Demons record first win since sacking CEO Paul Guerra
Melbourne recorded its first win since the controversial decision to sack CEO Paul Guerra just seven months into the job; The team’s enthusiastic performance continues at full speed under the management of rookie coach Steven King.
The win was not unexpected as the hapless (or hopeless) Eagles – depending on your perspective – had not beaten the Devils at Docklands since 2011, but it was a healthy reminder that they remain a class above the rebuilding community of which the Eagles are the poster club.
The only minor concern for the Devils involved Kysaiah Pickett. As the striker went to pick up the ball, he head-butted Eagles’ Jake Waterman. Waterman went down and won the free kick as Pickett looked on nervously as he watched the replay on the big screen.
The vision showed Pickett slowing down as he reached the contest and Waterman showing no ill effects; This should have saved the fast Demon, who wasn’t shy about taking a bump, but it was a close call.
It was the only close decider for the Demons, who had scored nine unanswered goals after Harley Reid scored the first goal of the game to put the result beyond doubt. The Eagles narrowed the gap to 32 points by applying pressure and rallying with late goals.
The Eagles were trying to play faster than they could and the Devils were enjoying their mistakes. Not long after the first intermission, they were seven points within 50 as their ball movement made the Eagles look like statues.
West Coast’s cause wasn’t helped by Harry Edwards being ruled out with his third concussion of the season after teammate Elliot Yeo accidentally bumped his elbow. Edwards fell to the ground, blood pouring from his head and his immediate future in doubt. Edwards was wearing a helmet in response to previous concussions.
The Devils were looking to expose the Eagles’ lack of height when they started champion ruckman Max Gawn in the goal square as Max Heath made the first splash. Defensively they were also smaller following the late withdrawal of Daniel Turner due to illness.
The move showed that coach King was practicing as he preached keeping one foot firmly on the development accelerator, as he expected his team to maintain the courage to play their way, no matter what the state of the game, as he put it. Gawn scored a goal and was denied a clear clearance at the goal line late in the game that would have given him a second.
Without making light of his health scare, King should thank his lucky stars that he saw stars during Andrew McQualter’s Eagles coaching job at the end of 2024.
King, who collapsed at the Cats, where he was an assistant coach, after returning from an interview with the West Coast during finals week, has won more in nine games with the Demons than McQualter had in 32 games as coach of the Eagles.
The Demons’ quality young players in Harvey Langford, Latrelle Pickett, Paddy Cross, Caleb Windsor and Jacob van Rooyen can learn from world-class players such as Max Gawn, Pickett, Ed Langdon, Tom Sparrow and Jake Lever, while the Eagles have Yeo and Liam Baker trying to guide the rebuild.
Baker is not playing at the level he did last season and even gave away the 50-metre penalty that cost his team a goal in the first quarter when he would have preferred back. Yeo puts up a tough fight but is understandably frustrated.
Waterman, an All-Australian forward, hasn’t been helped much by his ball handling but still plays out from the back too often and lives in the hope that the ball will come out from the back rather than attacking the contest in his best forward style. He finished the game with eight shots for 3.5, but it didn’t have the impact he hoped for.
The team’s strength remains in the tackle, with Reid, Willem Duursma, Yeo and Tim Kelly effective from distance (especially effective from centre), but the Eagles were unable to slow the tempo or move the ball end-to-end. They also passed the ball forward too often.
Van Rooyen knows the difference between quality supply and bombing the ball to his head. He has scored five goals and looks like a different player under King. Reuben Ginbey drops deep in defence, and has benefited from Yeo’s move as a defensive substitute.
Another point of interest was the inauguration of umpire Jordyn Pearson, who became the second female on-field umpire in the history of the game, following in the footsteps of Eleni Tee.
