Demon's winning run continues

[Bleed Red Blood]

Demons' winning run continues
10:14:30 PM Sat 24 April, 2004
David Wiseman
Sportal
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Q4 Highlights
Neitz one in a hundred

Melbourne gave notice that it will be a team to contend with after a gritty 12-point victory over the Sydney Swans 17.9 (111) to 15.9 (99) at Telstra Stadium on Saturday night.

Living up to the Anzac Day tradition, it was a never say die encounter.

Even year hoodoo or not, it was the Demons' no frills brand of tough, accountable football which saw them home. If there was a hoodoo of any kind, it was the ground which saw 24 of the 32 goals kicked to the one end.



Led by David Neitz who scored six goals and Brad Green who kicked three, the Demons were just too hard for the more fancied Swans.

Melbourne coach Neale Daniher was delighted with his team's effort.

"It was an exciting win for the boys to come up here and play Sydney when they are in red hot form and give them a start, and to get over them on their own dung hill is a sensational victory," he said.

"I'm really proud of our players ? a really brave effort and they got the rewards through their sheer effort."

The Swans started brightly with Jared Crouch and Barry Hall kicking the first two goals of the match and when Adam Schneider threaded through a third in the 12th minute, the home side was threatening to blow the match open.

Melbourne lifted and goals to Neitz, who was captaining the Demons for the 100th occasion, and Scott Thompson gave them some hope.

Sydney than responded with goals to Hall, Brett Kirk and Nick Davis to give them a handy 23-point lead at the first change.

Melbourne raced out of the blocks in the second quarter with a run of six straight goals. A brace to Brad Green and another one to Thompson and Neitz saw the Demons take the lead.

Two late goals to Ryan O?Keefe and Hall brought the Swans within a kick but Neitz?s third goal for the quarter saw the Demons go to the long break with a nine point lead.

In see-sawing fashion the Swans opened the third quarter with three straight goals courtesy of Schneider, Davis and Hall and a nine point deficit was now converted into a nine point lead.

The sides traded goals and Melbourne went to the scoring end for the final quarter with just a 10-point deficit.

A six goal to two final quarter was enough to see the Demons home for a tenacious victory that would do their coach Neale Daniher very proud.

The only sour note for the Demons would be the knee injury which saw James McDonald carried off the ground.

The Swans would have had high hopes about this game and their reversal of fortunes was exemplified by Jason Saddington who went from five goal hero last week to nothing.

Sydney coach Paul Roos was scathing about his team's error-rate.

"Well I went and saw Scooby Doo yesterday and I reckon that was a better comedy than the one I saw out there tonight," Roos declared.

"Some of (the errors) I hadn't seen for a while and they were quite staggering. The one I vividly remember was when we have a free forward 120-metres clear and we kick a left foot kick along the ground.

"They are the sort of things I think at the end of the game just didn't give us a chance to inw the game."

Roos paid credit to the Demons with a sarcastic dig at some of his own players.

"You don't want to take any credit away from the opposition because every game is hard to win in AFL football," he said.

"Certinaly they played well enough to win there is no question about that, but if I was picking Melbourne's best players I would probably have a couple of our blokes in there."

The Swans now face the unenviable task of facing the Bombers at the MCG next Saturday afternoon whilst Melbourne host Carlton at the same venue 24-hours later.

MELBOURNE: 2.2, 9.11, 11.8, 17.9 (111)
SYDNEY: 6.1, 10.4, 13.6, 15.9 (99)

GOALS: Melbourne: Neitz 6, Green 3, Thomspon 2, Armstrong, Davey, Bruce, Johnstone, Yze, Miller
Sydney: Hall 4, Davis 4, Schneider 2, O?Keefe 2, Doyle, Crouch, Kirk
BEST: Melbourne: Neitz, Yze, Thompson, Godfrey, Brown, White
Sydney: Hall, Kirk, Williams, Davis
INJURIES: Melbourne: McDonald (knee)
Sydney:. Maxfield (shoulder)
UMPIRES: Kennedy, Allen, Jeffery
CROWD: 33,127 at Telstra Stadium

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=145134

[Bleed Red Blood]

Demons shock Swans
Sportal



Melbourne has outplayed and outlasted the Sydney Swans by 12 points in their clash at Telstra Stadium.

The match was played in four contrasting quarters where Sydney dominated the first and third quarters while the victors controlled the second and final terms to eventually prevail 17.9 (111) to 15.9 (99).

