2015: THE YEAR THAT WAS by Whispering Jack

[Demonland 64,758]

For the most part of the past decade, Melbourne has gone through cycles of constant defeat, times of failure, setbacks and an inability to deal with its own demons but there were signs during 2015 that the time is ripe for the club to rise and reclaim a position among the better clubs in the AFL community.

Melbourne's progression might have been slow in 2015 but it certainly went in the right direction. However, while the final outcome saw it rise on the ladder of four places to 13th with seven wins against four in 2014 and two in 2013, most supporters would still have come out of the season with an empty feeling about the overall result.

There were some great moments but it was the team's wildly erratic form over the year that took the gloss off the highs. The lows were devastating not only because they often were so dreadful but also because they came upon the heels of the highs. In addition, there were the dramatic turnarounds from the good to the very bad within the course of single games.

It was a pattern that delivered the fans many moments of frustration, the worst often coming against teams which finished below them on the ladder. Of six games against such sides, Melbourne won only two - the opening game against Gold Coast and a dreary defensive slog against Brisbane. It went down twice to St Kilda with one defeat coming after meekly conceding a goal in the dying moments that could have been saved with better organisation and numbers behind the ball in defence. The other losses against Essendon (who were at their lowest ebb), St Kilda (the return game) and an absolute shocker against wooden spooner Carlton when the team capitulated in the first half were appalling. Five of those six games were played on the MCG and most of them came in the second half of the season.

Then there were the times when the Demons started games like a house on fire and not only failed to go on with the task of winning, but ended up conceding by wide margins. They dominated most of the first halves of football against GWS (the earlier game), Adelaide and Port Adelaide and then stopped almost to a walk after seemingly being so much in control.

And then there were the horror matches against Hawthorn, the second Bulldogs game and the two against Fremantle to go with the loss at the hands of lowly Carlton.

The angst was not confined to concerns about the team's form but also to the level of injuries which have been running on high over the long period during which the club has been conducting its well-documented sets of rebuilds.

The toughest break came in the preseason when the club's top draft selection from 2014 Christian Petracca damaged his ACL and joined former captain Jack Trengove (foot) on the sidelines for the entire season. Soon after, the club lost key defender Sam Frost (broken toe) who had been traded from the Giants to cover for the loss of James Frawley and then improver Dean Kent to a hamstring injury. Important players such as Jack Viney, Dom Tyson, Heritier Lumumba and skipper Nathan Jones were all hampered by injuries that limited their output during the season. Of course, there were the standard injuries that affect every team as well but at a young struggling club, the impact is felt more because of the effect on team depth.

On the other side of the ledger were the wins which included victories over five teams that finished higher on the ladder, mostly mid ladder sides. One of those wins was against eventual finalist Richmond (by 32 points) when Jesse Hogan underlined his huge potential by blanketing and overpowering All Australian defender Alex Rance. At that stage, the record of two wins and two defeats was a barely acceptable one but you would take it.

A bad stretch against three strong teams left the team somewhat battered but they came back with a 39 point win over the Bulldogs and yet a week later blew a six goal lead in the middle of the second term to go down by ten at Treagar Park to a struggling Port Adelaide. It was the story of the team's year. From rags to riches and back to rags again in the blink of an eye.

Without doubt, the pinnacle of the season was the win against Geelong at the Cattery without Jesse Hogan in Corey Enright's 300th game, closely followed by the victory over Collingwood when the teams met in Round 18. In both instances, the Demons broke long-running hoodoos which was something they were becoming accustomed to having broken the drought of wins for season openers against Gold Coast and then breaking through for a win at Etihad Stadium in the final round against the GWS Giants after 23 straight losses there. The great challenges remaining are to come up with consecutive wins, to win games in the west and to reward the NT government and the faithful by picking up premiership points in places where the club has sold home matches to enable the books to be balanced.

