Melbourne’s new coach will not make a difference because the issue with the Melbourne Football club is not the administration or ex-coach Dean Bailey or even the yet untested Todd Viney. Whatever one says, it all comes down to team and player performance – after all, they are the ones on the playing field and should take the brunt of the blame.
I am afraid, similar to last week, today’s match will generate more of the same sort of punishment for the ‘Dees’, as they prepare to meet final’s contender Carlton at the MCG. Last time these two sides met, Melbourne went down in a lackluster ‘bruise-free’ football match where the Blues dominated every facet of the game running out winners by 47 points. I don’t think that a change of leadership will make much of an instant impact on the Demons, it will take some weeks or even the rest of the season for real progress to be made.
The Blues to win by a healthy margin. In other games today, the Cats, after consuming all the cream last week against Melbourne, will do much the same at home with the Gold Coast Suns. An injury depleted Essendon will go into battle at Etihad Stadium with the Sydney Swans tonight.
The Bombers have just came off a bruising game with the Magpies six days ago, but even if they did put up a great fight for three quarters before succumbing to the league leaders, the Swans have a better side at the moment and with a lot to play for they will account for the ‘Dons. The other game tonight comes from Adelaide where Port Adelaide – the bottom team on the AFL ladder – meets the top team, Collingwood. The only victory Port has, is that it’s a home game. The Magpies to roll the ‘SA magpies’ by ten goals. In Sunday’s early game, the Brisbane Lions play host to the Adelaide Crows. This will be a close game with the Crows running out winners by a small margin.
Over in the West, the Eagles at home play the Richmond Tigers. The West Coast Eagles are top four material as the home and away season concludes in a few weeks and should prove too much for the Tigers. Launceston looks like it may have the match of the week, a mini-blockbuster between the Hawks and the Roos in Tasmania. The Hawks blitzed the Dockers last week before the torrential rain hit and never looked back, while North Melbourne took the fight right up to Carlton for three quarters before losing by three goals.
With Hawthorn’s position on the ladder under threat and the Roos aiming to break into the eight this game will be a thriller. In an upset on neutral ground, the Roos to win. The Bulldogs, still with a chance to make the finals, have a bye this week.
