Australian Football

Match Report

The end for Melbourne coach Mark Neeld appears to be one step nearer after the Demons suffered yet another thrashing on Sunday at the MCG, this time at the hands of top team Hawthorn. The beleaguered Melbourne could managed only two goals in three quarters, with a rare glimpse of good football only on display in the third quarter, when the Demons outscored Hawthorn four goals to two. The final margin was 95 points but it could have been much larger had it not been for the third-term effort and some serious inaccuracy from the Hawks in the first quarter, in which they kicked 3.9.

Melbourne lies 17th on the ladder, ahead of only the winless GWS and with a percentage that would have been worse than the Giants' had not Michael Evans kicked the last goal of the match for the Demons.

The Hawks were very good, without at any stage being outstanding. They were led magnificently by Brad Sewell, who started the match brilliantly and finished with 31 touches, and Luke Breust, who was a livewire on the forward line, finishing with 5.3. With Buddy Franklin (17 disposals and two goals) playing little more than a serviceable game and Luke Hodge being subbed of for a rest in the third quarter, it would appear that the Hawks, who have dropped only one game for the year, have plenty improvement left in them yet.

For Melbourne, the media blowtorch on the coach, players and administration only gets hotter. The club held a two-hour board meeting on the Monday following the game, with rumours rife that Neeld would be dismissed. In the end, that did not eventuate but the public feeling is very much that it will not be a matter of if, but when Neeld is removed from the coaching role.

Things will not get much easier for the Demons in round 11. They face Collingwood at the MCG on the Queen's Birthday. The Hawks will get a week off to recharge their batteries, and then face Carlton after the bye.

GOALS
Melbourne: Howe, Dawes, Watts, Davey, Kent, Evans
Hawthorn: Breust 5; Roughead 3; Hill, Smith, Franklin, Puopolo 2; Lewis, Burgoyne, Birchall, Grimley, Simpkin

BEST - THE AGE
Melbourne: Davey, Dawes, Kent, Howe, Watts, Evans
Hawthorn: Sewell, Lewis, Breust, Puopolo, Burgoyne, Birchall

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Melbourne: Dawes, N. Jones, Frawley, Rodan
Hawthorn: Sewell, Breust, Burgoyne, Lewis, Smith, Mitchell

COACHES COMMENTS
Mark Neeld (Melb): We're obviously not happy with getting beaten by 90-odd points [but] in one-percenters we had our highest result for the year, and that is a measurement of footy effort. We talked during the year about hunting the footy and we hit 300 disposals for the first time for the year. We were really keen to be consistent in our tackling and we were okay in that area.

Alastair Clarkson (Haw): Pleased that we were able to keep them to a pretty low score. There was some good pressure from our players right across the field that forced Melbourne into a lot of errors and didn't allow them to get the scoring opportunities that perhaps they would have liked, particularly early in the game.

SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Luke Tapscott replaced Matt Jones in the third quarter
Hawthorn: Kyle Cheney replaced Luke Hodge in the third quarter

UMPIRES: Farmer, Hay, Mitchell