James Frawley of Melbourne is tackled by Jonathan Brown of Brisbane during the AFL Round 05 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Brisbane Lions at the MCG, Melbourne. Slattery Images.
Melbourne will take far more from Saturday night’s win over the Brisbane Lions than just the four points. This young Demons team can now have the confidence in their own ability to defeat any side in the AFL.
It feels like the turnaround has happened almost overnight, but the Demons looked slick, skillful and seriously quick. They hit targets, applied enormous defensive pressure and stuck to a game plan that is fast, exciting and direct through the corridor.
I found myself asking, is this really Melbourne playing?
For the most part, they were exhilarating to watch, running in numbers, playing with flare and attacking every contest as if it was going to be their last.
For the first time in four years, the Demons are backing themselves to win the fifty/50 contests, have faith in their kicking ability and are well drilled enough to maintain their level of intensity throughout an entire game.
In years gone by, teams would overrun them, their concentration would lapse or costly skill errors would ultimately turn a game on its head.
Now those demons are in the past and Melbourne appears to be finally going places.
The old cliché “it was a good team performance” rings completely true in Melbourne’s 50 point belting of the undefeated Lions.
The back six held the formidable Lions forwards to just seven goals for the match, granted, Jonathan Brown looked to be carrying a groin injury, but you cant take anything away from James Frawley, Matthew Warnock and Colin Garland for restricting Brown and Fevola the way they did.
Throw in future captain Jack Grimes, current captain James McDonald and the hardness of former Lion Joel MacDonald and all of a sudden this a defensive structure to be reckoned with.
The midfield has been instrumental, the mix of experience, pace, youth and toughness proving lethal, and now they have the confidence to match the game plan, maybe Melbourne aren’t as far away as we thought from challenging the best teams in the competition?
The senior players are all standing up, Brent Moloney, Nathan Jones, Aaron Davey, Colin Sylvia and Brad Green all leading by example, while youngsters Jack Trengove and Tom Scully have already made an impact.
Mark Jamar also super impressive again, making his presence felt with his tap outs and work around the ground, including 17 disposals and 24 hitouts.
Is Jamar the most improved player in the AFL this year?
My biggest question mark on the new look Melbourne team is still up forward though, while they had 12 individual goal scorers, the need for a big, strong body is still an issue.
Ricky Pettard, Colin Sylvia, Matthew Bate and Brad Green are all more than serviceable inside the 50 metre arc, but when it comes to pressure games or finals football, they need a key forward to crash the packs and bring the ball to ground.
Jack Watts is still very much a work in progress, but assuming he can bulk up and continue to develop, that might not be a problem in a year or two.
The aberration of round one has been quickly forgotten and with games in the coming weeks against North Melbourne and West Coast at home, Melbourne could be sitting inside the top four after 7 rounds, I bet no one would have predicted that!
But how do you stop a young side getting too far ahead of themselves?
Brad Green said the first message from coach Dean Bailey after the game was simple “your only as good as your last performance.” Bailey all too aware of the need to keep his young charges feet firmly planted on the ground.
Of course the challenge now will be maintaining the momentum whilst mentally containing the hype and excitement.
JamesP
Guest
I am looking forward to Austin Wonaeamirri and Liam Jurrah coming back, but agree that they lack a tall and strong marking option in the forward line post Green. The buuldogs have shown you can only go so far with a small forward line...Can't wait for this Saturday's North clash....Might even get 40k!
JK
Guest
Is there an official time span as to how long you need to "bottom out " for? and does that mean missing the finals, getting the spoon or something different?
tfield
Roar Rookie
svenman, your commets reek of ignorance and bias towards in favor of the swans. Put simply, the Swans have not yet beaten a top 8 side let alone a top 4 team. They are top of table courtesy of a favourable draw. Teh swans need to prove their worth agaist a rebounding Brisbane team this weekend. The Dee's have built momentum by playing to their strengths and clearly an off-season that increased their fitness levels from 2009. They are playing attractive footy and thats what the Swans need to prove they can do againt quality opposition.
Al
Guest
They orchestrated their tanking pretty well, I mean letting Richmond beat them after the siren late last year instead of just getting belted by ten goals is testament to that. I'm not a Melbourne supporter but am extremely pleased in how they have performed so far, they play a great brand of run and carry, down the corridor footy, they tackle and apply a heap of defensive pressure and they still have players to come into their side such Jurrah, Watts, Wonaemirri, Tapscott, Blease etc. I'd rather be watching them right now then the awful crap served up by successful sides like St Kilda.
Redb
Guest
Brisbane were just run off their feet by a Demons side with true Melbourne football spirit.
James
Guest
And we haven't mentioned how bad Brisbane were. Amazing turn around from the Dees. Great for Jimmy.
Redb
Guest
Well done Demons, I watched the game and throughly enjoyed the win and playing style.
Adrian Bauk
Roar Guru
To think I was laughing at Colin Slyvia last weekend suggesting they are going to make the eight. A remarkable turnaround from the last two seasons! Good to see the young guys having a crack.
matt
Guest
svenman- we lost one 'game', not 'games' that people highlight we tanked in. this was lost after the siren, and many argue that mcmahons mark shouldn't have been allowed as it was after the siren. people dont forget this- fact is our performance against collingwood gave us confidence. have you ever thought that this was the missing link? sydney will be floundering eternally in the middle of the ladder because they have not properly bottomed out (who have they beaten this year?). geelong bottomed out, so did st kilda and so did the bulldogs. in order to be successful, it seems a necessity. so follow the soccer or something mate, cos you don't know anything about AFL.
James
Guest
Can they make the eight? Let's assume Geelong, St Kilda, Brisbane, Bulldogs, Collingwood, Sydney and Freo are in based on how they're playing. That's seven teams leaving one spot free. Let's rule out Adelaide, Richmond, Essendon, West Coast. That leaves Melbourne, Carlton, Kangas, Hawks, Port. Won't be easy but I would have said the Hawks should be in there but are collapsing in a heap. There's a chance for the Dees.
Svenman
Guest
Maybe I'm a cynic but I find it hard to get as inspired by Melbournes performances as others have. Whilst its great to see a young side playing an exciting brand of football and theres the obvious link with Jim Stynes, this is still the same team that many suspected, and quiet rightfully, were deliberatley losing games to obtain draft picks last year. Its funny how quickly people forget this. I have much more admiration for a team like Sydney that, withouth floundering around on the bottom of the table have reinvigorated their playing with list with youth and excitment which currently sees them sitting at the top of the ladder, and had things in rnd 1 gone their way, could very well be the only undefeated side in the comp.