FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Friday, June 3, 2011
Herald Sun
Business as usual for deadpan Dean
By Mike Sheahan
DEAN Bailey's humour doesn't jump up and grab you by the funny bone. It creeps up on you, generally cryptic, delivered deadpan. Elliot Goblet-style. His mates say it's always been the same. I saw it again, standing with him in the sunshine at AAMI Park watching Melbourne's leisurely final session before tonight's critical MCG engagement with Essendon. Early in the week, I called him about the rumour he would fall on his sword shortly, step down from his position as Melbourne coach and hand over to Todd Viney, one of his assistants and a former Melbourne captain. Watching the players during their 30-minute "shoot-around", as the basketballers say, I asked, "Is that (new ruckman) Max Gawn doing the handball drill with Jack Watts?" "That's him," said Bailey. "That's Todd Viney behind him," he added, expression unchanged. He knew I knew Viney, he was merely making a point. Ten minutes earlier, as he arrived for the session, he had said: "Got any more rumours for me?" No inflection, no malice, just him.
Bruised Dees pumped to walk the walk
By Sam Edmund
MELBOURNE skipper Brad Green is shocked by accusations his side played "bruise-free football". But Green has vowed actions will speak louder than words in tonight's clash against Essendon at the MCG. The Demons were furious after Carlton players Mitch Robinson and Dennis Armfield delivered the barb after the Blues battered Melbourne by 47 points a week ago. "You look at those comments and you shake your head a bit and think, 'S---, he's had a dig at our club, my club, I'm captain of it and someone has insulted us and you don't like to see that," Green told the Herald Sun. "Certainly last Friday night's performance wasn't what we expect and wasn't what we want as a side." Green said the Demons would not be sucked into "cheap shots" tonight."We can say as much as we want, but the actions are the things that have to speak for us," he said. "That's the only thing we get judged on. We can come out and say as much as we want, but we get judged on our actions and that's where we've got to do the talking."
Meet Giant Gawn and Jumping Jeremy
By Sam Edmund
ONE can look Aaron Sandilands in the eye, the other can probably jump over him. Meet Max Gawn and Jeremy Howe, the Melbourne youngsters who will play their first games tonight against Essendon at the MCG. But an impending AFL debut is about the only thing these two have in common. A 208cm ruckman from Ormond, in Melbourne's east, Gawn will be second to Fremantle's 211cm Sandilands as the AFL's tallest player. Howe is a spring-heeled forward from Dodges Ferry, outside Hobart, with a penchant for sitting on defenders' heads. Both represent the future at Melbourne and form part of a side that tonight boasts five players with five games or fewer. Gawn, 19, finally gets his chance after being named as an emergency for three consecutive weeks.
Business as usual for deadpan Dean
By Mike Sheahan
DEAN Bailey's humour doesn't jump up and grab you by the funny bone. It creeps up on you, generally cryptic, delivered deadpan. Elliot Goblet-style. His mates say it's always been the same. I saw it again, standing with him in the sunshine at AAMI Park watching Melbourne's leisurely final session before tonight's critical MCG engagement with Essendon. Early in the week, I called him about the rumour he would fall on his sword shortly, step down from his position as Melbourne coach and hand over to Todd Viney, one of his assistants and a former Melbourne captain. Watching the players during their 30-minute "shoot-around", as the basketballers say, I asked, "Is that (new ruckman) Max Gawn doing the handball drill with Jack Watts?" "That's him," said Bailey. "That's Todd Viney behind him," he added, expression unchanged. He knew I knew Viney, he was merely making a point. Ten minutes earlier, as he arrived for the session, he had said: "Got any more rumours for me?" No inflection, no malice, just him.
Bruised Dees pumped to walk the walk
By Sam Edmund
MELBOURNE skipper Brad Green is shocked by accusations his side played "bruise-free football". But Green has vowed actions will speak louder than words in tonight's clash against Essendon at the MCG. The Demons were furious after Carlton players Mitch Robinson and Dennis Armfield delivered the barb after the Blues battered Melbourne by 47 points a week ago. "You look at those comments and you shake your head a bit and think, 'S---, he's had a dig at our club, my club, I'm captain of it and someone has insulted us and you don't like to see that," Green told the Herald Sun. "Certainly last Friday night's performance wasn't what we expect and wasn't what we want as a side." Green said the Demons would not be sucked into "cheap shots" tonight."We can say as much as we want, but the actions are the things that have to speak for us," he said. "That's the only thing we get judged on. We can come out and say as much as we want, but we get judged on our actions and that's where we've got to do the talking."
