Last minute analysis

First bounce in t-minus 8 hours. Are you feeling ill yet? I'm not. Wait until I get in the ground though and then it's shake, shake, shake, puke, puke, puke time. Anyway I've been obscenely distracted in the past few days and didn't take any time to have a close look at our lineup until now.

(Pinched lock, stock and barrel from AFL.com.au. Come and get me Demetriou!)

MELBOURNE
B: N.Brown, Ferguson, Bizzell
HB: Yze, Rivers, Wheatley
C: Johnstone, Bruce, Heffernan
HF: Robertson, Miller, McLean
F: Sylvia, Neitz, Green
FOLL: White, Moloney, Whelan
I/C: McDonald, Jamar, Davey, Rigoni
EMG: Bell, Godfrey, Nicholson
NEW: Brent Moloney (Geelong)

Gone from the team that lost the final against Essendon last year are Ben Holland (underdone, and half useless), Nicholson (unfit), Read (hamstrung). In come Sylvia (promising), Moloney (talented) and Ryan Ferguson (resurrected!)

In the same way that I completely forgot that Steven Armstrong was even on our list, I don't recall Mark Jamar or Guy Rigoni having been present on that fateful day in September.

I'm feeling confident about this match. That's a bad sign. Back Essendon.

The Sunday verdict: Melbourne by 26pts. Full report later tonight after I am released from police custody return home.