The improvement of the club in terms of wins and ladder position was in a large part due to the continued improvement of the quality of on field personnel being brought into the club. The highlights from a long term perspective were the youngsters introduced to the team with NAB Rising Star award winner, Jesse Hogan, being the stand out and midfielder Angus Brayshaw not that far behind him. When you add the likes of Aaron vandenBerg (a revelation given his initial recruitment as a rookie), Alex Neal-Bullen, Billy Stretch, James Harmes, Oscar McDonald and Mitchell White who all debuted for the club in 2015 and Christian Petracca who will do so (body permitting) early next season, the future looks very promising especially in terms of the quest to lift the club's midfield from third world to top shelf status.

The club also recruited some handy mature age recruits from other clubs in Heritier Lumumba and Jeff Garlett along with the lesser known Frost and Ben Newton. Lumumba looked exciting in the pre season but was not the force in defence that was anticipated when recruited, perhaps as a result of injury but Garlett proved to be a value selection kicking forty goals for the year. Newton showed enough to suggest that he can help make the team's midfield more competitive. We didn't really see enough of Frost to draw any conclusions but he does look adaptable and capable of adding to the key position depth when fit.

Bernie Vince was outstanding throughout the year and his club champion honours were well deserved. It was no coincidence that the club's worst moments came on the rare occasions when he was down on form. When he was on song he often made the difference winning the football and often succeeding when called upon to blanket some of the game's biggest names. Jack Viney's name crept up high onto the honour board and he could easily have joined father Todd among the list of tough nuts to have won a Bluey - there's a lot more to come from this young man. Tom McDonald was living up to his potential and on his way to All Australian honours until he ran into Travis Cloke in rare form in front of the sticks. He shrugged off a mid season trough and finished the season strongly. Then there was the skipper Nathan Jones. We all knew how good he is but although not as dominant as he has been in recent years and he carried an injury for most of the second half of the season, he continued to feature strongly. Daniel Cross was solid throughout and it was a pity he could not be afforded another contract but he will not be lost entirely as he has a position in 2016 as a senior assistant coach.

Two other players at the club whose seasons were affected by injuries and recovery from them could make significant inroads in the quest to improve its midfield stocks with a full season in 2016. It took Max Gawn almost half a season to gain senior selection after recovering from the setback he suffered with the knee injury incurred at the end of 2014. His first game back was a triumph in the game at Simonds Stadium where he dominated in Melbourne's win and he threatens to move into the highest echelon of ruckmen in the competition. Christian Salem lost a large slab of the middle part of the year due to hamstring issues. His immaculate kicking and fearless attitude was a bonus in defence but he might be destined for the midfield where those assets would prove invaluable.

There are of course, the newcomers traded and drafted in the post season which was an interesting period for the club. It's said at this time every year but we can only wait in hope that this time the club's recruiters reap the rewards of their labours over the past few seasons. The main hope is in the view that the characteristics displayed by Melbourne this year is common to all emerging clubs and a breakthrough is not far away. The Western Bulldogs won seven matches in 2014 and doubled that number in 2015.

While we bandy about expressions such as third world midfield and lack of experience, leadership and maturity to explain the club's on field woes, it's abundantly clear that the problems at Melbourne have largely persisted as a result of its off field weaknesses. The truth is that the club has been in many respects a third world power in AFL circles for far too long. There have been far too many power struggles; too many boards have assumed the reins with good intentions and failed to produce, leaving too many jobs undone.

The present set up which sees the club still under a form of patronage from the AFL above seems to be working well but Glenn Bartlett, Peter Jackson and co are expected to ultimately produce results on the field in terms of finals appearances at some time in the near future.

As we enter 2016 it remains to be seen whether the stability they have brought to the club can translate into an escalation of the improvement and gains of the past couple of seasons and in that regard much will depend on how the young Demons mature and how smoothly the transition of the coaching role from Paul Roos to Simon Goodwin can be carried out.