Melbourne: Blue or Red?

December 11, 2010 ranks as my favorite Derby moment. Never mind the fact Victory won, my older brother had come back home after a year-long working-holiday in Canada, it was great to have him back and one of the first things I did was get him to the Derby.

The 8^th Melbourne Derby will kick-off on Saturday night in front of what will be a sellout crowd. It is has everything to create a huge atmosphere that I’ve been swept up in on each derby day. This fixture has cemented itself as a premier event in the Melbourne sporting landscape and an event in its own right. Being at AAMI Park, the best football stadium in Australia and being well into the festive season has only made the occasion bigger.

The Heart unquestionably have had the better of the rivalry since the beginning and it can be argued that Victory have taken their ‘little brother’ lightly in the past. That has been a boon to the rivalry and setting up the new club in Melbourne. This record is something of an injustice that gnaws away at Melbourne’s ‘glamour’ club and their proud and passionate supporters. There is no bigger opportunity to change this than Saturday night.

Both teams find themselves dealing with niggling injuries heading into the big day. Mark Milligan and Billy Celeski are the concerns for Victory, while Mate Dugandzic, Ben Garrucio and Vince Grella are unavailable for Heart. Jonatan Germano looks ready to start his season, while striker Josip Tadic is another set to resume after missing last week’s loss to the Mariners.

Form should not be a factor in deciding this result. This is not an ordinary game and cannot be treated as such. Both have experienced, big name, big time stars that have performed on a big occasion before. For Victory, this is in Milligan and Archie Thompson while for the Heart that is in captain Fred and Matt Thompson. It is on how they perform and whether they take the chances and moments that will be a difference maker.

From a tactical standpoint, don’t expect much of the approaches from Round 1 to alter all that radically. The tactics in these derbies have been predictable in the past, they have now changed in different ways this season under new managements. It will come down to execution of tactics. Heart’s Round 1 success came from an aggressive and pressing approach against a timid Victory, a repeat may be the aim. On the blue side, a quick tempo, a midfield able to screen and allow the quick transition through to attack getting to Marco Rojas and Thompson has seen Victory climb into the top three and it will be needed against the Heart.

Head-to-Head contests will be battles in themselves to watch for over the night. Rojas and Thompson against Michael Marrone and Aziz Behich on the right and left flanks is just a couple of them. A possible Heart midfield trio of Fred, Thompson and Germano/or Richard Garcia will go against their Victory counterparts in Guilherme Finkler, Milligan and Celeski (if both are right, they have been named in the squad and are “progressing well” according to Paul Trimboli). No matter where you look around AAMI Park on Saturday, there will be battles, be sure you don’t get dizzy.

More than anything, a repeat of the dramatic, over-reactive stories arising from the supposed misbehavior of fans at the Sydney Derby is the last thing wanted when the morning after the night before comes. While many like to find fault with the media (as admittedly this blogger does), the coverage and build-up from Melbourne Herald Sun’s David Davutovic and Matt Windley has been fantastic, leading the way with their #pickaside campaign. My hope is the fans focus on creating the best atmosphere possible and support their team.

Enjoy the game!

My Tip: 1-1