Demonland

Date of Birth: 2 June 2001 Height: 171cm Weight: 73kg Games MFC 2023: 23 Career Total: 85 Goals MFC 2023: 37 Career Total: 125 Brownlow Medal Votes: 2 Melbourne Football Club: 7th Best & Fairest - 444 votes After a brilliant opening game that also saw him suspended for a silly indiscretion, Pickett’s season was a mixed bag, with some quiet moments interspersed with his customary brilliance and magical goal kicking skills. He also had some great midfield moments. The fact that he managed a top ten best and fairest berth in an up and down season is testament to his potential to rise way above the limits of his stature.

Date of Birth: 30 December 1991 Height: 209cm Weight: 110kg Games MFC 2023: 22 Career Total: 203 Goals MFC 2023: 10 Career Total: 98 Brownlow Medal Votes: 7 Melbourne Football Club: 8th Best & Fairest - 426 votes Was paired in the ruck by dual All Australian Brodie Grundy in an experiment that turned out a failure although it proved handy after Gawn was injured in Round 2. Returned to his very best late in the season when flying solo.

Date of Birth: 7 August 2003 Height: 185cm Weight: 76kg Games MFC 2023: 25 Career Total: 25 Goals MFC 2023: 0 Career Total: 0 Melbourne Football Club: 9th Best & Fairest - 424 votes After quietly spending his first year at the club in the background at Casey, McVee showed his talent in defence playing every game for Melbourne and claiming some big scalps.

Date of Birth: 30 July 2001 Height: 188cm Weight: 87kg Games MFC 2023: 25 Career Total: 77 Goals MFC 2023: 2 Career Total: 7 Melbourne Football Club: 10th Best & Fairest - 416 votes Continued the growth in his stature at the club, showing his versatility in defence mixed with some good runs in the middle. Watch out for him in 2024.

A FINAL NOD TO RON by Whispering Jack I sat down a little while ago to document the Melbourne Football Club’s 2023 in a “That was the Year that Was” format and I soon hit a snag in putting it all together. You see, it was a year that by all rights should have been a shining light in the club’s history after the club achieved such great heights at both men’s and women’s levels that it took out the revamped McClelland Trophy, adding $1m to its coffers. The format now includes the AFLW and is a combined award presented to the 'Champion Club' for the men and women. The Demons finished both competitions with the double chance but failed to make a Preliminary Final in either one of them; a crushing blow for all at the club, from the point of view of the administration, players, staff and supporters alike. Particularly so, because in both competitions, the club was not far off the mark which is a testament to how competitive our game is at the highest level these days. And as if that wasn’t enough, Melbourne suffered a further blow within a day of its semi final exit against Carlton, with the news of the passing of the man who was arguably the greatest player to ever wear the Red and the Blue, Ronald Dale Barassi. Former skipper Stan Alves, who made his debut in 1965 which was the season after Barassi left the club for Carlton, said, “No greater person has been involved in the game than Ron Barassi.” The dark cloud hanging over the club has barely lifted over the past few months with issues facing one of the great players of our present but time will surely heal. The players will be back on the track in no time to begin preparations in earnest for the season. What would the great Ronald Dale Barassi advise the players as they embark on their next campaign after letting the opportunity for greatness slip twice in a row? It would have to be encapsulated by the elements that made him famous — his resilience, his determination and his heroic feats. During his playing days, it was always Barassi who demonstrated the ability to rise to the occasion. He did so throughout his life and his career, both inside and outside of the game. Barassi was born in Castlemaine in the goldfields region of Victoria in 1936 and was five years old when his father, a former Melbourne player Ron Barassi Sr., died in action at Tobruk during World War II. I recently found this news item from the Castlemaine History Group that demonstrated his potential as a young sportsman of 11 years of age. Not long after this, he and his mother moved to the big smoke of the city and when she married and moved to Tasmania, he was taken in by Melbourne’s Coach Norm Smith, the father/son rule was devised and by the time he was 17 years and two months old, he was a senior footballer with the Demons. Two years later, a premiership and on the way to six flags in a decade as a player. Ronald Dale Barassi could turn a game on its head with a single bound. He was a hero to every second kid on the block. From his modest start in life and with the difficult circumstances of losing a father in wartime through his outstanding playing career, his brilliant coaching and even in the later years of his life, by his chivalry in saving a damsel in distress, he was not only the quintessential hero. He was a winner and while he was as tough as nails, played the game in the right spirit, was a happy, personable friend to all. That was Ron - heroism, sportsmanship and resilience personified, the very person for the Melbourne Football Club to honour in the season to come and, in return, his legacy will give inspiration from on high to take us forward to a bright premiership filled future.

