Demonland

test post. please disregard.

test post. please disregard.

From the TAC Cup Thread from 12 September 2015 - Has it come down to those two?

We haven't done this for a while but it's time to refresh our Demonland Links page. Some of the old links are broken or gone altogether. Examples are the Old Demonology and the Yuendumu Demons page (which is a pity because we had some good articles linked to the site at one stage). Obviously, some links will need to removed - we are open to suggestions as to whether you would like us to add to the links. Thank you.

Have things changed in the last forty years? 1975 by Whispering Jack After a poor season in 1974, hopes were high for improvement in the following year and Demon fans were treated to vastly more competitive side under the reigns of Bob Skilton. Indeed, the team remained an outside chance of making the finals until very deep into the season with some narrow defeats and poor kicking for goal standing in the way of a return to the competition's top echelon. Round 1 1975 Melbourne v Footscray Saturday 5 April at MCG Attendance 23,422 Melbourne 5.0.30 9.3.57 13.7.85 17.9.111 Footscray 4.1.25 9.6.60 11.8.74 15.10.100 Goals Lyons Wells 4 Alves 2 Baker Brewer Clark Ditterich Flower Hurst Smith Best Alves Flower Ditterich Fowler Wells Lyons The club had recruited well in the off season and brought in Tiger's premiership player Laurie Fowler and the Blues' Paul Hurst for the opening game of the season along with local juniors Gary Guy, Marty Lyons and Kim Smith with immediate impact as they upset warm favourites Footscray. Ruck rover Fowler and small forward Lyons were named in the best and the latter kicked four goals on debut in the hard fought 11 point win. Carl Ditterich was best on the ground. Round 2 1975 North Melbourne vs Melbourne Saturday 12 April Arden Street 14,325 Melbourne 1.1.7 7.6.48 11.7.73 16.9.105 North Melbourne 4.6.30 7.8.50 11.10.76 15.13.103 Goals Ditterich 5 Baker Flower Lyons 2 Alves Giampaolo Hurst Smith Wells Best Flower Ditterich Hardeman Fowler Wells Giampaolo The reigning wooden spooners made the football world sit up as they celebrated Gary Hardeman's 150th game with a narrow victory over glamour side North Melbourne at Arden Street coming back from a five goal deficit at one stage in the second quarter. Stan Alves broke the shackles of Brownlow Medallist Keith Greig to kick the winning goal at the 28 minute mark of the final quarter. Round 3 1975 Essendon v Melbourne Saturday 19 April Windy Hill 22,207 Melbourne 4.5.29 9.7.61 11.10.76 15.10.100 Essendon 3.7.25 7.13.55 14.17.101 16.21.117 Goals Brewer 5 Wells 4 Giampaolo Hurst 2 Flower K Smith Best Brewer Ditterich Baker Fowler Hardeman Flower Halfway through the second quarter in their game at Windy Hill the Demons led by 23 points but the Bombers took control and overran them in the second half to record a 17 point win. To make matters worse, Carl Ditterich was reported for striking and suspended for four matches. Round 4 1975 Melbourne v St. Kilda Friday 25 April MCG 35,328 Melbourne 1.0.6 4.2.26 8.4.52 12.8.80 St. Kilda 5.4.34 11.12.78 15.17.107 18.25.133 Goals Hardeman 5 Wells 2 Biffin Brewer Carroll Keenan Osborne Best Hardeman Wells Biffin Fowler Lyons Flower Melbourne went in as slight favourite against the Saints but sorely missed the injured Stan Alves (shoulder) and suspended Carl Ditterich. Ray Biffin and Ted Carroll came into the side along with the returning Des Campbell who had not played since 1970 but it was to no avail as the Saints' brilliance shone through. Robert Flower was knocked out in a behind the play incident involving Robert Muir as the Demons went down by 55 points. Round 5 1975 Hawthorn v Melbourne Saturday 3 May Princes Park 11,198 Melbourne 5.4.34 7.8.50 10.12.72 11.15.81 Hawthorn 3.5.23 12.10.82 13.17.95 19.22.136 Goals Brewer 3 Hardeman Lyons Wells 2 Guy Keenan Best Hardeman Biffin Guy Lyons Flower Wilkins Ray Biffin and Denis Clark played their 100th games against the Hawks. After leading at the first change the Demons conceded nine goals in the second quarter as the Hawks charged to a comfortable victory. Round 6 1975 Melbourne v South Melbourne Saturday 10 May MCG 15,503 Melbourne 4.4.28 9.9.63 14.14.98 22.23.155 South Melbourne 6.4.40 8.8.56 10.11.71 13.12.90 Goals Hardeman 4 Brewer Smith 3 Clark Dullard Flower Wells 2 Carroll Guy Keenan Lyons Best Keenan Biffin Hardeman Flower Clark Alves The Demons returned to the winner's list with a comprehensive win over the Swans. Ruckman Peter Keenan finished with 20 kicks,15 marks and 18 hit outs in the best performance of his career while the return of Stan Alves gave the team dominance on the wings of the MCG with Robert Flower also starring. Round 7 1975 Richmond v Melbourne Saturday 17 May MCG 29,131 Melbourne 0.8.8 2.13.25 5.16.46 10.18.78 Richmond 5.1.31 7.9.51 13.15.93 19.18.132 Goals Brewer 4 Alves 2 Flower Guy Keenan S Smith Best Alves Brewer Biffin Hardeman Fowler Keenan Melbourne faced up to the powerful Richmond team with an unchanged line up but kicked itself out of the game with eight straight behinds in the opening quarter. They added three more before their first goal in the second term but by that time the game was virtually over with the Tigers leading by six goals. Defender Ray Biffin shaded Royce Hart and veterans Alves and Hardeman tried hard for the Demons but they went down by 54 points in the end. Round 8 1975 Carlton v Melbourne Saturday 24 MayPrinces Park 19,188 Melbourne 3.8.26 6.13.39 9.13.67 11.15.81 Carlton 5.3.33 6.3.39 9.7.61 16.14.110 Goals Baker 3 Keenan 2 Alves Brewer Flower Hardeman S Smith Wells Best Sullivan Biffin Alves Brewer Fowler Hardeman Melbourne had the upper hand for most of their game against Carlton at Princes Park and was still level at three quarter time. However, the hosts were too strong and they ran away with the game in the final term. Best for the visitors were the old reliables in Sullivan Hardeman and Wells while Tony Dullard was reported for striking and suspended for two matches. Round 9 1975 Melbourne v Fitzroy Saturday 31 May MCG 16,244 Melbourne 7.3.45 9.8.62 11.12.78 18.15.123 Fitzroy 2.2.14 7.5.47 16.5.101 17.10.112 Goals Baker Brewer 4 Alves Ditterich Flower Wells 2 Lyons S Smith Best Campbell Brewer Wells Flower Hardeman Alves In a game of fluctuating fortunes at the MCG, the Demons led by seven goals in the second term before letting the Lions back into the game in the next quarter and a half. At one stage led by five goals in the last quarter after kicking 13 goals straight. A late comeback by the Demons saw them pile on goal after goal in the dying minutes of the game to hit the front in time on and record a remarkable 11 point victory. Best were Wells Campbell and Brewer who kicked four goals. Baker also finished with four after being swung into full forward late in the game. Round 10 1975 Geelong v Melbourne Saturday 7 June Kardinia Park 13,488 Melbourne 7.4.46 10.7.67 11.11.77 14.14.98 Geelong 2.1.13 5.11.419.17.71 14.20.104 Goals Baker Wells 3 Barham Keenan 2 Alves Brewer Ditterich Hardeman Best Biffin Alves Ditterich Keenan Hardeman Fowler The Demons travelled to Kardinia Park full of confidence for Carl Ditterich's 200th VFL appearance (including his games with the Saints). They jumped the Cats early going to a 33 point lead at the first break and they held on well in the second to still lead by more than four goals. The home side turned things around after the break and overpowered the Demons at the end to record a six point victory. Biffin, Alves and Keenan were Melbourne's best. Round 11 1975 Melbourne v Collingwood Monday 16 June MCG 42,803 Melbourne 4.2.26 6.6.42 9.8.62 14.11.95 Collingwood 0.6.6 4.11.35 8.15.63 9.19.73 Goals Brewer 5 Flower Guy 2 Biffin Campbell Ditterich S Smith Wells Best Fowler Brewer Wells Hardeman Keays Dullard A badly wounded Magpie team entered the Queens Birthday clash as underdogs despite their superior ladder position and the Demons took advantage jumping to an early four goal lead. Collingwood fought back after half time as Melbourne also started to succumb to injury. Peter Keenan had withdrawn before the game, hamstring injuries cost the team Carl Ditterich and Ross Brewer during the game and Ray Biffin was also injured as the team lost its lead and trailed by a point at the beginning of the final term. The Demons dug deep to kick five goals to one and the resulting 22 point victory left them only a game adrift of fifth place behind the Pies. Des Campbell was suspended for two matches for striking Rene Kink. Round 12 1975 Footscray v Melbourne Saturday 21 June Western Oval 14,204 Melbourne 6.4.40 6.6.42 10.7.67 14.8.92 Footscray 3.1.19 7.6.48 13.7.85 20.11.131 Goals Biffin Smith 3 Lyons Wells 2 Alves Baker Hardeman Hurst Best Hardeman Wells Fowler Keays Lyons Flower Hit by injury and suspension, the Demons brought in former Collingwood rover Henry Coles and tall man David Kelly for their first games with the club. They started brightly to hold a 21 point lead at the first break but then things went awry. The Doggies were in the ascendancy by half time and after a brief fight back by the Dees early in the third quarter when Marty Lyons goaled twice, to restore Melbourne's lead, it was all Footscray which went on to record a comfortable 39 point win. Gary Hardeman, Greg Wells and Robert Flower were named the Demons best. Round 13 1975 Melbourne v North Melbourne Saturday 28 June Waverley 12,631 Melbourne 0.2.2 2.5.17 5.6.36 6.10.46 North Melbourne 3.5.23 5.8.38 9.11.65 11.14.80 Goals Alves 3 Baker Dullard Hardeman Best Hardeman Alves Fowler Keays Flower Smith The cut-off date to recruit players from other clubs was the end of June and Melbourne recruited Bomber Ray Smith who trained with his old club on Thursday but was named in the Demon team to play North that night. The Demons were outclassed all day by the team that was destined to win its first premiership later that year going down by 34 points. Best for Melbourne were Hardeman, Alves and Fowler. The club also bade farewell to two previous boom recruits in Graham Molloy and John Tilbrook making their last senior appearances in the red and blue guernseys. Round 14 1975 St. Kilda vs Melbourne Saturday 5 JulyMoorabbin 14,584 Melbourne 0.3.3 2.5.17 3.9.27 6.13.49 St. Kilda 6.1.37 8.5.53 12.6.78 15.11.101 Goals Giampaolo Keenan 2 Alves S Smith Best Alves Keays Giampaolo Fowler Smith Flower Stan Alves celebrated his 200th game in overcast and wet conditions with a good performance that saw him named as his team's best but the task of winning was well beyond the capacity of the injury riddled Demons whose finals chances were slipping away. They were never in the hunt and succumbed by 52 points against the Saints at Moorabbin. Round 15 1975 Melbourne v Essendon Saturday 12 July MCG 16,040 Melbourne 3.3.21 7.9.51 15.14.104 19.20.134 Essendon 3.5.23 6.7.43 10.11.71 16.13.109 Goals S Smith 6 Hardeman 5 Campbell Giampaolo 3 Keenan Wells Best Giampaolo Hardeman Keenan Smith Lyons Guy Melbourne kept its slim hopes of a finals appearance alive with a win over the Bombers who had taken part in the "Battle of Windy Hill" a week earlier. The Demons brought in two first gamers in Colin Graham and Barry Ough (it was his only game) and took half a game to warm up before hitting their straps to win by 25 points. Youngster Frank Giampaolo and veterans Gary Hardeman and Greg Wells were their team's best. Round 16 1975 Melbourne v Hawthorn Saturday 19 July MCG 18,829 Melbourne 3.4.22 7.12.54 11.14.80 15.17.107 Hawthorn 4.5.29 8.8.56 10.12.72 17.17.119 Goals Hardeman 4 Coles 3 Alves 2 Dullard Fitzsimmons Giampaolo Keenan S Smith Wells Best Hardeman Biffin Alves Fowler Lyons Keays Hawthorn was on top of the ladder when the teams met for the second time in 1975 having lost only once to that time. They had won their previous encounter by nine goals and were red hot favourite to win but the Demons extended them all the way and even held the lead at the final break before falling to the pressure of their more experienced opponents. Leigh Matthews kicked a miracle goal late in the day to secure the result. Hardeman, Fowler and Keays were their best. Round 17 1975 South Melbourne v Melbourne Saturday 26 July Waverley 11,427 Melbourne 3.4.22 7.5.47 10.11.71 13.13.91 South Melbourne 6.2.38 6.4.40 7.5.47 11.9.75 Goals Coles 3 Fitzsimmons Flower 2 Alves Campbell Giampaolo Hardeman S Smith Wells Best Smith Giampaolo Wells Coles Alves Sullivan Melbourne was still an outside chance to make the finals and their victory over bottom of the table South Melbourne was just the tonic they needed. It was a rare win for the club at Waverley - just their fourth in eighteen starts at league headquarters. Ray Smith played his best game in his brief career to date with Melbourne. Round 18 1975 Melbourne v Richmond Saturday 2 August MCG 25,211 Melbourne 6.2.38 7.6.48 13.10.88 19.13.127 Richmond 1.5.11 5.10.40 10.14.74 12.18.90 Goals Alves 5 Keenan 4 Coles Ditterich Fitzsimmons Giampaolo Smith 2 Best Ditterich Alves Wells Flower Fowler Biffin Melbourne caused an upset to win by 37 points over co-tenant Richmond with Carl Ditterich starring on his return to the fold after six weeks on the sidelines with a leg injury. He was an important factor in the team's bright opening that had it 35 points in front after 25 minutes and although the Tigers staged a fightback to reel in the lead halfway through the third quarter, the Demons rallied in the last to win comfortably. It was little wonder that club officials later claimed that they would be in the five had the rugged big man not missed 10 games during season due to injury or suspension. Round 19 1975 Melbourne v Carlton Saturday 9 August Waverley 30,328 Melbourne 1.4.10 2.13.25 5.19.49 11.23.89 Carlton 2.5.17 3.7.25 5.8.38 7.9.51 Goals Ditterich 3 Alves Giampaolo 2 Campbell Fitzsimmons Hardeman Keenan Best Alves Wells Ditterich Clark Hardeman Wilkins With Ditterich back and firing and their other experienced players in form, the Demons were now on a roll and charging towards the finals. Their shock win over Carlton despite some wasteful kicking for goal, lifted their supporters' hopes for a return to finals football for the first time in more than a decade. They were once again just a game outside the five and while their percentage wasn't great, their good recent form was putting them back in the race. Round 20 1975 Fitzroy v Melbourne Saturday 16 August Junction Oval 13,181 Melbourne 3.1.19 6.5.41 9.7.61 13.11.89 Fitzroy 6.7.43 8.13.61 12.20.92 13.22.100 Goals Giampaolo 3 Ditterich Hardeman Wells 2 Alves Coles Keenan Wilkins Best Fowler Alves Biffin Wells Dullard Wilkins The Demons were expected to win well against the lowly Lions who were out of the finals race but were ferocious early and, despite a failed last gasp fightback by the visitors, they prevailed to score a well-deserved win by 11 points. The dream of making the finals was effectively over for Melbourne. Round 21 1975 Melbourne v Geelong Saturday 23 August MCG 11,022 Melbourne 2.0.12 3.5.23 4.9.33 8.16.64 Geelong 3.4.22 6.8.44 9.8.62 10.10.70 Goals Biffin Hardeman Wells 2 Keenan R Smith Best Alves Hardeman Wells Fowler Biffin Sullivan The season might have been over but there were still some milestones to celebrate. Against Geelong at the MCG, Peter "Crackers" Keenan played his hundredth game, Robbie Flower his fiftieth and Denis Clark his last. The Cats were struggling at the time but, as had happened more than once this season, the Demons failed to get out of first gear in the early going. They trailed at every interval and by the final break they trailed by 29 points having kicked only four goals. Coach Skilton moved Ray Biffin to full forward and he responded with two early goals. When Ray Smith drifted forward to boot a goal in time on the margin had been cut back to one straight kick but the Cats were saved by the bell. Again, it was veterans Alves, Fowler and Hardeman who were the team's best. Round 22 1975 Collingwood v Melbourne Saturday 30 August Victoria Park 26,940 Melbourne 5.1.31 8.1.59 11.4.70 15.7.97 Collingwood 3.6.24 8.7 55 8.10.58 14.14.98 Goals Sparks 4 S Smith 3 Keenan 2 Alves Ditterich Fitzsimmons Hardeman Walley Wells Best Biffin Fowler Sparks Alves Wells Flower Melbourne brought in first gamers Greg Hutchison and Glenn Walley for the dead rubber game against the traditional rivals but despite their accuracy in front of goal, they missed by the slenderest of margins. Playing in only his fourth game, John Sparks booted four goals. The end result for season 1975 was that Melbourne finished in tenth place with 9 wins and a percentage of 93.6 but it could have gone much better had things gone its way. Laurie Fowler won the Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy for the club best and fairest, vindicating hid recruitment from the Tigers. The Melbourne Under 19s rose from fourth to make the Grand Final and went down to Richmond by 5 points in a close tussle. Melbourne 3.5.23 7.9.51 10.13.73 12.17.89 Richmond 2.4.16 6.8.44 10.11.71 13.16.94 Goals Walley Withers 3 Counsel Munday 2 Arundale Hutchison Best Hamilton Walley Withers S. Young was reported for striking with an elbow. Team B: Colin Sampson, Peter Hamilton, Murray Black HB: Greg Pimm, Peter O'Keefe, Mark Alves C: Shane Young, Geoff Delaney, Barry Tippett HF: Chris Munday, David Arundale, Greg Withers F: Geoff Campbell, Glenn Walley, John Counsel R: Brian Ross, Greg Hutchison, Mark Davidson 19/20: Stephen Ellingworth, Paul Tobin

