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Tall order facing Dees' attack ahead of Opening Round MELBOURNE opens the season against Sydney in a little over two weeks, but the makeup of the Demons' forward line remains concerningly unclear. The Demons were already somewhat skinny in the tall forwards department, but injury and suspension has hit the entire line hard over summer. The situation – while not yet a full-blown crisis – could see Melbourne field a forward line of 20-year-old Jacob van Rooyen and the three-club former No.2 pick Josh Schache as the side's key targets for the opening match against the Swans, with veteran Tom McDonald still a chance to feature in attack. McDonald missed match simulation against Richmond with calf soreness, although the Demons say he is expected to play in the upcoming practice match against Carlton. The wrinkle in the plan is while McDonald has been a recognised forward for the past few years, he has largely been training in defence this summer, reprising the role he played throughout the first half of his AFL career. How has Melbourne landed in this sticky situation? Ben Brown had knee surgery in late January, while Joel Smith has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for cocaine after the Demons' round 22 clash against Hawthorn late last year. Kozzy Pickett will also miss the opening round after a one-match suspension for a high bump on Carlton's Patrick Cripps in last year's heartbreaking semi-final loss. Recruit Shane McAdam is battling a calf issue, with no guidance yet from the Dees around the former Adelaide high flyer's expected return date, while undersized marking target Jake Melksham is rehabbing a torn ACL and won't be available until late in the season. Harrison Petty is working on overcoming a toe issue, and is less likely than McDonald to face the Blues. The lack of talls could herald an unlikely renaissance for Schache, who last year played two of his three games as the sub, including going unused in the semi-final defeat to the Blues. The potential return of Clayton Oliver (personal reasons) in Opening Round could also allow fellow superstar Christian Petracca to spend more time in attack, which would alleviate many of the Demons' potential forward woes. Oliver lined up alongside fellow senior player Christian Salem (back) in the VFL hitout against Richmond on Sunday, the latter playing through the midfield despite being more traditionally found at half-back. But when it comes to smaller forwards, the Dees are set, with Bayley Fritsch, Charlie Spargo, Kade Chandler, Alex Neal-Bullen, Taj Woewodin, recruit Jack Billings and father-son selection Kynan Brown – who showed a clean pair of heels against the Tigers – all available. Spargo (Achilles soreness) and Woewodin (concussion) sat out the game against the Tigers, but are expected to face Carlton. "We got to see some guys up there who haven't played much footy together. Jack Billings played through there, Josh Schache, Kynan Brown played through there too," assistant coach Troy Chaplin said after the scratch match against Richmond. "We tried some things over summer, and we've had some guys in and out, and we're trying to find the right mix. It was more our method today, it wasn't so much our forward line, it was what we were doing behind the ball. I thought defensively, which we've been really strong the last few years, was a little bit off today." The ruck situation is also a little dicey. Recruit Tom Fullarton – brought in after the departure of Brodie Grundy to Sydney – is likely to miss the first month of the season with a hamstring injury, leaving Max Gawn light for support. Gawn is also an option to rest up forward, where few can match his aerial reach, but he would likely be replacing one of Schache or van Rooyen as they rotate into the ruck, rather than adding a third prong to the forward line. "We used (in the ruck) Josh Schache today," Chaplin said after Sunday's game. "(Rookie) Will Verrall played some minutes because we were always only going to play Max for a half. (Gawn is) a pretty important player for us, so a half was enough for us. He's done all the loads throughout pre-season, so it was more about looking after him. "We've got Jacob van Rooyen who played second ruck last year, so we've got a couple of guys who can support him, but we're going to have to find ways to look after Max as well. "That was an opportunity today, but it's very hard to tell Max he's only playing a half, he's a pretty proud player."

Tweet has been deleted but the article on the MFC Website is here: Melbourne announce Thurin High Performance Centre

Thanks for all the questions. Going to cut it off here as we have a lot to talk about and I need to get the show notes down. We'll be LIVE tonight at 8:30pm Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

