Demonland

THE EXPERIENCED HEAD Jordan Lewis brought with him a vast treasure of football brains, leadership and experience at a successful club that proved invaluable for a young rising team. That said and because that team relied so much on its older heads, his indiscretion in the round two game against Carlton that led to a three week suspension, let the team down badly and in retrospect, played its part in the team's ultimate downfall. Let's hope he can repeat the good elements of his contribution to the club in 2018 and leave the other stuff behind him. Date of Birth: 24 April, 1986 Height: 186cm Weight: 87kg Games MFC 2017: 19 Career Total: 283 Goals MFC 2017: 5 Career Total: 150 Season 2017 AFL Statistics Kicks: 216 Handballs: 284 Disposals: 500 Marks: 93 Scores: 5 goals 3 behinds Goal Assists: 11 Tackles: 47 Hitouts: 0 Clearances: 68 Clangers: 68 Inside 50s: 57 Rebound 50s: 30 Frees For: 23 Frees Against: 17

Meters Gained Stats: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_rankings?year=2017&rt=LT&st=MG 14. Hibberd - 10,017 20. Hunt - 9,591 70. Saad - 6,986 84. Jones - 6,794 89. Tyson - 6,653

Next headline: North Melbourne the front runner for *INSERT PLAYERS NAME HERE*

STAR ON THE RISE Christian Petracca didn't quite reach the required standard for what's usually described as a "breakout season" but he’s getting close. He played in all 22 games and there were times when the powerfully built youngster really impacted games like a veteran with his strength, clean football and dangerous disposal. Petracca's star continues to rise and he will only get bet better. Stay tuned. Date of Birth: 4 January, 1996 Height: 186cm Weight: 94kg Games MFC 2017: 22 Career Total: 39 Goals MFC 2017: 26 Career Total: 38 Season 2017 AFL Statistics Kicks: 181 Handballs: 233 Disposals: 414 Marks: 72 Scores: 26 goals 6 behinds Goal Assists: 19 Tackles: 54 Hitouts: 0 Clearances: 58 Clangers: 64 Inside 50s: 71 Rebound 50s: 11 Frees For: 11 Frees Against: 17

We kick off the Blast from the Past series with South Australian midfielder/wing Andrew Obst. Debuting in 1990, Andrew played 149 games for the Dees finishing 3rd in the 1996 Best and Fairest before retiring at the end of 1997. http://demonwiki.org/Andrew+Obst

WATTS UP? One of the big questions at the club is whether Jack Watts has lost faith with coach Simon Goodwin. The former #1 draft pick weathered the pre season storm concerning perceived attitude issues and was playing some good football both as a forward and as a secondary ruck option in the absence of Max Gawn before tearing his own hamstring against the Western Bulldogs in Round 13. His form on return after missing four weeks was poor, leading to his demotion to Casey. He played in the last game against Collingwood and managed only one goal. With the Goodwin style based on contested ball and a gritty attitude, there are some who question whether Watts' style and approach to the game really complies with the demands of his coach. Time will tell. Date of Birth: 26 March, 1991 Height: 196cm Weight: 93kg Games MFC 2017: 16 Career Total: 153 Goals MFC 2017: 22 Career Total: 143 Games 2017 CDFC: 2 Goals 2017 CDFC: 2 Season 2017 AFL Statistics Kicks: 129 Handballs: 122 Disposals: 251 Marks: 77 Scores: 12 goals 9 behinds Goal Assists: 9 Tackles: 42 Hitouts: 53 Clearances: 11 Clangers: 25 Inside 50s: 35 Rebound 50s: 6 Frees For: 10 Frees Against: 9

Congratulations to Jayden Hunt and Clayton Oliver for being named in the 22 Under 22 team. * Jake Lever was also named.

