Demonland

Dear Members, Following the media speculation last night regarding Christian Petracca, I want to take the opportunity to provide clarity to you all. Christian is an integral and much-loved member of the Melbourne Football Club. He is a key pillar of our club’s future, and we value him immensely, not only as a player, but as a person and a leader. He has been an important member of our football program since he walked through the doors in 2014 and is contracted until the end of the 2029 season. He will remain in the red and blue until at least the end of his contract and hopefully beyond. Following his season-ending injury in June, Christian is still very much in a recovery and rehabilitation period and his health and well-being remain the club’s priority. He recently spent some time away in Noosa with his fiancé Bella, and I know staff, players, coaches and our supporters were thrilled to see him back at the club late last week as he commenced some very light training. As we approach the end of the season, we have commenced discussions with a cross section of players, coaches and staff within our football program to discuss the improvements we need to make to return to the level we expect from our AFL program. The 2024 season has been disappointing for us all and we must quickly turn our attention to what is required moving forward, both on and off the field, to ensure we climb back up the ladder. A key part of this process is openly discussing any opportunities we identify where we can seek to improve. Over recent weeks there have been conversations with many of our leaders, Christian included, about our opportunities for growth. These conversations have been open and constructive, with the purpose of ensuring that together we achieve the success we know our AFL program is capable of. Conversations like these are a regular part of footy and will continue over the next few weeks, as we map out a clear path towards ensuring our AFL program is back in finals contention in 2025. Importantly, this process starts now, and Goody, Max and the entire football program look forward to finishing the season strongly and playing a brand of footy that makes you, our members, proud over the coming two weeks. Regards, Gary Pert

AFL Gosch's Paddock Monday, August 19 1:00pm - 1:30pm Gosch's Paddock Thursday, August 22 9:45am - 10:30am Gosch's Paddock Casey Fields Times will be updated here when available. AFLW Gosch's Paddock Thursdays | 5.00-6:00pm

The 2024 Free Kick Ladder - Round 22 We have a new leader with Essendon sitting on top thanks to a +60 differential. The Bombers are clear of Brisbane who hold down second position on +50, while Gold Coast has dropped to third on +49. Making up the top five is Fremantle on +29 and Carlton on +27. At the other end, it is Richmond on a massive -85. The Tigers have received the fewest free kicks in 2024 while giving away the equal third most. Second bottom is GWS on -54, with Geelong on -35, North Melbourne on -15 and both Melbourne and Port Adelaide on -14.

No they’re not. We have certain words that are held up for moderation so I don’t get sued. Don’t flatter yourself.

That's the most Melbourne thing that could happen.

Kane Cornes this week ...

On the plus side. If Tracc, Clarry and Viney all leave we'll have 7 or 8 first round picks.

Time to change your username back. 😜

According to Tom Morris on Channel 9.

Going to cut the questions off here. See you tonight at 7:30pm.

I have a feeling Smurf included the click to get around the profanity filter.

YEAR PLAYER 2001 Adem Yze 2002 Adem Yze 2003 Clint Bizzell 2004 Jeff White 2005 Travis Johnstone 2006 Cameron Bruce 2007 Nathan Jones 2008 Brad Green 2009 Aaron Davey 2010 James Frawley 2011 Jack Trengove 2012 Nathan Jones 2013 Nathan Jones 2014 Nathan Jones 2015 Jack Viney 2016 Max Gawn 2017 Clayton Oliver 2018 Clayton Oliver 2019 Max Gawn 2020 Christian Petracca 2021 Clayton Oliver 2022 Clayton Oliver 2023 Christian Petracca

PLAYER VOTES 1 Max Gawn 200 2 Jack Viney 105 3 Steven May 104 4 Trent Rivers 102 5 Christian Petracca 97 6 Alex Neal-Bullen 93 7 Kysaiah Pickett 76 8 Ed Langdon 69 9 Clayton Oliver 65 10 Jacob van Rooyen 56 11 Judd McVee 50 12 Christian Salem 48 13 Jake Lever 43 14 Tom McDonald 35 15 Bayley Fritsch 32 =16 Tom Sparrow 25 =16 Caleb Windsor 25 =18 Kade Chandler 19 =18 Harry Petty 19 20 Jack Billings 13 =21 Blake Howes 11 =21 Daniel Turner 11 23 Jake Bowey 10 24 Adam Tomlinson 9 =25 Jake Melksham 2 =25 Andy Moniz-Wakefield 2

