Demonland

I’m crossing the Yarra as we speak. I’ll provide my observations on individual performances. Shout out if there is anyone in particular you want me to comment on.

The rest of the list:- 52 Koltyn Tholstrup An intriguing prospect for Simon Goodwin, the brash Tholstrup was taken at pick 13 as an energetic and bold forward prospect with elite finishing skills. The 186cm forward from Western Australia was a needs-based selection, so don’t be surprised if he gets early chances in the senior side after playing plenty of senior WAFL football last year. 51 Tom McDonald The veteran never quite got going in 2023 given form and injury issues, kicking four goals against easybeats West Coast but only five majors from his other seven games. At his best he is an athletic beast who draws the footy. But the Demons could start round 1 with Harrison Petty, Jacob Van Rooyen, Shane McAdam and Bayley Fritsch forward. Therefore, McDonald needs to prove himself again — at 31 years of age. 49 Jack Billings An unknown quantity at the Demons, but he was a canny acquisition for a club looking for more class on the outside. The question is whether he can eke out a meaningful role at a club that will hope to have a vastly improved run with injuries and has also drafted Koltyn Tholstrup and Caleb Windsor as half-forwards and wingmen. 48 Adam Tomlinson Has played wing and key defence at the Demons since moving from GWS as a free agent, but never quite locked down a spot. If Petty is to play forward, he could play as the third tall behind Lever and May. But he needs to seize the moment as an uncontracted tall. 44 Tom Fullarton Ex-Brisbane key forward Fullarton was identified as the Brodie Grundy replacement, even though he played little ruck in the VFL for the Lions in 2023. The athletic tall had only 50 total hit-outs across 19 senior games, so he’s an unlikely choice given he will need to provide Max Gawn with regular chop-outs to keep the skipper fresh for finals. 40 Ben Brown A premiership hero in 2021, but his badly damaged knees might have put paid to his career. He will play out the final season of his contract, hopeful he can add a late burst to his games tally with the Demons in the flag window. However, he only managed seven AFL games for four goals and eight VFL games for 11 goals in 2023. Let’s hope his body allows him to make a final charge. 39 Marty Hore Resuscitated his Demons career after a brilliant stint in the VFL, averaging 122 ranking points, 22 disposals and an amazing 5.5 intercept marks for Williamstown in 2023. At only 190cm he might not quite play as the third tall, but an injury or two will pave the way for him to add to his 14 games for the Demons in 2019. 38 Jake Melksham Comes into the season off an ACL tear, but with his form almost career-best before his knee buckled last August. With the Demons having drafted a pair of forwards and secured Shane McAdam, he will need to work his way back through the VFL. But he will believe he can be a finals difference-maker. 36 Taj Woewodin The midfielder-forward is highly regarded at the Demons and after impressive VFL form he won four straight AFL games from rounds 17-20, averaging nine possessions. It was a solid grounding which the 20-year-old son of Shane will be desperate to build on. 35 Bailey Laurie Played five senior games in 2023 — including the qualifying final against the Magpies — as a 179cm forward, but for little impact. The 21-year-old was the No. 22 pick in the 2020 draft so will be given chances as an elusive and clever small forward in 2024. 34 Jed Adams The 196cm key defender spent his first year in the VFL after being taken at pick 38 in the 2022 national draft. There he won 1.5 intercept marks a game across 20 matches in a solid year, adding experience playing against men. 33 Blake Howes The club’s No. 39 pick in the 2021 national draft emerged as a likely type in 2023 after a 2022 season decimated by a foot injury. Playing 14 VFL games, the former junior forward averaged an impressive 93 ranking points and 23 disposals. Watch this space. 33 Josh Schache Was contentiously preferred to Brodie Grundy as a finals sub given his capacity to ruck and play in attack. But despite an excellent VFL season, he had only 10 possessions in limited game time across three AFL games. Won another single-season deal, but is surely up against it for senior chances. 32 Kynan Brown The father-son was selected in last November’s rookie draft as a tough inside midfielder who thrives on tackling and contested ball. The son of former dogged defender Nathan will take time to build his tank and experience in the VFL. 31 Matthew Jefferson A 195cm key forward who was drafted at pick 15 in the 2022 national draft. One day he will be a serious prospect, but he is likely to need another year in the VFL. He had a solid 2023 season with Casey, averaging 1.3 contested marks and kicking 23 goals across 20 games. 30 Andy Moniz-Wakefield The NGA prospect had a solid season as a clever small forward in the VFL, kicking 20 goals from 19 contests splitting his time between the midfield and attacking half. He also averaged 1.8 clearances and 3.6 tackles. There’s plenty to like. But for 2024? Maybe not. 28 Will Verrall The mid-season draftee is an impressive ruck prospect and played nine VFL games last season, averaging 10 touches and 16 hit-outs as well as laying 10 tackles in a match against Williamstown. He’s a future prospect, but given the Demons’ thin ruck stocks it would only take injury to thrust him forward. 28 Oliver Sestan A medium-sized athletic forward who kicked 12 goals in 16 VFL games and was given another deal after missing the back-end of the year with injury. Still only 19 years of age. 18 Kyah Farris-White The former basketballer signed a new one-year deal as a category B rookie who in his first year mixed time with Dandenong in the Coates League and the Casey in the VFL. He averaged 2.5 disposals and 6.5 hit-outs in his eight VFL games, so he’s some way off. 15 Joel Smith We docked Smith almost 50 ratings points for stupidity. A player who kicked three goals as an unlikely semi-final target was subsequently nabbed by authorities for a cocaine positive detected on match-day from a previous contest. He is facing a two-year drug ban so who would know if he will play at all in 2024. But he will be pushing his case to downgrade it to three months. POSTSCRIPT: As Whispering Jack pointed out below Daniel Turner was inadvertently left out. If the article is updated with his inclusion, I’ll do a re-edit.

