Part 1:  From Little Things by Whispering Jack

The festival of player movement kicked off yesterday with the opening day of the Free Agency Period which resulted in six players changing clubs including journeyman ruckman Tom Campbell who landed at Melbourne, his fourth club after playing only 58 AFL games in 14 seasons.

The other players to find new homes as free agents were Josh Battle (St Kilda to Hawthorn), Harry Perryman (GWS Giants to Collingwood), Isaac Cumming (GWS Giants to Adelaide), Nick Haynes (GWS Giants to Carlton) and Elliott Himmelberg (Adelaide to Gold Coast Suns). The Saints received a first round national draft pick (currently #8) as compensation for Battle while the Giants collected picks currently 16 and 21 for Perryman and Cumming. If Melbourne receives Adelaide’s current second round pick as expected for Alex Neal-Bullen, that selection will be pushed back to at least 28.

For those supporters who regard the 201cm Campbell as slim pickings, it should be noted his recruitment comes as cover in the event of injury to skipper Max Gawn and in that regard, it’s a good strategy. Think of the role that Brisbane’s Darcy Fort played in his team’s premiership win last week when Oscar McInerney was ruled unfit for the Grand Final. 

Melbourne AFL List Manager Tim Lamb also pointed out that Campbell “is an outstanding character, and will provide depth and maturity in our ruck stocks, which has been a focus for us this off season”, an important consideration that should be lost on nobody after the Demons’ turbulent last 12 months.

While yesterday’s news represents a small first step in the club’s long journey towards recovery after falling out of the 2024 finals race and into bottom six territory, the situation brings to mind the Paul Kelly-Kevin Carmody protest song, "From Little Things Big Things Grow" which fits given the level of upset and the cloud hanging over the club stemming from various issues including the future of some champion premiership players. 

As it is, we farewelled a few of them last night at the club’s best and fairest, notably Angus Brayshaw (medical retirement), Alex Neal-Bullen (Adelaide) and Ben Brown (retirement). All three gave heartfelt, emotional farewell speeches and expressed their gratitude and love for the club they were leaving. Without wishing to sound unfair to the other speakers on the night, Gus was once again not just outstanding but inspirational! We badly need his presence and example around the club and await the time when he’s ready to take that step. 

There were similar sentiments expressed by the award winners, both young and old, during the evening which culminated in a photo finish for the Keith “Bluey” Truscott Memorial Trophy fittingly won by Jack Viney who nudged out skipper Max Gawn and Neal-Bullen. The award winners were presented by Simon Goodwin who gave us a pep talk about “the process” and “self improvement”. The club also farewelled Lachie Hunter who is retiring after recurring calf injuries and delisted pair Josh Schache and Kyah Farris-White.

When interviewed along with Caleb Windsor, Ed Langdon stressed that the number of promising young players who, like the young winger, have been given the opportunity to debut in the past couple of seasons, gives rise to his optimism for 2025 and beyond.

I was concerned that the event might suffer from the negativity of the moment in which the club finds itself given the finish to the season and the number of elephants hanging around the room and in the media. It was good for starters to see Clarry there. Kozzy was also back from his northern sojourn but there was no direct stream from the Austrian alps where Tracc is on his Red Bull boot camp. 

A lot of credit should be given to the presenters who kept the evening bubbling over. It all started with acting president Brad Green (did you know he once trialed with Manchester United?) and a farewell speech from former president Kate Roffey who spoke nicely of her 12 years at the club and gave the first of many plugs on the night to the Demon Army. We all breathed a sigh of relief that Gerrard Whateley wasn’t available to conduct any interviews.

Green made a bold statement about next week’s trading to the effect that the name “Clayton Oliver” will not be involved, a sentiment I’ve heard expressed on a few occasions in recent times. He added: “I know come round 1 next year when I see the first ball bounced and our midfield of (Max) Gawn, (Jack) Viney, Oliver and (Christian) Petracca, and our first clearance, that you Melbourne faithful will be there in full force.” 

Green was always reliable as a player and I’m chuffed that he’s added the role of chairman of selectors to his portfolio but I feel there’s a lot of water to flow under the bridge before the Round Zero or Round One lineup is announced. Starting with Monday’s Trade Period opening which promises a few surprises.

