In 2014 the Demons have a new coach, new game-plan and new midfield. It mightn’t have had quite the same coverage, but Melbourne is also set to launch a new partnership with the Northern Territory, where it will play two matches for premiership points this season.
To become acquainted with the area and to kick things off, Melbourne ran a community camp for local Indigenous children in Alice Springs ahead of tonight’s NAB Challenge match with Geelong.
It’s clear from the photo gallery below that the locals were very happy to see the Demons.
As part of the AFL’s Indigenous Round, Melbourne will take on Port Adelaide at Traeger Park in Alice Springs in Round 11 this season. The Dees will then come up against the Dockers at TIO Stadium in Round 16. Given the Indigenous All-Stars won’t play any matches this season – they play every second year – Melbourne’s matches are set to be the highlights of the season for those in the Northern Territory.
If the reactions of those who ventured to Alice Springs to play in an exhibition match between Richmond and the All-Stars are anything to go by, it’s sure to be a rewarding experience for the Demons’ players.
“In terms of clinics, it’s probably one of the best ones I’ve ever done,” Tiger Jack Riewoldt said last year.
A video about last year’s trip to the Northern Territory, which features former-Demon Aaron Davey leading the Indigenous All-Stars’ war cry, can be found below.