After a poor season in 1974, hopes were high for improvement in the following year and Demon fans were treated to vastly more competitive side under the reigns of Bob Skilton. Indeed, the team remained an outside chance of making the finals until very deep into the season with some narrow defeats and poor kicking for goal standing in the way of a return to the competition's top echelon. Round 1 1975 Melbourne v Footscray Saturday 5 April at MCG Attendance 23,422 Melbourne 5.0.30 9.3.57 13.7.85 17.9.111 Footscray 4.1.25 9.6.60 11.8.74 15.10.100 Goals Lyons Wells 4 Alves 2 Baker Brewer Clark Ditterich Flower Hurst Smith Best Alves Flower Ditterich Fowler Wells Lyons The club had recruited well in the off season and brought in Tiger's premiership player Laurie Fowler and the Blues' Paul Hurst for the opening game of the season along with local juniors Gary Guy, Marty Lyons and Kim Smith with immediate impact as they upset warm favourites Footscray. Ruck rover Fowler and small forward Lyons were named in the best and the latter kicked four goals on debut in the hard fought 11 point win. Carl Ditterich was best on the ground. Round 2 1975 North Melbourne vs Melbourne Saturday 12 April Arden Street 14,325 Melbourne 1.1.7 7.6.48 11.7.73 16.9.105 North Melbourne 4.6.30 7.8.50 11.10.76 15.13.103 Goals Ditterich 5 Baker Flower Lyons 2 Alves Giampaolo Hurst Smith Wells Best Flower Ditterich Hardeman Fowler Wells Giampaolo The reigning wooden spooners made the football world sit up as they celebrated Gary Hardeman's 150th game with a narrow victory over glamour side North Melbourne at Arden Street coming back from a five goal deficit at one stage in the second quarter. Stan Alves broke the shackles of Brownlow Medallist Keith Greig to kick the winning goal at the 28 minute mark of the final quarter. Round 3 1975 Essendon v Melbourne Saturday 19 April Windy Hill 22,207 Melbourne 4.5.29 9.7.61 11.10.76 15.10.100 Essendon 3.7.25 7.13.55 14.17.101 16.21.117 Goals Brewer 5 Wells 4 Giampaolo Hurst 2 Flower K Smith Best Brewer Ditterich Baker Fowler Hardeman Flower Halfway through the second quarter in their game at Windy Hill the Demons led by 23 points but the Bombers took control and overran them in the second half to record a 17 point win. To make matters worse, Carl Ditterich was reported for striking and suspended for four matches. Round 4 1975 Melbourne v St. Kilda Friday 25 April MCG 35,328 Melbourne 1.0.6 4.2.26 8.4.52 12.8.80 St. Kilda 5.4.34 11.12.78 15.17.107 18.25.133 Goals Hardeman 5 Wells 2 Biffin Brewer Carroll Keenan Osborne Best Hardeman Wells Biffin Fowler Lyons Flower Melbourne went in as slight favourite against the Saints but sorely missed the injured Stan Alves (shoulder) and suspended Carl Ditterich. Ray Biffin and Ted Carroll came into the side along with the returning Des Campbell who had not played since 1970 but it was to no avail as the Saints' brilliance shone through. Robert Flower was knocked out in a behind the play incident involving Robert Muir as the Demons went down by 55 points. Round 5 1975 Hawthorn v Melbourne Saturday 3 May Princes Park 11,198 Melbourne 5.4.34 7.8.50 10.12.72 11.15.81 Hawthorn 3.5.23 12.10.82 13.17.95 19.22.136 Goals Brewer 3 Hardeman Lyons Wells 2 Guy Keenan Best Hardeman Biffin Guy Lyons Flower Wilkins Ray Biffin and Denis Clark played their 100th games against the Hawks. After leading at the first change the Demons conceded nine goals in the second quarter as the Hawks charged to a comfortable victory. Round 6 1975 Melbourne v South Melbourne Saturday 10 May MCG 15,503 Melbourne 4.4.28 9.9.63 14.14.98 22.23.155 South Melbourne 6.4.40 8.8.56 10.11.71 13.12.90 Goals Hardeman 4 Brewer Smith 3 Clark Dullard Flower Wells 2 Carroll Guy Keenan Lyons Best Keenan Biffin Hardeman Flower Clark Alves The Demons returned to the winner's list with a comprehensive win over the Swans. Ruckman Peter Keenan finished with 20 kicks,15 marks and 18 hit outs in the best performance of his career while the return of Stan Alves gave the team dominance on the wings of the MCG with Robert Flower also starring. Round 7 1975 Richmond v Melbourne Saturday 17 May MCG 29,131 Melbourne 0.8.8 2.13.25 5.16.46 10.18.78 Richmond 5.1.31 7.9.51 13.15.93 19.18.132 Goals Brewer 4 Alves 2 Flower Guy Keenan S Smith Best Alves Brewer Biffin Hardeman Fowler Keenan Melbourne faced up to the powerful Richmond team with an unchanged line up but kicked itself out of the game with eight straight behinds in the opening quarter. They added three more before their first goal in the second term but by that time the game was virtually over with the Tigers leading by six goals. Defender Ray Biffin shaded Royce Hart and veterans Alves and Hardeman tried hard for the Demons but they went down by 54 points in the end. Round 8 1975 Carlton v Melbourne Saturday 24 MayPrinces Park 19,188 Melbourne 3.8.26 6.13.39 9.13.67 11.15.81 Carlton 5.3.33 6.3.39 9.7.61 16.14.110 Goals Baker 3 Keenan 2 Alves Brewer Flower Hardeman S Smith Wells Best Sullivan Biffin Alves Brewer Fowler Hardeman Melbourne had the upper hand for most of their game against Carlton at Princes Park and was still level at three quarter time. However, the hosts were too strong and they ran away with the game in the final term. Best for the visitors were the old reliables in Sullivan Hardeman and Wells while Tony Dullard was reported for striking and suspended for two matches. Round 9 1975 Melbourne v Fitzroy Saturday 31 May MCG 16,244 Melbourne 7.3.45 9.8.62 11.12.78 18.15.123 Fitzroy 2.2.14 7.5.47 16.5.101 17.10.112 Goals Baker Brewer 4 Alves Ditterich Flower Wells 2 Lyons S Smith Best Campbell Brewer Wells Flower Hardeman Alves In a game of fluctuating fortunes at the MCG, the Demons led by seven goals in the second term before letting the Lions back into the game in the next quarter and a half. At one stage led by five goals in the last quarter after kicking 13 goals straight. A late comeback by the Demons saw them pile on goal after goal in the dying minutes of the game to hit the front in time on and record a remarkable 11 point victory. Best were Wells Campbell and Brewer who kicked four goals. Baker also finished with four after being swung into full forward late in the game. Round 10 1975 Geelong v Melbourne Saturday 7 June Kardinia Park 13,488 Melbourne 7.4.46 10.7.67 11.11.77 14.14.98 Geelong 2.1.13 5.11.419.17.71 14.20.104 Goals Baker Wells 3 Barham Keenan 2 Alves Brewer Ditterich Hardeman Best Biffin Alves Ditterich Keenan Hardeman Fowler The Demons travelled to Kardinia Park full of confidence for Carl Ditterich's 200th VFL appearance (including his games with the Saints). They jumped the Cats early going to a 33 point lead at the first break and they held on well in the second to still lead by more than four goals. The home side turned things around after the break and overpowered the Demons at the end to record a six point victory. Biffin, Alves and Keenan were Melbourne's best. Round 11 1975 Melbourne v Collingwood Monday 16 June MCG 42,803 Melbourne 4.2.26 6.6.42 9.8.62 14.11.95 Collingwood 0.6.6 4.11.35 8.15.63 9.19.73 Goals Brewer 5 Flower Guy 2 Biffin Campbell Ditterich S Smith Wells Best Fowler Brewer Wells Hardeman Keays Dullard A badly wounded Magpie team entered the Queens Birthday clash as underdogs despite their superior ladder position and the Demons took advantage jumping to an early four goal lead. Collingwood fought back after half time as Melbourne also started to succumb to injury. Peter Keenan had withdrawn before the game, hamstring injuries cost the team Carl Ditterich and Ross Brewer during the game and Ray Biffin was also injured as the team lost its lead and trailed by a point at the beginning of the final term. The Demons dug deep to kick five goals to one and the resulting 22 point victory left them only a game adrift of fifth place behind the Pies. Des Campbell was suspended for two matches for striking Rene Kink. Round 12 1975 Footscray v Melbourne Saturday 21 June Western Oval 14,204 Melbourne 6.4.40 6.6.42 10.7.67 14.8.92 Footscray 3.1.19 7.6.48 13.7.85 20.11.131 Goals Biffin Smith 3 Lyons Wells 2 Alves Baker Hardeman Hurst Best Hardeman Wells Fowler Keays Lyons Flower Hit by injury and suspension, the Demons brought in former Collingwood rover Henry Coles and tall man David Kelly for their first games with the club. They started brightly to hold a 21 point lead at the first break but then things went awry. The Doggies were in the ascendancy by half time and after a brief fight back by the Dees early in the third quarter when Marty Lyons goaled twice, to restore Melbourne's lead, it was all Footscray which went on to record a comfortable 39 point win. Gary Hardeman, Greg Wells and Robert Flower were named the Demons best. Round 13 1975 Melbourne v North Melbourne Saturday 28 June Waverley 12,631 Melbourne 0.2.2 2.5.17 5.6.36 6.10.46 North Melbourne 3.5.23 5.8.38 9.11.65 11.14.80 Goals Alves 3 Baker Dullard Hardeman Best Hardeman Alves Fowler Keays Flower Smith The cut-off date to recruit players from other clubs was the end of June and Melbourne recruited Bomber Ray Smith who trained with his old club on Thursday but was named in the Demon team to play North that night. The Demons were outclassed all day by the team that was destined to win its first premiership later that year going down by 34 points. Best for Melbourne were Hardeman, Alves and Fowler. The club also bade farewell to two previous boom recruits in Graham Molloy and John Tilbrook making their last senior appearances in the red and blue guernseys. Round 14 1975 St. Kilda vs Melbourne Saturday 5 JulyMoorabbin 14,584 Melbourne 0.3.3 2.5.17 3.9.27 6.13.49 St. Kilda 6.1.37 8.5.53 12.6.78 15.11.101 Goals Giampaolo Keenan 2 Alves S Smith Best Alves Keays Giampaolo Fowler Smith Flower Stan Alves celebrated his 200th game in overcast and wet conditions with a good performance that saw him named as his team's best but the task of winning was well beyond the capacity of the injury riddled Demons whose finals chances were slipping away. They were never in the hunt and succumbed by 52 points against the Saints at Moorabbin. Round 15 1975 Melbourne v Essendon Saturday 12 July MCG 16,040 Melbourne 3.3.21 7.9.51 15.14.104 19.20.134 Essendon 3.5.23 6.7.43 10.11.71 16.13.109 Goals S Smith 6 Hardeman 5 Campbell Giampaolo 3 Keenan Wells Best Giampaolo Hardeman Keenan Smith Lyons Guy Melbourne kept its slim hopes of a finals appearance alive with a win over the Bombers who had taken part in the "Battle of Windy Hill" a week earlier. The Demons brought in two first gamers in Colin Graham and Barry Ough (it was his only game) and took half a game to warm up before hitting their straps to win by 25 points. Youngster Frank Giampaolo and veterans Gary Hardeman and Greg Wells were their team's best. Round 16 1975 Melbourne v Hawthorn Saturday 19 July MCG 18,829 Melbourne 3.4.22 7.12.54 11.14.80 15.17.107 Hawthorn 4.5.29 8.8.56 10.12.72 17.17.119 Goals Hardeman 4 Coles 3 Alves 2 Dullard Fitzsimmons Giampaolo Keenan S Smith Wells Best Hardeman Biffin Alves Fowler Lyons Keays Hawthorn was on top of the ladder when the teams met for the second time in 1975 having lost only once to that time. They had won their previous encounter by nine goals and were red hot favourite to win but the Demons extended them all the way and even held the lead at the final break before falling to the pressure of their more experienced opponents. Leigh Matthews kicked a miracle goal late in the day to secure the result. Hardeman, Fowler and Keays were their best. Round 17 1975 South Melbourne v Melbourne Saturday 26 July Waverley 11,427 Melbourne 3.4.22 7.5.47 10.11.71 13.13.91 South Melbourne 6.2.38 6.4.40 7.5.47 11.9.75 Goals Coles 3 Fitzsimmons Flower 2 Alves Campbell Giampaolo Hardeman S Smith Wells Best Smith Giampaolo Wells Coles Alves Sullivan Melbourne was still an outside chance to make the finals and their victory over bottom of the table South Melbourne was just the tonic they needed. It was a rare win for the club at Waverley - just their fourth in eighteen starts at league headquarters. Ray Smith played his best game in his brief career to date with Melbourne. Round 18 1975 Melbourne v Richmond Saturday 2 August MCG 25,211 Melbourne 6.2.38 7.6.48 13.10.88 19.13.127 Richmond 1.5.11 5.10.40 10.14.74 12.18.90 Goals Alves 5 Keenan 4 Coles Ditterich Fitzsimmons Giampaolo Smith 2 Best Ditterich Alves Wells Flower Fowler Biffin Melbourne caused an upset to win by 37 points over co-tenant Richmond with Carl Ditterich starring on his return to the fold after six weeks on the sidelines with a leg injury. He was an important factor in the team's bright opening that had it 35 points in front after 25 minutes and although the Tigers staged a fightback to reel in the lead halfway through the third quarter, the Demons rallied in the last to win comfortably. It was little wonder that club officials later claimed that they would be in the five had the rugged big man not missed 10 games during season due to injury or suspension. Round 19 1975 Melbourne v Carlton Saturday 9 August Waverley 30,328 Melbourne 1.4.10 2.13.25 5.19.49 11.23.89 Carlton 2.5.17 3.7.25 5.8.38 7.9.51 Goals Ditterich 3 Alves Giampaolo 2 Campbell Fitzsimmons Hardeman Keenan Best Alves Wells Ditterich Clark Hardeman Wilkins With Ditterich back and firing and their other experienced players in form, the Demons were now on a roll and charging towards the finals. Their shock win over Carlton despite some wasteful kicking for goal, lifted their supporters' hopes for a return to finals football for the first time in more than a decade. They were once again just a game outside the five and while their percentage wasn't great, their good recent form was putting them back in the race. Round 20 1975 Fitzroy v Melbourne Saturday 16 August Junction Oval 13,181 Melbourne 3.1.19 6.5.41 9.7.61 13.11.89 Fitzroy 6.7.43 8.13.61 12.20.92 13.22.100 Goals Giampaolo 3 Ditterich Hardeman Wells 2 Alves Coles Keenan Wilkins Best Fowler Alves Biffin Wells Dullard Wilkins The Demons were expected to win well against the lowly Lions who were out of the finals race but were ferocious early and, despite a failed last gasp fightback by the visitors, they prevailed to score a well-deserved win by 11 points. The dream of making the finals was effectively over for Melbourne. Round 21 1975 Melbourne v Geelong Saturday 23 August MCG 11,022 Melbourne 2.0.12 3.5.23 4.9.33 8.16.64 Geelong 3.4.22 6.8.44 9.8.62 10.10.70 Goals Biffin Hardeman Wells 2 Keenan R Smith Best Alves Hardeman Wells Fowler Biffin Sullivan The season might have been over but there were still some milestones to celebrate. Against Geelong at the MCG, Peter "Crackers" Keenan played his hundredth game, Robbie Flower his fiftieth and Denis Clark his last. The Cats were struggling at the time but, as had happened more than once this season, the Demons failed to get out of first gear in the early going. They trailed at every interval and by the final break they trailed by 29 points having kicked only four goals. Coach Skilton moved Ray Biffin to full forward and he responded with two early goals. When Ray Smith drifted forward to boot a goal in time on the margin had been cut back to one straight kick but the Cats were saved by the bell. Again, it was veterans Alves, Fowler and Hardeman who were the team's best. Round 22 1975 Collingwood v Melbourne Saturday 30 August Victoria Park 26,940 Melbourne 5.1.31 8.1.59 11.4.70 15.7.97 Collingwood 3.6.24 8.7 55 8.10.58 14.14.98 Goals Sparks 4 S Smith 3 Keenan 2 Alves Ditterich Fitzsimmons Hardeman Walley Wells Best Biffin Fowler Sparks Alves Wells Flower Melbourne brought in first gamers Greg Hutchison and Glenn Walley for the dead rubber game against the traditional rivals but despite their accuracy in front of goal, they missed by the slenderest of margins. Playing in only his fourth game, John Sparks booted four goals. The end result for season 1975 was that Melbourne finished in tenth place with 9 wins and a percentage of 93.6 but it could have gone much better had things gone its way. Laurie Fowler won the Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy for the club best and fairest, vindicating hid recruitment from the Tigers. The Melbourne Under 19s rose from fourth to make the Grand Final and went down to Richmond by 5 points in a close tussle. Melbourne 3.5.23 7.9.51 10.13.73 12.17.89 Richmond 2.4.16 6.8.44 10.11.71 13.16.94 Goals Walley Withers 3 Counsel Munday 2 Arundale Hutchison Best Hamilton Walley Withers S. Young was reported for striking with an elbow. Team B: Colin Sampson, Peter Hamilton, Murray Black HB: Greg Pimm, Peter O'Keefe, Mark Alves C: Shane Young, Geoff Delaney, Barry Tippett HF: Chris Munday, David Arundale, Greg Withers F: Geoff Campbell, Glenn Walley, John Counsel R: Brian Ross, Greg Hutchison, Mark Davidson 19/20: Stephen Ellingworth, Paul Tobin

