Very sad about this. Arguably in career best form before finals. Hope Club looks after him and Dunstan going forward.

Jake was key to getting us into the position we now find ourselves in and basically took over the mantle of Fritsch whilst he was injured. Won some games with clutch goals off his own boot a couple times and without him, I don’t think we’d be top four. 
 

To make the best out of a bad situation, I hope the boys use Jake as inspiration and puts an extra fire in the belly to get the job done in September. 
 

I would love to see Jake go round for another year, it’ll be bloody tough and the odds are against him, but he deserves another year to get things right. 
 

Get yourself right Jakey and you never know what next year will bring. 

What terrible news! 😞

I am truly devastated to hear this.😭😥😫

What rotten luck for both Jake Melksham and Luke Dunstan. I hope the Melbourne Football Club does what it can to support them both.

I would definitely consider offering Jake Melksham a coaching role at the Demons, if he wants it.

To think that only last Wednesday he was interviewed on the @Demonland podcast. It makes me feel sick in the stomach that Jake Melksham has this misfortune. It proves how short an AFL career can be due to all kinds of unforeseen circumstances and you need to make the most of it.

Hopefully, this tragic news inspires the rest of the Melbourne Demons team to great things in this 2023 AFL finals campaign.

WIN THE PREMIERSHIP FOR MELKY!!! 🔴🔵👹

Edited August 28, 20231 yr by Supreme_Demon

Realistically he wont play next year. 12 months rehab. September unlikely without match fitness.

34 in 2025? He'll hang up his boots.

Very unfortunate. 

8 minutes ago, Deebauched said:

Realistically he wont play next year. 12 months rehab. September unlikely without match fitness.

34 in 2025? He'll hang up his boots.

Very unfortunate. 

I feel like 20 years ago it was also 12 months to get back to full fitness, I’m surprised the recovery time isn’t shorter now. 
 

I know absolutely nothing about sports injuries though. 

36 minutes ago, IRW said:

Especially since pretty much most of  Land had stopped bagging him and were pretending he was their favourite. 

You know, for mine, this is an elephant in the room that I’ve resisted addressing. That’s because those who almost made a hobby of bagging Melksy all along and who are now singing his praises… they know. They know who they are, and maybe they’ll think twice about doing this to another of our players in the future. It’s not hard to rein in the insults  ❤️💙

 

Real devastated for Melk. Missed out on 2021 and has been in and out of the team, riding a redemption arc which has ended in such a cruel and abrupt manner. There's always stories of blokes being unlucky around finals, but this is a sad way for the Melk to go out.

If we do have success a large part of it will be because of him. Part of this is why I think the AFL should have Gold AFL Premiership Medals (For the 23) and a Silver Equivalent (squad Players/those not in 23). 

 

 

Awful for the Milkshake and Luke.  Both will consider hanging up their boots I would imagine. I am sure that Luke would have looked for a trade at the end of the season to extend his career which will be off the table now.  Cruel game sometimes.

2 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

You know, for mine, this is an elephant in the room that I’ve resisted addressing. That’s because those who almost made a hobby of bagging Melksy all along and who are now singing his praises… they know. They know who they are, and maybe they’ll think twice about doing this to another of our players in the future. It’s not hard to rein in the insults  ❤️💙

 

Hey WCW, i dont want to crash this thread, but do know the extent of Fritta's foot/ankle injury? without going into details has the collective MFC dodged a bullet? 

Just now, Gawndy the Great said:

Hey WCW, i dont want to crash this thread, but do know the extent of Fritta's foot/ankle injury? without going into details has the collective MFC dodged a bullet? 

Nothing to worry about, nothing at all. A bullet wasn’t dodged because a bullet was never even fired. It just felt that way yesterday. 🙂

35 minutes ago, YearOfTheDees said:

May not be the place to post this but do you think there AFL could have said and Luke Dunstan.

  · 

AFL 

8m  · 

Scans have confirmed Jake Melksham and a Melbourne teammate have both suffered ACL injuries.

Yep, pretty disrespectful of the journalist. Luke Dunstan has a name.

