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MELBOURNERATING: 7/10INS: Jack Steele (St Kilda), Changkuoth Jiath (Hawthorn), Brody Mihocek (Collingwood), Max Heath (St Kilda), Pick 7, Pick 8, Pick 37, Pick 71, GC 2026 R1, GWS 2026 RD3, GC 2027 R3 OUTS: Christian Petracca (Gold Coast), Clayton Oliver (GWS), Judd McVee (Fremantle), Charlie Spargo (North Melbourne), Pick 24, Pick 28, Pick 42, Pick 61, 2026 R2, 2026 R3, 2026 R4, 2027 R3, 2027 R4 DRAFT PICKS: 7, 8, 37, 66, 71 The Demons were one of the busiest players in this year’s trade period as the Steven King era begins with a clean slate. Shipping off Petracca and Oliver contradicts Melbourne’s desire to return to finals in 2026 but a late move for Jack Steele offers midfield experience. The Demons were keen on Bailey Humphrey but instead picked up depth in Jiath, Mihocek and Heath. Two top 10 picks for Petracca is a great result. ADELAIDERATING: 5/10INS: Finnbar Maley (North Melbourne), Pick 57 OUTS: Pick 64, ADE 2026 R4 DRAFT PICKS: 16, 48, 55, 57, 73, 75, 93, 111 Didn’t get the Callum Ah Chee deal over the line but will now look to get him to West Lakes in the pre-season draft. They stuck to their word that a first or future first would not be on the table so they still have that. They surprised many by swooping on Maley but after vowing to be aggressive to improve their list it wasn’t an inspiring trade period by the Crows. BRISBANE LIONSRATING: 7/10INS: Oscar Allen (West Coast), Sam Draper (Essendon), Pick 17, Pick 23, Pick 51, Pick 59, MEL 2026 R3 OUTS: Brandon Starcevich (West Coast), Pick 20, Pick 45, Pick 47, Pick 53, Pick 56 DRAFT PICKS: 17, 23, 44, 51, 59, 68, 79 The back-to-back premiers have somehow gotten stronger with the additions of Essendon ruck Sam Draper and West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen. The Lions also look set to nab one of the best midfielders in this year’s draft, academy prospect Dan Annable, getting busy with pick swaps to boost their points bounty. Brisbane did farewell two-time premiership player Starcevich but held firm on Callum Ah Chee who has his heart set on getting to Adelaide via the pre-season draft. CARLTONRATING: 6/10INS: Will Hayward (Sydney), Ollie Florent (Sydney), Liam Reidy (Fremantle), Campbell Chesser (West Coast), Ben Ainsworth (Gold Coast), Pick 9, Pick 11, Pick 43, Pick 54, Pick 67, Pick 72, SYD 2026 R1, SYD 2027 R1 OUTS: Charlie Curnow (Sydney), Jack Silvagni (St Kilda, FA), Tom De Koning (St Kilda, FA), Corey Durdin (Port Adelaide), Pick 41, Pick 50, Pick 68, CAR 2026 R2, CAR 2026 R3, CAR 2027 R2 DRAFT PICKS: 9, 11, 43, 54, 67, 72 Wow. Like a new school teacher Michael Voss will have some new names to learn next week, with four players gone and five players in in an incredible trade period. The Blues lost at least the two best players of those nine to trade spaces but netted four first rounders and completely answered for the lack of run and carry in the side. The Blues say they will be better next year for all these moves. Hard to see that with Curnow gone, but you have to give them credit for having a crack. COLLINGWOODRATING: 4/10INS: Jack Buller (Sydney), Pick 61, MEL 2026 R3, SYD 2026 R4 OUTS: Brody Mihocek (Melbourne), Pick 71 DRAFT PICKS: 39, 45, 56, 61, 77 The Magpies did some window shopping, exploring bringing in experienced players including Clayton Oliver, Steven May and Jy Simpkin. They made an offer for Simpkin – which was well short of North Melbourne’s expectations – but ultimately didn’t snag any of the three. Former Swans key forward Buller, 24, fills a list need, effectively replacing departing veteran Brody Mihocek. Swirling rumours of a potential Jordan De Goey departure proved to be just that, with no offers made for the Magpies’ star. ESSENDONRATING: 6/10INS: Brayden Fiorini (Gold Coast), Pick 21 (FA comp) OUTS: Sam Draper (Brisbane, FA), ESS 2026 R3 DRAFT PICKS: 5, 6, 21, 27, 30 Essendon’s trade period probably depends on how many toys Zach Merrett throws out of the cot when he walks back into Tullamarine in November. You have to admire the Bombers