PUMPING FOR PARISH by Whispering Jack Darcy Parish was always going to be highly sought after in light of his All Australian selection as a bottom ager in 2014, an achievement matched that year by his Geelong Falcons teammate Rhys Mathieson. The two are midfielders but they're different types and I have watched them from afar this year knowing at the back of my mind that it remained an imperative for Melbourne to continue to improve its stocks of onballers. Parish is the outside silky smooth ball winner with quick hands who also goes well on the inside; the other gets the hard ball inside the stoppages. Would one of them be claimed by the Demons? Parish's 2015 campaign stalled early when he broke a thumb. However, before that he was in fine form in two AIS Academy games against Northern Bullants and Werribee:- https://vimeo.com/127122213 https://vimeo.com/125095504 The injury caused him to miss the first two rounds of this year's Under 18's carnival but he came back from a seven week break to play for the Geelong Falcons in late May and gathered 25 disposals in his team's 10 goal win over the Western Jets. A week later he was repeating the dose for Victoria Country against Vic Metro in a game which was streamed live on the AFL site. Watch the replays of each quarter. http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q1 http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q2 http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q3 http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q4 Parish again recorded 25 possessions and with partner in crime Mathieson, dominated proceedings. Parish followed up this performance a week or so later against South Australia when he starred again with 24 disposals including seven inside-50 entries. He once again demonstrated quick hands and sure and precise execution. By foot, he regularly hit his targets. However, he was a bit of a disappointment in his next game, the televised return game v SA at Simonds Stadium where he was reduced to a mere nine touches. However, in that match, he was played off a half back flank and despite taking a few hits, he still showed the assuredness and poise that is part and parcel of his game even if he was subdued and played out of position. To prove that he's something special, he came back with a vengeance in the last game against Western Australia in a game where he was the dominant midfielder on the ground picking up 29 disposals. That display ensured his repeat selection in the All Australian team, a feat shared with Mathieson. The two midfielders continued to dominate their part of the ground at the Geelong Falcons and when Charlie Curnow rejoined them after his stint out with injury, there were high hopes that their team would feature in a classic TAC Cup finale against the well performed North Ballarat Rebels team with Jacob Hopper and Darcy Tucker. That was not to be however, with the Falcons going out in straight sets and the Rebels losing their preliminary final. If we are to develop a top line midfield, we could do a lot worse than draft this pair with picks 3 and 7 respectively. There are some however, who believe the club is interested in Curnow and that he could end up as one of the modern prototype tall midfielders. To me however, Parish is the stand out for pick three and I would not be unhappy if the club's recruiters took Mathieson with their second pick at seven (or whatever number it turns out to be after taking into account the bidding selections). There are too many imponderables to come out with a definitive second pick for Melbourne in this draft but I would be most surprised if Parish's name wasn't called out in three weeks time. His selection would give the club the best three midfielders available to the club from the last two drafts and set it up better in this area than at any time since the introduction of the draft system. The only other contender would be Curnow but on my viewing, the latter isn't even in the same parish. But Inside Football's Brett Anderson believes otherwise so in the interests of providing a semblance of balance, this is worth viewing. https://vimeo.com/136785936/description Here are the SEN Inside Football profiles of Parish, Mathieson and Curnow which are essentially quotes from their TAC Cup coach:- Unlike club recruiters, I'm not paid to follow up on a myriad of players from junior footy to Under 16s and 18s. I haven't spoken to their families, junior coaches, schoolteachers or seen them dozens of times live in games and on the training track or had the opportunity to interview the players themselves. And I must confess that not long ago I was over the moon that Melbourne had just drafted Jimmy Toumpas who was in my view "stolen" at pick four. Before him it was Tom Scully and a year earlier, Jack Watts was the next big thing. You can go back to Colin Sylvia and Brock McLean and even Travis Johnstone. They were all talented and all were going to be champions but one way or another, in that respect, they turned out to be failed early draft picks who were either wrong choices or not properly developed as footballers by the club. Those currently charged with the job of list management and recruiting seem to be doing something better in recent times so perhaps this time the club will get it right and develop an emerging midfield good enough to keep our forwards well fed and thereby to usher in a new era for the club.

