AFL Grand Final 2021: Melbourne news and previews ahead of the clash with the Western Bulldogs

It’s the news all Melbourne fans are desperately waiting to hear. Will All-Australian Steven May beat the clock to take his place in the grand final?

Jordan Lewis

Small forward Charlie Spargo sent an injury scare through the Melbourne camp at last night’s key training session as star defender Steven May continued his positive recovery from a hamstring injury.

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Charlie Spargo has sent an injury scare through Demons camp. Picture: Michael Klein

Spargo appeared to twist his ankle during match simulation under lights at Mineral Resources Park, casting some doubt over his availability for next Saturday’s grand final against the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium.

The 21-year-old, who has booted 17 goals this season, took no further part in the session but was on his feet with his boots off at the end of training.

The club later confirmed Spargo had jarred his ankle and he should be fine for their next training session.

In better news for the Demons, May moved freely when completing early drills with teammates before jogging laps and completing sprints away from the main group.

Steven May running laps during todays training session. Picture by Michael Klein

The Demons are confident about May’s fitness after the All-Australian went down with a hamstring injury in the 83-point preliminary final win over Geelong at Perth Stadium.

“He’s slowly building his program up towards his full training come the back end of next week,” coach Simon Goodwin said before the training session.

“He’s in really good shape, really positive about where that sits with him and he’s really confident in the way his body’s tracking.

“Today’s just a stepping stone in that process and we’re really confident he’ll be right to play.”

Defender Joel Smith joined May in jogging laps and sprinting away from the main group as he attempts to prove his fitness. Smith missed the preliminary final with a hamstring injury.

His replacement, Michael Hibberd, was a part of the “A team” in Saturday night’s match simulation.

The “B team” included speedster Jayden Hunt, who Goodwin said was also in selection contention, and first-year player James Jordon, who was Melbourne’s medical substitute in the preliminary final.

“I think there’s a few guys that come into that mix,” Goodwin said.

“We’ve got Jayden Hunt, Michael Hibberd and Joel Smith, who’s got to get through some rehab work with his hamstring first and foremost to be available for selection.

“There’s some decisions to be made, no question about that. We’ve got a lot of training to get through yet before we have to make those decisions, so there’s a lot that can happen in that time frame as well.”

Goody’s baddy: the dish that put the Dees in bed

A “dodgy” pasta dish was to blame for Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin’s gastro-like symptoms that forced him into isolation the week before the grand final.

Goodwin and senior assistant Adem Yze were both laid low on Friday after eating out in Perth — not at the team’s hotel — but have recovered and will be at the Demons’ Saturday training session.

Unlike the Bulldogs, Melbourne was free to roam Perth this week after completing quarantine already.

He said the illness scare had not impacted the players after a week spent “getting ourselves right physically and mentally” before next week’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Perth Stadium.

“It was a fair bit of a story for a bit of a dodgy linguine, but obviously I’m feeling good (now),” Goodwin said.

Simon Goodwin and assistant coach Adem Yze were both laid low on Friday.

“It was a bit of food poisoning. It obviously wasn’t the hotel here, and I just need to watch where I eat and where I go out.

“I’m feeling good now, feeling 100 per cent and ready to go. Thankfully, it’s not something that’s going to pass through the players and the club — it’s self-inflicted.”

Melbourne has planned an extensive training session on Saturday that will involve match simulation and contest drills.

Both Steven May (back/hamstring) and Joel Smith (hamstring) will take part in some of the session, while Angus Brayshaw will be a full participant after a light day on Friday.

“It’s a really important day for us. We want to get match loads into the players — similar to what we did the previous weeks — and we’ll do some training,” Goodwin said.

“We’ll do some match simulation-type drills and some more high-intensity contest work, and that’s how we know we best prepare for the game and where we’re at.

“We know that gives us a great preparation, but it’s an important session for us and that’s where we need our whole squad to be at their best and training at a high level today.”

Goodwin will put his players through an extensive training session at 7pm (EST) on Saturday.

Dees desperate to dodge flu Cat-astrophe

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has been placed in isolation as the Demons fear a Geelong-like virus sweeping through the club a week out from their first grand final in 21 years.

Goodwin cancelled a Friday morning press conference after he and assistant coach Adem Yze complained of gastro-like symptoms.

Both were confined to their rooms as a precaution at Perth’s Joondalup resort — away from the playing group.

Geelong was decimated and its finals hopes scuppered by a bug that ran through the team in the lead up to their preliminary final clash with Melbourne in Perth.

Jeremy Cameron, Cameron Guthrie, Esava Ratugolea, Brad Close and Lachie Henderson were all unwell in the 48 hours before the game, while star forward Tom Hawkins vomited at half time.

Simon Goodwin after his side’s preliminary final win. Picture: Getty Images

The Cats had been staying at Tradewinds hotel in Fremantle — where the Western Bulldogs are now staying – in the lead up to thrashing at the hands of the Demons.

Melbourne assistant coach Troy Chaplin took the Demons for a training session on Friday morning before telling a media conference that Goodwin and Yze had “woken up a little bit crook”.

“They’ll be fine come tomorrow but the club didn’t want to take any risks and the docs said just to stay back (from the training session),” Chaplin said.

“It’s a pretty light session today so all the other coaches and a few of the staff will help us out.

“I think that’s always a concern but at the moment it’s just those two boys who have woken up a little bit ill but all the players are going to be right to go.

“Given the stakes at hand it’s important to make sure we don’t have something sweep through the whole club so the doctors are just playing it really safe.”

The club revealed Yze had his second Covid-19 vaccination on Thursday.

Players and staff have received regular Covid-19 tests and there are currently only three known active Covid cases in Western Australia.

The Western Bulldogs do not come out of quarantine until Sunday for the Brownlow Medal, Geelong refused to blame the virus for their poor showing in the preliminary final.

The virus forced the Cats players to isolate in their hotel rooms before the game as they dealt with fever-like symptoms.

Some players were still feeling depleted throughout and after the game as they produced their worst performance of the year in the cutthroat final.

Melbourne was forced to isolate one of its players last week because of the bug.

DEES TAKING HUGE RISK AHEAD OF GRAND FINAL

Melbourne defender Christian Salem admits the Demons will tread a fine line in their match preparation for next week’s Grand Final but expects the players will be “going full on” to ensure they are physically hardened for the decider.

The minor premiers will launch into the Grand Final against the Western Bulldogs at Perth Stadium on the back of just one game in three weeks after having a week off before and after their big preliminary final win over Geelong.

Kysaiah Pickett looks for a target at training. Photo by Michael Klein

Salem said the Demons’ conditioning became even more important given the lack of football the team had played during the finals.

The star halfback conceded it would be a delicate balance between being match-hardened and avoiding injury in training.

“There is a fine balance,” Salem said.

“We are going to go pretty hard but it is more (a matter of) don’t jump into people’s backs going in for marks and sling tackles and what not.

“But when we are playing we are going full on.

“The high performance team has numbers that we need to hit (for running) and also the contested ball aspect to it in terms of hitting bodies and trying to feel like it is a bit of a game.”

After their 33-point qualifying final win over the Brisbane Lions, the Demons earned a week off before then ending the Cats’ campaign in an 83-point demolition.

Salem said the Demons would take heart from their preparation leading into the preliminary final against the Cats.

“The high performance team and the coaches have done a good job in planning that and making sure we were ready for Geelong,” Salem said.

“For us it was more nailing the week off last week and we came out pretty well and played pretty good four quarters. For us, we take a lot of confidence from that.

Christian Salem and Christian Petracca acknowledge the crowd. Picture: Getty Images

“We will just try and repeat the same week and a bit just to allow us to get conditioned and match hardened and we should be fine.”

After just missing out on a place in the finals last year when they finished ninth, Salem said the Demons had turned their fortunes around with a total “buy-in” from everyone at the club.

“We were pretty disappointed with how the season finished last year. It was sort of in our hands … and we blew that opportunity,” Salem said.

“We went away over the summer and worked on our game hard. To be honest it was just a total buy-in in every single phase of our game plan, on field, off field, coaching staff, players.

“That buy-in, it translated back to training in the pre-season and when games started we put it into action. I guess that was the most pleasing thing.

“But at the same time the job is not done yet. We still have a game to play and a game to win and that is our full focus.”

Salem, who started at the Demons the same year as former coach Paul Roos, said there were some “dark times” for the club but he never had any doubt the team could become a challenger.

“I knew we were completely capable of this,” Salem said.

“For us it was just believing in it. That was one of the main things as well, just having that belief in terms of knowing we are good enough and producing it on a consistent basis.

“There were some dark times I won’t lie but we always had full faith in the direction that we were going and we knew it would take some time.”

Dees warrior’s heartbreaking Zoom goodbye

Melbourne veteran Nathan Jones has shared his pride in helping leave the Demons in a “better place” amid the emotions of missing a Grand Final after officially announcing his retirement from the AFL.

The 33-year-old informed his teammates of his decision to call time on his career via a Zoom call to their Joondalup hub after returning to Melbourne to be at the birth of his twins.

As Melbourne chases its first premiership since 1964, the tough midfielder has become the hard luck story of the Demons’ campaign after making the heartbreaking decision to leave the team ahead of the Grand Final to be with his pregnant wife, Jerri, as his prospects of earning a recall for the decider appeared slim.

MORE: EVERY RETIREMENT AND DELISTING

Nathan Jones has announced his retirement.

Jones arrived home with just hours to spare to see Odie Reign and Dove Margot born on Sunday morning.

The club stalwart leaves the game after 302 matches in the red and blue – just four games short of the club record – after making his debut for the Demons in 2006.

Jones admitted it was a bittersweet feeling to be missing the Grand Final but he is still filled with “joy” to see the team make it to the big dance.

“Personally, I’ve had a lot of emotions go through my mind from how it’s all unfolded,” Jones said.

“From an individual perspective, It’s been disappointing, to say the least, knowing the work I’ve put in. But what I want to stress is that regardless of that I am still filled with the utmost amount of joy, happiness and pride for the position the club is now in.

