Jump to content

Petracca & Oliver at the Dees in 2026?

Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

39 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Until one of them goes somewhere…

It has been a good 6 weeks but we have to be very serious about how the list is managed the next 2 years especially - we might have the whip hand from a contractual POV with Pickett and CP5 seems back to his best, but Oliver has to continue to evolve in this modern game or we just have to move him on for the salary he is taking. Viney was moving to that role and it fitted him well, we can’t have them both do it, but we also must continue to move Rivers into the middle and allow Langford minutes in there.

I guess my point is that I am glad we are improving but we still have hard decisions to be made and they are made harder not easier by our good form.

Totally agree that we’re moving past the point where we can have both Oliver and Viney in the same midfield.

But it’s not Oliver who’ll find his spot in jeopardy. He can do everything Jack can do but to a higher level.

Because of everything you say about getting minutes into all those others, who all make us better, for me Jack has to re-invent himself as a pressure forward if he’s going to keep himself in the 22.

  • Quote
    • Like 6
     
    45 minutes ago, rpfc said:

    Until one of them goes somewhere…

    It has been a good 6 weeks but we have to be very serious about how the list is managed the next 2 years especially - we might have the whip hand from a contractual POV with Pickett and CP5 seems back to his best, but Oliver has to continue to evolve in this modern game or we just have to move him on for the salary he is taking. Viney was moving to that role and it fitted him well, we can’t have them both do it, but we also must continue to move Rivers into the middle and allow Langford minutes in there.

    I guess my point is that I am glad we are improving but we still have hard decisions to be made and they are made harder not easier by our good form.

    Oliver is a much better player than Jack. If he plays like he did yesterday for 23 weeks in a season he'll be A+ again. Jack isn't as damaging IMV.

    But we're lucky to have both of them and will fit them in. Jack in the forward half for mine.

    Edited by Adam The God

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    3 hours ago, DeeZone said:

    I said it before and I’ll say it again Petracca, Oliver and Pickett are going nowhere.❤️💙🙏

    Your mouth to God’s ears! I hope that’s the case. If we can continue playing how we did yesterday, we’re golden.

  • Quote
    • Haha 1
     
    1 hour ago, Adam The God said:

    Oliver is a much better player than Jack. If he plays like he did yesterday for 23 weeks in a season he'll be A+ again. Jack isn't as damaging IMV.

    But we're lucky to have both of them and will fit them in. Jack in the forward half for mine.

    I would not disagree. Also, Clarrie was more expansive in his role yesterday as Rivers was taking Heeney and no one else was worth tagging. So yesterday was a sight for sore eyes for his form - he still needs to evolve into having another string in his bow. Viney just has to be moved to the forward line in 2025 while we have this problem and if it doesn’t work then we can look at the situation again at the end of the year.

    I guess my larger point is that we can’t carry 8% of our salary cap in a tagger. It’s just not tenable. So either he builds back his form and supplements that with run with, and occasional stints back or forward, or he’s traded to get some draft collateral, midfield minutes for the kids, and we pay a third of his wage.

  • Quote
    • Thumb Down 2
    26 minutes ago, rpfc said:

    I guess my larger point is that we can’t carry 8% of our salary cap in a tagger.

    Sure, I just don't think that's our plan.

  • Quote
    • Like 4

    33 minutes ago, rpfc said:

    I guess my larger point is that we can’t carry 8% of our salary cap in a tagger. It’s just not tenable. So either he builds back his form and supplements that with run with, and occasional stints back or forward,

    I’m not as well versed in footy coaching/strategy as others but I feel like it’s been noted that the “tagging” isn’t really tagging and is instead a way to put Clarry with players/into spaces where he gets a lot of the ball and can shine, thus building back his form.

    Yesterday’s 31 disposals when he’s supposedly “tagging” seems like pretty strong evidence of this being the case.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    5 hours ago, Dodos Demons said:

    To the untrained eye, the first image appears to show Clarry expressing sheer joy but if you pan down, you will see it is sheer agony. The culprit may wish he wasn't identifiable by the thumb strapping lol.

    The recent email from the club appears to have (appropriately) edited the random hand from the earlier photo 😉.

