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http://abc.net.au/news/2013-07-02/dark-days-getting-brighter-for-the-demons/4794922?section=sport
It might be a big call, but Melbourne’s immediate future looks better than the Western Bulldogs', even after the Demons fell over the line on Saturday night, beating the Bulldogs by three points after leading by 44 midway through the final term.
Melbourne has not yet learned how to stop a team getting a run on like the Dogs did on the weekend where they kicked seven unanswered goals in a hurry.
The Demons have been thrashed so often in recent seasons and have hardly been competitive in recent times that what they were confronted with late in that last quarter against the Dogs was foreign to them.
The fact that they managed to hang on over the last 90 seconds was a great sign and shows that in less than two weeks the interim Coach, Neil Craig, has put together some ideas and structure which are starting to work.
Defensively except for that blitzkrieg by the Bulldogs in the last 15 minutes, Melbourne was very solid on Saturday.
They made it hard for the Dogs to clear the Demons’ forward 50 with efficiency by setting up a huddle at their kick ins and then a wall further up the ground.
Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney had no answers to those plans and with the exception of Ryan Griffen and Robert Murphy, his players lacked the kicking skills to break that wall down.
McCartney believed his players were poor defensively and they certainly leaked too many goals against a team that has struggled to score for most of the season.
However Melbourne had some method in attack, and the Dees also had an excellent structure with talls, Chris Dawes, Jack Fitzpatrick and the much maligned Jack Watts supported by the high flying Jeremy Howe.
They actually looked threatening and with the defence more settled than usual – with three talls in James Frawley, Colin Garland and Tom McDonald - there is a bit to work with at Melbourne.
Neil Craig showed at Adelaide that he could put a decent structure and game plan in place and with Mitch Clark still to return and young tall forward Jesse Hogan ready to make an impact next season, the Demons’ immediate future may be rosier than most of us thought when Mark Neeld was in charge.
It has been well documented that Neeld just could not cut it as a senior coach. Craig may not take on the position full time, but he has the chance to continue putting building blocks in place to nurture hope for this beleaguered footy club.
They need both inside hard nuts and outside runners in midfield, but they are easier to find than quality key position players, which as mentioned the Demons have plenty of at both ends.
Dog days for the boys from the west
The Dogs on the other hand are in a world of pain. Without those experienced players led superbly once again by Griffen, they would have been utterly embarrassed.
The first three quarters were horrendous and just about the worst I have seen the Dogs play.
They were listless and even though Melbourne scored too easily, they had a defensive mindset and allowed the Demons too many uncontested possessions.
McCartney is all about winning contested footy and being defensive, but you have to have a method to score and outside run and winning uncontested football is an important part of that.
His game plan at the moment does not stack up.
The Dogs have more holes in their list than Melbourne. They need quality key defenders, with Jordan Roughead for mine better suited up forward.
They have midfielders, but too many of the same type. They need pace, which was one of their strengths when they made the top four three years in a row between 2008 and 2010.
The biggest area of concern continues to be the forward line, which was dreadful against Melbourne. Daniel Giansiracusa was the only spark and he is in his final season.
Liam Jones has played 50 games as a centre half forward but he appears to have gone backwards this year, while Ayce Cordy is on the way to being another failed first round draft pick.
A succession of shoulder injuries has not helped him, but there’s a lack of intensity, no second effort and virtually no physical presence in his game.
At this stage none of the Dogs’ first round selections from 2007 to 2011 – Jared Grant (pick five, 2007), Christian Howard (pick 15, 2009), Mitch Wallis (father-son, 2010) and Clay Smith (pick 14, 2011) – have worked.
You can also say that some of Melbourne’s early draft picks have not succeeded either, but I do not think the Demons have had proper coaching or development structures in place since 2006, which has put them behind the eight ball.
It was just one win on the weekend for Melbourne, but the Demons now seem to have a plan.
For the Bulldogs, the jury is still out, but they might land an uncomfortable verdict, if GWS beat the Dogs in Canberra this week.
