Demonland

Strong marking youngster who plays forward and relief ruck, continued to make significant strides forward in his career path. The Demons have high hopes for van Rooyen as he stakes his claim to become an elite attacking forward. Date of Birth: 16 April 2003 Height: 193cm Games MFC 2024: 21 Career Total: 41 Goals MFC 2024: 30 Career Total: 58 Brownlow Medal Votes: 1

JOEL Smith's AFL career is effectively over after the Melbourne player was suspended for four years and three months for anti-doping rule violations relating to cocaine use and trafficking. The AFL announced the ban on Friday afternoon after a lengthy Sport Integrity Australia investigation that ran for more than a year. Smith's suspension relates to five rule violations: A positive match-day test for cocaine after Melbourne v Hawthorn on August 20, 2023 Trafficking or attempted trafficking of cocaine on and/or between April 12, 2020 and September 7, 2020 Trafficking or attempted trafficking of cocaine on and/or between July 28 and July 30, 2022 Trafficking or attempted trafficking of cocaine on and/or between September 5 and September 10, 2022 Possession of cocaine on September 9, 2022 Smith, the son of former Melbourne and North Melbourne forward Shaun, has been provisionally suspended since October 9, 2023 after he returned a positive in-competition test for cocaine following the Demons' round 23 win over Hawthorn on August 20 in the same year. Taking into account his provisional suspension, Smith cannot play in any World Anti-Doping Authority-compliant competition until January 9, 2028. He can return to training in November 2027. It means that Smith, who played 42 games across six seasons at Melbourne, cannot play football at any level until early 2028, when he would be almost 32. He kicked a career-high three goals in his most recent game for Melbourne, the losing semi-final against Carlton in September 2023. AFL CEO Andrew Dillon welcomed the ban handed to Smith. "The outcome in this matter, in which Joel Smith has been suspended for more than four years, reflects the seriousness with which the AFL treats breaches of the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code and is a salutary lesson for any player using illicit substances that are prohibited under the WADA Code," Mr Dillon said. "The use of performance enhancing substances is strictly prohibited in Australian Football and the AFL will continue to work with Sport Integrity Australia to identify and prosecute the use of such substances In-Competition and other conduct prohibited by the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code." "The AFL does not in any way condone the use of illicit drugs. If a player chooses to use illicit drugs, the potential consequences are substantial, including risks to health and safety and of losing the privilege of playing professional football, as has occurred here." Smith is currently out of contract at the Demons, having concluded his most recent two-year deal this season.