An update from Max on Clarry

Date of Birth: 6 December 1996 Height: 188cm Weight: 86kg Games MFC 2023: 17 Career Total: 126 Goals MFC 2023: 38 Career Total: 211 Brownlow Medal Votes: 4 A huge presence and consistently a leading goal kicker in Melbourne’s forward line, Fritsch’s absence through injury in the latter part of the season left a gaping hole that couldn’t be completely covered. His five goals in Round 23 against the Swans in Sydney were exceptional but he couldn’t produce the goods without a proper lead up in the finals.

Date of Birth: 12 September, 2002 Height: 175cm Weight: 72kg Games MFC 2023: 23 Career Total: 47 Goals MFC 2023: 4 Career Total: 6 Games CDFC 2023: 1 Goals CDFC 2023: 0 The small defender who was the Demons’ good luck charm and won a flag in his debut season remains one of the classiest ball users at the club. Will we see a more versatile player in 2024?

Date of Birth: 1 February 1996 Height: 182cm Weight: 78kg Games MFC 2023: 25 Career Total: 157 Goals MFC 2023: 6 Career Total: 67 The energetic winger had a poor season by his standards and will be looking forward to better things in 2024.

Date of Birth: 22 July 1997 Height: 189cm Weight: 88kg Games MFC 2023: 15 Career Total: 162 Goals MFC 2023: 6 Career Total: 51 Brownlow Medal Votes: 6 Oliver’s hamstring injury, its length and the aftermath was probably Melbourne’s biggest and saddest story of the year. Here’s hoping that Clarrie can overcome his off season woes and do what he does best on the field for the Demons where he is already established as one of our greats.

Date of Birth: 16 April 2003 Height: 193cm Weight: 96kg Games MFC 2023: 20 Career Total: 20 Goals MFC 2023: 28 Career Total: 28 Games CDFC 2023: 3 Goals CDFC 2023: 6 Brownlow Medal Votes: 2 A revelation in his first year of AFL with his boundless enthusiasm, passion and attack on the football, van Rooyen promises something really special for Demon fans in the not too distant future.

Date of Birth: 13 January, 2000 Height: 175cm Weight: 79kg Games MFC 2023: 23 Career Total: 33 Goals MFC 2023: 24 Career Total: 24 Games CDFC 2023: 1 Goals CDFC 2023: 0 Brownlow Medal Votes: 2 Grabbed his chances as a small early in the season with his energy and accuracy in front of goal and rewarded the club for its perseverance.

Date of Birth: 11 December 1999 Height: 197cm Weight: 93kg Games MFC 2023: 14 Career Total: 62 Goals MFC 2023: 12 Career Total: 19 Brownlow Medal Votes: 2 The club tried the key position premiership defender out twice as a forward only to be thwarted by injuries. His six goals against the Tigers signaled a promising career there if he can recover and stay on the ground in 2024.

Date of Birth: 31 May, 2000 Height: 183cm Weight: 85kg Games MFC 2023: 23 Career Total: 74 Goals MFC 2023: 11 Career Total: 28 It isn’t easy to break into Melbourne’s midfield but Sparrow made the most of his opportunities and received more time there, especially after Clayton Oliver’s injury. He should be looking forward to further improvement and consolidating his place there in 2024.

Date of Birth: 13 December, 1994 Height: 182cm Weight: 82kg Games MFC 2023: 24 Career Total: 197 Goals MFC 2023: 6 Career Total: 79 Brownlow Medal Votes: 3 Recruited from the Bulldogs to add extra bite on a wing, Hunter was a valuable asset and played in all but one game (unlucky to be suspended in the game against Port Adelaide).

Date of Birth: 25 November, 1999 Height: 172cm Weight: 75kg Games MFC 2023: 14 Career Total: 97 Goals MFC 2023: 11 Career Total: 63 Games CDFC 2023: 7 Goals CDFC 2023: 7 The small forward with the rich football heritage faced a slump in his fortunes this year as goals dried up for him in mid season. As a consequence, he spent seven games at VFL level although he fought back into the side late in the season.

Date of Birth: 15 July, 1995 Height: 184cm Weight: 81kg Games MFC 2023: 16 Career Total: 159 Goals MFC 2023: 0 Career Total: 25 Brownlow Medal Votes: 1 Salem’s overactive thyroid, which had troubled him earlier in his career, returned earlier this year to interrupt his preseason and delay his start to 2023. Then, just as he was set to return to play, scans revealed a small meniscus tear which kept him out until the Port Adelaide game in Round 10. Although he played out the rest of the season and was a steady performer for the most part, he never reached the heights he reached in Melbourne’s premiership season.

And Happy Birthday Goody