Jon Ralph and Peter McFarlane pose some intriguing questions about the Demons in their article in today’s Herald Sun. Apart from the obvious ones about a couple of our players under a cloud for 2024, the main one might well be whether Melbourne is “going to brutalise Max Gawn by the time we get to September?” Here are their assessments of the leading contenders for a place in the team:- 92 Christian Petracca Joins Brownlow Medallists Nathan Fyfe and Patrick Dangerfield as future Hall of Famers who are slightly marked down by periods where their kicking drops away. It was another massive season for best-and-fairest winner in 2023. Had he converted a little better than 28.34 in front of the sticks, it could have been one of footy’s greatest individual seasons. Instead it was unrequited with a straight-sets exit. Petracca needs a second flag to join the greats of the modern era. 89 Max Gawn The skipper will start the season as a 32-year-old, but remains footy’s most dangerous ruckman despite the disastrous Brodie Grundy experiment which cost him a seventh All-Australian jumper. He will need all of his leadership skills to bring together these Demons given their issues, but his form when playing one-out in the final 10 weeks of last year shows his football powers have barely diminished despite his veteran status. 88 Jack Viney Gets a rating this high given his stellar 2023 season — beaten by only Petracca in the best-and-fairest — but also his importance given the question marks over Clayton Oliver’s future. He stood up in Oliver’s absence last year, averaging five clearances and 5.9 tackles as well as racking up big possession tallies. At times he’s underrated, but few Demons are more important. 87 Jake Lever The defender missed the All-Australian side but was third in the Keith “Bluey” Truscott Medal for a 24-game season across which he averaged three intercept marks a game. His intercept game remained strong, although he polled coaches votes in only five matches. He’s about to turn 28, but should believe he has 100 elite games left in him. 86 Steven May Remains one of footy’s defensive forces and was a finals colossus against Carlton and not far short of it with a 12-spoil qualifying final against the Pies. May rated elite for disposals and metres gained in 2023 — and above average for everything else that matters. The only slight query is his age as he starts the new season as a 32-year-old. 80 Angus Brayshaw His finals exit after the brutal collision with Brayden Maynard took the gloss off an exceptional home-and-away season, with Brayshaw averaging 23 possessions and 3.3 clearances. Oliver might return to the midfield, but if Brayshaw isn’t repurposed to the half back line could he add goalkicking to his repertoire? He only kicked two goals and had 15 goal assists in 2023. 78 Kysaiah Pickett What a talent. What a game-turner. But also what a frustration in that finals flame-out to Carlton as he gave away needless free kicks with misplaced aggression and then nearly turned the game playing one-out as a dangerous forward in the second half. He must learn those lessons, but after 37 goals last season look for him to dominate with a consistent year that elevates him into the elite bracket. 78 Bayley Fritsch Look for a huge bounce-back year from Fritsch, who will compete with multiple forwards to be an inside-50 target but will also get more favourable match-ups after the Demons drafted and traded to improve their forward line. He still eked out 38 goals last season, despite battling foot issues late in the year. He’d be looking for 60 goals in 2024. 77 Clayton Oliver His football resume is incredible as a premiership player, three-time All Australian and four-time best-and-fairest winner at only 26. However, his desire to knuckle down and maximise his career is up for grabs. Until he proves he can toe the line, his football future is one giant question mark. His rating could start with a nine, but instead gets downgraded. 76 Christian Salem Battled a thyroid injury and then missed months with a knee injury in 2023, so a 16-game season averaging 19 possessions and 79 ranking points was a reasonable return. But he needs to elevate to a new level at half back if the Demons are to flourish, which would also release players including Rivers into the midfield. 