WHICH SALEM? After shaking off last year's thyroid issues, the young Demon's season was going well (bar an unlucky suspension incurred in the first North Melbourne game) until he suffered a hamstring injury in the Demons' gritty three-point win against West Coast. He never fully recovered his earlier form on return from that injury, was dropped to play in the VFL where he was again suspended, and he was inconspicuous when he came back for the last game against the Magpies. The Demons will be hoping for a return of the real Salem and a more consistent and injury free year from the young defender whose exceptional disposal skills make him such a valuable player when on his game. Date of Birth: July 15, 1995 Height: 183cm Weight: 83kg Games MFC 2017: 16 Career Total: 46 Goals MFC 2017: 5 Career Total: 13 Games 2017 CDFC: 1 Goals 2017 CDFC: 1 Season 2017 AFL Statistics Kicks: 219 Handballs: 124 Disposals: 343 Marks: 73 Scores: 5 goals 0 behinds Goal Assists: 14 Tackles: 54 Hitouts: 0 Clearances: 17 Clangers: 38 Inside 50s: 26 Rebound 50s: 61 Frees For: 15 Frees Against: 7

And a duffle coat with sewn on number on the back and a badge of every player on the front.

I saw someone was looking for these on Facebook not that long ago. I saw that someone posted a photo of a memorabilia shop on perhaps Fitzroy that was owned by an ex-Collingwood player. They mentioned that that shop had a few. Not sure which teams thought. Good luck.

CAPTAIN HERO There were a few eyebrows raised in February when it was announced that Jack Viney would join Nathan Jones as co-captain of the club, a position he held on his own from 2014 under Paul Roos. It was thought that Jones himself had some reservations about the decision but the combination worked well for the club as both hard nut midfielders saw Melbourne challenge strongly for a top four placing two thirds of the way through the season. That was until the third quarter of the game against the Western Bulldogs when he strained a quad muscle and missed six vital weeks in the latter part of the season (and Viney followed him onto the injury list soon after). The injury hit Demons lost momentum during this period before cruelly crashing out of the top eight in the final round. For his part, Jones provided strong and energetic leadership through his hard, tough and uncompromising football when he was on the field and we look forward to him fulfilling the dream of another finals campaign next season. Date of Birth: January 20, 1988 Height: 180cm Weight: 87kg Games MFC 2017: 16 Career Total: 239 Goals MFC 2017: 10 Career Total: 115 Season 2017 AFL Statistics Kicks: 207 Handballs: 232 Disposals: 439 Marks: 63 Scores: 10 goals 6 behinds Goal Assists: 14 Tackles: 86 Hitouts: 0 Clearances: 54 Clangers: 44 Inside 50s: 89 Rebound 50s: 29 Frees For: 17 Frees Against: 11

Goody chiming in on the Cats selection issues. Perhaps he wants to take a look at Menzel under finals conditions. Anyone hear this interview? Did he say anything about the Dees? http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/afl-daily-live-rolling-footy-news-from-around-australia/news-story/07f2b90a5fbd16eb31a4ca4226856dda

NIGHTMARE Jesse Hogan's nightmare battles throughout the 2017 season have been well-documented. They began with a two match suspension incurred in Round 2 but worsened a few weeks later when he lost his father Tony to cancer and then soon after, was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He recovered in good time but broke his collarbone in the game against North Melbourne in Hobart and then suffered a hamstring injury in the final game against Collingwood. All clubs rely not only on the class of their top players but in their capacity to be consistent performers on the field. That Hogan was only able to provide a few glimpses, the highlight being his six goals in Round 22 against Brisbane, provides one of the pointers as to why Melbourne failed so narrowly in its quest to make the finals for the first time in more than a decade. The Demons will be hoping for better luck with their key power forward who has the strength and power to also provide drive further down the ground as well and that he gets his opportunity to display his prodigious talents in 2018. Jesse Hogan Date of Birth: February 12, 1995 Height: 195cm Weight: 100kg Games MFC 2017: 10 Career Total: 51 Goals MFC 2017: 20 Career Total: 105 Season 2017 AFL Statistics Kicks: 91 Handballs: 51 Disposals: 142 Marks: 51 Scores: 20 goals 6 behinds Goal Assists: 6 Tackles: 15 Hitouts: 0 Clearances: 3 Clangers: 19 Inside 50s: 26 Rebound 50s: 2 Frees For: 9 Frees Against: 5

