Demonland

Almost full strength bombers

SAINTS SQUAD 1 Jack Higgins, 2 Marcus Windhager, 6 Seb Ross, 7 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, 8 Bradley Hill, 9 Jack Steele, 10 Mitch Owens, 12 Max King, 13 Ryan Byrnes, 14 Liam Stocker, 19 Rowan Marshall, 20 Dougal Howard, 21 Zaine Cordy, 22 Darcy Wilson, 23 Liam Henry, 25 Mattaes Phillipou, 26 Josh Battle, 28 Tim Membrey, 29 Jimmy Webster, 32 Mason Wood, 34 Hugo Garcia, 36 Riley Bonner, 38 Tom Campbell, 43 Cooper Sharman, 44 Callum Wilkie, 47 Anthony Caminiti Notable absentees: Jack Sinclair, Brad Crouch, Hunter Clark, Paddy Dow, Dan Butler, Zak Jones BOMBERS SQUAD 1 Andrew McGrath, 3 Darcy Parish, 4 Kyle Langford, 5 Elijah Tsatas, 6 Jye Caldwell, 7 Zach Merrett, 10 Sam Weideman, 11 Jade Gresham, 12 Will Setterfield, 13 Nik Cox, 15 Jayden Laverde, 16 Archie Perkins, 17 Todd Goldstein, 18 Lewis Hayes, 19 Nick Hind, 21 Dyson Heppell, 22 Sam Durham, 23 Harrison Jones, 24 Nick Bryan, 25 Jake Stringer, 27 Mason Redman, 28 Xavier Duursma, 31 Zach Reid, 32 Ben McKay, 33 Alwyn Davey, 35 Matt Guelfi, 37 Nic Martin, 47 Jye Menzie Notable absentees: Jordan Ridley, Peter Wright, Ben Hobbs, Nate Caddy MATCH FORMAT Four quarters of 25 minutes for AFL game, followed by four quarters of 20 minutes for VFL game

I think we did everything we could to get up the pecking order (at least when it came to trying to get Reid). Whether it was Reid or bust and just take the 2 picks into the draft I don't know. I think I am satisfied with Windsor and Tholstrup but we probably won't know for a couple of years and I look forward to the threads and posts saying we got it right or wrong.

Hawks having a horror run of injuries this preseason.

Gawn or bust: Demons ruck stocks sweating skipper’s every move Jon Ralph Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Max Gawn has limped into a pair of knockout semi finals running on empty. In 2022 it was a hip injury that had him withdrawn from the side on game day before a last-minute change of heart. Last year as he battled a broken big toe the decision to play Josh Schache over Brodie Grundy as the club’s substitute was a finals jaw-dropper. And yet as the AFL season draws nearer it is apparent the Demons will need Gawn to stand up in the ruck like never before. Partner-in-crime Brodie Grundy is gone, a year after premiership hero Luke Jackson departed for Fremantle. And while Schache deserves credit as one of football’s survivors after securing a list spot for a ninth season, he might just be Gawn’s ruck back-up for the early rounds of the year. It is a situation the Demons never expected when they secured Lions key forward Tom Fullarton to play ruck, preferring him to Power veteran Scott Lycett despite his availability. But Fullarton is out until April with an eight-week hamstring and the club’s other back-up options in Tom McDonald (calf) and Harrison Petty (toe) are currently sidelined. Jacob Van Rooyen can play second ruck (23 hitouts in 20 games last year) but given the key forward issues he might be needed exclusively inside 50. Against Richmond on Sunday at Casey Fields as Gawn was managed in only a half of game time, the Demons admitted they weren’t sure who would play second ruck in round 1. Schache was in three centre bounces in each of the AFL halves before the game turned into a VFL contest, while second-year rookie Will Verrall got his chance late. South Adelaide’s athletic big man Verrall shapes as a long-term prospect but he’s a baby in AFL terms. Last year Gawn was at 369 centre bounces to Grundy’s 239. Demons' 2023 centre bounce attendances by round Round M. Gawn B. Grundy 1 13 16 2 3 23 3 DNP 30 4 DNP 19 5 DNP 22 6 15 14 7 16 16 8 14 14 9 10 14 10 12 10 11 15 11 12 9 9 13 11 10 15 15 8 16 9 7 17 14 10 18 32 DNP 19 27 DNP 20 36 DNP 21 22 DNP 22 15 6 23 23 DNP 24 18 DNP 25 19 DNP 26 21 DNP So could it be Schache is a round 1 back-up despite not attending a centre bounce as a ruckman last year? At some stage Fullarton will return after a VFL stint to build match fitness but his most recent AFL games were in 2022 (five contests, 19 across his career) and he didn’t attend a centre bounce in that season for the Lions. Melbourne doesn’t have a bye until round 6, by which time Gawn might be gasping for air. As Demons assistant coach Troy Chaplin said after the Tigers clash, Melbourne needs to find some answers to lessen its reliance on its ageing skipper. “Well we used Josh Shache today. Will Verrall played some minutes because we’re always only going to play Max for a half,” he said. “Obviously he’s a pretty important player to us. So a half was probably enough for us. He’s done all the loads throughout pre-season so it was more about looking after him but Josh Shache, we’ve got Jacob Van Rooyen who played second ruck last year. “So we’ve got a couple of guys that can support him but we’re also going to have to find ways that we can look after Max as well. “It’s very hard to tell Max that he’s only going to play a half as well. He’s a pretty proud player and he’s competitive so you know when Max is one out he probably plays his best footy. But we certainly have to find that guy who’s going to play that secondary position for us.”

