Part 6: Plus Ça Change

You might've heard the French phrase "plus ça change" – it's often used to say that despite changes, some things remain the same. The full phrase, "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose," translates to "the more things change, the more they stay the same." 

When the Melbourne Football Club recruiters set out to rework their list following the disappointment of the recently concluded 2025 season, in which they secured only seven wins despite having 16 premiership players at their disposal, their objective was not to implement change for its own sake, but rather to significantly enhance the team in areas where improvement was necessary.

They certainly were active in the trade and draft period, a time in which ten new faces were introduced while eleven players departed as follows:-

IN Oscar Berry (Category B rookie), Max Heath (St Kilda), Changkuoth Jiath (Hawthorn), Thomas Matthews (Gippsland Power VIC), Brody Mihocek (Collingwood), Riley Onley (Murray Bushrangers VIC), Latrelle Pickett (Glenelg SA), Jack Steele (St Kilda), Xavier Taylor (Eastern Ranges VIC), Kalani White (Gold Coast Suns Academy QLD)

OUT Jack Billings (free agent), Kynan Brown (delisted), Tom Fullarton (delisted), Marty Hore (delisted), Judd McVee (Fremantle), Clayton Oliver (GWS Giants), Christian Petracca (Gold Coast Suns), Oliver Sestan (delisted), Charlie Spargo (North Melbourne), Will Verrall (delisted), Taj Woewodin (delisted)

The “outs” are substantial in that they include two iconic premiership stars, Petracca and Oliver, plus Spargo, who was a major contributor in 2021, and the promising McVee, who went home to Perth. 

When Steven King was appointed head coach in September, he told the media that he would “take pride in helping Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver return to the top of their game,” but within a month they were unwanted and gone. As you would expect, the “ins” include plenty of untried young talent and a smattering of experience from other clubs, but not with the same aura of star quality as the two superstars who left the building during the trade period.

A cynical view of this would be to resort to "plus ça change" and to suggest that the team's underlying issues persist. In reality, it’s going to be a while before we get to know whether the strategy behind the changes has been effective in making the club better and in improving its performance on the field.

The cynical view fails to take into account the intangibles that change can bring about with a new coach. King brought with him fresh eyes, new ideas, and a new crew of assistants. The Demons were stuck in a rut of inconsistency and poor performance that called for a shake-up. The game plan had become stale, and the ongoing issues in ball movement and forward connectivity remained to be resolved. And it’s not just about tactics — King had his sights set on fixing a bigger problem: that of team culture, the X-factor that can make or break a club. Tough decisions had to be made for the club to move forward.

The promise of “a contemporary game plan from a successful program” and greater freedom and creativity is what King now brings with him. 

The hope of a new coach bounce in 2026 will depend on how he and his support team perform in the task of maintaining and managing fitness, improving the club’s promising younger generation of players, restoring the health of the injured players who have had an interrupted season, revitalising the remaining thirteen premiership heroes getting the best out of the incoming squad of ten newcomers who are (in their guernsey number orders):-

9. Jack Steele — what you get with Steele is a quality individual possessing exceptional leadership skills (he captained the Saints from 2021 to 2025) and a midfielder who has earned club best and fairest awards and All-Australian honours.

14. Changkuoth Jiath — a dashing defender with a distinctive and impressive skillset; Jiath is strong in the air, and with his athleticism and explosiveness, will provide some excellent run for the Demons off half back.

19. Xavier Taylor— Taylor's draft prospects significantly improved during his national championships campaign for Vic Metro, culminating in a best-on-ground performance in the Coates Talent League's Grand Final, where he dominated aerially, accumulating 25 disposals, 15 marks (four intercept marks), and two spoils. Additionally, the 192cm defender impressed at the national draft combine in October. Taylor was named in the competition's Team of the Year, recognised for his exceptional marking, intercept work, and aggressive offensive game.

20. Thomas Matthews — quick, tough, and relentless, Matthews is a small forward who achieves results through hard effort. His 2025 campaign was cut short by a PCL injury, and he will require time to regain full fitness.

27. Max Heath — coming in at a whopping 204cm, Heath provides physicality both in the air and at ground level with his growing endurance and is set to be the skipper’s ruck apprentice.

28. Brody Mihocek — a five-time leading goal-kicker at Collingwood, Mihocek was one of that club's most consistent players since arriving there in 2018 and will be an asset in the Demons' attack and a great mentor for the club's young tall forwards.

33. Latrelle Sumner-Pickett — cousin of Melbourne livewire Kysaiah Pickett, Sumner-Pickett shares many of the same traits, having a high impact per possession and the ability to tear a game open with lower disposal numbers. The 19-year-old spent most of the season in the SANFL Reserves, but finished the season with a few senior games and a four-goal debut with Glenelg that had most clubs interested in his services as a small forward, thanks to his speed and innate goal sense.

34. Kalani White —  201cm plus, a high leaping but lightly built work in progress for the future.

38. Oscar Berry —  a mature age Category B recruit who has moved back to football after a US collegiate career in basketball, the 196cm Berry has impressed with his athleticism and skills.

40. Riley Onley — standing at 195cm, Onley, a tall midfielder, was selected in the Rookie Draft, having had a strong performance at the National Championship Carnival and earning All Australian honours before suffering a hamstring injury, which impacted his draft ranking.

The changes leave me with more optimism than cynicism at the end of a process which has the club’s playing list looking like this:-

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 Thomas Matthews Jake Melksham Brody Mihocek Harrison Petty Kysaiah Kropinyeri Pickett Trent Rivers Christian Salem Harry Sharp Tom Sparrow Latrelle Sumner-Pickett Jack Steele Xavier Taylor Koltyn Tholstrup Daniel Turner Jacob van Rooyen Jack Viney Caleb Windsor

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A

Jai Culley Jack Henderson Luker Kentfield Andy Moniz-Wakefield Riley Onley Kalani White

ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B

Oscar Berry Ricky Mentha Jnr 

Tom’s teammate thinks he can be a bit of a sensation when he gets right.

Edited Thursday at 03:272 days by Mister Ed

On 27/11/2025 at 14:27, Mister Ed said:

Tom’s teammate thinks he can be a bit of a sensation when he gets right.

I like the cut of his jib already but there seems to be a great deal of ambiguity about the injury that cruelled his 2025 season and the expected time frame for recovery. Has this been clarified anywhere?