Demonland

Dunn.

Was shaping up as a big improver when he suffered a bad hamstring tear which virtually ended his season although he returned late for some games at Casey. Games MFC 2015 4 Career Total 32 Goals MFC 2015 2 Career Total 24 Games CSFC 2015 3 Goals CSFC 2015 0 Games CSFC DL 2015 1 Goals CSFC DL 2015 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 9 votes

The lightly built outside runner with great balance and poise made a promising debut early in the season and is settling in well. Shows great ability to weave his way through congestion and if he can build himself up physically, will be set for a long career. Games MFC 2015 11 Career Total 11 Goals MFC 2015 2 Career Total 2 Games CSFC 2015 5 Goals CSFC 2015 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 34 votes

Only showed glimpses of his stellar 2014 form in his second year at the club and was injured in the latter part of the season. Will be looking to come back to his best and beyond with a strong pre season. Games MFC 2015 15 Career Total 50 Goals MFC 2015 6 Career Total 24 Games CSFC 2015 1 Goals CSFC 2015 0 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 130 votes

One of the success stories of the year, Gawn was languishing at Casey in the first half of the season but made the #1 ruck spot his own when he finally got his chance. To finish 12th in the Bluey was a great achievement off only 13 games and all indications are that he is capable of taking the steps necessary to become an elite ruckman in the competition. Games MFC 2015 13 Career Total 39 Goals MFC 2015 6 Career Total 18 Games CSFC 2015 6 Goals CSFC 2015 8 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 134 votes

A quality player and a quality character who had a fantastic debut season and looms as a future elite midfielder and a leader at the club. Came fifth in the NAB Rising Star award and narrowly missed a top ten club champion award placing. Games MFC 2015 21 Career Total 21 Goals MFC 2015 5 Career Total 5 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 146 votes

The former co-captain has not played since he underwent surgery to repair a navicular injury in his left foot early in the 2014 season. Twelve months ago, he was nearly traded to Richmond but that was aborted when he failed his medical and required further surgery to have a screw removed from the foot and a bone graft. Has worked hard in his recovery and was rewarded with a contract extension and a shared club trophy for leadership on Bluey night. Hopes to be back as good as gold for round 1 next year. Games MFC 2015 0 Career Total 81 Goals MFC 2015 0 Career Total 38

The former Collingwood premiership player and 2010 All Australian probably didn't light up the MCG as promised early in the season and although a little disappointing, still added some great rebound out of defence and provided some excellent off field leadership. Games MFC 2015 19 Career Total 218 Goals MFC 2015 2 Career Total 230 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 112 votes

"Effectively missed a third of the season, given he was injured from rounds three to eight and was substitute upon return against Port Adelaide in round nine. The fact that he played 16 of 22 matches and still managed to finish runner-up and fall short of equaling Vince by the narrowest of margin was testament to his exceptional form in the games he played." Games MFC 2015 16 Career Total 49 Goals MFC 2015 3 Career Total 11 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 327 votes (Runner up club champion Syd Anderson Memorial Trophy) * quote from MFC site

