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The big ruckman had a late start to the season and was unable to break into the AFL side due to Max Gawn's dominant form with the Demons. Games MFC 2016 0 Career Total 36 Goals MFC 2016 0 Career Total 6 Games CSFC 2016 17 Goals CSFC 2016 13

Bugg fitted in well and often proved a pest to those whose job it was to stop. Filled his role well without being outstanding. Games MFC 2016 18 Career Total 83 (18 MFC) Goals MFC 2016 7 Career Total 23 (7 MFC) Games CSFC 2016 2 Goals CSFC 2016 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 148 votes

The former skipper was another of the old guard for who there was no role in the new look Demon team and was restricted to just two games before being informed that he would not receive a new contract offer for 2017. Games MFC 2016 2 Career Total 100 Goals MFC 2016 0 Career Total 11 Games CSFC 2016 17 Goals CSFC 2016 11 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 10 votes

Neal-Bullen had a frustrating season. He would often amass high possession numbers at VFL level but struggled in his rare appearances with Melbourne. He needs to step up in 2017. Games MFC 2016 4 Career Total 15 Goals MFC 2016 2 Career Total 8 Games CSFC 2016 17 Goals CSFC 2016 13 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 17 votes Runner up Casey Scorpions Best & Fairest

After two years in the wilderness battling back injuries, the pacy Hunt made an immediate impact by running the lines through half back and kicking the ball often long and deep into attack. Games MFC 2016 19 Career Total 19 Goals MFC 2016 3 Career Total 3 Games CSFC 2016 1 Goals CSFC 2016 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 230 votes (Tenth) Brownlow Medal 1 vote

The selectors promoted McDonald to the senior team early and persevered with him for the remainder of the season. The move showed signs of paying off as he produced some solid performances in the last half dozen games or so. Games MFC 2016 15 Career Total (MFC) 17 Goals MFC 2016 0 Career Total (MFC) 0 Games CSFC 2016 5 Goals CSFC 2016 0 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 159 votes

Strongly built key forward who who kicked 29 goals this season and showed some promise with the Casey Scorpions. Played in two losing grand finals (DL and Seniors) for the club in successive weeks. Games MFC 2016 0 Career Total (MFC) 0 Goals MFC 2016 0 Career Total (MFC) 0 Games CSFC 2016 18 Goals CSFC 2016 29 Games CSFCDL 2016 1 Goals CSFCDL 2016 1

The young tall key forward was groomed for most of the season at Casey and made his debut in that unforgettable game when the Demons dethroned the Hawks at the MCG. He is a good mark and a nice kick and should reward the club for its investment at last year's draft. Games MFC 2016 3 Career Total (MFC) 3 Goals MFC 2016 3 Career Total (MFC) 3 Games CSFC 2016 14 Goals CSFC 2016 25 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 12 votes

McDonald's season was not as outstanding as in 2015 but he still put in many excellent performances and he became the leader of the defensive unit in the absence of Dunn, Garland and Grimes. Still needs to improve his disposal and decision making if he wants to be counted among the elite defenders of the competition. Games MFC 2016 22 Career Total 104 (MFC) Goals MFC 2016 1 Career Total 8 (MFC) Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 287 votes (Seventh) Brownlow Medal 6 votes

Never really got going after a year of injuries including a bad hamstring tear which kept him out for a huge slab of the season. On return, he worked hard to build up his fitness coming through the Development League at Casey and playing some good football in their seniors before the decision was made to take a precautionary approach and he was not played in the VFL finals. Games MFC 2016 0 Career Total (MFC) 22 Goals MFC 2016 0 Career Total (MFC) 11 Games CSFC 2016 6 Goals CSFC 2016 8 Games CSFC DL 2016 2 Goals CSFC DL 2016 1

Missed the pre-season after a shoulder operation and returned in the early part of the season. Once he got going, he maintained a high standard for much of the year but lacked a little consistency of performance, particularly in later matches. Games MFC 2016 21 Career Total 193 (64 MFC) Goals MFC 2016 6 Career Total 110 (31 MFC) Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 287 votes (Seventh) Brownlow Medal 6 votes

