Demons star tracking well for King's Birthday rematch
Christian Petracca will return to the scene of his AFL nightmare in a happy mood, in form - and kicking straight for goal.
The annual King's Birthday clash on Monday against Collingwood will mark a year almost to the day since Magpies captain Darcy Moore cannoned into Petracca at a marking contest.
Petracca went off the MCG in agony. He returned to the game briefly, but soon had to go to hospital with serious internal injuries.
The Demons star spent time in intensive care with a lacerated spleen, punctured lung and fractured ribs.
The King's Birthday clash proved Petracca's last game of the season and in the tumultuous fallout from his injury crisis, there was strong speculation he might leave the club.
Ultimately, Petracca stayed and has recovered brilliantly, playing 12 games and reaching his 200th milestone.
Teammate Jake Melksham was asked on Tuesday whether Petracca might need a hug ahead of Monday's big match.
"Thanks for the reminder - I forgot about that. Maybe I will go give him a cuddle when I see him at the club," Melksham said with a grin.
"He's in a good space, he's playing well, he's enjoying himself, he's smiling.
"He's certainly the energetic, hyped-up person he's always been around the club.
"We're looking forward to him coming out and continuing his form."
Petracca was a rarity among Demons players on Sunday, kicking 2.1 in their upset loss to St Kilda.
Melbourne had seven more scoring shots than the Saints in Alice Springs, but sprayed 7.21.
Again, Melksham's tongue was in his cheek when asked if goalkicking would be a priority ahead of Monday's game.
"We're not going to do anything but goalkicking - every one of us," the Demons forward said.
"All 45 players are just going to have a thousand shots, we're not going to do any ball movement, defence - even Goody (coach Simon Goodwin) is going to do some goalkicking as well."
More seriously, Melksham noted their goalkicking coach, Mark Williams, is "the most passionate man in the world" and will make sure they work on their inaccuracy ahead of playing Collingwood.
"We're certainly not moping around or too down about things," Melksham added.
"Had we kicked straighter, then it's a different story. But a lot of the parts of our game are in a good place at the moment."
Melksham and Collingwood veteran Steele Sidebottom joined Bec Daniher at Melbourne Aquarium on Tuesday morning as a promotion for The Big Freeze.
A key feature of the King's Birthday blockbuster, The Big Freeze raises money for research into finding a cure for MND.
Neale Daniher, Bec's father, has the disease and now cannot speak. He will meet with the Melbourne and Collingwood players and address them through a machine that uses eye-gaze technology.
For all the fun around The Big Freeze and visiting the aquarium, Melksham said hearing Daniher speak is a great privilege.
"Neale always has some words of wisdom for us and you've never seen 100 people so captivated and glued to one person," Melksham said.
"We're really proud to be a part of this week."
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Melbourne went off the boil and only desperate defence goal-line kept them ahead, with North Queensland dominating territory 68 per cent to 32. Despite that statistic, the Storm made them pay when they got a chance in the 39th minute when a Hughes bomb was dropped cold by fullback Scott Drinkwater. Hughes then collected the spoils in the next set, linking with the rest of the star Melbourne spine for an 18-4 halftime lead. Despite a massive spray by Cowboys coach Todd Payten, Nick Meaney crossed two minutes into the second half after the Melbourne centre ran onto a Hughes grubber. The talented Cowboys attack finally kicked into gear and after Drinkwater saved a third Hughes try he scored one of his own after a Reece Robson dart from dummy-half. Robert Derby was in two minutes later to close the margin to 10 points but Storm prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona stalled the Cowboys' momentum when he dragged four defenders over the line. Payten said his team beat themselves. 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Melbourne started with a bang with tries to Eli Katoa and Hughes setting up a 12-0 after 18 minutes. A pin-point cut-out pass from Dearden to winger Jaxson Paulo put the visitors on the scoreboard two minutes later. Melbourne went off the boil and only desperate defence goal-line kept them ahead, with North Queensland dominating territory 68 per cent to 32. Despite that statistic, the Storm made them pay when they got a chance in the 39th minute when a Hughes bomb was dropped cold by fullback Scott Drinkwater. Hughes then collected the spoils in the next set, linking with the rest of the star Melbourne spine for an 18-4 halftime lead. Despite a massive spray by Cowboys coach Todd Payten, Nick Meaney crossed two minutes into the second half after the Melbourne centre ran onto a Hughes grubber. The talented Cowboys attack finally kicked into gear and after Drinkwater saved a third Hughes try he scored one of his own after a Reece Robson dart from dummy-half. Robert Derby was in two minutes later to close the margin to 10 points but Storm prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona stalled the Cowboys' momentum when he dragged four defenders over the line. Payten said his team beat themselves. "It's just pure disappointment, we didn't make a good team earn anything," he said. "When you crack so easily on your tryline, and then just give them leg up after leg up with tackle four or five penalties, play one, two errors, so it probably should have been more, to be fair. "It's frustrating and burning inside ... I hate when we beat ourselves, and I felt like tonight we did exactly that." Melbourne's Jahrome Hughes has stolen the spotlight from his North Queensland opposite Tom Dearden with the Storm halfback orchestrating a commanding 38-14 victory at AAMI Park. All eyes were on Dearden, who is favoured to usurp Daly Cherry-Evans as Queensland's State of Origin No.7 when teams for game two in Perth are announced. 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