My audio was crap because I had to use the audio on my channel from one of my other recording sources because my SD card on my mixer was corrupted and needed to be formatted. Thankfully I have 3 different sources saving the audio for just such occasions.

Harmesy

He was picked before Windsor not after.

Ryley Sanders was taken with the pick directly before Caleb Windsor.

BULLDOGS SQUAD 7. Rory Lobb, 9. Ryley Sanders, 10. Sam Darcy, 12. Harvey Gallagher, 13. Oskar Baker, 14. Rhylee West, 17. Nick Coffield, 18. James O’Donnell, 19. Liam Jones, 21. Tom Liberatore, 22. James Harmes, 23. Laitham Vandermeer, 24. Buku Khamis, 25. Caleb Poulter, 28. Anthony Scott, 29. Lachlan Bramble, 30. Lachlan McNeil, 32. Arthur Jones, 33. Aaron Naughton, 34. Bailey Williams, 35. Caleb Daniel, 36. Luke Cleary, 39. Jason Johannisen, 43. Ryan Gardner Notable absentees: Jack Macrae, Adam Treloar, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Cody Weightman, Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards, Bailey Dale, Alex Keath and Tim English HAWKS SQUAD 1. Harry Morrison, 2. Mitch Lewis, 3. Jai Newcombe, 4. Jarman Impey, 5. James Worpel, 6. James Sicily, 7. Ned Reeves, 8. Sam Frost, 11. Conor Nash, 14. Jack Scrimshaw, 15. Blake Hardwick, 16. Massimo D’Ambrosio, 17. Lloyd Meek, 18. Mabior Chol, 19. Jack Gunston, 23. Josh Weddle, 25. Josh Ward, 26. Bodie Ryan, 28. Cam Mackenzie, 29. Jai Serong, 30. Sam Butler, 31. Connor Macdonald, 32. Finn Maginness, 33. Jack Ginnivan, 34. Nick Watson, 35. Calsher Dear, 37. Ethan Phillips, 38. Max Ramsden, 41. Josh Bennetts, 44. Henry Hustwaite, 45. Clay Tucker Notable absentees: Luke Breust, Chad Wingard, Karl Amon, Dylan Moore, Will Day, Changkuoth Jiath, Denver Grainger-Barras, James Blanck, Will McCabe MATCH FORMAT 4 x 30 minute periods

For Brayden

Might have to change my tip now.

