Demonland

Interesting article with stats about the Go-Home Factor. What can AFL fans actually expect from first-round draftees?

He was not available. However Daniel Curtin was.

MELBOURNE Picks (at start of the draft): 6, 11, 42 Selections: Caleb Windsor (7), Koltyn Tholstrup (13) This is the ultimate ‘drafting for the present’. They know what their problem is – forward 50 entries and scoreboard conversion – and tried to fix it with their two selections. Caleb Windsor is an exciting winger and one of the most penetrating inside-50 kick in the draft class, while Koltyn Tholstrup is a high score involvement half-forward. If they can slot straight into Simon Goodwin’s line-up and play those roles, this could be a huge win, because the Demons’ premiership window is clearly open right now. And it’s not only about the present, because these two could be good for a while. But the risk when you draft for need, rather than picking the best available, is that you reach. Windsor was a slight reach at Pick 7 on pure talent — though someone would’ve taken him right after the Dees’ pick if they ignored him, which speaks to the lack of top-end prospects in this class. Grade: B ALL TEAMS GRADINGS: ADELAIDE CROWS: A- BRISBANE LIONS: C CARLTON: C+ COLLINGWOOD: B- ESSENDON: A- FREMANTLE: B- GEELONG: B GOLD COAST SUNS: A GWS GIANTS: C+ HAWTHORN: B MELBOURNE: B NORTH MELBOURNE: A- PORT ADELAIDE: C+ RICHMOND: C- ST KILDA: B+ SYDNEY SWANS: C+ WEST COAST EAGLES: B- WESTERN BULLDOGS: B

The 2023 Pre-Season Draft will commence at 3:00pm with the Rookie Draft following at 3:20pm. From afl.com.au AFTER 64 players achieved their dreams of joining an AFL club at the 2023 AFL Draft this week, a handful of clubs will add more players to their lists today in the 2023 Pre-Season and Rookie Drafts. A total of 27 players were picked up in last year's Rookie Draft, which clubs often use as a list management mechanism to move players around their lists. Much like previous years, the bulk of the rookie selections today are expected to be players who have been recently delisted, but whose clubs have already committing to re-drafting them as rookies. Sydney's Sam Reid, Hawthorn's Chad Wingard and Melbourne's Jake Melksham, who are all on the comeback trail from serious injuries suffered in 2023, are expected to be among this group. But will there be another diamond in the rough who finds a new home after being overlooked in the National Draft on Monday and Tuesday? Tune in live from 2.55pm AEDT on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App as draft experts Cal Twomey and Riley Beveridge bring you all the details. Clubs may pass with their selections today and opt to leave some list spots open for potential pre-season signings under the AFL's supplemental selection period over summer. 2023 Rookie Draft Order (via AFL.com.au) Round one 1) West Coast Eagles 2) North Melbourne 3) Hawthorn 4) Gold Coast Suns 5) Fremantle 6) Richmond 7) Geelong Cats 8) Essendon 9) Adelaide 10) Western Bulldogs 11) Sydney Swans 12) St Kilda 13) Melbourne 14) Port Adelaide 15) GWS Giants 16) Carlton 17) Collingwood Round two 18) North Melbourne 19) Hawthorn 20) Gold Coast 21) Fremantle 22) Adelaide 23) Western Bulldogs 24) Melbourne 25) Collingwood Round three 26) Gold Coast 27) Western Bulldogs 28) Melbourne 29) Collingwood Round four 30) Gold Coast Round five 31) Gold Coast

I'm interviewing the Melbourne Football Club Recruitment Manager Jason Taylor early next week on the Demonland Podcast. I'll be asking him about moving up the draft order, our new recruits (both Draftees and Trades), Daniel Curtin, our recent recruits who have yet to play a senior game, who he thinks will be the next Judd McVee and more. If you have any further questions let me know below and I'll see if I can squeeze them in. I will release the podcast either Monday or Tuesday. We'll be aiming to do a 2023 Season Review (Men and Women) as well as give our thoughts on the Trade & Draft period in the coming weeks. Look out for a thread soon where we will open it up for questions from Demonlanders.

Koltyn will join Premiership defender and 2 time All Australian Steven May as Demonland's Sponsored Players for the 2024 season.

With the departure of Brodie Grundy at the end of the 2023 season Demonland lost one of it's Sponsored Players after only 1 year. It is with great pride that we announce that after a long and exhaustive search we have found a replacement. In 2024 the Melbourne Football Club's Pick 13 in the AFL draft Koltyn Tholstrup will join Premiership defender and 2 time All Australian Steven May as Demonland's Sponsored Players. We look forward to many years of success for our newest player who has already become a cult figure on this website before a ball has been bounced in again.