The 2017 Casey Demons season ended on a somber note at North Port Oval yesterday when they were shunted out of the VFL finals series on the back of a lacklustre second quarter in their semi final game against Richmond VFL. The Tigers were always going to be a hard nut to crack at this time of year. With just one injured player on their entire list and their senior side riding on the crest of a wave in the AFL, they were well placed in a game played on a ground not dissimilar to their own and with everything going their way for the first two and a half quarters. Casey fielded 13 AFL listed players against 19 AFL Tigers and sorely missed the services of one of their most seasoned VFL players in James Munro who injured his back early in the qualifying final at Williamstown. To compound matters, it lost Angus Brayshaw who was its best player last week to a neck injury sustained early in this game. To make matters worse, their rucks were monstered for the second week in a row. This time it was Shaun Hampson and Ivan Soldo who dominated the lacklustre Demon rucks with double their number of hit outs and performing better around the ground and in the air. The match started at frenetic pace but it was Casey that dominated much of the first quarter after Richmond scored the first goal. With Corey Maynard dominating at the stoppages, the ball spent most of the quarter in the Demons' half of the ground and they peppered the goals for far too little reward. By contrast, the Tigers seemed to have the right man in the right place for a goal on the rare occasion in which they made a foray into attack. At the 25 minute mark, Casey led by two goals but in the course of two minutes, Richmond small man Tyson Stengle got away from his opponent twice to level the scores. The Demons spent the last few minutes atttacking to establish a two point lead at the first break. Tomas Bugg kicked the first goal of the second term but after that, the Tiger floodgates opened. Despite Maynard's heroic on ball efforts for Casey, he was let down badly by teammates who constantly turned the ball over with poor disposal and decision making and their failure to cover dangerous opposition players. In a repeat of last week at Williamstown, Richmond simply ran them off their feet with a seven goal spree that had them reeling with a deficit of 39 points at half time. The presence of Munro as a stopper would have been invaluable. Despite the discrepancy in scores, the Demons held the advantage in inside 50s at this stage and throughout most of the match finishing with a 59 to 50 lead in this area. The Tiger onslaught continued until well into the third term when they led by as much as 61 points as the time on period approached. It was at this point that the Tigers relaxed, the Demons lifted and they started hitting targets. Ben Kennedy and Billy Stretch lifted with their hard running and some clever play and six goals flowed to bring the team within range if a repeat of their new found form could be performed in the final quarter. They certainly tried as they narrowed the deficit to 19 points at one stage and had their opportunities to close the gap further but Richmond steadied and time ran out. While it cannot be content with going out of the finals in straight sets for the fifth time in a decade, the club can reflect with some satisfaction on the way Justin Plapp has rebuilt the team after the exodus of so much experience at the end of last year. He managed to blend a younger AFL group with a developing group of VFL players limited this year by Melbourne's long injury list. The value of Corey Maynard's 35 disposal performance cannot be underestimated. The late bloomer converted from basketball has been a consistent performer throughout the year and with a solid pre season should progress into a regular at AFL ranks. Ironically, the only teammate who was close to him in producing a consistency four quarter game was the indefatigable warrior Jack Trengove who is only a couple of years older but whose AFL career hangs on a thread. As with every season, a number of players will not return next year. Although he was subdued yesterday, Bayley Fritsch is one who might well not be back at Casey next year but he has a definite future in the big time. Peter Jackson AFL Casey Demons 3.8.26 5.8.38 12.8.80 15.11.101 Richmond VFL 4.0.24 12.5.77 16.10.106 19.14.128 Goals Casey Demons Bugg 3 Fritsch Keilty Stretch 2 Cox Kennedy Maynard Morris Wagner Zijai Richmond VFL Stengle 4 Lloyd 3 Bolton Griffiths Lennon Menadue Mannagh 2 Morris Short Best Casey Demons Maynard Kennedy Stretch Trengove Wagner Gordon Richmond VFL Ellis Stengle Miles Hampson Bolton Darley Statistics Angus Brayshaw 1 tackle 4 dream team points (injured) Tomas Bugg 3 goals 9 kicks 7 handballs 16 disposals 6 marks 7 tackles 106 dream team points Dion Johnstone 1 behind 11 kicks 3 handballs 14 disposals 1 marks 3 tackles 49 dream team points Declan Keilty 2 goals 1 behind 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 6 marks 1 tackle 65 dream team points Ben Kennedy 1 goal 14 kicks 10 handballs 24 disposals 2 marks 4 tackles 91 dream team points Jay Kennedy-Harris 14 kicks 8 handballs 22 disposals 5 marks 7 tackles 99 dream team points Mitch King 1 kick 3 handballs 10 hit outs 16 dream team points Corey Maynard 1 goal 1 behind 14 kicks 21 handballs 35 disposals 5 marks 5 tackles 126 dream team points Jake Spencer 2 kicks 2 handballs 4 disposals 1 tackle 20 hit outs 33 dream team points Billy Stretch 2 goals 1 behinds 14 kicks 11 handballs 25 disposals 3 marks 6 tackles 110 dream team points Jack Trengove 13 kicks 17 handballs 30 disposals 3 marks 7 tackles 112 dream team points Josh Wagner 1 goal 12 kicks 8 handballs 20 disposals 1 marks 6 tackles 82 dream team points Sam Weideman 4 kicks 6 handballs 10 disposals 3 marks 1 tackles 2 hit outs 40 dream team points

