Demonland

20. Colin Garland [191cm 84kg 24.04.88 – 19 games (17 in 2008) 2 goals] - was easily the club's most improved player in 2008. He was given some of the toughest jobs as a defender in AFL football 2008 and showed with his class and his pace that he was up to the task. He relished the role of manning Lance 'Buddy' Franklin and kept him to just 3 goals 1 behind in Round 9. Garland wasn't confined purely to defensive roles and showed also that there is an attacking side to his game as well. In time, he could be used up forward or even in the midfield.

19. Addam Maric [177cm 76 kg 18.04.90 - 5 games 2 goals] – the schoolboy small forward, picked at # 21 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, was eased into AFL football and made his debut late in the season after showing lots of promise and improvement over the year at Sandringham. Maric was not overawed when promoted to the big time and he showed out with some classy play, impressing with his attack on the ball and his top flight disposal of the football both in attack and also when given a few stints in the midfield. A player of the future.

A bit of decorum please. After all, it is Brownlow Night!

18. Brad Green [184cm 83 kg 13.03.81 - 186 games (20 in 2008) 227 goals (20 in 2008)] – the club’s best, most consistent and versatile performer over 2008 was called upon to fulfil a number of roles during the season. Missed out on selection in the initial leadership group, an error that was rectified in mid season. Would be one of the main candidates for the skipper’s role for next year.

melbournefc.com.au has announced details of the club's Keith Bluey Truscott Memorial Trophy Best and Fairest and Hall of Fame Dinner. Tickets on Sale NOW Join the who's who of the Club in the most celebrated night on the events calendar. Be there as the votes are counted, awards are announced, and be present for the Club's fourth Hall of Fame induction. Hear from Club President Jim Stynes and coach Dean Bailey. Don't miss out on this final opportunity to celebrate the Club's 150th year. Date: Thursday, 2 October 2008 Venue: Peninsula, Central Pier Docklands Gold Seating: $200* Silver Seating: $180* * Please note limited tickets are available in each seating category and will be sold on a first in, best dressed basis Tickets on sale NOW. To secure your table, contact Belinda Bowell on (03) 9652 1111 or via e-mail [email protected]. or to download the booking form click here, to download the flyer please click here

