Part 1: Looking Ahead

Recruiting decisions made in recent years by Melbourne's list management team have left the club with plenty of work to do in the upcoming trade, free agency, and draft period.  

That might not be such a bad thing because the decisions in question have left the club in a good position going forward with the drafting of several high-calibre youngsters, including Caleb Windsor, Koltyn Tholstrup, Harvey Langford, and Xavier Lindsay, all of whom have demonstrated potential to become long-term players for the club. 

On the debit side is the fact that the cost incurred to secure such exceptional talents, combined with some uninspiring trades, further exacerbated by the decline in the team’s poor on-field performance and its declining external profile, has resulted in a significant depletion of draft picks and player trade stock, essential components in a successful trading and drafting process.

The list managers were aware last year of the high end Next Generation Talent that was likely to be available to a number of clubs in the first round of the draft and that this would clog up the system and make things tough for some clubs involved who already had little draft currency. One projected draft day scenario suggests that up to ten NGAs might be picked in the first round of the opening night of the draft. That's problematic for Melbourne has as its first selection, a pick that comes early in the second round and might end up somewhere in the thirties!

For the Demons, they have  NGA talent Toby Sinnema, a wingman from Dandenong Stingrays and father son nomination, high leaping Kalani White a near-200cm utility who boasts great flexibility and who could play ruck or in a key position, on the horizon. While neither are expected to be taken in the opening round of the draft, the club’s recruiters will have to keep in mind their cost in draft points should a nomination come for them at some stage.

There are two other factors that fans are keeping an eye on as we enter the business end of the AFL season and approach the trade and free agency period when no doubt there will be plenty of jostling for players and trade picks. The Demons have yet to appoint their new coach and, whoever that might be, his views would have to be considered on major list management decisions. The other factor is the continuing participation of the Casey Demons in the VFL finals series. Some players know their fate but others are fighting to retain list spots. It’s still very much up in the air for quite a few of them.

In the meantime, we do know that veterans Tom McDonald and Jake Melksham have had their contracts renewed for a further year and the only guaranteed new face for 2026 is 194cm college basketballer Oscar Berry who has committed to joining the club as a Category B rookie. He has yet to be formally added to the list so the situation remains as follows:-

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)

Part 2: The First Delistings

I thought it might be worthwhile adding to the picture, given the events of the past week that followed Casey's elimination final defeat, which saw it bow out of the VFL finals race. With the season having now concluded for the entire Melbourne Football Club list of players, it was time to initiate the process of change, the first steps of which were handled with a degree of clumsiness in my view.

On Tuesday, in the early afternoon of the day of the club’s best and fairest gala event, the initial delistings were announced. The five players who were informed that they would not be offered new contracts for 2026 were Tom Fullarton, Kynan Brown, Oliver Sestan, Will Verrall and Marty Hore. It seems that all five had were informed during their exit meetings prior to the VFL final, in which all but the injured Hore participated. With the exception of Brown, the others performed below expectations in that game.

The announcement on that day was certainly conducive to the enjoyment of what was their final celebration at the club but what made it worse was that later that night, at the best and fairest count, when the club’s General Manager of AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson came up on stage to announce the departures, the graphic on screen included another delisted player, Jack Billings, who was farewelled along with the others.

Apparently, it was a mutual decision by both the club and the player to part ways, but it seemed a strange way of doing things. The club faithful at the club’s night of nights were certainly left in a state of confusion.

On the following day, premiership Demon Charlie Spargo told the club that he was leaving Melbourne to join North Melbourne, the club where his father Paul played 81 games, as an unrestricted free agent. This left Judd McVee and Taj Woewodin, both Western Australians, as the club’s only uncontracted players.

We extend our sincerest gratitude and best wishes to departing players for their future endeavors, acknowledging their dedicated service to the club. Further changes are forthcoming, but our list configuration going forward is looking a little like this as the AFL finals series progresses toward its culmination:-

PRIMARY LIST: —

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

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A 

Jai Culley Jack Henderson Luker Kentfield Andy Moniz-Wakefield 

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B  

Oscar Berry Ricky Mentha Jnr

What do we know about Oscar Berry? I presume that there are other followers of this forum who know nothing of him either.

12 hours ago, monoccular said:

What do we know about Oscar Berry? I presume that there are other followers of this forum who know nothing of him either.

His brother was a NFL punter, while his father has worked high up in sports for a long time.

Do I take it that with the 6 delistings (or whatever happened with Billings) announced yesterday, it only means that four vacancies were created because Shame McAdam and AMW will return to the primary list for next year when their inactive status is removed?

On 03/09/2025 at 14:43, Demonland said:

".........high-calibre youngsters, including Caleb Windsor, Koltyn Tholstrup, Harvey Langford, and Xavier Lindsay."

Not sure if I'd include Tholstrup in this group.

I'd say the jury is still out.

