THE ACCIDENTAL DEMONS by The Oracle

In the space of eight days, the Melbourne Football Club’s plans for the coming year were turned upside down by two season-ending injuries to players who were contending strongly for places in its opening round match against the GWS Giants.

Shane McAdam was first player to go down with injury when he ruptured an Achilles tendon at Friday afternoon training, a week before the cut-off date for the AFL’s pre-season supplemental selection period (“SSP”). McAdam was beginning to get some real momentum and confidence in his body, following a strong pre-season and definitely in the mix to fill a forward line vacancy for at least the first few weeks while Kozzie Pickett served his three-match suspension from last year’s Round 24.

McAdam’s spot was taken by Werribee’s Jack Henderson who had been in the VFL system for years and emerged as his club’s premiership hero after kicking two goals from 23 disposals in its 2024 Grand Final win over Southport. The 25-year-old played for the West Coast Eagles in a match simulation game against Richmond in Perth on the Monday but was approached by the Demons who “hijacked” him a day later. He was close to being drafted by Melbourne last year, but his Werribee premiership teammate Aidan Johnson received the nod ahead of him.

The lightly built 177cm midfielder/forward who has been compared to the Tigers’ premiership star Kane Lambert who was also a late starter will now occupy a locker right next door to that occupied at the Demons by Johnson.

Then on Saturday, misfortune befell promising youngster Andy Moniz-Wakefield who was victim to a strong tackle late in match simulation against North Melbourne at Arden Street and was placed on the club’s inactive list after scans revealed he required surgery to repair tears to his ACL, PCL and MCL, meaning that his 2025 season was over before it started.

The AFL allowed an extension of the SSP in fairness to clubs which played practice matches after the original cut-off date and, as a result, the Demons offered a spot on their AFL list to former West Coast player Jai Culley who was delisted at the end of 2024 after just 12 games with the Eagles. Culley had been selected with first pick in the 2022 Mid-Season Draft, making his debut in Round 18 of the same year and earning a rising star nomination after kicking four goals in his seventh game in Round 6, 2023 in a losing team to Port Adelaide.

However, just two weeks later against Richmond, Culley ruptured his ACL and managed only three games last year as he struggled to cement a spot at the Eagles. 

The 194cm left footer has impressed in his 2025 preseason with the Casey Demons which included a few runs with the AFL team. He received his football lifeline after starring for Casey, kicking his team’s first two goals in the VFL game played at Arden Street in the heat following the same match simulation practice between the two AFL clubs in which Moniz-Wakefield was injured.

The dramatic events of the period leading up to the signing of Henderson and Culley has left the club’s list looking like this:-

PRIMARY LIST: —

Jed Adams Jack Billings Jake Bowey Tom Campbell Kade Chandler Tom Fullarton Bayley Fritsch Max Gawn Blake Howes Matthew Jefferson Aidan Johnson Ed Langdon Harvey Langford Bailey Laurie Jake Lever Xavier Lindsay Tom McDonald Judd McVee Steven May Jake Melksham Clayton Oliver Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Kysaiah Kropinyeri Pickett Trent Rivers Christian Salem Harry Sharp Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow Koltyn Tholstrup Daniel Turner Jacob van Rooyen Jack Viney Caleb Windsor Taj Woewodin 

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A

Kynan Brown Jai Culley Jack Henderson Marty Hore Luker Kentfield Oliver Sestan Will Verrell

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B  

Ricky Mentha Jnr

INACTIVE LIST:

Shane McAdam (Primary) Andy Moniz-Wakefield (Category A Rookie)