Darcy Parish was always going to be highly sought after in light of his All Australian selection as a bottom ager in 2014, an achievement matched that year by his Geelong Falcons teammate Rhys Mathieson. The two are midfielders but they're different types and I have watched them from afar this year knowing at the back of my mind that it remained an imperative for Melbourne to continue to improve its stocks of onballers. Parish is the outside silky smooth ball winner with quick hands who also goes well on the inside; the other gets the hard ball inside the stoppages. Would one of them be claimed by the Demons? Parish's 2015 campaign stalled early when he broke a thumb. However, before that he was in fine form in two AIS Academy games against Northern Bullants and Werribee:- https://vimeo.com/127122213 https://vimeo.com/125095504 The injury caused him to miss the first two rounds of this year's Under 18's carnival but he came back from a seven week break to play for the Geelong Falcons in late May and gathered 25 disposals in his team's 10 goal win over the Western Jets. A week later he was repeating the dose for Victoria Country against Vic Metro in a game which was streamed live on the AFL site. Watch the replays of each quarter. http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q1 http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q2 http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q3 http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q4 Parish again recorded 25 possessions and with partner in crime Mathieson, dominated proceedings. Parish followed up this performance a week or so later against South Australia when he starred again with 24 disposals including seven inside-50 entries. He once again demonstrated quick hands and sure and precise execution. By foot, he regularly hit his targets. However, he was a bit of a disappointment in his next game, the televised return game v SA at Simonds Stadium where he was reduced to a mere nine touches. However, in that match, he was played off a half back flank and despite taking a few hits, he still showed the assuredness and poise that is part and parcel of his game even if he was subdued and played out of position. To prove that he's something special, he came back with a vengeance in the last game against Western Australia in a game where he was the dominant midfielder on the ground picking up 29 disposals. That display ensured his repeat selection in the All Australian team, a feat shared with Mathieson. The two midfielders continued to dominate their part of the ground at the Geelong Falcons and when Charlie Curnow rejoined them after his stint out with injury, there were high hopes that their team would feature in a classic TAC Cup finale against the well performed North Ballarat Rebels team with Jacob Hopper and Darcy Tucker. That was not to be however, with the Falcons going out in straight sets and the Rebels losing their preliminary final. If we are to develop a top line midfield, we could do a lot worse than draft this pair with picks 3 and 7 respectively. There are some however, who believe the club is interested in Curnow and that he could end up as one of the modern prototype tall midfielders. To me however, Parish is the stand out for pick three and I would not be unhappy if the club's recruiters took Mathieson with their second pick at seven (or whatever number it turns out to be after taking into account the bidding selections). There are too many imponderables to come out with a definitive second pick for Melbourne in this draft but I would be most surprised if Parish's name wasn't called out in three weeks time. His selection would give the club the best three midfielders available to the club from the last two drafts and set it up better in this area than at any time since the introduction of the draft system. The only other contender would be Curnow but on my viewing, the latter isn't even in the same parish. But Inside Football's Brett Anderson believes otherwise so in the interests of providing a semblance of balance, this is worth viewing. https://vimeo.com/136785936/description Here are the SEN Inside Football profiles of Parish, Mathieson and Curnow which are essentially quotes from their TAC Cup coach:- Unlike club recruiters, I'm not paid to follow up on a myriad of players from junior footy to Under 16s and 18s. I haven't spoken to their families, junior coaches, schoolteachers or seen them dozens of times live in games and on the training track or had the opportunity to interview the players themselves. And I must confess that not long ago I was over the moon that Melbourne had just drafted Jimmy Toumpas who was in my view "stolen" at pick four. Before him it was Tom Scully and a year earlier, Jack Watts was the next big thing. You can go back to Colin Sylvia and Brock McLean and even Travis Johnstone. They were all talented and all were going to be champions but one way or another, in that respect, they turned out to be failed early draft picks who were either wrong choices or not properly developed as footballers by the club. Those currently charged with the job of list management and recruiting seem to be doing something better in recent times so perhaps this time the club will get it right and develop an emerging midfield good enough to keep our forwards well fed and thereby to usher in a new era for the club.