David Neitz played strongly up forward booting six goals, and was well assisted by an eager Scott Thompson (23 disposals, nine marks, two goals), Adem Yze (19, one goal) and Brad Green (17, three goals).

Paul Williams was busy for Sydney with 26 touches, while Adam Goodes (26), Brett Kirk (24, six tackles), Barry Hall (18, nine marks, four goals) and Nick Davis (four goals) also played strongly.



Sydney took command of the match early kicking the opening three goals before Melbourne settled in with two.

The red and whites steadied on the back of a strong and accurate effort from their forward line led by Hall to kick another treble.

The first break came at the right time for Melbourne as they out-scored Sydney eight goals to three - on the back of three from Neitz and two from Brad Green - to take a nine-point lead into the main break.

Sydney bounced back in the third but both sides failed to make use of their chances with the home side kicking 4.5 to 1.4 to lead by 10 points at the final break.

Melbourne booted the first two goals in the fourth quarter to take a one-point lead.
Ryan O?Keefe kicked his second from outside of 50m to give the lead back to the home side but in a match full of ebbs-and-flows the Demons could not be denied kicking the next four.

Stuart Maxfield (shoulder) and James McDonald (knee) finished the match as spectators.

MELBOURNE: 2.2, 9.11, 11.8, 17.9 (111)
SYDNEY: 6.1, 10.4, 13.6, 15.9 (99)

GOALS:
Melbourne: Neitz 6, Green 3, Thomspon 2, Armstrong, Davey, Bruce, Johnstone, Yze, Miller
Sydney: Hall 4, Davis 4, Schneider 2, O?Keefe 2, Doyle, Crouch, Kirk

BEST: Melbourne: Neitz, Yze, Thompson, Godfrey, Brown, White
Sydney: Hall, Kirk, Williams, Davis,

CROWD: 33,127 at Telstra Stadium.

http://www.sportal.com.au/football.asp?i=news&id=50323

[Bleed Red Blood]

Demons deliver telling blow
By Ian Cockerill
Sydney
April 25, 2004

MELBOURNE 2.2 10.4 11.8 17.9 (111) defeated SYDNEY 6.1 9.1 13.6 15.9 (99)
Goals: Melbourne: D Neitz 6, S Thompson 2, B Green 3, A Davey, C Bruce, S Armstrong, A Yze, B Miller. Sydney: B Hall 4, A Schneider 2, J Crouch, B Kirk, N Davis 4, S Doyle, R O'Keefe 2.
Best: Melbourne: D Neitz, B Green, S Thompson, A Yze, J McDonald, S Godfrey. Sydney: B Hall, N Davis, R O'Keefe, J Crouch, P Williams, B Kirk.
Injuries: Melbourne: J McDonald (knee) P Wheatley (foot). Sydney: S Maxfield (nerve, shoulder).
Reports: Nil
Umpires: H Kennedy, B Allen, S Jeffrey.
Official crowd: 33,127 at Telstra Stadium.

The roller-coaster is officially back on track. Having put their supporters through another torturous season in 2003, the now-familiar derailing after a finals year, Melbourne signalled that 2004 was going to have plenty of upside as it took four points from its first visit to Telstra Stadium with a courageous 12-point win over the favoured Swans.

The Demons' win was achieved after trailing by four goals at quarter-time and 10 points at the last change. But kicking to the scoring end that yielded 24 of the night's 32 goals, and inspired by another captain's performance by six-goal David Neitz, Melbourne outscored the Swans six goals to two in the final term to extend their winning streak to four.

The tally neatly mirrored the first quarter when it was Sydney that looked as though it was intent on pocketing the Ron Barassi Cup before many of the 33,127 crowd had taken their seats.

The Demons' night was not entirely positive. In-form midfielder James McDonald was carried off early in the final quarter with what looked like a serious knee injury.

Buit fFar from deflating his teammates, they chose to boost McDonald's spirits by taking the lead as he was still heading down the race, a lead they relinquished only briefly for the rest of the night.

The Swans, on the other hand, will look at this as a chance spurned. Having established a solid platform in the first quarter, they could not find an answer to ruckman Jeff White's powerful leap in the second term.

With the likes of Simon Godfrey and McDonald feeding off his taps, the Demons poured on six goals before Swans coach Paul Roos was forced to move Adam Goodes to the ruck.

He did, but the damage had already been done on the scoreboard and in the minds of the Melbourne players, who could suddenly sniff a win where it seemed to be fast slipping away.

