89. JACK VINEY

MELBOURNE, 29

$600,000-$700,000

Viney – who re-signed until the end of 2025 in 2020 – appears to be a cut-price superstar, given he has won the Frank “Checker” Hughes Award for best-afield on Anzac Day eve and the trophy for best-afield on King’s Birthday.

86. ANGUS BRAYSHAW

MELBOURNE, 27

$600,000-$700,000

There was speculation Brayshaw could lob at Essendon or even Fremantle last year, but perhaps the jack-of-all-trades was simply never leaving. Brayshaw – who cut out the wrong ear holes in his helmet before the Port Adelaide game in round 10 – has carved out a cracking career since he joined as compensation for the Demons losing James Frawley to Hawthorn.

82. JAKE LEVER

MELBOURNE, 27

$600,000-$700,000

David King once potted the Demons for investing so much cash behind the ball in Lever and May, arguing that in soccer, strikers were more valuable for a reason. But the approximate $1.5 million the Demons invest annually in these two intercepting wizards is worth every cent.

81. STEVEN MAY

MELBOURNE, 31

$600,000-$700,000

The mighty Melbourne full-back who played in the 2021 premiership with a badly torn hamstring has been the defensive rock of coach Simon Goodwin’s team. May’s battles with Lance Franklin have been must-watch and he still has two years on his contract to run. Slight form dip in 2023 but still a super stopper at that price.

42. MAX GAWN

MELBOURNE, 31

$700,000-$800,000

The Demons skipper who gave the green light to “Operation Get Grundy” shored up his football future with a long-term contract that still has two full seasons to run (ends 2025). By the time the 2026 season starts Gawn will be 34 and it wouldn’t surprise if that is the ruckman’s last contract.

20. BRODIE GRUNDY

MELBOURNE, 29

$800,000-$900,000

Grundy’s salary of $900,000 – or perhaps even a touch more – in year one at Melbourne is costing Collingwood roughly $250,000, which is the contribution from his old club that errantly signed him to a monster deal. Grundy was pushed out of the Pies but it was nothing personal and he remains close with several of his old teammates. Can Grundy become this decade’s Luke Ball and win a premiership against the club that didn’t want him? In Ball’s case it was playing for the Pies in a grand final win against St Kilda.

7. CHRISTIAN PETRACCA

MELBOURNE, 27

$950,000-$1,050,000

Oliver’s sidekick is the other seven-figure Demon. With Oliver signed until 2030 and Petracca until 2029, the Demons have locked in the AFL’s best midfield for the decade.

6. CLAYTON OLIVER

MELBOURNE, 25

$950,000-$1,050,000

Oliver’s seven-year $7 million deal – signed in 2022 – starts next season. But it’s understood he is already a million-dollar Demon. The four-time best and fairest winner is on track to become one of the club’s most decorated players of the past 50 years.

7 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

Oliver’s sidekick is the other seven-figure Demon. With Oliver signed until 2030 and Petracca until 2029, the Demons have locked in the AFL’s best midfield for the decade.

Why do we continually be referred to as the best midfield in the comp when none of the stats back that up whatsoever? We are ranked 10th for clearances in the comp, and only 3rd for hit outs with supposedly the two best ruckman in the game. Any talk of our midfield being anything but average is complete rubbish.

Edited June 24, 20232 yr by Smokey

Wow... expensive rucks..

Not entirely sure its worked either.

Edited June 24, 20232 yr by dazzledavey36

Realistically we are paying Grundy about 600k - which puts him at about 80. It’s Collingwood who are making him a top 10 player.

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

89. JACK VINEY

MELBOURNE, 29

$600,000-$700,000

Viney – who re-signed until the end of 2025 in 2020 – appears to be a cut-price superstar, given he has won the Frank “Checker” Hughes Award for best-afield on Anzac Day eve and the trophy for best-afield on King’s Birthday.

86. ANGUS BRAYSHAW

MELBOURNE, 27

$600,000-$700,000

There was speculation Brayshaw could lob at Essendon or even Fremantle last year, but perhaps the jack-of-all-trades was simply never leaving. Brayshaw – who cut out the wrong ear holes in his helmet before the Port Adelaide game in round 10 – has carved out a cracking career since he joined as compensation for the Demons losing James Frawley to Hawthorn.

82. JAKE LEVER

MELBOURNE, 27

$600,000-$700,000

David King once potted the Demons for investing so much cash behind the ball in Lever and May, arguing that in soccer, strikers were more valuable for a reason. But the approximate $1.5 million the Demons invest annually in these two intercepting wizards is worth every cent.

81. STEVEN MAY

MELBOURNE, 31

$600,000-$700,000

The mighty Melbourne full-back who played in the 2021 premiership with a badly torn hamstring has been the defensive rock of coach Simon Goodwin’s team. May’s battles with Lance Franklin have been must-watch and he still has two years on his contract to run. Slight form dip in 2023 but still a super stopper at that price.

42. MAX GAWN

MELBOURNE, 31

$700,000-$800,000

The Demons skipper who gave the green light to “Operation Get Grundy” shored up his football future with a long-term contract that still has two full seasons to run (ends 2025). By the time the 2026 season starts Gawn will be 34 and it wouldn’t surprise if that is the ruckman’s last contract.