by Whispering Jack Since I regard myself as a bit of a football traditionalist, I was disappointed to find that there was no AFL game on the Saturday afternoon of Preliminary Final week. This left me with no choice but to set off for the home ground of football's underbelly to watch the penultimate finals games of the TAC Cup Under 18 series. Unfortunately the experience left me more disappointed than anything else. I've been going to these games for many years dating back to the competition's inception and, on what I saw yesterday, the decline in standards that I've noticed in recent years is still proceeding and, if anything, more rapidly than ever before. It was probably a combination of a number of things that led to my negativity. The weather was lousy – it was cold, a stiff breeze favoured the eastern end of the ground for most of the day and patches of rain dominated the odd glimpses of sunshine that made this a typical Melbourne day. The poor crowds and the decaying nature of the ground with its unkempt, dank and smelly stands were a bit of a turn off not to mention the ever-present insignia of the Melbourne Storm and the ominous reminders that the ground has a new name - Visy Park. To me, it's a bit of a turn off to name a venue after an organisation that managed to recently cop a national record penalty for corporate cheating but then again, when your very survival and most of your operations are being propped up by that self same mob, I guess it's a case of who cares and how high can we jump for them (as long as their share value stays at a reasonably comfortable level)? Oh, and since I came to have a look a some possible AFL draft prospects, I should add that the standard of football was pretty ordinary as well. First off, the Dandenong Stingrays who are coached by former Demon Graeme Yeats took on the Gippsland Power in a game that never hit the heights and was mainly a battle of the defences. The Dandy boys had the benefit of the breeze in the first quarter but almost blew it (sorry) by outscoring their opponents by a mere seven points and the Gippy boys fared slightly better to turn the tables at half time. Dandenong was in trouble until late in the third term when it kicked clear by a couple of goals but managed to hold firm under fire in the last thanks to appalling kicking for goal which robbed the country lads of an opportunity to play in a grand final. Only one player from each team has been invited to next month's National Draft Camp. For the losers, left footer Nicholas Heyne booted four goals (it could easily have been six) and he was impressive when going for marks and generally attacking the football. However, his chasing and accountability for his opponents was problematic. Dandenong's Ash Smith ran hard coming off a half back flank constantly sweeping the ball out of defence and he worked well with key defender Steven Gaertner who was probably best on ground. Gaertner who has been invited to the state screening camp (a second tier to the national draft camp) was considered a strong draft contender last year but missed out. He's strong, fast and athletic and should get the nod this year*. Gaertner spent a fair amount of the game on tall Gippsland youngster John Butcher who is being hailed as next year's number one draft pick but he was off his game a little yesterday. He took one or two strong marks but lived up to is name with his kicking. While promising, he still has a long way to go and will benefit from the extra year in Under 18 ranks. On the other hand, Dandenong youngster Tom Scully is the one who looks like challenging Butcher for the # 1 favourite spot next year. He showed out with some clever play on a half forward flank and will probably be a premier midfielder by the time he gets the call at the highest level. The second game saw title favourites Murray Bushrangers beat off the Oakleigh Chargers after the latter squandered several opportunities in a horror first term in which they kicked 2 goals 9 behinds to 3 goals 1 with the benefit of the strong breeze. Murray responded with a six goal second quarter and although the Chargers fought hard in the second half, the Bushies were always going to win from that point. The teams had a number of draft camp invitees in their ranks. Murray Bushrangers had Kade Klemke, Dylan McNeil, Riley Milne, Tom Rockliff, Steele Sidebottom, Caleb Tiller, Sam Wright and Jack Ziebell while Oakleigh Chargers had Dan Hannebery, Luke Shuey and James Strauss. The Bushies also had a number of others invited to the state screening camp; the Chargers also had a few (including Xavier Gotch whose father Brad was coaching Williamstown to a VFL preliminary final defeat a few kilometres away at Port Melbourne). Perhaps it was a case of collective stage fright but there were few outstanding prospects whose names I could pencil in as high draft picks. Rockliff was probably the outstanding player of the match with his four goals from a dynamic performance up forward. I had seem him previously in Under 18 championships games and I wasn't totally impressed; he had looked a bit slow, appeared a trifle lazy and possibly a one trick pony as a small forward. This was a much better effort and while it didn't answer all of the questions I had about his capacity to become a top flight footballer, I started warming to him as a prospect for the future. Sidebottom looks a classy midfielder who can take a nice mark and has good delivery with left and right foot and by hand. He worked his way into the game after quarter time and was one of his team's best. Ziebell is a really balanced footballer who worked constructively and had a hand in quite a few goals. He was reported and sent from the ground in the last quarter but there didn't appear to be much in the incident. He has been touted as a top ten draft pick so his absence in Friday's grand final would be a major blow to his team. Shuey was finding the ball early for the Chargers and finished with a couple of goals, while Strauss showed some good pace and excellent delivery at times. Both are outside chances for selection in the top twenty of the national draft. The major disappointment on the day was the fact that not a single ruckman stood out on the day. The conditions might have had something to do with this but I suspect that clubs looking for ruckmen in the forthcoming draft are going to have to look elsewhere. The draft experts in the media and elsewhere on the internet have deemed that the top three picks are already set in stone – Jack Watts, Daniel Rich and Nick Naitanui and in probably that order with 200cm tall Tyrone Vickery as an outsider to push his way into that group. Watts and Vickery play for the Sandringham Dragons which didn't even make the TAC Cup finals while Rich (Subiaco) and Naitanui (Swan Districts) will be slugging it out against men today in the WAFL Grand Final. Rich is playing in his second grand final at this level at the age of only 18 and, after yesterday, I remain unmoved in my conviction that he will be far and away the best player available when the national draft meeting opens in two month's time. Dandenong Stingrays 2.3 3.4 8.6 10.8 (68 ) Gippsland Power 1.2 4.5 6.6 8.13 (61) GOALS: Dandenong Stingrays: Pitt 3 Doria 3 Bastinac Purves Clark Hallahan Gippsland Power: Heyne 4 Blair Weston Donchi Lehman BEST: Dandenong Stingrays: Gaertner Wragg Gillies Heddles Doria Pitt Gippsland Power: Sing Blair McLinden Francis Heyne Butcher REPORTED PLAYERS: Dandenong Stingrays: Nil Gippsland Power: Nil 2008 TAC Cup Murray Bushrangers 3.1 9.5 9.8 14.12 (96) Oakleigh Chargers 2.9 4.10 7.14 7.16 (58 ) GOALS: Murray Bushrangers: Rockliff 4 Wright 2 Mangan 2 Sidebottom Browne Hamilton Martiniello Craven Ziebell Oakleigh Chargers: Burstin 2 Shuey 2 Gotch Van Unen Nicolopoulos BEST: Murray Bushrangers: Rockliff Mangan Sidebottom Birthisel Bryce Hamilton Oakleigh Chargers: Strauss Shuey Gotch Purcell Thompson Croft REPORTED PLAYERS: Murray Bushrangers: Jack Ziebell Oakleigh Chargers: Nil TAC CUP GRAND FINAL - Friday September 26 Murray Bushrangers v Dandenong Stingrays at Telstra Dome 4pm [The TAC Cup Final will be shown live on Fox Sports 1] * and just for the record I spent the early game in the company of members of Steve Gaertner's family. The did not influence my views on Steve's game and the best player list was issued by his club not me!