They needed that belief after a third quarter that continued the match's tidal flow, Sydney kicking four goals before Steven Armstrong snared a valuable six-pointer before the break.

After that it was a matter of going with the curious gravitational pull operating at the northern end of the ground. It was also a case of riding the good touch of Travis Johnstone, who opened the Demons' last-quarter account with a smooth goal on the run before deftly controlling the midfield.

As ever, Neitz provided a profitable target, adding two goals to his night's haul to extinguish any remaining Sydney hopes.

Swans tagger Jared Crouch provided the match's initial spark when he showed off his new-found kicking boots to thread the opening goal through from the boundary and followed it up with a stinging, centimetre-perfect pass to Barry Hall for the Swans' second.

Not that he forgot his main assignment, tagging Brad Green after the Demon enjoyed a 31-possession day out the previous week. So well did he do the job that Green was subsequently thrown forward, a forced change that was to have dire consequences for Sydney in the form of three majors.

Crouch still emerged as one of the Swans' best, and was given good support by fellow midfielders Brett Kirk and Paul Williams.

But on this evening, not even four-goal hauls to both Nick Davis and Hall could gloss over the fact that this was one time when the Swans' skills buckled under pressure.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/04/24/1082812659575.html

[Bleed Red Blood]

Neitz drives dazzling Demons
25 April 2004 Sunday Herald Sun
Jackie Epstein

MELBOURNE'S charge up the ladder continued last night when it upset Sydney by 12 points at Telstra Stadium.

Playing like genuine finals contenders, the Demons could find themselves in the top four if results go their way today.

Their first outing at Telstra Stadium was a joyous occasion as they came back from 10 points down at the final break.

The only sour note of their fourth consecutive win came when James McDonald was taken off on a stretcher with what could be a season-ending knee injury two minutes into the final term.

After the brief delay the Demons took control and rammed home the advantage with better accuracy in front of goal to claim the Ron Barassi Cup.

They must have been confident knowing they would come home at the Cauldron End, having booted eight goals in the second term.

It had been an enthralling match with both sides gaining the ascendancy at different stages.

The Swans returned fire in the third quarter but lost concentration in the final chapter of the match of the round.

Sydney had won its past four encounters against the Demons and started in a fashion that suggested the trend would continue.

But captaining his 100th match ? only the fourth player to achieve the feat in Melbourne history ? David Neitz fittingly booted the goal that gave the Demons the lead.

Neitz was a true general in the square, finishing with six goals to boost his tally to 24 this season, one behind league-leading Saint Fraser Gehrig.

The lead was out to three goals when Brad Green snared one from the boundary and it was enough to withstand a late fightback.

The Swans' engine room had been well on top early, Kirk having the better of James McDonald and Jared Crouch busy on Adem Yze.

But Scott Thompson, McDonald and Simon Godfrey turned the tables as Jeff White continually gave them first use of the ball.

It looked like the floodgates could open after quarter time but the Demons lifted.

Two quick conversions to Green stole the momentum.

Best afield last week against Port Adelaide, Green was given more attention and was well held early by a combination of Crouch, Ben Mathews and Stuart Maxfield before he went off injured.

Coach Neale Daniher moved him forward and he was instrumental in the fightback that had got out to 15 points.

Leo Barry, recovered from a heavy knock, had to replace Mathews on Green as the new forward set-up for the Demons paid dividends.

Adam Goodes, who was picked up by Paul Wheatley alongside Hall in the forward line, was hauled from the goalsquare into the ruck in a bid to quell White's dominance.

But Neitz caused more concern, his brilliant finish from the boundary line giving them the lead and confidence at half-time.

The Demons had 30 fewer possessions than the Swans in the first term but were on an even keel thereafter.

McDonald was the main possession gatherer, while the introduction of Phillip Read and Travis Johnstone into the midfield was also a boost.

But the Swans came out after half-time playing similar football to the first quarter and within 10 minutes had regained the lead.

Not surprisingly, White was resting on the bench when the first three goals were kicked.

The pressure was mounting and previous accuracy was deserting both teams.

Goodes, who was playing a roving type role under Doyle, was the main culprit with three behinds.

However, he was a dynamo for the Swans and was almost instrumental in them stealing the match.

A poor kick out of defence by Sydney's Jason Saddington should have been more costly but Nathan Brown missed a difficult set shot.