Melbourne season preview: Who steps up to support Max, watch on Clarry Ins and outs IN Jack Billings (trade, St Kilda), Kynan Brown (Rookie Draft, father-son), Tom Fullarton (trade, Brisbane), Marty Hore (SSP, Williamstown VFL), Shane McAdam (trade, Adelaide), Koltyn Tholstrup (No.13 draft pick), Caleb Windsor (No.7 draft pick) OUT Luke Dunstan (retired), Brodie Grundy (trade, Sydney), James Harmes (trade, Western Bulldogs), Michael Hibberd (retired), James Jordon (free agent, Sydney), Deakyn Smith (delisted), Kye Turner (delisted) Medical room No return date has been set for important defender-turned-forward Harrison Petty, who has experienced soreness in his toe and has been unable to build up his training loads following the Lisfranc injury he suffered late last season. The club is taking a conservative approach with recruit Shane McAdam who has ongoing tightness in his calf, with no timeline set for his return either, while young defender Daniel Turner is facing 10-12 weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a stress fracture in his leg. Tall duo Ben Brown (knee) and Tom Fullarton (hamstring) won't be ready for at least the first month of the season. Tom McDonald, Lachie Hunter (both calf soreness) and Charlie Spargo (Achilles) did not play in Sunday's match simulation against Richmond but all three are expected to be available for the Demons' AAMI Community Series match against Carlton next week. Three burning questions Where's the ruck back-up coming from if Max Gawn goes down? The Demons have been left a little thin in the ruck department since parting ways with Brodie Grundy after one season, putting all their faith in Max Gawn to do the job solo. While he's undoubtedly the League's premier big man on his day, what are the Demons' options should their skipper find himself on the sidelines? Tall forward Tom Fullarton was brought in last trade period as ruck cover for Gawn but won't be available for the opening rounds after suffering a severe hamstring injury over the pre-season. Jacob van Rooyen provided Gawn with relief last year, while Adam Tomlinson, Tom McDonald and Harrison Petty can also provide a back-up option if the need arises. Other than that, untried pair Will Verrall and Kyah Farris-White are the only other pure ruckmen on the list. Can the Demons finally get their forward line functioning? Cohesion and accuracy in attack has long been an issue for the Demons and it proved costly in finals last season - they had 32 more inside 50s than Collingwood in the qualifying final, then went on to lose to Carlton despite having eight more scoring shots. While Sunday's match sim didn't show any signs of significant improvement, there were a host of big names absent from the Demons' forward line making it hard to get a gauge on exactly where they are at. Adding to their woes, Harrison Petty is under an injury cloud for the start of the season while Kysaiah Pickett is suspended for Opening Round. There's confidence there's light at the end of the tunnel, however, with Petty earmarked to have a big impact when he returns, while Jacob van Rooyen will have plenty of natural improvement with a third pre-season under his belt. There's also confidence the additions of Jack Billings and Shane McAdam will bring some polish to the Demons' attack. Is an Opening Round return on the cards for Clayton Oliver? There were questions when, or even if, we'd see Clayton Oliver in 2024 after he took extended leave from the club to focus on his personal wellbeing. But Oliver's presence in Sunday's match sim against Richmond, albeit in the second-tier side, was a massive step forward for the premiership midfielder. He's expected to play some managed minutes in the AAMI Community Series hitout against Carlton next week but that's no guarantee he'll be a walk-up start come Opening Round. Oliver has few more boxes to tick before he's given the all-clear to return to play, the biggest one being a tick of approval from the AFL. Track watch Bailey Laurie has impressed after being exposed to more midfield time across the pre-season. After debuting in round one last year, the former first-round pick went on to play just five senior games across 2023 - including three as sub - but could become a permanent fixture for the Demons this year. Laurie returned for pre-season in his best shape yet and has had an eye-catching summer on the track, finishing on the podium in the Demons' 2km time trial and impressing in Sunday's match simulation with his strength inside the contest and clean ball use. Fantasy lock After Brodie Grundy's move to Sydney, Max Gawn (RUC, $831,000) is back and likely to be the Demons' solo ruck. Gawn has dominated this role for many years, averaging 100-plus on six occasions and over 110 three times. Last year, he had the role late in the year for six games and during that period he averaged 113. Expect Gawn to be back to his best in 2024 with another triple-figure average. Instant hit Caleb Windsor. Taken with the Demons' first pick (No.7) in last year's draft, the speedy winger has generated plenty of hype over the pre-season and is primed to make an early debut. With Lachie Hunter out of action with a niggling calf injury, Windsor lined up on the wing for the 'A' side in the Demons' match sim hitout against Richmond. He was also a first-choice winger in a recent intraclub with his highlights package speaking for itself. Showing exceptional speed, great skill and quick decision-making, Windsor was a clear standout and is every chance to feature when the Demons face Sydney in Opening Round. It's a big year for… Clayton Oliver. The four-time club champion's talent is undisputed, but his well-documented off-field issues have somewhat derailed what has been a near-perfect career to date. The 26-year-old only recently re-joined his teammates for pre-season training and he played three strong quarters in the second half of the match sim against Richmond, but it remains to be seen whether Oliver will feature for the Demons early in the season. Can he return to his superior best as he enters the first year of a monster seven-year, multi-million-dollar contract in 2024? Time will tell. Pass mark Winning a final is the minimum after successive straight-sets September exits, but the Demons' list is simply too talented to not be talking premierships in 2024. Best 23 for 2024 B: Adam Tomlinson, Steven May, Trent Rivers HB: Judd McVee, Jake Lever, Jake Bowey C: Caleb Windsor, Clayton Oliver, Ed Langdon HF: Harrison Petty, Bayley Fritsch, Alex Neal-Bullen F: Shane McAdam, Jacob van Rooyen, Kysaiah Pickett Foll: Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Christian Petracca I/C: Bailey Laurie, Angus Brayshaw, Christian Salem, Tom Sparrow, Charlie Spargo (sub) Emerg: Jack Billings, Taj Woewodin, Kade Chandler, Lachie Hunter

The ‘big questions’ Matthew Lloyd has about one club ahead of 2024 season Matthew Lloyd says he’s unsure where Melbourne is at heading into the new season. The Demons are coming off a second straight sets exit from the finals, having now lost four consecutive matches in September. With the new campaign less than three weeks away, Lloyd says there’s “big questions” about the club’s recent game style. “I’m not sure about Melbourne,” he told 3AW Football’s pre-season preview podcast. “(There’s) big questions about Simon Goodwin, I think he’s played too safe.”