Unless the club can start the draft with three picks in the top 20, I fear that we won’t be coming out with much more than little things.

I want to see Riv in that starting bounce

Trac can please himself....oh that's right, he does 

Part 2: Watching grass grow by Whispering Jack

Critics of test cricket (and I’m not one of them) will often claim the sport is excruciatingly boring: that following a five day match is much like watching grass grow. However, the longest form of that game has nothing on the first week of the AFL trade period when it comes to inducing sleep among those in the football public who follows this process in its somnolent moments. The week gone by has been no exception.

Only two player trades have been completed so far and Melbourne was involved in the first when it traded Alex Neal-Bullen who had just finished third in a close finish for the club’s best and fairest, to Adelaide for a second round draft pick which is currently selection 28. By the time the draft comes around in November, this pick will most likely be in the low thirties. The Demons could well have played hard ball and allowed the trade to linger into next week and possibly gained an extra morsel in the bargain but this was a matter of integrity, a reward to a long term warrior for the club who was an integral part in its only premiership for more than half a century. 

In the other player trade, West Coast’s 32-year-old veteran Jack Darling was exchanged to North Melbourne for their pick 67. The rest of the player on the trade merry go round were left to wait until the last 2½ trading. 

Meanwhile, one remaining free agent, Richmond’s Jack Graham found a new home with West Coast on Tuesday. The Tigers received band four compensation, currently pick 42.

After that, the grass grew for another two days and, on Friday, the focus shifted from trading players to trading draft picks. 

The Brisbane Lions who have two players in their draft sights, moved to shore up their ability to secure them. 

The players are father/son midfield star Levi Ashcroft, son of Marcus and brother of the Lions’ premiership player Will and Brisbane NGA Academy member Sam Marshall. To this end, the Lions were involved in two trades. 

In the first, they acquired picks 34 and 66 and gave Carlton pick 73 and a future second round pick, the significance of which became apparent later in the day. In the second, the Lions received picks 32, 42, 43 and 45 and gave the Tigers pick 20. Hence, Brisbane picked up a swag of additional points to get the two quality youngsters who are both likely first rounders. Richmond’s draft hand is expected to grow with further trades next week.

The trade period was then shaken into life when Carlton grabbed pick 14 from Hawthorn in return for their future first and second round picks. The Blues were permitted to trade both picks because they still had a future second rounder from that earlier trade with the Lions. 

The pick swaps have set up an expected deluge as the tempo of trading lifts next week. 

Some clubs will be on the lookout for draft selections given that this year's draft pool is very even at the pointy end where there is no standout but up to about ten players who could lay claim to be first choice. 

Other clubs will be on the lookout for seasoned players with Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston looking to find a new home in Melbourne and clubs scrambling to get Liam Baker, Tom Barrass, Shai Bolton and a number of others seeking to find new homes.

THE TRADES SO FAR

Monday 7 October 

Melbourne’s Alex Neal-Bullen to Adelaide for pick 28

West Coast’s Jack Darling to North Melbourne for pick 67 (now 68)

Friday 11 October 

Brisbane Lions’ pick 20 to Richmond for picks 32, 42, 43, 45
Carlton’s picks 34 and 66 to Brisbane Lions for picks 73 and 2025 R2
Carlton’s 2025 R1 and 2025 R2 to Hawthorn for pick 14.

FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

Josh Battle (St Kilda) to Hawthorn
Elliott Himmelberg (Adelaide) to Gold Coast
Harry Perryman (GWS Giants) to Collingwood
Tom Campbell (St Kilda) to Melbourne
Nick Haynes (GWS Giants) to Carlton
Isaac Cumming (GWS Giants) to Adelaide
Jack Graham (Richmond) to West Coast

Trade state of play: Verdict on 18 key names

For those under a paywall, these are the players of interest to Melbourne fans:-

Clayton Oliver Melbourne > Geelong

Like Freddy Krueger, every time you think this one is dead it rises from the grave to haunt the Dees.

The Cats are taking a back seat and the Dees are saying publicly it's not happening.

But we still can't completely rule the Oliver deal out from making one last leap out of the grave.

VERDICT: Unlikely

Wade Derksen GWS Giants > Melbourne

With a handful of players on the way out, the Giants are digging deeper than the Mariana Trench on contracted players, which includes Derksen.