Letter from Brad Green Dear Members, I hope this message finds you well, and that, like me, you’re looking forward to some positive results this weekend to help secure our AFLW team’s place in the finals. After a challenging start, our women’s team has shown tremendous resilience, emerging as one of the form sides in the competition as they prepare for Saturday’s clash against Collingwood. Let’s rally behind them and hope to see them in finals footy this November. As President of the Melbourne Football Club, I want to be up front with you. We know that 2024 was a tough year, both on and off the field. We faced some big challenges, and we recognise that certain off-field issues caused disruptions. We admit that some situations could have been managed better, and we're committed to learning from these experiences to handle the inevitable challenges more effectively in the future. Yesterday was a significant day for our club. While the focus was, deservedly, on acknowledging retiring CEO Gary Pert’s contributions, the announcement of Steven Smith’s commitment to stand up and support the club, the Board, and myself was equally important. The Board and I have been working hard to bring Steven into a position where he can contribute, and we look forward to the potential of him joining us in driving the club forward. As I’ve mentioned in previous communications, we have some important updates regarding both the AFL Football and Board reviews and at the bottom of this letter you will find details regarding Call for Nominations ahead of our Annual General Meeting. AFL Football Review The purpose of the review was to identify opportunities for the AFL Football program to return to finals in 2025. Over the past four years, the AFL program has achieved significant milestones, including a drought-breaking premiership in 2021, three consecutive top four finishes, and the inaugural McClelland Trophy (in conjunction with the success of our AFLW team). We entered 2024 with the expectation of playing finals, and not doing so was incredibly disappointing for our members, players, staff, and everyone associated with the Club. We understand that this competition demands continual improvement, and we are committed to doing the work in every aspect of our football program. This review involved over 40 interviews with players, coaches, football department staff, and external industry experts. Ex-All Blacks Manager Darren Shand, Gary Pert, and I conducted these interviews and meetings to gather comprehensive feedback. Darren Shand then used the interview findings to lead a series of workshops and collaborative meetings with on-field and off-field leaders, including Max Gawn and Jack Viney, to establish key priorities for improving our program in 2025. While much of the review’s details must remain confidential to maintain a competitive edge, we felt it was important to share the high-level findings and priorities with our members. Key Findings: - Our Playing List: The review identified strong confidence within the playing group and football staff that we can play finals next season. We have a very strong core group of players, but fast-tracking the development of our talented young players will be essential. Throughout the pre-season and into the season, we will prioritise and dedicate additional time in our schedule for coaches to focus on developing our first to third year players, ensuring their growth and progression remain a top priority. Members may have noted our commitment during the trade period to secure an additional top 10 selection ensuring we have two early picks in this year’s draft. This aligns with our decision to continue bringing in high-end young talent to complement our core group and return to AFL finals next year. - Staff and Structure: The review confirmed the strength of our football program’s leadership and staff, while identifying an opportunity to refresh energy and leadership within the Assistant Coaching group supporting Senior Coach Simon Goodwin. The review also reinforced the importance of our midfield as a critical driver of success, prompting us to create two dedicated midfield coaching roles as detailed below: Troy Chaplin will transition from managing defence to overseeing our forward line and team offence. Troy has successfully built one of the league’s highest-performing defensive units while nurturing emerging talent. The review recognised our highly talented young emerging key forwards, as well as our dangerous mid and small forwards. Troy's focus will be on developing cohesive structures and disciplines within our forward line. Nathan Jones joins us as a midfield coach focusing on stoppages. Known for his football intelligence and drive for success, Nathan is highly respected by the playing group. His recent playing experience brings fresh perspectives to the role which the review identified as an opportunity for improvement. Sam Radford will work alongside Nathan as midfield coach. Together, they aim to maximise our current midfield group’s strengths while integrating new talent in the midfield mix. Nathan Bassett joins the club and will lead our backline and team defence. With a wealth of experience, including a decade in coaching roles with Essendon and Port Adelaide and most recently at Norwood in the SANFL, Nathan’s fresh outlook will greatly benefit our program. - High-Performance Environment: The review highlighted the importance of empowering the player leadership group to play a greater role in shaping and sustaining our High-Performance environment, setting clear expectations and driving performance outcomes. This includes preparing our next generation of leaders through education and development. To support this, we have engaged an external leadership expert to implement a club-wide program with a dedicated focus on our player leadership group, set to commence when players return for pre-season training. In addition, Darren Shand will mentor both our on-field and off-field leaders, as we implement the various initiatives that resulted from the review. - Game Style: The review emphasised the need to refine our method of play, focusing on all facets of the game— with the ball, without the ball and in the contest. During the pre-season, our coaches will work on evolving our game style to maximise the strengths of our playing group, aiming for a style that not only propels us back into the finals but withstands the pressures of finals football. As a competitive measure, specific details of our game style remain confidential. While the review has highlighted areas for improvement, it also reaffirms that we are well-positioned to turn challenges into opportunities. With strong foundations in place and a clear path forward, we are committed to driving the Melbourne Football Club back to success in 2025. Board Review In tandem with the football review, the Board initiated an external governance review in September, conducted by governance and culture expert Megan Dwyer. This review assessed our structure, practices and composition to identify areas for alignment with best practice and our strategic goals. Key Outcomes: - Commitment to Improvement While the review acknowledged our commitment to improvement, it also identified areas where further changes would support our objectives. The Board is committed to embracing these recommendations and will continue evolving our practices as we implement them. - New Committees As part of our strategy to meet member expectations and bolster on-field success, we will establish two new committees: a High-Performance Committee and a Member Engagement Committee. These committees will bring in additional expertise to strengthen our approach in these areas. - Governance Working Group To maintain focus on continuous improvement, a Governance Working Group, chaired by Director Sally Freeman, has been established. This group will guide the implementation of review recommendations. - Strengthening Board Skills and Experience The review’s skills matrix analysis supports and expands on the Board’s objective to recruit highly skilled and experienced individuals who can support our strategic objectives and foster a culture of TRUE (Trust, Respect, Unity, Excellence). In closing, I want to extend my gratitude to all who contributed to these reviews. We acknowledge the honest feedback from our players, coaches and staff, which will be invaluable as we strive to improve. Most importantly, we thank you—our members and supporters—for your unwavering trust and passion. As we enter the Call for Nominations period, members can nominate for a Board position. As mentioned yesterday, Chris Barlow will be nominating alongside Steven Smith, while incumbents Sally Freeman and Dr. Angela Williams will stand for re-election. Our path forward relies on collective effort. With the reviews complete, our players and coaches are ready to put in the work needed to return to the finals in 2025 and we ask that they feel the support and energy from you, the Demon faithful, as we prepare for the 2025 season. Thank you once again, and as always—Go Demons! Brad Green President Melbourne Football Club