Haven’t see any decent talent request a trade or a free agent since winning the flag besides Grundy which was a failure & the question is why is it players just don’t want to come to our club or we don’t have cap space, or list mgt is failing? Fed up seeing VFL players traded in to play at Casey

Edited September 11Sep 11 by Demonsone

On 10/09/2025 at 10:30, Demon Head said:

Do I take it that with the 6 delistings (or whatever happened with Billings) announced yesterday, it only means that four vacancies were created because Shame McAdam and AMW will return to the primary list for next year when their inactive status is removed?

It would actually be less than four vacancies, as four of the delistings are from the rookie list. Billings and Fullarton are the only delisted players to go from the main list, plus Spargo as a free agent.

The influence of NGA and Father/Son selections on this year’s draft can’t be underestimated.

Academy Update: The graduates in line for promotion

Since Melbourne doesn’t currently have a selection in the first round of this year’s draft, it’s going to be interesting to see how our list management team manages a situation where we start nominally without a pick in the top 30.

The thread has been updated with a second part which now includes the delistings and Charlie Spargo’s free agency departure.

I’ve put our two inactive players back in their respective positions on the lists and included Category B signing Oscar Berry.

There are more changes to come. Stay tuned.

On 10/09/2025 at 09:46, Red and Blue realist said:

His brother was a NFL punter, while his father has worked high up in sports for a long time.

Thanks. But what about Oscar?? Height? Position? Plays like??

We're losing Spargo, McVee, Billings, Fullarton, Sestan, Verrall, Brown, Hore (8)

Probably losing May, Petracca, Oliver (3)

That's 11 list spots to fill with only Mihocek and Heath coming in so far! How will we fill the other 9, obviously we have White nominating as a FS and Mentha as a rookie upgrade that's still a lot of list spots to try and fill in a supposedly weak draft.

Part 3: A Brutal Time Coming

On the subject of change, the most significant change at the Melbourne Football Club for 2025 has been the introduction of Steven King as senior coach. This is why.

Cast your mind back to Saturday, 17 August 2024, a mild South Queensland afternoon in late autumn when the Melbourne Football Club travelled to People First Stadium to face and defeat the Gold Coast Suns in one of the team's standout performances in a disappointing season for the Demons.

A dominant second half secured a decisive nine-goal victory, largely due to the solid leadership of captain Max Gawn, his tenacious deputy Jack Viney, and the ever-reliable Ed Langdon, who led a relatively young team that responded admirably against the Suns, effectively ending their finals aspirations with this win.

What was particularly impressive about Melbourne's victory was that they achieved it without the services of their premiership stars Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Steven May. In retrospect, this game could be viewed as a pivotal moment, marking a turning point for the team to shift its focus from short-term goals to the future in an evolving football landscape.

Within weeks of the team's successful northern venture, significant concerns emerged regarding the club's superstars, Petracca and Oliver. These issues have been well-documented: the underlying problems had been apparent for some time and were openly evident by season's end. In the case of the former, whose season was cut short due to a serious injury on King's Birthday against Collingwood, discerning observers had noted some warning signs in the preceding months. He had been exposed for a lack of pace by Harley Reid in the team's defeat at Optus Stadium. The frustration was clear and evident. Oliver's situation was even more problematic, involving ongoing on-field and off-field issues.

Ultimately, the club opted to retain the star players and address the issues by papering over the cracks through a strategy of reassurance, support, and love from coach Simon Goodwin, which proved unsuccessful.

The team lost its opening five games of 2025 and struggled for consistency throughout. There were highs (they beat premiers Brisbane at the Gabba) and lows (highlighted by shocking ball movement and disposal), and several close defeats. When they played Gold Coast at People First Stadium in Round 16, Petracca, Oliver, and May were in the side, which was humiliated with a goalless opening term but fought back over the remainder of the game, with the two midfielders performing well in an otherwise lacklustre effort.

The team was listing, and once again finished the season in 14th place, recording a mere seven wins, five of them in a six-match stretch that ended by mid-season. The club’s only premiership coach in the last six decades was axed with three games to go for the season, and his ultimate replacement was Steve King.

On 12 September 2025, King was appointed as the senior coach of the Melbourne Football Club, commencing with the 2026 AFL season. King became the 28th AFL/VFL senior coach of the club, being selected ahead of former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and other shortlisted candidates.

Born in 1978, King played 240 AFL games across a 15-year stint at both Geelong and St Kilda, captaining the Cats for four seasons, achieving the ultimate success with them in 2007 as part of the premiership team. When his playing days ended with the Saints he remain there in a coaching role before moving to the Western Bulldogs where he was part of the coaching panel when the Dogs won the 2016 premiership against Sydney and lost the 2021 Grand Final to Melbourne. He took a senior assistant coaching role at Gold Coast in 2022, and was appointed caretaker coach for seven matches at the end of 2023 after Stuart Dew was sacked. He returned to Geelong, where he has worked with the midfield for the past two seasons.