Is this your first Draft? 😜

The Dees have passed with Pick 63

Sneak peak at the new back of the jumper.

It was a hot afternoon at IKON where the ferocious Cats came to play, had read the manual on how to beat us and the Demons were unable to match them for the first three quarters. With physical pressure, they took the game on with relative ease and though our resistance seemed better than the previous two weeks it was still not good enough. Within the opening minute, Kate Hore marks within range, but her shot was a miss-kick, like a fat iron, and it kinda set a flat tone for the afternoon. Young Geelong stars Nina Morrison (clearly best on ground) and Georgie Prespakis were ferocious, while 3-time best and fairest winner Amy McDonald started proceedings with two great goals in the opening quarter. Maddi Gay did give the Demon faithful some hope after the half time siren with a terrific long-range goal from a mark. Only three goals in it at half time. The Cats came out strongly after the main break and put the game beyond reach leading by 30 points at ¾ time. An unassailable lead? That’s what everyone thought. Melbourne in eight seasons had never lost three games in a row. Well in the ¾ time huddle, with Harris hurt, Mick Stinear mixed it up. He threw Tahlia Gillard into the ruck, with dynamo Goldie, Kate Hore and the extractor Westy and within seconds of the commencement of the last quarter we had scored a goal. The season-long weight of expectation of being reigning premiers, the hunted versus the hunter, had somehow lifted from our players’ shoulders. Emerging belief. Nothing to lose. It was a very exciting last quarter comeback to watch at the ground but ultimately it was too little too late. After witnessing almost three weeks of un-Melbourne-like football at least we finally displayed some of our trademark exciting football in the last quarter of 2023. Demons Fans were building with excitement as we kicked five goals in the last to nearly pinch a win, falling sadly short by less than a goal. That Loz Pearce snap was agonisingly close to forcing extra-time. Eden Zanker started holding her marks and kicked three brilliant last quarter goals to finish on 23 goals for the season, an AFLW record. Congratulations Edo. Geelong Coach Dan Lowther was shown on the big screen several times looking highly nervous. The big Geelong contingent who came up on the buses sensed the danger too and started cheering loudly for their team as the margin kept whittling away. But fortunately for them the siren sounded before our last forward thrust could be completed. In the end the Cats deserved the win. For the Dees Goldie was strong throughout, Hanksy is our talented talisman, Maddi Gay plays so well in finals, Westy made a strong comeback, Liv Purcell is an important cog in the midfield along with Paxy and Loz Pearce while Zanker starred in that last quarter. There were several players who didn’t impact the match and really every time we win, we have an even contribution. Sadly, not this week. Sherriff and Lampy were missed. The Demons will now start all the end of season processes including players reviews and list management. There is obviously some work to be done to improve. Well, that’s the season wrap up from Meggs. It has been a pleasure going to matches, reporting and reviewing and he thanks you for taking the time to read these missives. Coaches and next week Melbourne Coach Mick Stinear was gutted but said Geelong deserved to win. For three quarters Geelong got first use of the ball. Our belief kicked in in that last quarter and at least showed what the group is capable of. We were unfortunately out of form at the wrong time of year. Why was that Mick? Geelong coach Dan Lowther thought his side had enough of a buffer at ¾ time to win the match but was nervous towards the end and clearly relieved when that final siren sounded. He highlighted Hanksy’s outstanding last quarter. One concern for the Cats is their fading last quarters. In their 2 finals so far, Geelong has only scored 1.1.7 and their opposition 8.4.52. The Cats have earned a Preliminary Final contest next week against Brisbane at Ipswich starting at 7:45pm Melbourne time. It will be a tough assignment for them, and we wish them well.  MELBOURNE 0.2.2 1.4.10 1.7.19 6.9.45 GEELONG 2.4.16 4.5.29 6.7.43 7.8.50 GOALS MELBOURNE Zanker 3 Gay Hanks A Mackin GEELONG A.McDonald 2 Crockett-Grills Darby Moloney Parry Scott BEST MELBOURNE Gay West Zanker Gillard Purcell Hanks GEELONG Morrison A McDonald Webster M McDonald Parry Prespakis INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil GEELONG Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil GEELONG Nil UMPIRES Adams Scott Talbot CROWD 5,057 at IKON Park

without the watermark

I’ll be back