HITTING TARGETS by KC from Casey The 2017 Casey Demons season ended on a somber note at North Port Oval yesterday when they were shunted out of the VFL finals series on the back of a lacklustre second quarter in their semi final game against Richmond VFL. The Tigers were always going to be a hard nut to crack at this time of year. With just one injured player on their entire list and their senior side riding on the crest of a wave in the AFL, they were well placed in a game played on a ground not dissimilar to their own and with everything going their way for the first two and a half quarters. Casey fielded 13 AFL listed players against 19 AFL Tigers and sorely missed the services of one of their most seasoned VFL players in James Munro who injured his back early in the qualifying final at Williamstown. To compound matters, it lost Angus Brayshaw who was its best player last week to a neck injury sustained early in this game. To make matters worse, their rucks were monstered for the second week in a row. This time it was Shaun Hampson and Ivan Soldo who dominated the lacklustre Demon rucks with double their number of hit outs and performing better around the ground and in the air. The match started at frenetic pace but it was Casey that dominated much of the first quarter after Richmond scored the first goal. With Corey Maynard dominating at the stoppages, the ball spent most of the quarter in the Demons' half of the ground and they peppered the goals for far too little reward. By contrast, the Tigers seemed to have the right man in the right place for a goal on the rare occasion in which they made a foray into attack. At the 25 minute mark, Casey led by two goals but in the course of two minutes, Richmond small man Tyson Stengle got away from his opponent twice to level the scores. The Demons spent the last few minutes atttacking to establish a two point lead at the first break. Tomas Bugg kicked the first goal of the second term but after that, the Tiger floodgates opened. Despite Maynard's heroic on ball efforts for Casey, he was let down badly by teammates who constantly turned the ball over with poor disposal and decision making and their failure to cover dangerous opposition players. In a repeat of last week at Williamstown, Richmond simply ran them off their feet with a seven goal spree that had them reeling with a deficit of 39 points at half time. The presence of Munro as a stopper would have been invaluable. Despite the discrepancy in scores, the Demons held the advantage in inside 50s at this stage and throughout most of the match finishing with a 59 to 50 lead in this area. The Tiger onslaught continued until well into the third term when they led by as much as 61 points as the time on period approached. It was at this point that the Tigers relaxed, the Demons lifted and they started hitting targets. Ben Kennedy and Billy Stretch lifted with their hard running and some clever play and six goals flowed to bring the team within range if a repeat of their new found form could be performed in the final quarter. They certainly tried as they narrowed the deficit to 19 points at one stage and had their opportunities to close the gap further but Richmond steadied