The Demons’ impressive late season charge to finals will most likely come unstuck this Saturday evening when the Bombers blow up the also-ran Blues in the Ikon Park double-header. To mangle McCartney, what does it matter to ya? To have any chance to play next week Narrm has got a job to do and needs to do it well. We’ve got to give the Pie sheilas hell, say live and let die! It’s Indigenous Round for this game and the chance to celebrate and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Supporters are encouraged to be in their seats by 12:40pm, with students from Worawa Aboriginal College performing a traditional dance prior to Narrm running out at 12:55pm. A Welcome to Country from Wurundjeri man Colin Hunter Jnr will then take place before the first bounce at 1:05pm. Saturday is forecast for a sunny afternoon, ideal for entertaining footy in Narrm’s final home game for 2024. Both teams have endured long injury lists this season which has impacted their respective ladder positions. A Pies loss will see Collingwood win the wooden spoon while we Dees will have to wait until around 9pm to learn their fate. Congratulations to Blaithin Mackin who was named in the Week 9 Team of the Week. B has played some scintillating footy this season. How good will it be to see A and B return fully fit for Season 2025. Selection this week Kate Hore has been cleared to play and Alyssia Pisano gets to play her 8th game in this debut season. The small forward is yet break into disposals double figures. A goal-sneaky chance this week? Making way is Goldie who was really banged up by the heaved-handed Hawks last week receiving concussion, while reliable defender Denby Taylor is being managed. Meggs’ view The Demons must win. Collingwood is missing their Captain Bri Davey but has a solid core group of experienced players such as Brit Bonnici and Ruby Schleicher who are capable of restricting our ball movement. Can the Pies maintain the pressure for 4 quarters? The return of Kate Hore will strengthen the midfield and Hanksy et al will enjoy her company. Goldie’s attack and flair will be sorely missed but Mick Stinear will ensure that others step up. Expecting Loz Pearce to match it with Sabrina Frederick and give our midfielders first use of the ball. The Demons defensive group are well led by Chaplin and Gillard. Fan favourite Alyssa Bannan is in a rich vein of form scoring in her past 5 games. Narrm should kick enough goals for a comfortable win. Carn the Blues! Narrm by 24 points THE GAME Round 11: Narmm v Collingwood Saturday 2 November 2024 at 1:05pm (Melbourne time) Ikon Park, Melbourne – Wurundjeri HEAD TO HEAD Overall Narmm 4 wins Collingwood 2 wins At Ikon Park Narrm 2 wins Collingwood 0 wins The Coaches Stinear 0 wins Wright 0 wins MEDIA TV – Fox Footy, Kayo THE LAST TIME THEY MET - 2023 Season 8 Round 1 Melbourne 10.13 (73) defeated by Collingwood 4.7 (31) at Ikon Park, 1 September 2023 MELBOURNE 1.4 2.7 7.11 10.13 (73)
 COLLINGWOOD 2.0 4.3 4.4 4.7 (31) GOALS
 MELBOURNE Bannan 3 Heath Zanker 2 Campbell Harris
 Hore COLLINGWOOD Brown Cann Davey Morris-Dalton BEST MELBOURNE Hanks Mithen Bannan Purcell Zanker Heath COLLINGWOOD
 Davey Bonnici Rowe Cann Morris-Dalton CROWD 8,412 at Ikon Park Entertainment plus in the Season 2023 opener as the Hot Pies went cold after half time due to an 8-goal second half blitz by the Mighty Dees. The skill level and delivery into our forward 50 was some of the best we’d seen. The vibe at IKON Park was great and Kate Roffey and Daisy Pearce unfurled the Demons Season 7 premiership flag. It was Hanksy’s 50th milestone game. She displayed her usual gameday awesomeness, celebrating with a crushing win. THE TEAMS NARRM B S Taylor Gillard HB Heath, Chaplin Lampard C Mackin Hanks McNamara HF Gall Wotherspoon Zanker F Bannan Hore FOLL Pearce Purcell Fitzsimon I/C Johnson Watt Campbell Mithen Pisano EMG Hill Rigoni Madigan IN Hore Pisano OUT D Taylor (managed) Goldrick (concussion) COLLINGWOOD B Cronin Livingstone HB Schutte Butler Schleicher C Rowe White Allan HF Morris James Porter F Fowler Hyde FOLL Frederick Bonnici Cann I/C Atkinson Barnett Evans Remmos Brazzale EMG Sansonetti Clark Taylor IN James Hyde OUT Ivey Clark INJURY LIST: ROUND 11 Narrm Kate Hore Hamstring Test Sinead Goldrick Concussion 1-2 weeks Gaby Colvin Concussion 1-2 weeks Paxy Paxman Foot TBC Grace Beasley ACL Season Tayla Harris Shoulder Season Jacinta Hose ACL Inactive Aimee Mackin ACL Inactive Collingwood Eliza James Concussion Test Bri Davey Tibia Season Grace Campbell Hip Season Kalinda Howarth ACL Season Selena Kalson Shin Season Annie Lee Knee Season Charlotte Blair Shin Season Nell Morris-Dalton Back Inactive Aishling Sheridan Personal Inactive