“Over the years, the two things that have driven me to stay committed to this footy club have been firstly, the chance to play in a premiership one day and secondly, to ensure that no young player coming into Melbourne would have the experience I did for many years, I wanted to leave Melbourne Football Club in a better place.

“Looking at where the club is now, I am proud of where we are and I’m so excited for the opportunity that my teammates have ahead of them to write a new chapter in the club’s history.”

Jones will be remembered as one of Melbourne’s most loyal servants, a midfield warrior who helped steer the club through some of its toughest times on-field.

The former captain is a three-time club best and fairest (2012, 2013 and 2014) and this year became just the second Demon, behind David Neitz, to pass the 300-game milestone.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin, one of eight senior coaches Jones played under during his time at the club, said the tough midfielder would be remembered for the role he played in helping instigate cultural change at the Demons.

“One of the hardest things to do as a player is go through cultural change,” Goodwin told the playing group after Jones’ announcement.

“And we’re talking about a culture that was at rock bottom

“He’s seen that journey through and he leaves the club today as a proud man.”

Jones was taken as a first-round selection at pick No. 12 in the 2005 national draft from the Dandenong under-18s.

Melbourne star Christian Salem said Jones would always remain a major part of the club.

“It’s obviously sad to see him retire and the circumstances that he did do that, it’s obviously pretty unfortunate the situation we’re in, in terms of Covid and having to fly back for the twins,” Salem said.

“But he is a massive part of the footy club. Always has been, always will be.

“He has had the twins, he got there in time. I think he made it by three or four hours, so it’s good to see him and the family doing well.”

Demons must get physical with Smith

— Jon Ralph

Hawthorn premiership legend Jordan Lewis says Melbourne must physically test brilliant Western Bulldogs midfielder Bailey Smith to ensure he does not take the Grand Final away from the Demons.

And Lewis says young Demons star Kysaiah Pickett can have a similar influence to 2008 premiership teammate Cyril Rioli in that shock upset of Geelong.

Fox Footy special comments expert Lewis believes Melbourne’s midfield strength can eventually wear down the Dogs but cannot wait for an all-out centre square battle.

Smith is the only player capable of catching Jackson Macrae in voting for the Gary Ayres player of the finals after an astonishing finals tear that includes eight goals.

He is the only player since Champion Data started recording statistics in 1999 to average over 20 disposals, 500 metres gained, five inside 50s and 2.5 goals across an entire finals series.

“I would come with a physical presence against Smith,” former Demon and Hawk Lewis told the Herald Sun.

“He has had a fantastic finals series but he hasn’t been physically tested. He is still young and inexperienced so that might be an option. It might be a bit of verbal. It might be getting in his road at every chance, wearing him down.

“He is a fantastic athlete but every moment you have to get in his head, make it hard to get around you, and suck the energy out of you.”

Dogs winger Smith has pushed forward in a significant shift this finals series with eight incredible goals, playing 14 per cent wing, 66 per cent forward and 20 per cent pure mid after 43 per cent wing and 40 per cent forward across the home-and-away season.

The Demons must shut down Bailey Smith’s influence in front of goal.

So the Demons will have to come up with a specific plan after opponents including Andy McGrath, Daniel Rich, Keidean Coleman, Darcy Byrne-Jones and Ryan Burton across September.

Hawthorn’s 2008 Grand Final win over Geelong is one of 20 incredible Grand Finals which Fox Footy fans can vote upon as part of the Fox Footy Ultimate Grand Final Countdown before 10 winning games are shown across the bye weekend from Friday night.

Lewis will be part of Fox Footy’s coverage in the lead-up to the Grand Final after being one of the four-time premiership players at Hawthorn.

Cyril Rioli lit up the MCG in that 2008 Grand Final with several telling interventions, and after spending a summer doing some coaching at Melbourne in Pickett’s first year he is tipping something similar.

“After his first pre-season I did say he’s the closest thing I have ever seen to Cyril Rioli,’’ he said.

“I know players in the past have been compared to him but from what I have witnessed and comparing him to Cyril, he’s the closest. They have this uncanny ability to sum up a situation before they approach it. They are at their best when there is more traffic and they can see a path out of it. Funnily enough their temperament is similar too. In the right environment they feel comfortable but they are very shy.

“Pickett isn’t a high possession winner and everything he does is very creative. The highlight of Cyril’s career was with the ball but also when he didn’t have it, and 2008 highlighted it, so they have that raw talent but also the underlying competitive nature helps.”

Hawks great Jordan Lewis is predicting big things from Kysaiah Pickett in the decider.

Lewis said the Demons should consider acquiring Fremantle’s Adam Cerra if he was prepared to play for the right price but not at all costs, with Melbourne struggling to get a deal done to satisfy Fremantle.

“My opinion is it’s not necessarily a positional type they need to bring in, so if it’s the right price and he wants to make the sacrifice financially you would look at it. But you wouldn’t be bending over backwards to get him in the door. He would play wing or even high half-forward, and you can never have enough mids but right now they have real continuity going with their midfield.”

Originally published as AFL Grand Final 2021: Melbourne news and previews ahead of the clash with the Western Bulldogs