TAC OF THE TOWN by Whispering Jack Since I regard myself as a bit of a football traditionalist, I was disappointed to find that there was no AFL game on the Saturday afternoon of Preliminary Final week. This left me with no choice but to set off for the home ground of football's underbelly to watch the penultimate finals games of the TAC Cup Under 18 series. Unfortunately the experience left me more disappointed than anything else. I've been going to these games for many years dating back to the competition's inception and, on what I saw yesterday, the decline in standards that I've noticed in recent years is still proceeding and, if anything, more rapidly than ever before. It was probably a combination of a number of things that led to my negativity. The weather was lousy – it was cold, a stiff breeze favoured the eastern end of the ground for most of the day and patches of rain dominated the odd glimpses of sunshine that made this a typical Melbourne day. The poor crowds and the decaying nature of the ground with its unkempt, dank and smelly stands were a bit of a turn off not to mention the ever-present insignia of the Melbourne Storm and the ominous reminders that the ground has a new name - Visy Park. To me, it's a bit of a turn off to name a venue after an organisation that managed to recently cop a national record penalty for corporate cheating but then again, when your very survival and most of your operations are being propped up by that self same mob, I guess it's a case of who cares and how high can we jump for them (as long as their share value stays at a reasonably comfortable level)? Oh, and since I came to have a look a some possible AFL draft prospects, I should add that the standard of football was pretty ordinary as well. First off, the Dandenong Stingrays who are coached by former Demon Graeme Yeats took on the Gippsland Power in a game that never hit the heights and was mainly a battle of the defences. The Dandy boys had the benefit of the breeze in the first quarter but almost blew it (sorry) by outscoring their opponents by a mere seven points and the Gippy boys fared slightly better to turn the tables at half time. Dandenong was in trouble until late in the third term when it kicked clear by a couple of goals but managed to hold firm under fire in the last thanks to appalling kicking for goal which robbed the country lads of an opportunity to play in a grand final. Only one player from each team has been invited to next month's National Draft Camp. For the losers, left footer Nicholas Heyne booted four goals (it could easily have been six) and he was impressive when going for marks and generally attacking the football. However, his chasing and accountability for his opponents was problematic. Dandenong's Ash Smith ran hard coming off a half back flank constantly sweeping the ball out of defence and he worked well with key defender Steven Gaertner who was probably best on ground. Gaertner who has been invited to the state screening camp (a second tier to the national draft camp) was considered a strong draft contender last year but missed out. He's strong, fast and athletic and should get the nod this year*. Gaertner spent a fair amount of the game on tall Gippsland youngster John Butcher who is being hailed as next year's number one draft pick but he was off his game a little yesterday. He took one or two strong marks but lived up to is name with his kicking. While promising, he still has a long way to go and will benefit from the extra year in Under 18 ranks. On the other hand, Dandenong youngster Tom Scully is the one who looks like challenging Butcher for the # 1 favourite spot next year. He showed out with some clever play on a half forward flank and will probably be a premier midfielder by the time he gets the call at the highest level. The second game saw title favourites Murray Bushrangers beat off the Oakleigh Chargers after the latter squandered several opportunities in a horror first term in which they kicked 2 goals 9 behinds to 3 goals 1 with the benefit of the strong breeze. Murray responded with a six goal second quarter and although the Chargers fought hard in the second half, the Bushies were