for not folding and trading their captain but we may look back at that as a club re-shaping haul that was let slip. Either way, the Bombers have certainly taken a stand. FREMANTLERATING: 6/10INS: Judd McVee (Melbourne), Pick 20, Pick 47, Pick 69, Pick 103 OUTS: Liam Reidy (Carlton), Will Brodie (Port Adelaide), Pick 13, Pick 24, Pick 34, Pick 51, Pick 54, Pick 72 DRAFT PICKS: 20, 47, 69 A clinical trade period from David Walls considering the Dockers got a deal done for their primary target Judd McVee within two days. McVee has signed a five-year deal and the Dockers are keen on WA prospect Jacob Farrow with their first pick in what would be a further boost to the club’s half-back stocks. The decision to trade down the order in a compromised draft however dents Freo’s overall grade as does the departure of back-up ruck Liam Reidy. GEELONGRATING: 3.5/10INS: James Worpel (Hawthorn, FA), Pick 99 OUTS: Patrick Retschko (Richmond) DRAFT PICKS: 19, 40, 60, 78 The Cats did all they could to get Rowan Marshall and Charlie Curnow through the door but missed on both. You have to mark them down for that but as Andrew Mackie said, they were two players in contract that had huge prices on their heads. Geelong adds James Worpel to a team that was in front in the third quarter of the grand final only last month. They are clearly contenders again next year. GOLD COASTRATING: 9/10INS: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs), Christian Petracca (Melbourne), Pick 24, Pick 28, Pick 29, Pick 37, Pick 51, Pick 69, MELB 2026 R2, ESS 2026 R3 OUTS: Sam Flanders (St Kilda), Connor Budarick (Western Bulldogs), Brayden Fiorini (Essendon), Malcolm Rosas Jnr (Sydney), Ben Ainsworth (Carlton), Pick 8, Pick 37, Pick 62, Pick 70, GC 2026 R1, GC 2027 R3 DRAFT PICKS: 15, 18, 24, 28, 29, 36, 52, 74, 92, 110 Imagine a couple of years ago if you said the Suns would be snaring Petracca and Ugle-Hagan in a trade period? On the back of their first ever finals series the Suns have had one of the busier trade periods around. Petracca could be a watershed acquisition for the Suns in terms of luring a superstar to the Gold Coast while if they can get Ugle-Hagan on the straight and narrow then it will be a risk worth taking. They did part with three first-round picks for Petracca, and Budarick and Flanders left but bringing in the two big guns and keeping Bailey Humphrey is a big win for the Suns. GWSRATING: 6/10INS: Clayton Oliver (Melbourne), Pick 12 OUTS: Jacob Wehr (Port), Pick 14, Pick 37, 2026 R3 DRAFT PICKS: 12, 35 This grade could improve in hindsight if Oliver can get back to his best with a change of scenery. But the Giants needed insurance for Josh Kelly who is set to miss a chunk of next season with a hip injury and got it on the cheap in Oliver. GWS also managed to retain Leek Aleer after St Kilda withdrew its interest. HAWTHORNRATING: 3/10INS: Pick 10, Pick 22, SYD 2026 R3 OUTS: James Worpel (Geelong), Changkuoth Jiath (Melbourne), Jai Serong (Sydney), Pick 9, Pick 31, 2026 R4 DRAFT PICKS: 10, 22, 62, 76 Operation Get Zach Merrett failed, with the Hawks unable to put forward a compelling-enough deal to Essendon for its skipper. There was no seemingly no back-up plan, with Hawthorn unable to add to its midfield on the back of losing onballer Worpel as a free agent. Jiath also departs after playing 20 games this year, but the Hawks were able to improve their draft hand for next month by adding an extra first-round pick. NORTH MELBOURNERATING: 3.5/10INS: Charlie Spargo (Free Agent), pick 57, ADE 2026 R4 OUTS: Finnbar Maley (Adelaide), pick 64 DRAFT PICKS: 25, 26, 46, 57 The Kangaroos were bit players during the trade period and couldn’t effectively add to their talent pool with established players. Yes, they kept Jy Simpkin after Collingwood only offered a future second rounder for him, but he can’t be the captain next season. A late Crows move came to secure out of contract key forward Finnbar Maley, but the Kangaroos were unable to add to their defensive stocks with established players. They are banking on further growth from its