    Screenshot 2025-05-26 172705.jfif

    Edited by Dodos Demons

  • Quote
    2 hours ago, Disco InTurno said:

    I’m not as well versed in footy coaching/strategy as others but I feel like it’s been noted that the “tagging” isn’t really tagging and is instead a way to put Clarry with players/into spaces where he gets a lot of the ball and can shine, thus building back his form.

    Yesterday’s 31 disposals when he’s supposedly “tagging” seems like pretty strong evidence of this being the case.

    I literally said he didn’t tag against Sydney in the post you quoted.

    Tag/Run with - basically someone whose first instincts is to make sure someone else does not get the footy at a contest.

    There is no such thing as ‘tagging’ as meant back in the Simon Godfrey days. So it can mean ‘run with’ now.

  • Quote
    •  
    2 hours ago, Adam The God said:

    Sure, I just don't think that's our plan.

    Neither, which is why I am intimating in my posts that if his form doesn’t recover and/or he doesn’t evolve - he is going to be moved on.

  • Quote

    • Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
    Reply to this topic...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • NON-MFC: Round 12

      Round 12 kicks off with the Brisbane hosting Essendon at the Gabba as the Lions aim to solidify their top-two position against an injury-hit Bombers side seeking to maintain momentum after a win over Richmond. On Friday night it's a blockbuster at the G as the Magpies look to extend their top of the table winning streak while the Hawks strive to bounce back from a couple of recent defeats and stay in contention for the Top 4. On Saturday the Suns, buoyed by 3 wins on the trot, face the Dockers in a clash crucial for both teams' aspirations this season. The Suns want to solidify their Top 4 standing whilst the Dockers will be desperate to break into the 8.

      • 191 replies
      Demonland

    • PREVIEW: St. Kilda

      The media has performed a complete reversal in its coverage of the Melbourne Football Club over the past month and a half. Having endured intense criticism from all quarters in the press, which continually identified new avenues for scrutiny of every aspect, both on and off the field, and prematurely speculated about the departures of coaches, players, officials, and various employees from a club that lost its first five matches and appeared out of finals contention, the narrative has suddenly shifted to one of unbridled optimism.  The Demons have won five of their last six matches, positioning themselves just one game (and a considerable amount of percentage) outside the top eight at the halfway mark of the season. They still trail the primary contenders and remain far from assured of a finals berth.

      • 12 replies
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Sydney

      A few weeks ago, I visited a fellow Melbourne Football Club supporter in hospital, and our conversation inevitably shifted from his health diagnosis to the well-being of our football team. Like him, Melbourne had faced challenges in recent months, but an intervention - in his case, surgery, and in the team's case, a change in game style - had brought about much improvement.  The team's professionals had altered its game style from a pedestrian and slow-moving approach, which yielded an average of merely 60 points for five winless games, to a faster and more direct style. This shift led to three consecutive wins and a strong competitive effort in the fourth game, albeit with a tired finish against Hawthorn, a strong premiership contender.  As we discussed our team's recent health improvement, I shared my observations on the changes within the team, including the refreshed style, the introduction of new young talent, such as rising stars Caleb Windsor, Harvey Langford, and Xavier Lindsay, and the rebranding of Kozzy Pickett from a small forward to a midfield machine who can still get among the goals. I also highlighted the dominance of captain Max Gawn in the ruck and the resurgence in form in a big way of midfield superstars Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver. 

      • 9 replies
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Sydney

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 26th May @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we analyse a crushing victory by the Demons over the Swans at the G. Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.

        • Like
      • 51 replies
      Demonland

    • POSTGAME: Sydney

      The Demons controlled the contest from the outset, though inaccurate kicking kept the Swans in the game until half time. But after the break, Melbourne put on the jets and blew Sydney away and the demolition job was complete.

        • Shocked
        • Clap
        • Love
        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 428 replies
      Demonland

    • VOTES: Sydney

      Max Gawn still has an almost unassailable lead in the Demonland Player of the Year award. Jake Bowey, Christian Petracca, Harvey Langford, Kade Chandler & Ed Langdon round out the Top 5. Your votes please. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

        • Thanks
      • 46 replies
      Demonland
    View All