It might be a big call, but Melbourne’s immediate future looks better than the Western Bulldogs', even after the Demons fell over the line on Saturday night, beating the Bulldogs by three points after leading by 44 midway through the final term.
Melbourne has not yet learned how to stop a team getting a run on like the Dogs did on the weekend where they kicked seven unanswered goals in a hurry.
The Demons have been thrashed so often in recent seasons and have hardly been competitive in recent times that what they were confronted with late in that last quarter against the Dogs was foreign to them.
The fact that they managed to hang on over the last 90 seconds was a great sign and shows that in less than two weeks the interim Coach, Neil Craig, has put together some ideas and structure which are starting to work.
Defensively except for that blitzkrieg by the Bulldogs in the last 15 minutes, Melbourne was very solid on Saturday.
They made it hard for the Dogs to clear the Demons’ forward 50 with efficiency by setting up a huddle at their kick ins and then a wall further up the ground.
Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney had no answers to those plans and with the exception of Ryan Griffen and Robert Murphy, his players lacked the kicking skills to break that wall down.
McCartney believed his players were poor defensively and they certainly leaked too many goals against a team that has struggled to score for most of the season.
However Melbourne had some method in attack, and the Dees also had an excellent structure with talls, Chris Dawes, Jack Fitzpatrick and the much maligned Jack Watts supported by the high flying Jeremy Howe.
They actually looked threatening and with the defence more settled than usual – with three talls in James Frawley, Colin Garland and Tom McDonald - there is a bit to work with at Melbourne.
Neil Craig showed at Adelaide that he could put a decent structure and game plan in place and with Mitch Clark still to return and young tall forward Jesse Hogan ready to make an impact next season, the Demons’ immediate future may be rosier than most of us thought when Mark Neeld was in charge.
It has been well documented that Neeld just could not cut it as a senior coach. Craig may not take on the position full time, but he has the chance to continue putting building blocks in place to nurture hope for this beleaguered footy club.
They need both inside hard nuts and outside runners in midfield, but they are easier to find than quality key position players, which as mentioned the Demons have plenty of at both ends.
Dog days for the boys from the west
The Dogs on the other hand are in a world of pain. Without those experienced players led superbly once again by Griffen, they would have been utterly embarrassed.
The first three quarters were horrendous and just about the worst I have seen the Dogs play.
They were listless and even though Melbourne scored too easily, they had a defensive mindset and allowed the Demons too many uncontested possessions.
McCartney is all about winning contested footy and being defensive, but you have to have a method to score and outside run and winning uncontested football is an important part of that.
His game plan at the moment does not stack up.
The Dogs have more holes in their list than Melbourne. They need quality key defenders, with Jordan Roughead for mine better suited up forward.
They have midfielders, but too many of the same type. They need pace, which was one of their strengths when they made the top four three years in a row between 2008 and 2010.
The biggest area of concern continues to be the forward line, which was dreadful against Melbourne. Daniel Giansiracusa was the only spark and he is in his final season.
Liam Jones has played 50 games as a centre half forward but he appears to have gone backwards this year, while Ayce Cordy is on the way to being another failed first round draft pick.
A succession of shoulder injuries has not helped him, but there’s a lack of intensity, no second effort and virtually no physical presence in his game.
At this stage none of the Dogs’ first round selections from 2007 to 2011 – Jared Grant (pick five, 2007), Christian Howard (pick 15, 2009), Mitch Wallis (father-son, 2010) and Clay Smith (pick 14, 2011) – have worked.
You can also say that some of Melbourne’s early draft picks have not succeeded either, but I do not think the Demons have had proper coaching or development structures in place since 2006, which has put them behind the eight ball.
It was just one win on the weekend for Melbourne, but the Demons now seem to have a plan.
For the Bulldogs, the jury is still out, but they might land an uncomfortable verdict, if GWS beat the Dogs in Canberra this week.
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