Demonland

The life of a Dees fan ...

Might be handy for the baking stuff. I'll see myself out.

Christian Petracca could force a trade away from Melbourne via the AFL’s grievance tribunal The Herald Sun can reveal there is a process through the AFL’s collective bargaining agreement where he could ask the AFL to step in to broker a trade through mediation if all attempts to convince the Demons he wants a new start fail. The grievance tribunal is the nuclear option and has never been used before but is detailed in the AFL’s collective bargaining agreement. The AFLPA is aware of the grievance tribunal, with some player agents in the league believing Petracca would have a case given the list of issues he has with the Demons. The first option for Petracca would be opening up on his reasons for a trade - redacted various issues -which could help force the club’s hand.

Only 7 years until the 10 year reunion.

But they have ...

Someone posted this earlier in the thread about Trac but it equally applies to all of us.

I typically prefer to address issues privately, but this situation requires a public response. Both of you have repeatedly shared information or implied details that I have explicitly asked to remain confidential. Let me be clear: If this happens again, it will result in a permanent ban from this platform. This is not a warning to be taken lightly. While you may feel that your actions are protected by the anonymity of the internet, I do not have that same luxury. The rules I've established are in place for a reason—to ensure we can continue to have meaningful and important discussions about our club. By disregarding these guidelines, you are not only putting me at risk but also jeopardizing the integrity of our community. I do not wish to resort to banning anyone, but I will not hesitate to do so if it means protecting myself and this forum from potential legal consequences. Your need to prove a point does not outweigh the responsibility I have to ensure that this space remains safe and compliant with all relevant regulations. Furthermore, if necessary, I will have no hesitation in providing your IP addresses to the appropriate authorities if requested. Consider this your final notice. I value the contributions each of you brings to our discussions, but I will not tolerate any further violations. I will reiterate ... It’s important to recognise that not everyone is a public figure, and publicly naming or blaming such individuals in situations where there is no clear or concrete evidence of their responsibility is both unfair and irresponsible. Such actions can cause unwarranted harm and can contribute to spreading misinformation. It’s crucial to be aware that the responses and discussions this could potentially generates could lead to a harmful pile-on effect. This kind of collective criticism, especially when directed at private individuals, can be deeply problematic and potentially damaging both to the person in question and to this community. Due to the sensitive and private nature of certain issues surrounding the club, we have implemented moderation protocols that require specific words or phrases to undergo approval before being published. This measure is essential to protect the individuals involved, those who post comments, and the integrity of this website. Please be aware that if your posts contain any of these moderated terms, they may either be subject to review or not published at all, regardless of the rest of the content within the post. Unfortunately, the site’s software does not notify users of the specific word or phrase that triggered the moderation, which I understand can be confusing. I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. However, these steps are taken to ensure a safe and responsible environment that protects our community and its users. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a respectful and secure space for everyone including the people that are being written about. If you attempt to get around the auto moderation. You will be banned.

It's the only thing keeping me sane at the moment. I'm trying to inject some levity but unfortunately it's just masking my sadness with this whole situation and my own concerns with the direction of the club. Some of the concerns might just be magnified by the situation and other concerns have had a light shone on them brightly. Perceived or reality the damage all these "sagas" have had on the club from financial to personal is just soul crushing at times. Anyway, sorry to bring the mood down. Here's a photo of happier times. May we one day reach the promised land again. [censored] that's just made me all melancholy again. Here's a photo of a cat. No not that type of cat .... Too sad ... aww that's better.

Agreed. Just the other day I read an article or a post from one of the journos praising Pendles for being so brave for playing the past few games with broken ribs. You can't make that stuff up.

Not devaluing the importance of Trac to our team or his value on the open market (current injury issues included) but I think a lot here think we're going to get a bounty and might be bitterly disappointed with any haul in a trade. Just my 2 cents.

I think the point they're making is that he shouldn't have (and anyone else with suspected rib injuries) be sent back on the field.