Enough

PART ONE - NOTHING SPECTACULAR by the Oracle In case you haven't noticed, the AFL's free agency and trade period for 2016 is under way. While the young hopefuls were going through the hoops at the AFL Draft Combine late last week and over the weekend, the NAB AFL restricted free agency offer and unrestricted free agency period began somewhat quietly on Friday. In among the scuttlebutt, the trade rumours and the posturing of player managers, the first true sign that proceedings were under way came when Hawthorn tabled a free agency offer for Ty Vickery . They offered him a two-year deal and because the forward/ruckman is a restricted free agent, this gives the Tigers the right to match the Hawks' offer by Monday (i.e. within three days of the offer being made). If Richmond matches the offer, Hawthorn would have to trade for Vickery or seek to pick him in the national or pre-season draft. So we're off and running and by tomorrow morning at 10.00am the official NAB AFL Trade Period will begin in earnest. The early focus will be on free agency with the AFL restricted free agency offer and unrestricted free agency period ending next Sunday (although the restricted free agency matching offer three-day period ends on Wednesday week). A day after that, Thursday October 20, at 2.00pm, the NAB AFL Trade Period will come to a close. The following article from the AFL site provides an insight into the expected main activity of the free agency and trade period - Free agency open: Wells, Vickery, Mayne and others set to find new homes. You might have noticed (and not just from the article) that according to the pundits, the Melbourne Football Club is not expected to figure heavily in the free agency and trading over the next fortnight. There's another article on the Demons' website where the club's national recruiting manager, Jason Taylor says the club "is keeping an open mind with it's opening selection in this year's NAB AFL Draft, ahead of the trade and draft period" - Open mind for recruiting period: Taylor. Well ... yes and what I get from the article is virtually nothing and certainly not the slightest hint that from an MFC point of view, anything spectacular is about to happen. The reasons for that are obvious. The Demons appear to have entered into a period of stability with their list. In the first instance, most of us would accept that every required player has now been contracted at least for the coming year. The club has ticked off on Jesse Hogan, the McDonald boys, Dom Tyson and more recently Cam Pedersen. The only outside player coming in (aside from Category B rookie Corey Maynard) is Essendon defender Michael Hibberd who has confirmed he wants out of the Bombers and his preferred destination is Melbourne. The general consensus among draft watchers is that he will cost the Demons a second round draft pick. Hibberd would be joining Jake Melksham at the club giving it two experienced "recruits" to start with when next season comes around. Time will tell as to what else the club can conjure up in the next fortnight. With its first round draft pick traded out last year and a second earmarked for Hibberd, the trade cupboard might be very bare although we will most likely not know until late in the piece as to whether the recruiting and list management team is capable of pulling off a dramatic coup. The more likely scenario is that the club will pick up a free agent or carry out a trade involving players and/or draft picks but ... I'm not expecting anything spectacular. Trade period preview: Who will your club target and shop around? The Oracle will be back from time to time during the free agency and trade period to cover anything that might take place - spectacular or otherwise.

