FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Saturday, June 4, 2011
Herald Sun
Demons romp home as Dons falter
By Michael Horan
MELBOURNE is just two points outside the top eight after upsetting Essendon by 33 points at the MCG last night. For the second week running the Bombers were proved vulnerable without skipper Jobe Watson and fellow mid-fielder Henry Slattery as an equally injury-depleted Melbourne unleashed a 6.2 to one-point third term to take the game away from its more fancied opponent. Celebrating the return of young stars Jack Trengove and Tom Scully, Melbourne responded brilliantly to the ''bruise-free football'' slur by a Carlton player during the week to out-run, out-tackle and out-play the Bombers.From the first bounce when Brent Moloney's hard attack on the ball won the Dees a centre clearance, the Demons seemed sharper and duly had two goals to nil on the board from by the eight-minute mark.
Sledge, then Demons hammer Bombers
By Mark Robinson
THE Demons should employ a sledger every week. Smashed by West Coast in Round 6, they beat Adelaide in Round 7 by 90-odd points. Underwhelming against Carlton last weekend, last night they climbed off the canvas and bowled over the Bombers. This was huge. It was about redemption and self identity, of being tagged weak and insignificant one week and making a stand the next. Strong and committed, and awesome in the third quarter, the emotion of the week was played out at the final siren last night. Coach Dean Bailey walked on to the ground to be met by his battle-weary captain Brad Green who embraced him; then Bailey made it to the rest of his team. In reality, it was four points. In essence, it was a stand by a club that had lost respect from its peers. As Bailey departed the MCG, he clapped the Melbourne faithful surrounding the race. He might've said it was business as usual in the most confronting week of his career, but there was nothing usual about Bailey's display of appreciation last night. They won by 33 points and the third quarter was the gamebreaker.
Proud Bailey watches Dees dig deep
By Sam Edmund
THE clock had ticked past 31 minutes in last night's final quarter when Dean Bailey strode to the Melbourne bench looking defiant. Then, as Brent Moloney kicked the last goal in Melbourne's 33-point win, Bailey thrust his fist into the air. At the siren, he hugged captain Brad Green before meeting jubilant players in the middle of the MCG. It had been a hellish week and this was the raw, emotion-charged release."I was just proud of the players," Bailey said. "As a coach, you expect the best of your players. You challenge and encourage ... I was a very proud coach today watching our blokes put on the performance they did. They were terrific and they're going to enjoy the next 24 hours." The Demons kicked six unanswered goals in a breathtaking third quarter before surviving an Essendon charge early in the last to snap a three-game losing streak and spark unbridled celebration."The boys worked really hard and they deserve the pats on the back," Bailey said. "There's going to be better moments, but today was important because of what's happened over the last three weeks. "We were challenged and the great thing about our players was when they were challenged tonight, they dug deep ... but we want to get off this rollercoaster we're on, we want to be consistent."
The Age
Bombers rue Demons’ day
By Rohan Connolly
THERE was a consensus at half-time last night at the MCG that Essendon had things under control. The Bombers led Melbourne by only seven points, but dominated the inside-50s and with better delivery would have led by more. The script suggested that edge would, in time, be converted to scoreboard dominance. But after having meekly succumbed last Friday night, and consequently wearing another week of critical prodding and provoking, the Demons were in no mood to follow someone else's agenda. Their response was as swift as it was emphatic. And by the time Essendon stirred again, it was too late. Two quarters of shadow boxing counted for nought in the third term as the Demons actually landed the blows. Six of them in 20 minutes, while Essendon's forward set-up, in stark contrast, became dysfunctional, the Bombers pumping the ball inside their forward 50 14 times for the quarter, for the grand total of one behind. The Bombers took one final swing, landing the first three goals of the last quarter to reduce the gap to 15 points, then rolled over and died, fatally wounded by the morale sapping exercise that were Stewart Crameri's two misses from point blank range, and finished off by three final goals to Melbourne, which knew it had successfully dodged the bullet.