75 Trent Rivers The premiership half back enjoyed a season of huge gains in 2023, with a top-ten best and fairest finish and an elite rating for intercepts. The Demons believe he’s capable of serious midfield time. Is it in 2024? He is still only 22. Expect 250 games from this Demons tyro. 73 Harrison Petty Melbourne has grand plans for Petty as one of its twin towers in attack alongside Jacob Van Rooyen. He is something of an unlikely spearhead, given the full back had been trialled in attack earlier last year. He was then sent back, only to switch again and kick six goals against Richmond in round 20. Petty injured his foot a week later and it likely cost the Demons a finals win given their forward struggles thereafter. But at his best he leads hard, marks strongly and kicks like a dream (12.1 in 2023). 72 Jacob Van Rooyen The Demons’ next big thing has the cult hero status and the appetite for the contest after 28 goals from the first 20 games of his career in 2023. He was silly to miss the semi-final trying to play tough guy and bumping Collingwood’s Dan McStay. Of greater concern is whether he can handle the bevy of No. 1 defenders who might come his way from round 1 onwards. He could be special but it wouldn’t surprise if it took him time to become a regular 40-goal forward. 71 Ed Langdon The wingman enjoyed a solid but not outstanding 2023 season, averaging 19 possessions as he missed a top-10 spot in the best and fairest and polled coaches votes only twice. He only kicked five goals for the year but averaged a strong 2.2 tackles. Will be one of many Demons who believe they can squeeze out more improvement if this side is to win another flag. 70 Shane McAdam We could end up with egg smeared across the face, but we predict big things for McAdam in 2024. In 50 career games across four completed seasons he has averaged 0.9, 1.7, 1.5 and 1.7 goals a game. He hasn’t been a senior mainstay so he has flaws in his game, but kicking goals isn’t one of them. McAdam could be a canny Moneyball selection for a player ranked elite for goals, accuracy and forward 50 marks at Adelaide in 2023. 69 Alex Neal-Bullen Might have put together a career-best season in 2023 as he finished sixth in the best-and-fairest, booted 19 goals and averaged 4.7 tackles a game. While the Demons have drafted to add potency to their midfield, the elite-running half forward will remain one of the first picked given his unique skill set. 68 Judd McVee What a spectacular breakthrough season for the lanky defender, who finished top-10 in the best-and-fairest. Like many Demons, he ended the year with a nasty taste in the mouth, failing to contain or body-line Sam Docherty in the decisive patch of play in a semi-final loss to Carlton. But it should not besmirch a year in which he was virtually impassable in one-on-one contests on talls and smalls. 66 Lachie Hunter Played 24 games as a hard-running wingman in his first season for the Demons after crossing from the Bulldogs. While he missed the top 10 in the best-and-fairest and polled only five coaches votes, he averaged 22 possessions and 390 metres gained. Hunter could hurt more with his disposal, after going at only 56 per cent efficiency in 2023. 65 Tom Sparrow A bustling, busy midfielder, Sparrow should only get more chances this year given James Jordon and James Harmes have departed for rival clubs. The 23-year-old might need an established strength to go to the next level — he averaged 17 touches, 58 per cent efficiency, 2.6 clearances, 3.5 tackles in 2023. All are solid but not elite. Is he capable of one day reaching elite status? We might find out in 2024. 64 Jake Bowey Flew under the radar with a far-from-flashy but consistent 2023 season, playing 23 games and averaging 16 possessions as a small close-checking defender. Since his debut in the premiership year of 2021 he has churned out 47 games with very few flat spots. At 21, he has so much room to improve. 60 Caleb Windsor The suspicion is the Demons drafted elite-running wingman Windsor at pick 7 last November as a plug-and-play option who could immediately improve their ball use given his penchant for hitting the right option at the right time. 58 Charlie Spargo Mixed seven VFL games with his 14 AFL matches last season, but managed only 11 goals in his senior action. Can he find a new wind, after also averaging only 10 possessions? He will need to as a buzzy energetic half forward if he is to retain his spot in the side. 55 Kade Chandler Should be commended for finally breaking out and winning a new deal after a 23-goal season in 2023. However, he managed only 10 majors from his last 15 games in a stretch where he went goalless nine times — including in both finals. Now that the attention has come for him, can he build on a season where he also averaged 1.2 score assists and 4.7 score involvements? More to follow.

