AFL Round 1 Melbourne v Fremantle: All the news, highlights and fallout
Tom McDonald has little over a month to prove he belongs in Melbourne’s best 22, with two other Demons key forwards soon to return from injury.
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Melbourne's Tom McDonald has emerged from a grueling summer regime desperate to re-establish himself as a commanding key forward over the next six weeks.
The swingman has six weeks to cement his position as a focal point in the forward line before injured key forwards Ben Brown and Sam Weideman return to the senior side.
McDonald, 28, was delivered a brutal reality check at season’s end when he was put up for trade and then overlooked by GWS Giants in favour of Jesse Hogan.
But the mobile marking target has emerged almost 5kg leaner from a punishing summer schedule and sparkled in the Demons’ first-up win over Fremantle on Saturday at the MCG.
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In particular, McDonald wanted to regain some mobility and become an option on the wing for coach Simon Goodwin after conceding that he was playing too heavy last year.
McDonald, who bagged two majors and two behinds from nine marks against the Dockers, made an excellent start providing a strong marking target but suffered from some wayward goal kicking.
The swingman said it was a solid first win, despite some rust.
“It (the performance) wasn’t perfect because we missed so many opportunities, but I think the way we wanted to play (a front half game) came out,” McDonald said.
“I’m a bit angry at myself for missing a couple of sitters but it is all part of it.”
The Demons have had the worst forward conversion in the competition over the past two seasons but on Saturday they had a much-improved 25 scoring shots from 61 inside 50s.
Goodwin lauded McDonald’s performance in the absence of the club’s ace recruit Brown and Weideman who both went down with untimely problems in the preseason.
“It was great to see,” Goodwin said.
“I think the Melbourne supporters love seeing Tommy do what he did.
“It was his competitive efforts, he marked the ball a few times, but not once did he get out marked when it was in his control.
“We are just so pleased, because he has put in an enormous amount of work and I think our supporters would have sat there and looked at him and would have been really proud of him as well.”
Superstar ballwinner Christian Petracca also pushed forward and was threatening playing at times one-out from the goal square with 24 disposals and two goals.
Demons’ vice-captain Jack Viney will push to return over the next fortnight along with Jake Melksham, with the Demons set to take on St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night before an away trip against GWS Giants.
Viney had foot surgery over summer and has returned through the VFL but the Demons may want to give him another week before recalling him to the senior side against the slick Saints.
Star midfielder Angus Brayshaw and livewire Kysaiah Pickett have also had interrupted preseasons but got through the Round 1 game without trouble.
Tall Luke Jackson had some issues with his shoulder and sought treatment but played out the match.
COACH IN AWE OF JORDON’S ‘BRILLIANT’ FIRST DANCE
– James Mottershead
Simon Goodwin described James Jordon’s first game for Melbourne as “simple brilliance” in his side’s 22-point win.
Speaking after the win against Fremantle on Saturday, Goodwin had high praise for his 20-year-old debutant who collected 15 disposals, had five tackles and kicked a smart snap goal.
“I love J, just his toughness in tight and he makes good decisions on the outside,” Goodwin said.
“You would’ve seen him smother a couple, but he bobs up in positions to kick goals, too.
“That’s as impressive a first game I’ve seen from a player in a little while in terms of his impact, and it wasn’t startling impact, it was simple brilliance, and that’s what we love about JJ.”
Goodwin said the maturity of Melbourne’s list allowed players like Jordon and Tom Sparrow to cut their teeth in the VFL before stepping up to the big time.
But he said he was left with no choice but to select Jordon for Round 1 after na outstanding summer.
“Not only pick him, but be one of our starting mids,” Goodwin said.
DEMONS ADDRESS GLARING ISSUE
Melbourne fans got a taste of a different defensive Dees on Saturday as Steven May did what he pleased in their 22-point win.
It’s been Melbourne’s Achilles heel under Simon Goodwin in the past and was its undoing in the breathtaking run to a preliminary final in 2018, but Dees fans should have left the MCG on Saturday impressed with a better balance of attack and defence.
It was led by May, who stood between the two sides in the first quarter, but Jake Lever and Adam Tomlinson looked to be back to their intercepting and rebounding best.
“We had such command from behind the ball,” Goodwin said.
“I thought May and Lever were outstanding and Nev Jetta and Tomlinson, I thought our back six were outstanding today in the way they defended.
“We’ve spoken a lot about cohesion as a footy club and just having May, Lever and Tomlinson playing a good chunk of footy together makes a massive difference to your team.
“You can see with that cohesion their ability to intercept the ball and be really strong in the contest, there’s no coincidence they’re playing well.
“They’re probably our most experienced area of the ground and they’re helping us be more aggressive in other areas of our game.”
All that said, Melbourne still showed it had its attacking flair, albeit in fits and spurts.
Christian Petracca looked every part “Dusty” junior in his mid-forward role, while Kysaiah Pickett, who started in the first centre bounce, looked like he can provide the x-factor.
The game’s best moment was served as a starter by Pickett, who having endured a tumultuous pre-season following the passing of his mum, kicked the game’s first goal and pointed to the sky.
Fremantle started the game hotter than Melbourne but, after blowing early opportunities in front of goal, lost momentum halfway through the first quarter.
Andrew Brayshaw looks to have taken another step forward as an elite midfielder in the competition and was the Dockers’ best.
