FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Saturday, June 25, 2011

Herald Sun

Brent keen on Jamar return
By Matt Windley

NO ONE will be happier to see Mark Jamar run out on to the MCG today than Brent Moloney. Jamar and Moloney have formed one of the AFL's most formidable ruck-rover combinations this year. Despite Jamar (knee) missing the past six matches, the duo still leads the competition for ruck-to-rover taps. But in Jamar's absence Moloney's possession, contested possession and clearance averages have dropped significantly. Jamar revealed yesterday that Moloney had been a close companion during his rehabilitation. "He's been asking 'when are you back, when are you back?'," Jamar said. "So I bet Beam will be rapt that I'm back and hopefully I can continue to work with him and all of our other mids that have stepped up lately."

Gysberts key to Dees engine room
By Jay Clark

BARRY Prendergast knew calling out the name Jordan Gysberts would raise eyebrows. After taking Tom Scully and Jack Trengove at No.1 and No.2 in the 2009 national draft, Melbourne was expected to go big with its third selection. But the recruiting chief had something else in mind - a plan to build the engine room to power the club to its next premiership. Instead of a hulking forward, the Dees swooped on two more playmakers, Gysberts, at No.11, and hard man Luke Tapscott, at No.18. It was a bold, if not unexpected, move, as Gysberts was tipped to go somewhere in the second round. But more than two years on from perhaps the most important night of Melbourne's list rebuild, and Prendergast is happy the right calls were made - not only because Gysberts is looking like one of the better value picks of that draft, but because the pieces of an elite midfield are now in place. "There was a bit of pressure with No.11 and expectation that we would go tall with that pick because it was seen as a pretty big need," he said. "Gysberts probably wasn't really rated that highly in the industry, and maybe a lot of people were surprised at the time.

The Age

Fight for 2014 flag?
By Garry Lyon

WHILE today's game between Richmond and Melbourne, rightfully, assumes massive importance in the context of this season's race to the finals, the bigger, more important question that needs to be debated is which of these two promising, on the rise outfits is closest to genuinely challenging for that elusive premiership. For the Tigers, September action has been a largely foreign concept. Two finals campaigns in 28 years has been an indictment on a proud football club that had delivered five premierships to their army of supporters in a glorious 14-year stretch between 1967 and 1980. The Demons have not been much better. Granted, they have been reasonably successful in finding their way to the serious end of the year, having participated in 12 finals series in the past 24 years, including two grand finals, but their premiership drought extends to 1964. For a team that celebrated six premierships in 10 years under Norm Smith, from 1955 to 1964, coming up 50 years since their last flag is enormously disappointing. So it is little wonder that Richmond versus Melbourne on a Saturday afternoon at the MCG, with each team well placed to once again become a genuine contender, has generated such enormous interest and expectation.

The Australian

Wonaeamirri lost to Tiwi Islands
By Stephen Rielly

WHAT was expected to be a brief return to his Tiwi Island home has become a period of indefinite leave from Melbourne for Austin Wonaeamirri.  It is understood that Wonaeamirri has kept his contact with the Demons to a minimum in recent weeks and that no timetable for his return exists. It is unlikely he will be seen at AFL level again this season, although a return through the VFL is a possibility should he unexpectedly make his way back from the Tiwis in the next few weeks. Melbourne football operations manager Chris Connolly confirmed yesterday that Wonaeamirri's leave has become an open-ended arrangement and that a return date is not known. "Aussie is taking care of some personal issues and we expect him to return when he's right," Connolly said. "We're giving him all the time he needs and we'll continue to support him through this period."