Melbourne champion Christian Petracca has leapt to the defence of troubled star teammate Clayton Oliver, as the 26-year-old remains on light duties around the club. Oliver has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reason, including his early exit from the club's training camp at the end of 2023, following intense trade speculation as well as a brief hospital visit. Oliver is yet to return to full club sessions, but it doesn't worry his premiership teammate Petracca on the eve of the 2024 season. "He'll integrate soon," Petracca told media at the Super Bowl launch at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday. "It's really nice to see him back with us boys and being around us. He's been training with the rehab group." Petracca knows that it is not only Oliver in the spotlight, however. The 28-year-old admitted the Demons have tinkered with their game plan in the hopes of righting the wrongs of the two consecutive straight sets exits from the finals. And despite Oliver's fitness now in question without a full pre season under his belt, Petracca is certain the star midfielder will be able to slide right in when he returns. "When you've been away from the club for a few months, obviously there's new things we've improved on and tried to get better at," Petracca said on the Demons' new game plan. "But he's a pretty good player, so I think he'll come up to speed with that (new game plan) when he comes in." But despite Petracca's confidence in Oliver's integration back into the team and ability to pick up the fresh game plan, he remained coy on if the 2021 premiership star would even play a game in 2024. "I'm not too sure," Petracca said. He did however praise Melbourne's management of the difficult Oliver situation over the past few months. "I'm not the one making decisions on whether he's playing or not. But I feel like the club's done a really good job over the last few months managing everything," Petracca said. "There's only so much we can control and as a footy club, we have an incredible culture. We do work hard, we do strive to be the best. "When he comes into the team, he's one of us and we treat him like one of us." The Demons will take on Carlton on February 28 in their first practice match, to be held at IKON Park, where Melbourne will be trying out some changes to their game style. "It goes very quick, 30 days until round zero (opening round). We're playing practice matches next week. It's been really good, everyone is in great shape," Petracca said. "With us, 95 per cent of the stuff we're doing we're doing really well. Contest, defence, offense. There's no doubt we've got to improve in a few things. "We're looking at those things, tinkering with a few things, we're trying to change and adapt. The AFL is constantly evolving, new game styles, we'll work at those. "The last few years have been frustrating. For us, I'm a pretty optimistic person and I see there's only ways to improve and get better. "Only really actions can tell in 30 days time in round zero." Melbourne will take on Sydney at the SCG as part of the AFL's new Opening Round, to be played the week before round one of the 2024 season.