The “inside” word is that he was the superior candidate but there were touches of irony in King’s appointment.

His birthplace was Shepparton in northern Victoria, which was part of the Demons’ country zone at the time. In the 2005 elimination final, King accidentally kicked Melbourne’s Jeff White in the face, necessitating extensive surgery for the Demon’s ruckman. The incident was investigated by the AFL match review panel, which found King had no case to answer. There’s every chance that King will soon be coaching White’s son Kalani, who has nominated for selection as a Demon in next month’s AFL Draft under the father/son rule.

That elimination final game proved to be a brutal one for Melbourne, which suffered a number of injuries, compounding the disappointment of being eliminated from the finals. Apart from White, Johnstone (ankle), McDonald (calf), Rigoni (concussion), and Wheatley (adductor) were nursing injuries after the game, while the Cats’ Steve Johnson was reported for rough conduct against Demon Ben Holland.

However, if you think this game was brutal, it pales in comparison to the ruthlessness King and the club’s list management team have exhibited in his first month as Demon coach in asserting ownership of his new role at the club - it marked a brutal time coming, already a time of remarkable change for the Melbourne Football Club.

To be continued …

Most keen for AFL season to begin than I’ve been in a few years. Probably since 2023. Bring it on!!!

Before the trade period began, I was very concerned about the club’s future in light of the fact that we were likely to lose out heavily in the dealings. But the way things have worked out I’ve calmed down and I’m looking forward to the future.

Part 4: The Brutalist’s Stocktake

Melbourne fans have long called for ruthlessness at their club, and Steven King's appointment as senior coach marked the beginning of a new era. King wasted no time in taking stock and reshaping the team. This involved making some tough decisions that put premiership superstars Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, along with champion defender Steven May on the trade table.

The narrative surrounding the trades suggested that the players were free to explore their options, but the underlying message was clear: King was resetting the club. The two midfield bulls have left. May had no takers and is staying.

For Petracca, this meant joining the Gold Coast Suns in a deal that saw Melbourne receive two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and future draft picks. The Suns gained a champion footballer, while Melbourne shed a recurring distraction and secured valuable draft capital.

Petracca's departure will be felt deeply, given his impressive record and achievements, including the premiership, a Norm Smith Medal and multiple All-Australian selections. However, as the club's new CEO Paul Guerra noted, "It's not Christian of 2021, it's Christian who's 30 years old." The deal reflects a pragmatic approach by Melbourne, prioritizing draft picks and future prospects over short-term gains.

Clayton Oliver's departure to GWS, on the other hand, raises questions about the club's culture and dynamics. The "official" narrative suggests that Oliver's role was expected to change under King's coaching style, but this didn't align with his desires. The deal saw Melbourne receive a 2026 third-round pick, with the club retaining some financial burden. The club lost a much loved premiership star, a multiple All-Australian and best and fairest winner with two prestigious AFL Coaches Association champion player of the year (2021 & 2022) awards for peanuts. 9news Melbourne reporter Tom Morris bluntly put it this way: "They've moved Clayton Oliver, because they were unsure about his character off the field …". The outcome sadly speaks for itself and all of us wish him well for a happy end to his career in a different place and a different space.

The club lost two key players: Charlie Spargo, who joined North Melbourne after 108 games, and Judd McVee, who crossed to the Dockers after 65 games, with the club receiving a second-round draft pick for each player.

The loss of Oliver and Petracca will be significant, but Melbourne has bolstered its roster with key additions, including Brody Mihocek, Jack Steele, Changkuoth Jiath, and Max Heath. These players bring a mix of leadership, specialized skills, and high standards, which will be crucial in the club's future success. The counterweight is the story of St Kilda captain Jack Steele, who the club acquired on the final day of the trade period, but more on that later. Steele joins the club with a similar price tag to that of Oliver but his story is very different and will be covered in the next chapter of this story.

As Tim Lamb, Melbourne's list manager, noted, the club's haul of draft picks will help the club challenge for high honors in the competition. With a new era underway, Melbourne fans will be eager to see how the team responds to King's coaching and the influx of new talent. It looks very much like an end to internal issues at the club and a new free flowing style with improved transition in heading goalwards.

To be continued …

Part 5: Bang Bang

At the end of the day, the trade and free agency period was considered fairly hectic time for the Melbourne Football Club by its usual standards. It was marked by the departure of three premiership players, including two all-time champions, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca; and all told, eleven players, comprising approximately a quarter of the playing list, left the club. 

On the flip side, the club introduced four players with varying levels of AFL experience and ability in Max Heath (St Kilda), Changkuoth Jiath (Melbourne), Brody Mihocek (Collingwood), and Jack Steele (St Kilda). It could be argued that while the club's losses in terms of player quality are irreplaceable, they are counterbalanced by gains in terms of culture, leadership, integrity, and its future prospects.