Demons going in hard on Bombers
By Emma Quayle
MELBOURNE'S topsy-turvy season hit another high point last night, the Demons dominating the third quarter and surviving a late Bomber surge to notch their fourth win for the year. After a week of perceived criticism of their hardness at the ball, the Melbourne players overcame a seven-point half-time deficit in kicking six goals to none in the third term to set up a 33-point win and move back to the edge of the eight ahead of next week's clash with Collingwood. While the Demons lost Colin Sylvia to a right thigh injury early in the second term, Tom Scully made an impressive return to the senior team after finally overcoming a knee injury, and Jack Trengove was influential in returning from a three-match suspension.
Scully returns to produce classy display
By Jake Niall
ONLY a very special player has the capacity to miss half a season and then step into the maelstrom of AFL football and perform at a high level.Consider the players who've had physical limitations this year and have taken weeks to find fitness and touch: Luke Hodge, Brian Lake, Adam Cooney, Alan Didak and Nick Maxwell. Even the freakish Gary Ablett took some weeks to re-discover his Geelong formline this year after a groin injury hampered his preparations for the season.The game has become so demanding players who miss long stretches of games, or have interrupted pre-seasons, simply don't cut it. The sub rule has further increased the degree of difficulty for underdone players. Tom Scully is the great exception. Scully played his first real game of 2011 for the Demons last night. He had played in the NAB Cup in pre-season before a knee injury grounded the 2009 No. 1 draft pick.
The Australian
Sure-footed Demons keep season alive
By Courtney Walsh
MELBOURNE reignited its season with a devastating third term at the MCG last night, its 33-point defeat of Essendon raising further questions about the Bombers' credibility when forced to play without captain Jobe Watson. The Demons have recorded more potent quarters than the match-winning six-goal-to-zero third quarter this year, but none have been anywhere near as important.With its out-of-contract coach Dean Bailey under siege and the club's reputation in question given three straight losses and allegations it played "bruise-free" football against Carlton a week earlier, Melbourne needed to stand firm.That the Demons began with fire when kicking three of the first four goals is no surprise given the slur cast on their hardness, but more significant was Melbourne's ability to negate Essendon through its period of ascendancy from midway through the first term until half-time and then produce a potentially season-changing quarter with measured football.Patience is the virtue that turned the fortunes last night - and perhaps for the season at large - Melbourne's way, with the Demons now sitting just two points outside the eight ahead of a massive clash with Collingwood on the Queen's Birthday Monday.
By Mark Robinson
THE Demons should employ a sledger every week. Smashed by West Coast in Round 6, they beat Adelaide in Round 7 by 90-odd points. Underwhelming against Carlton last weekend, last night they climbed off the canvas and bowled over the Bombers. This was huge. It was about redemption and self identity, of being tagged weak and insignificant one week and making a stand the next. Strong and committed, and awesome in the third quarter, the emotion of the week was played out at the final siren last night. Coach Dean Bailey walked on to the ground to be met by his battle-weary captain Brad Green who embraced him; then Bailey made it to the rest of his team. In reality, it was four points. In essence, it was a stand by a club that had lost respect from its peers. As Bailey departed the MCG, he clapped the Melbourne faithful surrounding the race. He might've said it was business as usual in the most confronting week of his career, but there was nothing usual about Bailey's display of appreciation last night. They won by 33 points and the third quarter was the gamebreaker.
Proud Bailey watches Dees dig deep
By Sam Edmund
THE clock had ticked past 31 minutes in last night's final quarter when Dean Bailey strode to the Melbourne bench looking defiant. Then, as Brent Moloney kicked the last goal in Melbourne's 33-point win, Bailey thrust his fist into the air. At the siren, he hugged captain Brad Green before meeting jubilant players in the middle of the MCG. It had been a hellish week and this was the raw, emotion-charged release."I was just proud of the players," Bailey said. "As a coach, you expect the best of your players. You challenge and encourage ... I was a very proud coach today watching our blokes put on the performance they did. They were terrific and they're going to enjoy the next 24 hours." The Demons kicked six unanswered goals in a breathtaking third quarter before surviving an Essendon charge early in the last to snap a three-game losing streak and spark unbridled celebration."The boys worked really hard and they deserve the pats on the back," Bailey said. "There's going to be better moments, but today was important because of what's happened over the last three weeks. "We were challenged and the great thing about our players was when they were challenged tonight, they dug deep ... but we want to get off this rollercoaster we're on, we want to be consistent."