always going to win from that point. The teams had a number of draft camp invitees in their ranks. Murray Bushrangers had Kade Klemke, Dylan McNeil, Riley Milne, Tom Rockliff, Steele Sidebottom, Caleb Tiller, Sam Wright and Jack Ziebell while Oakleigh Chargers had Dan Hannebery, Luke Shuey and James Strauss. The Bushies also had a number of others invited to the state screening camp; the Chargers also had a few (including Xavier Gotch whose father Brad was coaching Williamstown to a VFL preliminary final defeat a few kilometres away at Port Melbourne). Perhaps it was a case of collective stage fright but there were few outstanding prospects whose names I could pencil in as high draft picks. Rockliff was probably the outstanding player of the match with his four goals from a dynamic performance up forward. I had seem him previously in Under 18 championships games and I wasn't totally impressed; he had looked a bit slow, appeared a trifle lazy and possibly a one trick pony as a small forward. This was a much better effort and while it didn't answer all of the questions I had about his capacity to become a top flight footballer, I started warming to him as a prospect for the future. Sidebottom looks a classy midfielder who can take a nice mark and has good delivery with left and right foot and by hand. He worked his way into the game after quarter time and was one of his team's best. Ziebell is a really balanced footballer who worked constructively and had a hand in quite a few goals. He was reported and sent from the ground in the last quarter but there didn't appear to be much in the incident. He has been touted as a top ten draft pick so his absence in Friday's grand final would be a major blow to his team. Shuey was finding the ball early for the Chargers and finished with a couple of goals, while Strauss showed some good pace and excellent delivery at times. Both are outside chances for selection in the top twenty of the national draft. The major disappointment on the day was the fact that not a single ruckman stood out on the day. The conditions might have had something to do with this but I suspect that clubs looking for ruckmen in the forthcoming draft are going to have to look elsewhere. The draft experts in the media and elsewhere on the internet have deemed that the top three picks are already set in stone – Jack Watts, Daniel Rich and Nick Naitanui and in probably that order with 200cm tall Tyrone Vickery as an outsider to push his way into that group. Watts and Vickery play for the Sandringham Dragons which didn't even make the TAC Cup finals while Rich (Subiaco) and Naitanui (Swan Districts) will be slugging it out against men today in the WAFL Grand Final. Rich is playing in his second grand final at this level at the age of only 18 and, after yesterday, I remain unmoved in my conviction that he will be far and away the best player available when the national draft meeting opens in two month's time. Dandenong Stingrays 2.3 3.4 8.6 10.8 (68 ) Gippsland Power 1.2 4.5 6.6 8.13 (61) GOALS: Dandenong Stingrays: Pitt 3 Doria 3 Bastinac Purves Clark Hallahan Gippsland Power: Heyne 4 Blair Weston Donchi Lehman BEST: Dandenong Stingrays: Gaertner Wragg Gillies Heddles Doria Pitt Gippsland Power: Sing Blair McLinden Francis Heyne Butcher REPORTED PLAYERS: Dandenong Stingrays: Nil Gippsland Power: Nil 2008 TAC Cup Murray Bushrangers 3.1 9.5 9.8 14.12 (96) Oakleigh Chargers 2.9 4.10 7.14 7.16 (58 ) GOALS: Murray Bushrangers: Rockliff 4 Wright 2 Mangan 2 Sidebottom Browne Hamilton Martiniello Craven Ziebell Oakleigh Chargers: Burstin 2 Shuey 2 Gotch Van Unen Nicolopoulos BEST: Murray Bushrangers: Rockliff Mangan Sidebottom Birthisel Bryce Hamilton Oakleigh Chargers: Strauss Shuey Gotch Purcell Thompson Croft REPORTED PLAYERS: Murray Bushrangers: Jack Ziebell Oakleigh Chargers: Nil TAC CUP GRAND FINAL - Friday September 26 Murray Bushrangers v Dandenong Stingrays at Telstra Dome 4pm [The TAC Cup Final will be shown live on Fox Sports 1] * and just for the record I spent the early game in the company of members of Steve Gaertner's family. The did not influence my views on Steve's game and the best player list was issued by his club not me!