CHANGES 2024-5 Part 1: Early doors in a season of turmoil by The Oracle The changes came early for the beleaguered Demons in 2024. In February, before the first football had been kicked in anger, the bombshell of Angus Brayshaw’s retirement hit the Melbourne Football Club like a sledgehammer. The popular Demon premiership player was medically retired after a concussion suffered in 2023 qualifying final when he was hit front on by a Brayden Maynard bump that was controversially cleared by the AFL Tribunal. The retirement of the much-loved and respected Demon after a 167 game career rocked the club that drafted him with the No.3 pick, one selection after Christian Petracca at the 2014 AFL National Draft. The pair were outstanding for a number of years in the lead up to the club’s drought breaking 2021 premiership at Optus Stadium. Brayshaw had 25 disposals and kicked a goal in the win. The club was already reeling in the wake of the suspension of Joel Smith following the return of a sample provided by the player during an in-competition doping control test after last year’s Round 23 Melbourne vs Hawthorn game which indicated the presence of prohibited substances, cocaine and its metabolite Benzoylecgonine being a Prohibited Substance under the Code. The son of former player Shaun, Joel Smith played 14 of his 42 career matches for Melbourne in 2023, including the Demons' two narrow finals losses against Collingwood and Carlton. Additionally, it was reported in February that Smith was facing four new anti-doping rule violations from Sport Integrity Australia — three for trafficking cocaine and one for possession. As a consequence, Smith’s suspension has remained in place to this day, leaving the club short of two senior list players for the whole season, although Brayshaw was replaced on the club lists by Western Australian rookie Luker Kentfield who played out the season with the Casey Demons in the VFL. As a consequence, the club’s lists looked like this from the end of May until the club’s season came to an end in the wild and woolly conditions of last Friday night against Collingwood. PRIMARY LIST: — Jed Adams Jack Billings Jake Bowey Ben Brown Kade Chandler Tom Fullarton Bayley Fritsch Max Gawn Blake Howes Lachie Hunter Matthew Jefferson Ed Langdon Bailey Laurie Jake Lever Shane McAdam Tom McDonald Steven May Alex Neal-Bullen Clayton Oliver Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Kysaiah Kropinyeri Pickett Trent Rivers Christian Salem Josh Schache Joel Smith Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow Koltyn Tholstrup Adam Tomlinson Daniel Turner Jacob van Rooyen Jack Viney Caleb Windsor Taj Woewodin ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A Kynan Brown Marty Hore Luker Kentfield Judd McVee Jake Melksham Oliver Sestan Will Verrell ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B Kyah Farris-White Andy Moniz-Wakefield RETIRED Angus Brayshaw By the time the shutters had come on Melbourne’s disappointing 2024, veteran forward Ben Brown had announced his retirement after a long career from 2014 at North Melbourne and Melbourne where he played 175 games and kicked 360 goals. Brown joined the Demons in late 2020 and played a pivotal role in their premiership success the following year. Injuries in his later seasons kept his tally of games at the club to 45 for 72 goals. In addition, another premiership player, Alex Neal-Bullen, who is still in contract, requested a trade home to South Australia at season's end after playing 174 games for the club since being drafted in 2014. And finally, the disquiet from injured superstar Christian Petracca surfaced when it was recently reported that he also wanted out, despite having five years left on his contract. That scenario is still to be played out with the club insisting that it requires the terms of that contract to be honoured. The reports have unleashed a media circus which has done little good for the club or the image of the player. My perspective is that that there is no doubt that Petracca suffered a horrible injury and equally, there's no doubt that the last thing he needs for his health and his welfare is for this circus to be played out in the media. If those around him, truly care for his well-being they would declare a halt to these goings on and stay away from the media until such time as Petrracca is in a good headspace and able to make considered rational decisions about any change to his current playing situation. Today, the club announced its first delistings - Josh Schache and Category B rookie Kyah Farris-White who I will cover in the next installment of this series.

If the guy whose body it is doesn't have them then I doubt Trac will tatt up.

My fear is that either way it will be unless we pay significant overs to other players and clubs. This whole affair and all the events leading up whether just perception and certainly some reality has tarnished the club and it's going to take more than just PR and platitudes to fix.

Off topic but that type of tech as it improves exponentially is going to be a massive problem in the future particularly in the political spectrum and perhaps elsewhere.

Apologies for that. If it's any consolation I washed my hands afterwards and wiped down the keyboard with antibacterial wipes.