It's an interesting stance for a player who hasn't played an AFL game and wants to leave NSW for family reasons.

So far Melbourne's offers haven't been genuinely considered.

There is still hope for the Derksen camp but no movement here yet.

VERDICT: Up in the air

Harry Sharp Brisbane Lions > Melbourne

The newest member of the trade request crew, Sharp has played just 16 games in four seasons and never more than six in any year.

He may be contracted for next year but the Lions surely help him out with a move to the Demons given it will help stockpile more draft points to land Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall.

Melbourne holds picks 40, 49, 54 and 65, you would think one of those choices in the 40s gets it done.

VERDICT: Likely

So we have kept out best 2 midfielders of the last 50 years. Our best forward pocket in the same time frame, maybe excluding the wizard has stayed on

The media narrative has been against us the entire period.

We did well this trade period. Sharpe looks a suitable replacement for ANB and we somehow got pick 9 in what everybody says is a strong draft.

Tim Lamb has done well. Brad Green has held the club together, Max Gawn shouldn't have to front every question for the organosation.

We brought in a ruckman who might not play at the top level but is a good clubman and can at least compete with Max at training so he can go on being the best. 

I'll give us a 10 out of 10 for the trade period. Let's make the next obvious off field decisions swiftly and continue the good trading.

 

Edited October 17, 2024Oct 17 by Whispering_Jack
Part of this message was deleted as we don’t want to get into trouble

Part 3: Happier Days by Whispering Jack

It would be fair to say that when the Melbourne Football Club entered the free agency and trade period earlier this month, its reputation was flagging, if not in tatters. The club was taking a battering in the media and social media over a number of issues, some real and others imaginary and even fabricated, relating to the running of the club, team performance and its culture, a build up that’s been taking place for more than twelve months.

By the end of September, President Kate Roffey was gone after a controversial few months and a tough radio interview over reports that Christian Petracca and other leading players wanted out for various reasons. A review was called of the club’s operations (the result of which is expected to be announced shortly) but various lines of attack on the club from the media and elsewhere remained consistent and repetitive.

Well, October is proving a better month for the Demons.

The panic is by no means entirely over and we’re not quite singing “Happy Days Are Here Again”, but there’s a discernible difference in the steps of many Demon fans. The only key player to leave the club after the flurry of trading is ten year, premiership player Alex Neal-Bullen, whose departure to his home town Adelaide was for personal reasons and had nothing to do with the turmoil surrounding the club. The rest of the news has predominantly been favourable.

The month started with an uptick in form from our struggling AFLW team which has been burdened by a massive injury list and a tough fixture. Starting on October 3, they won three games in ten days to put themselves in with an outside chance of making the finals. This welcome improvement from our women has even been overshadowed by the positive performance of List Manager Tim Lamb and his team over the past fortnight. 

After dealing with the recruitment of a back up second ruck to Max Gawn in the form of Tom Campbell and the trade of Neal-Bullen, they went to work on moving up the draft order in a complex trade that succeeded in the Demons acquiring another top ten draft pick (#9) on Monday. They then secured Brisbane’s Harry Sharp, who has played 16 games in four seasons and was an emergency for the Lions’ 2024 grand final team. Sharp is a superb athlete who holds the record for the 2km time-trial at the draft combine by a massive 20 seconds and the club is confident of his ability to help cover for the departures of Lachie Hunter or Neal-Bullen by filling a place either on a wing or as a high half-forward. 

Nobody really wins the trade period, not even Richmond, who have a dominant draft hand because it gave away a generous amount of quality. For their part, the Demons handled themselves professionally and finished with two very handy top ten picks for top recruiter Justin Taylor to work his magic in a draft that’s even at the pointy end. 

The way they did it, exemplifies what culture’s all about. True, they did not secure any big names and certainly not Dan Houston who was on their radar early at a time when they looked like having a pick in the teens and Port was seeking a big bounty that the club could not provide. However, the list of players available in the period was unspectacular and the need for more top end youngsters to add to the club’s list is appealing. Melbourne fans have for the most part, been happy with their clubs’ performance in the Taylor years and, as always, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. 

There would have to be a fair bit of egg on the faces of some members of the football media who have a penchant for publishing first, thinking next and not necessarily fact checking at all. They know who they are but the likes of the Herald Sun’s Mark Robinson are really looking silly today with their backtracking headlines like, “Dees shopped Oliver, but so what? It's a business after all.”