Cale Morton would be most peoples' favourite. Who do you rate and why from this list - GRIMES, Jack MARIC, Addam MARTIN, Stefan MORTON, Cale VALENTI, Shane ® WEETRA, Isaac WONAEAMIRRI, Austin ®

17. Chris Johnson [188 cm 87 kg 25.01.86- 31 games (10 in 2008) 2 goals (2 in 2008)] – the son of former Demon great, Alan Johnson is finally starting to come of age after five seasons at the club. After a slow start to the season, he returned to the Demon side in mid season and started racking up good numbers including a career-best 33 disposals in the win over the Brisbane Lions before succumbing to a groin injury late in the year.

16. Jack Grimes [186 cm 81 kg 11.05.89 - 1 game 0 goals] - the former Northern Knights skipper missed the first half of the season with back and groin problems and was then nursed through several games with the Sandringham reserves before winning senior selection with the Zebras where he produced some impressive performances. After an outstanding game at Frankston, he made his AFL debut in Round 22. Looks a real midfield prospect.

15. Ricky Petterd [185 cm 78 kg 24.07.88 - 11 games (2 in 2008) 6 goals (0 in 2008)] - since suffering that life-threatening punctured lung in Round 14, 2007 against Carlton, he has played only two AFL games - the first in Round 1 of this year and the other in round 22 when he injured his hamstring. In between he has suffered from osteitis pubis and related ailments but managed to play some really good games at Sandringham and will be an asset to the club if he can get through the next pre season fit and ready for 2009.

14. Lynden Dunn [192cm 90 kg 14.05.87 - 39 games (16 in 2008) 28 goals (6 in 2008)] - hasn't quite made it as a tall forward so Dean Bailey gave him a number of tagging roles mainly in the midfield where he shut down some good opponents including Adam Goodes. The club will be hoping that he can progress futher not only in this latest role but also in producing some more attacking football in the future.

13. Adem Yze [187cm 85kg 21.09.77 - 271 games (6 in 2008) 234 goals (5 in 2008)] - the veteran had little impact in 2008 and played out most of the season with the Zebras. One of the Demons' better players of the recent era, Yze was only a shadow of the great all rounder who roamed the MCG for 14 years and was for a long time the club's most valuable player. The end of his illustrious carer came last month with the announcement of his retirement from the club.

Good get. It seems that Thomson wants out of Port Adelaide and with the Dean Bailey connection, it will be interesting to see what happens (although the Warnock and Judd connections didn't help). Is he really slow?