“He'll make his mark”: Lyon looks on the bright side for retired Melbourne hero Brayshaw Thursday was a sad day for our game. The AFL world was forced to say goodbye to Melbourne star Angus Brayshaw with the 28-year-old announcing his retirement from this beautiful game, effective immediately. His ongoing battle with concussion reached the point where it was having a significant impact on his brain which meant any further knocks would impact his life post-footy. And when you look at it like that, it’s a good thing that Brayshaw, alongside his family and club, had the resources to come to that decision. Brayshaw will go down as a hero of the Melbourne Football Club. He was a pivotal member of that drought-breaking premiership team that saw Melbourne supporters experience some of their greatest memories as a football fan in the midst of another COVID-forced lockdown. The photo of him sucking down a cigar in the middle of Optus Stadium is iconic. Bradshaw made wearing helmets cool and when you go down to your local Auskick in the coming months, you’ll see young girls and boys donning a helmet with the number 10 on their backs. His infectious personality has a positive impact on people. I’ve never met Angus Brayshaw, but you can tell he’d be a cracking bloke that you'd love to spend some time with. A highly specialised scan in recent months revealed microscopic changes to Brayshaw’s brain that had developed since his concussion sustained during the Demons' 2023 Qualifying Final loss to Collingwood. Brayshaw’s hand was forced, and the game has seen the last of a player that starred in this competition over his 167-game career. He embodied the spirt of the red and blue for close to a decade and his impact on the club will live on for years to come. I read a beautiful tribute from a Melbourne fan to Brayshaw on Wednesday night, it read: “We pay tribute to Angus Brayshaw, whose indelible mark on the AFL landscape leaves an enduring legacy for generations to come. Brayshaw’s legacy transcends the realm of sport, encompassing values of resilience, determination and perseverance.” You couldn’t have put it better yourself and the hundreds of tributes made by former titans of the game, past teammates and neutral fans far and wide show how respected Brayshaw was in the football fraternity. But February 21 was a sad day for all involved and I spoke with Melbourne great Garry Lyon to find out what Brayshaw meant to him and how significant this is for the AFL as we continue to deal with sensitive situations like the one that forced a premature retirement. “He’s one of 23 heroes of mine that helped deliver a premiership to a footy club and supporter group that thought they’d never get to see one, he’s one of those 23 heroes and always will be forever and a day,” Lyon told SEN.com.au. “Apart from that, he’s a Brayshaw and that’s got a lot going for him, he’s an articulate and clever young man that’s got a great sense of humour with a great outlook on life. “He made his mark in the world of footy and has been pulled up short, but he’ll make his mark somewhere along the way because he’s got the world in front of him. “Angus always put the team first, he’s such a selfless kid, he finished third in the Brownlow in 2018 and he could’ve easily banged the table and said, ‘why aren’t I playing more midfield time?’, but at various stages he had to play a role for the club, and he accepted it with great grace. “He’s a super player, a great young man that’s got a big, long life ahead of him.” Brayshaw joins a growing list of players that have had their career cut short due to concussion and Lyon hopes that Brayshaw’s story can be a learning curve and cautionary tale for everyone in the AFL world. “Hopefully now people can stop trying to make decisions for players that have no idea about what the player is going through,” Lyon added. “I’m talking about us in the media, those who write stories urging players to retire. “Surely, we can just sit back and trust that there’s a system in place where the right things will be done by the player, the player’s family and their club. “In the end, footy isn’t the be-all and end-all, his health is. “He’s 28-years-old with another 65 years of life to live and that’s a good thing, they’ve been able to find the issue and think about his long-term future.” As for the impact his departure will have on Simon Goodwin and the playing group, Lyon says it is unquestionable that this will have a monumental bearing on how the Demons go in 2024, but it's the last thing he’s thinking of as this sad news sinks in. “He’s a huge loss, there’s no questioning or sugar-coating that, he’s in the best five or six players in the team and you don’t lose those players without leaving a hole,” Lyon added. “But I emphasise this - that’s footy and he’s a huge loss from a footy point of view - but there’s more important things at play here. “Of course, we’re going to miss him but we’re bloody lucky, thankful and happy that they’ve found the issue at hand and that his life going forward is going to be better for that.”