Really?

Robinson’s newspaper still couldn’t help itself with a parting shot at the club when it introduced its end of trade summary thus:

“On the PR scale, the Demons had a shocker with all the noise surrounding Clayton Oliver,“ but there was no mention of blow up dolls in the GWS summary. And cultural issues don’t exist at the other end of the highway, so no eyebrows are raised when someone like Bailey Smith changes clubs.

Special kudos to the club’s stand in chairman for this well aimed barb on 3AW. It was uplifting to see a Melbourne person return fire at a media miscreant for once. 

It bears repeating that only one key player has been traded off the list and he will be 29 years old at the start of 2025. A strong stance has been maintained in keeping superstars Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Kozzy Pickett in the fold for 2025 and it is now in the hands of both club and players to rekindle the magic they and many of their teammates produced in 2021 and to an extent in 2022 and 2023. With all the trials forced on them in 2024, they were not that far off the mark this year when the club did manage to give more opportunity to its emerging young blood. 

Hopefully, the trajectory can continue to move forward and upward to the return of happier days.

THE 2024 TRADES 

Monday 7 October 

Melbourne trade Alex Neal-Bullen to Adelaide for pick 28

West Coast Eagles trade Jack Darling to North Melbourne for pick 67

Friday 11 October 

Brisbane trades pick 20 to Richmond for picks 32, 42, 43, 45

Carlton trades picks 34 and 66 to Brisbane for picks 73 and 2025 R2

Carlton trades 2025 R1 and 2025 R2 to Hawthorn for pick 14

Monday 14 October 

Melbourne trades pick 46 to Adelaide for 2025 R3

Essendon trades pick 9 and 2025 R3 to Melbourne for picks 28, 40, 46, 54, 65 and 2025 R1

Tuesday 15 October 

Carlton trades picks 12, 14, 73 and Matt Owies and receive picks 3, 63 and 68; West Coast Eagles trade pick 3 and receive Liam Baker, Matt Owies, pick 12 and 73; Richmond trades Liam Baker and receives pick 14

St Kilda trades pick 27 to Brisbane for picks 32 and 45

Port Adelaide trades Dan Houston, picks 39, 58 and 2025 R1 and receives Jack Lukosius, Joe Richards, Rory Atkins and picks 13, 29, 36 and 50; Collingwood trades Joe Richards, John Noble, pick 36 and 2025 R1 and receives Dan Houston and pick 58; Gold Coast trades Jack Lukosius, Rory Atkins, picks 13, 29 and 50 and receives John Noble, 2025, pick 39 and two 2025 R1 picks

Brisbane trades Harry Sharp and 2025 R3 to Melbourne for pick 49 and 2025 R3

Wednesday 16 October 

Richmond trades Shai Bolton, pick 14 and 2025  F3 to Fremantle for picks 10, 11 and 18.

Richmond trades Daniel Rioli and picks 51, 61, 70 and 76 Daniel Rioli to Gold Coast Suns for picks 6 and 23.

GWS Giants trade James Peatling and 2025 R3 and RD4 for 2025 R2 

Western Bulldogs trade Caleb Daniel to North Melbourne for pick 25

West Coast Eagles trade Tom Barrass and 2025 F4 to Hawthorn for 2025 F1, 2025 F2 and 2025 F3

Sydney Swans trade Luke Parker and Jacob Konstanty to North Melbourne for pick 44

Western Bulldogs trade Jack Macrae to St Kilda for pick 45

Carlton trades Matt Kennedy to Western Bulldogs for pick 38

Western Bulldogs trade Bailey Smith and pick 45 to Geelong for pick 17 and 38

Essendon trades Jake Stringer to GWS Giants for pick 45

THE 2024 FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

Josh Battle (St Kilda) to Hawthorn
Elliott Himmelberg (Adelaide) to Gold Coast
Harry Perryman (GWS Giants) to Collingwood
Tom Campbell (St Kilda) to Melbourne
Nick Haynes (GWS Giants) to Carlton
Isaac Cumming (GWS Giants) to Adelaide
Jack Graham (Richmond) to West Coast

 

On 17/10/2024 at 08:21, Demonland said:

'The Dees are excellent drafters'

🙏