FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Saturday, June 11, 2011

Herald Sun

From bruise free to heavy hitters
By Russell Gould

COLLINGWOOD could feel the force of some rugby league style tackling on Monday after Melbourne coach Dean Bailey called on his Melbourne Storm counterparts to teach his players a thing or two. Accused two weeks ago of playing "bruise-free" football, Bailey revealed that Storm assistant coaches David Kidwell and Kevin Walters, co-tenants at AAMI Park, had stopped by to educate the Demons about making tackles stick. The Melbourne coach said winning contested possessions, and keeping control of Monday’s Queen's Birthday blockbuster, could be achieved if his players were better at an area he felt they need to improve. "We have to play very well (against Collingwood) and we have to perform from the start, and we can't afford to have lapses in concentration and we can't afford to be inconsistent with our contested possession and our tackling," Bailey said. "We had Kev and David from Storm come this week, which has been beneficial for us, so we'd like to think on Monday we can fall back on the Storm and say at least they're giving us the right pointers and our guys are tackling better than what they've been. "Even though we're rival codes, we learn and educate off each other and it's been a great combination at this stage."

The Age

High in class but starved of success, Dees are pumped for a shot at the Pies
By Martin Flanagan

THE difference between an old team and a young team in modern football is about two or three seasons. Suddenly, for example, the Dogs look old. I don't believe Collingwood is as individually blessed as the Brisbane team that won three premierships in a row but the Pies are a young, virile, highly disciplined team and on Monday they meet Melbourne, a club that stands alongside the Dogs as the least successful in the competition over recent decades. What an eccentric lot Melbourne are. They're the toffs who brought in tough working class boys like ''Checker'' Hughes and Norm Smith to teach them how to win. They were the club of the British-Australian establishment now led by an Irishman whose grandfather's brother fought the British alongside Michael Collins. He is also battling cancer as few would appear to have done. When I last asked Jim Stynes how many tumours had been cut out of him, he replied: "About 20". It seemed typical he hadn't bothered to keep count. Jimmy has made the club debt-free, but sooner or later, they have to start winning. As soon as I saw Jack Watts start loose behind the ball against Carlton, I thought the Dees were going to settle for a seven-goal loss and that's what they got. It wasn't as miserable as the loss to North Melbourne but it was in that category of defeat, which make you wonder if your time wouldn't be better spent watching someone else. That same weekend, I saw Gold Coast's first quarter against Geelong and witnessed real attacking footy. But after the Carlton game, two of the Blues' players accused Melbourne of playing "bruise-free footy". That's about as serious as an insult in Australian football gets. Then Garry Lyon, the Dees' last great player, called on them to show fight and another old player of repute, David Schwarz, said they had to make a stand. And Scully was back. Scully's a thoroughbred. He's the accelerator in Melbourne's midfield engine. And so was Trengrove, a mighty footballer for a kid in his second year.

Dees’ Morton puts contract talks on hold
By Jake Niall

TALENTED utility Cale Morton has put contract talks with Melbourne on hold, as he assesses his situation with the Demons. Morton, who has struggled with knee and hand injuries this season and last, has had his management put any contract discussions on hold. It is unclear whether they will remain on hold until season's end, or if there is the prospect of negotiations during the season. Morton's decision follows the contentious call by the club's premier youngster Tom Scully to leave contract discussions until the end of the season - a move that prompted speculation about whether Scully could be bound for Greater Western Sydney. Morton, another of the club's prized early draft picks from recent years, is believed to have been on the radar of Gold Coast at one stage, but is not a GWS target. His current two-year deal expires at the end of this season. Melbourne list manager Tim Harrington said it was club policy not to talk about players' contracts in the media. Morton's manager Paul Connors also would not comment last night.