FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Herald Sun

Blues sledge upsets Demons
By Mark Stevens

MELBOURNE is seething after Carlton players accused the Demons of playing "bruise-free" football on Friday night. Blues Mitch Robinson and Dennis Armfield delivered the stinging insult in separate interviews after the Blues cruised to a 47-point win.Hard-nosed midfielder Robinson said of the Demons: "They didn't want a bruise game."Running defender Armfield commented: "We probably knew they wanted to play that outside, bruise-free footy."The Demons were offended by the inference they went out of their way to avoid collisions on a wet night at the MCG."It's disappointing that Mitch Robinson and the Carlton Football Club can be so disrespectful to the Melbourne Football Club," Demons football manager Chris Connolly told the Herald Sun.

Mitch Robinson will be marked man for Melbourne
By Mark Robinson

A BESIEGED Melbourne has a message for Carlton's Mitch Robinson: Your time will come. Right now, they can't really respond to Robinson and less-so Dennis Armfield, who ridiculed the Demons for playing "bruise-free" footy. But as of yesterday, Robinson will be a target for the Demons for the rest of his career.He might as well draw the red and white circles on the back of his jumper because the Demons will make his life as torrid as they can. The 21-year-old basically called the Demons soft - and he wouldn't be alone - but Robinson doesn't care about the PR fall-out.Remember, he had a dust-up with St Kilda's Michael Gardiner outside a city pub in May last year, so confrontation is not foreign.It might concern the Blues hierarchy, though.

The Age

Demons may put their faith in young giant
By Jesse Hogan

MELBOURNE is considering promoting the league's second tallest player, Max Gawn, to help counter Essendon's formidable ruck division. The 19-year-old, who at 208 centimetres is only three centimetres shorter than Aaron Sandilands, could be joined on Friday night against the Bombers by Jack Trengove and Tom Scully. Trengove is available after suspension while Scully returned from injury last weekend in the VFL. While the Demons are buoyed by the availability of 2009's top two draft picks that enthusiasm has been dented by a requirement for vice-captain Aaron Davey to undergo knee surgery. Davey originally had been expected to miss only last week's match against Carlton and possibly the Essendon match as well, but he has subsequently been diagnosed as having a small tear to cartilage in his left knee. The Demons' general manager of football, Chris Connolly, forecast a six-to-eight-week stint on the sidelines for Davey. Gawn, from Ormond, was recovering from a knee reconstruction when he was drafted at the end of 2009. He recovered enough to play some VFL reserves matches late last year but has progressed significantly this year, particularly since the Demons' recent ruck crisis. The club was rapt with his weekend effort against Williamstown, in which he faced Western Bulldogs veteran Ben Hudson and was Casey's best player. "Max Gawn took a big step forward in his development," Connolly said. "Because we lost three ruckmen in one weekend — Jake Spencer, Jack Fitzpatrick and Mark Jamar — all of a sudden these opportunities have presented to Max that, in normal circumstances, would not.

The Australian

Davey surgery keeps up bad news for Dees
By Stephen Rielly

MELBOURNE'S season of promise continues to disintegrate, with vice-captain Aaron Davey yesterday joining the lengthy list of long-term injured Demons. What was at first thought to be a minor knee problem _ after missing last Friday night's encounter with Carlton it was suggested by coach Dean Bailey that Davey could play against Essendon this Friday night _ was found instead to be a cartilage injury requiring surgery.According to Melbourne football operations manager Chris Connolly, Davey is likely to miss at least six weeks and up to two months of football, which will mean a return between rounds 17 and 19. Melbourne's quickest and most attacking small defender, Davey jarred his left knee against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium in round nine. Scans subsequently found that he damaged the cartilage in the lateral compartment and surgery was recommended."He is clearly an integral component to this team, and will be missed," Connolly said.