18 SPORT
MONDAY MARCH 24 2014
Watts to get tall
order for Demons
By BRUCE MATTHEWS
AFL
MELBOURNE may have no
option but to send Jack Watts
forward again.
Watts is a candidate to help
solve the Demons’ tall target
deficiencies, at least in the
short term.
If Jack Fitzpatrick is ruled
out with concussion, Watts is
likely to revert to a key forward
role against West Coast at the
MCG on Sunday.
It’s a dilemma for coach
Paul Roos with Watts so impressive working across the
midfield, collecting 27 possessions in the opening round loss
to St Kilda.
But the 196cm Watts was
recruited as a key forward and
he was Melbourne’s second
highest goalkicker behind
Jeremy Howe last season.
He has a stronger body and
presence now, good hands and
a reliable kick with the set shot.
Roos threw Watts forward a
couple of times in the second
half against the Saints to try to
isolate him as a viable target,
but to no avail.
Melbourne’s forward setup,
compounded by injuries to
Chris Dawes, Jesse Hogan and
Mitch Clark, scrounged a pitiful six goals in perfect conditions under the closed Etihad
Stadium roof on Saturday
night.
Experienced
Shannon
Byrnes,
an
opportunist,
ground-level performer, was
the only multiple goalscorer.
Something is seriously
wrong when Melbourne players walk off after the final siren
with six goals and midfielders
Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson and
Bernie Vince had 38, 32 and 28
disposals.
Imagine the frustration of
that ball-gathering trio, a point
alluded to by Roos after the 17
points loss.
“At times (we) wanted to go
forward but there was nobody
to kick it to,’’ the new Demons
coach said.
“A lot of it was the fact that
there was just no-one there.
We looked up at times – I think
Dom (Tyson) got caught a
couple of times looking up and
we had Fitzy off, probably
Spence (Jake Spencer) and
Pedo (Cam Pedersen) in the
ruck, so you’ve really got noone down there.’’
Howe, who considers himself the third or fourth highball
option up forward, bemoaned
the poor ball use heading into
his area.
“I think our entries inside
50 were good as in the numbers, but we’ve just got to lower
our eyes,’’ Howe said. “The
way we’re playing now, we’re
getting a lot more of the footy,
which is great. (But) just too
many turnovers, we butchered
the ball a fair bit.’’
It has to be Melbourne’s primary focus this week in preparation for its first home game.
Todd Goldstein and Paddy Ryder.Picture:
WAYNE LUDBEY
AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON - ROUND 1
FREMANTLE
COLLINGWOOD
2.3 8.7 14.1 17.14
2.4 2.8 3.13 5.16
116
46
Goals: Fremantle: H Ballantyne 3 D Mundy 2 D Pearce 2 M Walters 2 R Crowley 2 M
Barlow M Pavlich N Fyfe S Hill T Mzungu T Sheridan. Collingwood: B Macaffer C Young D
Swan J Elliott S Pendlebury.
Best: Fremantle: N Fyfe M Johnson M Barlow A Sandilands H Ballantyne S Hill L
McPharlin D Pearce. Collingwood: D Beams T Langdon S Pendlebury. Injuries:
Fremantle: Nil. Collingwood: T Goldsack (calf).
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Mathew Nicholls, Dean Margetts, Brendan Hosking.
Official Crowd: 37,571 at Etihad Stadium.
GWS GIANTS
SYDNEY
4.1 7.1 9.5 15.9
6.2 7.8 9.8 9.13
99
67
Goals: Greater Western Sydney: J Cameron 4 J Patton 3 A Kennedy C Ward D Smith L
Whitfield S Coniglio S Frost T Greene T Scully. Sydney: B McGlynn 2 C Bird G Rohan H
Cunningham L Franklin L Jetta S Reid T Mitchell.
Best: Greater Western Sydney: C Ward P Davis J Cameron J Patton A Treloar S
Mumford. Sydney: L Parker J Kennedy R Shaw T Mitchell N Malceski B McGlynn.
Injuries: Greater Western Sydney: R Palmer (hamstring). Sydney: L RobertsThomson (groin) K Jack (back) replaced in the selected side by R O’Keefe.
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Justin Schmitt, Troy Pannell, Craig Fleer.
Official Crowd: 17,102 at Spotless Stadium.
GOLD COAST
RICHMOND
5.4 6.7 7.13 12.15
3.1 5.6 6.7 10.9
87
69
Goals: Gold Coast: D Stanley 2 G Ablett 2 S Day 2 T Lynch 2 B Matera D Prestia D
Swallow J O’Meara. Richmond: T Vickery 2 B Deledio B Griffiths D Martin J Riewoldt N
Vlastuin R Petterd S Edwards T Cotchin.
Best: Gold Coast: G Ablett D Prestia D Swallow C Cameron T Lynch J O’Meara.
Richmond: T Cotchin B Deledio T Vickery M Thomas D Martin B Houli.
Injuries: Gold Coast: C Dixon (concussion) J Martin (shoulder). Richmond: Nil.
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Ben Ryan, Simon Meredith, Ray Chamberlain.
Venue: Metricon Stadium.
PORT ADELAIDE
CARLTON
1.0 7.5 11.7 18.12
4.4 8.8 11.13 12.15
120
87
Goals: Port Adelaide: J Westhoff 5 R Gray 4 H Hartlett 2 J Schulz 2 O Wines 2 B Ebert J
Butcher J Polec. Carlton: B Gibbs 2 D Ellard 2 E Curnow 2 J Waite 2 A Everitt C Yarran D
Thomas J Garlett.