younger crop of players. PORT ADELAIDERATING: 6.5/10INS: Jacob Wehr (GWS), Corey Durdin (Carlton), Will Brodie (Fremantle), CAR 2026 R2 OUTS: Pick 29, Pick 67, Pick 103 DRAFT PICKS: 49, 85 The names don’t exactly jump off the page but the Power did what it wanted. Get depth in for Josh Carr’s first season as senior coach and get picks for next year’s draft where it could have access to the potential No.1 pick in Dougie Cochrane. The addition of Durdin does help the Power’s issues at small forward, while Brodie should add depth to the midfield and Wehr could make a wing spot his own. RICHMONDRATING: 5/10INS: Patrick Retschko (Geelong), Pick 38 OUTS: Tylar Young (West Coast), Pick 99 DRAFT PICKS: 3, 4, 38 It was a case of the sleeping Tigers for most of the trade period. Richmond secured a reasonable deal for key defender Young, getting back a second-round pick from the Eagles which could help them secure father-son prospect Louis Kellaway in the national draft. Essendon was among the clubs to reach out to list boss Blair Hartley about potentially trading up the order, but it would need to be a compelling offer for the Tigers to give up either of their first two draft selections from here. ST KILDARATING: 9/10INS: Tom De Koning (St Kilda, FA), Jack Silvagni (St Kilda, FA), Sam Flanders (Gold Coast), Liam Ryan (West Coast), WC 2027 R3, MEL 2027 R3, MEL 2027 R4 OUTS: Jack Steele (Melbourne), Max Heath (Melbourne), Pick 7, 2026 R2 DRAFT PICKS: 50, 65, 86, 104 The Saints wanted to make a splash during this year’s trade and free agency period – and did. They landed their free agency targets in De Koning and Silvagni, got Flanders through the door to bolster their midfield and added exciting forward Ryan to their forward line. The backflip on Leek Aleer was a little messy, as was captain Steele being squeezed out. However, they were able to retain ruckman Rowan Marshall, who looks set to team up with De Koning next year. SYDNEYRATING: 7/10INS: Charlie Curnow (Carlton), Jai Serong (Hawthorn), Malcolm Rosas Jr (Gold Coast), Pick 62, Pick 31, Pick 42, CAR 2026 R3, HAW 2026 R4, COL 2026 R3, CAR 2027 R2 OUTS: Will Hayward (Carlton), Ollie Florent (Carlton), Jack Buller (Collingwood), Pick 51, Pick 69, Pick 11, SYD 2026 R1, SYD 2027 R1, SYD 2026 R3 DRAFT PICKS: 31, 32, 42, 63 The chips are all in for the Swans. They probably got the best player to change clubs in the last fortnight and he was a missing piece they badly needed. But they also caved late in talks with the Blues, sending that extra first rounder to get it over the line. Curnow gets Sydney a step closer to the flag, so for that, you have to give the Swans the ‘thumbs up’. WEST COASTRATING: 8/10INS: Brandon Starcevich (Brisbane), Tylar Young (Richmond), Pick 2 (FA comp), Pick 13, Pick 34, Pick 41, Pick 53, STK 2026 R2 OUTS: Oscar Allen (Brisbane), Liam Ryan (St Kilda), Campbell Chesser (Carlton), Pick 17, Pick 23, Pick 24, Pick 38, 2027 R3 DRAFT PICKS: 1, 2, 13, 34, 41, 53, 58 Not only does West Coast now boast the strongest draft hand of all 18 clubs, but the Eagles brought in valuable experience and role players. If he can stay healthy and put his concussion issues behind him, Starcevich will be a massive addition to the Eagles’ backline while Young helps fill the void left by retiring legend Jeremy McGovern. West Coast is also set to pounce on Deven Robertson as a delisted free agent/rookie. Allen’s leadership will be missed but Ryan and Chesser got West Coast more draft currency. WESTERN BULLDOGSRATING: 5/10INS: Connor Budarick, Pick 14, Pick 70, Pick 74 OUTS: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Gold Coast), Pick 12 DRAFT PICKS: 14, 33, 70, 74, The Bulldogs didn’t get the key defender, but at least ended ties (including contractually) with Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. They were happy to get a late pick back for the one-time No.1 pick as part of his move to the Gold Coast. Discussions with Buku Khamis went late in the process but he ended up staying, while Connor Budarick’s deal on Tuesday brings in some extra talent.