Had to shoulder more responsibility as the club’s injury concerns deepened but needs to step up more as he closes in on 100 games. Date of Birth: 31 May 2000 Height: 186cm Games MFC 2024: 21 Career Total: 95 Goals MFC 2024: 6 Career Total: 34 Games CDFC: 1 Goals CDFL: 0

After careful consideration, Demonland has made the decision to prohibit any discussion related to the Joel Smith case and his subsequent four-year ban. This decision has not been made lightly, but it’s necessary to protect the Demonland website, its community members, and the integrity of our platform. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, discussing it on this forum opens up significant risks for legal ramifications, particularly around potential rumors, speculation, or the spread of misinformation. Managing these risks has proven to be incredibly challenging for our moderation team, and enforcing a complete restriction is the only feasible way to ensure the safety and respect of all involved parties. To clarify, any mention of the Joel Smith case, whether as standalone posts or within other threads, may be automatically moderated and/or removed. This policy is in place to prevent time wasted for both users and moderators. Please understand that any lengthy posts regarding this topic will not be permitted and will ultimately be deleted and you will have wasted your time. We recognize the interest and concerns around this topic, and we respect your right to engage in discussions; however, we ask that you find alternative venues on the internet if you wish to discuss this case further. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

https://x.com/melbournefc/status/1851814173870903443

Date of Birth: 12 November 1999 Height: 197cm Games MFC 2024: 20 Career Total: 82 Goals MFC 2024: 9 Career Total: 28 Brownlow Medal Votes 3 Failed to fulfill the promise of his breakout six goal effort against the Tigers in 2023 and was generally disappointing as a key forward. It remains to be seen whether Simon Goodwin will persevere with him in attack or return him to the backline where he was an important cog in the club’s 2021 premiership success.