The Age
Bombers rue Demons’ day
By Rohan Connolly
THERE was a consensus at half-time last night at the MCG that Essendon had things under control. The Bombers led Melbourne by only seven points, but dominated the inside-50s and with better delivery would have led by more. The script suggested that edge would, in time, be converted to scoreboard dominance. But after having meekly succumbed last Friday night, and consequently wearing another week of critical prodding and provoking, the Demons were in no mood to follow someone else's agenda. Their response was as swift as it was emphatic. And by the time Essendon stirred again, it was too late. Two quarters of shadow boxing counted for nought in the third term as the Demons actually landed the blows. Six of them in 20 minutes, while Essendon's forward set-up, in stark contrast, became dysfunctional, the Bombers pumping the ball inside their forward 50 14 times for the quarter, for the grand total of one behind. The Bombers took one final swing, landing the first three goals of the last quarter to reduce the gap to 15 points, then rolled over and died, fatally wounded by the morale sapping exercise that were Stewart Crameri's two misses from point blank range, and finished off by three final goals to Melbourne, which knew it had successfully dodged the bullet.
Demons going in hard on Bombers
By Emma Quayle
MELBOURNE'S topsy-turvy season hit another high point last night, the Demons dominating the third quarter and surviving a late Bomber surge to notch their fourth win for the year. After a week of perceived criticism of their hardness at the ball, the Melbourne players overcame a seven-point half-time deficit in kicking six goals to none in the third term to set up a 33-point win and move back to the edge of the eight ahead of next week's clash with Collingwood. While the Demons lost Colin Sylvia to a right thigh injury early in the second term, Tom Scully made an impressive return to the senior team after finally overcoming a knee injury, and Jack Trengove was influential in returning from a three-match suspension.
Scully returns to produce classy display
By Jake Niall
ONLY a very special player has the capacity to miss half a season and then step into the maelstrom of AFL football and perform at a high level.Consider the players who've had physical limitations this year and have taken weeks to find fitness and touch: Luke Hodge, Brian Lake, Adam Cooney, Alan Didak and Nick Maxwell. Even the freakish Gary Ablett took some weeks to re-discover his Geelong formline this year after a groin injury hampered his preparations for the season.The game has become so demanding players who miss long stretches of games, or have interrupted pre-seasons, simply don't cut it. The sub rule has further increased the degree of difficulty for underdone players. Tom Scully is the great exception. Scully played his first real game of 2011 for the Demons last night. He had played in the NAB Cup in pre-season before a knee injury grounded the 2009 No. 1 draft pick.
The Australian
Sure-footed Demons keep season alive
By Courtney Walsh
MELBOURNE reignited its season with a devastating third term at the MCG last night, its 33-point defeat of Essendon raising further questions about the Bombers' credibility when forced to play without captain Jobe Watson. The Demons have recorded more potent quarters than the match-winning six-goal-to-zero third quarter this year, but none have been anywhere near as important.With its out-of-contract coach Dean Bailey under siege and the club's reputation in question given three straight losses and allegations it played "bruise-free" football against Carlton a week earlier, Melbourne needed to stand firm.That the Demons began with fire when kicking three of the first four goals is no surprise given the slur cast on their hardness, but more significant was Melbourne's ability to negate Essendon through its period of ascendancy from midway through the first term until half-time and then produce a potentially season-changing quarter with measured football.Patience is the virtue that turned the fortunes last night - and perhaps for the season at large - Melbourne's way, with the Demons now sitting just two points outside the eight ahead of a massive clash with Collingwood on the Queen's Birthday Monday.