Meet Giant Gawn and Jumping Jeremy
By Sam Edmund
ONE can look Aaron Sandilands in the eye, the other can probably jump over him. Meet Max Gawn and Jeremy Howe, the Melbourne youngsters who will play their first games tonight against Essendon at the MCG. But an impending AFL debut is about the only thing these two have in common. A 208cm ruckman from Ormond, in Melbourne's east, Gawn will be second to Fremantle's 211cm Sandilands as the AFL's tallest player. Howe is a spring-heeled forward from Dodges Ferry, outside Hobart, with a penchant for sitting on defenders' heads. Both represent the future at Melbourne and form part of a side that tonight boasts five players with five games or fewer. Gawn, 19, finally gets his chance after being named as an emergency for three consecutive weeks.
"On Tuesday 'Bails' (coach Dean Bailey) called me into a meeting. I was nervous for a while because he was talking about a couple of things I need to improve and I was wondering where it was all going, but he finally cut to the chase at the end and gave me the all-clear," Gawn said. The son of New Zealand-born parents, Gawn played key position in his junior days before a "massive growth spurt" in year 12 meant he was destined to play only one position. "There's a few nicknames going around. Just 'big' mainly, with anything on the end," he said. "Everything just starts with the word 'big'.
Jack strengthens Dee backbone
By Matt Windley
HE did his best to hose down "bruise-free footy" talk, but Melbourne midfielder Jack Trengove admits the Demons are keen to prove they are not soft against Essendon at the MCG. "It's pretty irrelevant now, they said what they said - it's happened," Trengove said of the jibes levelled by Carlton's Dennis Armfield and Mitch Robinson after last Friday night's game. "We're just focusing on playing Essendon this week and if we play Carlton we'll deal with it then, but for now it's just about Essendon."Obviously, you don't want to be labelled soft so we'll be trying to prove that point wrong this weekend." While his teammates were accused of not being hard enough, Trengove returns from a three-week suspension for being too rough in a now-infamous tackle on Adelaide's Patrick Dangerfield. But the Dees' No.2 pick from the 2009 draft has vowed not to change. "It's a real instinctive thing, it's hard to change," he said. "I'll probably tackle the same way and try to prevent any concussion, because that's the real issue, I think. "As long as that doesn't happen I should be right."
The Age
Dees need to show grunt for Bailey
By Robert Walls
IF I had an 18 year-old son coming into AFL football, I would be very pleased if he was to be coached by Dean Bailey. I see the Demons coach as being a well-rounded, experienced leader who has a background of wide experience at successful clubs, and has interest and compassion for those he coaches. The reality is, however, Bailey's future as a coach will be determined by his players in the next three months. If the Melbourne team continues on as it has in the first half of the season, then Bailey will be finished. In Bailey's first two seasons, the team won three and four games. The next year, it was eight victories and an inspiring draw against Collingwood in the Queen's Birthday clash. There were some positive signs as youngsters such as Tom Scully, Jack Trengove, Liam Jurrah and Jack Grimes looked the goods. Bailey had also urged the best out of veterans Brad Green, Mark Jamar, Colin Sylvia and Brent Moloney. At just 22, James Frawley finished runner-up in the best and fairest and was an All-Australian defender. So come 2011, Demons supporters were filled with genuine hope. In fairness to Bailey, injuries have cruelled any chance he has had to field his best 22, and Trengove's three-game suspension was laughable.
Dees must shake soft tag: Keenan
By Matt Murnane, Martin Boulton
FORMER Melbourne hardman Peter ''Crackers'' Keenan says nothing less than controlled aggression and head-over-the-ball football will be acceptable from the Demons tonight after the slur of being labelled soft. In the wake of comments by Carlton players that suggested Melbourne played a ''bruise-free'' style last Friday night, Keenan said coach Dean Bailey should use the comments as motivation and the Essendon coaching staff would expect the Demons to start like ''men possessed'' at the MCG. ''If they've got any credibility as footballers and got any character, they should show controlled aggression, they should play uncompromising, accountable footy and really stand up,'' Keenan told The Age. ''Eventually you've got to take control of your own destiny, and that's what Melbourne have got to do.'' Keenan, who also played for the Bombers and won a flag with North Melbourne, said if the Melbourne players failed to respond ''there's something wrong with them as footballers''. ''This is time to put the head over the ball and really show what you are - when your turn comes, you've got to take it - that's what football is about. The Melbourne players get a chance to redeem themselves on national television and they don't get many chances like that. It's a big stage.''