Best: Port Adelaide: O Wines J Westhoff J Polec J Hombsch K Cornes R Gray. Carlton:
E Curnow M Murphy B Gibbs R Warnock.
Injuries: Port Adelaide: D Cassisi (calf). Carlton: Nil.
Reports: Port Adelaide: Nil. Carlton: A Walker (Carlton) in the fourth quarter for
alleged rough conduct against A Monfries (Port Adelaide).
Umpires: Brett Rosebury, Luke Farmer, Nicholas Foot.
Official Crowd: 24,640 at Etihad Stadium.
GEELONG
ADELAIDE
6.0 11.3 12.7 18.11
5.3 9.5 11.8 12.9
119
81
Goals: Geelong: J Bartel 4 M Brown 3 J Selwood 2 C Enright D Simpson H McIntosh J
Caddy J Murdoch M Duncan M Stokes S Johnson T Hawkins. Adelaide: L Johnston 3 E
Betts 2 P Dangerfield 2 B Smith M Grigg M Jaensch S Jacobs S McKernan.
Best: Geelong: J Selwood M Stokes J Kelly J Caddy S Johnson C Guthrie J Bartel.
Adelaide: S Jacobs M Wright P Dangerfield S Kerridge M Jaensch.
Injuries: Geelong: J Caddy (cut face) G Horlin-Smith replaced in selected side by D
Simpson. Adelaide: Nil.
Reports: Geelong: Nil. Adelaide: L Johnston (Adelaide) for high contact on S Johnson
(Geelong) in the second quarter.
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Shane Stewart, Matthew Leppard.
Official Crowd: 23,622 at Simonds Stadium.
ESSENDON
NORTH MELBOURNE
4.1 8.5 11.8 15.9
3.0 5.3 8.5 9.6
99
60
Goals: Essendon: P Chapman 4 B Goddard 3 J Daniher 2 J Watson 2 K Hardingham 2 B
Howlett P Ryder. North Melbourne: L Thomas 4 A Black B Harvey B McKenzie N Dal
Santo S Wright.
Best: Essendon: J Watson P Chapman B Howlett B Goddard C Hooker P Ryder. North
Melbourne: L Thomas B Cunnington J MacMillan.
Injuries: Essendon: P Chapman (cramp). North Melbourne: T Goldstein (shoulder), B
Cunnington (head knock).
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Jeff Dalgleish, Jacob Mollison, Andrew Mitchell.
Official Crowd: 42,332 at Etihad Stadium.
HAWTHORN
BRISBANE LIONS
North hopeful Goldstein will face Dogs
FIRST-ROUND losers North
Melbourne are hoping their
nightmare start to the
season doesn’t get worse
by losing ruckman Todd
Goldstein for several weeks
with a shoulder injury.
The Kangaroos expect
Goldstein, who suffered a
knock during the first quarter of
Friday night’s 39-point loss to
Essendon, to be fit for their
clash with Western Bulldogs at
Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Goldstein played out the
game but was clearly limited
by the injury in rucking and
marking contests.
“Todd had scans on
Saturday morning which
showed no signs of any
ligament or joint to damage to
his
left
shoulder,”
the
Kangaroos said in a statement
on Sunday.
“The club remains hopeful
he’ll be able to play against the
Dogs on Sunday.
“He may require further
precautionary scans this week
in the lead-up to the game.”
Two-time All-Australian
Nathan Brown has turned the
blowtorch on North’s midfield,
saying they don’t work hard
enough defensively.
He says joint vice-captain
Jack Ziebell is a terrific player
but dropping him would be a
way of shaking up the club and
delivering some home truths.
“Ziebell the other night was
on Brendon Goddard. He just
gave him 20 metres,” he said.
“He was trying to point to
him to try to get somebody else
to take him. That’s been going
on for two or three years at
North Melbourne.
“It’s something that footy
club have to change if they’re
going to play finals ... I would
drop Ziebell after one game.
On a couple of occasions the
other night, he just didn’t want
to go the other way.”
3.3 7.6 13.8 21.13
2.4 3.8 8.13 13.13
139
91
Goals: Hawthorn: J Roughead 5 L Breust 5 I Smith 2 J Gunston 2 L Shiels 2 B McEvoy J
Lewis M Suckling S Mitchell T O’Brien. Brisbane Lions: J Brown 4 T Rockliff 3 T West 3 S
Mayes 2 J Green.
Best: Hawthorn: B Hill G Birchall L Breust I Smith J Gibson. Brisbane Lions: D Zorko B
Moloney M Leuenberger J Brown T Rockliff.
Injuries: Nil.
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Chris Donlon, Sam Hay, Shane McInerney.
Official Crowd: 12,430 at Aurora Stadium.
ST KILDA
MELBOURNE
1.3 4.5 8.6 10.8
2.2 2.1 4.11 6.15
68
51
Goals: St Kilda: N Riewoldt 3 R Stanley 2 D Armitage E Templeton J Geary J Gwilt J
Saunders. Melbourne: S Byrnes 2 B Vince D Terlich D Tyson J Toumpas.
Best: St Kilda: C Jones N Riewoldt L Dunstan F Ray T Curren S Dempster. Melbourne:
N Jones D Tyson J Watts B Vince J Grimes.
Injuries: St Kilda: J Webster (groin). Melbourne: J Fitzpatrick (concussion) T
McDonald (corked thighs).
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Scott Jeffery, Chris Kamolins, Heath Ryan.
Official Crowd: 31,657 at Etihad Stadium.
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