Assume Lynch won't be playing in the Practice Match.

And won a flag albeit of the VFL variety.

Always check the MFC site before heading down: https://www.melbournefc.com.au/teams/training-times Or the social media pages of the players who all appear to be on mini vacations.

That's not an equal comparison. In 2021 you couldn't make a sub unless there was an injury. Sure they could have taken May off late but the sub rule was not the same in 2021 as it was last year. They could have subbed Schache on for TMac in the SF and no one would have batted an eyelid even if he didn't get a possession.

I assume that is why there is no training today. A number of players seem to be taking a break this weekend. Perhaps a last holiday before the Premiership tilt.

Did you not look on the MFC Website Training Times page before heading out there? Gosch's Paddock Wednesday 7 Feb | Gosch's | 9.30am - 11.45am approx. Casey Fields Friday 9 Feb | Casey | 9.30am - 11.45am approx.

When the dust settled on 2023, the Melbourne Football Club coach Simon Goodwin lamented that the club knew it needed to score more to land a second premiership in the current era. He opined that an average of one more goal per game would have had his charges in football’s stratosphere. Goodwin was right and, based on his team’s scoring opportunities, that extra goal (and more) was well within its grasp if only they had better converted their shots at goal. Take the side’s last six defeats (mainly in the second half of the season) for season 2023:- Rd 11 - Fremantle 12.7.79 defeated Melbourne 10.12.72 Rd 15 - Geelong 11.12.78 defeated Melbourne 8.15.63 Rd 16 - GWS 7.5.47 defeated Melbourne 5.15.45 Rd 22 - Carlton 9.6.60 defeated Melbourne 8.8.56 Qualifying Final - Collingwood 9.6.60 defeated Melbourne 7.11.53 Semi Final Carlton 11.7.73 defeated Melbourne 9.17.71 Incredibly, the Demons amassed 125 scoring shots to 102 in those six losses to net a total score of 47.78.360 against 59.43.397. The figures don’t lie - given a touch more accuracy in front of goal and you’re looking at a premiership but instead, for the second year in a row, it was out of the finals in straight sets. In 2023, the team was by far fitter in body than the one that limped out of 2022. It’s biggest loss was an outlier by 27 points in the Gather Round vs Essendon in Adelaide and the rest were all close losses, many by less than a goal. As a measure of how close Melbourne was to a possible flag in terms of the team’s strength was that in its two matches against the premiers it scored a total of to 15.29.119 to 18.14.122. Let that sink in! Things were different for much of the first half of the season. The Demons were in scintillating form during their two practice/simulation matches with the combination of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy looking a treat as they dominated in the ruck as well as scoring goals when rested. The club appeared to be in good shape all over the ground as the season approached. The midfield led by Jack Viney, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver was in electrifying form! The optimism seemed vindicated in Round 1 with a massive 50-point thumping of the Western Bulldogs at the MCG. Ben Brown and Kysaiah Pickett booted four goals apiece but the celebrations were marred by the latter’s two week suspension over his high bump on Bailey Smith. Pickett went on to score 37 goals for the season but was rarely in that electric form displayed in the opening round. Brown scored another four in the team’s loss to Brisbane in the following round but injuries cut him down to a total of only seven games and three more goals for the season. Things went awry in Brisbane when skipper Gawn went down early with what at first appeared to be a season threatening knee injury. His stunned teammates looked dazed in the moments after their leader left the field and it was only after a long delay later in the game, occasioned by the failure of the Gabba lights, that they were stung into action; a flurry of goals left them 11 points away from what would have been a remarkable victory. Gawn’s injury was not as severe as first thought and was well covered by Grundy over most of the following rounds of his absence with one glaring exception in that Gather Round game in the wet at Adelaide against the Bombers when defender Steven May was also sorely missed. Aside from that defeat, the team coasted through most of the first half of the season, putting away some of the competition’s lesser lights until it returned to Adelaide in Round 10 to play in the wet again, this time as Naarm in the Indigenous Round against Port Adelaide. Disaster struck. The home team controlled the first half but the midfield trio of Oliver, Petracca and Viney restored life and clearance dominance to the team which surged with seven goals from a game-high deficit of 25 points to a 17 point lead late in the third quarter. Lachie Hunter was involved in a controversial report which resulted in an after the siren goal to Port which overcame the Demons by four points in the driving rain. It was later revealed that Oliver had badly damaged his hamstring in the final term, possibly a factor in this loss and certainly, a major blow for the team’s 2023 campaign as his absence lingered over the following months interspersed with hospital visits for foot blisters and other ailments as he struggled to regain fitness. The cloud of darkness hovered over him for the remainder of the year and while he did well on his comeback late in the season to be among Melbourne’s best in the finals, it wasn’t the same old Clarry. Suddenly, coach Goodwin was confronted with a series of dilemmas which were spread through the middle and into the run towards the finals. In the first instance, he did well to cover the absence of his champion midfielder. He was fortunate to have Christian Petracca, already in starring form and Jack Viney stepped up to the plate in stunning fashion. The defence was well led by key position stars Steven May and Jake Lever and buttressed by Angus Brayshaw and novice Judd McVee who comfortably took over and remained in the role of a medium defender in the temporary absence of Christian Salem. The forward line however, was just managing although it had found a player of the future in young key forward Jacob van Rooyen. Kade Chandler finally began to make an impact and was kicking goals and Alex Neal-Bullen was quietly and continuously adding energy and grunt to the prime endeavour of keeping the ball in the forward line through the application of pressure. Despite the looming problems with scoring goals, Melbourne brought down the rampant eventual premiers Collingwood in the Kings Birthday match, ending their long run of victories stretching back to Round 4. The result was close but it was comprehensive. After Bayley Fritsch went down with a foot injury in the game against GWS in Alice Springs, Goodwin gave Jake Melksham the