12. Colin Sylvia [186 cm 87 kg 11.08.85 – 70 games (18 in 2008) 47 goals (16 in 2008)] - an early indiscretion saw him earn the wrath of the leadership group and miss the opening game slaughter due to suspension but he came back to show his best form yet at the club. Many will say however, that what he showed was still below the level of expectation that had for this talented youngster drafted with pick # 3 in 2003. He was once considered a potential top line midfielder but was tried all over the ground this year and showed his best form up forward.

A story on Nat in the WA press - Big Nick keeps feet on ground Author of the article has the same name but is not the same person as a former great Demon rover of the 1960's.

11. Paul Johnson [199cm 108 kg 26.06.84 - 43 games (16 in 2008), 11 goals (7 in 2008)] – the club’s most improved player had a season that was far less interrupted by injury than in previous seasons although he did miss the last two games after undergoing hip surgery. Johnson took significant steps forward in his development in all facets of the game, particularly his marking and his ruck work and is set to establish himself either on the ball or in attack.

10. Cale Morton [191cm 78 kg 18.01.90 19 games 12 goals] – Melbourne’s first draft choice from 2007, Morton showed some of the ability and the poise that earned him All Australian honours and the Larke Medal at the AFL U18 Championships. Morton is still lightly built and needs to add some more aggression to his game and work on the quality of his delivery of the ball if he is to become a star in the future.

9. David Neitz [191 cm 100 kg 22.01.75 - 306 games (5 in 2008), 631 goals (3 in 2008)] - a constant neck injury and a broken disc in the back of his neck put an end to the old warhorse's career. Neita retired earlier this year after playing the first five games with limited output. The loyal Demon leaves the club as one of its greats, holding the club's records for most games, most goals, and longest-serving captain.

One of the great disappointments of the 2008 (and there have been many) was how we started off on the wrong foot with respect to recuperating players from last year. During the latter part of 2007 a number of players were packed off early for surgery and/or rehab and the general view was that this would result in us having a healthy list for the start of 2008 in much the same way as the Kangaroos used their off season the year before to get a kick start for what turned out to be an exceptional year for them. Instead, the opposite happened. We went into 2008 with a list full of crocks and guys who were half fit and quite a few never reached anything near their peak mentally or physically during the season. Fingers crossed that we will do things better this year and that those nasty off season injuries don't happen to us but rather afflict Carlton or someone else.

8. James Frawley [193 cm 82 kg 20.09.88 - 20 games (11 in 2008), 0 goals] - the tall young defender made slow but encouraging progress in 2008. Late in the season he was playing with more confidence and showing a lot of run out of defence. He has an awkward but effective kicking style and his defensive skills are improving all the time. The club recently showed its faith by signing him to a further two year contract.

Thanks. I've changed it to 96 kg as shown on the MFC website.

7. Brad Miller [194cm 96 kg 07.03.83 - 110 games (16 in 2008), 60 goals (26 in 2008)] - retirements and injuries to other key forwards at the club often meant that Miller was the last man left standing in this important part of a team's line up and he would often have to roam far and wide to fill the cracks in an ailing forward line. Miller stepped up to the plate in many games, lifted his performance under adversity and finished as leading goalkicker, albeit with only 26 goals. It would be good to see him take a few more inspirational pack marks like the one he took late in the game against the Brisbane Lions.

Thanks (although generally we've been opposed to mergers ). There's a resport on Dockerland which suggests that Warnock "would prefer a trade to Carlton, although he has family playing for Melbourne." - http://www.dockerland.com/latest/warnockin...ltons-door.html Money talks all languages and no doubt the Visy people need an ambassador for some other cause in addition to the green agenda being represented by a certain bald headed midfielder. Who knows, they might still be able to fit Kerr and Cousins in as well.

We had so many Robert Warnock threads that the system was about to explode so I've taken the liberty of merging them. I hope this doesn't cause as much confusion as having 4 5 threads about the same bloke was causing!