The Dees have some woes inside forward 50 given that Tom McDonald (calf), Harrison Petty (toe) and Ben Brown (knee) are currently sidelined with injury but Cornes is not perturbed by that as he feels Van Rooyen is the answer. “Every time I see Van Rooyen play, he impresses me,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast. “I don't know if we've made enough of him. I know the crowd (loves him), the big ‘Roooooooo’, and we love watching him. “He's not even 21 and every time I see him play I’m like, ‘you are everything I want for my team's key forward’. He’s aggressive, he leads to the logos, he crashes packs, he's a bit rough around the edges and there's a couple of things that he would need to tidy up in his game, but he's not even 21. “He's played one season. So the sky's the absolute limit for this young man.” Melbourne has had McDonald and Brown (and of course Bayley Fritsch) return 30-plus goal seasons in red and blue in recent seasons, but Cornes thinks Van Rooyen is the player they haven’t had since the Jesse Hogan days. He also feels the Demons should have traded Petty to Adelaide late last year due to Van Rooyen’s presence. “I just think Melbourne would have been searching for that player for so long. You've found it, don't worry about it, don't go searching, you've found it now,” he added. “I think they should have traded Petty and absolutely loaded up. He will never be worth more to them than what he was in trade period last year. “I don't know if he (Petty) is a forward, but Van Rooyen is and I just love watching him play.” ------------------------- I think Kane is missing the point in that JVR needs backup. With BBB and TMac on the way out, with Petty very likely to leave at years end, Schache probably not up to it and Jefferson still raw, JVR needs a solid partner in crime otherwise he will get double teamed.

Midfielders CBAs CBA % Notes Jack Viney 27 79.4% 6 clearances Christian Petracca 16 47.1% 2 clearances, 2 goals Tom Sparrow 25 73.5% No clearances Alex Neal-Bullen 22 64.7% No clearances Kysaiah Pickett 8 23.5% 5 clearances, 2 goals Bailey Laurie 2 5.9% No clearances Jack Billings 2 5.9% No clearances

From 3 mins

MELBOURNE DEMONS v RICHMOND TIGERS Rucks CBAs CBA % Notes Max Gawn 15 44.1% Played Q1-2 Will Verrall 13 38.2% Played Q3-6 Josh Schache 6 17.7% Played Q1-4 Sam Naismith 19 55.9% Played back up Samson Ryan 15 44.1% Took first contest Midfielders CBAs CBA % Notes Jack Viney 27 79.4% 6 clearances Christian Petracca 16 47.1% 2 clearances, 2 goals Tom Sparrow 25 73.5% No clearances Alex Neal-Bullen 22 64.7% No clearances Kysaiah Pickett 8 23.5% 5 clearances, 2 goals Bailey Laurie 2 5.9% No clearances Jack Billings 2 5.9% No clearances Thomson Dow 24 70.6% 2 clearances Jack Graham 18 52.9% No clearances Jacob Hopper 24 70.6% 3 clearances Jack Ross 20 58.8% 2 clearances Shai Bolton 13 38.2% 4 clearances, 4 goals Kane McAuliffe 3 8.8% Came on Q4

The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Tuesday, 20th February @ 8:30pm. Join George, Binman & I as we dissect the Scratch Match loss to the Tigers and hopefully provide me with some free MFCSS therapy. You questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31 Keep the questions to ones relating to the Scratch Match against the Tigers. We'll do a more in depth Season Preview in the coming weeks.

Is there even a 2s game for him to play in next week?

Proper match. 4 Quarters.

The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Tuesday, 20th February @ 8:30pm. Join George, Binman & I as we dissect the Scratch Match loss to the Tigers and hopefully provide me with some free MFCSS therapy. You questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31 Keep the questions to ones relating to the Scratch Match against the Tigers. We'll do a more in depth Season Preview in the coming weeks.

The Dees will play their final practice match before the start of the 2024 seasons against the Blues at Ikon Park. What are you wanting to see in this final hit out before the season proper? Will Clarry & Salo return to the side? 2024 AAMI Community Series | Carlton v Melbourne Date: Wednesday 28 February Time: 6:40pm (AEDT) Location: IKON Park | Wurundjeri