CHANGES 2015 - no fish for you by The Oracle There were no big fish for the Melbourne Football Club when the trading period ended a fortnight or so ago. Indeed, it was more a case of steady as she goes as the Demons traded in three players from other clubs, introduced a Category B rookie and farewelled Jeremy Howe and Jimmy Toumpas who joined the retiring Daniel Cross and a group of delisted players Rohan Bail, Mark Jamar, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley and Jack Fitzpatrick who found a home at Hawthorn as a result of a trade for a late draft pick. Only two of the departing players were among the regulars in 2015. Cross was a special player in his two seasons at the club and his experienced cool head will be missed on field (he remains at the club in a coaching capacity) although, at age 32, he was slowing down. Howe played in all 22 home and away games in 2015 and was a top 10 finisher in the club best and fairest but there have always been question marks over his consistency and the one dimensional nature of his game. The newcomers are all said to have in common the fact that they are "goers" - the type coach Paul Roos has in the past fashioned from the not quite right at other clubs into integral pieces in the puzzle that makes a team successful. Jake Melksham and Ben Kennedy were originally first round draft picks while Tomas Bugg was an initial member of the GWS Giants squad when he was a pre-listed selection as an under age player from Gippsland Power in 2010. All three come with issues that in some ways place them in the "problematic" basket but the club has seen attributes in them that made their pursuit worthwhile. Melksham carries with him the baggage of the supplements scandal and still faces the possibility of a sanction at next month's CAS hearing into the events at Essendon in 2012. It has been said that the weight of the long running saga contributed immensely to the fall off in form of many young Bombers like him in recent seasons. A member of Vic Metro in the 2009 AFL National Under 18 Championships team and the Calder Cannons TAC Cup premiership side (and adjudged best-on-ground in the grand final win), Melksham was a top 10 pick in that year's draft. The 185cm midfielder was a Rising Star nominee in his first season, soon earned a regular spot in the Bombers' team and has played 114 games (57 goals) in his six seasons. He has at times been a prolific ball winner and once kicked the winning goal in a game against the undefeated Cats in a game in which he earned the three Brownlow votes. Kennedy was recruited by Collingwood from SANFL club Genelg with the 19th selection in the 2012 AFL Draft. The 21 year old has played 25 AFL games (15 goals). The 175cm 76kg small midfielder/forward was highly regarded as a youngster in South Australia for his strong contested ball winning ability with a real burst of speed but in his three years at the club, he failed to establish a place in the strong Magpie midfield. A contemporary of Jack Viney, Kennedy was always in the back of the club's mind and the club swooped to claim him in the hope of bringing out the potential as a rotating inside midfielder/forward who can score goals. The 22 year old Bugg has played 65 AFL games (16 goals) and is 184 cm, 80 kg. He joined the Giants in 2012 after finishing his schooling at Caulfield Grammar and won a Rising Star nomination in his first season. He has been a quiet achiever for the club over his four seasons, mainly in a negating role but has shown the ability to get forward at times and win his own ball through the middle. In 2014, he capped a solid season with a career-best 33 touches in his team's round 21 victory over the Demons and finished in 10th place in the Giant's best and fairest count. Little is known of the club's Category B addition basketballer Joel Smith, son of former player, Sean, but if he can emulate his father's high flying feats, he will be well on his way to replacing Jeremy Howe in that role at least. If there was no big fish for the club as a result of the trades, it certainly holds some trumps in the form of two top ten draft picks. The club is starting to turn around its record of failure at the draft table and if it can land some quality draftees later this month, the impact on team fortunes is likely to be significant in the near future if not immediately. The club's playing list for 2016 is shaping up this way:- PRIMARY LIST: Angus Brayshaw Chris Dawes Lynden Dunn Sam Frost Max Gawn Jeff Garlett Jack Grimes James Harmes Jesse Hogan Jayden Hunt Neville Jetta Matt Jones Nathan Jones Jay Kennedy-Harris Dean Kent Heritier Lumumba Oscar McDonald Tom McDonald Viv Michie Alex Neal-Bullen Ben Newton Christian Petracca Christian Salem Jake Spencer Billy Stretch Dean Terlich Jack Trengove Dom Tyson Aaron vandenBerg Bernie Vince Jack Viney Jack Watts ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A Max King Mitch White ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B Joel Smith There are currently only three places available on the Primary List and if this remains the case (there are still two further list lodgments to come) one would expect the vacancies will be filled later this month at the national draft with selections which are presently 3, 7 and 46 although the last of these will most certainly be a "live" selection in the 30s because of the operation of the bidding system for academy players and father/son selections. There seems to be no room at the moment for any delisted free agents or a pick in the pre season draft. There are also two rookie spots available for next month's rookie draft. The picture painted above reflects the fact that listwise the club has moved out of the eye of the storm and into calmer waters after several torrid seasons. The list is improving and the need for wholesale changes that is often evident in clubs that are in the early stages of a rebuilding phase is no longer there. At some stage in the near future, the club might snare a big fish, but for now, it waits to take advantage of the catch available as a result of some clever work during the trading period.

