At the end of the 2008 season, the Melbourne Football Club was the laughing stock of the competition, with no money and a wooden spoon to its name.
Sure, seven rounds into season 2009, Melbourne sits on the bottom of the table and the questions are still being asked when will they fold or merge with North Melbourne.
Let me get one thing straight, the Melbourne Football Club is here to stay and is starting to show great improvements on and off the field.
For the first time in the history of the Melbourne Football Club, their membership sales have reached 30,000, quite an amazing effort considering they won only three games last season.
With Jimmy Stynes at the helm, and with the support of many past legends of the club, the debt has been dramtically cut and the financial side of things are looking positive.
Not only has the off field performances improved, there has been an improved on-field effort by the squad in recent weeks which should have Melbourne supporters looking forward to the future.
The form of Jack Watts on his VFL debut showed enough to demonstrate the recruiters got it right selecting him at number one in last year’s draft.
Throw in the likes of Jamie Bennell, Neville Jetta, Cale Morton and Stefan Martin, and the future is looking very bright and for once a smile should be on the face of Melbourne supporters.
Melbourne may very well finish on the bottom of the ladder once again this season, but will take a lot out of the season with many of the younger players getting valuable senior experience.
No matter what happens this season, in the coming years, Melbourne will be back to their fighting best on and off the field.
There are plenty of exciting times ahead at Demon land.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Last, year in the second showdown, Adelaide destroyed Port by 47 points with a staggering 20 marks inside 50 with Tex Walker the main star.
There’s no disputing that Cam Guthrie will be important against Melbourne, given Patrick Dangerfield is set to miss due to injury.
Collingwood led by a point with minutes to go, Kyle Langford had the chance to be the hero with a set shot, however, he missed, and we saw the first draw of the season.
The AFL has confirmed the right decision was made after a ball ricocheted off a boundary umpire's leg during the third quarter of Melbourne's…
There's an old saying that you should never argue with an idiot, because they'll drag you down to their level and then beat you…
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