opportunity to not just revive his career but also, to turn himself into an important fixture in the forward line. Petracca spent more minutes up forward and Brayshaw moved into the middle for cover. Tom Sparrow was given more responsibility in the midfield and Trent Rivers and Kysaiah Pickett went there at times as well. Some important victories were to follow against potential finals opponents in St Kilda and Brisbane. The Gawn/Grundy connection was sagging and the coach took the difficult decision to omit the dual All-Australian ruckman recruited from Collingwood and leave the ruckwork mainly to his skipper who was starting to put in some Herculean solo efforts. Goodwin also cemented the move of Harry Petty from defence to attack. With the finals a little over a month away, the dream was seemingly about to come true for Demon fans as the team found its forward connection and demolished the Tigers on a Sunday at the MCG in late July. The strong marking Petty kicked six goals from his six shots at goal, while Melksham and van Rooyen booted four goals each without a miss. That’s 14 goals straight from a team that had a reputation of failing to hit the proverbial barn door. It appeared that things were looking up. But … (why is there always a “but”) A week later, Goodwin’s forward line plans were thrown into disarray when his team overcame cellar dwellers North Melbourne after an insipid first half in which they lost Harrison Petty for the remainder of the season with a foot injury. Fortunately, Joel Smith succeeded in partially covering the situation when moved up forward to add two goals in a display that secured him the spot vacated by Petty (and before him, other injured forwards in Tom McDonald and Ben Brown). However, the die was being cast as far as the forward line was concerned. When the team played out its last game in the finals, that entire trio of dead eye forwards who had kicked 14 goals straight against the Tigers was missing and the results were there for all to see. Melbourne stumbled early in its game against Carlton but regrouped to dominate the last half and was arguably robbed of victory when a long bomb from Petracca was controversially called touched by the goal umpire. The subsequent goal review was inconclusive and the umpire’s decision stood. Ironically, the Blues were also the beneficiaries of victory in the semi final after an Alex Neal-Bullen snap was adjudged a goal by the goal umpire was overturned on replay. Such is life. After overcoming an arm wrestle against Hawthorn, Melbourne put on the afterburners in Sydney to smash the Swans but lost Jake Melksham to a torn ACL on a day when Bayley Fritsch marked his return with five goals despite coming off the field in distress during the game. The club’s accuracy woes in the final series referred to above and well documented elsewhere came back to haunt it in September. Things weren’t helped by the hammer blow delivered to Angus Brayshaw by Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard who controversially avoided suspension at the AFL tribunal. Nevertheless, the AFL subsequently sought to make Maynard’s “legal” action “illegal” by amending the rules concerning what is meant by a reasonable attempt to smother, a change that may well make no difference in practice. Nor is this any consolation to either Brayshaw or the club which could easily claim that the hit cost it victory in this game and, along with the defeat, a chance to win the premiership. The club made an unfortunate second consecutive straight sets exit from the finals when it kicked its way out of the semi final against Carlton, a situation compounded by some poorly uncharacteristic defensive play at the death knock. It was season over on a Friday night but the news of the passing of club icon and arguably its greatest ever, Ronald Dale Barassi placed all of us under a dark cloud. The man who was hero to a whole generation of young Demon fans and whose name is synonymous with courage, resilience and integrity and above all, success, had left us forever. Tearfully, we mourned the loss of a true legend. As mentioned above, one of the highlights of the season was the seamless introduction of the talented Judd McVee into the Demons’ defence. He was there throughout the season and blossomed with every passing week. Much the same can be said of fellow Sandgroper Jacob van Rooyen who kicked 28 goals for the year in his 20 games after calls for his debut were answered in Round 3. The youngster fitted in comfortably as a key forward with an occasional run in the ruck with just the right amount of aggression at the ball. It sometimes got him into trouble and he overcame a trying week when exonerated after a marathon hearing of an appeal against a striking suspension incurred as he was attempting to spoil Gold Coast’s Charlie Ballard in Round 8. Van Rooyen was sorely missed due to suspension when the Demons lost their semi final to the Blues. Others to gain AFL experience and show promise were Bailey Laurie and father/son prospect Taj Woewodin while 2021 midseason draftee Daniel Turner looked a key defender prospect for the future at Casey and in his limited appearances with Melbourne. After making a solid start to their VFL premiership defence with wins in their first four matches, the Casey Demons stumbled slightly but remained contenders for a top four finish until the last month of home and away matches. A few close defeats and the same yips in front of goal that were encountered by their senior counterparts left them in the position where they had to beat North Melbourne in a wild card game in order to compete in the finals proper. That was achieved easily but the elimination final against Footscray turned into an embarrassing 79-point loss after the non-selection of several otherwise eligible players just in case they were needed for the AFL finals. The AFLW team also failed in their premiership defence after a solid first half of the season. They were led brilliantly by new skipper Kate Hore but faltered late when the going got rough and injuries and illness hit the group. The Demons still finished second with eight wins and a percentage of 222.9, the ‘points for’ of 653 being the highest in AFLW competition history. Forward stars Hore and Eden Zanker jointly shared the AFLW Goalkicking Award with a record 20 goals for the home and away seasons. Zanker kicked three goals in the final against Geelong to finish with 23 for the season, another league record (equal with Brisbane’s Dakota Davidson). The team’s luck ran out in the finals with losses to North Melbourne and Geelong (narrowly in the end) ending the season in disappointing fashion. Tyla Hanks and Kate Hore tied for the best and fairest with Lauren Pearce in third place ahead of another tie for fourth between Sinead Goldrick and Olivia Purcell. Hore was named as the All Australian captain in her first year as leader taking over from Daisy Pearce. Zanker was named