There were no big fish for the Melbourne Football Club when the trading period ended a fortnight or so ago. Indeed, it was more a case of steady as she goes as the Demons traded in three players from other clubs, introduced a Category B rookie and farewelled Jeremy Howe and Jimmy Toumpas who joined the retiring Daniel Cross and a group of delisted players Rohan Bail, Mark Jamar, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley and Jack Fitzpatrick who found a home at Hawthorn as a result of a trade for a late draft pick. Only two of the departing players were among the regulars in 2015. Cross was a special player in his two seasons at the club and his experienced cool head will be missed on field (he remains at the club in a coaching capacity) although, at age 32, he was slowing down. Howe played in all 22 home and away games in 2015 and was a top 10 finisher in the club best and fairest but there have always been question marks over his consistency and the one dimensional nature of his game. The newcomers are all said to have in common the fact that they are "goers" - the type coach Paul Roos has in the past fashioned from the not quite right at other clubs into integral pieces in the puzzle that makes a team successful. Jake Melksham and Ben Kennedy were originally first round draft picks while Tomas Bugg was an initial member of the GWS Giants squad when he was a pre-listed selection as an under age player from Gippsland Power in 2010. All three come with issues that in some ways place them in the "problematic" basket but the club has seen attributes in them that made their pursuit worthwhile. Melksham carries with him the baggage of the supplements scandal and still faces the possibility of a sanction at next month's CAS hearing into the events at Essendon in 2012. It has been said that the weight of the long running saga contributed immensely to the fall off in form of many young Bombers like him in recent seasons. A member of Vic Metro in the 2009 AFL National Under 18 Championships team and the Calder Cannons TAC Cup premiership side (and adjudged best-on-ground in the grand final win), Melksham was a top 10 pick in that year's draft. The 185cm midfielder was a Rising Star nominee in his first season, soon earned a regular spot in the Bombers' team and has played 114 games (57 goals) in his six seasons. He has at times been a prolific ball winner and once kicked the winning goal in a game against the undefeated Cats in a game in which he earned the three Brownlow votes. Kennedy was recruited by Collingwood from SANFL club Genelg with the 19th selection in the 2012 AFL Draft. The 21 year old has played 25 AFL games (15 goals). The 175cm 76kg small midfielder/forward was highly regarded as a youngster in South Australia for his strong contested ball winning ability with a real burst of speed but in his three years at the club, he failed to establish a place in the strong Magpie midfield. A contemporary of Jack Viney, Kennedy was always in the back of the club's mind and the club swooped to claim him in the hope of bringing out the potential as a rotating inside midfielder/forward who can score goals. The 22 year old Bugg has played 65 AFL games (16 goals) and is 184 cm, 80 kg. He joined the Giants in 2012 after finishing his schooling at Caulfield Grammar and won a Rising Star nomination in his first season. He has been a quiet achiever for the club over his four seasons, mainly in a negating role but has shown the ability to get forward at times and win his own ball through the middle. In 2014, he capped a solid season with a career-best 33 touches in his team's round 21 victory over the Demons and finished in 10th place in the Giant's best and fairest count. Little is known of the club's Category B addition basketballer Joel Smith, son of former player, Sean, but if he can emulate his father's high flying feats, he will be well on his way to replacing Jeremy Howe in that role at least. If there was no big fish for the club as a result of the trades, it certainly holds some trumps in the form of two top ten draft picks. The club is starting to turn around its record of failure at the draft table and if it can land some quality draftees later this month, the impact on team fortunes is likely to be significant in the near future if not immediately. The club's playing list for 2016 is shaping up this way:- PRIMARY LIST: Angus Brayshaw Chris Dawes Lynden Dunn Sam Frost Max Gawn Jeff Garlett Jack Grimes James Harmes Jesse Hogan Jayden Hunt Neville Jetta Matt Jones Nathan Jones Jay Kennedy-Harris Dean Kent Heritier Lumumba Oscar McDonald Tom McDonald Viv Michie Alex Neal-Bullen Ben Newton Christian Petracca Christian Salem Jake Spencer Billy Stretch Dean Terlich Jack Trengove Dom Tyson Aaron vandenBerg Bernie Vince Jack Viney Jack Watts ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A Max King Mitch White ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B Joel Smith There are currently only three places available on the Primary List and if this remains the case (there are still two further list lodgments to come) one would expect the vacancies will be filled later this month at the national draft with selections which are presently 3, 7 and 46 although the last of these will most certainly be a "live" selection in the 30s because of the operation of the bidding system for academy players and father/son selections. There seems to be no room at the moment for any delisted free agents or a pick in the pre season draft. There are also two rookie spots available for next month's rookie draft. The picture painted above reflects the fact that listwise the club has moved out of the eye of the storm and into calmer waters after several torrid seasons. The list is improving and the need for wholesale changes that is often evident in clubs that are in the early stages of a rebuilding phase is no longer there. At some stage in the near future, the club might snare a big fish, but for now, it waits to take advantage of the catch available as a result of some clever work during the trading period.

http://m.afl.com.au/fixture?teamId=CD_T90#tteam

On the matter of rookie promotions, I just had a look at the key dates thread and saw this for next Friday - That's the first time I noticed it but it suggests that unlike in the past few seasons, when rookie elevations were part of the national draft, this suggests that they have to be done by the end of next week.

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2015 Part Three: Poll Position by Whispering Jack If you're into the AFL trades and your head wasn't spinning before Wednesday then it would certainly have been rotating by the evening of the penultimate day of the free agency and trade period. That was the day on which the Demons added to the earlier acquisitions of Jake Melksham and Ben Kennedy by picking up the virtual poll position (pick 3) for the forthcoming national draft along with another top ten selection with pick 7 through trades with the the AFL's most recent franchise teams which also netted GWS hard nut Tom Bugg. I use the phrase "poll position" because it's a given that Carlton and Brisbane will follow the natural course and grab highly regarded key position players Jacob Weitering and Joshua Schache so Melbourne is in the box seat to take make its own choice as to best available player aside from perhaps, those kids from three of the four northern club academies most likely to be taken through the bidding process. Beyond that, there's a longish break to picks 46 and 50 in what has been described as a "shallow draft" although the latter selection might be used to upgrade a rookie like Aaron vandenBerg or James Harmes or possibly to take a delisted free agent. The situation remains that the club has managed to improve its draft position whereby it is in a position to take two of the country's elite youth (and hopefully the Roos era will continue to produce and develop the goods and not the duds as happened all too often before him) and gained three seasoned players regarded as "goers" who can lift it into the middle third of the competition next year. The cost in terms of players was negligible at least in the eyes of the club. Despite Jeremy Howe's top ten "Bluey" finish, the club baulked at his contractual demands and Jimmy Toumpas has never come close to matching the high hopes held for him when drafted at pick 4 in 2013. Perhaps he will be happier back home in Adelaide. The recruiting team could end up with egg on its face if the team goes belly up in 2016 and finds that the first-rounder given away to enable that second top ten selection this year turns out to be one of the year's top picks but they're clearly happy to back themselves in on that score. In the meantime, they have left the door open for further excitement in the lead up to the national draft meeting to be held in Adelaide this year. There will be plenty of speculation about pick 3. Will it be Darcy Parish, Aaron Francis, Charlie Curnow, Rhys Mathieson or another? And wouldn't it be ironic if the Demons used pick 7, originally held by Collingwood to secure the grandson of the Magpie great who was such a thorn in their side more than five decades ago and whose effort in the 1958 grand final was one of the main reasons that the club was prevented from recording six consecutive premierships? The free agency and trade period will be known as the one in which most clubs can come away saying they got their man. It was always common knowledge that Melbourne wanted the trio they snared in the past seven days. Geelong snared Dangerfield and three more seasoned footballers who wanted to go to Sleepy Hollow, Collingwood and Essendon finally got their men in Adam Treloar and Jake Carlisle (the latter with some apparently unintended baggage) and Carlton seemingly added to their trophy playing list of NQR's which hopefully for the Blues will buck recent trading trends. Good luck with that! And with WADA's appeal to CAS less than a month away, the Bombers will be upbeat about the fact that retirements and departures have reduced the original 34 Bomber accused to possibly a third of that number at the club still facing sanctions. And of course, they're counting their blessings over the Carlisle trade. The Melbourne primary list at the end of the week has five current vacancies although Aaron vandenBerg and, possibly James Harmes, will be added formally at draft time. As a final bonus the club also announced that it had secured Joel Smith (son of high flyer of the 90s Shaun Smith) as a category B rookie player not registered in an Australian football competition for three years. If he can jump like his old man, he'll be a more than useful replacement for Howe. The question remains open however, as to whether the club decides to make available any further list positions, a course that would entail negotiating a contract termination - always a sensitive matter at a football club. 2016 MELBOURNE LIST Primary list 1. Brayshaw, Angus 2. Bugg, Thomas 3. Dawes, Chris 4. Dunn, Lynden 5. Frost, Sam 6. Garland, Colin 7. Garlett, Jeff 8. Gawn, Max 9. Grimes, Jack 10. Hogan, Jesse 11. Hunt, Jayden 12. Jetta, Neville 13. Jones, Matt 14. Jones, Nathan 15. Kennedy, Ben 16. Kennedy-Harris, Jay 17. Kent, Dean 18. Lumumba, Heritier 19. McDonald, Tom 20. McDonald, Oscar 21. Melksham, Jake 22. Michie, Viv 23. Neal-Bullen, Alex 24. Newton, Ben 25. Pedersen, Cameron 26. Petracca, Christian 27. Salem, Christian 28. Spencer, Jake 29. Stretch, Billy 30. Terlich, Dean 31. Trengove, Jack 32. Tyson, Dom 33. Vince, Bernie 34. Viney, Jack 35. Watts, Jack 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. Rookie list 41. Harmes, James 42. King, Max 43. vandenBerg, Aaron 44. White, Mitch 45. Joel Smith (Category B) ARRIVALS Trade period: Tom Bugg (GWS Giants) Ben Kennedy (Collingwood) Jake Melksham (Essendon) Category B Rookie: Joel Smith DEPARTURES Retired: Daniel Cross Trade period: Jack Fitzpatrick (Hawthorn) Jeremy Howe (Collingwood) Jimmy Toumpas (Port Adelaide) Delisted: Rohan Bail Mark Jamar Jordie McKenzie Aidan Riley