Please don't take your fights/arguments from one thread into others. Enough with the personal attack on posters. Last warning.

Melbourne chief executive officer Gary Pert has resigned. The Demons boss informed the club of his departure on Thursday morning, this masthead has confirmed with a source who had direct knowledge of the decision. It continues a year of drama for the Dees, who were expected to hand down the findings of two separate reviews into the club’s operations in coming days. Pert had been leading Melbourne’s proposal to build a combined training base and administration headquarters at Caulfield Racecourse. More to come.

After a bright start to the season, playing mostly in defence, Howes seemed to lose his way in midseason but fought back with some good performances at Casey and finished the year back at AFL level. One to watch in 2024. Date of Birth: 7 March 2003 Height: 191cm Games MFC 2024: 15 Career Total: 15 Goals MFC 2024: 0 Career Total: 0 Games CDFC 2024: 6 Goals CDFC 2024: 0

Originally an NBL basketballer with the Brisbane Bullets, he moved across town in 2019 to the AFL Lions where he played 19 games before crossing to Melbourne where he was expected to fill a role as a back up ruckman/key forward. Unfortunately, didn’t quite get there although he did finish equal sixth in Casey’s best and fairest award. Date of Birth: 23 February 1999 Height: 198cm Games CDFC: 14 Goals CDFL: 13

Sadly, had to wrap up a great career in midstream on the back of multiple concussions which culminated in the Maynard hit in the 2023 Qualifying Final. His loss to the club was inestimable over and above his on field talent given his character and leadership qualities, all of which have been sorely missed. Date of Birth: 9 January 1996 Height: 188cm Games MFC 2024: 0 Career Total: 167 Goals MFC 2024: 0 Career Total: 49

The son of former Demon Brownlow Medalist Shane, Taj added a further 16 games to his overall tally of games but a number were as substitute. He is slowly fitting into the team structure but without doing anything spectacular and needs to take further steps forward in 2025 for his career to progress. Date of Birth: 26 March 2003 Height: 182cm Games MFC 2024: 16 Career Total: 20 Goals MFC 2024: 1 Career Total: 3 Games CDFC 2024: 6 Goals CDFC 2024: 1

The clever small was unable to cement a place in the Melbourne midfield and spent most of his time this year with the Casey Demons where he finished equal fourth in its best & fairest. Date of Birth: 24 March 2002 Height: 179cm Games MFC 2024: 6 Career Total: 11 Goals MFC 2024: 2 Career Total: 2 Games CDFC 2024: 12 Goals CDFC 2024: 7

Bowey’s season was curtailed early when he sustained a shoulder injury that required surgery in the opening game against Sydney. As a consequence, he was never able to perform consistently or at anywhere near his previous levels. Date of Birth: 12 September 2002 Height: 175cm Games MFC 2024: 14 Career Total: 61 Goals MFC 2024: 0 Career Total: 6