@Very Jaded will now be barracking for Western Australia.

Last preseason I thought we'd win the flag because they ran to get their drinks at every break. Turns out that is not an indicator.

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The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Wednesday, 22nd October @ 8:00pm. Join George, Binman& I as we dissect the Demons Trade Period, the new coaching appointment, draft prospects & much much more. 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. Thank you to every body that has contributed to the Podcast this year in the form of questions, comments and calls. Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

A lot of Jacks listed here: http://demonwiki.org/tiki-listpages.php?find=jack&go=Go

Fast and Furious Electric start. End to end footy. Breathtaking to watch live. A perfect Casey carnival atmosphere greeted fans — sunshine, an uncharacteristically gentle breeze, and no rain. It was the second week of Pride celebrations, and the #DeeArmy banner captured the vibe perfectly: 
“Our Grand Old Flag flies with Pride. Proud of this round. Proud of our side.” Nice work! This huge clash, with finals places on the line, got off to a blistering start with incredible ball movement up and down the ground. Scintillating stuff. Happily for us Demons fans, it was Melbourne who showcased their dynamic breadth of talent, delivering a convincing 44-point demolition of the Swans — and booking a spot in finals. This means Mick Stinear will coach his 100th AFLW game in Week One of Finals 2025. As for Sydney, they’ll need to beat both the Eagles and Bombers — and hope Lady Luck is on their side — to have any chance of playing finals. The Match 
It was a tight opening quarter, and it felt like Sydney were slightly on top. The Swans big bodies — Montana Ham (21 disposals, 7 tackles) and Tanya Kennedy shaded our mids early. Sydney kicked the first two goals via Cynthia Hamilton and Ruby Sargent-Wilson, and later a third through Holly Cooper. Goldie, already sporting a conversation piece from a mid-week training incident, clashed heads with a Swan and was helped from the ground with blood pouring from her nose. A born-and-bred Fox-Cab tough nut, she was back out playing in no time. Melbourne hit back with a couple from Eden Zanker (4 goals), and a highlights-reel contender from Kate Hore (25 disposals, 6 clearances) — a brilliant dribbler from the pocket. Her 97th career goal — equal with North’s Jasmine Garner. Ooh it’s close. We glance at the quarter-time stats sheet: Hanksy has had only 3 possessions. Hmm. Mick’s messaging must’ve landed during the huddle, because the Demons noticeably amped up their pressure, kicking seven unanswered goals across the next three quarters and keeping the Swans goalless. Game over. Tyla Hanks (22 disposals, 7 tackles) bounced back to be one of the best on ground. The midfield passing of Hanksy and Megan Fitzsimon (23 disposals, 440 metres gained) was a feature. Heater’s return added another midfield layer — combining speed, pressure, and elite tackling (8 tackles). Great game, Shell. Ry Wotherspoon (8 tackles) is impacting every week — a natural with ball in hand. Molly on a wing, a wax with Pax. Eliza Mac busy on the other side. The backline looked impenetrable, led by Maeve Chaplin (12 intercepts) and Tahlia Gillard (9 intercepts, 5 marks). Lampy, it’s so good to have you back. You too, Radar. A Jemma Gem
 Jemma Rigoni #43, our speedy Father-Daughter defender, was sent to mind the Swans’ dangerous distributor Zipporah Fish. An astute move by Mick — Jemma’s speed, height, and bigger body challenged Zippy: conversely Jem’s aerobic capacity was tested by Zippy. Marking a defender, Jemma found herself in unfamiliar forward territory, marked, and calmly slotted her first AFLW goal. All of her Demon teammates ran to celebrate. A moment to remember — and celebrated in the grandstand by her dad, Guy. Meggs’ musings
 We heard Swans superstar Chloe Molloy missed the game with a sore back. Meggs wondered whether it was from carrying her team this season. Worth the price of admission to watch Kate Hore and Zippy Fish — magic players with silky skills. This game has a huge future. We need more eyes on AFLW, it’s so much fun! In Flew Enza — the name hiding in Eden Zanker. Enza (Zanks) was clunking them today. Her eyes lit up every time Fitzy had the footy. Megan hits her up magnificently, time and time again. With Blaithin M almost out of rehab and a healthy list (minus Liv P), Mick has an arsenal of weaponry to challenge those kickass Kangaroos. We just need the opportunity. Meggs is starting to believe.
 How about you? Coaches and Next Week Mick Stinear got the response he was hoping for after last week in Fremantle. Gemma Bastiani and Mick waxed lyrical: “How good is Tyla Hanks?” Running out of superlatives. Scott Gowans said Melbourne’s second-quarter pressure was akin to finals footy — and his Swans couldn’t cope with the sustained effort. Next week (Round 11): Brisbane at Brighton Homes Arena, Ipswich, Saturday 7:15pm. A shout out to our Queensland fans: get along and make some noise. PS: our last home and away game is versus Geelong at GMHBA on 1 November. Go Dees. MELBOURNE 2.1.13 6.3.39 9.5.59 9.11.65 SYDNEY SWANS 3.0.18 3.2.20 3.3.21 3.3.21 GOALS MELBOURNE Zanker 4 Bannan Harris Heath Hore Rigoni SYDNEY SWANS Cooper C Hamilton Sargent-Wilson BEST MELBOURNE Hanks Zanker Gillard Hore Heath Chaplin SYDNEY SWANS Ham McEvoy Mitchell Fish INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil SYDNEY SWANS Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil SYDNEY SWANS Nil CROWD 2,277 at Casey Fields

@Mouseymoo @john delosa I don’t usually do this publicly but knock it off. Put each other on ignore and stop personally attacking each other and derailing threads with your petty grievances against one another. permanent ban next time. To everyone else if you see this again please report.

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 …

Condolences to Amber’s family from myself and all of us at Demonland. 🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