If you're into the AFL trades and your head wasn't spinning before Wednesday then it would certainly have been rotating by the evening of the penultimate day of the free agency and trade period. That was the day on which the Demons added to the earlier acquisitions of Jake Melksham and Ben Kennedy by picking up the virtual poll position (pick 3) for the forthcoming national draft along with another top ten selection with pick 7 through trades with the the AFL's most recent franchise teams which also netted GWS hard nut Tom Bugg. I use the phrase "poll position" because it's a given that Carlton and Brisbane will follow the natural course and grab highly regarded key position players Jacob Weitering and Joshua Schache so Melbourne is in the box seat to take make its own choice as to best available player aside from perhaps, those kids from three of the four northern club academies most likely to be taken through the bidding process. Beyond that, there's a longish break to picks 46 and 50 in what has been described as a "shallow draft" although the latter selection might be used to upgrade a rookie like Aaron vandenBerg or James Harmes or possibly to take a delisted free agent. The situation remains that the club has managed to improve its draft position whereby it is in a position to take two of the country's elite youth (and hopefully the Roos era will continue to produce and develop the goods and not the duds as happened all too often before him) and gained three seasoned players regarded as "goers" who can lift it into the middle third of the competition next year. The cost in terms of players was negligible at least in the eyes of the club. Despite Jeremy Howe's top ten "Bluey" finish, the club baulked at his contractual demands and Jimmy Toumpas has never come close to matching the high hopes held for him when drafted at pick 4 in 2013. Perhaps he will be happier back home in Adelaide. The recruiting team could end up with egg on its face if the team goes belly up in 2016 and finds that the first-rounder given away to enable that second top ten selection this year turns out to be one of the year's top picks but they're clearly happy to back themselves in on that score. In the meantime, they have left the door open for further excitement in the lead up to the national draft meeting to be held in Adelaide this year. There will be plenty of speculation about pick 3. Will it be Darcy Parish, Aaron Francis, Charlie Curnow, Rhys Mathieson or another? And wouldn't it be ironic if the Demons used pick 7, originally held by Collingwood to secure the grandson of the Magpie great who was such a thorn in their side more than five decades ago and whose effort in the 1958 grand final was one of the main reasons that the club was prevented from recording six consecutive premierships? The free agency and trade period will be known as the one in which most clubs can come away saying they got their man. It was always common knowledge that Melbourne wanted the trio they snared in the past seven days. Geelong snared Dangerfield and three more seasoned footballers who wanted to go to Sleepy Hollow, Collingwood and Essendon finally got their men in Adam Treloar and Jake Carlisle (the latter with some apparently unintended baggage) and Carlton seemingly added to their trophy playing list of NQR's which hopefully for the Blues will buck recent trading trends. Good luck with that! And with WADA's appeal to CAS less than a month away, the Bombers will be upbeat about the fact that retirements and departures have reduced the original 34 Bomber accused to possibly a third of that number at the club still facing sanctions. And of course, they're counting their blessings over the Carlisle trade. The Melbourne primary list at the end of the week has five current vacancies although Aaron vandenBerg and, possibly James Harmes, will be added formally at draft time. As a final bonus the club also announced that it had secured Joel Smith (son of high flyer of the 90s Shaun Smith) as a category B rookie player not registered in an Australian football competition for three years. If he can jump like his old man, he'll be a more than useful replacement for Howe. The question remains open however, as to whether the club decides to make available any further list positions, a course that would entail negotiating a contract termination - always a sensitive matter at a football club. 2016 MELBOURNE LIST Primary list 1. Brayshaw, Angus 2. Bugg, Thomas 3. Dawes, Chris 4. Dunn, Lynden 5. Frost, Sam 6. Garland, Colin 7. Garlett, Jeff 8. Gawn, Max 9. Grimes, Jack 10. Hogan, Jesse 11. Hunt, Jayden 12. Jetta, Neville 13. Jones, Matt 14. Jones, Nathan 15. Kennedy, Ben 16. Kennedy-Harris, Jay 17. Kent, Dean 18. Lumumba, Heritier 19. McDonald, Tom 20. McDonald, Oscar 21. Melksham, Jake 22. Michie, Viv 23. Neal-Bullen, Alex 24. Newton, Ben 25. Pedersen, Cameron 26. Petracca, Christian 27. Salem, Christian 28. Spencer, Jake 29. Stretch, Billy 30. Terlich, Dean 31. Trengove, Jack 32. Tyson, Dom 33. Vince, Bernie 34. Viney, Jack 35. Watts, Jack 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. Rookie list 41. Harmes, James 42. King, Max 43. vandenBerg, Aaron 44. White, Mitch 45. Joel Smith (Category B) ARRIVALS Trade period: Tom Bugg (GWS Giants) Ben Kennedy (Collingwood) Jake Melksham (Essendon) Category B Rookie: Joel Smith DEPARTURES Retired: Daniel Cross Trade period: Jack Fitzpatrick (Hawthorn) Jeremy Howe (Collingwood) Jimmy Toumpas (Port Adelaide) Delisted: Rohan Bail Mark Jamar Jordie McKenzie Aidan Riley

Suddenly, we have National Draft picks 3 and 7. Time to upgrade the thread title and of course, to discuss ...

On his Twitter feed, Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley described the biggest (and the first) trade of the year in this way: "Bravo to Geelong and Adelaide handling the Dangerfield trade. Professional, respectful to the player and win/win for each club #kudos". The only reason I can put forward to support the view that the deal is a win for both sides is because it is perceived to be so by many in the media and the public. But the Cats finished with a 25 year old dynamo - an elite player in the competition and parted with only national draft pick 9 and an untried 19-year-old. They also received pick 50 for good measure. Adelaide's "win" was essentially a four place upgrade over and above the one it would have received had the free agency compensation rules applied. That's some win given that Melbourne received selection 3 for James Frawley last year. On that basis, the Crows were clearly forced into a deal for what was well below what one would otherwise consider to be the true market price for someone of Dangerfield's calibre! The situation once again highlights the inadequacy of free agency compensation rules and the need for reform in that area. There are some who maintain that compensation should be removed altogether, especially in regard to unrestricted free agents. The problem is that in general, the main beneficiaries of free agency to date have been the stronger clubs. Remove the compensation and the weaker clubs will languish even further so if you really want to even up the competition, that aspect needs to be considered as well. But getting back to Buckley, it's interesting that his own club has yet to enter the AFL post season trading room with a finalised deal. This is not for a want of customers lining up to be traded to or from the club. The Pies have been mentioned as the suitor of choice in three high profile potential trades for Adam Treloar, James Aish and Jeremy Howe. On the other side of the ledger, there are at least three who want out although they are hardly as high profile as the above trio. Nathan Freeman, Ben Kennedy and Paul Seedsman have all been mentioned in dispatches as wanting to leave for other clubs leaving the Magpies in a quandary. In assessing the draft value of these players it's obvious that the Magpies will have to give up a lot more than they will get (assuming that they act professionally as Buckley would prefer). Any dealing these days is fairly intricate because there are some additional factors to be taken into account. Clubs can now trade future draft picks and some clubs also have to take into account the points system for academy and father/son player bidding. This factor has been mentioned as uppermost in the mind of GWS which has a raft of quality academy players in this year's crop so the Giants will definitely be after picks in any Treloar deal. That makes the dealing involving Collingwood so complex and it's why a number of potential trades appear to be in limbo as we pass the halfway mark of the free agency and player trade period. We are just going to have to wait and see how things unfold in the coming week. From Melbourne's point of view, the club is waiting upon the goings on at Collingwood to unravel as they involve Howe (going out) and Kennedy (coming in). Despite Melbourne Football Operations Manager Josh Mahoney's claim that the two were not dependent on each other, they are connected by the Magpies' situation. Indeed there are reports this morning of a massive multi-club deal which would (among others) involve Jimmy Toumpas moving to Port Adelaide and therefore would also resolve most of the issues surrounding the Demons' mooted trade movements at one fell swoop. The departures of Howe and Toumpas and the arrival of Kennedy should result in an improvement in the club's draft position leaving it in a slightly better position than before it traded pick 25 from Jake Melksham. There is also talk of the club trading in for GWS's Tom Bugg but since the start of the week there have been very little indication of any surprise moves afoot at the club. Hence, the 2016 Melbourne lists look like this at the present time: Primary list 1. Brayshaw, Angus 2. Dawes, Chris 3. Dunn, Lynden 4. Frost, Sam 5. Garland, Colin 6. Garlett, Jeff 7. Gawn, Max 8. Grimes, Jack 9. Hogan, Jesse 10. Howe, Jeremy 11. Hunt, Jayden 12. Jetta, Neville 13. Jones, Matt 14. Jones, Nathan 15. Kennedy-Harris, Jay 16. Kent, Dean 17. Lumumba, Heritier 18. McDonald, Tom 19. McDonald, Oscar 20. Melksham, Jake 21. Michie, Viv 22. Neal-Bullen, Alex 23. Newton, Ben 24. Pedersen, Cameron 25. Petracca, Christian 26. Salem, Christian 27. Spencer, Jake 28. Stretch, Billy 29. Terlich, Dean 30. Toumpas, Jimmy 31. Trengove, Jack 32. Tyson, Dom 33. Vince, Bernie 34. Viney, Jack 35. Watts, Jack 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. Rookie list 41. Harmes, James 42. King, Max 43. vandenBerg, Aaron 44. White, Mitch ARRIVALS Trade period: Jake Melksham (Essendon) DEPARTURES Retired: Daniel Cross Trade period: Delisted: Rohan Bail, Jack Fitzpatrick, Mark Jamar, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2015 Part Two: One Fell Swoop by The Oracle On his Twitter feed, Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley described the biggest (and the first) trade of the year in this way: "Bravo to Geelong and Adelaide handling the Dangerfield trade. Professional, respectful to the player and win/win for each club #kudos". The only reason I can put forward to support the view that the deal is a win for both sides is because it is perceived to be so by many in the media and the public. But the Cats finished with a 25 year old dynamo - an elite player in the competition and parted with only national draft pick 9 and an untried 19-year-old. They also received pick 50 for good measure. Adelaide's "win" was essentially a four place upgrade over and above the one it would have received had the free agency compensation rules applied. That's some win given that Melbourne received selection 3 for James Frawley last year. On that basis, the Crows were clearly forced into a deal for what was well below what one would otherwise consider to be the true market price for someone of Dangerfield's calibre! The situation once again highlights the inadequacy of free agency compensation rules and the need for reform in that area. There are some who maintain that compensation should be removed altogether, especially in regard to unrestricted free agents. The problem is that in general, the main beneficiaries of free agency to date have been the stronger clubs. Remove the compensation and the weaker clubs will languish even further so if you really want to even up the competition, that aspect needs to be considered as well. But getting back to Buckley, it's interesting that his own club has yet to enter the AFL post season trading room with a finalised deal. This is not for a want of customers lining up to be traded to or from the club. The Pies have been mentioned as the suitor of choice in three high profile potential trades for Adam Treloar, James Aish and Jeremy Howe. On the other side of the ledger, there are at least three who want out although they are hardly as high profile as the above trio. Nathan Freeman, Ben Kennedy and Paul Seedsman have all been mentioned in dispatches as wanting to leave for other clubs leaving the Magpies in a quandary. In assessing the draft value of these players it's obvious that the Magpies will have to give up a lot more than they will get (assuming that they act professionally as Buckley would prefer). Any dealing these days is fairly intricate because there are some additional factors to be taken into account. Clubs can now trade future draft picks and some clubs also have to take into account the points system for academy and father/son player bidding. This factor has been mentioned as uppermost in the mind of GWS which has a raft of quality academy players in this year's crop so the Giants will definitely be after picks in any Treloar deal. That makes the dealing involving Collingwood so complex and it's why a number of potential trades appear to be in limbo as we pass the halfway mark of the free agency and player trade period. We are just going to have to wait and see how things unfold in the coming week. From Melbourne's point of view, the club is waiting upon the goings on at Collingwood to unravel as they involve Howe (going out) and Kennedy (coming in). Despite Melbourne Football Operations Manager Josh Mahoney's claim that the two were not dependent on each other, they are connected by the Magpies' situation. Indeed there are reports this morning of a massive multi-club deal which would (among others) involve Jimmy Toumpas moving to Port Adelaide and therefore would also resolve most of the issues surrounding the Demons' mooted trade movements at one fell swoop. The departures of Howe and Toumpas and the arrival of Kennedy should result in an improvement in the club's draft position leaving it in a slightly better position than before it traded pick 25 from Jake Melksham. There is also talk of the club trading in for GWS's Tom Bugg but since the start of the week there have been very little indication of any surprise moves afoot at the club. Hence, the 2016 Melbourne lists look like this at the present time: Primary list 1. Brayshaw, Angus 2. Dawes, Chris 3. Dunn, Lynden 4. Frost, Sam 5. Garland, Colin 6. Garlett, Jeff 7. Gawn, Max 8. Grimes, Jack 9. Hogan, Jesse 10. Howe, Jeremy 11. Hunt, Jayden 12. Jetta, Neville 13. Jones, Matt 14. Jones, Nathan 15. Kennedy-Harris, Jay 16. Kent, Dean 17. Lumumba, Heritier 18. McDonald, Tom 19. McDonald, Oscar 20. Melksham, Jake 21. Michie, Viv 22. Neal-Bullen, Alex 23. Newton, Ben 24. Pedersen, Cameron 25. Petracca, Christian 26. Salem, Christian 27. Spencer, Jake 28. Stretch, Billy 29. Terlich, Dean 30. Toumpas, Jimmy 31. Trengove, Jack 32. Tyson, Dom 33. Vince, Bernie 34. Viney, Jack 35. Watts, Jack 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. Rookie list 41. Harmes, James 42. King, Max 43. vandenBerg, Aaron 44. White, Mitch ARRIVALS Trade period: Jake Melksham (Essendon) DEPARTURES Retired: Daniel Cross Trade period: Delisted: Rohan Bail, Jack Fitzpatrick, Mark Jamar, Jordie McKenzie, Aidan Riley