UPSETS IN TAC CUP by Whispering Jack TAC Cup Semi Day was a day of upsets with the more highly credentialed teams in both games bowing out of the finals series. The wind was occasionally swirly but the conditions at IKON Park were fine enough to have suited good football. However, the standard of both games never reached great heights, leaving one to wonder whether this marks a general downward trend in the junior ranks of the game where other sports are attracting greater numbers or whether it was simply the pressure of a tough, hard elimination series. At least the tussle between the Murray Bushrangers and the Oakleigh Chargers was close with the Chargers winning by a solitary goal although they were in control after the main break after a close first half. The Bushies were coming back strongly at the end and goaled on the siren but they were outplayed in the third quarter when it really counted. Oakleigh deserved the win because it came up with a great team effort in which very few players stood out but they all combined to produce a winning outcome. The Chargers' on-ballers Kade Answerth and David Cunningham looked the best of the bunch but I'm not certain whether they're draftable. Diminutive Lachie Byrne-Jones showed great pace but at 170cm he will also struggle to attract support from recruiters. On the other hand, there were some outstanding individuals in the losing team. We all know Josh Schache is a leading contender for the #1 draft pick in November and that his reputation is partly built on straight shooting for goal but that wasn't in evidence early when the big key forward kicked three behinds in the first half. The left footer was played all over the ground and was more comfortable up forward in the second half when he finally rammed home a couple of goals. Morrish Medallist Clayton Oliver is a 187cm midfielder who has played senior football in the country as well as a couple of games for Richmond's VFL team as a 23rd player. In one game for the Bushrangers this season he booted six goals from the middle picking up 27 disposals and six clearances. He is strongly built and plays in the style of another Oliver - Wines from Port Adelaide and the weekend's events should see him move into the top twenty in draft calculations. Murray Bushrangers 2.4 3.9 5.12 9.13 (67) Oakleigh Chargers 2.4 4.6 7.10 10.13 (73) GOALS: Murray Bushrangers: Oliver 2 Schache 2 Smith Tiziani Payne McMullan Smith Oakleigh Chargers: Phillips 2 Walker 2 Byrne-Jones Thompson Kerr Ridley Lane Cuningham BEST: Murray Bushrangers: Tiziani Oliver Waite Schache Payne Brodie Oakleigh Chargers: Byrne-Jones Answerth Beddison Walker Phillips Firns The second game was disappointing as a spectacle and once again it was won by an underdog that played consistent team football but this time the Ranges took the lead early and dominated throughout to win by 10 goals. I came to the ground expecting big things from Falcons players Darcy Parish, Charlie Curnow and Rhys Mathieson who are all high in draft calculations but they were overshadowed by a dominant performance from Ryan Clark of the Ranges. The midfielder was in everything, tackling hard, running hard and leading the team both inside and out. Considering that I haven't seen him in top 20 draft calculations, he was something of a revelation. He was good enough to make it into TAC Cup Team of the Year so it's clear that he's had a consistent season. Medium/small forward Blake Hardwick kicked three goals and always looked dangerous in front of goal. Darcy Parish wasn't prolific but he is all class, can play inside and out has a great future in the game. His partner in crime Rhys Mathieson has great presence, works hard and can hold his head high despite his team's loss. Although they played in a losing team, I've seen enough of them in the middle for Vic Country in the Under 18 National Championships to be able to say that, along with a couple of northern academy midfielders (Mills and Hopper), they are the cream of the crop in this age group. The third of the noted Falcons Charlie Curnow had a poor day after a solid start with some early marks but his kicking let him down. Geelong Falcons 1.4 3.6 4.12 6.14 (50) Eastern Ranges 4.0 7.3 10.8 15.14 (104) GOALS: Geelong Falcons: McCartney 2 Kol Mathieson Blair Wagener Eastern Ranges: Hardwick 3 Brolic 2 Stephenson 2 Collins D Clarke Mitchener Cerra Cotte Gallucci Cyster Hannon BEST: Geelong Falcons: Doedee Witherden Wagener Connors McNamara Kershaw Eastern Ranges: R Clarke D Clarke Maibaum Collins Mitchener Parsons My take from my limited viewing of the 2015 draft pool to date (the Under 18 National Championships matches shown on Foxtel, a streamed game on the AFL site and these two games) is that I would not be surprised if Melbourne was to trade away its first draft pick if the opportunity arose to pick up a quality player by way of trade. It's not so much that the players mentioned in dispatches around the mark where the Demons' first choice is likely to be aren't of interest but because you might not lose a great deal going down the order a dozen spots. With names like Oliver, Clarke, Bonner, Milera and Weideman available a little later in the order, we could be looking once again at a trade like that which brought Dom Tyson and Christian Salem to the club two years ago. TAC Cup Finals Wrap: Week Two Review