and time ran out. While it cannot be content with going out of the finals in straight sets for the fifth time in a decade, the club can reflect with some satisfaction on the way Justin Plapp has rebuilt the team after the exodus of so much experience at the end of last year. He managed to blend a younger AFL group with a developing group of VFL players limited this year by Melbourne's long injury list. The value of Corey Maynard's 35 disposal performance cannot be underestimated. The late bloomer converted from basketball has been a consistent performer throughout the year and with a solid pre season should progress into a regular at AFL ranks. Ironically, the only teammate who was close to him in producing a consistency four quarter game was the indefatigable warrior Jack Trengove who is only a couple of years older but whose AFL career hangs on a thread. As with every season, a number of players will not return next year. Although he was subdued yesterday, Bayley Fritsch is one who might well not be back at Casey next year but he has a definite future in the big time. Peter Jackson AFL Casey Demons 3.8.26 5.8.38 12.8.80 15.11.101 Richmond VFL 4.0.24 12.5.77 16.10.106 19.14.128 Goals Casey Demons Bugg 3 Fritsch Keilty Stretch 2 Cox Kennedy Maynard Morris Wagner Zijai Richmond VFL Stengle 4 Lloyd 3 Bolton Griffiths Lennon Menadue Mannagh 2 Morris Short Best Casey Demons Maynard Kennedy Stretch Trengove Wagner Gordon Richmond VFL Ellis Stengle Miles Hampson Bolton Darley Statistics Angus Brayshaw 1 tackle 4 dream team points (injured) Tomas Bugg 3 goals 9 kicks 7 handballs 16 disposals 6 marks 7 tackles 106 dream team points Dion Johnstone 1 behind 11 kicks 3 handballs 14 disposals 1 marks 3 tackles 49 dream team points Declan Keilty 2 goals 1 behind 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 6 marks 1 tackle 65 dream team points Ben Kennedy 1 goal 14 kicks 10 handballs 24 disposals 2 marks 4 tackles 91 dream team points Jay Kennedy-Harris 14 kicks 8 handballs 22 disposals 5 marks 7 tackles 99 dream team points Mitch King 1 kick 3 handballs 10 hit outs 16 dream team points Corey Maynard 1 goal 1 behind 14 kicks 21 handballs 35 disposals 5 marks 5 tackles 126 dream team points Jake Spencer 2 kicks 2 handballs 4 disposals 1 tackle 20 hit outs 33 dream team points Billy Stretch 2 goals 1 behinds 14 kicks 11 handballs 25 disposals 3 marks 6 tackles 110 dream team points Jack Trengove 13 kicks 17 handballs 30 disposals 3 marks 7 tackles 112 dream team points Josh Wagner 1 goal 12 kicks 8 handballs 20 disposals 1 marks 6 tackles 82 dream team points Sam Weideman 4 kicks 6 handballs 10 disposals 3 marks 1 tackles 2 hit outs 40 dream team points

I'm not sure even those watching saw it happen as for a long time people were asking where Brayshaw was and why had he been on the bench for so long.

He's not in that footage as the footage is from the 3rd quarter. They were just reporting on the injury at time.

I forgot about Milkshake.

Including Hibberd? Just saying.

Unfortunately Angus Brayshaw suffered a neck injury in Casey's losing Semi Final match against Richmond

I hope it's not another head knock.

If your mate is going then we'd love a photo of the great man.