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2015 Part One: The Bemm River Report by Whispering Jack Pardon me for bringing up the past but the modern AFL version of recruiting players by way of a free agency and trade period leading up to a draft meeting a month later leaves me cold and longing for the good, old days ... The post modern era of social media and instant news reports on fast rotation means that every snippet of information on player movement whether truth or rumour, whether substantiated or otherwise gets eaten up, digested and spat out within moments. If you happen to be working on a given morning without access to a computer screen during this week then you will probably miss very out on very little action. What you will miss however, are the endless volumes of meaningless discussion on the merits of any given piece of cattle placed on the meat market by someone in the crowd. And never mind that the person mentioned is a required player and happy at his club on a solid contract with no intention of leaving. It was much better in the old days. You got your news from the daily newspaper or on Sunday mornings from Jack Dyer and Lou Richards on their World of Sport segment, the Bemm River Report which, much like what you read on the Internet these days, was 90% gossip and speculation and if you were lucky, about 10% was stuff that the two of them didn't make up earlier in the morning. Every once in a while, they might drop a bombshell and the story would turn out to be factual but by and large, nothing much ever happened. The boys hardly ever caught a fish, let alone a big one. Back in the 80s the VFL clubs recruited from the metropolitan or country zones and the ones like Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond and sometimes North would bring out the cheque book and buy a player from interstate or another VFL club and of course, you could recruit to your heart's content until 30 June so the rumour mill would turn ever so slowly for a much longer period of time ... but that was the way of the world. Today, we've been taken over by concepts imported from elsewhere, mainly from the U. S of A. There's the Draft Combine, Free Agency, the Drafts, Rookies and now this business about academy bidding which involves input from a computer programme whirring out numbers to determine a player's future. It was so much less complicated when you could just sit on a riverbank, talk nonsense and, from a Melbourne perspective, be bored as hell because nothing would ever happen - just like the opening days of this trade week. The Oracle will be back later to take up the Trading Chronicles cause and report when something really does happen.

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2015 Part One: The Bemm River Report by Whispering Jack Pardon me for bringing up the past but the modern AFL version of recruiting players by way of a free agency and trade period leading up to a draft meeting a month later leaves me cold and longing for the good, old days ... The post modern era of social media and instant news reports on fast rotation means that every snippet of information on player movement whether truth or rumour, whether substantiated or otherwise gets eaten up, digested and spat out within moments. If you happen to be working on a given morning without access to a computer screen during this week then you will probably miss very out on very little action. What you will miss however, are the endless volumes of meaningless discussion on the merits of any given piece of cattle placed on the meat market by someone in the crowd. And never mind that the person mentioned is a required player and happy at his club on a solid contract with no intention of leaving. It was much better in the old days. You got your news from the daily newspaper or on Sunday mornings from Jack Dyer and Lou Richards on their World of Sport segment, the Bemm River Report which, much like what you read on the Internet these days, was 90% gossip and speculation and if you were lucky, about 10% was stuff that the two of them didn't make up earlier in the morning. Every once in a while, they might drop a bombshell and the story would turn out to be factual but by and large, nothing much ever happened. The boys hardly ever caught a fish, let alone a big one. Back in the 80s the VFL clubs recruited from the metropolitan or country zones and the ones like Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond and sometimes North would bring out the cheque book and buy a player from interstate or another VFL club and of course, you could recruit to your heart's content until 30 June so the rumour mill would turn ever so slowly for a much longer period of time ... but that was the way of the world. Today, we've been taken over by concepts imported from elsewhere, mainly from the U. S of A. There's the Draft Combine, Free Agency, the Drafts, Rookies and now this business about academy bidding which involves input from a computer programme whirring out numbers to determine a player's future. It was so much less complicated when you could just sit on a riverbank, talk nonsense and, from a Melbourne perspective, be bored as hell because nothing would ever happen - just like the opening days of this trade week. The Oracle will be back later to take up the Trading Chronicles cause and report when something really does happen.

It's time to thank all those who have contributed to Demonland during the past season and to all those who post here or simply visit and read without posting. We value your contributions and ongoing support - especially to Nasher who keeps us going on the technical side, to our moderators whose task is often thankless - especially so when we go through yet another season where the wins are outweighed by the losses. Special thanks to our regular contributors, Whispering Jack, George on The Outer, The Oracle, JVM, KC from Casey and all others who have contributed. Once again they have had to report on games and subjects that have been difficult to write about in 2015 because of our club's lack of on field success. We're all looking forward to a bigger and better season in 2016 and that the stories and news we bring you will be more uplifting and exciting than those gone by in recent times. We are always looking out for new contributors who have something to say about the mighty Demons. If you want to contribute an article feel free to contact me via PM. Cheers & thanks again. Andy

Thanks - the error has been corrected.

Beat the Bulldogs' great hope Tom Boyd pointless but two weeks later, his tunnel ball throw against the Magpies was costly for the team and for his future at the club. He spent the rest of the season at Casey and was delisted soon after season's end. Games MFC 2015 3 Career Total 22 Goals MFC 2015 2 Career Total 24 Games CSFC 2015 13 Goals CSFC 2015 6 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 20 votes

The lanky King is one of the club's long term development players. He is mobile, can take a mark and is an accurate kick for goal. Will remain a rookie in 2016. Games MFC 2015 0 Career Total 0 Goals MFC 2015 0 Career Total 0 Games CSFC 2015 8 Goals CSFC 2015 13 Games CSFC 2015 DL 6 Goals CSFC 2015 DL 17

Viney is on the Marngrook Footy Show tonight as part of the panel.

Spent his entire season playing at VFL level which suggests that he is well on the outer at the club. Games MFC 2015 0 Career Total 35 Goals MFC 2015 0 Career Total 2 Games CSFC 2015 18 Goals CSFC 2015 3