TAC Cup Semi Day was a day of upsets with the more highly credentialed teams in both games bowing out of the finals series. The wind was occasionally swirly but the conditions at IKON Park were fine enough to have suited good football. However, the standard of both games never reached great heights, leaving one to wonder whether this marks a general downward trend in the junior ranks of the game where other sports are attracting greater numbers or whether it was simply the pressure of a tough, hard elimination series. At least the tussle between the Murray Bushrangers and the Oakleigh Chargers was close with the Chargers winning by a solitary goal although they were in control after the main break after a close first half. The Bushies were coming back strongly at the end and goaled on the siren but they were outplayed in the third quarter when it really counted. Oakleigh deserved the win because it came up with a great team effort in which very few players stood out but they all combined to produce a winning outcome. The Chargers' on-ballers Kade Answerth and David Cunningham looked the best of the bunch but I'm not certain whether they're draftable. Diminutive Lachie Byrne-Jones showed great pace but at 170cm he will also struggle to attract support from recruiters. On the other hand, there were some outstanding individuals in the losing team. We all know Josh Schache is a leading contender for the #1 draft pick in November and that his reputation is partly built on straight shooting for goal but that wasn't in evidence early when the big key forward kicked three behinds in the first half. The left footer was played all over the ground and was more comfortable up forward in the second half when he finally rammed home a couple of goals. Morrish Medallist Clayton Oliver is a 187cm midfielder who has played senior football in the country as well as a couple of games for Richmond's VFL team as a 23rd player. In one game for the Bushrangers this season he booted six goals from the middle picking up 27 disposals and six clearances. He is strongly built and plays in the style of another Oliver - Wines from Port Adelaide and the weekend's events should see him move into the top twenty in draft calculations. Murray Bushrangers 2.4 3.9 5.12 9.13 (67) Oakleigh Chargers 2.4 4.6 7.10 10.13 (73) GOALS: Murray Bushrangers: Oliver 2 Schache 2 Smith Tiziani Payne McMullan Smith Oakleigh Chargers: Phillips 2 Walker 2 Byrne-Jones Thompson Kerr Ridley Lane Cuningham BEST: Murray Bushrangers: Tiziani Oliver Waite Schache Payne Brodie Oakleigh Chargers: Byrne-Jones Answerth Beddison Walker Phillips Firns The second game was disappointing as a spectacle and once again it was won by an underdog that played consistent team football but this time the Ranges took the lead early and dominated throughout to win by 10 goals. I came to the ground expecting big things from Falcons players Darcy Parish, Charlie Curnow and Rhys Mathieson who are all high in draft calculations but they were overshadowed by a dominant performance from Ryan Clark of the Ranges. The midfielder was in everything, tackling hard, running hard and leading the team both inside and out. Considering that I haven't seen him in top 20 draft calculations, he was something of a revelation. He was good enough to make it into TAC Cup Team of the Year so it's clear that he's had a consistent season. Medium/small forward Blake Hardwick kicked three goals and always looked dangerous in front of goal. Darcy Parish wasn't prolific but he is all class, can play inside and out has a great future in the game. His partner in crime Rhys Mathieson has great presence, works hard and can hold his head high despite his team's loss. Although they played in a losing team, I've seen enough of them in the middle for Vic Country in the Under 18 National Championships to be able to say that, along with a couple of northern academy midfielders (Mills and Hopper), they are the cream of the crop in this age group. The third of the noted Falcons Charlie Curnow had a poor day after a solid start with some early marks but his kicking let him down. Geelong Falcons 1.4 3.6 4.12 6.14 (50) Eastern Ranges 4.0 7.3 10.8 15.14 (104) GOALS: Geelong Falcons: McCartney 2 Kol Mathieson Blair Wagener Eastern Ranges: Hardwick 3 Brolic 2 Stephenson 2 Collins D Clarke Mitchener Cerra Cotte Gallucci Cyster Hannon BEST: Geelong Falcons: Doedee Witherden Wagener Connors McNamara Kershaw Eastern Ranges: R Clarke D Clarke Maibaum Collins Mitchener Parsons My take from my limited viewing of the 2015 draft pool to date (the Under 18 National Championships matches shown on Foxtel, a streamed game on the AFL site and these two games) is that I would not be surprised if Melbourne was to trade away its first draft pick if the opportunity arose to pick up a quality player by way of trade. It's not so much that the players mentioned in dispatches around the mark where the Demons' first choice is likely to be aren't of interest but because you might not lose a great deal going down the order a dozen spots. With names like Oliver, Clarke, Bonner, Milera and Weideman available a little later in the order, we could be looking once again at a trade like that which brought Dom Tyson and Christian Salem to the club two years ago. TAC Cup Finals Wrap: Week Two Review

Is his brother available?