Jack Steele, crossed to St Kilda from GWS Giants ahead of the 2017 season, and came to be considered many as their heartbeat. He served as captain of the Saints from 2022 to the present day, is a dual Trevor Barker Award winner and an All-Australian team member (2020 & 2021), effectively at the same cost as they relinquished for Oliver. This year, he passed the 200 games mark: his current games tally sits at 202 and he has kicked 70 goals. He is said to be slowing down a little but he’s still a match for Oliver in that regard.

Controversial Nine Network host Tom Morris deemed his recruitment the most “underrated story” of the trade period. They released a player whose off-field demeanour they were uncertain of and replaced him with Steele, who exhibits exemplary character. SEN’s Kane Cornes was equally effusive about Steele:

"Jack Steele is an upgrade of Clayton Oliver for me with more defensive capabilities. The Saints just gave him away, for nothing. This is a good pickup for the Demons."

Collingwood premiership player Brody Mihocek is another exceptional character and comes to the club on favourable trade terms. He brings with him 159 games (267 goals) experience and won the Magpies’ goal kicking award five times in eight seasons. The 32-year-old is an accurate kick for goals and will prove to be invaluable as a deep forward. His age is not a concern for the durable player who was a late developer and he fills one of the club’s vital needs.

Changkuoth Jiath is an excitement machine who will provide additional run and bounce off halfback. A concern surrounding him is that he has a tendency to be erratic at times, but his career statistics compare favourably with Judd McVee, whom he will replace in defence. Max Heath is a 204cm ruckman who has been brought in as an understudy for Max Gawn. A work in progress.

The Demons also come out of the period with a much stronger draft hand than they entered, which is important given the fact that we are two years away from the entry into the AFL of the Tassie Devils and their treasure trove of draft concessions. 

The club’s current draft hand is 7, 8, 37, 66 and 71 which is now 3,283 in terms of draft points, a considerable improvement on their starting position. It opens up scope for further trading of draft picks in jostling for positions in a highly compromised draft. This compares favourably against clubs like Collingwood (407), Port Adelaide (87) and St Kilda (71). The Saints have virtually no draft currency after their massive spending spree.

Additionally, the Saints have left themselves poorly off from a total player payments point of view. Having jettisoned the Petracca contract and at least half that of Oliver, the Demons are well placed to involve themselves in trade negotiations at this time next year. 

So ends a poignant chapter in the club’s history, marked by the transition from nostalgic memories of that remarkable evening in 2021 (only 13 players remain) to the beginning of a coming new era. Beyond the bittersweet moment of bidding farewell to past champions there lies hope for the future. 

Bang Bang.

FREE AGENCY

• Charlie Spargo to North Melbourne - Melbourne receives an end of round two compensation pick (41)

TRADES

• Fremantle receives Judd McVee - Melbourne receives a second-round pick (23)

• Melbourne receives Max Heath - St Kilda receives a 2027 fourth-round pick (tied to Melbourne)

• Melbourne receives Brody Mihocek and a third-round pick (71) - Collingwood receives a third-round pick (61) and a 2026 third-round pick (tied to Melbourne)

• Melbourne receives Changkuoth Jiath - Hawthorn receives a second-round pick (42) and a 2026 fourth-round pick (tied to Melbourne)

• Gold Coast Suns receive Christian Petracca, two second-round picks (24 and 28) and a 2026 second-round pick (tied to Melbourne) - Melbourne receives two first-round picks (7 and 8), a second-round pick (37), a 2026 first-round pick (tied to Gold Coast) and a 2027 third-round pick (tied to Gold Coast)

• Melbourne receives Jack Steele - St Kilda receives a 2027 third-round pick (tied to Melbourne)

• GWS receive Clayton Oliver - Melbourne receive a 2026 third-round pick (tied to GWS)

MFC PRIMARY LIST: —

Jed Adams Jake Bowey Tom Campbell Kade Chandler Bayley Fritsch Max Gawn Max Heath Blake Howes Matthew Jefferson Changkuoth Jiath Aidan Johnson Ed Langdon Harvey Langford Bailey Laurie Jake Lever Xavier Lindsay Tom McDonald Shane McAdam Steven May Jake Melksham Brody Mihocek Harrison Petty Kysaiah Kropinyeri Pickett Trent Rivers Christian Salem Harry Sharp Tom Sparrow Jack Steele Koltyn Tholstrup Daniel Turner Jacob van Rooyen Jack Viney Caleb Windsor 

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A 

Jai Culley Jack Henderson Luker Kentfield Andy Moniz-Wakefield 

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B  

Ricky Mentha Jnr 

* it is understood that basketballer Oscar Berry will also be added as a Category B rookie in 2026.