All Australian for the first time. The disappointment of straight sets exits by both the men and women was somewhat offset by a $1 million dollar windfall in becoming the One Club - McLelland Trophy Winners which earned praise from MFC Chair Kate Roffey who noted that the real value of the prize was the “extraordinary commitment it takes across the entire Club to field and support two extremely high performing teams each weekend”. After the disappointing finish to the men’s AFL competition, attention turned to the trade and draft period. Brodie Grundy was traded to the Sydney Swans after the failure of the Gawn/Grundy experiment left him on the outer with one AFL appearance in the run into the business end of the season. That he missed out on playing in a final against his old club Collingwood and again in the semi against Carlton when the club was down in talent, was baffling given that the tactical substitute, Josh Schache was kept off the field completely in the latter game. Many observers felt that the handling of the situation provided poor optics for the club and devalued his trade worth. The Swans took him as cheap bargain for a dual All-Australian and they cashed in on another money ball deal picking up free agent James Jordon for nothing. Michael Hibberd retired with a premiership and several years of solid service under his belt. Luke Dunstan who tore his ACL at Casey late in the season, also retired. Jake Melksham was delisted but redrafted as a rookie while loyal servant James Harmes was traded to the Western Bulldogs. Former NGA recruit Deaykin Smith, who was Casey’s 2023 best and fairest but delisted, found his way to North Melbourne. The Demons traded for needs and picked up former high draft pick Jack Billings from St Kilda, high flying excitement machine Shane McAdam from Adelaide and Brisbane Lions’ ruckman/forward Tom Fullarton (who is now on the injured list). They later redrafted former player Marty Hore, back from Williamstown. In the draft, the club used two first round picks to secure Caleb Windsor (Eastern Ranges) and Koltyn Tholstrup (Subiaco WA) and took father/son prospect Kynan Brown (Oakleigh Chargers) as a rookie. Christian Petracca capped off his finest individual season with a second 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy as Melbourne's club champion, polling 602 votes to finish 75 votes clear of runner-up Jack Viney, with key defender Jake Lever third on 456 votes. Angus Brayshaw (453) and Steven May (451) rounded out a closely fought top five. Conspicuously missing from that list was four-time 'Bluey' winner Oliver who missed a significant part of the season with a torn hamstring and foot blisters and had post season knee surgery amid some controversy about his recovery from those issues. Soon after the grand final, it was even claimed that the club had put him on the trade table and not long after, he was hospitalised following a seizure that resulted in a head injury. There were also issues with a case of driving while unlicensed. All of this was grist for the media mill. It was becoming clear that Oliver was struggling with mental issues and in late December, he headed home from the Demons’ training camp in Lorne as he continued to deal with ongoing health challenges. He was left to heal and maintain his fitness away from the playing group and rejoined them a month later looking in reasonably good nick and hopeful of a full return to the fold in the last month of the 2024 preseason. Oliver retained the unwavering support of the playing group and the supporters throughout his ordeal and it’s worth reflecting how the club still performed strongly in his absence for most of the last half of 2023. Though he showed some good form on return, it was not reflective of the devastating 40 plus possession performances that he is capable of peeling off with regularity. However, in his absence, others stepped up and those extra midfield minutes of experience not only contributed to Melbourne comfortably finishing in the top four, but the benefits should carry through and hold the club in good stead in the AFL competition in 2024 and beyond. More so, with Clarry’s full return to health in mind and body. We can’t wait! Another controversy erupted in the early post season when forward Joel Smith tested positive for cocaine. Smith was suspended from the Demons' football program while Sport Integrity Australia investigated the circumstances of a positive test after the Demons' win over Hawthorn in Round 23. The matter is still ongoing. There was no shortage of off-field controversy with litigation ongoing in the courts between former president Glen Bartlett and Melbourne Football Club Board members. It was recently reported that mediation talks aimed at ending the long-running dispute had broken down while a separate dispute over the fairness and transparency of the Board’s election process also appears headed for court. Watch these spaces*. On a more positive note, another off-field development that occurred after season’s end was the long-awaited announcement of a feasibility study to identify a location for the Club’s long term home base at a redeveloped Caulfield Racecourse. The $570 million redevelopment would see its in-field, which is Crown land and about 10 times the size of the MCG, opened up as a community precinct, to be known as the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve. It is expected that the Demons would be a key tenant along with local sporting and community organisations and groups. The Melbourne Football Club sits in the premiership window with great playing depth, a healthy culture and excellent leadership both on and off the field. It remains a strong contender as 2023 ends and we look forward to a resurgence in 2024 with a team that has a reputation as one of the hardest to beat in the competition and simply awaits the return of its straight shooters. Bring it on! * in keeping with current Demonland policy, we will not accept discussion on matters being litigated in the courts or on sensitive matters relating to the mental health of our club’s playing group or derogatory comments and language about players and coaching staff. We ask that you please understand that this is partly a result of both medical and legal advice received and that you respect our decision. We are here to support our great club and its players. THANK YOU We take this opportunity to thank the many people who continue to keep Demonland running starting with all of you who contribute to our forums. A special mention to Nasher who is our IT guru and physically looks after the running of the site and to contributors Whispering Jack, George on the Outer, The Oracle, KC from Casey and Meggs as well as Binman who joins George and me on our Demonland podcast. Thanks to anyone I’ve forgotten (please forgive me) and to our great team of footballers and the club and its staff who make it all happen. Go Dees in 2024 - Andy

