Demonland

36. Aaron Davey [177cm 72kg 10.06.83 - 97 games (15 in 2008) 130 goals (11 in 2008)] – the Demon livewire initially made his impact as a goal kicking half forward who was outstanding in his defensive work such as running down the opposition and effectively applying tackles from behind. In the past two seasons he has been moved gradually into the midfield but injuries and a drop off in form have seen his output significantly reduced. Injuries have prematurely ended both of those last two seasons – in 2007, he had knee and hamstring problems while this year, he missed the last month with a heel stress fracture.

35. Trent Zomer [196cm 94kg 09.06.89 - 0 games 0 goals] – rookie listed tall key position player from Eastern Ranges who spent most of the season developing in the reserves at Sandringham. Had a couple of games in mid season at full forward as a replacement full forward for Nick Sautner, kicking three goals in one but failing to impress in the other.

The rest of us at Demonland back you to the hilt on this one Fan. Everyone on this site signed up to our Code of Conduct. It's pretty clear that if you don't have the discipline to honour what you signed up for, you have the choice not to post messages here.

I respect club b & f's as much as any other awards for the very reasons set out by Alpha in the first post in this thread. Cameron Bruce has seen us through a tough year and he's deserving of this award notwithstanding some problems with disposal that he's had from time to time. Then again, people notice the miskicks more if you get over 20 of them each week much more than if you only get a handful.

34. Jeff White [195cm 97kg 19.02.77 - 268 games (15 in 2008) 113 goals (7 in 2008)] - the long and distinguished career of the Demons ruckman wound down in 2008 as the club's youth policy began to take hold. Has been advised by the club that he will not get a contract for 2009 and is looking elsewhere.

33. Stefan Martin [198cm 97 kg 17.11.86 - 8 games 0 goals] - the former junior basketball star was impressive on debut in his eight games as a tall defender with the Demons. He is on a steep learning curve but has the height and athleticism to go a long way in the game as it is currently played.

32. Cameron Bruce [190cm 85kg 30.09.79 - 184 games (22 in 2008) 195 goals (13 in 2008] - the only Melbourne player to feature in all 22 games this year, Bruce had an interrupted pre-seaon due to a knee injury but came back to be the club's leading possession gatherer with 244 kicks and 287 handballs and was elected the co-leader with James McDonald after David Neitz' retirement. He also took the most marks (147) and was second behind McDonald on the club's tackle count. Unfortunately, he drew criticism from some quarters for his disposal by foot which was at times well below the standards he set in his early days.

31 Paul Wheatley [189cm 87kg 12.04.81 - 132 games (19 in 2008) 33 goals (2 in 2008)] - overcame a long string of injury woes and took on the role of an attacking half-back flanker /wingman with relish to produce his best season after nine years with the club. The long kicking Wheatley was club leader in total kicks and second behind Cameron Bruce in total disposals. He was also also the club's equal best in the Brownlow voting (along with Brock McLean) on five votes and is one of the contender’s for Thursday night's "Bluey" Truscott Medal.

Carlton's the only club with room in its salary cap tp fit O'Keefe.

30. Tom McNamara [190cm 84kg 29.04.90 - 0 games, 0 goals] - the youngest player on any AFL list this year, McNamara was given a taste of senior football in the NAB Cup but started his development at Sandy reserves and has the odd game in the seniors. Ended the season carrying an injury.

The 2008 AFL National Draft Order as determined by placeings after the home and away season. This will be revised during the exchange period and then finalised in accordance with rookie elevations and delistings prior to the draft. 1 . Melbourne 2 . West Coast 3 . Fremantle 4 . Port Adelaide 5 . Essendon 6 . Carlton 7 . Brisbane 8 . Richmond 9 . North Melbourne 10 . Adelaide 11 . Collingwood 12 . Sydney 13 . St. Kilda 14 . W. Bulldogs 15 . Geelong 16 . Hawthorn 17 . Melbourne 18 . West Coast 19 . Melbourne 20 . West Coast 21 . Fremantle 22 . Port Adelaide 23 . Essendon 24 . Carlton 25 . Brisbane 26 . Richmond 27 . North Melbourne 28 . Adelaide 29 . Collingwood 30 . Sydney 31 . St. Kilda 32 . W. Bulldogs 33 . Geelong 34 . Hawthorn 35 . Melbourne 36 . West Coast 37 . Fremantle 38 . Port Adelaide 39 . Essendon 40 . Carlton 41 . Brisbane 42 . Richmond 43 . North Melbourne 44 . Adelaide 45 . Collingwood 46 . Sydney 47 . St. Kilda 48 . W. Bulldogs 49 . Geelong 50 . Hawthorn 51 . Melbourne 52 . West Coast 53 . Fremantle 54 . Port Adelaide 55 . Essendon 56 . Carlton 57 . Brisbane 58 . Richmond 59 . North Melbourne 60 . Adelaide 61 . Collingwood 62 . Sydney 63 . St. Kilda 64 . W. Bulldogs 65 . Geelong 66 . Hawthorn 67 . Melbourne 68 . West Coast 69 . Fremantle 70 . Port Adelaide 71 . Essendon 72 . Carlton 73 . Brisbane 74 . Richmond 75 . North Melbourne 76 . Adelaide 77 . Collingwood 78 . Sydney 79 . St. Kilda 80 . W. Bulldogs 81 . Geelong 82 . Hawthorn