Clint Bizzell had one of his quietest matches in defence but as Jared Rivers, Alistair Nicholson, Cameron Bruce and Yze filled key posts, he was able to take a backseat.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,9383686%255E20322,00.html

[Bleed Red Blood]

Neitz drives dazzling Demons
By Jackie Epstein
April 25, 2004

Sydney 15.9 (99) Melbourne 17.9 (111)
MELBOURNE'S charge up the ladder continued last night when it upset Sydney by 12 points at Telstra Stadium.

Playing like genuine finals contenders, the Demons could find themselves in the top four if results go their way today.

Their first outing at Telstra Stadium was a joyous occasion as they came back from 10 points down at the final break.

The only sour note of their fourth consecutive win came when James McDonald was taken off on a stretcher with what could be a season-ending knee injury two minutes into the final term.

After the brief delay the Demons took control and rammed home the advantage with better accuracy in front of goal to claim the Ron Barassi Cup.

They must have been confident knowing they would come home at the Cauldron End, having booted eight goals in the second term.

It had been an enthralling match with both sides gaining the ascendancy at different stages.

The Swans returned fire in the third quarter but lost concentration in the final chapter of the match of the round.

Sydney had won its past four encounters against the Demons and started in a fashion that suggested the trend would continue.

But captaining his 100th match ? only the fourth player to achieve the feat in Melbourne history ? David Neitz fittingly booted the goal that gave the Demons the lead.

Neitz was a true general in the square, finishing with six goals to boost his tally to 24 this season, one behind league-leading Saint Fraser Gehrig.

The lead was out to three goals when Brad Green snared one from the boundary and it was enough to withstand a late fightback.

The Swans' engine room had been well on top early, Kirk having the better of James McDonald and Jared Crouch busy on Adem Yze.

But Scott Thompson, McDonald and Simon Godfrey turned the tables as Jeff White continually gave them first use of the ball.

It looked like the floodgates could open after quarter time but the Demons lifted.

Two quick conversions to Green stole the momentum.

Best afield last week against Port Adelaide, Green was given more attention and was well held early by a combination of Crouch, Ben Mathews and Stuart Maxfield before he went off injured.

Coach Neale Daniher moved him forward and he was instrumental in the fightback that had got out to 15 points.

Leo Barry, recovered from a heavy knock, had to replace Mathews on Green as the new forward set-up for the Demons paid dividends.

Adam Goodes, who was picked up by Paul Wheatley alongside Hall in the forward line, was hauled from the goalsquare into the ruck in a bid to quell White's dominance.

But Neitz caused more concern, his brilliant finish from the boundary line giving them the lead and confidence at half-time.

The Demons had 30 fewer possessions than the Swans in the first term but were on an even keel thereafter.

McDonald was the main possession gatherer, while the introduction of Phillip Read and Travis Johnstone into the midfield was also a boost.

But the Swans came out after half-time playing similar football to the first quarter and within 10 minutes had regained the lead.

Not surprisingly, White was resting on the bench when the first three goals were kicked.

The pressure was mounting and previous accuracy was deserting both teams.

Goodes, who was playing a roving type role under Doyle, was the main culprit with three behinds.

However, he was a dynamo for the Swans and was almost instrumental in them stealing the match.

A poor kick out of defence by Sydney's Jason Saddington should have been more costly but Nathan Brown missed a difficult set shot.

Clint Bizzell had one of his quietest matches in defence but as Jared Rivers, Alistair Nicholson, Cameron Bruce and Yze filled key posts, he was able to take a backseat.

SYDNEY 6.1 9.1 13.6 15.9 (99)
MELBOURNE 2.2 10.4 11.8 17.9 (111)
Goals: Sydney: B Hall 4, A Schneider 2, J Crouch, B Kirk, N Davis 4, S Doyle, R O'Keefe 2. Melbourne: D Neitz 6, S Thompson 2, B Green 3, A Davey, C Bruce, S Armstrong, A Yze, B Miller.
Best: Sydney: B Hall, N Davis, R O'Keefe, J Crouch, P Williams, B Kirk. Melbourne: D Neitz, B Green, S Thompson, A Yze, J McDonald, S Godfrey.
Injuries: Sydney: S Maxfield (nerve, shoulder). Melbourne: J McDonald (knee) P Wheatley (foot) Reports: Nil
Umpires: H Kennedy, B Allen, S Jeffrey .
Official crowd: 33,127 at Telstra Stadium

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,9385095-23211,00.html