The decision not to discuss the Joel Smith case on Demonland stems from several key considerations outlined below: Respect for Privacy: The decision emphasizes the sensitive and private nature of Joel Smith's situation. Out of respect for him and the club, it's inappropriate to speculate about him on a personal level or cast aspersions regarding his circumstances. This highlights a broader ethical concern about respecting individuals' privacy, especially when it involves potentially sensitive or confidential matters. In addition we do not want Demonland to be used as a platform for rumourmongering or to spread misinformation. Ignoring Established Rules: Initially we established some rules to discussing the Joel Smith case and despite a clear set of boundaries some users disregarded these guidelines and engaged in discussions that strayed beyond the permitted topics. Discussion of Serious Topics: We do not take these serious issues effecting the club and this decision to curb discussion of these topics lightly. We of course believe that these serious matters affecting the club that we all love and are all so passionate about are worthy of discussion and debate. I wish we could provide a platform where these matters can be discussed in a civil and respectful manner. Potential Legal Ramifications: Discussions on sensitive topics such as these unfortunately invariably devolve into areas that may be defamatory, libelous, spread unsubstantiated rumours & can effect the mental health of those involved. Even discussion and debate of known facts or media reports can lead to finger pointing, blame and personal attacks. The repercussion is that these discussions can open this website, it’s owners and it’s users to legal action and may result in this website being forced to shutdown. Whether users believe that a website can be held liable for comments posted on them is immaterial to me. I simply do not want to test that out and the threat of litigation stemming from some sensitive topics has had a severe impact on my own mental health and is a very big factor in this decision. Moderation Challenges: Moderators on Demonland are volunteers and cannot monitor discussions around the clock. The inability to consistently and in a timely manner enforce rules and address violations effectively can contribute to an environment where inappropriate discussions proliferate unchecked. This underscores the practical challenges of managing online communities, especially when dealing with sensitive topics. Closure and Reporting: As a result of the above Demonland has decided to close threads and discussions related to the Joel Smith case. Additionally, users are encouraged to report any comments about the case found in other threads so that moderators can take appropriate action. We reserve the right to delete posts that offend against our above policy & indeed, to ban posters who are repeat offenders or who breach our code of conduct. This approach aims to mitigate the spread of unauthorized discussions and maintain the integrity of the platform. WE HAVE BUILT A FANTASTIC ONLINE COMMUNITY AT DEMONLAND OVER THE PAST 24 YEARS & WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THE CLUB WE LOVE & ARE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT. We will continue to provide updates on the situation in this thread but please do not engage in discussion about it anywhere else on this website. We understand the desire to discuss such issues but there are other platforms on the internet that can provide that service. Thank you for your continued support & understanding. Go Dees.

This must be your first preseason 😜

Based on what I have seen at training in regards to his loads I just assumed (based on that report) that he only took part in the drills at the beginning. On Wednesday he did the non contact initial drills and then when they went into contact drills and end to end stuff he did separate one on one stuff and laps.

From BRENNO’S training report

https://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/33846910/afl-2022-champion-data-deep-dive-ruckman-valuable-overrated-best-rucks-afl-revealed Couldn't find a similar breakdown for 2023. @WheeloRatings do you have some 2023 ruck stats?

Can't speak for other trackwatchers but usually if I don't mention somebody it's not necessarily because they weren't noticed or aren't training well it could just because they are doing exactly what is expected of them by training hard and diligently. Judd is exactly that. He's a kid that trains hard and does all the right things. He is one of our better users of the footy. I haven't been to the Friday Casey match SIMs, which I guess is the closest thing to match conditions at training as opposed to the Wednesday 13 on 13 end to end "circle work", so I haven't had a chance to see Judd the defender in match conditions at training so I can't critique his defending abilities under the closest thing to the pressures of a game. Having said that I have no doubt he will continue on the trajectory we saw him begin last season. We have a good one here in Knuckles.