Demonland

It was not long after the announcement that Melbourne's former number 1 draft pick Tom Scully was departing the club following 31 games and two relatively unremarkable seasons to join expansion team, the Greater Western Giants, on a six-year contract worth about $6 million, that a parody song based on Adele's hit "Someone Like You" surfaced on social media. The artist expressed lament over Scully's departure in song, culminating in the promise, "Never mind, we'll find someone like you," although I suspect that the undertone of bitterness in this version exceeded that of the original. Ironically, the Demons' initial attempt to find someone similar to Scully ultimately resulted in the club signing a player who bore little resemblance to him, although he also went on to join the Giants and eventually rehabilitated himself there following a period of significant trauma; the compensation Melbourne received from the AFL for losing its player was Jesse Hogan. By the time the newly departed millionaire had settled in at Blacktown, the Demons successfully uncovered a rich vein of mid-sized talent in footballers who not only outperformed the original but also became members of a premiership side, earning distinction in terms of Norm Smith medals, All Australian guernseys, AFL Coaches Association player of the year awards, and multiple Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophies. We all know who they are! Now, two of the club’s all-time greats who formed an integral part of that talented group have split with the club (one of them is off to the Giants) and supporters are again moaning about the loss of their heroes. Today’s cry is "Never mind, we'll find someone like youse." I am here to inform supporters that, following an in-depth examination of the 2025 draft pool, it appears highly unlikely that the search for a new Clayton Oliver and a new Christian Petracca will be successful in the space of the next month given the compromised nature of that draft. On a positive note, however, history has demonstrated that the team at Melbourne, led by recruiting manager Jason Taylor, have achieved similar success in the past. They can replicate this achievement, although it may require time. Melbourne currently holds draft picks 7, 8, and 37, although AFL clubs are entitled to trade their picks up until and including draft night. In light of the many unknowns in the current draft landscape, I will refrain from speculating about potential pick trading and instead offer some insights based on my research, observations (somewhat limited this year) , and discussions with individuals more closely involved in the draft scene. There is a consensus that the 2025 draft pool lacks depth and talent, further diminished by the likelihood of at least three northern academy members and one father-son player being selected within the top five or six picks. They are Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson (Gold Coast Suns Academy), Daniel Annable (Brisbane Lions Academy) and Blues’ Father-Son prospect Harry Dean. Further, there is an expectation that Willem Duursma, Cooper Duff-Tytler and Sullivan Robey are locked in as early selections who will be taken before Melbourne’s first pick comes along, probably at pick 11. There appears to be a genuine scarcity of exceptional midfield talent capable of seamlessly transitioning into that role in the AFL. This is not unprecedented, as numerous rookie players commence their careers on a flank or wing, and some will likely make their names there. This is going to be a draft for mid-sized players, with 200cm whiz kid Duff-Tytler and possibly 198cm contested marking forward Aidan Schubert from South Australia being the exceptions. My uninformed wild guess is that Jason Taylor will not select Schubert, but I can always stand corrected. The "someone like youse" seven This leads me to the following players who I have in my sights in this draft. I call them the "someone like youse" seven and I’ve provided links to their Rookie Me Central Profiles which sum up the attributes of these players better than I could do: • Sam Cumming 183cm • Jacob Farrow 187cm • Sam Grlj 182cm • Josh Lindsay 183cm • Jevan Phillipou 183cm • Dyson Sharp 188cm • Xavier Taylor 191cm Remember, there is every likelihood that three of these players will be taken before Melbourne’s first pick comes around. This still leaves four exciting players who could reach elite AFL level even if they never make it to the someone like youse status of Clarry and Tracc. The outsiders Every draft throws up players who are selected outside the top dozen or so and make it big time ahead of the draft favourites. Our own skip Max Gawn was taken at number 34 in the Scully draft of 2009 and he’s still playing top football. Recent draftees who have already proven themselves as exceptional picks are Elijah Freijah (picked at 45 in 2023), Logan Morris (31 in 2023) and 2025 AFL Rising Star Murphy Reid (17 in 2024). Our recruiters might want to consider the following players of interest (more likely if, for some reason, they decide to trade a pick down a few notches): • Lachy Dovaston 177cm • Oskar Taylor 182cm I haven’t forgotten pick 37, which could ultimately fall anywhere in the 30s or 40s. This selection may be utilised to pre-empt a bid for father-son Kalani White or NGA prospect Toby Sinnema, if such a bid is made. In this space I have my own favourite in Sandringham Dragons midfielder, Rory Wright 183cm https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/rory-wright/. Work in Progress The official line following the club's completion of the Petracca trade was that it is in the process of building a premiership midfield, and by the end of next year, it will have had four first-round selections contributing to that achievement. In other words, we are in the middle of a massive work in progress that began with Caleb Windsor and Koltyn Tholstrup in 2024, Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay in 2025, this year’s selections and two more next year. Let’s see … Incidental Notes There are also a few quirky features about every draft. A few players I would like to have around the club for connections with the MFC but probably won’t are:- • Tyron Ah Mu 198cm He’s the physically imposing youngster with ties to Samoa who has participated in Melbourne’s Next Generation Academy but is ineligible for nomination due to the fact that he has Samoan heritage, rather than Finnish or Upper Voltan ancestry. Go figure? We could proceed with drafting him through conventional means, but he appears to be out of favour at present. He has a talented younger sibling who may potentially be drafted by the club in the future, and given my emphasis on familial connections, I believe it might be great to have them both eventually in our system. • Sam Allen 182cm A player with a great pedigree for life, he is a grandson of Ray Groom, who was a star player for the Demons from 1963 to 1968 (92 games, 36 goals), and won the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy in his final season at the club. He missed the 1964 Grand Final due to a knee injury but received Ron Barassi’s number 31 guernsey the following year. He later became a prominent figure in Tasmanian politics, serving as Premier of Tasmania from 1992 to 1996. If we can keep his grandson in the Demon family, I would be chuffed. I believe he can play a bit too! • Noah Yze 190cm (2024) Son of former Demon champion and current Tigers coach Adem Yze, Noah played with the Casey Demons after missing out on being drafted as a father-son last year. He showed good form there and in the Amateurs which included a 7 goal haul against Williamstown in a VFL final this year. An unlikely selection but you never know.

And it’s getting close at the top of the table … 133. Tyla Hanks 127. Kate Hore 85. Elizabeth McNamara 75. Maeve Chaplin 52. Megan Fitzsimon 51. Tayla Harris 37. Shelley Heath Eden Zanker 17. Paxy Paxman Ryleigh Wotherspoon 15. Olivia Purcell 14. Sinead Goldrick 12. Tahlia Gillard 5. Lauren Pearce 4. Saraid Taylor 3. Blaithin Mackin 2. Maggie Mahony 1. Alyssa Bannan Gabrielle Colvin Laela Ebert Molly O’Hehir Jemma Rigoni

A steamy Springfield evening set the stage for a blockbuster top-four clash between two AFLW heavyweights. Brisbane, the bookies’ favourites, hosted Melbourne at a heaving Brighton Homes Arena, with 5,022 fans packing in—the biggest crowd for a Melbourne game this season. It was the 11th meeting between these fierce rivals, with the Dees holding a narrow 6–4 edge. But while the Lions brought the chaos and roared loudest, the Demons aren’t done yet. The Match Kate Hore won the toss and kicked to the non-grandstand end, but that was about the only early win for the Dees. Brisbane came out breathing fire—their pressure at 110%, the humidity at 80%. The ball barely left their forward half in the opening term, but luckily for the Dees, the scoreboard didn’t reflect their dominance. Missed chances—including posters from O’Dwyer and Davidson—meant the quarter ended goalless. Melbourne found its rhythm in the second quarter. With slicker ball movement and better connection, we hit the scoreboard through Harris, Hore, and a pair from Zanker. Suddenly, the Dees had a 14-point buffer at the main break, and the red and blue faithful dared to dream. But Brisbane wasn’t done. The third quarter belonged to the Lions, led by the relentless Belle Dawes (24 disposals, 14 tackles) and a rampaging Sophie Conway (27 disposals, 6 tackles, 2 goals). Ally Anderson (29 disposals) and Orla O’Dwyer (26) kept the heat on, and the Lions clawed their way back to take a 3-point lead into the final change. The final term was a war of attrition. Melbourne had chances—Zanker missed two gettable shots—but it was an unlikely Ruby Svarc miracle snap that sealed it for Brisbane. A nine-point loss, and a reminder that finals footy is a different beast. Match Maeve Mo Seconds before the final break, with the Dees trailing and desperate for a spark, Tayla Harris marked just inside 50. The commentators urged her to take the shot, but she spotted Maeve Chaplin in a two-on-one and took the risk. It looked like a mistake — until Maevo soared, clunked the grab, and calmly slotted her first ever AFLW goal after the siren. Just three points in it. Hopes alive. Meggs’ musings This was a finals-style clash in every sense—ferocious, fast, and relentless for eighty minutes. The first half was a tale of two quarters: Brisbane’s chaos and pressure in the first, Melbourne’s class in the second. But the Lions’ uncompromising midfield surge in the second half proved too much. Kate Hore was immense—26 touches, 6 tackles, and a goal—but she’ll rue a couple of missed chances and a dubious non-mark call in the third. Tyla Hanks battled hard under constant Dawes pressure, and Maeve Chaplin’s courage and composure are always a highlight. Eliza Mac was indefatigable, though she looked spent in the steamy conditions, Lauren Pearce battled bravely in the ruck, and it was great to see Tahlia Gillard and Saraid Taylor bonding in defence. Edo Zanker was our most dangerous forward with two goals, but her last-quarter misses hurt. If the whispers of a move west are true, she’ll leave a big hole in our forward line. Some of the younger players—Molly, Laela, Jemma, and Ry—found the going tough in the heat of battle, but this was a taste to learn from. Their time will come. Draftee Maggie Mahony was a revelation. Nine disposals, eight tackles, and three clearances in just 66% game time. She had a great game—tough, composed, and looks a natural finals player. Sarah Lampard (in her 75th) and Blaithin Mackin returned from injury and both looked a touch rusty, but their experience and leadership will be vital in the weeks ahead. Coaches and Next Week Mick Stinear was gracious in defeat, acknowledging Brisbane’s deserved win and their suffocating pressure. “It felt like finals footy,” he said. “We’ll take away the learnings.” Craig Starcevich was beaming. “One of our better all-time wins,” he declared. “The Brisbane football DNA was on show.” For Melbourne, it’s a third interstate loss in Season 2025. Next stop: Kardinia Park. Saturday night lights against the Cats in the final round. A win there locks in a top-four finish—and second spot if North topples Hawthorn. A home qualifying final at IKON? Sounds good to Meggs. Round 12: Geelong v Melbourne, GMHBA Stadium, Geelong, Saturday 7:15pm AEDT. Looking forward to this game. Hope to see you there. C’mon Demons. MELBOURNE 0.0.0 4.3.27 5.4.34 5.6.36 BRISBANE 0.4.4 1.7.13 5.7.37 6.9.45 GOALS MELBOURNE Zanker 2 Chaplin Harris Hore 
BRISBANE Conway 2, Dooley Mullins Smith R Svarc
 BEST 

MELBOURNE Hore McNamara Zanker Gillard Chaplin Hanks BRISBANE Dawes Conway Anderson Davison Campbell O’Dwyer INJURIES

 MELBOURNE Nil BRISBANE Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil BRISBANE Nil CROWD 5,022 at Brighton Homes Arena

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.

It has been a very busy off-season for the Demons, as new CEO Paul Guerra and new coach Steven King settle in at the club. Melbourne also bid farewell to premiership stars Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver. Having been at Carlton when senior coaches David Teague and Michael Voss started in the role, I have seen the amount of work that goes in to a new senior coach starting at the club and how the club needs to help the new coach get his feet under the desk. SETTLING A NEW COACHAny time a new coach comes in to a club there is so much to do and Steven King will be working through a lot of different tasks right now. For the football GM and the rest of the football department, the main thing is to be conscious that it is an enormous job, particularly when you are in the role for the first time. Plenty of change has happened at Melbourne but King will be focusing on his relationships with players and staff, and in particular, spending an enormous amount of time on getting to know the players. He would have also spent a lot of time with the list management team. They had quite a proactive trade period so that would have taken up plenty of time. The new coach will also have to work really closely with the high performance team. He will have to get right across the training program and on top of that there is managing up, with the new CEO and getting to know the staff. All of this is before he even gets onto how he wants to play the game. As a club you have to look after a new coach. It is an enormous job to start with and you have to be mindful of the energy of the coach so by the time pre-season officially starts you want him coming in nice and fresh with plenty of energy. The football manager and CEO and other senior staff need to take as much load off Steven as they can. Among all of those tasks, it is important to try and carve out a block of time where he can get a break when possible so he is ready when training begins. The Demons have had two of their best players of all time just go out of the club in Petracca and Oliver. There would have been a fair bit of energy spent on those exits to make sure they left in a respectful way. For Clayton, a fresh start has been mentioned a number of times and I think that is exactly what he needed, as he joins the GWS Giants. And for Christian, a trade was only ever going to be done for a player of that calibre if Melbourne got a big group of early draft picks, which they have been able to secure from Gold Coast, similar to the Charlie Curnow deal. The Demons were public before the trade period that Oliver may be played in a different position next season if he stayed at the club and he was free to look for a new club if it suited him. When you have conversations like those, they can be hard. It is usually led by the coach with the support of the football manager. It is often not a surprise, they are chats that may have been had during the year, but they are honest and can be challenging when you are dealing with star players. You need to be simple in your messaging and give enough detail at the same time to create an atmosphere where it is a really respectful conversation because some of these things can go either way and resentment can be harboured at times. I think it is really important to work with the player’s manager so they are clear on the rationale and reasoning of the club. It’s also important that the manager is across the timing and is aware of the messaging in advance so they can support the player after the meeting. It keeps everyone aligned and allows all parties to work together through a tough situation. Managers may attend these meetings if they have a close relationship with their client and are on good terms with the club. The player manager will want to make sure any trade is going to be facilitated the right way and done respectfully and their client is looked after. It is critical in these situations to get the captain and leadership group involved. They are enormous stakeholders in this and you wouldn’t want to make these type of decisions without them across it, and ideally supportive or at the very least understanding of the direction the club is taking. Players look closely at how you treat their mates. It is really important this is done well. I think Melbourne has some really powerful leaders with Max Gawn and Jack Viney. Max seems like someone who loves the leadership role and is really passionate but he is also reasonable with his understanding of the professional nature of the industry. It would be an enormous miss if the club didn’t keep those senior players across the club’s thinking. So Melbourne ends up in a very different position to Essendon who have had a club captain looking at the exit, whereas Max seems to be really enjoying his captaincy role and invested in the club’s direction. The Demons look like they have done a really good job at having those conversations, at least from what is coming out of the captain’s mouth. The Demons were also public in telling Steven May he could find a new home in the trade period and, unlike with Oliver, that didn’t eventuate. It’s important as part of those conversations that you are also making clear that if a trade can’t be facilitated, the player will be welcomed back with open arms and we will all get on with it. To say that upfront is really important because I think it sews a seed when these things don’t always come up. If a trade does not go through, facilitating an informal coffee between the player and coach soon after is always recommended to start the healing process between all parties heading into a new season. This avoids any ill-feeling when all report in for day one of pre-season. As part of Melbourne’s trade period, the Demons added former Saint Jack Steele for a future third-round pick. He is no doubt a great clubman and brings great leadership to the group. One thing that was astonishing about the trade period this year was the number of club captains in talks with other clubs, with Essendon’s Zach Merrett, Jy Simpkin at North Melbourne and Oscar Allen at West Coast looking at their options, along with Steele finding a new home at Melbourne. Club captains have traditionally been a point of stability within the playing group, but this took a sharp turn throughout this off-season. A lot of people talk about shortening the trade period because they feel not much goes on but like in the Steele situation, it can come in late. He first met with the club only one day before the deadline. From there you often have to get to the leadership group when bringing in senior players to get their thoughts and buy-in, and the player needs to do his own due diligence, which Steele did in talking to King and midfield coach Nathan Jones. And you also have to cover off on a medical. The player then needs to actually make a decision he wants to go to the club. A lot plays out for a player to make a move and you need every bit of the time period to cover off and make a life change like that. I thought this was an opportunity Melbourne saw and he was a good addition. THE PLAYING LISTIN:Jack Steele (St Kilda), Changkuoth Jiath (Hawthorn), Brody Mihocek (Collingwood), Max Heath (St Kilda) OUT:Christian Petracca (Gold Coast), Clayton Oliver (GWS), Charlie Spargo (North Melbourne), Judd McVee (Fremantle), Jack Billings, Kynan Brown, Tom Fullarton, Marty Hore, Oliver Sestan, Will Verrall, Taj Woewodin (delisted) Brody Mihocek is a really reliable player, having won Collingwood’s goalkicking award five times. He will be a good deep forward that they get at a good price and a player Melbourne has needed. While they lost Judd McVee out of defence, Changkuoth Jiath comes in and gives them a bit more run and bounce off halfback. His role is best suited behind the footy and he will be able to give them something as well. LIST STRENGTHS I have been impressed by Melbourne’s strategy because they have been able to get the experience in quite cheap because it hasn’t cost them a lot in picks or money. As list manager Tim Lamb has noted, the Demons will have the chance to use eight first round picks over four years, when you take in to account the picks they received in the Petracca trade. They have been able to add some highly-rated youth like Harvey Langford, Caleb Windsor, Xavier Lindsay and Koltyn Tholstrup. History says these top end picks can impact really quickly. I feel like they have almost been able to do a bit of a hybrid approach to their list and while Melbourne clearly lost a couple of gun players, they likely needed a fresh start. The Demons are not a team talking about a traditional rebuild and with Steven King now on board, appear to be a team that wants to contend really quickly rather than taking too many steps back. DRAFT HAND Picks — 7, 8, 37, 66, 71 Another factor that may have been part of Melbourne’s thinking in getting draft picks in the door is that clubs are really conscious of Tasmania coming into the AFL. You will find clubs that are losing high end talent are really making a move and taking an opportunity with these first round picks over this year and next year because the draft is going to be really compromised by the Devils in 2027. SALARY CAP The TPP (total player payments) has become an enormous part of the game and you can win some and lose some on that front. If Petracca’s money has now come off the books, that is really healthy from Melbourne’s point of view. Given it has been well reported the Demons will pay some of his wage to play for the Giants, allowing Oliver to get a fresh start can be a good investment for the club rather than paying the full amount to the player. It appears they have come out of it really well from a TPP point of view. HIGH PERFORMANCE CHECK-INMelbourne is a club that splits its training and administration between Casey Fields and the inner city, training often at Gosch’s Paddock. Having that split would have to impact them. It is a really challenging situation to have the club not in the one place. It is challenging enough even if you are not on the same floor, let alone in different buildings. It is far from an ideal situation culturally for the club. It wouldn’t be used as an excuse internally but it is something they need to sort out. A new home for the club is clearly high on the agenda for the leaders, including president Brad Green, who has spoken, with CEO Paul Guerra, about potentially moving to Caulfield. Ideally as a footy club you have got a purpose built building with two ovals that everyone operates out of and with a good flow but they seem a long way away from that and are putting the necessary steps in place to find a solution. INJURY WATCH 🔍THE PLAYER WHO NEEDS TO GET FIT: JAKE LEVER Lever only managed eight games in 2025. You need all your best players playing so they will be looking to get some more gametime out of him to help a backline that the Demons have said will look a little younger next year. He has been an incredible workhorse, having played 113 games across the last five seasons, but Max Gawn is one that has got that look about him that he could still play for a while. How they continue to manage such an important figure for the club will be crucial going forward. THE COACH’S BOXI touched on all the jobs the senior coach has when he arrives at a new club and another big one is to settle on their own coaching team and get to know them. Jared Rivers has returned to Melbourne to replace Nathan Bassett on the coaching panel. King has spoken often about wanting to play an attacking style and that can take time to work out with a new coaching team. The coaches would meet over a number of weeks to go through their gamestyle offensively and defensively and how Steven wants them to play. Then they have to discuss how they are going to educate the players and how it will be built through the course of the pre-season. THE FRONT OFFICEClearly, Melbourne has seen recent change in some important roles. Often when you have existing staff it can be a bit of a challenge to make a seismic move like the Demons did during the trade period. With a new CEO, a relatively new president and new coach, perhaps a little bit of bias of holding on to past relationships can be left behind. You can open up your thinking a little bit with fresh eyes and see a slightly different direction and it appears Melbourne has done that and turned a new leaf. 2026 PREDICTIONVERDICT: The middle six (7-12) Melbourne finished just outside of this band last year. They have lost 2 future Hall of Fame players, but have some emerging talent on their list, with a few more to arrive at the club over the coming months. With a new coach and fresh club outlook, this may see them secure a middle rung position. Where do you think Melbourne will finish in 2026?

Two Cities It’s the penultimate round of the home-and-away season, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Finals are looming, and the heat — literal and metaphorical — is rising. Brisbane and Melbourne — two AFLW powerhouses — clash in a Saturday night blockbuster at Brighton Homes Arena, with top-four spots and finals positioning on the line. The Lions, despite sustained success and two premierships, have a losing record against the Demons, who have claimed six of the ten encounters, including their maiden 2022 premiership win at … Ipswich. The forecast is warm and sticky: 24 degrees, gusty winds, and humidity pushing past 80%. Expect a pressure-cooker atmosphere both on and off the field. The Match-up This is a tale of two cities — Brisbane, the resilient northern fortress full of ferocious lions and tough nuts, and Melbourne, the southern juggernaut with its flow and connection. It’s grit versus grace, muscle versus movement. Both teams have long-serving generals: Craig Starcevich (71% win rate) the Brisbane coach and Mick Stinear (72% win rate) for Melbourne. Which master game plan will succeed on Saturday? The Lions are missing key personnel: captain Bre Koenen is sidelined with a hamstring, and Courtney Hodder is under a fitness cloud. Nat Grider steps up to lead the side, while the Demons finally welcome back Blaithin Mackin, whose calf rehab couldn’t have been timed better. Melbourne’s midfield, led by Tyla Hanks and Kate Hore, remains potent. And when our forward line fires, it’s as dangerous as any in the competition. Brisbane has forward power too — think Dakota Davidson and Taylor Smith — but Melbourne’s settled defence, led by Maeve Chaplin and Tahlia Gillard, should hold up. Jade Ellenger was pleased to acknowledge Melbourne’s form: “They’re a really good side having a really good year.” Brisbane knows they’ll need to be sharp to match the Demons’ momentum. Selection this week Mick Stinear has a strong group of players available this week. Blaithin Mackin and young Maggie Mahony will test but Sinead Goldrick (eye, 1 week), Georgia Gall (ankle, 1 week) and Grace Beasley (knee, 2 weeks) are not far away from availability. Meggs anticipates Blaithin in for compatriot Goldie, and perhaps one other swap — Mahony or Dingo could be in the mix. 75 Game Milestones Congratulations to inaugural Demon stalwart Sarah Lampard who reaches her 75th game this week. Lampy is recognised as a leader by her peers and like a good wine, improves with age. Congrats also to Brisbane stars Jade Ellenger and Tahlia Hickie on their 75th games. Meggs’ musings This clash evokes the chaos and intensity of Dickens’ A Tale of Two Citie — storming of the Bastille, the September Massacres — scenes of upheaval, sacrifice, and resilience. Sydney Carton’s redemption arc mirrors the AFLW season’s grind: players giving their all, some falling, others rising. Melbourne’s historical edge gives us some confidence, but Brisbane’s home-ground fans and finals-hardened core make them a formidable foe. Expect a bruising contest, full of momentum swings and emotional surges. Our Demons will need to withstand the Lions’ early fury and find their rhythm in the humidity. Melbourne and Brisbane sit neck-and-neck as distant second favourites for the 2025 premiership and the result of this match will tilt the bookies one way or the other. Let’s hope it’s the Demons way. This is not just a match — it’s a statement. Four points, second place and a home final hang in the balance. Bring it all home Dees! Tip: Melbourne by 5 points. Meggs is nervous already. Humidity, history, and high stakes — Dees to win a steamy thriller! PS Out Flew Enza — the rumour mill has Zanks holding out on signing her Demon contract offer and heading west. Daisy picking? Or just smoke drifting across Gosch’s Paddock? THE GAME Round 11: Brisbane Lions vs Melbourne Saturday 25 October 2025 at 7:15pm (AEDT) at Brighton Homes Arena, Ipswich Yagara/Yugara HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 6 wins | Brisbane 4 wins At Ipswich: Melbourne 1 win | Brisbane 1 win Coaches: Stinear 6 wins | Starcevich 4 wins MEDIA COVERAGE - Foxtel, Kayo, Binge AFL Live Official Listen App THE LAST TIME THEY MET Season 9, Round 2 – 7 September 2024 at Casey Fields MELBOURNE 0.2.2 0.3.3 1.3.9 2.3.15 BRISBANE 2.0.12 2.0.12 3.3.21 5.3.33 GOALS MELBOURNE Hore Pisano BRISBANE Davidson 3 Smith R Svarc BEST MELBOURNE Hanks Mackin Goldrick Paxman BRISBANE Anderson Boltz Koenen Davidson Dawes LATE CHANGES MELBOURNE Lauren Pearce (wrist) replaced in selected side by Alyssia Pisano BRISBANE Nil CROWD 1,534 at Casey Fields Brisbane atoned for the previous week’s record loss to North Melbourne, comprehensively outplaying Melbourne for four quarters to win by 3 goals. Brisbane Captain Bre Koenen kept Kate Hore to 10 possessions, but Kate never gave up, scored a late goal and laid a game-high 10 tackles. Lioness Ally Anderson racked up 43 possessions in a best-on-ground performance, Dakota Davidson kicked 3 goals while young Demon Alyssia Pisano scored her first AFLW goal. Sadly, the match performance was a harbinger of the season to come. THIS WEEK’S TEAMS MELBOURNE B T. Gillard S. Taylor HB M. Chaplin S. Lampard B. Mackin C P. Paxman T. Hanks E. McNamara HF A. Bannan E. Zanker M. Fitzsimon F R. Wotherspoon T. Harris FOLL L. Pearce S. Heath K. Hore I/C G. Campbell L Ebert M. Mahony M. O’Hehir J. Rigoni EMG G. Gall L. Johnson D. Taylor IN B Mackin M Mahony OUT S Goldrick (eye) L Johnson (omitted) BRISBANE B J. Dunne S. Campbell HB S. Conway J. Ellenger N. Grider C L. Postlethwaite A. Anderson O. O'Dwyer HF N. Dooley T. Smith C. Svarc F D. Davidson C. Mullins FOLL T. Hickie C. Hodder P. Boltz I/C S. Davison I. Dawes E. Hartill R. Svarc C. Wright EMG R. Crozier E. Hampson D. Heslop IN C. Hodder OUT S. Peters (concussion) Injury List Round 11 Melbourne Blaithin Mackin — calf / Test Maggie Mahony — nose / Test Sinéad Goldrick — eye / 1 week Georgia Gall — ankle / 1 week Grace Beasley — knee / 2 weeks Olivia Purcell — knee / Season Jacinta Hose — knee / Inactive Aimee Mackin — knee / Inactive Brisbane Courtney Hodder — hamstring / Test Lilly Baker — quad / Test Bre Koenen — hamstring / 1 - 2 weeks Evie Long — ankle / 3 - 6 weeks

1-18: Where your AFL club’s list ranks after trade period 14. MelbourneMelbourne’s Steven King has vast ambitions to play a high-scoring aggressive game plan kicking 100 points every week. Fair enough but so did Adem Yze in his first year at Richmond until he realised he didn’t have the cattle to pull it off. So there will be growing pains for a side that has lost Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca and the club’s best lockdown defender in Judd McVee. But instead of blundering on until this list hits a cliff, it has smartly pivoted to set up the next period of sustained success. The best of this midfield will be when Max Gawn and Jack Viney go on a tear and allow young mids Harvey Langford, Kysaiah Pickett, Xavier Lindsay and Caleb Windsor to go along for the ride. Langford already looks the kind of player who is made of something special as a goal-kicking tough-nut mid and Pickett will finally get a full year as a 70-30 mid-forward. Trent Rivers will play more midfield, Brody Mihocek is the perfect role player for the previously misfiring forward line and Max Heath turns 23 this week as a ruck who can sneak forward to kick goals (three in four AFL games this year). No one will pick the Demons for finals but finally they have a very clear road ahead. Across every line they will prioritise young but also have senior players who will add experience and hopefully school the youngsters on the right game plan. Mihocek helps Jacob Van Rooyen and Matt Jefferson, Gawn mentors ex-Saint Heath and Steven May educates Dan Turner, Jed Adams and Harry Petty. 1. BrisbaneTo think Brisbane could be on the brink of a second three-peat this century, a titanic achievement for this organisation. The departures are underrated – Callum Ah Chee has churned out excellent back-to-back 26-game seasons and Brandon Starcevich is footy’s best pound-for-pound medium defender. But consider the upside – a fit-again Keidean Coleman, Jack Payne anchoring the defence, with Eric Hipwood forced to fire to play and the kids who might one day end up with resumes to rival the Hawks stars of this century. Will Ashcroft, Jaspa Fletcher and Darcy Wilmot (21), Levi Ashcroft (18), Ty Gallop (19), Logan Morris (20), Kai Lohmann (22) and Cam Rayner only 25. Consider Lohmann without his grumbly ankle, Morris without the opposition’s best match-up if Oscar Allen is fit and Fletcher eventually playing midfield. The cautionary tale for those who believe Sam Draper and Oscar Allen will come in and turn into new Brisbane mega-stars is that Tom Doedee arrived fresh off a second ACL and has played a single senior game in two seasons. The Dons held similar concerns about Draper rebounding from his achilles rupture as the Crows did about Doedee thriving off his second ACL tear. But who would doubt a team that won 16 home-away games despite the AFL’s toughest fixture and who won the flag despite losing the qualifying final? And who won three straight finals by 53, 29 and 47 points. 2. Gold CoastIt’s not about getting sucked into the recency bias of the bumper trade period. It is realising that Charlie Ballard will return to free up Mac Andrew and that this club has the deepest halfback line in footy. It is slotting Christian Petracca into a side with an already awesome midfield as he mentors Bailey Humphrey, with future stars Leo Lombard, Jake Rogers, Ethan Read and Jed Walter only scratching the surface and the path cleared for them to play with Sam Flanders, Ben Ainsworth, Conor Budarick and Brayden Fiorini traded elsewhere. Who knows what the future holds for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan? But Read was trounced by Alex Pearce and Harris Andrews at critical stages of both finals. He might be better placed by September next year or it could be JUH or Walter in his place. Is No. 2 on the depth chart too high? Maybe but this club got stage fright against Port Adelaide and botched a top four chance. A year on, Gold Coast will move on having already addressed its 2025 weaknesses with top two draft pick Zeke Uwland set to play from round 1 as an elite kicking wingman and with Dylan Patterson as a Chris Yarran-style running defender who can put on the afterburners at will. 3. GeelongWatch the naysayers discount the Cats next year. They whiffed on Curnow and they watched in dismay as Ross Lyon put his foot down over a Rowan Marshall trade. But this club won 17 home-and-away games with so much going right (Patrick Dangerfield mostly fit, Jeremy Cameron on fire and Bailey Smith as an All Australian) but also with Tom Stewart battling a knee injury then missing the Grand Final with concussion. No one will believe this club has vast improvement capabilities but Lawson Humphries, Connor O’Sullivan, Mitch Knevitt, Sam De Koning, Oisin Mullin and Shannon Neale are all capable of taking another step. Toby Conway’s very brief AFL cameos have shown he’s capable of being the next Brad Ottens while Mitch Edwards is also injury prone but has huge potential as a project ruckman. Conway has had recent surgery to strengthen his navicular bone and improve blood supply, but he has as much talent as any young ruck in the competition. The clear concerns are age based. Patrick Dangerfield is 36 in the first month of the season, the club’s established rucks Rhys Stanley and Mark Blivacs both turn 35 early in the year and Jeremy Cameron is 33 on April 1. But for next year at least, this club is still firmly in the premiership race. 4. AdelaideWhat a September shambles. The Izak Rankine cluster-you-know-what. Straight sets. Losing all eight quarters in finals. Jordan Dawson only able to provide finals cameos and not four-quarter efforts. Jake Soligo was worryingly quiet. Darcy Fogarty with a single scoring shot. The rock-solid defence ripped apart against Collingwood. And yet this team won 18 home-and-away games including nine wins on the bounce leading into the finals. With Christian Petracca touring the facilities then moving to Gold Coast and the only acquisition the likely pre-season pick Ah Chee the improvement has to come from within. Ah Chee will allow Josh Rachele and Rankine to play more midfield. But it is hard to suggest top five draft pick Sid Draper will be a finals presence when he played 10 games in a debut year with eight as the sub. Dan Curtin is a spectacular overhead mark, makes good decisions and kicks like a mule. Whether he’s capable of being an inside mid presence like mentor Jordan Dawson is another thing altogether. 5. FremantleThis list wants for nothing. It has one of footy’s elite midfielders – Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw, Hayden Young and Shai Bolton. It has an elite ruck and a quality back-up, it has three quality forwards (Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Patrick Voss), it has Judd McVee ready to provide half back drive along with 2025 All Australian Jordan Clark. Now it’s about the big moments. Voss and Treacy both failed to meet the moment in the passage of play that saw Mac Andrew mark and goal as the Dockers dragged defeat from the jaws of victory in the elimination final. Treacy has regressed across the past three years – 41 goals, then 36, then 32 last year. Shai Bolton had a very solid debut year in Dockers colours but was again hugely wasteful (28.29) playing high half forward rather than the centre square-deep forward split he would prefer. So now Justin Longmuir has the elite list built by David Walls in the right age demographic and hopefully with a full year from Young. 6. HawthornWhat have you got for us, Sam Mitchell? Can you turn a player with Mitchell-esque qualities in pick 7 Cam Mackenzie into someone who punishes the opposition instead of accumulating? Can fellow No. 7 pick Josh Ward’s 31 touches and five clearances in the Adelaide final be the norm instead of the exception? Is it too early for Josh Weddle to get centre square looks after working on his footwork and midfield craft across summer? Because as much as rivals are giggling at Hawthorn’s inability to land Zach Merrett last week, Mitchell will spend a few days wondering what went wrong then get down to business. It would be boring if Mitchell’s list build was seamless – land Jack Ginnivan and Nick Watson, then Josh Battle and Tom Barrass, then Merrett. Now we get to see the creative genius who has to make ends meet at times given Will Day’s uncertain future and James Worpel’s departure. 7. SydneyThe Swans roared home with eight wins in their final 11 games thanks in no small part to Errol Gulden’s return to the game. Star power matters and now the Swans secure a dual Coleman Medallist in Charlie Curnow. They would take any of his three seasons preceding this year’s injury prone 2025 season – 64, 81 and 57 goals. Consider that the Swans might have the most dynamic mid-forward in footy (Isaac Heeney) and the most decorated key forward since 2022 (Curnow) at times hovering in this forward line. It only means good things for the likes of Tom Papley and Joel Amartey, while Tom McCartin returns to defence full time. 8. CollingwoodToo old, too slow. The premiership window slammed shut. It’s an easy case to make and yet …. This club won 16 home-and-away games and should have been the minor premiers if not for a late-season slip that saw them controversially rest players when streets ahead of their rivals. They still have arguably the game’s best player in Nick Daicos and a system that works when there is pressure on the ball. They should get a better season out of Dan Houston if the pattern of Lachie Schultz in his second season holds firm. Do they have to consider Houston as the first receiver off the back of packs and put Josh Daicos back into the midfield? The best part of any prognostications over summer is that there is room for whatever narrative you want to push. That they are cooked because they lost Mason Cox (good in both finals) and the glue guy Brody Mihocek from their forward line and lost six of their final nine games. Or that they have another crack at it because at one stage they won 14 of 15 games, Dan McStay and ex-Swan Jack Buller can replace Mihocek and Reef McInnes will return to help Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore. The forward line is a fascinating watch. The Pies cannot expect Elliott to kick 60 goals again and while McStay kicked four goals in a nine-goal defeat of Carlton and three in a 91-point win over the Power, in his 16 other games he kicked 12 goals. 9. GWSClayton Oliver can work in this Giants midfield. Melbourne’s decision to move him on was based only partially on his form with the biggest reason they were sick of him as a distraction. The Giants desperately needed more clearance strength and their view was they either tried to create an inside mid from a current GWS flanker or they just went and got one of the best inside mids of the past decade – at cents on the dollar. On pure moneyball terms they got him as a $650,000 free agent (the Demons pay half his wage, the Giants give up a future third) so as long as he over performs that deal it puts him well outside the top 100 paid players it’s all upside. While at times this midfield might look one-paced, Tom Green racked up nearly 10,000 metres gained (ave. 420 a game) and was also above average for scoreboard impact. With his quick feet he can bounce out of traffic and run the lines even if his exceptional clearance work typecasts him as a one trick pony. From there the Giants will need more improvement from Aaron Cadman and Finn Callaghan and will hope for injury-free seasons from Sam Taylor and Brent Daniels, given Darcy Jones has torn an ACL and Josh Kelly’s hip injury might not see him return next year. But of course they are a finals contender again. 10. Western BulldogsIt’s a hugely unflattering record since the 2021 finals series given the talent on display and the coaching brilliance of Luke Beveridge. Two elimination final flame-outs and two missed finals series in that time, no matter how many excuses you muster or how much you quibble about the club’s bottom six. With the Dogs having whiffed on a key back they will either need to create one from a current forward (can Jordan Croft spend the summer down back?) or adjust their playing style so they aren’t burned in a shootout. Right now the Dogs play Russian Roulette. That’s good enough for a 15-point quarter time lead in their must-win round 24 clash against Freo, then when belted in the midfield they gave up seven goals in 23 minutes of game time. An adjustment must come, even if we will again get excited about Sam Darcy and Croft’s development, about Cody Weightman’s return and about Joel Freijah’s continuing improvement. 11. St KildaLet’s dream for a moment. There is a world where Max King peels off a 2022-style year (52 goals), where Tom De Koning plays a full year at his 2025 round 1-8 form before that debilitating throat injury, where Max Hall continues to emerge with midfield time after being the 35th ranked player in footy this year. Where Sam Flanders plays a nice blend of half back and midfield like 2024 (as the 10th highest ranked player in footy), where Nas continues being Nas and is complemented by Mattaes Phillipou as a full time mid. Where Darcy Wilson turns into a high half forward who can replicate his five goals against GWS and where Marcus Windhager continues to evolve as a ball-winner as well as a tagger. Where the forward line at times becomes Max King-Rowan Marshall-Mitch Owens-Liam Ryan-Darcy Wilson-Jack Higgins and where Jack Silvagni shores up the defence and allows Alix Tauru and Cal Wilkie to fly for intercept marks. Reality will eventually intrude – teams will hunt Wanganeen-Milera, Silvagni gets injured a lot and the TDK-Marshall tandem could be clunky. But St Kilda refuses to be boring and so wherever the wild ride takes us we won’t be able to tear our eyes off it. 12. CarltonMichael Voss’s challenge is to extract the 2024 versions of Ollie Florent, Will Hayward and Harry McKay. After a trade period where the club future-proofed itself with extra first-rounders in each of 2025-2027 but lost Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni and Charlie Curnow, the focus will be on Voss’s coaching and development. Can he maximise Florent’s ball use and dash and return him to the player who finished seventh in the Sydney best-and-fairest in a Grand Final year? Can he extract another 41 goals from Hayward like in 2024 because although he kicked 29.10 this season in 21 games, he averaged only two shots at goal in a team crying out for his presence? Can McKay stay concussion and injury-free and with the lion’s share of forward-50 targets again become a dominant forward after 49 goals in 2024? Life without Charlie will be tough. But if that trio can fire and Jagga Smith, Matt Cottrell and Nic Newman can return to add polish and ball use it allows Voss to try to focus less on contests and add running power and link-up play to a game plan that looked in all sorts across the past year. Bombing it long to Charlie didn’t work this year so how do you craft a game-plan with only one key forward like Richmond in 2017, like the Dogs with Brad Johnson up forward? Campbell Chesser’s raw pace will help and Ben Ainsworth is solid but must find another level. Contest and defence will never go out of style – Brisbane won a Grand Final showing that – but Voss would be aware his coaching future depends on an evolution of this game plan while also turning this team’s collection of B-graders into something more. 13. EssendonWith Essendon having put its stake in the ground over Zach Merrett it now must justify that decision on two fronts. One, by unearthing more potential A-graders across its list it needs for the next flag because the only reason not to trade Merrett for three first-rounders is because this club believes it already has that quality on its list. And two, by showing it can be the high-performance environment Merrett believed it was not. What exactly did he mean by the lack of a high-performance environment? Coaching standards? Teammates not prepared to work hard enough? Culture? Surely after so many meetings with Brad Scott and new president Andrew Welsh that pair are now crystal clear on where this club needs to improve. If Merrett does want out next year he will surely be open to multiple clubs this time, which will smooth his path and ensure the Dons get a fair deal like the Demons did with Petracca and the Blues with Curnow. There is talent on this list for Scott to develop in a year of 15 debuts, who were Isaac Kako, Tom Edwards, Saad El-Hawli, Archer Day-Wicks, Lewis Hayes, Zak Johnson, Luamon Lual, Lachie Blakiston, Archer May, Angus Clarke, Vigo Visentini, Oskar Smartt, Liam McMahon, Jayden Nguyen and Rhys Unwin. Nguyen shows potential as a close-checking defender, Edwards has a nose for goal, Hayes looked the part before an ACL in his AFL debut, May is tough, Visenti has the follow-up work to make it and Clarke has an elite tank. So now Scott gets to work with that crew as he also tries to get more from Archie Perkins and Elijah Tsatas and build a forward line around Nate Caddy. 14. MelbourneMelbourne’s Steven King has vast ambitions to play a high-scoring aggressive game plan kicking 100 points every week. Fair enough but so did Adem Yze in his first year at Richmond until he realised he didn’t have the cattle to pull it off. So there will be growing pains for a side that has lost Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca and the club’s best lockdown defender in Judd McVee. But instead of blundering on until this list hits a cliff, it has smartly pivoted to set up the next period of sustained success. The best of this midfield will be when Max Gawn and Jack Viney go on a tear and allow young mids Harvey Langford, Kysaiah Pickett, Xavier Lindsay and Caleb Windsor to go along for the ride. Langford already looks the kind of player who is made of something special as a goal-kicking tough-nut mid and Pickett will finally get a full year as a 70-30 mid-forward. Trent Rivers will play more midfield, Brody Mihocek is the perfect role player for the previously misfiring forward line and Max Heath turns 23 this week as a ruck who can sneak forward to kick goals (three in four AFL games this year). No one will pick the Demons for finals but finally they have a very clear road ahead. Across every line they will prioritise young but also have senior players who will add experience and hopefully school the youngsters on the right game plan. Mihocek helps Jacob Van Rooyen and Matt Jefferson, Gawn mentors ex-Saint Heath and Steven May educates Dan Turner, Jed Adams and Harry Petty. 15. Port AdelaideJosh Carr’s honeymoon period will be limited in a season where the spectre of Zak Butters’ departure will hover over every weekend result. The club says Butters is loyal and he’s a winner, so believes he will stay. But how does he hold up the second part of that equation when the list has some A-plus talent but plenty of gaps. There will be days when Butters, Jason Horne-Francis, Connor Rozee and Miles Bergman give the forward line silver service and everything will look hunky dory as Mitch Georgiades saves the day. But so much relies upon the returning Todd Marshall to fire and for Jack Lukosius to justify his million dollar price tag after seven games and eight goals in 2024. Willie Rioli has retired, Sam Powell-Pepper is coming off an ACL tear and top 20 pick Joe Berry played 12 senior games for three goals, so few will fear this forward line if Georgiades (58 goals in 2025) can be stopped or double-teamed. Carr’s clear goal is to develop talent in Jack Whitlock, Christian Moraes, Berry, Jase Burgoyne and Josh Sinn. But a club that admits the Hinkley-Carr handover was a distraction now gets another season of media focus, this time on its best player’s future. 16. RichmondFive wins was an incredible result for this rebuilding Richmond but no one should expect a jump to eight or 10 victories in 2026. The wins were a round 1 stunner over Carlton, a round 6 stunner over Gold Coast but also West Coast twice and an injury-ravaged Essendon. There were also 11 losses by at least six goals with nine of those by eight goals. So Richmond knows the path it is on, which will likely involve more on-field pain but is aware the early stages of the rebuild have been flawless. Secure a critical mass of kids, don’t strip the list of all experience, don’t spend your cap space too early, make sure you give the kids exposure but also be prepared to educate them in the VFL. The brilliant part is that every one of its seven first-round picks from 2025 showed at times why they were recruited so early – apart from Josh Smillie, who battled soft-tissue concerns and is yet to debut. Sam Lalor is a freak (even if the hamstring concerns are a worry), Jonty Faull is brave and tough (but kicked 9.18), Taj Hotton is as silky as advertised, Luke Trainor makes quality defensive decisions, Harry Armstrong could be a steal at pick 23 and ruck-forward Tom Sims will gain plenty from 11 AFL games. The trade period was boring but bringing in list cloggers who would have stifled the opportunities for the kids would have been the worst possible play. So with two top-five picks coming in the national draft Richmond has set its course for a lightning fast rebuild. 17. North MelbourneLet’s go glass half full. For six weeks mid-season North Melbourne got its defensive methodology and intent right and won three games, drew with the Lions and ran Fremantle to six points in Perth. In the final fortnight they belted Richmond and ran the Crows to 13 points at Marvel Stadium. In those games the midfield hunted, Paul Curtis fired, Tristan Xerri tackled like a madman and Jy Simpkin looked better suited to a wing role. But there were also many times this year when the Roos looked like a rabble. For North Melbourne the 2026 improvement cannot come from talent alone as Colby McKercher, Finn O’Sullivan and Harry Sheezel get more midfield time and Charlie Comben and Will Dawson become the club’s long-term defenders. It must be playing that full-ground defence and the midfield replicating the tackle pressure of George Wardlaw. Only then will we stop putting the Roos in our bottom two in summer predictions. The talent is there, the kids have miles under their belts (Sheezel 67 games, McKercher and Wardlaw 39, Comben 48, Curtis 78, Tom Powell 91). Now for Alastair Clarkson to find the consistency that has eluded this club for so long. 18. West CoastA super trade period where the club could finally believe they have hit rock bottom and started the path upwards. Harley Reid re-signed in late August and while the club didn’t bolster its midfield in the trade period it secured the draft picks (1, 2, 13) to draft yet more elite talent around him. Elijah Hewett looks a player, Liam Baker showed he was worth the club’s trade outlay and hopefully Elliot Yeo can have an uninterrupted summer. The backline now looks a potential area of strength with Brandon Starcevich and Tylar Young joining the fray. Starcevich and Brady Hough can take the best small and mid-sized defenders, Young is under-rated, Reuben Ginbey and Harry Edwards can take the talls, Tom McCarthy rebounds at will along with Ryan Maric and Bo Allen should emerge in his second year. Up forward there is potential even with Oscar Allen’s loss as Jake Waterman returns from injury while Jack Williams and Archer Reid are given even more time as key forwards. The club still desperately needs a quality ruckman but the dark days might just be over. Why wouldn’t they consider Mason Cox when he has been delisted and helps both the forward line and ruck stocks?

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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 …

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.