20. BRODIE GRUNDY

MELBOURNE, 29

$800,000-$900,000

Grundy’s salary of $900,000 – or perhaps even a touch more – in year one at Melbourne is costing Collingwood roughly $250,000, which is the contribution from his old club that errantly signed him to a monster deal. Grundy was pushed out of the Pies but it was nothing personal and he remains close with several of his old teammates. Can Grundy become this decade’s Luke Ball and win a premiership against the club that didn’t want him? In Ball’s case it was playing for the Pies in a grand final win against St Kilda.

7. CHRISTIAN PETRACCA

MELBOURNE, 27

$950,000-$1,050,000

Oliver’s sidekick is the other seven-figure Demon. With Oliver signed until 2030 and Petracca until 2029, the Demons have locked in the AFL’s best midfield for the decade.

6. CLAYTON OLIVER

MELBOURNE, 25

$950,000-$1,050,000

Oliver’s seven-year $7 million deal – signed in 2022 – starts next season. But it’s understood he is already a million-dollar Demon. The four-time best and fairest winner is on track to become one of the club’s most decorated players of the past 50 years.

So 8% of the highest paid players are at the Dees so we are paying slightly more than the average which should be 5.5% isn't too bad since we won the cup in 21.

For Petracca and Oliver - I am pretty sure Cal Twomey or Mitch Cleary reported they are on a percentage of the cap. So as it goes Up during the decade - their salary will go up pro rata.

Pretty good value on all of them I reckon.

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Wow... expensive rucks..

Not entirely sure its worked either.

Gawn is much more than a ruck. He’s our captain. He’s also a 6 time AA and one of the greatest ever ruckman. 
We aren’t paying Grundy’s full wage anyway. 
 

Clarry and Trac are frankly bargains. 

22 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Gawn is much more than a ruck. He’s our captain. He’s also a 6 time AA and one of the greatest ever ruckman. 
We aren’t paying Grundy’s full wage anyway. 
 

Clarry and Trac are frankly bargains. 

I know all of that. But I'm not talking about individual awards.

I'm talking about the combination in itself this year and the money spent on another ruckman that's averaging around 66% game time which we're pretty much roughly paying 650-700k in which Collingwood are paying the rest. Is that really worth the money? On face value right now, don't think so.

Gawn is completely out of form and a shadow of himself and Grundy shows bits here and there.

The Petracca and Oliver deals bargains indeed.

8 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I know all of that. But I'm not talking about individual awards.

I'm talking about the combination in itself this year and the money spent on another ruckman that's averaging around 66% game time which we're pretty much roughly paying 650-700k in which Collingwood are paying the rest. Is that really worth the money? On face value right now, don't think so.

Gawn is completely out of form and a shadow of himself and Grundy shows bits here and there.

The Petracca and Oliver deals bargains indeed.

When Gawn signed his deal he was the best ruckman and one of the best players around. Age and injuries haven’t helped him this year. 
As for Grundy, I think $600,000 for a very good mobile ruckman who has 3-5 years left is not a bad deal. He was never going to be at peak fitness after a year out. I think we would be significantly worse off had we not recruited Grundy, given Gawn’s form. Imagine needing to ruck Schache!

 

3 hours ago, Smokey said:

Why do we continually be referred to as the best midfield in the comp when none of the stats back that up whatsoever? We are ranked 10th for clearances in the comp, and only 3rd for hit outs with supposedly the two best ruckman in the game. Any talk of our midfield being anything but average is complete rubbish.

I'd say it's a bit better than average, at least, but I agree with the frustration.

My worry is that we're in a little bit of the same trap that Terry Wallace put Richmond in - players locked too much into 'type'. I love Langdon and respect Hunter's contribution (more than many on here, in fact), but I do worry that they are too explicitly cast into the outside runner role. I have exceptional patience for Spargo because I see that he plays a role and he has some magic moments, but he needs to be getting much more involved, much more often. Similarly, Nibbler has my full respect but he isn't delivering a 'complete' footballer. Sparrow is a fine young footballer but not outstanding. Brayshaw is many good things but doesn't have any attributes that make it complicated for an opposition to manage him when on the ball - he can be contained. Harmes actually complements our midfield mix reasonably well given his bit of dash and his ability to tag, but hasn't been able to get into form this season.

If you compare all that to the kind of extra rotation options that the super-midfields had, and you see the issue. Brisbane four, then five top-level mids, West Coast with four and many perfectly capable extras, and Geelong... Geelong at peak had perhaps 8 players who if called upon could all be first-choice midfielders.

On closer inspection, we actually have limited quality of midfield-capable types once you get past the Petracca-Oliver-Viney champions.

Who knows, maybe Goodwin has actually been doing a masterful job of using system to minimise the weaknesses in our list?

 

 

15 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

After yesterday's effort, that is increasingly alarming to read 😳

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

After yesterday's effort, that is increasingly alarming to read 😳

We'll take Kelly's contract but the Weagles pay 30% of that salary. Another Grundy style move 😂

5 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I know all of that. But I'm not talking about individual awards.

I'm talking about the combination in itself this year and the money spent on another ruckman that's averaging around 66% game time which we're pretty much roughly paying 650-700k in which Collingwood are paying the rest. Is that really worth the money? On face value right now, don't think so.

Gawn is completely out of form and a shadow of himself and Grundy shows bits here and there.

The Petracca and Oliver deals bargains indeed.

I hear what you’re saying. Perhaps we’re not getting value for money right now but it’s too early to judge Grundy’s recruitment. Given his year out, new club and playing ~66% TOG, I think his form has been solid. There’s still a lot of potential to be realised from their combination if they’re  both fit. 

fwiw, all the players say these sorts of lists are absolute bollocks