5 brownlow votes between them  8)

[Big Mac]

I'm going to this match :D

Will be the 2nd time ever for me watching Melbourne at the MCG :D third time overall :D :D

I know you saw dees North this year, but what was the first match you saw?

2014, Melbourne v Gold Coast. The Suns only won by about 8 points, and GAJ & Jones got 5 brownlow votes between them  8)

Yep I remember that one

Tbh you'd be pretty happy with that game being your first considering all the other crap we've dished up  :P

Hopefully you can see a win this time  8)

[Purple 77]

I'm going to this match :D

Will be the 2nd time ever for me watching Melbourne at the MCG :D third time overall :D :D

I know you saw dees North this year, but what was the first match you saw?

2014, Melbourne v Gold Coast. The Suns only won by about 8 points, and GAJ & Jones got 5 brownlow votes between them  8)

Yep I remember that one

Tbh you'd be pretty happy with that game being your first considering all the other crap we've dished up  :P

Hopefully you can see a win this time  8)

If I get another glance from Jesse this weekend (like I did against North), then really, I don't care if we win.

[_wato]

Anyone head to Sloaney boy you reckon? Or he runs riot like he has the past month?

[Purple 77]

Anyone head to Sloaney boy you reckon? Or he runs riot like he has the past month?

Hmm. Bugg has been doing run-with roles recently... thinking about it, I actually think he is a good chance to head to Sloaney :-X

[Rusty00]

Anyone head to Sloaney boy you reckon? Or he runs riot like he has the past month?

Hmm. Bugg has been doing run-with roles recently... thinking about it, I actually think he is a good chance to head to Sloaney :-X

What about Bernard? Went to Sam Mitchell after quarter time against the Hawks and kept him quieter. Reckon he might try and put a physical presence on his former teammate?

[Purple 77]

Anyone head to Sloaney boy you reckon? Or he runs riot like he has the past month?

Hmm. Bugg has been doing run-with roles recently... thinking about it, I actually think he is a good chance to head to Sloaney :-X

What about Bernard? Went to Sam Mitchell after quarter time against the Hawks and kept him quieter. Reckon he might try and put a physical presence on his former teammate?

Oh that's a good point; he did that to Danger last year :P

Bernie seems to have stepped away from tagging this year and we are using him more off half back. With Wagner out of the side, I'd say it's more likely he stays to his half back role IMO

[Barra13]

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B: Sam Frost, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta
HB: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Tomas Bugg
C: Aaron vandenBerg, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince
HF: Christian Petracca, Chris Dawes, Billy Stretch
F: Jack Watts, Jesse Hogan, Dean Kent
FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney
I/C (from): Jeff Garlett, Jack Grimes, James Harmes, Matt Jones, Ben Kennedy, Viv Michie, Jack Trengove

IN: Jeff Garlett, Jack Grimes, James Harmes, Matt Jones, Viv Michie
OUT: Clayton Oliver (omitted), Josh Wagner (knee)

ADELAIDE CROWS

B: Jake Lever, Daniel Talia, Rory Laird

HB: Brodie Smith, Kyle Hartigan, Luke Brown
C: David Mackay, Rory Sloane, Rory Atkins
HF: Mitch McGovern, Josh Jenkins, Richard Douglas
F: Eddie Betts, Taylor Walker, Tom Lynch
FOLL: Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Jarryd Lyons
I/C (from): Charlie Cameron,  Kyle Cheney, Brad Crouch, Matt Crouch, Ricky Henderson, Wayne Milera, Andy Otten   

IN: Ricky Henderson, Wayne Milera, Andy Otten 

[Barra13]

Anyone head to Sloaney boy you reckon? Or he runs riot like he has the past month?

I'd say it would probably be Bugg. He absolutely towelled up Sidebottom a few weeks ago. He was smashing it in the first quarter then Bugg got on him and locked him down. Was very quiet the rest of the game.

[Toga]

Viney in doubt

[Barra13]

Emerging Melbourne star Jack Viney is reportedly in doubt for this weekend's game against the Adelaide Crows.

Viney left the track after just ten minutes during this morning's main session to get work on a tight hamstring.

_________________________
Jack Viney has left Melbourne training after 10 mins. Got treatment in the truck they have here so couldn't see what was wrong.

â€" Lauren Wood (@LaurenA_Wood) July 1, 2016
_________________________

The 22 year old has endured a break-out season this year, with many including him within their All-Australian calculations. He's averaging 26 disposals, has kicked seven goals, averaging 13 contested possessions, seven tackles and six clearances.

_________________________
It was a tight hamstring for Viney at training this morning. Final teams for Sunday announced later today.

â€" Lauren Wood (@LaurenA_Wood) July 1, 2016
_________________________

[Barra13]

Should be alright to go I reckon. No injury as such.