2024 Player Reviews: #29 Joel Smith

It was not long after the announcement that Melbourne's former number 1 draft pick Tom Scully was departing the club following 31 games and two relatively unremarkable seasons to join expansion team, the Greater Western Giants, on a six-year contract worth about $6 million, that a parody song based on Adele's hit "Someone Like You" surfaced on social media. The artist expressed lament over Scully's departure in song, culminating in the promise, "Never mind, we'll find someone like you," although I suspect that the undertone of bitterness in this version exceeded that of the original.

A steamy Springfield evening set the stage for a blockbuster top-four clash between two AFLW heavyweights. Brisbane, the bookies’ favourites, hosted Melbourne at a heaving Brighton Homes Arena, with 5,022 fans packing in—the biggest crowd for a Melbourne game this season. It was the 11th meeting between these fierce rivals, with the Dees holding a narrow 6–4 edge. But while the Lions brought the chaos and roared loudest, the Demons aren’t done yet.

The Demons have acquired two first round picks in Picks 7 & 8 in the 2025 AFL National Draft.

The Demons have traded 4 time Club Champion Clayton Oliver to the GWS Giants for a Future Third Rounder whilst paying a significant portion of his salary each year.

The Demons have traded Norm Smith Medalist Christian Petracca to the Gold Coast Suns for 3 First Round Draft Picks.

In a late Trade the Demons have secured the services of St. Kilda Captain Jack Steele in a move to bolster their midfield in the absence of Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver.