Demonland

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Round 08 of the 2025 AFL Season kicks off on Thursday with a must-win game for the Bombers to stay in touch with the top eight, while the struggling Roos seek a morale-boosting upset. Friday sees the Saints desperate for a win as well if they are to stay in finals contention and their opponents the Dockers will be eager to crack in to the Top 8 with a win on the road. Saturday kicks off with a pivotal clash for both sides as the Bulldogs look to solidify their top-eight spot, while Port seeks to shake their pretender tag. Then the Crows will be looking to steady their topsy turvy season against a resurgent Blues looking to make it 4 wins on the trot. On Election Night a Blockbuster will see the ladder-leading Pies take on the Cats, who are keen to bounce back after a narrow loss. On Sunday the Sydney Derby promises fireworks as the Giants aim to cement their top-eight status, while the Swans fight to keep their season alive. The Hawks, celebrating their centenary, will be looking to easily account for the Tigers who are desperate to halt their slide. The Round concludes on Sunday Night with a top end of the table QClash with significant ladder implications; both Queensland teams are in scintillating form. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons?

Saturday’s election night game in Perth between the West Coast Eagles and Melbourne represents 18th vs 15th which makes it a tough decision as to which party to favour. The Eagles have yet to break the ice under their new coach in Andrew McQualter who is the second understudy in a row to confront Demon Coach Simon Goodwin who was also winless until a fortnight ago. On that basis, many punters might be considering to go with the donkey vote but I’ve been assigned with the task of helping readers to come to a considered opinion on this matter of vital importance across the nation. It was almost a year ago that I wrote a preview here of the Demons’ away game against the Eagles (under the name William from Waalitj because it was Indigenous Round). I issued a warning that it was a danger game, based on my local knowledge that the home team were no longer easybeats and that they possessed a wunderkind generational player in Harley Reid who was capable of producing stellar performances playing among men a decade and more older than he. At the time, the Eagles already had two wins off the back of a couple of the young man’s masterclasses and they had recently given the Bombers a scare straight after their Anzac Day blockbuster draw against the then reigning premiers. I also questioned the Demons for their slow starts and inability to put together four quarters of winning football. I still tipped them to win narrowly but I was scoffed at for my warning that they had a tough battle ahead of them. The result of the game turned out to be not only an utter humiliation for a team that looked sluggish and beaten for pace to lose by 35 points but it was a portent of things to come for a Melbourne that became a haunted football club for much of the remainder of season 2024 … and beyond. It should be noted that when the team arrived in WA for the equivalent game last year it was sitting in the top eight, with every reason to be confident of achieving a fourth consecutive top four finish. But in the interim, it fell from grace, ended up in the bottom six and lost the first five games of 2025. Although the Demons are on a two game winning streak, this is not the time for complacency and my warning from last year bears repeating for this clash. Goody and the club’s brains trust have learned the lessons of their Round 10 visit from last year and their mission on Saturday night is to not only ensure that this match up doesn’t turn into a repeat performance, but also that his team can exorcise the demons of that experience. They are playing with greater confidence and with more fluidity in their ball movement coming out of defence and becoming less predictable in their attacking moves. They are well led by example from skipper Max Gawn who in recent weeks has reclaimed his crown as the best ruckman in the game right through to the experienced midfielders, up and comers like Trent Rivers and Jake Bowey and young guns like Caleb Windsor and two AFL Rising Star nominees over the first six weeks of the season in Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay. The return from suspension of Kozzy Pickett has been icing on the cake. Meanwhile, the West Coast Eagles remain something of an enigma as a side that lacks experienced heads and that its younger players, like Reid, have been inconsistent and unreliable and only occasionally provide them with a glimmer of hope. While the Eagles are an outfit that should not be taken lightly on their home turf, Melbourne has enough members remaining from the team that tasted it’s moment of crowning glory at Optus Stadium in 2021, to bring home the four points. On Saturday night, I’m voting: “One - Melbourne by 15 points”. THE GAME West Coast Eagles vs Melbourne at Optus Stadium, Saturday 3 May 2025 at 7.35pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall West Coast Eagles 38 wins Melbourne 21 wins At Optus Stadium West Coast Eagles 4 wins Melbourne 4 wins Past five meetings West Coast Eagles 1 win Melbourne 4 wins The Coaches McQualter 0 wins Goodwin 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 17.10.112 defeated West Coast Eagles 8.10.58 at The MCG in Round 17, 2024 Melbourne came to the MCG with the intent of obliterating the embarrassment of their earlier defeat at the hands of West Coast at Optus Stadium and accomplished its mission with a great start, kicking seven first goal quarters to one and scoring a big nine goal win. Jacob van Rooyen starred with four goals which could have been a lot more but for the extra ruck duties due to an injury to Max Gawn. Trent Rivers and Caleb Windsor were major contributors. THE TEAMS WEST COAST EAGLES B R. Maric, J. McGovern, L. Baker HB L. Duggan, O. Allen, J. Hunt C B Hough, T. Kelly, B. Allen HF M. Owies, J. Waterman, J. Graham F J. Cripps, A. Reid, L. Ryan FOLL M. Flynn, J. Hutchinson, H. Reid I/C T. Brockman, R. Ginbey, E. Hewitt, J. Williams SUB T. Cole EMG H. Davis, T. Gross, J. Williams IN B.Allan, T.Brockman, T. Kelly OUT H. Davis (omitted), T. Dewar (omitted), N. Long (omitted) MELBOURNE B J. Bowey, S. May, T. Rivers HB J. McVee, T. McDonald, C. Windsor C T. Sparrow, J. Viney, X. Lindsay HF K. Tholstrup, J. Melksham, E. Langdon F K. Chandler, B. Fritsch, K. Pickett FOLL M. Gawn, C. Petracca, H. Langford I/C H. Petty, C. Salem, C Spargo, D. Turner SUB H. Sharp EMG B. Howes, B. Laurie, J. van Rooyen IN: J. Melksham, D. Turner OUT: T. Fullarton (omitted), C. Oliver (personal) Injury List: Round 8 Jake Melksham — leg / available Daniel Turner — concussion / test Marty Hore — calf / 3 weeks Jake Lever — ankle / 4 - 5 weeks Shane McAdam — Achilles / next season Andy Moniz-Wakefield — knee / next season

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CLUB President Brad Green has written a letter to members. Dear Members, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news. After a comprehensive nationwide search, the Melbourne Football Club begins an exciting new chapter today with the appointment of Paul Guerra as Chief Executive Officer. We set out to secure the best possible leader for our future and we have found that person in Paul. Paul is a highly respected CEO with a proven track record of results in member organisations. His vast experience and deep business connections, people-first approach and alignment with our values make him the standout choice. The Board will fully resource and empower Paul to ensure our football programs and all aspects of the Club are fully supported to drive our next phase of growth. Paul joins the Club from his current role as CEO of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he delivered strategic growth, strengthened stakeholder relationships and fostered a high-performance culture. I’d like to recognise and thank David Chippindall, for guiding the Club with authenticity and composure during this period. He is an exceptional leader and a highly valued member of our executive team, who has led with care and diligence while serving as Interim CEO. Paul will hit the ground running and Members will have opportunities to hear directly from him very soon. Thank you, as always, for your loyalty and support. I look forward to seeing you at the footy soon. Go Dees! Brad Green President Melbourne Football Club

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PLAYER VOTES 1 Max Gawn 86 2 Jack Bowey 60 3 Christian Petracca 45 4 Ed Langdon 36 5 Clayton Oliver 35 6 Kysaiah Pickett 29 7 Kade Chandler 26 8 Jack Viney 22 9 Christian Salem 20 =10 Harvey Langford 15 =10 Steven May 15 12 Xavier Lindsay 13 13 Tom McDonald 12 14 Trent Rivers 9 15 Harrison Petty 7 =16 Tom Sparrow 4 =16 Daniel Turner 4 =18 Bayley Fritsch 1 =18 Jack Henderson 1 =18 Harry Sharp 1

The latter half of 2024 wasn’t all gloom and doom. Melbourne had a big night in Round 17 when it came to the MCG with the intent of obliterating the embarrassment of their earlier defeat at the hands of West Coast at Optus Stadium. Mission accomplished. MELBOURNE 7.3.45 11.5.71 14.9.93 17.10.112 WEST COAST EAGLES 1.2.8 3.4.22 6.8.44 8.10.58 GOALS MELBOURNE van Rooyen 4 Fritsch 3 Melksham Pickett Tholstrup Gawn Langdon Turner Windsor WEST COAST EAGLES Allen 4 Waterman 2 Darling Ryan BEST MELBOURNE Rivers Windsor van Rooyen Langdon Pickett Viney WEST COAST EAGLES Yeo Kelly Allen Hutchinson B Williams THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B J. Lever, S. May, J. McVee HB A. Moniz-Wakefield, T. McDonald, T. Rivers C T. Sparrow, A. Neal-Bullen, C. Windsor HF K. Tholstrup, J. Van Rooyen, E. Langdon F K. Pickett, B. Fritsch, J. Melksham FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, C. Oliver I/C J. Bowey, K. Chandler, C. Salem, D. Turner SUB T. Woewodin EMG T. Fullarton, B. Laurie, A. Tomlinson IN J. Bowey, J. Melksham, C. Salem OUT K. Brown (omitted), H. Petty (hamstring), A. Tomlinson (omitted) WEST COAST EAGLES B B. Hough, T. Barrass, A. Witherden HB T. Cole, J. McGovern, L. Duggan C J. Hunt, E. Yeo, J. Jones HF L. Ryan, J. Waterman, T. Brockman F J. Cripps, O. Allen, J. Darling FOLL B. Williams, H. Reid, T. Kelly I/C C. Chesser, R. Ginbey, J. Hutchinson, J. Rotham SUB J. Williams EMG H. Edwards, H. Johnston, R. Maric IN J. Hutchinson, J. Williams OUT M.Flynn (ankle), R. Maric (omitted)

The fans who turned up to the MCG for Melbourne’s Anzac Day Eve clash against Richmond would have been disappointed if they turned up to see a great spectacle. As much as this was a night for the 71,635 in attendance to commemorate heroes of the nation’s past wars, it was also a time for the Melbourne Football Club to consolidate upon its first win after a horrific start to the 2025 season. On this basis, despite the fact that it was an uninspiring and dour struggle for most of its 100 minutes, the night will be one for the fans to remember. They certainly got value out of the pre match activity honouring those who fought for their country. The MCG and the lights of the city as backdrop was made for nights such as these and, in my view, we received a more inspirational ceremony of Anzac culture than others both here and elsewhere around the country. They were also treated to one quarter of brilliant football from Melbourne — the third when the team scored 6.3 to 1.2, but that was all she wrote. The rest of the evening was a rather drab affair that generated little excitement apart perhaps from the opening when the Demons jumped out to an early three goal lead with majors to Ed Langdon, Bayley Fritsch and Kade Chandler before the Tigers reigned them in with two late goals. There was also room for some more excitement later on, when the final siren sounded to signal a second victory in a good week for a club with its back to the wall. Both sides fumbled away in the second term arm wrestle that was not pretty, filled with skill errors and some lapses in discipline. The frustration was evident on both sides as the Demons went into the rooms at half time only four points in front. All that changed in the third quarter when the Demons decided to pick up the pace. They played in the same dashing vein that a week earlier had lifted them out of the rut in which they subsisted in the opening month or so of the season. Their pressure rating went through the roof as they monstered the tiring young Tigers all over the ground. Some of the team’s key players such as Clayton Oliver and Kysaiah Pickett had been held mainly in check in the first half. They suddenly came to life and joined in the mayhem. But the true Melbourne Anzac heroes this year were to be found in an unusual pairing of tall and small that for the second week in a row set the stage for an overwhelming performance in terms of how the team was able to maintain control of the match. They were skipper Max Gawn who led the team and dictated the course of the game for 3½ quarters on his way to a second consecutive Frank 'Checker' Hughes Medal racking up 25 disposals, 34 hitouts, nine marks and six clearances in the time he spent on the field. His partner in crime was defender Jake Bowey who despite being one of the shortest players on the ground, grows in stature each week as he returns to full fitness after a tough 2024. His 32 pinpoint disposals were pivotal time and again in generating attack from defence and securing his team’s match winning burst to victory. Gawn and Bowey had a few others who were consistent in their contributions throughout the game — premiership players in Christian Petracca, Christian Salem, Trent Rivers and Ed Langdon who set the tone with their dash and movement. Petracca is leading a charge for his redemption at the club and it’s not an inconsequential in the team’s changing fortunes. Meanwhile, coach Simon Goodwin would have been pleased with the contributions of his teenage contingent in Xavier Lindsay, Harvey Langford and Caleb Windsor, all of who moved into the 20 possessions per match category. Their disposal and decision making skills are welcome additions to the club. Goody would also be very happy with the excellent first up game of Judd McVee after a long lay off with a bad hamstring injury incurred during the preseason. But in the end it was the skipper’s night. He remained the topic of conversation even when given a well earned rest for the last half of the final term after the lead hit a game high 44 points. Some might bemoan the fact that Gawn’s absence from the ground late in the piece allowed a dent in the team’s percentage as Richmond scored the last four goals of the game. However, it was coming off a five day break and the big man was deserving of a rest which will pay dividends in the weeks to come as the Demon revival continues to consolidate. MELBOURNE 3.2.20 5.4.34 11.7.73 12.11.83 RICHMOND 2.3.15 4.6.30 5.8.38 9.9.63 GOALS MELBOURNE Chandler Fritsch Petracca Petty 2 Langdon Pickett Sparrow Tholstrop RICHMOND Lynch 3 Taranto 2 Green Lalor Mansell Nankervis BEST MELBOURNE Gawn Petracca Bowey Salem Rivers Langdon May RICHMOND Taranto Hopper Dow Ross Short Nankervis INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil RICHMOND Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil RICHMOND Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Harry Sharp (replaced Koltyn Tholstrup in the fourth quarter) RICHMOND Tom Brown (replaced Campbell Gray in the third quarter) UMPIRES Nick Jankovskis Leigh Fisher Paul Rebeschini Eleni Tee CROWD 71,635 at the MCG

The match up of teams competing in our great Aussie game at its second highest level is a rarity for a work day Thursday morning but the blustery conditions that met the players at a windswept Casey Fields was something far more commonplace. They turned the opening stanza between the Casey Demons and a somewhat depleted Richmond VFL into a mess of fumbling unforced errors, spilt marks and wasted opportunities for both sides but they did set up a significant win for the home team which is exactly what transpired on this Anzac Day round opener. Casey opened up strong against the breeze with the first goal to Aidan Johnson, the Tigers quickly responded and the game degenerated into a defensive slog and the teams were level when the first siren sounded. The Demons kicked four straight when their time with the wind came while the Tigers barely troubled the scorer and the progression continued after half time with Casey handing out Richmond’s biggest defeat in the current form of competition. By the end, it seemed as if it was a training drill against witches hats but it was hard to believe the opposition won their first three outings and looked the winner at the final break last week while Casey had succumbed by nine goals on this ground five days ago. First and foremost, the win was a triumph for the recruitment efforts of the Casey Demons with the top possession winners, Riley Bonner (44), Mitch Hardie (34) both lured from AFL clubs and Riley Baldi (32 and equal third with Bailey Laurie) back from a stint in the bush, all outstanding from go to whoa. Bonner had 28 touches at half time and looked to be on world record pace. Hardie was also outstanding and kicked three goals in the second half while Baldi’s work rate set an impressive example for his team mates. Last year, the club was crying out for exactly this sort of talent and for this game, they were accompanied by a couple of VFL premiership players in Melbourne listers Jack Henderson and Johnson who kicked five goals between them. The latter was somewhat off target kicking three goals from his eight shots at goal but was a prominent feature in a forward line that produced an impressive inside 50 count of 64 to 26. Paddy Cross was another VFL lister who stood out. He chimed in for a couple of majors at the end. Another big inclusion has been journeyman ruckman Tom Campbell, now at his fourth AFL club who shone in the ruck with 17 touches, 20 hit outs and a goal in his 150th VFL game. He is also doing great things mentoring Will Verrall who is increasing in confidence and form on a weekly basis. And on that note, some big news for Melbourne fans and that is the first signs of a return to form and renewed confidence in key forward Jacob van Rooyen who became the team’s third player to kick five goals in a match which is a sure-fire sign that selection at AFL level is imminent. After a shaky start in the blustery conditions, the blond key tall took command of proceedings in the second term with three goals showing great mastery in the air and with his kicking skills, adding another two in the third quarter. He was robbed of a third by an off the ball indiscretion from Laurie who could be forgiven for that because he otherwise played well and added a couple of goals of his own at the end. Taj Woewodin (28 possessions, 7 tackles) and Kynan Brown (24,5) also had excellent days out with the latter putting in an excellent third quarter performance. Jack Billings and Jai Culley were solid contributors. Casey had the luxury of 16 AFL listers at its disposal with Blake Howes participating only in the first half for 13 touches before heading back to town to fulfill an emergency role for the AFL team. Although, a one-sided game of this nature would not necessarily highlight big performances from defenders, there were some real positives to take out of the match with a couple of youngsters in Jed Adams and Ollie Sestan finally showing that they have grown into their roles of senior level football and are ready to take the next step up. Matt Jefferson and Luker Kentfield are a few steps behind them but it’s still very much a learning process for them and for the lightly built Rick Mentha Jr. The only disappointment that the 118 point win brought was that for the second time in a month, the team goes into recess for another bye next weekend. This element is a rarity for most serious sporting competitions and can hardly be conducive to maintaining team cohesion and momentum. CASEY DEMONS 1.2.8 5.8.38 12.11.83 21.17.143 RICHMOND VFL 1.2.8 1.3.9 2.6.18 3.7.25 GOALS CASEY DEMONS van Rooyen 5, Hardie, Johnson 3, Cross, Henderson, Laurie 2, Brown, Campbell, Jefferson, Verrall RICHMOND VFL Colina, Hayes-Brown, Raso BEST CASEY DEMONS Bonner van Rooyen Hardie Baldi Laurie Brown RICHMOND VFL El nour Smith McCarthy Smillie McAuliffe Wilson

Corrected and got you covered -

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