Friday Night Preview

Melbourne vs Geelong in t-minus four hours. Perhaps I should have posted this earlier, when somebody may have read it? That's debatable. The good news is that we're all over the papers.

Firstly, the changes.

In: Jamar
Out: Nicholson

THANK CHRIST.

Moving on...

From the Herald-Sun,

Neitz vs Scarlett

MELBOURNE captain David Neitz has a score to settle with Geelong defender Matthew Scarlett.

Neitz, who will make his 250th appearance for the Demons, has kicked just six goals in Melbourne's past six outings against Geelong.

The bustling forward was stitched up by Scarlett in the Demons' only meeting with the Cats last year in Round 8, kicking just three behinds.

Awful headlines...

Feline queasy about Moloney

SHUNNED by 16 clubs in the 2002 national draft, overlooked by West Coast as a rookie in 2003 and traded by Geelong in 2004, Brent Moloney tonight takes another step in his tumultuous footballing journey.

He will play his third game for new club Melbourne against the former teammates he had hoped would one day be bonded by a premiership.

Moloney, 21, is one of those rare footballers whose talents nobody denies, yet few clubs are willing to pursue vigorously.

During last year's trade week madness, the fast, tough, long-kicking Moloney suddenly was on the market.

and Wayne Schwass talks us up,

[scene setting waffle about Sir Edmund Hillary DELETED]

In tonight's MCG clash, Melbourne and Geelong, two teams who have progressed from the base camp to the higher peaks of the AFL's Everest, take their next stride towards The Hillary Step.

But the higher you climb the more difficult it becomes to make further progress. Meticulous planning, physical conditioning and thorough preparation on the lower peaks are required in order to gain the necessary confidence before an attempt on the summit can be contemplated.

Melbourne tried to take a quick route to the top in 2000 and again in 2002, but both times found its spine wasn't strong enough to withstand the pressure at high altitude.

Neale Daniher's failed expeditions finally hit home in 2002 when he agreed to trade club stalwart Shane Woewodin. But even he would argue sacrifices have to be made in an attempt to reach the summit.

The Age,

Study is White's new run-up,

Tonight'S clash between Melbourne and Geelong will pit two ruckmen who, at various stages over the past few years, have been considered the game's finest.

Melbourne's Jeff White and Geelong's Steven King will face off for the first time this year under the new ruck circle conditions in the match-of-the-round at the MCG.

White was a vehement critic of the centre-circle arrangement, claiming it would overly restrict his athletic run-and-jump rucking style, and admitted yesterday that while he believes he has adapted, it has caused him to reassess how he prepares for opponents.

While players always have to study opponent's strengths, weaknesses, styles and habits, White says it is far more crucial for him as a ruckman nowadays to ensure he knows as much as possible about the players he is coming up against. No longer can he simply rely on his massive leap to overcome an opponent.

"I've had to adjust to what we have in place . . . I was a bit rusty early, obviously in the Wizard Cup, but I think I have got used to it now," White said yesterday. "I've just had to do a lot of homework on it, it's not like the normal run-up you used to do in juniors when you line up against each other and go for it.

The Demonblog.com prediction? Melbourne by 15 points. A coronary for me 15 minutes into the last quarter.