PART ONE - NOTHING SPECTACULAR In case you haven't noticed, the AFL's free agency and trade period for 2016 is under way. While the young hopefuls were going through the hoops at the AFL Draft Combine late last week and over the weekend, the NAB AFL restricted free agency offer and unrestricted free agency period began somewhat quietly on Friday. In among the scuttlebutt, the trade rumours and the posturing of player managers, the first true sign that proceedings were under way came when Hawthorn tabled a free agency offer for Ty Vickery . They offered him a two-year deal and because the forward/ruckman is a restricted free agent, this gives the Tigers the right to match the Hawks' offer by Monday (i.e. within three days of the offer being made). If Richmond matches the offer, Hawthorn would have to trade for Vickery or seek to pick him in the national or pre-season draft. So we're off and running and by tomorrow morning at 10.00am the official NAB AFL Trade Period will begin in earnest. The early focus will be on free agency with the AFL restricted free agency offer and unrestricted free agency period ending next Sunday (although the restricted free agency matching offer three-day period ends on Wednesday week). A day after that, Thursday October 20, at 2.00pm, the NAB AFL Trade Period will come to a close. The following article from the AFL site provides an insight into the expected main activity of the free agency and trade period - Free agency open: Wells, Vickery, Mayne and others set to find new homes. You might have noticed (and not just from the article) that according to the pundits, the Melbourne Football Club is not expected to figure heavily in the free agency and trading over the next fortnight. There's another article on the Demons' website where the club's national recruiting manager, Jason Taylor says the club "is keeping an open mind with it's opening selection in this year's NAB AFL Draft, ahead of the trade and draft period" - Open mind for recruiting period: Taylor. Well ... yes and what I get from the article is virtually nothing and certainly not the slightest hint that from an MFC point of view, anything spectacular is about to happen. The reasons for that are obvious. The Demons appear to have entered into a period of stability with their list. In the first instance, most of us would accept that every required player has now been contracted at least for the coming year. The club has ticked off on Jesse Hogan, the McDonald boys, Dom Tyson and more recently Cam Pedersen. The only outside player coming in (aside from Category B rookie Corey Maynard) is Essendon defender Michael Hibberd who has confirmed he wants out of the Bombers and his preferred destination is Melbourne. The general consensus among draft watchers is that he will cost the Demons a second round draft pick. Hibberd would be joining Jake Melksham at the club giving it two experienced "recruits" to start with when next season comes around. Time will tell as to what else the club can conjure up in the next fortnight. With its first round draft pick traded out last year and a second earmarked for Hibberd, the trade cupboard might be very bare although we will most likely not know until late in the piece as to whether the recruiting and list management team is capable of pulling off a dramatic coup. The more likely scenario is that the club will pick up a free agent or carry out a trade involving players and/or draft picks but ... I'm not expecting anything spectacular. Trade period preview: Who will your club target and shop around? The Oracle will be back from time to time during the free agency and trade period to cover anything that might take place - spectacular or otherwise.

Earned his early elevation from the rookie list with some good early form at Casey but wasn't able to sustain the form at a higher level. Games MFC 2016 4 Career Total 22 (21 MFC) Goals MFC 2016 1 Career Total 1 (1 MFC) Games CSFC 2016 16 Goals CSFC 2016 11 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 23 votes

Pedersen is a true workhorse who played some good football and provided a good tall forward/second ruck option when called into the team. Signed a new one year deal with the club last week. Games MFC 2016 9 Career Total 61 (46 MFC) Goals MFC 2016 6 Career Total 51 (31 MFC) Games CSFC 2016 8 Goals CSFC 2016 8 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 48 votes

2016 was disappointing year for Garland, a member of the club's leadership group who, like Lynden Dunn, was sidelined by the club's desire to restructure its defence. Games MFC 2016 6 Career Total 141 Goals MFC 2016 0 Career Total 16 Games CSFC 2016 17 Goals CSFC 2016 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 17 votes

Missed the pre-season due to injury and was restricted to just two matches after struggling to break into the Demon line up. Games MFC 2016 2 Career Total 17 (13 MFC) Goals MFC 2016 1 Career Total 12 (12 MFC) Games CSFC 2016 15 Goals CSFC 2016 11 Games CSFC DL 2016 1 Goals CSFC DL 2016 0 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 11 votes

Missed the entire year after he was named in January as one of 34 past and present Essendon players found guilty by the Court of Arbitration in Sports over their use of illegal supplements during the 2012 AFL season. Games MFC 2016 0 Career Total 114 (0 MFC) Goals MFC 2016 0 Career Total 5 7 (0 MFC)

The experiment of playing Frost up forward was short lived but when he returned to the back line, he grew in confidence and became a very reliable part of an emerging defensive structure. Games MFC 2016 16 Career Total 40 (19 MFC) Goals MFC 2016 5 Career Total 7 (5 MFC) Games CSFC 2016 Goals CSFC 2016 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 110 votes

Good luck to him - that also means the thread moves back to the main board.

After a disappointing year in 2015 when his season was destroyed by a bad hamstring tear, a reinvigorated Kent had an excellent year as he used his pace and evasiveness to play an important role on the team's forward line. Games MFC 2016 20 Career Total 52 Goals MFC 2016 25 Career Total 49 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 235 votes

Stretch made good strides forward at the club and established himself as a clever outside running player of skill and quality who can only get better. Games MFC 2016 16 Career Total 27 Goals MFC 2016 3 Career Total 5 Games CSFC 2016 2 Goals CSFC 2016 0 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 149 votes