Former captain David Neitz believes the current Melbourne side is far better placed to snap the AFL club’s long-standing premiership drought than the one he led to grand final defeat at the turn of the century.
Neitz’s team won 10 of 11 games under Neale Daniher in a hot run of form leading into the 2000 season decider, before they were steamrolled by Kevin Sheedy’s battle-hardened Essendon.
It has taken 21 years for the Demons to get back to the biggest stage, with their infamous preliminary final flop against West Coast three years ago the closest they had come until now.
But Neitz is confident Simon Goodwin’s matured group can salute against the Western Bulldogs on September 25 and end the club’s agonising 57-year wait for a flag.
“In 2000 we were a relatively young side coming through and maybe a bit more like the 2018 team, but this team just seems a lot more ready,” 306-game champion Neitz told AAP.
“That 2018 experience has really hardened them.
“You can see in their attitude they’ve had a cultural shift, if you like – it’s all about respecting the game and the competition.
“They play with a lot of respect for the opposition, which means that they just don’t take anything for granted.
“It builds that steely resolve amongst the group and I think they’re better placed and more advanced than what we were in 2000.”
Neitz expects a “tough battle” between two evenly matched midfield groups in the grand final at Perth’s Optus Stadium and has been impressed by both Melbourne’s defence and the Bulldogs’ attack this season.
But he expects the Demons can gain an edge in their forward half against an underrated Dogs backline that will likely be boosted by the return of key defender Alex Keath from a hamstring issue.
Melbourne forwards Bailey Fritsch, Ben Brown and Kysaiah Pickett have all kicked multiple goals during the finals, while Charlie Spargo and James Harmes pitched in as the Demons posted their second-highest score of the season in the preliminary final thumping of Geelong.
“Our forward line and the Bulldogs’ backline have been where opposition teams would look and see an opportunity there,” said Neitz, the Demons’ all-time leading goal-kicker with 631 majors.
“But the last few weeks our forward line has really stood up and some unsung guys have stepped up to play some really good footy.
“Ben Brown has lifted, so hopefully we’ve got a little bit of an edge.”
Neitz predicts Melbourne will take an unchanged line-up into the grand final, with All Australian defender Steven May set to shake off a hamstring complaint.
Fellow backman Joel Smith is available after missing last week with a hamstring injury suffered at training, but his replacement Michael Hibberd performed well against the Cats.
Speedster Jayden Hunt played every game this year up to round 21 and has overcome an ankle injury.
“Hunt, Hibberd, Smith and (Jake) Bowey – they’re probably the ones,” Neitz said.
“But looking at the way Simon (Goodwin) has gone about it, I don’t think there’ll be a lot of change.”
Neitz maintains close ties to his 2000 team – one of only two Melbourne sides to reach a grand final since the club’s most recent premiership in 1964.
The 46-year-old’s Brewmanity Beer Co has raised more than $275,000 for former coach Daniher’s FightMND foundation since 2015.
Brewmanity has released a new draught beer – The Mouth of the South – which Neitz said is “built for the grand final”.
“In big games you don’t have any time to think, there’s no lairising or showboating, you’ve got to keep it simple, and that’s what the beer does,” he said.
AAP
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