MELBOURNE’S UNITED DEFENCE
The Dees have put together a formidable trio of key defenders from clubs around Australia, and their collective performance on Saturday may have been their best yet.
May, Tomlinson and Lever will cause opposition forwards massive headaches in 2021 with their ability to shut down, intercept and rebound.
The trio smashed Fremantle with their intercept work and at halftime had 14 intercept marks between them.
Those at Melbourne believe May was incredibly unlucky to be overlooked for last year’s All Australian 22, let alone 40-man squad, and he seemed to have bottled that frustration to use in the first quarter of 2021.
The 29-year-old was the difference as the Dees kicked away to a four-goal lead at quarter time, amassing 357m gained, three intercepts and two contested marks.
If May and co can maintain Saturday’s form, the Dees’ defensive worries might be a thing of the past.
PEARCE’S ROTTEN LUCK
One of the surprise moves of the game was Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir deciding to play returning key defender Pearce at full-forward.
The 25-year-old was playing his first senior game since Round 11 in 2019 after managing just 53 games since his debut in 2015.
Since his debut, Pearce has endured three ankle surgeries and looks set for another stint on the sidelines after hobbling off at the eight-minute mark of the second quarter having kicked a point from his two touches.
Fremantle confirmed the luckless utility would have scans to determine the extent of the damage.
Fremantle lost Pearce early in the second quarter and Joel Hamling late in the game, and Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said he thought the medical sub rule was working how it was meant to.
“What we’re trying to avoid with the sub is having games of footy where its 22v20 at halftime,” Goodwin said.
“I think to have a medical sub enables us to avoid that more often than not.
“With all the changes to the rules, the longer games, the interchange, there will be times where it will be an unfair advantage to the team that has more players available.”
Goodwin said he wouldn’t rush Jack Viney back despite the midfielder playing well in a scratch match on Saturday alongside Michael Hibberd and Jake Melksham.
JORDON’S FIRST DANCE
It’s unlikely Jordon will ever have a documentary made about him, but that wouldn’t bother him or Melbourne fans after his impressive first outing.
It didn’t take Jordon long to leave his mark on the game. After a solid opening quarter, Jordon found the ball about 20m out from the Dees’ city end goal two minutes into the second term.
The 20-year-old stopped quickly and turned sharply onto his left boot to snap a brilliant goal.
He was one of Melbourne’s best in the first half, collecting 11 disposals, laying a game-high four tackles and notching a clearance.
NOT SO MEEK
It loomed as the biggest mismatch on the ground with first-gamer Lloyd Meek lining up opposite Max Gawn.
But the 22-year-old held his own against the Melbourne champion and did enough in the ruck for Fremantle’s midfield to still win the clearance battle.
It creates a nice headache for Longmuir as Sean Darcy looks set to return from injury next week.
“I thought he competed all day and we asked a lot of him up against Jackson and Gawn,” Dockers coach John Longmuir said.
“I knew he’d compete and try and halve the ruck contest. He probably got beaten in the hit outs, but I didn’t think the effectiveness was there (for Melbourne) and he gave our mids a chance.”
SCOREBOARD
DEMONS 4.4 7.6 9.8 11.14 80
DOCKERS 0.4 3.8 6.9 8.10 58
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST
DEMONS: May, Petracca, Oliver, Lever, McDonald.
DOCKERS: Brayshaw, Fyfe, Serong, Cerra, Ryan.
GOALS
DEMONS: Fritsch 2, Petracca 2, McDonald 2, Harmes, Jordon, Langdon, Pickett, Spargo.
DOCKERS: Taberner 3, Henry, Switkowski, Blakely, Schultz, Brayshaw.
INJURIES
Demons: nil.
Dockers: Alex Pearce (knee).
UMPIRES
Curtis Deboy, Andrew Stephens, David Harris.
CROWD
21,365 at the MCG
DOES GOODWIN HAVE TO MAKE FINALS TO KEEP HIS JOB?
– Glenn McFarlane
Simon Goodwin’s future as Melbourne coach is not solely contingent on the club making the 2021 finals, according to Demons chief executive Gary Pert.
Goodwin is considered one of the AFL coaches under the most pressure heading into this season, given he is in the final year of his contract.
Pert said the Demons believed they could play finals against this year for the first time since making the 2018 preliminary finals.
“This is the most talented squad we’ve had, we keep adding and improving to it,” Pert said on 3AW. “We will be even better when we get Ben Brown and Sam Weideman in the team.
“That is certainly our ambition (to play finals). We believe we have got the team (to do it) and we believe our footy, if we can deliver it consistently, puts us in the top eight.
“(But) we are not attaching the two (finals and a Goodwin contract). We are saying this (finals) is what we are capable of doing.”
Melbourne finished ninth last season, only two premiership points outside the top eight.
Pert said: “We believe we have got the ability and the talent to turn that around this year.”
The former Collingwood chief executive also said he would have willingly taken part in an interview for the Magpies’ “Do Better” report into a history of systemic racism at the club and was disappointed not to be asked.
“I wasn’t asked to give any feedback or involvement,” he said.
“Some of the comments I’ve heard from Leon (Davis) and Andrew Krakouer are things I have heard for the first time and (it) highlights the lack of education and awareness.
“I would have been more than happy to contribute and give feedback if it could have helped improve any club.
“The most important outcome was looking at the (18) recommendations and I think the Melbourne Football Club and every club should look at those recommendations.”
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