Demons have point to prove against Bombers
By AAP
Taunted Melbourne have pledged to prove a point about their toughness against an Essendon side wondering whether their own bruise-free weekend will hurt them. Stung by Carlton players labelling them exponents of "bruise-free football" after being thumped by the Blues last Friday night, Melbourne aim to blow that tag away against the Bombers. Demons midfielder Jack Trengove, who will return from a three-game AFL suspension in Friday night's MCG clash, said Melbourne were keenly awaiting their return bout with Carlton in round 20. But first, they plan to turn up the aggression against the Bombers. "For now it's just all about Essendon," Trengove said. "You don't want to be labelled soft, so we'll be trying to prove that point this weekend. "Coming off a few poor performances, we all want to turn it around. "We've done everything possible this week to make that happen. "It all starts with putting pressure on the ball-carrier for the opposing team with our tackling and pressure."
Jack strengthens Dee backbone
By Matt Windley
HE did his best to hose down "bruise-free footy" talk, but Melbourne midfielder Jack Trengove admits the Demons are keen to prove they are not soft against Essendon at the MCG. "It's pretty irrelevant now, they said what they said - it's happened," Trengove said of the jibes levelled by Carlton's Dennis Armfield and Mitch Robinson after last Friday night's game. "We're just focusing on playing Essendon this week and if we play Carlton we'll deal with it then, but for now it's just about Essendon."Obviously, you don't want to be labelled soft so we'll be trying to prove that point wrong this weekend." While his teammates were accused of not being hard enough, Trengove returns from a three-week suspension for being too rough in a now-infamous tackle on Adelaide's Patrick Dangerfield. But the Dees' No.2 pick from the 2009 draft has vowed not to change. "It's a real instinctive thing, it's hard to change," he said. "I'll probably tackle the same way and try to prevent any concussion, because that's the real issue, I think. "As long as that doesn't happen I should be right."
The Age
Dees need to show grunt for Bailey
By Robert Walls
IF I had an 18 year-old son coming into AFL football, I would be very pleased if he was to be coached by Dean Bailey. I see the Demons coach as being a well-rounded, experienced leader who has a background of wide experience at successful clubs, and has interest and compassion for those he coaches. The reality is, however, Bailey's future as a coach will be determined by his players in the next three months. If the Melbourne team continues on as it has in the first half of the season, then Bailey will be finished. In Bailey's first two seasons, the team won three and four games. The next year, it was eight victories and an inspiring draw against Collingwood in the Queen's Birthday clash. There were some positive signs as youngsters such as Tom Scully, Jack Trengove, Liam Jurrah and Jack Grimes looked the goods. Bailey had also urged the best out of veterans Brad Green, Mark Jamar, Colin Sylvia and Brent Moloney. At just 22, James Frawley finished runner-up in the best and fairest and was an All-Australian defender. So come 2011, Demons supporters were filled with genuine hope. In fairness to Bailey, injuries have cruelled any chance he has had to field his best 22, and Trengove's three-game suspension was laughable.
Dees must shake soft tag: Keenan
By Matt Murnane, Martin Boulton
FORMER Melbourne hardman Peter ''Crackers'' Keenan says nothing less than controlled aggression and head-over-the-ball football will be acceptable from the Demons tonight after the slur of being labelled soft. In the wake of comments by Carlton players that suggested Melbourne played a ''bruise-free'' style last Friday night, Keenan said coach Dean Bailey should use the comments as motivation and the Essendon coaching staff would expect the Demons to start like ''men possessed'' at the MCG. ''If they've got any credibility as footballers and got any character, they should show controlled aggression, they should play uncompromising, accountable footy and really stand up,'' Keenan told The Age. ''Eventually you've got to take control of your own destiny, and that's what Melbourne have got to do.'' Keenan, who also played for the Bombers and won a flag with North Melbourne, said if the Melbourne players failed to respond ''there's something wrong with them as footballers''. ''This is time to put the head over the ball and really show what you are - when your turn comes, you've got to take it - that's what football is about. The Melbourne players get a chance to redeem themselves on national television and they don't get many chances like that. It's a big stage.''
Demons have point to prove against Bombers
By AAP
Taunted Melbourne have pledged to prove a point about their toughness against an Essendon side wondering whether their own bruise-free weekend will hurt them. Stung by Carlton players labelling them exponents of "bruise-free football" after being thumped by the Blues last Friday night, Melbourne aim to blow that tag away against the Bombers. Demons midfielder Jack Trengove, who will return from a three-game AFL suspension in Friday night's MCG clash, said Melbourne were keenly awaiting their return bout with Carlton in round 20. But first, they plan to turn up the aggression against the Bombers. "For now it's just all about Essendon," Trengove said. "You don't want to be labelled soft, so we'll be trying to prove that point this weekend. "Coming off a few poor performances, we all want to turn it around. "We've done everything possible this week to make that happen. "It all starts with putting pressure on the ball-carrier for the opposing team with our tackling and pressure."