History will probably not remember Melbourne’s Round 22 loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday night at the MCG. After all, what was there worthy of retaining in the memory banks for supporters to take away from a game where the sides found it a struggle to find the goals and their combined score barely passed 100 points? Perhaps, the meagre attendance of less than 18,000 at a Melbourne game against a finals-bound opponent at the MCG for the second time in a fortnight that saw so many embarrassing gaps in the stadium’s sitting areas and a singular lack of crowd participation to cheer the team home in a close finish? Or, if one AFL club coach is to be believed, to provide sufficient noise of affirmation to draw a favourable umpiring decision for the home side at a crucial moment late in the game? Or the efforts of Kysaiah Pickett, who scored four of his team’s seven goals (including the goal that put Melbourne back in front at the eleven minute mark of the final quarter) in a best on ground performance which almost singlehandedly won the game for his team? On top of those four goals, Pickett who has been criticized recently for not contributing enough in matches, put together a classy display of 21 disposals, four marks, six tackles, eight score involvements and multiple high pressure acts. Or the number of opportunities squandered after Pickett’s final term goal that could have seen an unlikely Demon victory in light of Port’s demolition of league leader Sydney by almost 19 goals a week earlier? Squandered opportunities that led to the club’s fourth defeat this season by less than a single goal. Let that sink in - an extra goal per game could have seen the club still vying for a qualifying final appearance. As Melbourne Simon Goodwin said afterwards: “I thought certainly through the middle part of the (last) quarter we had some dominance where we could have hit the scoreboard a little bit more and I think that was probably the story of the night.” Or the heroic effort of injury-stricken leaders Max Gawn and Jack Viney as they constantly willed themselves into a contest that each could be excused for having given a miss altogether? The Demons had far too few consistent four quarter contributions in the game although honourable mentions should go to Alex Neal-Bullen and Christian Salem who played their hearts out and a number of others who tried and kept Melbourne in the game against a hard-working and more motivated opponent. After all, the Demons won the contested possession count 160 to 130 - an area in which they have been deficient for a good part of the season. Or the possibility that illness within the group soured the team’s last ditch stand to maintain credibility among the competition’s middle tier? Perhaps one memorable highlight might be that Max cemented his All-Australian credentials because he is far and above every other contender for that post in this competition? The best that can be said of Melbourne is that it ends the round as one of the better sides to ever sit in thirteenth place on the ladder - a fact that is not one that will ever provide a lasting memory to many Demon fans.  MELBOURNE 2.3.15 4.5.29 6.5.41 7.9.51 PORT ADELAIDE 2.4.16 3.8.26 5.8.38 7.11.53 GOALS MELBOURNE Pickett 4 Fritsch
 Langdon Neal-Bullen PORT ADELAIDE Dixon Horne-Francis 2 Butters Byrne-Jones Narkle BEST MELBOURNE Pickett Gawn Viney Neal-Bullen Salem
 Petty PORT ADELAIDE Horne-Francis Butters Rozee Houston Boak Burgoyne INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE Marshall (concussion) LATE CHANGES MELBOURNE Taj Woewodin (illness) replaced in selected side by Jack Billings Jake Bowey replaced in selected side by Blake Howes PORT ADELAIDE Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Jake Melksham replaced Jacob van Rooyen in the fourth quarter
 PORT ADELAIDE Quinton Narkle replaced Todd Marshall at half-time UMPIRES Hayden Gavine Andrew Heffernan Brent Wallace Nicholas McGinness CROWD 17,867 at the MCG

Back in front at the halfway mark.

Just passed the 18km mark and Jack’s sister in front. Has she gone too early?

Melbourne won but not without receiving a fright from the up and coming Suns. The Demons best players were Petracca, Gawn, Brayshaw and Oliver. MELBOURNE 4.4.28 8.5.53 11.6.72 13.12.90 GOLD COAST SUNS 3.3.21 7.4.46 11.6.72 13.7.85 THE TEAMS GOLD COAST SUNS B S. Lemmens S. Collins B. Long HB D. Macpherson C. Ballard W. Powell C B. Fiorini D. Swallow B. Ellis HF T. Berry J. Lukosius M. Rosas F B. Humphrey B. King M. Chol FOLL J. Witts M. Rowell N. Anderson I/C R. Atkins L. Casboult A Davies S. Flanders SUB J. Tsitas EMG H. Oea A. Sexton J. Stein IN T. Berry, L. Casboult, S. Flanders J. Tsitas 
 OUT B. Ainsworth (quad) N. Holman (foot) A. Sexton (omitted) L. Weller (knee) MELBOURNE B J. Lever S. May T. Rivers HB J Bowey H. Petty D. Turner C J. Jordon C. Oliver L. Hunter HF E. Langdon B. Fritsch T. Sparrow F K. Chandler B. Grundy K. Pickett FOLL M. Gawn C. Petracca J. Viney I/C A. Brayshaw A. Neal-Bullen J. McVee J. van Rooyen SUB J. Harmes EMG B. Laurie J. Schache IN H. Petty D. Turner OUT M. Hibberd (managed) J. Schache (omitted)

Questions and comments will close in just under 24 hours (Midday Monday).