Missed the opener against Gold Coast through suspension and had recurring injuries which disrupted his season and again prevented him from being a consistent contributor to the team. Games MFC 2015 14 Career Total 115 Goals MFC 2015 11 Career Total 126 Games CSFC 2015 1 Goals CSFC 2015 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 67 votes

Showed some glimpses during the season of what made him so highly sought after in his draft year but his career has been disappointing to date and is being held back by injury and inconsistent form. Games MFC 2015 9 Career Total 27 Goals MFC 2015 4 Career Total 6 Games CSFC 2015 10 Goals CSFC 2015 2 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 29 votes

The real enigma of the club, a player who has great skills but can't always produce the intensity of effort needed to step up to a higher level of performance. Still wears the mantle of # 1 draft choice heavily and his form tapered off late in the season to the point where he was dropped for the final game. Games MFC 2015 20 Career Total 115 Goals MFC 2015 10 Career Total 83 Games CSFC 2015 1 Goals CSFC 2015 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 99 votes

Thanks Nasher. I'm going to add the word "hardness" to that resume above . Cheers

Just when it looked as though he was about to gain recognition in the football world as a player of true quality, recurring hamstring problems put him out of the game for two months. Salem returned late in the season to show that he has the skills, poise, hardness and a football brain to justify the great expectations of him for the future. Games MFC 2015 10 Career Total 22 Goals MFC 2015 1 Career Total 7 Games CSFC 2015 3 Goals CSFC 2015 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 113 votes

"Jones entered the count as a genuine contender to win his fourth best and fairest in a row and in the process become the first Melbourne player to achieve this feat but he still managed a top five placing after another top class season. His effort to play every match in 2015 was a remarkable effort now that it has been revealed that he played the season with a debilitating neck injury". Games MFC 2015 22 Career Total 201 Goals MFC 2015 12 Career Total 95 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 270 votes (Fifth club champion Dick Taylor Memorial Trophy) * quote from MFC site

"Hogan was one of Melbournes great stories to emerge this year and stamped himself as one of the most exciting young players in the competition. He finished the season with 44 goals an outstanding effort from a key forward in his debut year. Hogan also won the NAB AFL Rising Star earlier in the week with 49 votes eight ahead of runner-up Patrick Cripps". Games MFC 2015 20 Career Total 20 Goals MFC 2015 44 Career Total 44 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 286 votes (Fourth club champion Ivor Warne Smith Memorial Trophy) * quote from MFC site

After 17 Rounds:

After 9 Rounds:

Nathan Jones' three year stranglehold on the Demonland Player of the Year is over. This year's winner is Bernie Vince after a close finish ahead of T Mac. 145. Bernie Vince 139. Tom McDonald 135. Jack Viney 132. Nathan Jones 127. Jesse Hogan 90. Max Gawn 85. Daniel Cross 56. Jeffrey Garlett 54. Jack Watts 53. Angus Brayshaw 49. Christian Salem 46. Colin Garland 44. Aaron vandenBerg 36. Jack Grimes 28. Cam Pedersen 22. Neville Jetta 19. Jimmy Toumpas 18. Chris Dawes Lynden Dunn 16. Viv Michie 15. Jeremy Howe Dom Tyson 9. Ben Newton 5. James Harmes 4. Mark Jamar Heritier Lubumba 3. Billy Stretch 2. Matt Jones Jake Spencer 1. Alex Neal-Bullen

Here's video footage of the hanger. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-09-09/melbourne-fatherson-prospect-takes-tac-cup-hanger

ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER by George on the Outer The old Mike Brady song had lyrics which spoke of the finals and the atmosphere in September. Were the Demons playing in September? Well, yes they were, but ... not in finals. Rather, it was some meaningless game at the end of the home and away season in a dump of a place called Etihad Stadium in front of a meagre 8,974 people - in itself setting a new record for lowest crowd attendance at the venue. At least in Melbourne's case, it finally put to bed yet another hoodoo in what has been a lacklustre year. After 22 consecutive losses the Demons finally beat someone at Etihad. And in bringing up their 7th win for the 2015 season, they gave their long-suffering supporters some glimmer of hope for next year. Yes, it was against a team only two spots above it on the ladder, but one which had recorded eleven wins for the season. It was a very different GWS side that fronted for the final game compared with the one that played in Canberra just a few months ago with the telling difference being the absence of Shane Mumford who simply brutalised Melbourne at Manuka Oval, and fed the small running Giants' players all day. Without him this time, Max Gawn had complete ascendency in the ruck with 55 hit outs! It was he who was able to provide the opportunity to the likes of Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince and Jack Viney both in the middle and around the ground. While we should never underestimate the value of the big man in this role, it also showed how fragile Melbourne is in this area. Without a suitable back-up, Lynden Dunn was asked to ruck to give Max a break. It was fortunate that GWS also had no backup for Tom Downie, but the team desperately needs someone else for 2016 to step up to assist in this area. With Vince, Jones and Viney all back to their best and Jesse Hogan monstering the young GWS backline the result should have been more of a landslide. Angus Brayshaw and James Harmes also showed the aggression and attack at man and ball necessary at AFL level plus the benefits of a weeks rest on their young bodies. However, there were still too many appalling episodes of play, which the supporters would have been all too familiar with that let the opposition in for easy goals or free kicks that resulted in goals. This writer has been banging on about them all season, and it is all too obvious to those who regularly attend the games, but there were players not playing today who were NOT missed in any way shape or form. Likewise, there were players on the field still, who do not play at the intensity and desperation and skill levels required at AFL level. Once again the off-season should see anywhere between eight and twelve players leave the club either by delisting or trade-out. These players have had their opportunities and simply cant make it. We do not need Hogan, Brayshaw and Viney types giving up, while these others coast along unscathed. Down back, Tom McDonald did a sterling job on Jeremy Cameron holding him to only 2 majors, while Col Garland seemed to find some of his earlier form and confidence as his wing-man. Oscar M is finding his way and it gave us the opportunity to move Dunn up forward and into the ruck pinch-hitting. Christian Salem was simply divine with his foot-skills and ability to read the play and the ball when in the air. How much better would we be as a team with just six others able to execute as well as he does? The other good thing is, while it was only one win in a fairly miserable last month of football, we have seen Roos get games into the youngsters at no real cost. Harmes, O. Mac, Stretch, White, JKH, and ANB all were given games when perhaps they might not have otherwise been entitled to them. But Roos was prepared to risk playing the youth instead of those sitting in the crowd or playing down the road for Casey. At least this group have shown more upside for the future and this has probably has sealed the fate of a few others. Finally, after attending football for a seriously long time I am completely confounded as to what this group of GWS supporters could possibly have been thinking? They cant possibly be married what woman would let her man out in public dressed like that. In fact, what woman would let them dress like that ever? Melbourne 4.1.25 7.6.48 13.10.82 15.13.103 Greater Western Sydney 4.1.25 7.4.46 9.7.61 11.11.77 Goals Melbourne Hogan Newton 3 Garlett Harmes 2 Dunn Grimes Howe N Jones Kennedy-Harris Greater Western Sydney Cameron Williams 2 Greene Palmer Smith Stewart Townsend Ward Whitfield Best Melbourne N Jones Vince Viney Hogan Cross Garland McDonald Gawn Salem Greater Western Sydney Ward Greene Smith Shaw Townsend Changes Melbourne Nil Greater Western Sydney Nil Injuries Melbourne Cross (concussion) Greater Western Sydney Nil Substitutions Melbourne Alex Neal-Bullen replaced Mitch White in the final term Greater Western Sydney Jake Barrett replaced Caleb Marchbank at half-time Reports Melbourne Nil Greater Western Sydney Nil Umpires Foot Fisher Hay Wallace Official crowd 8,974 at Etihad Stadium