It was a sweaty, slippery night at Cazalys Stadium, a tough slog with low scoring and missed opportunities. The Hokball Hawks hung on to win by a goal and sit second on the ladder, relegating the disappointed Demons to, almost certainly, finals spectators. We had to win this match. When news broke of late withdrawals of talisman Kate Hore and key back Gaby Colvin, expectations plummeted, and Demon fans despaired. The bad news was the signature song of 2024, a season that’s breaking us in two as we watch it slip away. Narrm began Indigenous Round brightly. A Tyla Hanks sublime kick to Georgia Gall in the first quarter was well marked and she goaled to open the scoring. A promising start. The hot and humid conditions slowly exhausted the players and footy became more slippery as the match went on. Ambitious handballs and pressured kicking were not helping our connection nor our chances of scoring. The Hawks really got on top in the second and third terms, missing several chances to extend their lead. A match highlight was Hawks and Tiwi Islander player Mattea Breed’s brilliant flying mark-of-the-year contender in the third quarter. To change it up, Mick moved Eliza MacNamara into the midfield which gave the team more drive. Liz alongside our key playmakers Hanks, Goldrick, B Mackin, Purcell and Fitzsimon were critical in keeping the margin to only eight-points at the last change. Two key Hawks were later praised by Mick Stineaer in ruck and ex Casey VFLW player Lucy Wales who took 9 marks and 21 hit outs and veteran defensive sweeper Tilly Lucas-Rodd. He could also have mentioned Westy’s 6 clearances and game-high 25 disposals or young superstar Jas Fleming, Emily Bates or Kashy. In the end the chances were not taken and Narrm failed to bridge the gap. While payers and spectators are understandably crestfallen, we all know it was not due to a lack of effort. The Hawks were the better team. Goldie is good Sinead Goldrick has played outstanding football for Narrm this year. Thursday night against the Hawks was no different with her 20 possessions, familiar attack on the ball and lots of run and carry. Worryingly, Goldie was taken from the ground in the final quarter looking groggy from a head knock after Emily Bates kneed her with both knees. No free from the umps? Earlier Goldie had been dumped by Mackenzie Eardley in a nasty dangerous tackle but on that occasion, she jumped straight back up to take her free kick We hope Sinead is Good as Gold(ie). All we need is a Miracle Essendon looks set to pip Narrm, Geelong and St Kilda into a finals berth. Expecting the Saints to lose to Brisbane next week and Narrm to defeat Collingwood. Essendon have played 3 matches against fellow top 8 teams, losing each game whereas Narrm has played 7 matches against Top 8 teams winning 2. The Bombers will likely defeat the Blues next week and end on 26 points with Demons on 24 points. Essendon will have defeated us and 5 of the bottom 7 teams to make it. The Narrm wins have been against superior quality: Adelaide, Richmond, Geelong, St Kilda and only 2 of the bottom 7 teams. The Demons hierarchy could not be happy to miss out on finals once again to the uneven AFLW fixture. Season 2024 is up to the footy gods now. We beat Collingwood and hope the Bombers blow an engine. For the Dees Alyssa Bannan, who some were critical of early in the season,has really turned it around with some exciting footy. She looked our most dangerous forward and kicked 1 goal 3 behinds. Youngster Ryleigh Wotherspoon, who hails from Mackay, looked right at home in the tropical conditions. Ry was a solid contributor tonight, one of her best games so far. Coaches and Next Week Mick Stinear and the playing group were shattered with the loss. He was proud of the way they fought out the game but acknowledged that the better team won on the night. He expects Kate Hore and Goldie to be chipper for next week. Daniel Webster said his team produced a high-level performance against quality opposition and was rapt with the win. He praised the hard stuff that Eliza West does and her work getting hands on the ball and setting up teammates. The Demons next play Collingwood at Ikon Park on Saturday while the Hawks take on Richmond at Punt Road on Sunday. Good luck Dees! NARRM 1.0.6 1.1.7 2.2.14 2.5.17 HAWTHORN 2.0.12 3.2.20 3.5.23 3.5.23 GOALS NARRM Bannan Gall HAWTHORN Fleming Hipwell McDonagh BEST NARRM McNamara B Mackin Hanks Bannan Goldrick Purcell HAWTHORN Fleming West Lucas-Rodd Wales Bates Ashmore LATE CHANGES NARRM Kate Hore (quad) and Gabby Colvin (concussion) replaced in selected side by Saraid Taylor and Lily Johnson HAWTHORN Nil INJURED NARRM Goldrick (head) HAWTHORN Nil REPORTS NARRM Nil HAWTHORN Nil CROWD 2,602 at Cazaly Stadium

The versatile defender who can play as a tall interceptor and also take on smaller opponents got his second chance this year but injuries prevented him from getting a regular place in the Melbourne team and managed to add only seven games to his AFL tally this year. Recently signed on for another year in 2025. Date of Birth: 5 March 1996 Height: 191cm Games MFC 2024: 7 Career Total: 20 Goals MFC 2024: 0 Career Total: 1 Games CDFC 2024: 7 Goals CDFC 2024: 0