The 2008 AFL National Draft Order as determined by placeings after the home and away season. This will be revised during the exchange period and then finalised in accordance with rookie elevations and delistings prior to the draft. 1 . Melbourne 2 . West Coast 3 . Fremantle 4 . Port Adelaide 5 . Essendon 6 . Carlton 7 . Brisbane 8 . Richmond 9 . North Melbourne 10 . Adelaide 11 . Collingwood 12 . Sydney 13 . St. Kilda 14 . W. Bulldogs 15 . Geelong 16 . Hawthorn 17 . Melbourne 18 . West Coast 19 . Melbourne 20 . West Coast 21 . Fremantle 22 . Port Adelaide 23 . Essendon 24 . Carlton 25 . Brisbane 26 . Richmond 27 . North Melbourne 28 . Adelaide 29 . Collingwood 30 . Sydney 31 . St. Kilda 32 . W. Bulldogs 33 . Geelong 34 . Hawthorn 35 . Melbourne 36 . West Coast 37 . Fremantle 38 . Port Adelaide 39 . Essendon 40 . Carlton 41 . Brisbane 42 . Richmond 43 . North Melbourne 44 . Adelaide 45 . Collingwood 46 . Sydney 47 . St. Kilda 48 . W. Bulldogs 49 . Geelong 50 . Hawthorn 51 . Melbourne 52 . West Coast 53 . Fremantle 54 . Port Adelaide 55 . Essendon 56 . Carlton 57 . Brisbane 58 . Richmond 59 . North Melbourne 60 . Adelaide 61 . Collingwood 62 . Sydney 63 . St. Kilda 64 . W. Bulldogs 65 . Geelong 66 . Hawthorn 67 . Melbourne 68 . West Coast 69 . Fremantle 70 . Port Adelaide 71 . Essendon 72 . Carlton 73 . Brisbane 74 . Richmond 75 . North Melbourne 76 . Adelaide 77 . Collingwood 78 . Sydney 79 . St. Kilda 80 . W. Bulldogs 81 . Geelong 82 . Hawthorn

28. Isaac Weetra [184cm 83kg 27.02.89 - 2 games 0 goals] – made an inauspicious debut in the club's two opening game thrashings but then disappeared off the radar, finished the season in the Sandy reserves and has since been delisted.

27. Jared Rivers [192cm 90kg 18.10.84 - 70 games (6 in 2008) 4 goals (0 in 2008)] – one of the great tragedies for the club in recent years has been the lack of game time that the former Rising Star Award winner has been able to produce as a result of injury. A hip and abdominal injury put him out for the season at the half way mark of the season. His importance to the club was underlined by his magnificent leadership of the team's defence in its magnificent come from over 50 points behind victory against Fremantle in Round 7. Ironically, his injury flared again after that game and a brief attempt to come back a few weeks later failed.

26. John Meesen [200cm 97kg 20.06.86 - 0 games 0 goals] – The big ruckman brought into the club after two games in three seasons with Adelaide but he failed to fire any shots in 2008. He has another two years on his contract and many are wondering why he was given so much time to prove his worth.

As I said - "big weekend"!

29. Michael Newton [193cm 90kg 27.04.87 - 18 games (6 in 2008) 23 goals (9 in 2008)]– after an encouraging debut season in 2007, Newton's career headed south in 2008 due to a combination of injury, loss of form and what appeared to be a lack of confidence in his own ability. The tall forward has shown some glimpses of prodigious talent in the past but he needs to start producing the goods if he is to make it in AFL football.

25. Kyle Cheney [184cm 86kg 25.08.89 - 0 games 0 goals] - 2008 was a development year for the hard at it medium defender from North Ballarat Under 18's. Cheney started the season in the Sandy reserves and showed steady improvement despite some injury concerns. By late in the season, he was showing good form playing deep in defence for the Zebra seniors.

Like I said, big night! Anyway, as Mark Twain said, rumours of his demise are grossly exaggerated and the thread for # 23 is now up.

23. James McDonald [180cm 75kg 05.10.76 - 217 games (19 in 2008) 49 goals (1 in 2008)] – perhaps not as dynamic or as outstanding a player as he was in 2006-07 when he took out the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy double but 31 year old McDonald showed great determination and leadership this year when called upon to share the captaincy reins with Cam Bruce under difficult circumstances after Neita's neck injury caused his premature retirement. A regular club leader in the tackle count (a good indicator of the player’s tenacity), Junior has signed on for one more year.

Sorry Goose ... it had to be moved to the proper board and it had to be renamed so that it reflected the 2008 draft (to which you're alluding) and not the 2009 draft. Thank you.

Yeah thanks ... Too much Footy Marathon & not enough sleep!

24. Russell Robertson [187cm 91kg 24.11.78 - 215 games (10 in 2008) 399 goals (20 in 2008)] - before the seaon even started he was hitting more high notes singing duets on television than with his football. Robertson had a patchy start to the season often struggling in matches before kicking a lazy two or three in junk time and, despite leading the club's goalkicking at the time, was having very little impact when he suffered his season-ending Achilles injury in Round 10. Next year will almost certainly be his last.

22. Brent Moloney [182 cm 88 kg 28.01.84 - 69 games (8 in 2008) 16 goals (2 in 2008)] - Moloney's injury-plagued career must surely be at the crossroads as the club and he negotiate his new contract. Since his excellent debut season at Melbourne in 2005 after being traded by Geelong as part of the deal which snared premiership hero Brad Ottens, Moloney has had one ailment after another with groin, quadriceps and shoulder injuries restricting him to just 25 of a possible 67 games in three seasons. When fit, he's a hard at it, aggressive midfielder but the question now is whether he will ever be able to play out a full season again?

21. Daniel Bell [186cm 89 kg 13.04.85 – 63 games (18 in 2008) 1 goal (0 in 2008)] – after a solid season in 2007, Bell was never quite at the top of his form this season after battling against osteitis pubis and a hamstring injury. He has been at the club for six full seasons and really can't be said to have established a place for himself. Bell been mentioned in the media as possible trade bait for the fothcoming exchange period.