5 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Nothing to worry about, nothing at all. A bullet wasn’t dodged because a bullet was never even fired. It just felt that way yesterday. 🙂

So he took 10 years off my life for NO REASON AT ALL

 

55 minutes ago, Pennant St Dee said:

Sad news, but no doubt he will do what he can to help the team. Even yesterday back out on the bench, not feeling sorry for himself.

Boys will get behind him as he will the boys

This is typical of him. He wouldn’t want everyone else being brought down… there was still a game to be won.

But I’ve heard that he knew in his heart he’d done an ACL and was shattered in the rooms after the initial test they do. I saw him on crutches at the airport late last night. His face was etched in sadness, but he still chatted with the other boys because yeah, he’s not one to feel sorry for himself. 

3 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

So he took 10 years off my life for NO REASON AT ALL

 

What can I say… he has a warped sense of humour. 🙃

Seriously though, he did limp off but only because he was exercising caution. They checked his foot, got him to walk then run along the boundary and were perfectly happy with the results. He is doing everything in his power to stay 100%

These 2 injuries will have a significant flow-on effect. I would think Harmes has to stay. The loss of 2 mids in Melk & Dunstan isn't going to see them replaced with 2 kids. Not sure we saw those vacancies on the list next season (maybe Dunstan out of contract)

I want to see him play again at top level...c'mon Milkshake get right and we'll get back into the finals for you next year!

19 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

You know, for mine, this is an elephant in the room that I’ve resisted addressing. That’s because those who almost made a hobby of bagging Melksy all along and who are now singing his praises… they know. They know who they are, and maybe they’ll think twice about doing this to another of our players in the future. It’s not hard to rein in the insults  ❤️💙

 

This. I literally can’t believe the revisionist history that’s going on.

2 minutes ago, Older demon said:

These 2 injuries will have a significant flow-on effect. I would think Harmes has to stay. The loss of 2 mids in Melk & Dunstan isn't going to see them replaced with 2 kids. Not sure we saw those vacancies on the list next season (maybe Dunstan out of contract)

When was the last time Melk was considered a mid? Think Harmes more orange to Melk's apple now

39 minutes ago, Young Angus said:

I want to see him play again at top level...c'mon Milkshake get right and we'll get back into the finals for you next year!

Would absolutely love this, but sadly can’t see it happening. And this from an eternal optimist. Last night he looked like a broken man, like someone who’s just discovered his career is done. I guess that’s because it was so raw and he hadn’t had time to process it. God, I hope he does well with surgery and subsequent rehab and that we do see him again out on the park for us. Praying to the footy gods like a crazy person. 

Edited August 28, 20231 yr by WalkingCivilWar

He’s turning 32 tomorrow and has 12 months of rehab. Can’t see him coming back at 34. It just won’t happen. 

47 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

This is typical of him. He wouldn’t want everyone else being brought down… there was still a game to be won.

But I’ve heard that he knew in his heart he’d done an ACL and was shattered in the rooms after the initial test they do. I saw him on crutches at the airport late last night. His face was etched in sadness, but he still chatted with the other boys because yeah, he’s not one to feel sorry for himself. 

Sounds like a ripper bloke. 

Always hated the horrible comments lobbed at him on here, as they were (for mine) wrong, but also just simply unfair from a human perspective - which I know you have addressed elsewhere. 

This is the sort of guy you want at the club to keep building culture. The type you'd have a beer with after a game, with no ego or BS. When his days are done as a player (and I hold hope they are not) I hope we have a spot for him, and us diehards still have the opportunity of running into him as we cruise around MFC HQ. 

Thanks for the insights, as sad as they are :-(

Nathan Jones almost teared up referring to Melksham as one of his best friends (twice, during the Dees v Lions broadcast).

Hard to top that for a character reference. 

I just want to see another Melky special from the boundary again. No one can make the ball talk like him. Really gonna miss those perfect banana set shots.

Good luck in your recovery Jake Melksham and Luke Dunstan I hope that our mighty club provide the necessary financial assistance to help you both get through rehabilitation and the recovery process.!!!

such bad luck for melk ... what can you say?

and let's not forget petty either

2 key in-form forwards ... ffs!